I think I’m gonna not click that. And hope the ramp up happens soon.
3 Likes
One per thousand. My mind is boggling.
I’m at the point where I now have several friends-of-friends (or relatives) who have died. Two close friends had severe cases and are still in long-covid recovery months later. Shit keeps feeling scarier.
9 Likes
Logistics hiccups were pretty much guaranteed at this point so I’m not too worried about the current rate of distribution, even if I wish it were faster. I’m choosing to hope that we ramp up soon.
7 Likes
I’ve made a choice not to click on anything discussing a “vaccine slow down” near me.
7 Likes
Colorado probably was the only state looking. That’s the only reason it wasn’t here earlier…
Just like how covid will go away if we stop testing…
4 Likes
The long haul covid stuff makes me worry. But we can’t control that. Only can control our preventative measures within reason.
7 Likes
Chicago Public Schools is calling teachers back to in person school Monday. Mostly it was just teachers who themselves have a high-risk condition got approved exemptions; if you live with someone who has a high risk condition then a lot of them are being required to go in. And it sounds like a lot of teachers who got exemptions are put on unpaid leave.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong, right after the holidays when we’re going to see huge spikes in cases.
{hides in apartment}
10 Likes
Florida strikes again
A county in south Florida ended up having seniors camp out overnight in 46 degree weather to get covid vaccines.
9 Likes
The data looks like teachers and students are getting covid at the same rate as the community whether or not they’re at in person school. And the educational cost of not having in person school is very high for kids.
I’m not an open-everything person by a long shot. But the things that are and aren’t open are baffling to me. Malls, movie theaters, bars, restaurants, salons were or are open. House parties, hotels, flying. Let’s cut that crap out, wear our masks, and get through this. College kids can handle online learning, most high school kids can handle it. Third graders can’t go 1-2 years on zoom. We can’t write off all these kids. As a society We’re wasting our risk budget on hookers and blow and the kids are going hungry.
Disclaimer- I have no small kids. And if I did, they’d be ok, because I can fill in the gaps. I mask whenever I leave my house. I do grocery pick up. I haven’t got a hair cut. I turn down all indoor social opportunities. I sat outside with my 80 year old dad in masks on Christmas Day (was it 18 out?) so we could open presents together. I’m not a denier.
15 Likes
I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
4 Likes
Oh what the ever loving F Florida! 
3 Likes
I found out about it because of a friend who posted that her 71 year old dad got in line last night at 11:45 and that all the vaccination spots were filled by 5am.
We are so fucked.
That’s not even getting into the other ways our distribution is wacky.
6 Likes
A lot of the arguments I saw for having schools open a few months ago was basically that people needed child care so that they could go work at those malls, movie theaters, bars, restaurants, salons, etc. I honestly don’t think my state (at the broadest governmental level, not the specific people who work in education) wants kids educated. They want charter schools instead of actually funding public schools, last year we were 46 out of 50 in the nation for teacher pay (although thankfully a ballot measure was approved to increase teacher pay so I think we’ll get up to 26th once that goes into effect?). My county thankfully has a free school lunch/breakfast for all program so poor kids aren’t singled out as “free lunch kids” and there are backpacks sent home for weekends and holidays with more free food.
I was talking to someone locally about why we couldn’t have, say, middle and high schoolers virtual by default and elementary school kids could take over all the school buildings (elementary, middle, and high schools and using gyms, cafeterias, music rooms, all of it) to provide as much space as possible. I was told that we don’t have enough equipment to provide for all the households that don’t have computers at home or would need more computers (four kids but one computer doesn’t really work if they all need to be following lessons live during the school day).
Edit: Oh and I forgot to say that the state dictated that if schools were not opened then our county would not receive ANY funding from the state. Which would bankrupt our schools. Bankrupt government institutions is fun concept, but I believe it meant that the schools would be taken over by the state and penalized heavily for years to come.
This is where we’re at. One kindergartener, two WFH parents with flexible jobs, lots of devices and as good an internet package as we can get in our area, we’re tech savvy and college educated and can throw money at problems. That’s why we chose a school-at-home option that’s very similar to home schooling. If any of those variables weren’t in our favor we might not have been able to make that choice. And many families in our area don’t have that choice. It absolutely pisses me off when I see people without masks blithely walking into a store, or people posting pictures from inside restaurants where they’re getting together with friends like everything is normal.
What’s the saying, something like talk is cheap but look at someone’s actions to see what’s important to them. People are being really loud and clear right now.
8 Likes
Ha, and I just got an email from my work that they are choosing to continue the COVID-19 employer stuff about giving people extra sick time if they’re ill with the virus and up to 10 weeks of partial pay for parents/caregivers caring for a child under 18 due to school or child care facility closure who are unable to work - but with the big huge caveat that " This benefit is not applicable in cases in which the school or child care facility is open but virtual learning was a chosen alternative by the parent(s) or caregiver(s)."
I cannot get over the sense of “See? We’re helping! But also fuck you.” (Not from my company, this is how the legislation was from day one.) Heavens forbid we do something else to help encourage people to keep their families home if possible.
9 Likes
I understand why it’s like that–employers/state government* maybe can’t afford to absorb the costs of parents choosing virtual school. But it puts parents in a tough position.
*Colorado is continuing the two weeks of guaranteed sick leave but not the partial pay for school closures. My employer, a local government agency that is naturally facing huge budget cuts, is also offering unpaid leave for up to 12 weeks (intermittent or full, but the clock starts ticking on the first day you take it, regardless of how much you use) for any reason, no questions asked.
3 Likes
Schools in my area closed in part because too many teachers got sick and were quarantining, and (surprise!) they are having a hard time recruiting substitute teachers.
I also think there are many other things that should be closed so that schools could be open.
I’m really hoping new leadership in Washington does better than the old. I wish it wasn’t still three weeks away.
5 Likes
This is interesting to read. Everything non essential but schools closed around here for about 4 weeks and cases continue to increase. We’re about a week into school closures and into grey zoning the whole province. Hopefully things get better.
I do think that they went too far? Long? With some of the spring closures (i.e. non essential medical was all dictated and closed by the government instead of triaged by providers…but I’d be open to that having a short shut down with the schools to get things under control.
But then… I’m pretty sure it’s coming from people not following rules, not from the rules being too loose 
7 Likes
I’m also pretty wary, but agree with you and the data here. If we are going to open anything at all it should be schools for young children before NFL and entertainment.
8 Likes
As an American it was interesting to read about how upset people were about the latest restrictions in the UK and Canada – mainly because it signals that people there actually might be following restrictions even if they didn’t want to. Here in my area (East Coast city) it seems people are either following precautions or figuring out how to justify their own exceptions.
7 Likes
Yeah it’s been interesting- my family is cautious and believes the science. But they have ZERO IDEA what the current restrictions in our area even are. Interesting to me.
4 Likes