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Post by B.E. on Nov 9, 2020 23:35:59 GMT
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 16, 2020 16:10:39 GMT
Pleased to hear about a second vaccine that is seemingly effective in its trials, and this one doesn't require the super-refrigeration to remain viable. (The first one would be a distribution nightmare for that reason, while this one remains effective for weeks in normal freezer-temp ranges and a few days or so in normal refrigerator temps.)
Still a ways off for mass distribution and use, but it is comforting to see progress. Hopefully by next fall and winter, the vast majority of this will be over with.
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Post by kds on Nov 16, 2020 16:13:05 GMT
I was out running some errands yesterday, and I saw that the shelves in the toilet paper aisle at the Target were almost completely bare again.
Really, people? We went through this back in the spring. No stores shut down. There are actually less restrictions now than back then.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 16, 2020 16:15:37 GMT
I was out running some errands yesterday, and I saw that the shelves in the toilet paper aisle at the Target were almost completely bare again. Really, people? We went through this back in the spring. No stores shut down. There are actually less restrictions now than back then. I've seen a few places with certain items--paper products, disinfectants--mostly or totally missing again, too. I think as people think more restrictions are forthcoming (which, considering the higher levels of cases, hospitalizations, etc., seems likely), they are freaking out again to some degree.
Minimizing trips makes sense, and so buying things in bulk makes sense to some degree. But you're not going to be locked up for six months, people! You don't need 164 rolls of toilet paper! (Or if you do, you might want to consult a doctor.)
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 18, 2020 19:06:07 GMT
It was inevitable considering the state of things here. From the Star Tribune:
"Gov. Tim Walz will impose new restrictions on bars, restaurants and fitness centers starting Friday, closing them down to the public for four weeks as COVID-19 cases surge across the state. Bars and restaurants will still be allowed to offer takeout services during that time, according to a source with knowledge of the restrictions. The new restrictions will also include a temporary pause on youth sports."
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 8, 2020 12:57:42 GMT
Kudos to the British, who began distributing the a COVID vaccine today. Hoping we're right behind you.
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Post by B.E. on Jan 8, 2021 20:54:49 GMT
I learned on Wednesday (at the same moment I heard about the breach of the Capitol building!) that someone who I had been in contact with over the weekend tested positive. So, I got tested Thursday morning. I waited in line for an hour and 45 minutes, but other than that it was easy. Didn't even have to get out of my car! Just got the results back: "not detected". As I understand it, there's a risk of a false negative result, but good news.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2021 21:09:30 GMT
Glad to hear things checked out as best they can. And hopefully no false negatives!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 3, 2021 14:42:16 GMT
Brian Wilson @brianwilsonlive · Feb 1 Everyone get your vaccine. Last line I wasn’t at Dodger Stadium I threw out the first pitch.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 3, 2021 15:24:03 GMT
Kind of surprising he didn't get one in a private office visit (or someone coming to him) as opposed to one of the mass, drive-thru "clinics." I mean, he's certainly got the means to get that done. That said, it's a nice ad for people to get the vaccine.
I heard the other day that something like 8% of Minnesotans have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. I realize many of them still need a second dose, and of course that this means 90+% haven't gotten it yet. But approaching 10% ain't nothin'.
It's finally beginning to feel like we're getting to the beginning of the end of this pandemic.
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Post by kds on Feb 3, 2021 15:46:25 GMT
Maryland Governor Hogan is pushing for local schools to open to in person learning, and, along with the local media, is doing his best to villainize the local teachers' unions.
My wife is a teacher, and the narrative that "teachers are lazy, they don't want to go back" is 100% absolute bullshit. Teachers are just as frustrated as anyone, and are actually working harder in this environment. But, this goes back to the false narrative that existed prior to COVID that teachers are loafers who take a cushy job just to get summers off.
Teachers in Maryland want to go back, but the problem is that the local jurisdictions have failed to ensure the cleanliness of classrooms even prior to COVID. Prior to COVID, my wife had to pay for hand soap and cleaning supplies because the jurisdiction wouldn't. She had to stay late and clean the classroom, because maintenance wouldn't.
The reluctance to do back has nothing to do with teachers wanting to continue working from home. It's 100% based on the local jurisdictions' consistent failure to provide a clean environment even when times were good.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 3, 2021 15:54:28 GMT
Very similar situation here (and across the country, as I understand it, such as in Chicago). The "send everyone back to school in person--kids are relatively safe!" narrative seems to forget how even "relatively safe" kids can get and spread the virus (even if they're asymptomatic), to say nothing of the many adult (and in some cases, old and vulnerable) staff required, whether teachers, administrators, or support staff.
I saw an interesting breakdown recently of parents' opinions on full-time, in-school learning, broken down by family income. It's overwhelmingly the highest earners who believe most strongly in sending the kids back to school. I'm not sure what to make of that. Is it that their kids are going mostly to private, expensive schools that maybe can afford extra precautions? That they're mostly working from home themselves (as opposed to being front-line essential workers who have continued to go to work in person), and so are more annoyed at being forced to be physically proximate to their kids all day? Something else altogether?
As I said, I am beginning to feel it's the beginning of the end, but much like the end of winter, I suspect it will feel worst of all as we get impatient.
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Post by kds on Feb 3, 2021 16:19:15 GMT
One of the things I keep seeing from frustrated parents is "You can go to Target, you can go to a restaurant." Personally, I can't recall the last time I spend 35-40 hours a week in a restaurant or Target, but hey whatever dumbass thing you can say to back up your narrative.
The thing that really gets me is that the first round of the vaccine is just now being rolled out, why not give this a little more time to allow teachers to get both shots before moving back? Or, at the very least, wait until we're out of cold / flu season.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 3, 2021 16:22:39 GMT
The thing that really gets me is that the first round of the vaccine is just now being rolled out, why not give this a little more time to allow teachers to get both shots before moving back? Or, at the very least, wait until we're out of cold / flu season. It seems to me that generally it makes sense to maintain continuity of largely distance learning for this whole school year and look to returns for 21-22. I get that not everyone thrives in a distance learning environment, but I'd add:
a) not everyone thrives in a traditional school system, either;
b) the pandemic's apparent time frame favors this (as far more people will have the vaccine by fall); and
c) repeated shifts back to school, interruptions causing return to distance, rinse, repeat, aren't good for kids, either (to say nothing of staff that have to keep changing their approaches).
I don't have a dog in the race, but to me that's what makes sense. Stay the course through this school year, hope for a good summer, and return in the fall.
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Post by kds on Feb 3, 2021 16:27:44 GMT
The thing that really gets me is that the first round of the vaccine is just now being rolled out, why not give this a little more time to allow teachers to get both shots before moving back? Or, at the very least, wait until we're out of cold / flu season. It seems to me that generally it makes sense to maintain continuity of largely distance learning for this whole school year and look to returns for 21-22. I get that not everyone thrives in a distance learning environment, but I'd add:
a) not everyone thrives in a traditional school system, either;
b) the pandemic's apparent time frame favors this (as far more people will have the vaccine by fall); and
c) repeated shifts back to school, interruptions causing return to distance, rinse, repeat, aren't good for kids, either (to say nothing of staff that have to keep changing their approaches).
I don't have a dog in the race, but to me that's what makes sense. Stay the course through this school year, hope for a good summer, and return in the fall.
I agree. And, one of the things that really grinds my gears about COVID is the way that local politicians are handling it. They seemingly don't give a flying fuck about businesses that have been absolutely crippled since last March, and continually say "it's not safe." But, they're pushing in person learning??? And, the classroom model they're proposing at my wife's school is essentially in person virtual, where the kids would have laptops and linked up to the teacher. So, it's really not much different from what's going on now. And, I forgot to mention about your comment on high income families favoring a return to the classroom. In Baltimore, many low income students are dependent on public transportation to get to the classroom. I'd think riding City buses creates quite an exposure risk that higher income families might not have to worry about.
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