I think Florida is doing a good job reopening. The media is going to find the juicy story - an area where kids are partying for example. Like some one said, it’s going to happen. They seem to ignore that the majority of folks are following the rules.
IMO the media came down way to hard on Florida because of the governor. I’ll say no more. Other states are handling this a lot worse but are somehow dodging all the negative scrutiny.
@momzilla2D - I’m in OH. We are still under testing (bc we don’t have enough tests). My health system (largest employer in the state), has mandated masks for all its employees in all of its buildings. I know that our health system leadership is involved with the state government in terms of planning, preparedness, etc. I’m alright with how the state has handled the pandemic. That said, there were armed protestors outside of the Ohio Department of Health director’s house (Amy Acton, MD). Some of the people here can be really foolish.
I took the subway every day until SAH started and I began working from home. Yes, indeed, NYC subway cars are cleaned regularly. In fact, I took the R train to and from the last stop which is half a block from my now-closed office and every time a train arrived to be turned around, an MTA worker went through every car and swept up any litter. And buses, which I used often, are also quite clean. Subway stations are hosed down regularly. Please tell me about your personal experience with NYC transit.
Yes, this! And someone even said on this thread that his/her hope is that hospitals will become “profitable again”. It should not be a goal for healthcare to be “profitable”. We need to get caught up with the rest of the developed world.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
When my husband was tested for antibodies at work (gov’t medical center), they took three vials. Still waiting for results; it’s been a week and I don’t know if they gave him an expected turnaround time. It was done on the job so we don’t expect to be charged.
@momzilla2D , I live in Wisconsin, which is gradually reopening. Examples: Most parks were left open, but some state parks were shut after they were overcrowded. Late last week, many of the briefly shut state parks were reopened, but without services (bathrooms, etc.), no camping until the day after Memorial Day, and closed one day per week for cleaning. Starting last week, more nonessential services could operate. These include dog groomers, businesses that rent outdoor recreation equipment (such as kayaks and canoes), and small-motor repair businesses. Masks are recommended but not required by the state; some businesses (e.g., Menard’s, Costco) now require them for customers. Schools are closed through the end of the school year.
IMO, the original list of “essential” businesses was pretty generous. I’m not complaining. I still have my job because of that list.
I think the state’s governor and his administration are handling things reasonably well. The environment is difficult politically. The extension of the safer-at-home order, which originally was scheduled to expire April 24, was greeted with a lawsuit by the heads of the opposition party in the state legislature. Pretty standard fare for Wisconsin.
The number of new cases has been high in recent days. We’ve definitely not reached 14 days with declining numbers of new cases, which is the measurement some guidelines call for, for total reopening. There have been protests in Wisconsin anyway.
Sweeping up litter, while nice, does not count as full cleaning.
The seats, bars, straps, turnstyles, etc. that I have personally seen in both NYC and Boston (as well as in airports around the country, as I said) look to be replete with crumbs and fingerprints and other evidence that no real cleaning takes place (or took place pre-COVID) on a regular basis. In other countries, cleaning is done with disinfectants and includes all “high-touch” surfaces.
None of my NYC friends/relatives would touch a surface on the subway without a thorough hand-washing afterward, before COVID.
16 people isn’t bad, but it is a very small space and many more than that WILL be a problem. And I’m not going into details, but my parents will never leave that church. My dad has been in this particular flavor of church since he was born. And trust me, there are MANY churches who will feel the same, that they HAVE to meet. That’s why the “partial reopening” is a problem.
The restaurant owner who opened Friday here in defiance of the Maine governor’s order CLAIMED to be following distancing requirements, but the photo in the newspaper clearly showed lots of people on the front porch at close quarters and not wearing masks. And it wasn’t a photo trick.
Again, young people can go out if they’re careful, but if you look at the photo in the link, you’ll see that none of them are wearing masks and they are close together. This is not acceptable. Texas has had more cases each day the last few days than since all this started.
https://www.statesman.com/news/20200502/austin-parks-crowded-saturday-after-statewide-stay-at-home-order-lifted?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Austin American-Statesman austin-morning 2020-05-03&utmcontent=GCOXAUS&utm_term=050320
There have been few moments of levity in this crisis, but our entire family just about fell off our chairs laughing when pre-lockdown the head of the NY Port Authority (who himself tested positive for coronavirus) claimed with a perfectly straight face that people could trust that the subways were clean and safe because they were now putting procedures in place and making sure that each car was cleaned every 72 hours. If that’s the standard for extra clean, no wonder the subway is always so filthy.
I’m a huge fan of public transit and whenever we’re in NY either visiting friends or for fun, we either walk or take the subway almost 100%, even to/from the airport. But it’s truly filthy by most people’s standard. And the wailing and gnashing of teeth over having to do the most basic of cleaning shows why.
Getting young adults to comply seems to be an enormous challenge everywhere.
It’s such a shame that all the good work of Californians the last two months is all going to be for naught.
“Inside the restaurant, Gourey said he’s telling people to practice social distancing, but he says he believes he and his staff are young and healthy enough to survive COVID-19 if they contract the virus.
“Six weeks it plenty of time, that’s what I believe,” Gourey said. “On a sunny day like this, no one is at risk.”
The majority of churches are choosing not to open yet. My priest-daughter does not feel it is safe- especially for the elderly folks in her congregation. Singing would not be safe, also. She is continuing online services as are most of the Episcopal churches unless they have a set-up which would be safe.
I work with all the state orders and I can assure you that stringent safety measures are required for the opening businesses. I can’t promise you every business will follow them, but a number of businesses (Macy’s for one) have delayed openings to prepare for safety and sanitation. Restaurants, retail, salons are all subject to these requirements. It is NOT “return to the way it was” which was implied a few pages ago in this thread.
I think our state is making sensible plans to reopen based on the national guidelines. It sounds like most states that have opened things have not met all the benchmarks to begin to open and that’s very concerning. I think in order to claim a state is doing a good job opening, its actions would be supported by experts in disease transmission and that they would follow the national guidelines.
^I just worry that business owners aren’t being as careful as they should. Up here, it seems like they take pride in flaunting the rules, then accuse the governor of being “threatening” when she takes action. It’s discouraging.
I imagine large companies will do a much better job than all the small restaurants, etc. up here. I hope I’m wrong.
It posted this time. 
That’s what I was trying to post yesterday. The guidelines.
Hope it is OK to put direct quotes of the state preparedness guideline section.
‘Core State Preparedness Responsibilities
TESTING & CONTACT TRACING
Ability to quickly set up safe and efficient screening and testing sites for symptomatic individuals and trace contacts of COVID+ results
Ability to test Syndromic/ILI-indicated persons for COVID and trace contacts of COVID+ results
Ensure sentinel surveillance sites are screening for asymptomatic cases and contacts for COVID+ results are traced (sites operate at locations that serve older individuals, lower-income Americans, racial minorities, and Native Americans)
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM CAPACITY
Ability to quickly and independently supply sufficient Personal Protective Equipment and critical medical equipment to handle dramatic surge in need
Ability to surge ICU capacity
PLANS
Protect the health and safety of workers in critical industries
Protect the health and safety of those living and working in high-risk facilities (e.g., senior care facilities)
Protect employees and users of mass transit
Advise citizens regarding protocols for social distancing and face coverings
Monitor conditions and immediately take steps to limit and mitigate any rebounds or outbreaks by restarting a phase or returning to an earlier phase, depending on severity’
And…
'Proposed State or Regional Gating Criteria
Satisfy Before Proceeding to Phased Comeback
SYMPTOMS
Downward trajectory of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) reported within a 14-day period
AND
Downward trajectory of covid-like syndromic cases reported within a 14-day period
CASES
Downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period
OR
Downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period (flat or increasing volume of tests)
HOSPITALS
Treat all patients without crisis care
AND
Robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing’
I do not know which states are where in terms of meeting the above but Dr. Fauci was interviewed saying there are states opening that are ‘leapfrogging over these’ guidelines and that is risky.