How Is Covid-19 Impacting Life in Your City?

[pip]

Originally Posted by JManc

The people who post selfie's in masks and wear them in the car or outside...will be the ones lining up to take a cruise right now.

Seriously? When I walk down a side street sure I can take off the mask but a busy street is nearby and I'll be on it soon enough. Maybe I cant be bothered to takt it off and put it back on all the time. Uber drivers? Maybe someone is hopping from store to store or just gave people a ride. Come on...

[Pedestrian]

San Francisco is aiming to have 85% of the over-16 population vaccinated with at least one dose by mid-May and fully vaccinated by mid-June. As of Tuesday, the city is at 63% with at least one dose.

https://abc7news.com/san-francisco-v...ovid/10531915/

[JManc]

Originally Posted by pip

Seriously? When I walk down a side street sure I can take off the mask but a busy street is nearby and I'll be on it soon enough. Maybe I cant be bothered to takt it off and put it back on all the time. Uber drivers? Maybe someone is hopping from store to store or just gave people a ride. Come on...

We're not talking about Uber drivers where it might be a company policy to have them on while on a job. I also question the need to wear one at all outside regardless street activity which is down across the board considerably since Covid hit. I would question not wearing one at a crowded ball game especially if not vaccinated but walking down the street? Nah.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by pip

Seriously? When I walk down a side street sure I can take off the mask but a busy street is nearby and I'll be on it soon enough. Maybe I cant be bothered to takt it off and put it back on all the time. Uber drivers? Maybe someone is hopping from store to store or just gave people a ride. Come on...

I have basically stopped wearing a mask outdoors in Arizona where there is little or no public crowding. Back in the city, where I'll soon be, maybe it'll be a bit different but I don't really think I'll wear mine much outdoors. I'll have to wear it exiting and entering my building and inside all stores, in any vehicle where I'm not alone (Uber etc). I'm still not ready for transit--busses, trains.

I still see some people wearing them outdoors here in AZ and I applaud them but most are on their way into or out of a store. I'm not going to criticize them and let the hard core "never wear one of those things" types off the hook (here there's no mandate although a lot of stores ask people to wear them). I saw a lady driving her own car alone with one on the other day and frankly it surprised me but again, better that than try to go inside stores without one.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by JManc

regardless street activity which is down across the board considerably since Covid hit.

Coming back rapidly. In SF seemed basically normal in residential areas even last November. It's only downtown in the center of the high-rise office district that things still seem empty. But as I already posted, even that may soon begin to change with a lot of the tech companies bringing people back, at least 2-3 days per week.

[sopas ej]

From the Los Angeles Times:

California’s coronavirus case rate now the lowest in the continental U.S.

By LUKE MONEY | STAFF WRITER
APRIL 21, 2021 11:49 AM PT

California’s coronavirus case rate is now the lowest in the continental U.S., an achievement that reflects months of hard-won progress against the pandemic in the aftermath of the state’s devastating fall-and-winter surge.

The state’s latest seven-day rate of new cases — 40.3 per 100,000 people — is dramatically lower than the nationwide rate of 135.3 and edged only by Hawaii, 39.1, over that same time period, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At the other end of the spectrum is Michigan, which has far and away the highest seven-day case rate in the nation, at 483 per 100,000 people. Others topping that distressing leaderboard are New Jersey, 269.7; Delaware, 264.1; Pennsylvania, 248.5; and Minnesota, 238.4.

Among larger states, the comparable rates over the same time period were 201.1 in Florida and 65.9 in Texas.

While long-term hope continues to spring from the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic still presents a more immediate danger — particularly in areas where cases are on the rise.

“Cases and hospitalizations are increasing in some areas of the country, and cases among younger people who have not yet been vaccinated are also increasing,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a briefing earlier this week. “Just like all of you, I want to get back to doing the things I love with family and friends who I haven’t been able to see over the past year. We all have a role in turning this tide and to trend our cases down.”

California, however, has so far avoided the increases seen elsewhere.

The state’s case rate has been among the lowest in the country for some time, and the numbers reflect the sustained and significant progress the state has made — all the more important as the state rushes to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible and avoid the kind of spikes striking other areas of the country and globe, officials say.

“In order for continued decline in transmission of COVID-19, we will need to remain vigilant and continue to take precautions in the weeks ahead, allowing us time to vaccinate more people,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.

Over the last week, California has reported an average of 2,320 new cases per day — a 13% decrease from two weeks ago, according to data compiled by The Times.

Last winter, California’s average peaked at more than 40,000 new cases per day.

The state’s other metrics have also continued to trend in an encouraging direction.

On Tuesday, 1,774 coronavirus-positive Californians were hospitalized statewide, with 437 in intensive care. Though those numbers have yo-yoed slightly day to day, they remain among the lowest the state has seen since last spring.

And over the past week, the state has recorded an average of 81 COVID-19 deaths per day — a still-sobering toll that nevertheless has steadily plunged from the height of the surge, when the average number of daily fatalities was close to 600, Times data show.

California’s headway is reflected in its reopenings, as many parts of the state have recently been able to lift coronavirus-related restrictions.

Just this week, Fresno, Santa Barbara, Kings, Calaveras and Mono counties moved into the orange tier — the second-most lenient of the state’s four-category color-coded reopening blueprint.

Doing so will permit a host of businesses in those areas to more widely resume indoor activities, at higher capacities.

Now, 38 of California’s 58 counties have reached the orange tier, and three have entered the final, most-lenient yellow tier. None remains in the strictest purple tier.

On March 9, 34 counties were still in the purple tier, and only four had made it to orange or yellow.

But officials stress that progress isn’t permanent and that it’s the collective responsibility of residents and businesses alike to make sure that allowing additional activity doesn’t trigger any increases in coronavirus transmission.

“Every member of our community plays an important role in helping us achieve and continue to enjoy the benefits of loosening restrictions,” Dr. Henning Ansorg, Santa Barbara County’s health officer, said in a statement. “We must continue to be mindful of safety practices including wearing masks, physically distancing, washing hands and getting vaccinated as soon as possible.”

That latter point is particularly important, both to blunt any potential new waves of COVID-19 in the short term and to eventually end the pandemic once and for all.

Providers statewide have administered 27 million vaccine doses to date, and 44.5% of Californians have already gotten at least one shot, CDC figures show.

More than a quarter of the state’s population is fully vaccinated — meaning they’ve received both required doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or got the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine before its administration was paused while federal health officials study a possible link to extremely rare blood clots.

Link: https://www.latimes.com/california/s...nations-lowest

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

From the Los Angeles Times:

California, however, has so far avoided the increases seen elsewhere.

The state’s case rate has been among the lowest in the country for some time, and the numbers reflect the sustained and significant progress the state has made — all the more important as the state rushes to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible and avoid the kind of spikes striking other areas of the country and globe, officials say.

The entire southwest has the same picture including "everything's open and masks are not mandated" Arizona. New Mexico has actually vaccinated a higher percentage of its people than just about any state. Arizona used to be doing better than CA but has recently fallen a bit behind with the shots, hopefully not because it has exhausted willing recipients (but I'm afraid vaccine phobia is going to be pretty high here).


https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...vid-cases.html

[bnk]

Originally Posted by dave8721

They're still doing remote learning now? My kids have been full time in school since this fall, I think mine went back full time in late September. They still have the option of remote learning (they wont have the option next year) and in my daughters class a grand total of 0 parents opted for remote learning. There are a couple in my sons class but in their cases those parents are currently undergoing Chemo/cancer treatments so its understandable.

At least we are still playing HS football in a shortened spring format.

The only public school from Chicago I see is Simeon but I know there are more.

But thats typical. Illinois football is dominated by the Suburban schools first, Chicago Catholic schools next, Downstate Programs in the larger metros, lastly Chicago pubic schools.

It was important to get even this shortened season in for Sr's It esp important for Division One players to get a scholarship to play. Two kids on our team just picked up Division one scholarships they might never have gotten now multiply that by hundreds of other schools. This season is very important for kids and their family's even if they do not get their scholarship and never even plan to play in collage. It was the thing in life from HS that prepared me most for life as an adult.


https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/...21/7309093002/

Class 8A
School W-L Pts Prv

1. Loyola (8) (5-0) 89 1

2. Lincoln-Way East (1) (5-0) 82 2

3. Marist (4-1) 65 3

4. Naperville Central (4-1) 60 4

5. Gurnee Warren (5-0) 49 5

6. Maine South (5-0) 44 6

7. Edwardsville (4-1) 39 9

8. Hinsdale Central (5-0) 29 10

9. Huntley (5-0) 12 NR

(tie) Barrington (5-0) 12 NR

Others receiving votes: O'Fallon 6, Glenbard West 5, Brother Rice 1, Palatine 1, Naperville Neuqua Valley 1,


Class 7A
School W-L Pts Prv

1. Chicago Mt. Carmel (8) (4-1) 89 1

2. Wheaton Warrenville South (1) (4-1) 77 2

3. Prospect (5-0) 74 3

4. Batavia (4-1) 63 T5

5. Machesney Park Harlem (5-0) 54 8

6. Wheaton North (4-1) 47 9

7. St. Charles North (3-1) 27 7

8. Phillips (3-1) 21 T5

9. Willowbrook (4-1) 17 NR

10. Lincoln Way West (4-0) 13 NR

Others receiving votes: Buffalo Grove 8, Nazareth 2, Normal Community 2, DeKalb 1.


Class 6A
School W-L Pts Prv

1. Cary-Grove (7) (3-0) 88 1

2. East St. Louis (1) (4-1) 80 2

3. Crete-Monee (4-0) 70 3

4. Antioch (5-0) 60 4

5. Lake Forest (1) (5-0) 50 8

6. Simeon (3-0) 42 5

7. Peoria High (4-1) 40 7

8. Washington (5-0) 28 9

9. Kaneland (4-1) 12 10

10. Chatham Glenwood (4-1) 6 NR

(tie) Rock Island (3-2) 6 6

Others receiving votes: Morgan Park 4, Vernon Hills 4, Wauconda 3, Providence 2.

Class 5A
School W-L Pts Prv

1. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield) (9) (5-0) 99 1

2. St. Rita (1) (4-1) 88 2

3. Joliet Catholic (5-0) 80 3

4. Rockford Boylan (4-0) 66 4

5. Sterling (5-0) 61 5

6. Sycamore (5-0) 50 6

7. Marion (5-0) 31 7

8. Hillcrest (4-1) 25 9

9. Triad (5-0) 22 8

10. Kankakee (4-1) 20 NR

Others receiving votes: Mascoutah 5, St. Viator 3.

Class 4A
School W-L Pts Prv

1. Rochester (7) (4-1) 88 1

2. Richmond-Burton (2) (5-0) 81 2

3. St. Francis (5-0) 74 3

4. Effingham (4-0) 63 4

5. Coal City (4-1) 51 7

6. Genoa-Kingston (3-0) 43 6

7. IC Catholic (2-1) 30 9

8. Bishop McNamara (3-1) 24 NR

9. Fairbury Prairie Central (3-1) 22 NR

t-10. Marengo (4-1) 6 NR

t-10. Mt. Zion (3-1) 6 NR

t-10. Benton (4-1) 6 NR

Others receiving votes: Dixon 1.

Class 3A
School W-L Pts Prv

1. Williamsville (8) (5-0) 98 1

2. Princeton (1) (5-0) 89 2

3. Wilmington (1) (5-0) 83 3

4. Monticello (5-0) 67 4

5. Byron (4-1) 55 5

6. Mt. Carmel (5-0) 54 6

7. Fairfield (5-0) 35 7

8. Tolono Unity (4-0) 34 8

9. Eureka (3-1) 18 9

10. Farmington (3-0) 17 10

Others receiving votes: None.

Class 2A
School W-L Pts Prv

1. Quincy Notre Dame (8) (4-1) 98 2

2. Maroa-Forsyth (1) (4-1) 82 1

3. Decatur St. Teresa (5-0) 81 4

4. Clifton Central (1) (5-0) 58 7

5. Breese Mater Dei (4-1) 48 3

6. Rockridge (5-0) 45 8

7. Fieldcrest (4-0) 44 5

8. Sterling Newman (3-1) 43 6

9. Nashville (4-1) 35 9

10. Downs Tri-Valley (3-1) 6 NR

Others receiving votes: Bismarck-Henning 5, Watseka 4, Bloomington Central Catholic 1.


Class 1A
School W-L Pts Prv

1. Lena-Winslow (8) (3-1) 89 1

2. Aquin (1) (5-0) 80 2

3. Fulton (4-0) 69 3

4. Moweaqua Central A&M (5-0) 64 4

5. Greenfield-Northwestern (5-0) 52 5

6. Annawan/Wethersfield (4-1) 50 6

7. Princeville (5-0) 34 9

8. Galena (4-1) 22 8

9. Cumberland (3-0) 14 T10

10. Mt. Sterling Brown County (4-1) 10 NR

Others receiving votes: Camp Point Central 5, Arcola 3, LeRoy 2, Catlin Salt Fork 1.

[10023]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

From the Los Angeles Times:

For some of us, returning to pre-COVID life is turning out to be harder than we expected

Link: https://www.latimes.com/science/stor...-hard-for-many

This is definitely the case for some people here on the forum.

My friend from London who was also here in Florida for a couple of months said when I got here, “I now realise why when someone gets out of prison [ie, the UK] they have to go to a halfway house first.” It was actually quite jarring to be able to live somewhat normally for a day or two. Now I need to go back to the UK next week and it’s going to be like walking back into a minimum security prison.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

From the Los Angeles Times:

For some of us, returning to pre-COVID life is turning out to be harder than we expected


Shelby Bernstein is eager for life to return to normal, but she feels anxiety seeing people gather at parks without masks or dining at outdoor restaurants.(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

^ I can definitely see this, and we will get there but many people will want to take more gradual steps (sort of like tiptoeing slowly into the ocean).

I certainly won't have a problem, but that's largely because in my line of work I've been interacting with the public every day for the past year. Fear is our worst enemy

[10023]

^ The media-driven fear of Covid among left-of-center Americans has run pretty high. I’ve been totally over Covid since like last May.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by 10023

^ The media-driven fear of Covid among left-of-center Americans has run pretty high. I’ve been totally over Covid since like last May.

You just have the sense of your own immortality that's typical of the fairly young. I won't argue with you again about how valid that may be but for many people COVID was something to be validly concerned about and still is. You've just convinced yourself you are invulnerable.

And for what it's worth, I have NO (zero) faith in the mass media. My attitude toward it is based on 50 years of medical experience and knowledge along with analysis from what I can learn in valid scientific literature.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by 10023

^ The media-driven fear of Covid among left-of-center Americans has run pretty high. I’ve been totally over Covid since like last May.

I'm not quite where you are on this, but I'm also not as scared Howard Hughes-esque as....say, Pedestrian is.

The media of course is HORRIBLE--I hate them so--and it is the duty of every American to literally shut off their TVs and stop watching the major media outlets on a LOT of things, Covid just being one of them.

But COVID was not a disease that we should have just sat there and done nothing about.

Our biggest enemy after COVID is "behind us" is not really the virus, or even the fear, but how we take back some of the rights and privileges that we once took for granted, but are now going to be viewed forever as "optional".

I do worry that "never let a good emergency go to waste" really applied here. Unilateral power given to Governors, Mayors, and unelected health officials to simply declare that 'X' and 'Y' are no longer allowed is not something anybody should want to allow so easily.

[10023]

^ The Covid precautions and shutdowns were very much justified last March when we didn’t know much about this. But by May or June it was time to open up again and there never should have been another imposition of restrictions for a second/third/fourth wave.

People had by then seen the extent of the danger the first time around and been able to make their own choices based on their own level of risk (and tolerance for it). In practice that should have meant businesses staying open and the older or more at risk simply avoiding them if they were sensible people.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

You just have the sense of your own immortality that's typical of the fairly young. I won't argue with you again about how valid that may be but for many people COVID was something to be validly concerned about and still is. You've just convinced yourself you are invulnerable.

And for what it's worth, I have NO (zero) faith in the mass media. My attitude toward it is based on 50 years of medical experience and knowledge along with analysis from what I can learn in valid scientific literature.

I agree he's rather flippant about Covid especially in the early days but he's 100% right with that comment. My more left leaning/ liberal friends have an irrational fear and paranoia that goes beyond vigilance and mitigating risk...largely fueled by sensationalism in the media. It's irresponsible to downplay the severity of Covid but there's no need to treat it like the black death either. I've been saying this for months but the mental illness, not Covid will be the lingering issue and we're already seeing it with young/ healthy people becoming shut-ins because they are bombarded with fear porn on a routine basis.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by JManc

My more left leaning/ liberal friends have an irrational fear and paranoia that goes beyond vigilance and mitigating risk...largely fueled by sensationalism in the media.

That may be more about the thing we aren't supposed to talk about--politics--than anything else. The T-man downplayed so it must be the Black Death. But without knowing these peoples' medical histories, I can't argue with you about the rationality of their concerns. I just know it has killed over half a million Americans in a year. To me, that's serious enough for a lot of concern and behavior adjustment. And in my own circumstances, aside from the likelihood I could be among those it kills if I had caught it pre-vax, just the disaster than 3 weeks in the hospital would have wreaked on my life would have been so much worse than wearing a mask and staying 6 feet from people that there's no comparison. This has been my worst fear all along--the life disruption rather than termination.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I'm also not as scared Howard Hughes-esque as....say, Pedestrian is.

You simply have read only part of what I've been saying. Did you miss the part about I don't wear a mask outside anymore and have enjoyed dining in SF's restaurant "parklets" through it all? I have never been a germophobe like Hughes and saying so just proves you're in your own world. But I also have never thought any of the restrictions that affected me personally were too much of a burden and worth whining about to the extent that, say 10023 does (especially back when he couldn't go to the gym every day).

[pip]

Originally Posted by JManc

We're not talking about Uber drivers where it might be a company policy to have them on while on a job. I also question the need to wear one at all outside regardless street activity which is down across the board considerably since Covid hit. I would question not wearing one at a crowded ball game especially if not vaccinated but walking down the street? Nah.

Yeah you can tell when a car drives by if it's Uber. Is this what you do? Check out cars and if you see a mask on you look to see if it's Uber?

Where do you live? Street activity down? From what 8 pedestrians a day down to 2 now where you live?

People have different tolerance levels. Not everyone has the same tolerance level. I'm not some hard core masker or even paranoid. I already had COVID. It was a joke for me. Respect people, it's almost over.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by 10023

This is definitely the case for some people here on the forum.

My friend from London who was also here in Florida for a couple of months said when I got here, “I now realise why when someone gets out of prison [ie, the UK] they have to go to a halfway house first.” It was actually quite jarring to be able to live somewhat normally for a day or two. Now I need to go back to the UK next week and it’s going to be like walking back into a minimum security prison.

I will be curious to hear about how things are in the UK....

I booked a one-way plane ticket to London for the end of August (spending a month in London). Hoping I hedged correctly and things are mostly back to normal there by then.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by twister244

I will be curious to hear about how things are in the UK....

I booked a one-way plane ticket to London for the end of August (spending a month in London). Hoping I hedged correctly and things are mostly back to normal there by then.

The US State Dept advises against travel to the UK.

The U.S. State Department is updating its travel guidance "to better reflect CDC's science-based Travel Health Notices."

The new list, using a four-tier method of notices, deems approximately 80% of countries worldwide as "Do Not Travel."

Of the 197 countries on Earth, this leaves only two listed as "Exercise Normal Precautions" (New Zealand and Bhutan), and a further 18 as "Exercise Increased Caution" (Samoa, Belize, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Grenada, Palau, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, Liberia, Mauritania, Montserrat, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe).

The remaining countries are all now listed as "Reconsider Travel," or even more restrictive.

Every one of the eight most popular international destinations for U.S. travellers — Canada, Mexico, the U.K, Italy, France, the Dominican Republic, Spain and Germany — are listed as "Do Not Travel."

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/articl...s-16118369.php