****CARNIVAL CRUISERS: HOW ARE THINGS WHERE YOU LIVE???

[Honolulu Blue]

Thanks everyone for continuing to share.  More bad news for us:  our fine state is now on the NY/NJ/CT travel quarantine list.  The effect on me personally is zero, since I don't plan to visit any of those states any time soon, but it still broke my heart when I heard - even though I knew it was coming.  

[Host Carolyn]

Sorry to hear that. We were on the list too.last summer. People are so complacent here, gonna be interesting to see what happens. We do our girls art group on Zoom twice a month now....I would do in person with masks because these ladies are careful but Zoom works! Now my neighbor with the wedding for 200 inside for 8 hrs total and people coming from NY, Florida who are going to Mexico 2 weeks prior????? No way..they travel, eat out, no masks ever.....if they get through this wedding with no Covid or flu will be shocked!!

[Honolulu Blue]

Hi Carolyn.  I don't know what to say other than be safe and try to hang out with people who keep safety in mind.

 

Anyway, in Michigan I found a few items of note.  First, cases are accelerating.  Second, positive rate is accelerating.  Third, the legislature hasn't done anything too stupid - yet.  And fourth, our rival Other Big University has put in a stay-in-place order for their students.  I guess they're going through what we did here about four weeks ago.  

[pe4all]

Hi Everyone.  Don't feel bad about your state being put on NY list.  40 states are now on, and the only reason NJ and CT aren't on is because they can't shut the roadways/transportation for people who go back and forth from city to home state for work.   We have some hotspots sprouting up, especially in city,  and schools close for a day or 2 on Long Island for deep cleaning, but aside from that we have been holding kind of steady, with only a slight rise in infection rate. (1.3%)  Traffic has been crazy bad, though, and stores are jammed again.

[d12j28]

On 10/14/2020 at 7:47 PM, Host Carolyn said:

Sorry to hear that. We were on the list too.last summer. People are so complacent here, gonna be interesting to see what happens. We do our girls art group on Zoom twice a month now....I would do in person with masks because these ladies are careful but Zoom works! Now my neighbor with the wedding for 200 inside for 8 hrs total and people coming from NY, Florida who are going to Mexico 2 weeks prior????? No way..they travel, eat out, no masks ever.....if they get through this wedding with no Covid or flu will be shocked!!

They want to be careful with the wedding. A wedding with like 62 people in a small town here ended up causing 177 cases and 8 deaths around the state. The county this was held in has only had 279 total cases and 6 deaths since the start of this. 

 

https://wgme.com/news/local/eight-deaths-now-tied-to-millinocket-area-wedding-outbreak

[Host Carolyn]

2 hours ago, d12j28 said:

They want to be careful with the wedding. A wedding with like 62 people in a small town here ended up causing 177 cases and 8 deaths around the state. The county this was held in has only had 279 total cases and 6 deaths since the start of this. 

 

https://wgme.com/news/local/eight-deaths-now-tied-to-millinocket-area-wedding-outbreak

 

I heard about this in Maine. Just a tragedy that didn't have to happen....

[john91498]

For the most part, our area is open again. Restaurants have inside dining with a empty table in between. Our outside malls are open, but the inside malls remain closed. All the major beaches are open. 

[Honolulu Blue]

Hi.  Michigan again.  Cases are shooting up like a rocket.  I don't think we have a good handle on what's causing it.  Do we blame Wisconsin?  The colder weather driving everyone indoors?  Colleges?  Private gatherings?  Rallies?  Churches?  Schools?  Fatigue?  I think it's sad and more than a little worrisome.  I'm waiting for assorted shoes to drop...

[Host Carolyn]

Getting slowly worse here. Governor has tried hard and fairly to keep us safe and will probably not get re-elected for it.  Big church had multi day rally with hundreds sick and 6 expired and local restaurant video of party was nuts. People here don't wear masks esp in smaller towns even though they know people sick with covid......smh

[RWolver672]

15 hours ago, Host Carolyn said:

. Governor has tried hard and fairly to keep us safe and will probably not get re-elected for it.  

 

It's sad that these Governors are trying to save lives and yet they are literally putting their own and their families lives in danger for doing it.  How many lives have to be lost before people wake up and follow the guide lines set up by these Governors?

 

It will be interesting to see the outcome after Halloween.  We normally  have 150-200 kids.  This year, we aren't even turning on our porch light.  Some of our  neighbors aren't either.  Can't take the chance.

[pe4all]

1 hour ago, RWolver672 said:

 

It's sad that these Governors are trying to save lives and yet they are literally putting their own and their families lives in danger for doing it.  How many lives have to be lost before people wake up and follow the guide lines set up by these Governors?

 

It will be interesting to see the outcome after Halloween.  We normally  have 150-200 kids.  This year, we aren't even turning on our porch light.  Some of our  neighbors aren't either.  Can't take the chance.

We usually go all out for Halloween, decorating our house with giant blowups and lawn decorations.  Did it again this year. (my dad was huge Halloween fan, and passed away 10/31/2000, so we do it in his honor)  We made a 12 foot long "chute" out of cardboard, decorated it, and will hang it out of our 2nd floor bedroom window.  If/when kids come, we will send down pre-packed candy (spend hours putting candy bars into small Halloween bags) to them.  Got to do something "normal"  as not much else is around here.  

BTW - our numbers in NY are slowly creeping up also - 1.9% infection rate - still not terrible, but better than the below 1 we used to have.  Schools open, then close as kids/teachers catch covid.  Only takes 1 and then they close 1 day for deep cleaning.  More than 1 and they close for 2 weeks.  Some restaurants, bars and gyms are flaunting the capacity limits set.  A lot of masks around, but many cashiers/workers in stores have them below their nose.  They are cracking down on places that are caught with fines starting at $2500 - but as one restaurant said "we can make that back in a few hours."  

[Host Carolyn]

I love the candy chute!!!!

[pe4all]

Some good news may be on the way for New Yorkers, and all others who want to travel to NY.  Gov. Cuomo is highly considering dropping the 14 day quarantine for those coming back to NY from other states on the NY no enter without quarantine list.  He is talking about a 3 day quarantine, with a covid test on 4th day.  Maybe we can finally get out of NY and go somewhere - lol!

[Honolulu Blue]

On 10/29/2020 at 1:45 PM, Host Carolyn said:

Governor has tried hard and fairly to keep us safe and will probably not get re-elected for it.  

 

On 10/30/2020 at 5:09 AM, RWolver672 said:

It's sad that these Governors are trying to save lives and yet they are literally putting their own and their families lives in danger for doing it.  How many lives have to be lost before people wake up and follow the guide lines set up by these Governors?

 

Our Governor is safe for at least the next two years, at least from being voted out of office.  She would have been reelected easily, IMHO, if the election had been held before this latest surge.  Now I'm not so sure.  It's not her fault, of course.

 

Michigan has tried to enforce many things during this pandemic.  Some of them I didn't think were good ideas.  I've mentioned some of them here.  Here's the latest:  the Health Department (who has emergency authority of its own outside the rest of government) has just introduced the requirement that indoor diners and bar patrons give their names and contact information to their chosen establishment.

[RWolver672]

16 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

Michigan has tried to enforce many things during this pandemic.  Some of them I didn't think were good ideas.  I've mentioned some of them here.  Here's the latest:  the Health Department (who has emergency authority of its own outside the rest of government) has just introduced the requirement that indoor diners and bar patrons give their names and contact information to their chosen establishment.

 

And I don't understand the uproar over this.  If I were in a bar or restaurant and another patron came down with the virus, I would definitely want to be notified of it so that I could be tested.  In our area for as long as I can remember, if you called in an order, they always asked for your name and phone number.  Now all of a sudden, it's taking away your freedom.  People have go to learn to chill out or this thing is never going to be over.

 

[Host Carolyn]

Here people give bogus contact info or hang up on the tracers. How crazy is thst??? 

 

At least my Steelers are still undefeated and NFL football is back😁😁

[pe4all]

22 hours ago, Host Carolyn said:

Here people give bogus contact info or hang up on the tracers. How crazy is thst??? 

That is unbelievable.  So naive and thoughtless for the welfare of others.

[Honolulu Blue]

On 10/29/2020 at 1:45 PM, Host Carolyn said:

Governor has tried hard and fairly to keep us safe and will probably not get re-elected for it.  

 

It looks like he survived.  Congratulations, I guess?

 

Here in Michigan the virus fight continues to go badly.  Worse than that, I fail to be convinced by the official explanations of why things are so bad.  Worse days are ahead.  In other big news, Other Big University has canceled most in-person and hybrid classes for NEXT semester.  They will also be closing the dorms then and mandating weekly testing for students who have to stay on campus or visit campus for classes and such.

[Host Carolyn]

Wow!! Colleges here not sure about except that many are having days off during spring semester to avoid spring break. I know some are closing from Thanksgiving to mid January. 

 

Yes our Governor survived....I think the only Democrat at state level to win unless the AG pulls it out. So there are closet "virus is real" believers😷here. Cases really rising again.

 

Be well.

[RWolver672]

Our schools are now back on virtual learning only again until November 30th.  Our neighbor has twin girls in the first grade.  Both are in quarantine now because someone in their class tested positive.  Our school has a day care for before and after school.  That is shut down now too.  

 

Our hospitals have now banned visitors again for any patients.  The weather has been in the 70's this past week and we see a lot of people putting up their Christmas decorations outside.  Anything to take their minds off of what's going on around us.  

[pe4all]

Our covid positive rate is slowly creeping up again - at 2%.  Our Jersey neighbors are in trouble, and are possibly facing shutdowns again.  My niece is now in 14 day quarantine upstate at SUNY Cobleskill, as someone in her chem lab tested positive.  28 classmates put in special dorm for quarantine students.    Fall classes are ending at Thanksgiving, and they just pushed spring semester start back to Feb. 1, with quarantine mandatory 7 days before arriving at campus. (I can't see how they will enforce that)   We are hoping to finally (9 months waiting) get down to our FLL condo for Thanksgiving.  Need negative covid test 3 days before we fly back to NY, and then must quarantine 3 days and get tested on 4th day.  If negative we can go on with our lives.  We are nervous about going,  and will only outdoor dine, and only if the dining looks "safe" to us.  Hoping waiters wear masks, or we will just bring food back to condo.  

[Joe817]

Well, Texas now has the dubious distinction of having more covid-19 cases than any other state in the U.S. The case count topped 1,000,000 people. Folks in El Paso have such a rough going, that hospitals are full, and they have had to bring in refrigerated vans to serve as temporary morgues. I counted 5 at one hospital on the news last night. 

     Schools are closing and going back to virtual classrooms. Not all ISD's mind you, but several here in the DFW Metroplex. 

    Our life continues as usual. Whenever we go out, it's masks on(except when we are in the car), we order out for pick up 2 times/week...hit the drive thru for dinner 2 or 3 times/week, fix dinner at home 2 times/week, and eat out at a restaurant 1 time per week, or there abouts. Everybody around here wears masks, and keep their social distance. 

     I have high hopes for this new vaccine, as everyone does. 

     For now, we are just keeping on, keeping on. Boring, boring, boring! 

[Host Carolyn]

Boring is right......I'm not going to weekend retreat with 20+ anti markers this Saturday or indoor 7- hour anti masker wedding and reception for 150+ next week...gatherings now moved back to 10 people 😆😆😆

 

[pe4all]

Starting tomorrow (Friday) bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, gyms must close at 10 pm.  Gatherings back to no more than 10 people.   Covid rate now 2.9% and our Governor is not fooling around.  Threatening to shut down indoor dining again.  

[Honolulu Blue]

Thanks, everyone, for continuing to report from wherever you are.

 

The latest health order is effective tomorrow in Michigan, and is scheduled to last through December 8.  It's a complicated one, so allow me to post some of the highlights:

 

• All indoor dining and drinking at restaurants and bars will be closed
• No more in-person high school or college classes
• Almost all indoor entertainment will be closed
• Indoor gatherings will be limited to two families or 10 people
• Outdoor gatherings and funerals limited to 25 people
• Most other businesses can stay open, but work that can be done remotely must be done remotely
• Professional and college sports can continue (with no fans)

 

I'm not sure about the Native American casinos scattered across the state.  I THINK they're going to stay open.

 

My job can be done remotely (kind of, sometimes), so I'll be working from home most of the time.  I'll come to the office when summoned or when enough work stacks up that I can't avoid it any longer.