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

[RWolver672]

Michigan's Governor Whitmer just announced that Michigan has now just started a program for Frontline workers.  Michigan will pay for tuition for up to an Associates degree free of charge for Frontline workers to reward them for their service.  They have until December 31st to sign up for this.  And to think there are signs all over that says our Governor is an idiot.

  

[pe4all]

Casinos just opened up in NY with 25% capacity and strict rules.  Supposedly the one here on Long Island was jammed yesterday.  Passed by 3 of our fitness centers  (Lifetime Fitness, UFC and LA Fitness) and literally every spot was taken in parking lot.  Can't imagine they were following rules.  Schools are already going virtual as they develop cases among faculty and students.  Still have not eaten inside a restaurant, and walked away from one where the outside tables were on top of each other.  Lots of masks being worn, but still some people walking our malls with no masks.  In NYC indoor dining and indoor malls at 25% just opened.  City dd is sooo happy!!

[Keksie]

The bars are set to open Monday.  Although we are not bar people I am happy for the owners and the people who want to go.  Everything else is open and busy.  80% of the parents opted for in school learning.  I know my life has gotten busy with places to go and things to do.  The only component missing still is travel.  I have always had several trips in planning stages. 

[pe4all]

41 minutes ago, Keksie said:

The bars are set to open Monday.  Although we are not bar people I am happy for the owners and the people who want to go.  Everything else is open and busy.  80% of the parents opted for in school learning.  I know my life has gotten busy with places to go and things to do.  The only component missing still is travel.  I have always had several trips in planning stages. 

Our bars are only allowed to be open if food is served with the alcohol, and then with a limited # of patrons.  Food must be a meal - not munchies/appys.  We had 2 cruises cancelled (January/March), Disney postponed (from May until next week - will almost definitely postpone again) and cancelled a bucket list trip to Galapagos. (July)   Waiting for Florida to get their cases down to where Gov. Cuomo allows us to come back and not quarantine 14 days.  Might be awhile...

Edited September 11, 2020 by pe4all

[Honolulu Blue]

Hi.  Michigan again.  It pains me to say it, but WE ARE IN TROUBLE.  Not the state (though there are worrisome signs there too), but my county.  I did a deep dive on the available numbers and this is what it's telling me.  I'm thankful that we didn't open up Big University's campus to in-person learning, because we'd surely have an even bigger mess.  We'll get through this, though I don't see exactly how.  Time to hunker down.

[topaz123]

Things loosening up....I watched a video of News Reporting in Early January about what conditions were going to be like,....just not seeing it here.

[Honolulu Blue]

Me again.  Some news from Big University City... on Saturday, all Big U. students in the county were recommended to self-quarantine for 14 days - only allowed to leave their homes to get medical treatment, go to work, go to class (there are a few going on), get groceries, or one of a few other exceptions.  Then on Monday the whip REALLY came down on certain fraternity, sorority, and miscellaneous multi-person houses.  Those unlucky folks get a MANDATORY lockdown for two weeks (they call this one a quarantine also, but it's far beyond that).  They can only leave for medical care and no one else can visit except to deliver essential services.  Will it be enough?  Who knows?  It's bitter medicine and it will take at least a month to see the full results.  I hope it is, because I think the possible next steps are worse and might reach yours truly.

 

I would also like to take this time to thank those who have tested, even though (especially if) the symptoms are mild or nonexistent.  Things may be painful now, but it's good to have an idea where the infection is and allowing us to take the actions needed to prevent some illnesses and perhaps deaths down the line.

Edited September 15, 2020 by Honolulu Blue

[pe4all]

HB - hang in there.  It seems the college/high school students feel they are invincible, and - while the virus may not affect them the same way it has others,-it spreads like crazy - not always with minor results.  We have had 3 campuses in NY go back to online learning already due to spread of the virus. It has also gone through a day care center not too far from here.  So much for the theory that young kids won't get it.  One of the kids brought it home to his mom, who is very sick now.  Every day we get a report that another school district (or 2, or 3) have had cases and shut down.  Some 40 high schoolers  had an impromptu football game after school a few days ago, and one kid just tested positive, so all the others are now in quarentine, along with their families.  Drove past a Romper Room nursery school today.  7 little kids were playing in the enclosed 10 by 10 area - no masks.  More upsetting was the person watching them had no mask on either.  

[Honolulu Blue]

On 9/15/2020 at 1:44 PM, pe4all said:

HB - hang in there. 

 

Thanks for the sympathetic words and the update.

 

I need to clear up a few points about our little lockdowns in Big University City:

 

• Some new frat/sorority/large houses were added to the list and two were dropped
• The lockdowns weren't as severe as I thought.  According to a FAQ on the subject they can work IF needed AND their employer agrees to let them work, they can go to church (though online worship is preferred), they can go get groceries (though delivery or a single-person runner is preferred), they can exercise outdoors, house staff are NOT locked down or under quarantine, and they can actually head home to serve out their quarantine there if they prefer.  It's still not a great situation.

Of interest to some of you is the Big Conference has changed its mind and decided to start football next month.  Competitive high school football has started in the state this week.  My school district is one of the very few that have decided not to compete this fall.  Time will tell if this decision is prescient, hypercautious, or somewhere in between.

 

Overall there are hopeful signs both here and statewide.  I hope it is the same for all of you.

[pe4all]

Update:    NYC schools open today - will be interesting to see what happens.   NY's average infection rate just rose to a tick above 1%, but 3 area codes (out of 1600) now have infection rates above 10% (Brooklyn, Rockland and Orange counties) and are in danger of their non-essential business being shut down again.  We still have not eaten inside a restaurant, and with weather getting cooler many places are enclosing the tents they had put up, which worries us because all the germs will be trapped inside with no air circulation.  Guess we will go back to bringing food in!  We still (7 months now) have not been able to get down to our FLL condo due to the 14 day quarentine coming back to NY.  Will hopefully get down for Thanksgiving - but even that is iffy with DeSantis opening everything up.   Moved our Sept. Disneyworld trip to end of October, but highly doubt that will happen also.  

[Keksie]

7 hours ago, pe4all said:

Update:    NYC schools open today - will be interesting to see what happens.   NY's average infection rate just rose to a tick above 1%, but 3 area codes (out of 1600) now have infection rates above 10% (Brooklyn, Rockland and Orange counties) and are in danger of their non-essential business being shut down again.  We still have not eaten inside a restaurant, and with weather getting cooler many places are enclosing the tents they had put up, which worries us because all the germs will be trapped inside with no air circulation.  Guess we will go back to bringing food in!  We still (7 months now) have not been able to get down to our FLL condo due to the 14 day quarentine coming back to NY.  Will hopefully get down for Thanksgiving - but even that is iffy with DeSantis opening everything up.   Moved our Sept. Disneyworld trip to end of October, but highly doubt that will happen also.  

I wouldn't worry about coming to Florida.  Yesterday the positive cases number was minus 2 for our county.  Seems like we are doing something right.

[pe4all]

15 hours ago, Keksie said:

I wouldn't worry about coming to Florida.  Yesterday the positive cases number was minus 2 for our county.  Seems like we are doing something right.

That is great news!  I am not worried about coming down.  More worried about the mandatory 14 day quarentine coming back to NY.  DH cannot shut his business down for 2 weeks.   I know a handful of people who recently came back from FL, but aren't adhering to the "rules." They are eating inside restaurants, meeting with friends (not me!!) not social distancing, etc.   I cannot/will not possibly infect others by being selfish and going about my life upon return.  

[Honolulu Blue]

Hi.  Michigan again.  Briefly, county positives per day dropping fast, moving back toward where they were in early August.  Most local lockdowns expired or expiring.  Big U. making noises about perhaps not having live classes until next fall.  State cases drifting up a bit.  On October 9, movie theaters and stadiums (among other places) can reopen, and social gatherings will have much bigger limits.  Social distancing and masks still required, of course.

[pe4all]

Our high school is shut today as a teacher came down with covid.  Deep cleaning going on.  We lasted 2 weeks, as I predicted.  Supposed to re-open Monday.  We shall see.

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, pe4all said:

Our high school is shut today as a teacher came down with covid.  Deep cleaning going on.  We lasted 2 weeks, as I predicted.  Supposed to re-open Monday.  We shall see.

 

Oh no!  I hope everything works out.

 

No additional news for Michigan.  Lots of news elsewhere, I suspect.

[pe4all]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

No additional news for Michigan.  Lots of news elsewhere, I suspect.

Especially in Washington!

[Honolulu Blue]

Hi.  Michigan again.  I'll be brief:

 

• Case numbers are fading locally to something that doesn't look COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL
• State case numbers are continuing to drift up
• The Michigan Supreme Court gave our Governor a big defeat by declaring she had gone too far with the executive orders and state of emergency declarations
• Because of this, some cities, some counties, and the state itself are basically putting the current mandates into orders and laws of their own through their own emergency authority
• The legislature and the Governor might make a deal soon; stay tuned
• You guys might soon hear about a plot that several people on the lunatic fringe had to kidnap and kill the Governor over their dislike for her executive orders.  Yay state police and FBI for breaking it up!  Again, please don't judge all Michiganders based on a few who are obviously short of a full deck.

[RWolver672]

Michigan has reached an all time low.  A group of six men plotted to overthrow our government and kidnap our Governor and other officials.  Luckily all six were apprehended thanks to the  FBI and the Michigan State Police.  I'm sure it will be on all of the national news with more details.  

 

Edit:  Looks like I was typing as Honolulu Blue was posting the above.

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by RWolver672

[Honolulu Blue]

RWolver672:  Thanks for sharing.  I like your description of what happened better than mine.  I was trying to phrase things carefully while reading the wires and being brief, all at the same time.  

[Host Carolyn]

I just saw your governor on TV....unbelievable.

[RWolver672]

If anyone is interested...  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/deeply-disturbing-feds-charge-six-militia-members-in-domestic-terror-plot-to-kidnap-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer/ar-BB19PAUz?OCID=ansmsnnews11

[pe4all]

Just announced:  Broadway shows now shut until 5/31/21.   97,000 performers/workers/musicians will be affected, 14.8 billion dollar loss to city.  Not good news.

[evandbob]

While we all are tired of restrictions, it seems after easing some of them, doesn't matter the State, infections return to higher levels.

 

Most States have a daily infection rate over a 1,000 per day, and here in Florida, we've gone back to having 2,500 to 3,500 cases per day.  Sure that's better than the 10,000 cases per day we experienced after the July 4th, but it's way more than some entire countries are reporting.  The White House alone has more cases in the past 2 weeks than Taiwan!

 

The virus "laughs" as we make plans to resume normalcy.

[pe4all]

13 hours ago, evandbob said:

While we all are tired of restrictions, it seems after easing some of them, doesn't matter the State, infections return to higher levels.

 

Most States have a daily infection rate over a 1,000 per day, and here in Florida, we've gone back to having 2,500 to 3,500 cases per day.  Sure that's better than the 10,000 cases per day we experienced after the July 4th, but it's way more than some entire countries are reporting.  The White House alone has more cases in the past 2 weeks than Taiwan!

 

The virus "laughs" as we make plans to resume normalcy.

We have hotspot outbreaks in 3 areas of NY - most likely due to the holidays that just passed and people dismissing masks and having large gatherings.   Cuomo shutting down schools and businesses there, and actually having police go around in cars making loud-speaker announcements and handing out masks.  However, if they followed the "rules" in the first place this wouldn't be happening.  The rest of NY is doing well, with infection rate under 1%.

[GlendaleCruiser]

In  Arizona, things are looking normal.  Shelves are stocked.  Restaurants are requiring a mask when you come in and up until you  order, then it can be removed.  Masks are by state (governor) order.  Restaurants have tables spaced a bit, but not so noticeable as before. 

Edited to add:  We are all back at church, too.  Movie theatres are open and spaced a bit.  Kids are back in school full time.

Edited October 12, 2020 by GlendaleCruiser
add