How is Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) affecting your community?

[twocvbloke]

Thought I'd share this song from my favourite singer Amy Macdonald, written during the pandemic and is a song for everyone about everyone in this situation... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrrMORBZv9w

[FABphones]

Here's my lockdown listening.
A nice upbeat foot stomping sound from a Canadian band.

The Dead South:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y4qmWF9TIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FzVhw8_bY

  I am SO getting myself a Banjo after lockdown!!!!

...One of this version would be a nice addition too. 

[Jim Stettler]

Things are getting more normal here.
At work we wear masks and gloves  when inside the buildings.
Most folks wear masks when shopping.

They are talking reopening restaurants with limited seating and reservations only. The reservation list will be kept by the restaurant for 21 days for the purpose of contact tracing if needed. After 21 days, the list is deleted.

The biggest problem I have with Walmart's  1 way system is the red "DO NOT ENTER" squares.
The green squares with arrows are fine. When I get to the end of the aisle though, the red square written upside down confuses me.
My brain automatically reads the message, and I have to pause to see if the words are right-side up, or upside down.
It took me awhile to realize that I was reading the squares upside down.

[TelePlay]

Now that the CDC has changed its guidance earlier this month to emphasize the coronavirus does not spread easily on surfaces, the demand for hand sanitizer has been exceeded by the supply chain.

From their web site "The virus does not spread easily . . . from touching surfaces or objects."

I was doing my weekend grocery shopping at Walmart today and spotted a shelf full of 60 ounce bottles of hand sanitizer for $5.97 each (limit one) plus sales tax of $0.30. You can find 60 ounce refill bottles on eBay at about $35 each with free shipping. Got an 8 ounce bottle with a pump dispenser at Walmart last week for $1.97 plus tax. $6 for 60 ounces is what it cost before you could not find it on the shelves.

With everything else already on the shelves in my area, that must mean the hoarding based shortages have come to an end. Everything is opening up and the number of cases per test has been dropping daily (on average) for the past 6 weeks.

[19and41]

The stores here are still very difficult to get into and once there, it looks like the locusts have turned the places over.  Costco has it's house brand TP and bounty paper towels and kleenex in the small square boxes.  They even had the nearly antibacterial soap hidden off in a corner.  I got that and some towels.  I bought a car 3 weeks ago and the lines at the license place have been so long, I was just able to get the plates today.

[compubit]

My company is planning on our "reopening":
- only one way into the suite
- temperature checks at the start and end of the day
- masks in common areas
- social distancing
- Hand sanitizer on every desk (80% abv through a local distillery)
- and signs everywhere...

The one thing we're not easily finding are Sanitizing wipes - but we do have Clorox Cleanup in spray bottles everywhere.

It has been kind of nice having the office to myself for the last 10 weeks, though...

Jim

[Babybearjs]

I'll be glad when the media shuts up, I'm really getting tired of hearing about this.... we know already! its sad, because some of our favorite eating places are not going to be able to reopen now, small conmpanies are trowing in the towel... and the ripple effect is going to be long lasting.... wonder what 2030 is going to look like?

[TelePlay]

I'll be glad when the media shuts up, . . .

. . . and that will probably be on 11/4/2020.

[19and41]

It's been a while, so here goes.  I was at discount goods outlet (Ollie's)  And as I was checking out there was a shedload of hand sanitizer.  It must've been some of the stuff I had heard distilleries were making as it was put up in liquor bottles and was going for 7.95/fifth.  They had bales of reusable Chinese face masks.  I guess Lysol spray is going to continue to be eaten by the giant black hole of hoard.  I can find bottles of white hand soap sporadically.  I bought a big bundle of giant Bounty paper towels a month or two ago when Costco had them.  I will be starting on it soon.  I think I'll be done with it late next year.  I bought a bale of scott BIG roll toilet paper.  Same again.  just starting on it.  It will go faster.  Probably next spring.  I have to admit it is a cheap price to pay for not having to remember to buy it.  It's just finding a place to put it.

[Babybearjs]

around here they have rolled back to stage 3 for the bars.... wait and see... its going to be interesting to see where this whole thing goes this summer.... the summer fairs have been either trimmed back to bare minimum, or... cancelled altogehter. this year sure has been a crazy year.... if this keeps going, we are all going to have issues.   I can't even get my freezer I want because all the stores are sold out until further notice... My neighbor hasn't got her covid money and we tried to call the IRS so she could file over the phone and all the offices are closed and instead of have the calls forwarded to people at home, you just get an PSA over the phone.... crazy....

[Key2871]

There's no fairs around here in central New Hampshire.
I saw masks by the each at the hardware store for 10 bucks each. A local " discount" store offing 50 pack of surgical masks for $40.  gallon size hand sanitizer for $10. It seems some are out to make a killing on this stuff. A local food store has hand made masks free, and there nice too not junk.
So I've picked up a couple to have in my truck, because if I've got my youningns with me I can give them one to wear if we need to go into a store.

Jen has been getting paper goods at Wal-Mart, still limiting qtys to buy but its better than three months ago when shelves were bare.

Everyone is wearing masks, I've even seen a few at the beach wearing them.
But hardly anyone is going to the beach. Even in the current heatwave.

[FABphones]

Thankfully no shortages or queues here throughout this issue. Only item not on the shelves was anti-bac gel. Available now at around €8 (approximately $9) for 500ml (16.907 fl oz) which is the largest bottle I have seen. Face masks are available for sale, mostly the disposable surgical type at €5 (approx $5.63) for 10. Boxes of 50 disposable masks for €35 (approx $39.44), so cheaper to buy in packs of 10. Hand gel is in store entrances for shoppers to use upon entering. Some stores require a face mask to be worn. Our commune issued free washable face masks to each person in households (as did all communes).

Unfortunately, as restrictions have relaxed we have noticed folks out and about are not respecting social distancing recommendations, with both shoppers and staff blocking isles to chat or just generally not keeping a distance when passing. Even the youngsters have commented.

On a more positive side, as petrol prices here average €1.42 a litre ($1.60 for 0.264 gall), and we drive Range Rovers (thirsty), besides the money saving aspect of closed stores and practically no driving, it has been good for us all to spend more time together, plus several of those 'way down the to-do list' chores have been done.

Some other nice things have come out of this too - my phone workshop finally got built, we planted a small Vineyard, and made a new larger vegetable garden. We are purposely growing extra so surplus fruit and veg can be donated to the local food bank.

[Jim Stettler]

At work they have decided to have have grades K-5 attend school.
Grades 6-12 will mainly be online learning.
We had a couple of schools they were thinking of closing.
Now the plan is to keep them around and use them to help spread the kids around. They will also be putting K-5 in some of the middle and high schools.
These plans could be subject to change.

Locally things are pretty good, People are good about wearing masks at the grocery stores and my liqueur store. They don't at the $1 stores. The home improvement stores are 50/50 on masks. This is in my neighborhood.
According to a buddy, on the North end of town (mostly Republican ) , They don't wear masks. That is why my buddy shops in my neighborhood.

It is hard for me to comprehend why a face mask for social responsibility , has turned into a partisan issue. ( I know the main reason, It doesn't make it any easier to comprehend.
Jim

[dsk]

Here in Norway we have opened up partly, still restrictions, and we keep the distance.  The number of infected are rising again, but we still have only 8793 registered, 18 hospotalized, and a total of 249 dead.  not bad for 5.4 millions of people.

The digital school was extremely effective but I am totally worn out.   One month more, and I had broken...

Now it is summer holiday, 23 deg C in the water and I love to stay at our cabin.   Never seen the blueberries as early as this.

dsk

[HarrySmith]

Here in South Florida they started opening up. Restaurants, gyms etc at 50% capacity. They removed the mask requirement. Yesterday they registered over 5500 new cases reported. I thought it was too early to open everything up, looks like I was right. I have not changed what I do. My wife and I both got tested 2 weeks ago and were negative. I plan on keeping it that way. The store shelves are mostly full, no big shortages any longer except alcohol & Lysol spray. We are now in hurricane season so we are getting our supplies & stock up for that. If they announce a storm we will be back to empty shelves in the stores.