Covid-19 Updates July

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Returned from my week-long vacation in NC! We stayed at the Outer Banks. There's a voluntary 14-day quarantine suggested for those from PA/NJ who travelled to a few different states. I don't feel as if I could keep home from work considering I'm not symptomatic and work in a small department, but I'll keep home from everything else.
Here's what I saw:
-No one wears masks at the beach which is understandable, but this beach is usually quite spread out. I worry for those visiting the NJ beaches or others where there are a higher volume of 1-day visitors/much more public access.
-We did not eat at any restaurants or bars (my Celiac disease helps us avoid in that regard) but they were certainly open, quite a few were advertising indoor seating. Can't speak for much else of the restauranting experience but I wonder if the increase of cases is linked to that specifically since that is something you need your mask off for.
-We did do a little bit of shopping. People were masked for the most part (some people had their nose hanging out) but people seemed to not regard the 6-foot guideline so much. Masks were mandatory at this point, I believe.
Masks are now mandatory in PA for outdoor events where social distancing isn't possible.
Edit:

I wear a mask. It's uncomfortable and sweaty and breathing in makes it stick to my mouth (I can't breathe through my nose no matter what) but I manage somehow. Sometimes I have to step aside and pull it away from my nose for a minute but I mean, I've yet to collapse. So... wear a damn mask.

I'm not sure how widespread Faceshields are (my work was able to get 50 of them in) but that may be a better alternative if masks are uncomfortable! When it was hot the mask got pretty tough to bear.

[northstar3184]

1. Upstate New York

2. What is the current climate like where you're at?
In terms of weather,  hot.  It's like 93 degrees Fahrenheit. In terms of COVID,  we're okay.  Cases have dropped significantly in my county.

3. Our news in this county is as accurate as can be. Tests were and likely still are very limited,  so the actual number of those who have had COVID is likely much,  much greater than reported.  However, county  public health officials have been vigilant with daily updates on the number of active cases,  current hospitalizations,  and the death toll.  Also,  unlike a lot of netighboring counties, our health department publicly list the businesses and other public places confirmed positive individuals visited along with the dates and approximate times of those visits. This is good info for those who may have been exposed and are around vulnerable populations.
 
4. My questions and concerns are ones that can only be answered as scientists learn more about this virus.

5. Social distancing and masks are mandatory within all business establishments and public transit.  Businesses deemed nonessential were closed in March and have begun to slowly reopen in the past few weeks with strict guidelines.

6. I have not been severely affected at work.  Working in an animal shelter,  I'm deemed part of an essential business and we've remained in operation this whole time. The changes we have had have been a mix of positive and negative. On the negative side,  and these are very minor: needing to revamp a major fundraiser to make it virtual,  the temporary loss of 2 employees that work for us through a county senior employment program when the county halted the program to protect the seniors it serves, and the temporary loss of all nonessential personnel (the latter two things have put a greater strain on the rest of us). We've also had to temporarily shut down our gift shop. But like I said,  very minor inconveniences. 

On the plus side,  adoptions have increased, and not just where I work,  but across the country. Also, with  not having to oversee the gift shop and restricted visitors (we are doing things by appointment only due to COVID), I can get more work done with fewer interruptions.

7. My family and I are fine.  As far as I know,  none of us have been infected.  However,  my mother has a heart condition and works in our local hospital's Intensive Care Unit, which means she's at risk of both exposure and complications.  If she gets infected,  my father would also be at risk of complications due to his COPD. But so far  everyone has been healthy.

[Taffeta]

@TRTL
I don't know what the regs are where you are about self-isolation, but I know here they would consider the 2 weeks quarantine to include work. Maybe something to discuss with your employer?

[tailrustedtealeaf]

@TRTL
I don't know what the regs are where you are about self-isolation, but I know here they would consider the 2 weeks quarantine to include work. Maybe something to discuss with your employer?

They're not mandatory but I may throw it out there to see what happens. I'm not sure how afraid everyone is now, especially since my department has minimal interaction with customers.

[Ponyfan]

My county is at 3,051 cases and 56 deaths.

Masks are  still required in public unless you are eating or drinking, attending a house of worship, or have a medical condition that makes it difficult to wear a mask.  In theory you can be fined for not wearing a mask.  The first time is a verbal warning and then you can face a fine the 2nd time. So far I don’t think anyone was been fined but an employee at the mall said several people were asked to leave because they were not wearing masks.

Schools will most likely require masks for staff members. One theater is open but patrons have to wear a mask at all times unless they are wrong or drinkin.

Ponyfan

[Ponybookworm]

Scotland has made wearing masks mandatory in shops & other public buildings. I needed to go for electricity the other day & had to get help buying a washable mask from the pharmacy before I could get it, due to not being allowed to enter a shop without one on.
Outside they can come off, so long as you social distance.

[Gator]

One of the bigger cities near me made wearing masks mandatory.  This morning for my weekly toy search, Target store was doing a good job enforcing the rule.  But at Walmart and Sam's Club several people were breaking the rule and management was doing nothing about it.

[northstar3184]

One of the bigger cities near me made wearing masks mandatory.  This morning for my weekly toy search, Target store was doing a good job enforcing the rule.  But at Walmart and Sam's Club several people were breaking the rule and management was doing nothing about it.

I've seen this with Walmart as well.  I live in NY where masks in public settings is mandatory.  Yet when I was at Walmart,  I counted 4 adults walking around without masks.  This is despite signs reiterating that masks are mandatory.  A volunteer at work said she was there a few days ago,  and a man without a mask was violently coughing all over the place.  She brought it to staff's attention only to be told there's nothing they can do about it (a blatant lie).

[Taffeta]

Masks mandatory in stores in England too from 24 July. Joy. Not that I don't get why, but still.

It's harder to track down the stats here now the briefings stopped but the website figures suggest we're still going down.

Media scaremongering about the winter...

Not much else to report. Quarantine ended for some countries entering the UK, but I'm not sure it was that robust when it was active tbh. And Nicola Sturgeon is threatening to quarantine people from England crossing the border, which imo is more of a political stunt than anything meaningful since the hotspot up there is on the Scots side of the border. Although it may also be a reaction to someone in Berwick saying that 80% of his clientele at his pub on 4th July when English pubs opened were from Scotland. I think pubs in Scotland are still shut.

Death/case rate dropping faster in Scotland than England but that's probably because there are more people in England, generally, and the problem with this virus is that more people = harder to eradicate. Our numbers are still a lot better though not perfect yet.

There are some UK hotspots. I think Leicester is still in lockdown, sort of. There have been some factory or farm outbreaks too, but there's a sense that it's less panicky than it was in MArch when nobody had a clue what was happening.

Food supplies almost entirely back to normal.

Can even buy flour and eggs now.

[dragonfly]

I have entered the phase where I am trying to ignore it and pretend like we are living in the first part of a Dallas-esque cliffhanger and will wake up to something normal.

[BlackCurtains]

Here's something incredibly stupid and dangerous - Disney has reopened!

This is not only bad for the employees but it will bring tourists to Florida. That is of course the reason for the reopening; Florida needs money, doncha know? Then those tourists will go back home. From one of the most infected states.

I mean this is like setting yourself on fire and walking through a library while wanting to check out books.

[Taffeta]

Here's something incredibly stupid and dangerous - Disney has reopened!

This is not only bad for the employees but it will bring tourists to Florida. That is of course the reason for the reopening; Florida needs money, doncha know? Then those tourists will go back home. From one of the most infected states.

I mean this is like setting yourself on fire and walking through a library while wanting to check out books.

I saw that. I kind of blinked. Stay safe ><

[Barnacle_lady]

Up here not a lot going on.
There is sort of discussion what to do in case there is a peek in just one city or region. As in partial lockdown.

It's summer holiday and luckily most people decided to stay home or in the country with their tent/caravan. Some are taking the risk to go abroad mostly Germany, France and Spain. There is a warning for those who go with schoolgoing children to an orange code country. Back here you need to go in quarantine for 2 weeks. And the school police said to be back on time you will get a fine.

Street artists are not allowed to perform in the city center of Amsterdam until the end of October. This is to keep control of the crowd since a lot of tourists are expected.

[Harmonie]

Here's something incredibly stupid and dangerous - Disney has reopened!

This is not only bad for the employees but it will bring tourists to Florida. That is of course the reason for the reopening; Florida needs money, doncha know? Then those tourists will go back home. From one of the most infected states.

I mean this is like setting yourself on fire and walking through a library while wanting to check out books.

Our country is acting so foolish I can't even believe what I'm seeing anymore.

[Taffeta]

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