Week of April 28: COVID-19 info, facts & updates

[SaraMari]

Thank you for the supportive words Koudoawaia, it's very appreciated 💕💕

[Taffeta]

The bottom line is that no country in the world shuts down their economy for something that doesn't exist.

More importantly and worryingly for me, though, is when people act like it isn't a big deal or doesn't affect them. Those people need to take a long and hard look at themselves and wonder if their recklessness might cost another person their loved one. I say this as there was a story here yesterday of two ticket office staff at a station here who were deliberately coughed and spat on by a guy who claimed to have covid. Both got sick. Yesterday one with underlying health conditions passed away.

I don't think the terminology matters. What matters is protecting each other until there is a resolution like Banditpony says.

In the UK, opening up is officially beginning from tomorrow, in stages.

Garden centres are going to open.
Golf and other distanced sports can now be played.
Construction and manufacturing are encouraged to return to work.

All the above requires distancing. It also pretty much applies only to England, the devolved nations have slightly different rules and I think are not going as far as England seems to be.

You can go out as much as you like, exercise, sunbathe, picnic, play team sports with members of your household (ie football, etc). You can meet someone from another household outside, but only one person, and you must be outside and 2 metres apart.

People should not use public transport if they can avoid it still.

Facial coverings are advised but not mandated in enclosed spaces like transport. They are not advised for small children, people who would have trouble safely putting them on and taking them off unaided, and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma.

There was a big 50 page document released on Monday and more stuff is coming out over these few days. The business support scheme is continuing till October with a phased return. There won't be any other retail opening till probably July. Hairdressing and anything that means social distancing is impossible are off the table for the longest, also hospitality.

We will be probably enforcing self-isolation/checks/etc at entrance points - airports, the Eurostar hub, ferry terminals. But these rules do not apply to people coming from Ireland or, for some random reason, France.

...And that's how the UK is as of today.

For people shielding like my mother, nothing has changed and there is no indication it will change any time before at the very earliest July.

Sister still can't come home But at least right now her partner doesn't have to physically go to work (he is  manager of an electronics store) and she can still work from home.

[banditpony]

You can go out as much as you like, exercise, sunbathe, picnic, play team sports with members of your household (ie football, etc). You can meet someone from another household outside, but only one person, and you must be outside and 2 metres apart.

I'm glad to hear the restriction about staying inside the home is lifted. I feel like that can help with mental health just to be outdoors.

But anyone shielding is not allowed to do so, right? Like a stroll around the block is still not ok?

[Taffeta]

You can go out as much as you like, exercise, sunbathe, picnic, play team sports with members of your household (ie football, etc). You can meet someone from another household outside, but only one person, and you must be outside and 2 metres apart.

I'm glad to hear the restriction about staying inside the home is lifted. I feel like that can help with mental health just to be outdoors.

But anyone shielding is not allowed to do so, right? Like a stroll around the block is still not ok?

No, still not okay. Mum has snuck out with supervision on occasion when it's been quiet, but in general, it's not allowed...

Dad and I have also been out walking but not into a shop or anything, and only once a week for a very short spell of time.

We do have a garden, thank goodness. I hate to think what would happen if we didn't.

[banditpony]

Ah, that stinks for her to be stuck in so long.

local news--
Some of the hospitals in my area are seeing kids with the multi-system inflammatory syndrome.. u_u; which is super scary to me as a mom.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Even though we're still considered a "red" county, more people are being let into our stores/we aren't being as strict with capacity.
The new virus cases in PA and NJ are lowering! At least in new cases spotted day to day. Could of course tie in with testing being hard to get to, but a bit of an uplifting statistic.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Today I saw a local PSA about safety during the opening of BBQ season.  I cannot believe people needed the reminder, but ... 

PLEASE remember to let your hand sanitizer dry FULLY (and evaporate) before you stick your hands over/in the BBQ grill! 

[Taffeta]

Ah, that stinks for her to be stuck in so long.

local news--
Some of the hospitals in my area are seeing kids with the multi-system inflammatory syndrome.. u_u; which is super scary to me as a mom.

If you can, try not to get too worried by the reports of this syndrome. It's an extremely rare complication for the disease. In fact, here half of the children flagged with it didn't even test positive for Covid so it may just be people more aware of these cases that normally wouldn't get so much attention because some cases have had a positive test result.

Wishing your family the best

@LBS - that doesn't even bear thinking about ><

[Ponybookworm]

There's now a petition for justice for the deceased rail worker you mentioned Taffeta. I just signed it.

[banditpony]

Ah, that stinks for her to be stuck in so long.

local news--
Some of the hospitals in my area are seeing kids with the multi-system inflammatory syndrome.. u_u; which is super scary to me as a mom.

If you can, try not to get too worried by the reports of this syndrome. It's an extremely rare complication for the disease. In fact, here half of the children flagged with it didn't even test positive for Covid so it may just be people more aware of these cases that normally wouldn't get so much attention because some cases have had a positive test result.

Wishing your family the best

Yeah, I mean I guess I meant that more generally. I can relate to those moms whose kid has something rare where the doctors don't know much about it. (Not the hospitalization part, just the rare part, and unknown part).

[tailrustedtealeaf]

It sounds like (as far as we know) we've already had the peak in PA.

[brightberry]

I have hopes this will all end soon.  But the practical side of me is giving my hopes a hard slap.  The novelty has certainly worn off.  I miss seeing my sister's family. 

And the news is no help at all with bad and conflicting information.

[Ponyfan]

616 cases, 50 deaths 373 recovered.

A few more things have opened up but I am still going out only when necessary. The local news media keeps saying that the next few weeks will tell if the state reopened too early because the number of cases will increase greatly due to more stores being open and more people going out.

The last 2 times I have been to the store, I've seen people running through the store, not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing. I'm afraid that a lot of people think the crisis is over and they can do whatever they want now since the stay at home order expired.  Today I saw a woman place her toddler on the floor and watched the toddler put her hands on the floor before the woman picked her back up.   

Gyms can reopen on Monday at 25% capacity. Hair salons have reopened but they are only taking cash and customers must wear a mask while getting their hair done.
 

Ponyfan

[Taffeta]

This weekend marks 2 months of our family being in essential lockdown. It's been 2 months since I got on a bus, went to a town store, or did anything outside other than gardening or walking round the local area (with one 5 minute trip exception to a local store about 6 weeks ago). It's kind of sobering when you think of it like that.

Hospital cases are down here, and they've given some stats by region about the infection rate. The midlands is believed to have come down but there's still a belief that there's a lot of people getting infected.

Meanwhile all the various agencies are having a squabble about whether some schools can open on June 1st.

Frankly I'd rather stay home right now

[Bright_Glow]

The number of confirmed people infected with the coronavirus in Hungary now stands at 3,473. In compulsory home quarantine: 10,742. Recovered: 1,371. Deceased: 448.

Source: abouthungary dot hu

Today was the last day of the population's representative testing with about 16.000 invited people from the 10.000.000.
Our government says that the half time results show a very low infection level as only 2 people were tested to be actively infected from the about 8.000 who had already tested.