Coronavirus- What's happening near you?

[TheZZMan Moderator Member of the Month Sept 2018PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close TheZZMan]

Had to go the my local doctor practice to get blood drawn for an upcoming appointment with my Urologist to make sure the old Prostrate is still in proper operating order. In the past, for blood work, you just showed up and they worked you in when they had a break between patients. There was no need for an appointment. So today, I went to get blood work done, showed up - was stopped at the front door and asked if I had an appointment. I said no, just wanted to get blood work done. They gave me a phone number that I had to call to set up an appointment - mind you I am standing outside the doctors building making the call. Had to wait 45 minutes before I could get in and I had to wait in my car - they came to my car to get me. Everyone was treated like they were sick.

We have 32 cases in a whole county of millions. I think this is overkill and insulting to everyone. Make everyone where masks and gloves and proceed as normal. Don't treat me like a leper. I'm not infecting anyone.

[madyogi Moderator Member of the Month April 2020PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close madyogi]

Just checking in here to say our governor (Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, USA) held a press conference yesterday and said he is looking at relaxing restrictions beginning May 4. There's the obvious Star Wars reference that will make my fellow sci-fi geeks happy. Also, he's been consulting with a "post-peak task force" locally, and given that our peak is forecasted to be about May 2, this is a good sign we are taking necessary steps now (though our steps haven't been as draconion as other states), and that we are taking a rational approach to opening things back up. It remains to be seen where he will ease restrictions vs where he won't, but I'm taking it as a good sign, even as I watch with skeptical eyes.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

How is everyone going ? Some places are starting to open back up.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

All the world’s attention is on covid-19. Perhaps it was a coincidence that China chose this moment to tighten its control around disputed reefs in the South China Sea, arrest the most prominent democrats in Hong Kong and tear a hole in Hong Kong’s Basic Law (see article). But perhaps not. Rulers everywhere have realised that now is the perfect time to do outrageous things, safe in the knowledge that the rest of the world will barely notice.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

© Hagen Hopkins—Getty Images Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media at a press conference ahead of a nationwide lockdown at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand on March 25, 2020.As countries around the world work to “flatten the curve” of coronavirus infections, one has set itself a far more ambitious target. New Zealand plans to wipe out COVID-19 completely.“We have the opportunity to do something no other country has achieved—elimination of the virus,” Jacinda Ardern, the country’s Prime Minister, said Apr. 16.The strategy appears to be working. Fewer than 1,500 people have been infected with the virus in the country of almost 5 million. Only 17 have died. On April 24, just five new cases were confirmed. (By comparison, Colorado, which is roughly the same geographic size as New Zealand, with a population of 5.8 million, has more than 11,000 cases confirmed and more than 550 people have died.)

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

How many have been tested to see if they had the virus with no symptoms?

[not2big Senior Super ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close not2big]

Went through the drive-up window today at Walgreens to pick up my prescription. Did’t want to go inside because they were doing testing and I had no interest in being in the same place where people wanted to be tested.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

I wonder how many of those actually needed to be tested. And I wouldn't worry about the virus umping off someone that wanted to be tested and finding you. Length of exposure is the determinant.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

How many have been tested to see if they had the virus with no symptoms?

On the cruise ships everyone was tested repeatedly with the best tests available . Of those that were positive a circa 2% death rate . I expect it to be lower on warships.

[Jay1983 Senior MemberMember of the Month Apr 2014, Sept 2016 Find all posts View Profile Close Jay1983]

Just got back from walmart. If you asked me, that place was well over max capacity.

So, why are state parks and the such closed again?

[madyogi Moderator Member of the Month April 2020PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close madyogi]

Just got back from walmart. If you asked me, that place was well over max capacity.

So, why are state parks and the such closed again?

Off and on since age 14, I have lived within 10 minutes of a great state park here in Arkansas. The weekend after our restrictions went into effect (and keep in mind, our restrictions are relatively less restrictive than in other states), there were close to 7,000 visitors from 5 different states. I have been at that park many times when it is "overrun" like that, and it's surprisingly easier to maintain a "safe distance" from others when shopping at Wal-Mart as opposed to crossing paths on a relatively narrow trail up a mountain. Since then, they've closed the main park, while leaving open some shorter, less well known trails. I regularly go there to get my trail running in, and have talked to numerous rangers about the situation. Given the other restrictions that are in place, parking was an issue, like WAY TOO MANY cars parked on the sides of roads/highways, people crawling everywhere, etc.

Again, I'm not trying to advocate one way or another, just trying to provide perspective as to why state parks are different from Wal-Marts. And for what it's worth, I went to Home Depot last weekend, and they said they were "at capacity". Had us in a queue out front, letting 5 in at a time as others were leaving. Didn't have to wait long at all, less than 5 minutes. It actually made for a much better experience, COVID aside, because the line to get out of the garden center on a beautiful Saturday afternoon is typically much longer and more congested.

[not2big Senior Super ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close not2big]

Sat out in our front yard along with our next door neighbors as well as other neighbors all sitting ten fee apart from each other. Other neighbors (probably30 or more) walked by and stopped to talk.

[madyogi Moderator Member of the Month April 2020PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close madyogi]

The governor of Arkansas started relaxing restrictions May 4. Our numbers look good, which is to say the rolling 7-day average of new cases has been on the decline for a good while now. New cases fluctuate between 20-40 per day. Overall, we're at something like 3,500 confirmed cases and 85 deaths (~2.5% death rate).

We are still advised to socially distance and wear masks where distancing isn't practical. Restaurants will be allowed to open for dine-in next week, but I doubt many folks will go. They are only allowed 30% capacity anyway, which hardly seems worth it. Churches will be re-opening soon as well, with stipulations like every other pew must be empty and other similar things. We will be able to get hair cuts again soon, and my mother-in-law finally got to go back to the nail salon this week (a BIG DEAL to her).

Anyway, just an update. We'll see how it goes.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

I never thought I would long for the day to get a haircut.

[Dangler Senior Administrator☼ Wizard ☼ White Tiger Award 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Dangler]

Shave your head Cusp, you'll look much better and save $$.