It’s shocking the differences I’m seeing between the US & Canada in all this. I can’t believe people still think they can go out for no reason. Hang out with people outside they’re own household, etc. Our medical officer of health was asked why we don’t have shelter in place like we here about in the states, she basically said we do, we just don’t call it that. Everyone is being told to stay home, don’t visit others, don’t gather. Only essential services are open, all restaurants are takeout/delivery only. I know we’ll being doing this thru May at least; especially as we see those numbers grow to the south of us.
My 6 yr old niece in Texas gets it - she yelled at the neighbour boys for not practicing social distancing Unless you must leave the house, stay home. If you are in any way sick, stay home. Period.
I want this all to end. I would love to be able to go to WDW in June, I know the odds are not the best. We are not rebooking our April trip until we here when things are opening up, borders open up, planes flight again.
I don’t want Disney World to be closed. I don’t want there to be a pandemic. I don’t want there to be a depression. But considering all of this is happening anyway, I want Disney to be closed through June so that I have some chance of getting my money back for the trip I won’t be able to take either way. I think your reality check is spot on, and if Florida had taken it seriously earlier, that would have helped to speed up how soon we can get back to real life (and Disney World).
I think quite a few in the US are on board with social distancing - whichever term is used.
We live in the middle of Missouri in a rural county with maybe one stop light. In the biggest town which has 4000 people. The next county east has one town of 1000.
Restaurants that are still open are takeout only. Financial institutions have closed lobbies. Grocery stores that are open have plenty of hand sanitizers and special hours for at risk shoppers.
Schools closed 3 weeks ago. Along with any activities.
I see that Missouri is a state without a stay home order. Somehow we’re at home.
However there are dimwits in the state that either don’t understand or don’t care. Or like our brainiac son in law who doesn’t “buy into” the whole thing.
Maybe they’re a certain percentage of a population. The larger the population the more dimwits you see.
Fingers crossed for mid-October. It’s a juggling act because I use my Disney TA rate combined with the deadline of May 2020 to change my Southwest tickets to be used through 6/2021. If I wait and let Disney cxl the October trip, I’m out the $875 in Southwest tickets.
Spring Break 2021 is earmarked for college visits for my son and you cannot pay me to go to FL in the summer.
This is all assuming I don’t get laid off.
I just can’t see the country shutting down for every next wave of cases. How will this country survive multiple shut downs? Of course, at the beginning of March I didn’t think we’d be where we are today.
It depends on how many people have already been exposed and developed antibodies at the next wave. There may be enough people already with their “Covid cards” that an expanded healthcare system can handle the load if just high risk individuals isolate and the virus is somewhat contained with contact tracking. The antibody test will hopefully be available in time for them to have better data and modeling before wave two.
That is hilarious! Quite the same happening in my house. I was cleaning the kitchen yesterday and the girls (5, 5, 5, and 3) were in the play room that has windows facing our court. The girls starting yelling “mommy you have to come see this, hurry”. I rush in thinking oh gosh what now. A group of kids/adults were out there together playing. The girls start yelling “why are all those people out there not keeping social distance”, “why aren’t they listening to what the governor says”, and my favorite “they want to get the coronavirus don’t they”
It is sad that when people bring up the economic ramifications, social crises, and an entirely new health crisis unrelated to the COVID-19 that they are seen as caring more about money than life.
That’s so not true! Perhaps they are looking at the long-range problems this country will face, and with any hope are anticipating THOSE needs. I just can’t see that this country will not collapse if the same measures we see today are put into place with each wave.
I agree with you. I am concerned about the ramifications of the shutdowns, as well as the virus. This ranges from mental health concerns, deaths due to a recession or depression, the education of our children, to how society functions as a whole. I don’t think shutting down every few months is the answer either.
I don’t think we can shut down our economy on-going in hopes that eventually the virus will just go away. All we have to do is “flatten the curve” enough for the hospitals to keep up. Once we figure out a way to do that, we can start to return to MORE normal (not completely normal) business. Yes, people will still get sick…and people will still die…but that’s going to happen no matter what. We just have to make sure we have enough medical resources to help those who are sick enough to need it.
The million dollar (billion dollar? trillion dollar?) question is when will that happen? Part of it is getting the production of ventilators and other key protection like n95 masks in place, at least.
I agree with you as well. I struggle everyday with 2 opposing viewpoints, one that includes social distancing and the lack of all things normal in order to save lives. The other viewpoint, getting back to normal ASAP so as not to create extreme hardship and increase poverty, domestic abuse, and suicide/homicide. Both viewpoints are valid, and both have a high death rate. Either way, people suffer. I argue both these points in my head every single day.
I agree with you. Unfortunately there are some that think we are in this to completely eliminate the virus and nothing should open until that happens.
I think if there is a slowdown in the summer, then that is the perfect time to build up resources. Then we need not fear there will be a shutdown like this in the late fall.
You are spot on! The mass stay at home orders are for this top reason: so the hospital/emergency system does not get stretched to the limit with overcapacity. This will be a multi year process with gradual improvements because of more medical supplies and better all around preparedness.
I ask not to be argumentative or disingenuously, but what resources can be built up that would eliminate the need for mass restrictions on movement in the event of another outbreak?
Remember, flattening the curve is not meant to eliminate COVID 19, but instead, to ensure there are enough resources to keep the number of people in need of the medical resources below a certain level.
One way to do that, of course (which is what we’re doing now) is to reduce spread and keep fewer people from contracting it all at once. This prolongs the spread, but doesn’t eliminate it.
Another way is to increase resources such as ventilators and such so that there is more capacity to begin with. This means we can have a higher rate of infection, but still keep the curve below the line.
So, the idea is to ramp up resources enough to be able to handle a higher number of folks being sick at the same time.
Basically, we are now buying time to figure out what to do. We just don’t know enough about how the virus spreads, how to treat it or how to contain it. With more time we will figure it out and put in place measures that are good enough until a vaccine arrives.
But even less strict measures don’t bode well for WDW. Things like no gatherings of more than X people, everybody who can work from home doing it, mask usage and minimum distancing at public places are likely to be follow up measures, and WDW can’t open with those in place.
Also ramp up our testing abilities to know who is sick and also get to a point where we can run antibody tests for anyone who hasn’t tested positive/been sick enough to warrant a test. A summer slow down would aid in this. That knowledge could create a more targeted control of the virus.
Unless you must leave the house, stay home. If you are in any way sick, stay home. Period.