Atwater CA is a bit north of Merced, in Merced County., pop 278,000. Merced County just had 2 more deaths today, for a total of 6. On the one hand, that’s not many deaths. On the other hand, two in one day suggests a rising case total that could possibly get out of hand. And they don’t seem to be doing a lot of testing. I guess they’ll find out if this plan works.
I wonder how many of their businesses will decide to open up.
The problem with death counts is we don’t know how long the individuals have been sick. The +2 could be one individual who was infected 20 days ago, and another who has been on a ventilator for 6 weeks. So it’s hard to track infection rates based on death rates only. That’s why I am so stuck on wanting to see hospitalization rates.
I found out that I now qualify for local testing from the community project if I wanted it – but at this point it doesn’t make any sense for me. (I’m not sick and I’ve been pretty much isolated at home with the exception of a few grocery runs since early March). But it’s nice to know that at least locally, the testing is now available.
The flattening of the US curve is very much driven by falling rates in NYC – a victory for NYC - but rates are going up in other parts of the country.
My daughter had to go into the city for a work-related task this week (she lives in Brooklyn). She took a cab in and then went to a totally empty Grand Central station and took some pictures, as well as a couple of other spots. So the shutdown in NYC is still very much on.
Here in WA, a new death reported may not have the date of death available. So a new death reported might be a death that happened a week or more ago. The data gets constantly refined.
Happily, case rates really are staying the same or going down in most states in the US, not just the New York area. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
This may be because of warm weather, or sheltering at home, or a dispensation from God, or luck. It’s good news for whatever reason. May it continue.
Our state continues to quarantine all arriving passengers for 14 days and today opened shopping centers. Tomorrow we are opening beaches on Oahu. We have had over 25 days with 6 or fewer cases in our state of 1.4 million people. Total deaths in our state are under 20. About 90% of covid patients have recovered.
Exercising outdoors has been encouraged and allowed even during much of the “safer at home” program. Most people I’ve seen wear masks indoors and not when exercising outdoors where folks are widely spread out.
There haven’t been many protesters and none armed or threatening.
Most people I know with considerable discretionary income aren’t currently spending much at all, as travel has been canceled as have weddings and other events we were going to attend.
Malls opened today but neither we nor people we’ve chatted with have interest in rushing out to the mall. We do more takeout than before but don’t plane to dine indoors — (maybe outdoors?) at any restaurants for awhile, even when they finally are allowed to reopen.
I think people in our state generally feel close connections to one another and would feel terrible if we knew we got c19 and lead to infection of anyone else because there are not many degrees of separation — probably someone’s relative or neighbor or ???! Many of us also know and/or are close to healthcare professionals—often relatives as well. That is one of the reasons people have been very careful about distancing (plus many of us help provide some care for elders or others who are especially vulnerable).
Does anyone have a good site from which they’ve ordered cloth face masks?
I ordered these. Came in a six pack. Very comfortable
I hope the people who went at least got a good haircut.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/15/new-york-barber-coronavirus/
@katliamom so keeping tabs you hate our LACS, our healthcare system and maybe our people. Oh and we are not really a first world country anymore. Did I miss anything?
I am anxious to see how NJ beaches are going to handle Memorial Day weekend. To me it seems no real plan is in place to control the inevitable crowds, especially if we have good weather.
This weekend is being used as a practice run.
I love going to the shore, but we won’t be going anytime soon.
Did you send the barber any donation to support his family, @emilybee? He needed to work to buy food. You should remember that is the case for millions of Americans.
My mother’s nail salon is opening again, legally, in Virginia. She already has set an appointment. Life goes on.
I’m a believer in history repeating itself, so I’ll be sitting safely at home watching the carnage people will have brought upon themselves.
“3 different waves of influenza”
“There were 3 different waves of illness during the pandemic, starting in March 1918 and subsiding by summer of 1919. The pandemic peaked in the U.S. during the second wave, in the fall of 1918. This highly fatal second wave was responsible for most of the U.S. deaths attributed to the pandemic.”
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/three-waves.htm
@emilybee, thanks for the link!
I would love to have a manicure, but think it will be a while before they reopen here in MA. Last time I went, in Feb, they were all wearing masks already. Some always wore them because of the stuff they would be inhaling otherwise, like when they file the old gel polish off.
We should find out tomorrow what will be opening in MA. I suspect it will be very limited because the numbers are still too high here. Downward trending, but still too high.
YW. It did take a few weeks to get them. Probably due to getting so many orders.
I like the white color for summer.
I had masks my friend made and found them too heavy feeling so I went looking and found these.
Can a Texan answer this for me?
My female cousin who lives in Texas wears her hair very short and ventured out for a haircut. She goes to one of those walk-in type places - Sports Clips, Great Clips. Something like that. I didn’t ask her about any other protocols (numbers of people in there, waiting, etc), but I did ask about masks. Whomever cut her hair did NOT have on a mask. What are the rules in Texas about barbers/etc wearing masks???
Cousin isn’t the sharpest tack in the box and seemed to be totally unconcerned about the person who cut her hair not wearing a mask because she herself had on a mask. ?
Even though she has lost close to 100 lbs, she is still only 5’3” and weights around 195. Also has diabetes. SMH. I do not understand the way some people think at all. I try not to be judge-y during these times (really, at any time, though I am sure I fail and judge all the time), but I will never understand that much of a need for a haircut. Especially for someone with TWO underlying health issues. In the interest of transparency, I do not have short hair.
State executive orders do not require masks in Texas, though some counties have imposed local mask rules. It would depend upon the jurisdiction.
“The carnage people have brought upon themselves”, @ emilybee? Good grief, next we will hear this is all divine retribution for our sins.
Pandemic victims do not “deserve” to get sick in any circumstances.
I live in TX and my stylist has requested that all customers wear masks and all stylists will be wearing masks as well. No one in the waiting area, they will text when they are ready for you to come in. I believe they are requesting everyone NOT wear gloves.