How Is Covid-19 Impacting Life in Your City?

[hauntedheadnc]

I spent the weekend in Chicago, where the mask reigns supreme... and I'm glad it did. Social distancing is very out of fashion. The lines at Sears Tower and the Hancock Center were ass cheek to ass cheek crowded, the river cruise was crowded, the airports were crowded, and so were the Shedd Aquarium and the Art Institute -- although you could get a little space to yourself at the latter two.

[dave8721]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Walked into Home Depot yesterday and barely any masks. Same with some other stores.

A lot busier overall today. Even with traffic. Good old Memorial Day traffic is back!

Down here we are still at around 90-95% masked in stores. Maybe 5% where them outside.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Really? I was just in the 'Meda today and saw maybe 0.5% mask wearing.

"The "Meda"??" I assume that's Alameda, a strange little place often behaving in ways all it's own. I haven't seen anyone unmasked inside a San Francisco store (unless in a restaurant and eating) since I've come back to town in April and, as far as I know, there's still a mask mandate in effect at least until June 15. I even put my mask back on while dining outdoors because the waiter was wearing one and I didn't want to offend him (took it off when the food came).

[10023]

The outside mask wearing thing is just weird. I was actually taken aback by how many people were eating them outside in Miami (at least back in Feb), and everyone in the US talks about how they don’t wear masks down there.

I think I probably saw 1 in 50 people wearing them outside in London at the height of the pandemic, and less than 1 in 100 now. Those people are almost certainly hypochondriacs or “phobic” (which is going to be a big psychiatric problem in coming years).

Then again it has never really been crowded outside here during the pandemic, until the last week or two, because everything was shut and the weather was garbage.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by 10023

The outside mask wearing thing is just weird. I was actually taken aback by how many people were eating them outside in Miami (at least back in Feb), and everyone in the US talks about how they don’t wear masks down there.

I think I probably saw 1 in 50 people wearing them outside in London at the height of the pandemic, and less than 1 in 100 now. Those people are almost certainly hypochondriacs or “phobic” (which is going to be a big psychiatric problem in coming years).

Then again it has never really been crowded outside here during the pandemic, until the last week or two, because everything was shut and the weather was garbage.

Same here but I don't know if masks were politicized like they are here. Plus, there were conflicting messages coming from US public health officials early on as well.

[SIGSEGV]

I flew for the first time in over a year today, ORD-ALB. Now quarantining in a hotel in a suburban mall for a week before the ANG will fly me to Greenland. I'm allowed to go on solo walks by myself but there's nowhere to walk to around here... like I literally pulled up the county trail map and the nearest trail is labeled "marked trail on street" (i.e. the side of the road). All food must be delivered contactless to my hotel door etc. Anybody know any decent restaurants that deliver to Clifton Park (the lady at the front desk told me "we have lot's of things nearby... like TGIF..." :vomit: )?

At least it's a big room and the internet isn't too shitty. I brought a lab-in-a-roller-bag to set up tomorrow to get some more work done. (the TSA took forever to clear it, but jokes on them, I showed up 3 hours early to my flight).

I had to fill out some form to come to NY State at the airport, but nobody checked it. I also had to get a pre-flight covid test that also was not checked by anyone. There were some NY department of health people at arrivals, maybe they do random spot checks?

Flying (and being at O'Hare) felt strange, since I hadn't done it in so long, but no issues with people not wanting to mask or anything like that. Some people were wearing face shields as well (including me, because I'm required to by the travel rules I need to abide by). The flight was full (though a regional jet) .

[photoLith]

^
That’s freaking insane, especially now.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

I flew for the first time in over a year today, ORD-ALB. Now quarantining in a hotel in a suburban mall for a week before the ANG will fly me to Greenland. I'm allowed to go on solo walks by myself but there's nowhere to walk to around here... like I literally pulled up the county trail map and the nearest trail is labeled "marked trail on street" (i.e. the side of the road). All food must be delivered contactless to my hotel door etc. Anybody know any decent restaurants that deliver to Clifton Park (the lady at the front desk told me "we have lot's of things nearby... like TGIF..." :vomit: )?

At least it's a big room and the internet isn't too shitty. I brought a lab-in-a-roller-bag to set up tomorrow to get some more work done. (the TSA took forever to clear it, but jokes on them, I showed up 3 hours early to my flight).

I had to fill out some form to come to NY State at the airport, but nobody checked it. I also had to get a pre-flight covid test that also was not checked by anyone. There were some NY department of health people at arrivals, maybe they do random spot checks?

Flying (and being at O'Hare) felt strange, since I hadn't done it in so long, but no issues with people not wanting to mask or anything like that. Some people were wearing face shields as well (including me, because I'm required to by the travel rules I need to abide by). The flight was full (though a regional jet) .

Saigon Spring looks decent. Eddy's looks promising too.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by photoLith

^
That’s freaking insane, especially now.

yes, but NSF/The Arctic Program contractor negotiated these rules with the government of Greenland a while ago, and NSF REALLY doesn't want to be responsible for bringing COVID-19 to Greenland, for good reason. Not sure what the vaccination situation is (there are only 50,000 people... shouldn't take too long, but obviously they don't have the best infrastructure) .

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Saigon Spring looks decent. Eddy's looks promising too.

Oh pho-k yes

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

yes, but NSF/The Arctic Program contractor negotiated these rules with the government of Greenland a while ago, and NSF REALLY doesn't want to be responsible for bringing COVID-19 to Greenland, for good reason. Not sure what the vaccination situation is (there are only 50,000 people... shouldn't take too long, but obviously they don't have the best infrastructure) .

Greenland has given 32,306 doses. 41.9% of the population has had 1 or more doses and 14.7% are fully vaccinated. They are only giving just under 500 shots daily right now.

As you probably know, Denmark handles Greenland's foreign affairs so the NSF contractor's (once it was Holmes & Narver . . . still?) agreement may be with them, no?

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Greenland has given 32,306 doses. 41.9% of the population has had 1 or more doses and 14.7% are fully vaccinated. They are only giving just under 500 shots daily right now.

As you probably know, Denmark handles Greenland's foreign affairs so the NSF contractor's (once it was Holmes & Narver . . . still?) agreement may be with them, no?

Batelle is the contractor now (though they subcontract to others, like PolarField, who is actually doing things). And our entry required approval from the Greenlandic government (which has some home rule now, this stuff is all above my paygrade).
Kangerlussuaq is an especially vulnerable place since it's the main airport for the country, and somehow I imagine many of the vaccinated are in Nuuk since they have like, actual facilities there.

Greenland has only had 40 Covid cases and 0 deaths. I'm sure they'd like to keep it that way...

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

Batelle is the contractor now (though they subcontract to others, like PolarField, who is actually doing things). And our entry required approval from the Greenlandic government (which has some home rule now, this stuff is all above my paygrade).
Kangerlussuaq is an especially vulnerable place since it's the main airport for the country, and somehow I imagine many of the vaccinated are in Nuuk since they have like, actual facilities there.

Greenland has only had 40 Covid cases and 0 deaths. I'm sure they'd like to keep it that way...

Dude, you really need to bring me back some amazing fluorescent minerals from there! You are probably not aware, but Greenland in general (and Kangerlussuaq in particular) is world famous for spectacular fluorescent minerals, notably Tugtupite and Sodalite in all sorts of weird combinations. Can't forget about Chaklovite, Sorensenite, Analcime and a host of others, too. Oh yes, some pretty amazing rubies, too.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by glowrock

Dude, you really need to bring me back some amazing fluorescent minerals from there! You are probably not aware, but Greenland in general (and Kangerlussuaq in particular) is world famous for spectacular fluorescent minerals, notably Tugtupite and Sodalite in all sorts of weird combinations. Can't forget about Chaklovite, Sorensenite, Analcime and a host of others, too. Oh yes, some pretty amazing rubies, too.

Aaron (Glowrock)

Ooh, sure, how do I find them? Unfortunately, though I'm spending ~6 days in Kangerlussuaq on my way to Summit, I'm going to be in quarantine in the NSF dorms. As far as I know, we're "allowed" to walk on the road between town and Lake Ferguson (though hopefully this includes the many trails starting off the Lake Ferguson road...we'll see). On the way back I may have more flexibility, but am only scheduled to be there for a day.

This is the road (across the bridge and to the right I guess I'd look for loose rocks from that escarpment?
https://www.google.com/maps/@67.0064...7i13312!8i6656

[SIGSEGV]

The demise of central cities continues:

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/comm...ment-landlords

Good times rolling again for downtown apartment landlords
The downtown apartment market hasn't recovered completely from a brutal 2020, but landlords had a stunningly strong first quarter.

Downtown apartment landlords may get a V-shaped recovery after all.

After taking a precipitous plunge last year, the downtown multifamily market is on a steep ascent amid a flurry of leasing activity in the first quarter. Many tenants pounced on irresistible deals landlords offered during the winter to fill up buildings that lost droves of tenants over the summer.

With COVID-19 vaccinations still on the rise, government pandemic restrictions loosening quickly and companies calling employees back to their downtown offices, the tenants’ market may soon be over, if it isn’t already.

In one sign of the market’s stunning recovery, absorption, or the change in the number of occupied apartments downtown, jumped to 2,667 units in the first quarter, according to the Chicago office of Integra Realty Resources, a consulting and appraisal firm. That’s a record for a single quarter and a halfway decent figure for an entire year’s worth of leasing.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

I had to fill out some form to come to NY State at the airport, but nobody checked it. I also had to get a pre-flight covid test that also was not checked by anyone. There were some NY department of health people at arrivals, maybe they do random spot checks?

Where did you see that you needed a COVID test? NY lifted all rules for domestic travelers a couple of months ago, and they probably never really enforced them lol. The rules do still apply to international arrivals, though.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Where did you see that you needed a COVID test? NY lifted all rules for domestic travelers a couple of months ago, and they probably never really enforced them lol. The rules do still apply to international arrivals, though.

well, maybe it wasn't NY but instead my specific for-Greenland travel rules. But I did have to fill out some form for NY that nobody checked!

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

yes, but NSF/The Arctic Program contractor negotiated these rules with the government of Greenland a while ago, and NSF REALLY doesn't want to be responsible for bringing COVID-19 to Greenland, for good reason. Not sure what the vaccination situation is (there are only 50,000 people... shouldn't take too long, but obviously they don't have the best infrastructure) .

I think you said once what you do, but I forget. Do you study arctic ice in order to understand climate change or something?

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by photoLith

I think you said once what you do, but I forget. Do you study arctic ice in order to understand climate change or something?

Nah, I'm a experimental particle physicist. I work on various experiments where we use polar ice (Arctic and Antarctic) as a giant particle detector to look for energetic particles from outer space (taking advantage of the Askaryan effect and the radio-transparency of ice, if you are wondering why we're using ice). So I build instruments, take them to remote places, operate them and analyze the data coming out of them.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

The demise of central cities continues:

Cities are dead!

Temporary changes are always permanent!

Sell your worthless downtown condo right now and go get yourself involved in a bidding war with 50 other buyers for some overpriced house in the burbs.

Everybody else is doing it!