Covid 19 - Updates from your zones

[Mélusine]

Children of serveral categories of essential workers (health workers at least) are still being cared for here, but that only requires a fraction of the childcare workers, so a large majority of them are currently out of work nonetheless.

Indeed. At the beginning I thought that I could be called, including by the maternity hospital.

I know that there are some explanation to make your own mask at home, but I have no fabric and hair ties (Hello, short hair since years !) so it's not helping at all for now and won't solve the everyday problem, I fear so :/ Let's wait and have low expectations...

[PaperArtillery]

The county in Virginia I live in now has badly mishandled things. People are still going to parks and having playdates with their kids, going to work, etc.

Made all the more infuriating that I tested positive, got stupid ill (hacking cough, fever, fatigue, headache, you name it), made it through once, and now there's news you can get it again. My GF is a teacher and is starting to show symptoms, so...concern level 9000.

Way to go, US.

[Róisín]

PaperArtillery, that is awful. I do hope that both of you will be okay! I know we can’t directly help but be aware that people here are thinking of you and wishing you well. All we can do is hope that even if infection does not confer immunity, it may help to reduce the severity of subsequent infections. All you can do is try to survive. Is there anyone who can help with caring for you, or even doing your shopping?

My most sincere wishes that both of you will come out of this okay, and that your government soon returns to sanity and a science-based approach to this pandemic. Good luck, good luck, and good luck!

[wavewright62]

Oh no!  But I am glad you are on the mend, Paper Artillery, and here's a hope that you don't get another round (I hope). 

[thegreyarea]

PaperArtillery, I must second Róisín in every single word she wrote. Good luck, and stay strong.

[Keep Looking]

I'll join Grey in seconding Róisín. I hope that you and your gf come out the other side of these times okay, and even if things go wrong that you'll have the strength to keep going.

[Abprallen]

Ditto, I'm seconding too I hope y'all are doing okay...

People over here just aren't taking it seriously I see people every day meeting up for picnics, of all things, meeting up to cycle together, literally having friends over (my bedroom window is fantastic for people watching, but not so great for my blood pressure right now). It's insane. We've got 20k+ reported dead. They're spitting in the faces of the NHS they so enthusiastically clap for every week. (If anyone thought that was a joke, or was a one time thing - it's not. I can tell when it's 8pm on Thursday because people pour outside into the streets to clap, scream, bang pots and pans together, and beep the horns of their cars. It's a ridiculous vanity project considering my area, but to go any more into that delves into politics, so I shan't)

Our supermarkets are also only allowing in a certain number at a time, and have us queue up outside at 2m intervals (we also must go in alone, not allowed to shop in pairs anymore) and have strips on the floor dictating 2m intervals, but once you're inside it's totally ignored despite the staff going around trying to enforce it & the loudspeaker notices :/ But going around, I see people wearing face masks, which is cool!
... if only they were wearing them correctly TT_TT sir, that's meant to be covering your nose, too... Also spotted a gentleman eating a packet of crisps whilst waiting in the queue, wearing latex gloves, and having his face mask hanging from his ear. I can only assume he'd been wearing said gloves throughout his entire shop. PPE? Wasted. Siiigh.

On the plus side I can buy toilet paper again, though! Fingers crossed flour returns to the shelves soon.

[Yastreb]

The number of COVID-19 cases in the US has exceeded one million, with almost 57,000 deaths. I sense - and fear - that such a figure might be a tipping point in reactions to the crisis, and not in a good way.  I hope that I'm wrong.

[Mebediel]

The number of COVID-19 cases in the US has exceeded one million, with almost 57,000 deaths. I sense - and fear - that such a figure might be a tipping point in reactions to the crisis, and not in a good way.  I hope that I'm wrong.

I hope so too :/ It would be terrible for our numbers to skyrocket again due to people reacting poorly. At least one of my friends who works as a nurse has gotten the virus and had to continue working due to how understaffed the hospitals currently are in NYC, and I've heard (anecdotally, so I don't have news sources for it) that that's been common for hospitals in New Jersey as well. I can't imagine how overwhelming it would be for them to get a resurgence of patients.

Meanwhile, here in Illinois, our shelter-in-place has been extended until May. My sister drove down from Chicago to stay with me outside of the city for a bit. She's been isolated in her apartment up there because her roommates all went back to stay with their families in the suburbs, and since she has her own car, she didn't have to come into contact with anyone to come down here. It means that she's able to get groceries and things more safely than she would in the city, and it also means that our parents have to worry less

[Purple Wyrm]

They're relaxing restrictions somewhat here in Western Australia because we have so few cases. My heart is bleeding for the rest of the world though :'(

[thegreyarea]

In a similar way of what Wrym told, Portugal is also going to gradually relax containment measures, because things seem to be under control in all indicators and the economy needs urgent care (tourism alone means 15% of our GDP, and it just stopped. Small commerce, restaurants, bars and cafes are almost stopped, and that's another 20%...)
I'm hoping that people will keep their overall good behavior, but there's just too many idiots running around with their masks under their noses...

[wavewright62]

I just heard over the radio that yesterday was McDonald's NZ busiest day in its 44-year history here.
Yesterday was the first day of Level 3, which allowed contactless takeaways and deliveries, and I hear that people were queueing from 3am to get their Macca's fix.  My Facebook feed is filled with people holding takeaway coffees as well.
(I don't get it, personally.)
I will get some takeaways from a *local* eatery at some point this week, but haven't decided whose yet.  My favourite Indian restaurant hasn't gotten their contactless system going quite yet.  (Plus, I have leftovers that need eating.)
I put in a day in the office yesterday, but am at home the rest of the week.  It's certainly a lot noisier, now that construction across the street is back on, and the 18 major projects within a 3-block radius of my apartment are going ahead with distancing measures in place.

[Crumpite]

Our governor here is doing a good job at least.
Our legislature is going it's best to undo all her good work but they are hampered by the support she's getting from the people.
A few businesses are being allowed to reopen on a trial basis, so we shall see in a few weeks if it was a mistake. 
Cases are still increasing, but more slowly than before.
Like many other places people are getting stir crazy and folks are still ignoring the rules.
My wife was shopping for groceries and dropping off masks she made and found too many were still being stupid with no masks and maintaining distance.

Meat packing plants are shutting down due to illness due to lack of PPE and bad conditions in the plants.
The president has ordered the plants reopened which will give the workers the choice of getting sick or quietly starving.
Our food chain has been allowed to be concentrated in just a few hands controlled by cartels that fix working conditions and wages . As a result we're facing a food crisis now...
It's looking more and more like the great depression. 
I sure hope I'm wrong ! 
Like I told my sister the other day, being poor when we were young has given us the skills to survive this better than most folks.
Grumble, grumble, grumble... one of my nick names was "the grump from Crump"...
I wish everyone health and happiness and don't let me get on your nerves 😀

[RanVor]

You would need to put in a lot more work to get on my nerves, Crumpite. Health and happiness to you and good luck to your governor!

[Róisín]

Crumpite, having myself grown up in hungry times, I know what you mean! At least the young folk around here know me and are willing to learn, and aren’t afraid to ask me questions. It’s good to be useful. And I am so glad that in the nearly 13 years I have lived here I have managed to help with starting a very productive community garden, which is open to all, a produce share so excess garden produce is not wasted, a town recycling project and a Farmers Market. Between it all our chances are better than those of many places, even if this goes on for awhile. We have a community pantry going to share food, and I am getting people interested in cooking from scratch, and the Recreate project has instruction sheets on everything from how to build a worm farm and a wicking bed to how to make rag rugs and garden tools. In times before social distancing we used to run classes in this stuff as well as things like basic food gardening and preparation. I taught wild food foraging, eat the weeds, and how to use your finds, as well as how to make your own cosmetics and basic first aid products. Hopefully we will be able to do so again. Every little helps.

We old grumps can be useful and can pass on our hard-earned survival skills. Luck and safety to you and yours, and to all of us.