The Covid-19 Info thread (keep politics out please)

[Gutter Cobreh]

Speaking of painful..... Georgia is open

It definitely is Defiant! I'm currently trying to pick up a 4-10 split at the bowling alley, while simultaneously getting a haircut and massage. Figured I'd just go ahead and knock these things out while it's open, as this state will be closed again in another month.***

In between those things, I've also started reading the Old Testament to decipher Extendedcab's diatribe...***

[confucius say]

So Warren is the face of the Democratic party? So much so she couldn't even carry her own state in a presidential primary? That being "the face of the party" will pay off at some point, I guess...

Also, I really don't get this fascination with AOC. Not only is she a moron, but she is 1 of 27 congressional reps from the state of New York. It's not like has mountains of political cachet to wield, either, lol. She is a Bernie acolyte, that same Bernie who was just publicly gutted by the candidate all of you message board doctors have diagnosed as suffering from Alzheimer's disease because he says wacky shit and loses his train of thought from time to time (who else does that on the reg, btw?). So yeah, the Democratic party isn't the Pocahontas-Carl Marx ticket y'all wished it was.

Who is the face of the party? Only 4 choices I can think of are Biden, Bernie, aoc, and Warren. The former two because they are the two in the running for the nomination. The latter two because they are who the media keeps putting on tv.

[BrunswickDawg]

It definitely is Defiant! I'm currently trying to pick up a 4-10 split at the bowling alley, while simultaneously getting a haircut and massage. Figured I'd just go ahead and knock these things out while it's open, as this state will be closed again in another month.***

In between those things, I've also started reading the Old Testament to decipher Extendedcab's diatribe...***

I know your joking, and I'm not offended - but my wife is a massage therapist - and what Kemp has done reopening things like this literally can put her life at risk. There is a legit reason why when local governments started taking actions in mid-March these businesses were closed. You can not follow the guidelines and give massages.

[confucius say]

I know your joking, and I'm not offended - but my wife is a massage therapist - and what Kemp has done reopening things like this literally can put her life at risk. There is a legit reason why when local governments started taking actions in mid-March these businesses were closed. You can not follow the guidelines and give massages.

Is she required to work? Just wondering if she can continue not working while others who can do safely can return to work

[BrunswickDawg]

Is she required to work?

Depends on what you mean by required. We are a 2 income family with 2 kids in college, so an income is needed. But, when your choice is working, endangering your health, and endangering your clients; or not working and losing your client base, losing your place of business, and wiping out your personal finances - it's not fun either way. And don't give me the "but they work in flu season every year" - it's not at all the same.

There are a few legit businesses that should be closed because of the likelihood and risk to those involved - massage therapists are one. And I'm one who thinks that a lot of the closures have currently gone too far.

[confucius say]

Depends on what you mean by required. We are a 2 income family with 2 kids in college, so an income is needed. But, when your choice is working, endangering your health, and endangering your clients; or not working and losing your client base, losing your place of business, and wiping out your personal finances - it's not fun either way. And don't give me the "but they work in flu season every year" - it's not at all the same.

There are a few legit businesses that should be closed because of the likelihood and risk to those involved - massage therapists are one. And I'm one who thinks that a lot of the closures have currently gone too far.

Hope it works out for her. This too shall pass.

[Gutter Cobreh]

I know your joking, and I'm not offended - but my wife is a massage therapist - and what Kemp has done reopening things like this literally can put her life at risk. There is a legit reason why when local governments started taking actions in mid-March these businesses were closed. You can not follow the guidelines and give massages.

Of course I'm joking. Kemp's an idiot. He listened to Trump and "liberated" the state, only for Trump to throw him under the bus the next day. It's all economics over humans.

I would say that if she goes back to work, she needs to treat herself and everything around her (to include her clothes) as if she were a nurse taking care of a patient in the hospital. Between the airborne and droplet risks being that close to someone, it's essentially the same thing.

[Jack Lambert]

Depends on what you mean by required. We are a 2 income family with 2 kids in college, so an income is needed. But, when your choice is working, endangering your health, and endangering your clients; or not working and losing your client base, losing your place of business, and wiping out your personal finances - it's not fun either way. And don't give me the "but they work in flu season every year" - it's not at all the same.

There are a few legit businesses that should be closed because of the likelihood and risk to those involved - massage therapists are one. And I'm one who thinks that a lot of the closures have currently gone too far.

I have come to a point that everything should be opened up. I have not seen my 79 year old mom in five weeks. I carry groceries and leave them on her porch. I would love to give her a hug but I will not. I keep my distance from her. I will keep doing it until it is safe for her. American need to go back to work. All Americans but they need to be mindful and if they want to go to a massage that's thier decision they are making but it is thier decision to make not the goverment. I have not missed a days pays. I am working from home but I can understand what many people are going through. They want to work and thier risk of dying form this thing is really low and probably won't happen but to them losing everything is a guarantee if they don't go back to work .

[BrunswickDawg]

Of course I'm joking. Kemp's an idiot. He listened to Trump and "liberated" the state, only for Trump to throw him under the bus the next day. It's all economics over humans.

I would say that if she goes back to work, she needs to treat herself and everything around her (to include her clothes) as if she were a nurse taking care of a patient in the hospital. Between the airborne and droplet risks being that close to someone, it's essentially the same thing.

Nothing made me happier than seeing Kemp destroyed by Trump. Kemp was a terrible Secretary of State, and a worse Gov. I'd take Nathan Deal back in a heartbeat.

You give good advice - and that's what she's looking at. She and the studio she owns (4 other therapists rent space and 8 yoga instructors teach class) aren't going to reopen until May 4th so they can make adjustments.

[dawgoneyall]

I know your joking, and I'm not offended - but my wife is a massage therapist - and what Kemp has done reopening things like this literally can put her life at risk. There is a legit reason why when local governments started taking actions in mid-March these businesses were closed. You can not follow the guidelines and give massages.

Is she being forced to work?

[dawgoneyall]

Depends on what you mean by required. We are a 2 income family with 2 kids in college, so an income is needed. But, when your choice is working, endangering your health, and endangering your clients; or not working and losing your client base, losing your place of business, and wiping out your personal finances - it's not fun either way. And don't give me the "but they work in flu season every year" - it's not at all the same.

There are a few legit businesses that should be closed because of the likelihood and risk to those involved - massage therapists are one. And I'm one who thinks that a lot of the closures have currently gone too far.

Again is it not her choice? Best I can tell the Gov didn't say someone had to go to work????

[Johnson85]

Depends on what you mean by required. We are a 2 income family with 2 kids in college, so an income is needed. But, when your choice is working, endangering your health, and endangering your clients; or not working and losing your client base, losing your place of business, and wiping out your personal finances - it's not fun either way. And don't give me the "but they work in flu season every year" - it's not at all the same.

There are a few legit businesses that should be closed because of the likelihood and risk to those involved - massage therapists are one. And I'm one who thinks that a lot of the closures have currently gone too far.

It's picking which condiments you want on your shit sandwich. That said, if I'm going to be forced to eat a shit sandwich, I'd at least like the choice of condiments and I don't see how Kemp is to blame for allowing that.

I would not go to a massage therapist and if my wife were a massage therapist, I would want her to not work in hopes that get some surprise good news as far as treatment in the next month or so. But my wife is also low risk as far as anybody knows and for her the risk of death probably is something like the flu, or maybe double it (which is still very small), and if she wanted to go back to work, it'd be hard for me to be too upset about it and it's certainly not the governor's place to tell her not to. There certainly could be a pandemic where the disease was so bad the infringement on personal liberty was justified, but this one isn't, as bad as it is.

[Joebob]

I have come to a point that everything should be opened up. I have not seen my 79 year old mom in five weeks. I carry groceries and leave them on her porch. I would love to give her a hug but I will not. I keep my distance from her. I will keep doing it until it is safe for her. American need to go back to work. All Americans but they need to be mindful and if they want to go to a massage that's thier decision they are making but it is thier decision to make not the goverment. I have not missed a days pays. I am working from home but I can understand what many people are going through. They want to work and thier risk of dying form this thing is really low and probably won't happen but to them losing everything is a guarantee if they don't go back to work .

Problem is, it’s not just that individual person that’s at risk of being infected. It’s everyone they come in contact with after they’re exposed. Still, we can’t stay closed forever. It could be years before we have a vaccine, so we’re going to have to figure out a way to live with this. It might mean wearing a face mask until then. It might mean no crowds at sporting events. A lot of people’s businesses are going to be devastated even when we do reopen.

[Prediction? Pain.]

Depends on what you mean by required. We are a 2 income family with 2 kids in college, so an income is needed. But, when your choice is working, endangering your health, and endangering your clients; or not working and losing your client base, losing your place of business, and wiping out your personal finances - it's not fun either way. And don't give me the "but they work in flu season every year" - it's not at all the same.

There are a few legit businesses that should be closed because of the likelihood and risk to those involved - massage therapists are one. And I'm one who thinks that a lot of the closures have currently gone too far.

If you don't mind me asking, Brunswick, what's her insurance carrier advising? As much as we're focused on what politicians are or should be saying, I suspect many -- if not most -- businesses are listening to their insurers more. Whether or not Kemp should've given the green light to movie theaters to open next Monday, I imagine his input is irrelevant until theaters assess their risk exposure to be worth the cost of doing business.

A great example of this is dentist offices. My neighbor's a dentist and even though he falls under the umbrella of "essential services" in Tennessee, guidance from the American Dental Association and insurers made him decide to close shop for all but emergency procedures, which constitute a tiny fraction of business for many dental practices. So "reopening" wasn't a matter of waiting on the green light from the governor or mayor but rather from a business decision professional and insurance organizations. He's obviously in a different position than your wife or the owner of a theater, spa, or tattoo parlor, whose closure was government mandated. But when your insurance carrier and accrediting agency says you're not covered if you proceed, the result's pretty much the same.

And for what it's worth, our situation is somewhat similar. My office building isn't open to the public right now, but we're operating more or less at full capacity (even if partially from our houses, where I've spent the past month working). My wife, however, works at a large nonprofit whose revenue is solely derived from guest admissions. (Think museums, zoos, aquariums, kids' science centers, etc.) They've been losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a week and have already laid off over 100 people and cut many others' salaries, including my wife's. Their reopening is probably on the same timeline as movie theaters and other entertainment venues, which, as I noted above, may have way more to do with what their attorneys and insurance agents say than the state and local government. (They, along with other similar businesses in town, closed before any "shelter at home" orders were in place.)

We're really lucky that she's still able to work (mixture of remote and in her office) and get paid even at a reduced rate. But the status quo can only last so long. I'm interested to see how things progress as places with low enough new-case rates start testing the waters.

[Extendedcab]

I would say less than 5% of trump voters like the guy on a personal level. I know nobody who voted for him that thinks, man what a great human being.

People just dislike the alternative more and would rather have his policies than the left's. If the democrat party hates trump being in office, it should look in the mirror. The party's face has become Warren and AOC and it has run Hillary and a guy who literally is ill with dementia or Alzheimer's. I mean damn.

Nice response!!

[Dawg2003]

Who is the face of the party? Only 4 choices I can think of are Biden, Bernie, aoc, and Warren. The former two because they are the two in the running for the nomination. The latter two because they are who the media keeps putting on tv.

The problem is that there isn't a face of the party. It's a fractured party. The Dems are going through the same thing the a Republicans did in 2016.

[dantheman4248]

Again is it not her choice? Best I can tell the Gov didn't say someone had to go to work????

Here's the simple answer if you are serious: If the government denies the unemployment, then yes the government is saying that. Period.

Here's the long answer: Reopening small businesses (such as massage parlors) that would have a high risk of spreading disease will have a ton of negative effects to consider. A. Clientele overall will be less. People are afraid. They aren't going to be as willing to spend money on this. This will lower income across the board. B. This forces employees into dangerous situations. C. We aren't sure yet of the liability that could be involved. A corona case contracted to a high level customer could cripple the business with a lawsuit. D. Not reopening could cripple the business as now there is going to be nothing coming from the relief fund AND if they can eventually come back then some clientele will have chosen a place that reopened sooner. This lowers income either way.

Quite simply put, this move is an attack on the small business that is now put in a rock and hard place due to this virus. The government should help in times of need, not hurt.

[Gutter Cobreh]

If you don't mind me asking, Brunswick, what's her insurance carrier advising? As much as we're focused on what politicians are or should be saying, I suspect many -- if not most -- businesses are listening to their insurers more. Whether or not Kemp should've given the green light to movie theaters to open next Monday, I imagine his input is irrelevant until theaters assess their risk exposure to be worth the cost of doing business.

A great example of this is dentist offices. My neighbor's a dentist and even though he falls under the umbrella of "essential services" in Tennessee, guidance from the American Dental Association and insurers made him decide to close shop for all but emergency procedures, which constitute a tiny fraction of business for many dental practices. So "reopening" wasn't a matter of waiting on the green light from the governor or mayor but rather from a business decision professional and insurance organizations. He's obviously in a different position than your wife or the owner of a theater, spa, or tattoo parlor, whose closure was government mandated. But when your insurance carrier and accrediting agency says you're not covered if you proceed, the result's pretty much the same.

And for what it's worth, our situation is somewhat similar. My office building isn't open to the public right now, but we're operating more or less at full capacity (even if partially from our houses, where I've spent the past month working). My wife, however, works at a large nonprofit whose revenue is solely derived from guest admissions. (Think museums, zoos, aquariums, kids' science centers, etc.) They've been losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a week and have already laid off over 100 people and cut many others' salaries, including my wife's. Their reopening is probably on the same timeline as movie theaters and other entertainment venues, which, as I noted above, may have way more to do with what their attorneys and insurance agents say than the state and local government. (They, along with other similar businesses in town, closed before any "shelter at home" orders were in place.)

We're really lucky that she's still able to work (mixture of remote and in her office) and get paid even at a reduced rate. But the status quo can only last so long. I'm interested to see how things progress as places with low enough new-case rates start testing the waters.

Why would the insurer care? You can't prove where someone is exposed, so thus they can't be held liable. Or am I misreading what you're asking?

[Johnson85]

Who is the face of the party? Only 4 choices I can think of are Biden, Bernie, aoc, and Warren. The former two because they are the two in the running for the nomination. The latter two because they are who the media keeps putting on tv.

They don't have a face of the party. They have faces for different factions. Bernie probably is the biggest face of the party because he is the undisputed face of a pretty significant chunk of voters. Pelosi and Biden I guess represent the status quo/old school portion. Warren is basically on an island. She could have tacked to the center and displaced Biden, but instead she tried to position herself as left as or to the left of Bernie, which was just stupid. AOC is just bernie but younger and dumber version that guys would like to hit.

[Johnson85]

Here's the simple answer if you are serious: If the government denies the unemployment, then yes the government is saying that. Period.

Here's the long answer: Reopening small businesses (such as massage parlors) that would have a high risk of spreading disease will have a ton of negative effects to consider. A. Clientele overall will be less. People are afraid. They aren't going to be as willing to spend money on this. This will lower income across the board. B. This forces employees into dangerous situations. C. We aren't sure yet of the liability that could be involved. A corona case contracted to a high level customer could cripple the business with a lawsuit. D. Not reopening could cripple the business as now there is going to be nothing coming from the relief fund AND if they can eventually come back then some clientele will have chosen a place that reopened sooner. This lowers income either way.

Quite simply put, this move is an attack on the small business that is now put in a rock and hard place due to this virus. The government should help in times of need, not hurt.

This is just BS. The business isn't worse off for having the option of reopening. The PPP program doesn't have that limit. Nor does the economic injury disaster loan. I don't know of anybody with BI coverage that pays out based on whether the government closes you; that might be something that hurts a some businesses if that coverage exists. It may hurt the employee's that would rather be on unemployment if the employer disputes their unemployment claim. Not sure how states are handling that.