****CARNIVAL CRUISERS: HOW ARE THINGS WHERE YOU LIVE???

[Honolulu Blue]

Hi.  Michigan again.  Work seems to be going well.  We all seem to have an agreement not to do stupid stuff.  That's a nice little bubble that's formed.

 

I ventured outside my bubbles twice this week.  My dentist seemed to be well prepared for customers and their safety.  I felt very safe there.  The grocery store was pretty much the same as it has been since March - almost everyone in masks, one-way aisles, and spot shortages.  

 

The 7-day moving average in cases is approaching 500 - bad compared to where we were, but good compared to most of the rest of the country.

 

The big news is that our Governor has tightened the mask order.  They're required to be worn indoors and outdoors when social distancing is not possible.  Businesses must refuse entry to those without masks who don't have an exemption.  

[Host Carolyn]

In Charlotte  we are going steadily and quickly up in cases and  hospital admission but sadly very few wear masks and majority of cases in 20-40 age group, the least mask wearing group. Bars and gyms still not open. In SC it's really bad but everything is open.

[Joe817]

It's pretty bad here in Texas. The Governor issued a state wide order that everyone must wear masks when going in a place of business. Everyone for the most part, is adhering to that order...at least up here in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. Bars and gyms have been closed....again. People are sloooowwwww at doing the right thing, but they are coming around slowly. 

       The spiking has been so bad since Memorial Day that all large venue events have been cancelled. Even the great Fair of Texas has been cancelled. The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas at historic Fair Park. The fair has taken place every year since 1886 except for varying periods during World War I and World War II. The 2020 State Fair was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Starts last Friday of September and lasts 24 days. 25 September–18 October 2020. It will be missed this year.

      As always, all of Texas is now sitting underneath the cursed 'high pressure dome' that sends temps soaring. It's supposed to get up to 100 today and up to 103 by Monday, and lasting until Wednesday. And with humidity levels so high(kind of unusual this time of year; 75% out there right now), heat index values up to 110-113, which makes it dangerous to be outdoors. 

     I'm hoping all this damn heat will kill off the nasty bug. I've heard it will, but only time will tell.  

 

[Host Carolyn]

It's supposed to be in mid 90s here for at least a week so don't mind being inside. Lots of call things cancelled here too. Supposed to go to Myrtle Beach in 5 weeks for girls ttip...May not go...South Carolina is probably the next Arizona and we live just a few miles from.there so lots of cross pollination. 

 

be safe everyone j

[AmBear]

Terrible here in Florida, state government dong an awful job with this virus!

And too many people didn't take this virus seriously!

Driving around Florida there is no social distancing, maybe 50% wearing masks, and no enforcement where masks are required!

Results are record high infections, and rising deaths!

Now the governor wants to open schools in August, followed by the Labor Day holiday!

Florida gonna be renamed to 'Virusland'! 

[AmBear]

On 7/11/2020 at 10:29 AM, Joe817 said:

It's pretty bad here in Texas. The Governor issued a state wide order that everyone must wear masks when going in a place of business. Everyone for the most part, is adhering to that order...at least up here in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. Bars and gyms have been closed....again. People are sloooowwwww at doing the right thing, but they are coming around slowly. 

       The spiking has been so bad since Memorial Day that all large venue events have been cancelled. Even the great Fair of Texas has been cancelled. The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas at historic Fair Park. The fair has taken place every year since 1886 except for varying periods during World War I and World War II. The 2020 State Fair was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Starts last Friday of September and lasts 24 days. 25 September–18 October 2020. It will be missed this year.

      As always, all of Texas is now sitting underneath the cursed 'high pressure dome' that sends temps soaring. It's supposed to get up to 100 today and up to 103 by Monday, and lasting until Wednesday. And with humidity levels so high(kind of unusual this time of year; 75% out there right now), heat index values up to 110-113, which makes it dangerous to be outdoors. 

     I'm hoping all this damn heat will kill off the nasty bug. I've heard it will, but only time will tell.  

 

Forget the heat killing the virus, humans would die from the heat needed to kill the virus first!

Here in Florida the infections have gone sky high in the summer!

[Joe817]

3 minutes ago, AmBear said:

Forget the heat killing the virus, humans would die from the heat needed to kill the virus first!

Here in Florida the infections have gone sky high in the summer!

Same here! There's even talk(I can't verify or substantiate) that our Governor is considering re-issuing the 'stay at home order'(aka Statewide lockdown)......again, it's so bad. [sigh]

[Host Carolyn]

Not a thread to discuss stats, testing, death, etc.  Just a place for sharing how things are where members live with no judgment or debate

 

thank you. Be safe

Edited July 14, 2020 by Host Carolyn

[Honolulu Blue]

Thanks for the reminder, Carolyn.  

 

While I'm here, you people are likely to hear about a story a little to close to (my) home about masks, a convenience store, a knife, a gun, the police, and a fatality.  It's too good, IMHO, to not make the national news.  Please don't judge all us Michiganders too harshly.  It's been hot around here, and it's scheduled to get hotter.  And some people are just crazy.

[sjn911]

Montana...we are high on list for new cases and our total pop only a million.  Suppose it is visitors and more contact period in summer.  National Parks opened, some restaurants opened, no rules about masks but may change. 2 teachers in my family taught online and are required to take teaching online specialty course this summer.  We did not connect until phase two...outside on May 30th for an important family Birthday and again outside for father's day.  We do have about 6 people Sunday diners now inside or out as a family.... once a week. My dad and I, 60 and 86, were told by our doctors not to go on main street shopping, tourist and open street part time at least...and we only do the family dinner and grocery and med shop with masks..I know pro and cons on masks..leave it at that.  Big event this week was driving to dump which is a gorgeous drive here with dad and truck windows open.  Then Dad wore mask at DQ and they allowed him to order at window and pick up at front door with his mask on and drive through to small  the with truck and horse trailer..and we had burgers on my porch...this  was my first restaurant food since we all closed down in March.  I thought i would see more Rv's coming through this time of year with this but i see less,,,even with parks open.  I got really bad...sad and blue,,,even with phone right before phase two...no hugs or pecks on cheek with family and our Sunday dinners out really got to me...and while dad had us calling and on Easter my sis dropped of easy cook yourself Easter dinners by our doors...realized an odd different depression can sure hit...way better now..hospital here now ready and if things had not been slowed it would not have been...this shall pass and pray soon..still in the middle in summer is rough.  ( 7 to 9 months of winter coming...}  My grandfather drove the wagon of the dead in the 1918 epidemic as a young teenager...we are still better off than then...

 

[pe4all]

Everyone hang in there.  If NY could get our numbers down, so can you!  Here on Long Island Suffolk County had slight uptick in cases, mostly due to bars/beaches that had "parties" and did not follow social distancing/masks.  Nassau County (where I live) is holding steady at under 1% infection rate.  We still have not dined out inside a restaurant (even though they are allowed at 50% capacity) , but have done fast food drive-thrus and pickups from restaurants.  If we see some food preparers not wearing masks, we do not patronize that place, and have literally walked out.  Walmart just put in a "no mask no entry" rule.  Still many people are wearing masks not covering their noses - we try to steer wide of them if we see that.  I think there are now 25 states on NY's "if you enter you must quarentine 14 days" list.   Supposedly giving a $2,000 fine if caught not quarentining. They thought hot weather would "kill" the virus - obviously not.  

[Host Carolyn]

Thanks for updates! I love Montana and have friend who grew up there.  Glacier Park and McDonald Lake  Lodge are two of my favorites.  DQ "fix" can cure a myriad of things in my book

 

Hope you guys can keep lid on in Michigan....keep us posted. Stay safe

[Honolulu Blue]

Quick update from Michigan... 7-day moving average of new cases has gone above 600 (groan).  Our Governor is making noises about possibly moving us back to Phase 3, which would be painful for several reasons.  Testing has ramped up to a new higher level, so the test positive % is still under 4%.  Hospitalizations are moving up slowly.  Deaths have stabilized around 10 a day.  We're doing OK, but hope the rest of the country can get it together so we can visit them, and have them visit us without worrying too much.

[evandbob]

From what this Florida resident has seen, our uptick in cases started when the Gov decided to reopen the economy, restaurants, beaches, hair salons, etc. around Memorial Day.  Two weeks later, cases increased from 1,000 per day in the entire state to over 10,000.  People stopped wearing masks and forgot about social distancing.  This occurred with both college aged and retirement aged people.  We are still averaging over 10,000 cases/day, and the Gov issued a statement that Florida has the virus under control as we passed the 400,000 mark.

 

Local Town Boards held meetings and hearings on toning back the "reopening" and many of these devolved into shouting matches about constitution rights.  The Gov said the ten fold increase in cases doesn't mean much as the death rate seemed stable.  Right after that, the death rate started setting records in the state as it lags the on set of cases.  So the Gov states Florida is doing a great job of testing, and ignores the death rate which now includes youngsters under 10 and teenagers.  Now the Gov is pushing for schools to re-open, here in Florida thats around Aug 10.  Many are predicting another surge in first elderly cases and later deaths as asymptomatic kids bring the virus home to their parents, guardians and grandparents.

 

We were doing so well back in March and now we are the one of the hotspots of the nation.  The figures changed as attitudes and behaviors got lax or ignored with the Gov's push for re-opening.  Pretty much the same situation I'll guess in Tx and Az as here in FL.

 

Many of us were skeptical about re-opening too soon, and wished against the feared exponential increases that the re-opening resulted in.  Seems our fears were fact based.

[Honolulu Blue]

Michigan again.  There's not a lot to say, so I'll be brief.  It seems new cases are stabilizing around 600 a day which, while not ideal, we can probably live with.  Everyone here is rooting for it to go down before the next big holiday so the kiddies can go to school relatively safely.  No talk of reopening things, little talk of heading back.  Mask compliance seems to be about maxed out.  Daily deaths have been in the single digits for a couple of weeks.  I'm hoping other states can get control over this outbreak so we can go cruising again, among other things.

[RWolver672]

Michigan here again.  Wife and I are election workers.  We have an election coming up August 4th.  We attended a training session last night.  Things have really changed because of Rona.  Polls open from 7 am until 8 pm.  We have to wear either a mask or face shield the whole time.  Every hour we are supposed to go outside without the coverings to get fresh air.  Voters do not have to wear masks.  If they bring their children in with them, if they are over six years old, the children must wear a mask.

 

As the voters enter the hall, we have to ask them a series of six questions to see if they've been in contact, health, etc.  If they say yes to any of the questions, we have to tell them that they can't come in, but they can get a ballot and one person from each party will escort them to their car and wait for them to fill it out.  Then the two will bring the ballot back in for tabulation.

 

If they pass the questions, they are given a pen to fill out the registration slips.  They will be told to carry that pen with them to vote.  For our safety, we will no longer scan their licenses.  They will hold on to them and we will use a gun type thing like the stores use.  They will then be given a ballot but no longer in a privacy sleeve.  It will just have a piece of blank paper to cover it.  

 

After they have filled out the ballot, they will put it in the tabulator machine, throw away the blank sheet of paper and put their pen in a basket.  (When things slow down, someone will disinfect the pens and put them back into service.)  They will then be asked to leave through the back door.  Every voting station will be disinfected at least hourly.

 

Naturally there is a distancing of six feet between voters and you will be asked to leave as soon as you vote.  No standing around talking with others.  We are hoping that everyone complies with the rules that have been set up by the Michigan Bureau of Elections.

 

We have approximately twelve hundred registered voters in our township.  Over three hundred mail in ballots have been sent out.  That will help us immensely with not having long lines.  They said that the November elections will probably  be worse with more people voting.

 

 

[pe4all]

RWolver672-  I find it interesting that voters do not have to wear masks, but kids over the age of 6 do have to wear them.  I would think "older" folks are more apt to be carriers/spreaders than children.  Like the idea that they are letting you get "fresh air" every hour.  Sitting in a mask/face shield all day is uncomfortable.  All our local elections (school budget vote, etc.) were done by mail in ballot so far.  Good luck 8/4, and stay safe.  NY infection rate is holding steady at 1%.  Hoping it stays that way without spiking in this heat wave (95+ degrees and heat indexes over 100) we are having.

 

[RWolver672]

13 minutes ago, pe4all said:

RWolver672-  I find it interesting that voters do not have to wear masks, but kids over the age of 6 do have to wear them.  I would think "older" folks are more apt to be carriers/spreaders than children.  

 

 

The reasoning behind voters not wearing masks is that we have to verify that the ID matches the voter.  If they have a mask on and we don't recognize them, we have to ask them to remove them long enough for us to verify that it is in fact them.  Then they can put it back on if they wish.  I have no idea of why the children have to wear them.

[Honolulu Blue]

2 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

Michigan here again.  Wife and I are election workers.  We have an election coming up August 4th.  We attended a training session last night.  Things have really changed because of Rona. 

 

Thanks for sharing RWolver672 (and you too, pe4all).  Your discussion of the upcoming election rules reminded me of how COVID-19 started to ramp up here during the primary in March.  With big rallies and a huge turnout, who knows how much damage was done?  It certainly led to some changes now.  BTW, I sent in my absentee ballot yesterday.

 

Our Governor is holding a press conference at 2 PM today.  I hope she's only going to chastise the minority for not doing what needs to be done.

[simplelife]

On 7/28/2020 at 6:54 AM, RWolver672 said:

 

The reasoning behind voters not wearing masks is that we have to verify that the ID matches the voter.  If they have a mask on and we don't recognize them, we have to ask them to remove them long enough for us to verify that it is in fact them.  Then they can put it back on if they wish.  I have no idea of why the children have to wear them.

 As we are learning more about this virus, we are finding out that children are indeed carriers, as everyone else. As schools begin to reopen under various plans, this is a serious concern.

 

 

[Honolulu Blue]

The big news in Michigan this week is that

 

1) Indoor social gatherings have been reduced to 10 statewide

2) Bars (as opposed to restaurants selling alcohol) were closed for indoor service

3) The big casinos in Detroit area are allowed to open August 5 at 15% capacity and most of the usual protocols

 

I won't raise Carolyn's ire by being too verbose, but I'm doing OK, the state is doing OK, we're jealous of most of the Northeast, and looking in horror at most of the rest of the U.S.

Edited August 2, 2020 by Honolulu Blue

[simplelife]

Here in NC, our governor has been slow to reopen things. This is wise, I think, when we see how our neighboring state (SC) has had to pull back on many of the openings and how their numbers skyrocket after bars were opened. It look like our numbers here may be  beginning to slow, I fear that they will go up again, once universities and K-12 schools begin to reopen. I will be doing all my university teaching from home, but some professors at my institution have opted for modified or full face-to-face,

[Host Carolyn]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

The big news in Michigan this week is that

 

1) Indoor social gatherings have been reduced to 10 statewide

2) Bars (as opposed to restaurants selling alcohol) were closed for indoor service

3) The big casinos in Detroit area are allowed to open August 5 at 15% capacity and most of the usual protocols

 

I won't raise Carolyn's ire by being too verbose, but I'm doing OK, the state is doing OK, we're jealous of most of the Northeast, and looking in horror at most of the rest of the U.S.

You have not been too verbose!

 

We we have mask mandate but most don't follow at all.  One of our local news anchors and entire family including newborn got Covid. She wrote sincerely and from the heart about how scary it was for them but many people think she exaggerated!😡

[pe4all]

We have been holding steady here in NY at under 1% infection rate.  Yesterday we had no reported covid deaths for the first time since 3/16.  Our big ticket item here is how/if schools will re-open in Sept.  All districts had to have a re-opening plan in to the Gov. this past Friday.  Most districts here on Long Island will be using a hybrid method - 1/2 students in one day, other 1/2 online learning at same time (cameras in classroom so teacher is live) and then switching the next day.  There are many options open at this moment, and Gov. Cuomo says he will make a decision whether schools will even open for students by 8/9, or all learning will be online again.   NYC is planning on opening their schools, but with tons of rules, and will shut down immediately if 2 students in a class come down with covid.  Will be very interesting to see how this plays out.

[patrice1]

Writing from Lisbon, Portugal. New cases are low, have had no deaths in recent days. Restaurants still at 50% seating, all indoor spaces require masks and social distancing. Outdoor masks only if you can't maintain distancing. For example, I wear one when I walk my dog during the day, because I'm not sure I can maintain distancing. People respectful with masks and distancing. The Portuguese are very patient! As each level was opened there was a small uptick in cases, but with testing and tracing, it was contained. Tourism has returned, but Americans and Brazilians are not allowed. You can tell a lot of Europeans have cabin fever because the restaurants in my square are full every day for lunch and dinner, many from France, Spain and Italy. Also, walking tours have returned. Still, Lisbon seems empty compared to last summer.