Covid-19 Updates July

[BlackCurtains]

I thought this was an interesting comparison of rates across different countries and the US and why some of the states are still having a bad time.

It's very much on fact and data, not on opinion.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-53423637/coronavirus-us-v-other-countries-did-it-mess-up-its-reopening

"Can the US learn from other countries?" LOL only the bad things!

That's a great video though.

[banditpony]

I thought this was an interesting comparison of rates across different countries and the US and why some of the states are still having a bad time.

It's very much on fact and data, not on opinion.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-53423637/coronavirus-us-v-other-countries-did-it-mess-up-its-reopening

It's pretty simple. The US is having a bad time because of people lack respect for others + politics.

Not only was my state one of the first to close (with 3 confirmed cases, to boot).. it was decreasing with a low dip about a 1.5 months after the first openings (we did a sort of slow, but then opened the flood gate type opening -- mostly due to lawsuits against the state). It is veeeery clear that there is some sort of politics behind it on all levels. Things would be tighter here if our governor could make it so, but not really that much can be done it seems. Example -- We have mask mandates in counties with increasing cases (+other concerning criteria) and the police said they will not enforce them.

We pretty much didn't do too much wrong according to that video... but here we are 2.5 months later with record highs... and it didn't have to be this way if people would just continue with social distancing + masks.

[LadyAmalthea]

My county has not been affected too harshly by this yet. We just had our first Coronavirus death a couple weeks ago, and not sure on the current numbers, but maybe just over a hundred cases overall. Groceries were never hard to find here, cleaning supping maybe a little.

I hardly go out, as I'm on an extended maternity leave, but I'd say about 75% of people seem to wear masks when I do. It's not required, although our neighboring county (which includes the capital city) does require them and has started locking things back down. Testing is free to anyone here. We had a guy get arrested at our small local grocery store last week for threatening to come back with his gun because an employee's mask slipped down, and wanted the employee charged with 'attempted homicide'. That was big news for my tiny hamlet. Just shaking my head at how crazy this is making people.

I don't personally have a problem wearing a mask; I was used to it at work, as I worked with toxic chemicals and flying particles, some of a biological nature. But I worry for my son, who is 5 and autistic, if he has to wear one once school starts. We were at the clinic a couple days ago for my daughters' well checks for 2 hours and he had to wear one; he did better than I expected keeping it on his face, but he kept touching it and messing with it and his nose...I'm not convinced that a bunch of kindergartners doing that is more hygienic than just not wearing them.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

finally we have mandatory public indoor masks.  about three months too late.

oh but exemptions that pretty much can include anyone, at any time, for any reason. 
schools are set to open in-person, as normal.  daycares are filling up.  employers are demanding return to in-person work. 
protests in the streets about hoaxes and violations of rights. 

this is not a good thing.  >.< 

my household is still pretty much on lockdown and not planning to break out anytime soon.  especially since the local hospital just declared they are in outbreak mode, having filled 4 of their 6 ICU beds.

[Barnacle_lady]

Small update from here.
The past days more people become sick and most them are locally from cities where there was this indoor party or in one situation in a bar.
It's also getting very busy in my city center where they advice to come throughout the week instead of weekends. One way directions, no alcohol sale and that kind of thing to prevent crowded places.
I was supposed to go to a fleamarket tomorrow. The first one since corona. But decided not to go. The last one was right before our intelligent lockdown and I was lucky not getting sick then. New attempt in a few weeks.

[Koudoawaia]

Cases keep skyrocketing in KY lately. This past Sunday was 979 cases x.x Yesterday was 711 which is our second highest number. The other numbers ranged from the 500s to 600s with an over 200 number this past Monday. Our governor just asked churches to hold off on in person services again for two weeks since the numbers aren't coming down. I know people won't be  happy about that. And we also had a mask mandate put in place recently where people are required to wear masks outdoors or in public spaces where social distancing is less of an option. Again. Why wait til now? He's done a great job overall in my opinion still.

[Taffeta]

A small outbreak in this region relating to a local school. So that's I think 15 cases in the borough overall but all linked to this school. Our schools are only open in slow gear (actually they mightve done for the summer now) but this is still a worry as the govt wants them to be back in September as normal.

Otherwise cases low in the county and in the country overall. But there are some concerns about the Black Country, esp. Dudley and Smethwick where there have been some cases. Also Blackburn and Luton the gyms are not allowed to open due to case numbers being higher.

Masks became mandatory in stores yesterday, although shop staff are not expected to enforce it harshly.

Most people apparently compliant.

[BlackCurtains]

As always (pandemic or not), Florida is a mess!

The Governor finally started wearing a mask (because Trump did) but he's all aboard the open schools train. Masks are mandatory in several counties including this one, but individual stores made second announcements about it. I was in Wal-Mart a few days ago and some people were not wearing masks and over the PA they said they were mandatory. So they must not be confronting people, I don't blame them. Three anti-mask people have gone viral from Florida. The latest one pulled a gun on a dude!

[Taffeta]

What I feared would happen with masks today happened in Scotland with an incident where an autistic guy was challenged and discriminated against because he wasn't wearing a mask. This kind of ableism is apparently endemic, even though the govt said that disabled people were exempted from the rule.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-53530819

The moment I heard about the mask rule but that the govt had no real guidance to protect disabled people from abuse, I knew this would happen. But I don't like being proven right. Although this is how autistic people are generally treated with most things, so nothing new really.

The positive is that it's apparently triggered a lot more stuff about awareness, retraining staff, etc in one location. But that's the thing that worries me most. I know I can't wear a mask for longer than maybe an hour and a half and that's in my room, so I am already trying to come up with strategies to manage this. I know that if I don't wear a mask I will either be stared at/challenged or I will have to disclose my disability to random strangers (even though there are meant to be rules protecting the need for a disabled person to do that).

Yet one more barrier.

It's not that I don't agree with the mask law. But I have serious problems with all the "if you don't wear a mask you are lazy/rude/selfish/a terrorist' rhetoric both online and in person. You hear a lot of people hardlining on masks without realising that there are and need to be some exemptions.

[Koudoawaia]

As always (pandemic or not), Florida is a mess!

The Governor finally started wearing a mask (because Trump did) but he's all aboard the open schools train. Masks are mandatory in several counties including this one, but individual stores made second announcements about it. I was in Wal-Mart a few days ago and some people were not wearing masks and over the PA they said they were mandatory. So they must not be confronting people, I don't blame them. Three anti-mask people have gone viral from Florida. The latest one pulled a gun on a dude!

I'm not surprised if WalMart workers aren't allowed to confront people to wear masks and can only make announcements about it. I just stopped working there and was frustrated because we weren't allowed to enforce any rules. The one I worked at, people weren't even allowed to announce things like no running, no riding bikes in the store etc. Why have rules in the first place then if customers can get away with breaking them anyway? Anyway, thought I'd give an bit of an insider's explanation about why workers may not be confronting those who aren't wearing masks.

Also that's terrible that someone pulled a gun on someone else x.o


We have a new second  highest number of cases in KY today....836.

[Ponyfan]

What I feared would happen with masks today happened in Scotland with an incident where an autistic guy was challenged and discriminated against because he wasn't wearing a mask. This kind of ableism is apparently endemic, even though the govt said that disabled people were exempted from the rule.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-53530819

The moment I heard about the mask rule but that the govt had no real guidance to protect disabled people from abuse, I knew this would happen. But I don't like being proven right. Although this is how autistic people are generally treated with most things, so nothing new really.

The positive is that it's apparently triggered a lot more stuff about awareness, retraining staff, etc in one location. But that's the thing that worries me most. I know I can't wear a mask for longer than maybe an hour and a half and that's in my room, so I am already trying to come up with strategies to manage this. I know that if I don't wear a mask I will either be stared at/challenged or I will have to disclose my disability to random strangers (even though there are meant to be rules protecting the need for a disabled person to do that).

Yet one more barrier.

It's not that I don't agree with the mask law. But I have serious problems with all the "if you don't wear a mask you are lazy/rude/selfish/a terrorist' rhetoric both online and in person. You hear a lot of people hardlining on masks without realising that there are and need to be some exemptions.

It makes me really said that someone was discriminated against and challenged for not wearing a mask. when they have a valid reason for not wearing one.   

Just over 5,000 cases where I live and 68 deaths.

A very distant cousin that I've never met has died from conorvirus.   

Everyone 10 and over is required to wear a mask unless you have a valid reasons for not wearing one.  Schools are planning on in person instruction when classes start but will give parents the choice of remote learning also.


I've seen several people wear masks to enter a store, then remove or lower their masks once inside to sniff candles or do other things.  Many people are also going around/under barriers instead of walking the proper way around them. 

My job will be requiring me to wear a mask for most of the working day.  I can wear one for a few hours but sometimes it really aggravates my asthma especially in hot weather.


Ponyfan