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[pmillen]

Is the CDC going to tell each state when it is "safe to mingle"?

IDK, how the "Safe to mingle" decision will be implemented.

Speaking of states, Nebraska's COVID-19 case count and deaths are climbing at an increasing rate.  Yet, the governor has begun to re-open businesses (including barbershops, salons, tattoo parlors and massage therapy businesses).  To me, it proves, once again, that nothing trumps the profit motive.

[Kristin Meredith]

Thanks.  The reason I ask is that from everything I have read, it is up to each governor to open or close a state.  I know the CDC has been critical in general of states opening, but I did not know if they were actually providing state by state guidance of when they felt a state could open or just the guidelines.

[reubenray]

Here in Baldwin County, Alabama we have only had 189 cases and 5 deaths. The beaches are open now with restrictions.  For this reason I am expecting Baldwin County cases and deaths to go up.  There are a lot of out-of-town people from hard hit metropolitan areas looking for the beaches. 

The restaurants are take-out only for now, but they could be opening up soon.  I have been getting take-out food more than I normally ate out at restaurants.  This is to help the local businesses plus I am getting tired of cooking so much.  I still will be cautious about going out where there are a lot of people for a while.

[Kristin Meredith]

"Speaking of states, Nebraska's COVID-19 case count and deaths are climbing at an increasing rate."

I am not sure what metric you are looking at.  Yes, if you have a total number, then if you go from one death to two deaths over a one week period then you have an increasing rate and always will.  You can never go back to zero deaths.  But they are looking at daily increases and decreases. 

In NE, the highest daily case count was April 24 with 608 new cases reported.  Then it went dow, then up again and on May 1 they reported 557 new cases. Then it has decreased each day and, as of May 5, it was 355 new cases.  It may increase again, who knows.

The same is true for the death rate.  There have been 81 deaths since Feb 29.  The high to date has been April 29 with 13 deaths, then it went down significantly for several days with one death on May 4 and 2 deaths on May 5.  So total overall cases and deaths have been increasing since the first case and death was reported.  The current trend is down.  Whether that will stay that way only time will tell.

[BigDave83]

I voted yes. I still get out for things I want or need. Except if it is from a closed up place. There seems to be so much double standard in the Dictatorship of PA, you can have hundreds of people in Wally World, Lowes, Home Depot, but the small shop up the street that sees maybe 30 customers a day needs to be closed.

 We do go shopping for her grandparents and for 2 people in their 70's or 80's they seem to go through a lot of groceries. I go out and eat at the local places, usually pick up, and now some of the small road side BBQ places are opening I like a few of them, some it is more the people that own them than the food.

For me life really has not changed much other than not eating in a restaurant. Not a bar or movie theater goer. That said I am ready for the complete government control to be over.

[rfinley]

First let me say I am not down playing Corona Virus, Our Grandson's fiancée mother passed from complications of the virus so it has hit close to home. Second, my wife has a compromised immune system due to chemo therapy so we are aware of what could happen. We have been "Social Distancing" for the last year before it was the "Latest Buzz Phrase". In the last year we didn't shut ourselves inside our house. We continued to live as close to normal as we could, very careful, but close to normal. We avoided crowds, sat in the very back of Church, we kept our distance from anyone who was coughing and sneezing so for this outbreak it wasn't much of a change for us. I will also say I'm not the kind of person that will be convinced of anything without doing my own research. We gave up National News 5 or 6 weeks ago due to the continual 24/7 coverage. So I have been absorbing the data from NYS own numbers on how concerned we should be. As more testing is being done here they are finding out that somewhere around 20+ percent of NYS population was been infected (per the antibody testing) but the state is only publishing 14% . Andy Cuomo doesn't want to look like the dipstick that he is, so I used his 14% in calculating the death rate for this "Pandemic". I have the data from the beginning of March until the end of April. As more are tested and we see the antibody test show a much higher state infection rate, the States fatality rate will be hardly a blip on the seasonal flu scale.....   Anyway, this is my data, my take of what's happening in NYS, and yes we will continue to be careful, but are ready to continue to enjoy our lives. Oh, by the way using NYS's numbers that you will not see on the evening news the fatality rate through the end of April has been .64%.  Be careful, be safe, do your own risk assessment and enjoy what we have !!!!  Again my thoughts, your mileage may vary !!!

[urnmor]

Thank you for the opportunity to allow me to vent.  First i think it is important to know my age which is 75.  I also understand from reading thee post many of us have different opinions. 

I answered yes. I firmly believe we need to fully open our economy and allow us to go on living our lives.  I am tired of the inconsistencies of how the rules are being applied across the boards.  Wear masks, don't wear masks, stay at home unless you must go food shopping etc..  some states parks are fully closed others are open to exercise.  Don't need a mask to exercise but you must have one if outdoors.  You can boat but only if fishing for food.  More importantly I do not understand why all the small businesses must be closed yet Home Depot, Lowes etc are allowed to remain open.  xxxx they have a lot more shoppers then I have ever seen in an Ace Hardware store, the local florist, taylor shop etc.  Oh and why are liquor and canaibis stores allowed open but not local garden stores.

I am not one to promote conspiracy theories , however, we as American must be careful in giving up our rights to the politicians and their cronies.  Over the years I have been in to many foreign countries where I have seen too many people had too few rights. IMO we are heading this way and if it keeps up we will find that Big Brother is in control of our lives.  For instance why did the Michigan governor not allow people  to work in their yards but state employees are cutting grass on state properties, why did she allow out of state to go to their summer homes but initially prevent residents from visiting their properties. 

Oh the best one IMO is in my neighborhood.  Comcast is installing new lines throughout the community and have have employed a hundreds of employees to dig the trenches and lay the cable.  At no time did i see any of these people wear masks or keep the social distancing guidelines.

So anyway let us lead our lives and not allow the government to take away our rights that our fore fathers and our Military fought so hard to protect.

[BigDave83]

Part of the thing that really upset me is that the media and those that are trying to control the people are already setting you up by telling you that the second wave will be coming in October and we will be experiencing this all over again. Just in time to to do a few things, one, it will be right around election time, just as now is primary elections time and they are interrupted. The blow to the economy currently and now they are setting you up to do it again at one of the times that people are out moving and shopping for Thanksgiving and Christmas, yet again they will screw over the small business while keeping the major chain stores open and running.

 Are people dying from this, yes but they are dying from many other things also. If you are allowing yourself to be controlled and are hiding in your house because you Governor tells you that you have to, are you really living anyways.

[dk117]

I failed to remember it was Cinco de Mayo yesterday which required an impromptu grocery store run for Corona and taco fixings.  I was in the store maybe 15 minutes.  They have one way isles only and half the entrance and exit doors blocked (I really wonder what the fire marshal would think.)   I decided not to wear the mask I bought on Amazon, it itches my goatee and fogs up my glasses.   About half of the shoppers didn't have masks.   What really shocked me, and is the purpose of my post ...  let's talk about the half of people who had masks.

Pharmacist mask but hanging off of one ear not covering mouth
pharmacy techs (all three of them) following suit of the boss, mask but hanging off their ears.
Checker mask, but covering her chin mostly, nose and top lip exposed
60 plus year old guy behind me.  Mask around his neck, I kid you not.

The points have already been made that grocery shopping, home depot and lowes are big risks.   But I have to wonder if we've accomplished anything with the sort of behavior I saw yesterday.  And I'm counting myself in the recklessness, I just lived my life and had some tacos and Coronas last night like I would any May 5th.   So what's with the posturing and "I shelter in place better than you do" but then only have a mask as some sort of fashion statement.  Insanity all around.   

[BigDave83]

So why not everyone look out for their own needs, if you want to keep 10 feet away from me then do that. Why should I or anyone else be required to do that, just because you feel it is needed for your safety. The freedom and liberty that this country was founded on and is still standing on is just being taken away a little here and a little there, maybe if we do this while they are looking at that no one will notice. If you are that concerned then you have a choice stay at home have someone else do your shopping or what ever you may need done in the public and you will be fine, well maybe, you will still need to disinfect every item purchased for you before you touch it or bring it into your home because if not you are putting yourself at risk. 

I am only 54 but I do not ever remember states shutting down and people being told to stay inside and required to wear masks if you go out. Past viruses seem to have been as harsh or worse that this one. So in my mind there just may be something to the whole political and conspiracy thing. Given illness of the past and precautions taken sure does make it seem that there is more of and agenda being played out than just trying to keep every one safe.

[pmillen]

I am not sure what metric you are looking at.

Yeah, the growth rate stopped increasing a few days ago.  Nevertheless, this trend doesn't encourage me to mingle with people who may have COVID-19 and don't take precautions to stop spreading it.

[hughver]

I agree, this whole virus thing, 70K+ U.S. deaths, is just a conspiracy concocted by one of the political parties and supported by Wall Street, big business and the media to take over the country. The effect on the rest of the world is just a necessary by product. We actually have a vaccine but will not use it until the take over is complete. 

[Kristin Meredith]

The mask issue is an interesting one.  From my research, only the N95 will stop the COVID-19 virus and I believe only medical personnel have access to those.  And you need training on how to properly fit them. 

I was out this morning -- all sorts of face coverings including bandanas.  I don't wear any because I prefer to constantly remind myself to stay at least 6 ft from people, which was the original and still preferred and safest method to stop human to human transmission.  And all sorts of ways people were wearing them -- off on one ear, not covering the nose, taking it off to talk with folks, etc. Funny thing, nearly every person wearing any type of face covering felt very comfortable getting close to others in lline, in aisles, going into stores.  Even with masks, people are suppose to distance.  I think the mask makes them feel protected and that now that they are wearing something on their face, they don't have to pay attention.  I also wonder how many folks are remembering to wash hands when they get home before they do anything else.  It's what I don't like about props -- they give folks a false sense of security.

[reubenray]

My only comment will be...what size is the Covid-19 virus?  What type of mask does it take to prevent the release/intake of inbound/outbound spores?  And are these masks available to all?


And I will ask Members not to denigrate others due to their political beliefs!

We have custom made masks that a neighbor that does quilting for a hobby made for the neighborhood.  She also made them for a local hospital.

[pmillen]

The mask issue is an interesting one.  From my research, only the N95 will stop the COVID-19 virus and I believe only medical personnel have access to those.  And you need training on how to properly fit them.

From watching TV reports, talking with a physician and reading, it appears to me that the primary benefit to non-N95 mask wearing is to stop wearers from "spraying" their surroundings with COVID-19 when they cough, sneeze or even talk.  So the wearer isn't necessarily protecting themselves, they are protecting others.

The mask wearing discussion reminds me of something a speeding defendant who tried to outrun the highway patrol said in his statement to the judge.  He said that he feels that he has the right to risk his own life by speeding on the highway.  The judge pointed out that he might maim or kill someone else when he has an accident and asked if he thought that he has the right to endanger others.  The speeder's response was that he would probably be dead and wouldn't know about it.

EDIT:  So requiring non-N95 mask wearing is certainly banging up against a person's right to do as they please, but it's probably necessary to protect the community.