Neverending Covid-19 Coronavirus

So, with all the escaalating bad news just a simple message, be safe, try to be nice to each other and look out for each other. See what you can do to help others that may need help.
We have an old man in the 80s in our house who just got back today from the hospital after he broke his hip. We have only 6 flats in our house and the rest of us neighbours decided to take turns, running errands, shopping, getting mail and taking out trash for him, so he does not need to get outside. Jn berlin some people have set up websites where people willing to shop for older people who live alone can sign up so they have to get out less. At these times a little help can make an impact.
On the economic site:
It helps small venues or artists if you dont immediately ask for a refund for postponed cancelled shows.
Someone mentioned earlier you can buy giftcards from local restaurants, if you have a save pay you may find ways to help freelancers such as artists in some way. My kids have this amazing dance teacher, that comes to their kindergarden and does lessons with the kids that want to. She works as a freelancer and wee pay here monthly for a fixed number of lessons. Now kindergardens close next week for at least 6 weeks, so ireached out for her and learned that she is really struggeling because nearly all her dancing lessons and performances for march and april are cancelledand leave her without much income. I could convince most parents in my kindergarden whose kids take these lessons and who have steady wages in the crisis to just keep paying her as if there were lessons. Its not much foor us but makes an impact for her.
So pleace be safe and look out for each other and your fellows. You can make a positive impact and make hard times easier for others who might be less fortunate.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
Starting on Monday the DC Metro will be operating on a Saturday schedule.

Ridership is down low enough to allow for this and it gives them extra time to be able to disinfect trains more often.
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Hope the MBTA and Keolis follows suit here. I haven't ridden in a week, due to my paranoia, but it could use more regular cleaning regardless of the pandemic.
 
Ed Selley said:
In among all the bad news, I thought THIS was interesting and makes me a little less stressed if it turns out to be the case.

Of course... it would actually favour keeping schools open run by the youngest teachers you can get your hands on.
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The problem is that the kids can still spread it and my 2 and 4 year olds are not exactly practicing the recommended hygiene protocols. So, keeping the schools open is still a bad idea.

But yes, the fact that I don't need to worry about my kids dying from it is a huge relief.
 
dhodo said:
The problem is that the kids can still spread it and my 2 and 4 year olds are not practicing the recommended hygiene protocols. So, keeping the schools open is still a bad idea.
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My six year old isn't either. My- possibly cynical- thought is that article suggests he does less harm failing to wash his hands properly around other six year olds than it does my neighbour with respiratory issues.
 
zombie.modernist said:
Hope the MBTA and Keolis follows suit here. I haven't ridden in a week, due to my paranoia, but it could use more regular cleaning regardless of the pandemic.
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Tell me about it. All trains are cleaned over night. A few get cleaned mid day. But by the evening rush there are always spilt drinks and the bathroom is god awful on the commuter rail trains.

I'm not sure how ridership is on Commuter Rail. I haven't ridden since Tuesday. But on Tuesday my train was relatively empty both coming in and leaving. But it was a Rockport express trains. As we all the North Shore is affluent and more likely to be able to work from home.

I'm hearing that trains heading to Lawrence, Lowell, Worcester and Providence are still packed.

They should be doing this, but I believe they are going to try to maintain normal schedules for as long as possible.
 
Ed Selley said:
My six year old isn't either. My- possibly cynical- thought is that article suggests he does less harm failing to wash his hands properly around other six year olds than it does my neighbour with respiratory issues.
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That's true, but at least at our pre school, a lot of grandparents are doing the pick-up and drop off. Unfortunately, for people whose jobs aren't shutting down, the grandparents are the only ones who can stay home and watch the kids too, so it doesn't necessarily help there either.

My wife is a teacher, but they are making plans to do online instructions. My group at work can't fully work from home, but as long as one person is there to be our eyes, we can, so if they let us work from home, we'll just rotate who is that person. I'm not sure what we'd do to watch the kids otherwise. I only have 50hrs of PTO right now, which is more than most people have.
 
Mr Moore said:
From easyJet, last company (except maybe Ryanair) I expected this from:


Given the unprecedented situation we’re all facing as a result of Covid-19, we wanted to provide an update on what this means for any travel plans you may have with easyJet.

We will continue to operate a flight schedule that ensures that those customers who still wish to travel can do so, where travel restrictions allow and in line with guidance from health authorities.

However, we understand there is uncertainty around travel at this time, so if you currently have a booking with us but would prefer not to fly then from tomorrow (13.03.2020), you can now change your flight online and we will waive the flight change fee. This applies to all existing and new bookings until further notice. Should there be a difference in fare you’ll need to pay this - however by waiving the change fee, we want to ensure you have more flexibility to amend your travel plans.

Where we’ve been required to cancel flights, customers will be able to transfer to an alternative flight free of charge or receive a refund. And where all flights have had to be cancelled due to local authority guidance – in Italy, for example – we are operating rescue flights to ensure passengers can return home.
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I just got a similar email from Aer Lingus. Probably just as well my colleague and I were in Dublin last Friday, not today!

Thackeraye said:
Bet they don’t indicate when exiting roundabouts either...

You know it’s serious when an Old Firm game gets cancelled. Working from home as much as possible here, and we’ll see what happens. I’m at a wedding at the weekend, and after that I’ll try and bunker down.

Stay safe all!
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Amazing stuff, eh? Fitba being more responsible than the Rugger. I'm side-eyeing all the Six Nations and ski-trippers.

Ed Selley said:
I've no idea how well European experiences transfer to the US (my sole US Supermarket experience is traipsing to the Vons in Las Vegas every CES to buy beer, eggs and bacon) but I shopped normally, buying fresh stuff to suit. At the same time, over the last ten days, I have gently built up tins of tomatoes, various pulses (dried and tinned) depending, rice and pasta. I have green veg in the form of spinach and peas, both frozen (middle class sniffiness at frozen veg has yet to be degraded by fears of pandemic). There are potatoes, onions and carrots too. This is bolstered by thirteen microwave curries, stuff reduced for quick sale that I've procured over the last ninety days (this isn't a virus thing, I just buy it and work through in a ninety day cycle to save money) and frozen, plus a full set of herbs, spices and stock.

The UK strategy is basically for me; a 39 year old in reasonable health, to catch the virus. I will consume fresh food in a normal fashion, dealing with the vagaries of panic buying until such time as this happens. On me exhibiting symptoms, I will self-isolate and- assuming I have much of an appetite- move to consuming the set aside stuff which should last at least twenty days and, realistically, a bit longer than that.
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As a 37 year old man in reasonable health who lives alone I've been formulating a plan along these lines. Need to maybe do a little more prep in terms of a few "back stock" ingredients but I can probably keep myself fed with main meals for at least a week, maybe stretching to two, with what's in the freezer.
 
Something that's interesting to me is - once this is all over, will working from home, reduced use of public transport, cafes, restaurants, etc be the new normal? Or do things start to get back to the way they are? When you consider how much it must cost some large organisations in prime locations to maintain office space for staff, once it's shown that WFH doesn't involve significant loss of productivity does it become the expectation?
 
hamicle said:
Something that's interesting to me is - once this is all over, will working from home, reduced use of public transport, cafes, restaurants, etc be the new normal? Or do things start to get back to the way they are? When you consider how much it must cost some large organisations in prime locations to maintain office space for staff, once it's shown that WFH doesn't involve significant loss of productivity does it become the expectation?
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Could definitely bring about a revolution in the way some people work. If over a period of months the technology works and productivity remains then why wouldn't it continue. This will be like an enforced trial to see if it works. Could be an environmentally better way for people to work too?
 
Breaking: Polosi announces deal with Trump administration on coronavirus relief. Changes made to the houses coronavirus bill.

They gave into nearly all republican request including limiting the paid leave for those who are affected by coronavirus to two weeks.

The good news is this bill is likely to pass the senate now and Trump will likely sign it.

The bad news is, people finding themselves without a job or no work for a month or more are limited to a max of 2 weeks leave paid.
 
hamicle said:
Something that's interesting to me is - once this is all over, will working from home, reduced use of public transport, cafes, restaurants, etc be the new normal? Or do things start to get back to the way they are? When you consider how much it must cost some large organisations in prime locations to maintain office space for staff, once it's shown that WFH doesn't involve significant loss of productivity does it become the expectation?
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At the very least, I hope it allows people to take a step back, take stock in what really matters, and allow us to become one step closer to cutting out all the extra curricular materialistic BS that runs most of our lives.
 
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