Tips and considerations during this time of National Emergency

Looks like the aftermath of Presidents’ Day is hitting us. The state relied on tourists following Covid precautions using the honor system, and of course they didn’t. An adjacent ski town just shut down seven restaurants with all staff ordered to isolate. Numerous other small businesses also reporting cases among their staff. One of the big ski shops has just two employees left who have not tested positive.

We’ve been taking turns caring for our cancer-stricken neighbor - alternating with his daughter - but she works at one of the resorts in that town with positive staff so is isolating. The risk to her dad, with his compromised immune system, is unacceptably high. He’s a good friend; I hope to have him around for a good long time.

Pete

glenfiddich said:

Looks like the aftermath of Presidents’ Day is hitting us. The state relied on tourists following Covid precautions
Pete

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I didn't think many people got Presidents Day off.

Lee said:

I didn't think many people got Presidents Day off.

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I'm surprised you might not have noticed it if you were in or near Des Moines as a State Capitol. Banks and government offices seem to be the most often closed with these lesser national holidays. We noticed it in Topeka when we lived in Kansas.

PGlaves said:

I'm surprised you might not have noticed it if you were in or near Des Moines as a State Capitol. Banks and government offices seem to be the most often closed with these lesser national holidays. We noticed it in Topeka when we lived in Kansas.

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I was a federal employee and got it off. In our area just federal employees and bankers got it off. Most people did not get it off.

Lee said:

I didn't think many people got Presidents Day off.

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Government and the financial institutions get it off. With Boston just a few hours south...

Don't forget Bunker hill day.

Covid-19 doesn't take a day off. At +500K passed in the US, it works overtime.

Latest I have read that there is real optimism that we could be looking at a reprieve from Covid-19 by the end of March.

I have also read that the vaccine will reduce your chances of symptomatic infection, but you could be asymptomatic and a carrier.

In my opinion, masks will be with us for a considerable amount of time further and that when you do get vaccinated, you shouldn't back off on the protocols associated with this virus. A variant may render the vaccination irrelevant and some variants are proving to be more virulent and deadly.

dieselyoda said:

In my opinion, masks will be with us for a considerable amount of time further and that when you do get vaccinated, you shouldn't back off on the protocols associated with this virus.

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That's correct. From what I have read you can still pass the virus to another person after you get vaccinated.
I don't see how the virus can be under control by the end of March. My wife and a lot of others under 65 will not get a vaccine by then.

Things are improving in our county. We are down to five cases.
Lately most of our positive case have been in the under 29 age group.

We just had a week or so where "cases" were way down nationally. Talking heads are babbling and people were clapping. The problem is cases were down at precisely the same time that the big storm hit, testing centers were closed, people couldn't or wouldn't drive to get tested, and lots of public transportation was shut down. Now testing has resumed and cases are up and talking heads are babbling and people are shaking their heads. The metrics which I look at are hospitalizations and deaths and that data is horrific.

PGlaves said:

The problem is cases were down at precisely the same time that the big storm hit, testing centers were closed, people couldn't or wouldn't drive to get tested, and lots of public transportation was shut down. .

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Traffic and transportation was not shut down in most of the country.
Our numbers have been slowly decreasing since early November.

PGlaves said:

We just had a week or so where "cases" were way down nationally. Talking heads are babbling and people were clapping. The problem is cases were down at precisely the same time that the big storm hit, testing centers were closed, people couldn't or wouldn't drive to get tested, and lots of public transportation was shut down. Now testing has resumed and cases are up and talking heads are babbling and people are shaking their heads. The metrics which I look at are hospitalizations and deaths and that data is horrific.

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Paul,
Idaho has not experience any a-typically harsh winter weather and our new cases have dropped to levels of the end of last summer. Keeping my fingers crossed while waiting for my second vaccine.

Lee said:

That's correct. From what I have read you can still pass the virus to another person after you get vaccinated.
I don't see how the virus can be under control by the end of March. My wife and a lot of others under 65 will not get a vaccine by then.

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My appointment for vaccination is April 3rd. I'm on a couple of wait lists and still hoping for an earlier vaccination. Very much still masking up and hunkering down here.

Suggest you check with pharmacies and doctors' offices to try for early-as-possible vaccination appointments. The system for getting vaccination appointments is a bad joke most places...

Harry

dieselyoda said:

Covid-19 doesn't take a day off. At +500K passed in the US, it works overtime.

Latest I have read that there is real optimism that we could be looking at a reprieve from Covid-19 by the end of March.

I have also read that the vaccine will reduce your chances of symptomatic infection, but you could be asymptomatic and a carrier.

In my opinion, masks will be with us for a considerable amount of time further and that when you do get vaccinated, you shouldn't back off on the protocols associated with this virus. A variant may render the vaccination irrelevant and some variants are proving to be more virulent and deadly.

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Our governor in Texas is considering ending the mask mandate. Not that a lot of people were following it to begin with.

detbmw said:

Out governor in Texas is considering ending the mask mandate.

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With the 7 day average deaths per day being 233 people, is that a good idea?

BC1100S said:

With the 7 day average deaths per day being 233 people, is that a good idea?

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Of course not. But Texas governors aren't known to make the best decisions (like having the Texas power grid closed in order to avoid federal regulations).

detbmw said:

Of course not. But Texas governors aren't known to make the best decisions (like having the Texas power grid closed in order to avoid federal regulations).

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Trying to not fall in politics here...
Not the governors decision totally...In spite of a former office holders let them eat cake tone deaf recent statement


Find it interesting the PUC website is not currently up as far as who the three governor appointees are. The chair resigned today.
These members always been politically appointed and seemingly former staff at some point. I’ll leave it at that.
It falls on the generation companies and wire companies to winterize their infrastructure... they decided to not invest in rare to them risks after a 2011 disaster and legislators probe and toothless directives.. So tired of chopping the wrong heads when it starts at top of both industries and state officers.
Our Railroad Commission who has little to do with railroads regulate oil& has and also have reasons to be ready for some head rolling... can’t run gas fired generators when gas can’t be delivered.

Oh, my 64th year coming and no vaccine in sight yet. My elder neighbors still on a list for
late March

My wife and I got 1st dose of Pfizer today, and I have to say that our local provider—Bear River Health Department—was a model of organization and efficiency. When I turned the corner up the short street that leads to their parking lot and building, I saw a short line of cars and thought “Oh boy, this is going to be a cluster”. No worries, a squad of yellow-vested traffic directors guided us to a parking spot, where someone in a yellow jacket asked if we were registered and was this our first or second dose. We were handed a blue post-it note (for 1st doses, yellow for second) and directed inside where a pair of receptionists verified our names, registrations, and a couple other data points then directed us down a long and winding hallway with signage and arrow markers pointing the way at every turn or junction, and as we neared the injection room floor markers every 6ft for spacing. Only a couple people ahead of us and someone at the door was directing people to well-spaced open stations in the gym-sized room. Sat down, verified name and DOB again, and got the shot and instructions. Waiting 15mins was not mandatory but advised, and we were told we could wait in the parking lot and honk our horn to summon a yellow jacket if any reaction occurred, so we returned to our car via the side exit we were directed toward, which led directly to the parking lot. While waiting, I used my phone to register for the 2nd shot on the date specified on the record cards we were given, then followed the direction of the yellow vests to exit to the street.

All in all, I think it was about as efficient an assembly line process as one could have, given that it’s people—and older people—moving through the line. 30 minutes from entering the lot to exiting, and that included the wait time. I don’t know who was in charge of setting up the logistics and workflow, but they deserve a tip of the hat. I hope the process goes as smoothly and efficiently for all other vaccination sites!

Best,
DeVern

Go Mountaineers

I found it interesting that, from a NPR broadcast, the most successful state in the U.S. on administering vaccinations is West Virginia.

Their Adjutant General is running the program and in the interview he said that if they were a country they would be number 3 after Israel and the UAE.

It seems that they do not have very good internet availability so their cutting edge tool is a telephone Hot Line.

Call on the phone for appointments. What a concept.

When asked how it was working he said they had problems - some people have to wait up to 6 minutes so they are adding operators.

It made me wonder how counterproductive it is promoting vaccinations to an audience, of an age (65 and above in our state), that may not be one with the internet.



Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI
#71,449

Most over 65 year old have 2nd shot now, which I'm part of. Washington yes the state,lurk