The governor here in PA shut down my whole region and I’m proud of him for it. We’ve had a cluster of cases and it needed to be done. That’s leadership. It entails some inconveniences, but will save lives of my friends and neighbors. No big.
5 Likes
MontCo? I have family there., that’s what they said to?
1 Like
I know this is not very important in the scheme of things, but the headline and framing of the timeline is odd and indicative of how being clustered in NYC can distort the perspective.
Gov Pritzker announced all Illinois bars and restaurants would close (absent takeout) Sunday afternoon. Later in the evening, NYC and Washington did the same. Yes, St Patrick’s day crowds Saturday led to Pritzkers decision, but full bars were also a Manhattan/NY (and many other cities per Twitter Saturday) reality as well.
So why is it framed as Illinois followed New York’s lead, and only after Chicago had too many full bars on Saturday, and not vice versa as per reality?
2 Likes
Ohio too. My son called me last night from Cleveland to tell me. This will also progress to other states before long.
1 Like
Hopefully, they’ve shut down the pizza parlor where Hillary released COVID-45.
3 Likes
I know it had to be done, but the restaurant and bar closures in WA are going to have a tremendous impact on my small town out here on the Olympic Peninsula. We’re a tourist town that thrives economically in the late Spring, Summer, and early Fall months. And then local restaurants and bars have to eke out a living in the slim Winter months with a much smaller business from locals. It’s hard enough as it is, for businesses to survive in a seasonal tourist town.
I think we might lose 30% or more of our establishments that won’t be able to recover with only a take-out business. Maybe more, if the shutdown of large public events lasts into the Summer and we lose the big festivals that draw tourists for those restaurants. This will hit all the hotels and B&B’s that depend on that traffic too.
The worst impact will be on waiters, bartenders, and hotel/B&B staff who tend to be much younger than the retiree demographic of permanent residents (like me), and who live basically hand to mouth. I don’t know what they’re going to do for income in the next couple of months.
3 Likes
Does Gramercy Tavern do take out? If not no reason to go to NYC.
Hey buddy! Who do you think you are talking to us like that? Are you like - the President or something? The nerve of some people… /s
2 Likes
The future is now!
1 Like
No, it’s not–for most. But it’s shades of all of these, so don’t minimize the gravity of the situation. I only say that because some people are still taking it lightly. Not here, I’m guessing, so perhaps my words are meaningless here. But it’s still pretty bad, with the potential to get much worse. I liken it, for now, to what Englanders and to a lesser extent Americans probably went through at home during WWII, e.g. rationing, long lines, joylessness, frustration, fear, uncertainty, doing without, having to mind one’s actions, etc. Plus, coughing lips sink immunity ships. Sorry, best I could do.
2 Likes
2 Likes
One of the things that is happening here in St. Louis is that grocery stores and Walmart (this maybe nation wide) are restricting their hours that they are open from 6AM-11PM. They say it’s because they need to restock and deep clean. Makes sense to me. Saw this post on Facebook that with hoarding of supplies this is like Black Friday everyday for retail and grocery store workers. But then those people that staff the overnight shifts in 24 hours establishments are the ones I worry about.
As for the social distancing all I can say is let’s hear it for the introverts and loaners out there. The 400 lb guys/gals sitting in their Mom’s basements will no doubt be mentally able to withstand the mental isolation.
1 Like
Those who will be hit the hardest are already at the bottom of the heap.
2 Likes
The time for universal sick leave has come.
1 Like
This is what was happening here in Boston Saturday evening. Our clueless, “immortal” 20-somethings went full on St. Patrick’s day mode.
By Sunday night, the governor had closed every bar and nightclub in Massachusetts. Restaurants too, except for takeout. Good.
Meanwhile, the spring break crowds in Fort Lauderdale, etc., continue. Spring break, I fear will be our tipping point. We will look back and say “WHY didn’t FL shut everything down before spring break??” just as the people in Italy are wondering why their government didn’t cancel Carnival in Venice before millions of people arrived for it. They cancelled the last three days, but people had already been there for over a week.
Whole lot of global hand wringing and regret in our future.
1 Like
Michigan now joins the list of states that will be closing bars and restaurants.
2 Likes
dc suspending bar seating and standing patrons.
1 Like
It’s crazy. The pub I inhabit here in Seattle is very popular with food/hospitality industry people and many of them are my friends; literally half the people I know are now unemployed. One proactive step the mayor has taken is stop evictions, but I will bet a dollar that will be challenged in court. I wish I had an idea what the endgame is here, but frankly, no scenario - good or bad - seems more likely than any other.
2 Likes
Damn, I’m way past needing a haircut and at my age it just looks embarrassing. Why did I put it off?!? And it’s been nearly a year since my last dentist visit.
Seems like the governor was late to this. My son returned from Philly last Friday after spending 3 days there. He said all museums, restaurants, and many places were open for business and for crowds to gather. So many places as of last week were still open to opportunistic infection of the virus with very little being announced. I’m glad that they’re finally taking it seriously.