“Six Bay Area counties announced a “shelter in place” order for all residents on Monday — the strictest measure of its kind in the country — directing everyone to stay inside their homes and away from others as much as possible for the next three weeks as public health officials desperately try to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus across the region.
The directive begins at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and involves San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda counties — a combined population of more than 6.7 million. It is to stay in place until at least April 7.The order falls just short of a full lockdown, which would forbid people from leaving their homes without explicit permission, and it wasn’t immediately clear how, or to what degree, it would be enforced. The order calls for the sheriff or chief of police to “ensure compliance.”
Open Thread.
zhena gogolia
You have “Six Bay Area Aunties” instead of Counties. It would be funny on a different day!
schrodingers_cat
Wow shit’s getting real. I have an annual physical coming up this Thursday. Should I go or postpone?
Baud
Props for gravitas. You don’t mess with the aunties.
MisterForkbeard
Glad I did another grocery trip this morning. I’m in Sonoma County, so not affected YET but probably will be soon.
Honestly, I don’t think we CAN do the full lockdown in the Bay. It just wouldn’t work, and there’s no way we’re putting people into jails if they don’t comply.
In brighter news, online gaming companies are starting to ‘help’. I see that Star Wars Battlefront 2 has doubled XP gains for the foreseeable future, and other companies are starting to follow suit. Doing their part to keep people inside, I guess.
WereBear
The more we do now, the less we suffer, later.
Baud
@zhena gogolia: It’s funny today.
schrodingers_cat
@zhena gogolia:That are funny! How is your new kittehs? We need pictures.
WaterGirl
@schrodingers_cat: Do not go.
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: Sounds like you have met Indian aunties.
Baud
@schrodingers_cat:
I would postpone, since doctors places are where sick people go, and it’s not urgent.
MisterForkbeard
@schrodingers_cat: Postpone. General advice right now is to avoid doctors/hospitals except if you think you have the virus (call first) or if it’s life or death.
moops
They need to shutdown LA and San Diego as well. with 69 confirmed cases in LA, with almost no testing being done, the community spread there is likely huge and undetected. The Bay Area has been testing more people.
but we are still WAY too few tests everywhere.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia:
I actually laughed when I saw it. If the aunties were in charge, this mess wouldn’t be even half this bad.
Lum’s Better Half
On what schedule will the aunties be delivering food, medications, and supplies to all inhabitants?
Sister Golden Bear
While I’m sure the nonnas also want to see people shelter in place, it’s actually six counties. ?
But seriously, thanks for posting. I’m shocked that I’m not seeing this on the national news sites yet. 7 million people is more than the population of most states. But then again, everything west of the Hudson and the Potomac….
Lum’s Better Half
@MisterForkbeard:
In jail you might have a chance of getting fed.
Sister Golden Bear
@schrodingers_cat: I’d postpone, as long as there’s nothing urgent.
Anything that reduces the load on the healthcare system is needed right now. Not just doctors and nurses, but also supplies.
A friend went to my medical group early last week — for a needed visit — and her doctor had been wearing the same mask for three days due to shortages.
Steeplejack (phone)
@schrodingers_cat:
Postpone. You don’t want to be anyplace where there could be sick people—or even people wondering if they are sick—unless you have to.
zhena gogolia
@Baud:
Here’s one a friend wrote in an e-mail — her husband keeps coming home with cans of beans, so “we’re going to need those face masks!”
I tried to respond with my own — Zoom is not great for people with signs of aging.
MisterForkbeard
@Lum’s Better Half: I don’t think that’ll be as much of a problem, really. Apparently Newsome is housing 100k homeless people in empty hotels for at least some portion of the crisis to get them off the streets (and presumably fed).
Grocery stores and delivery services will remain open in the meantime, and I fully expect the state government to step in with more aid. The Feds SHOULD, but as Trump and the Senate are demonstrating I don’t think that’ll amount to much.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@schrodingers_cat:
Postpone, especially if it’s nonessential
zhena gogolia
@schrodingers_cat:
I’m sorry to say we decided we couldn’t take them at this time. I am crushed. She seems to have found another home for them, at least temporarily. If things calm down we will take them later.
MisterForkbeard
@zhena gogolia: On the brighter side, Zoom has a “make me look better” feature you can turn on that removes a lot of wrinkles and blemishes in real time, so maybe it’s also GOOD for aging people. :)
@zhena gogolia: Aww, that’s too bad. I hope you can get them back later.
zhena gogolia
@MisterForkbeard:
Where is that button? I need it!
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: I think we need a note at the bottom of each post – before the comments start – that says “Please do not ask Zhena about the kitties. Heartbreaking, but she was unable to take them at this time.”
debbie
@schrodingers_cat:
You should call your doctor’s office to see what they recommend. If it can be put off, I would.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: I googled and a bunch of hits came up. That should give you something to do! :-)
Ninedragonspot
@zhena gogolia: They’ve all shared a house together in Bernal Heights since the 70s.
schrodingers_cat
Thanks for the advice. I get severe seasonal allergies which can sometimes morph into asthma so I think doctor’s office is best avoided for now.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl:
Oh, that’s okay. I think that would be drawing too much attention to it. I shouldn’t have spoken about it until they were here.
MisterForkbeard
@zhena gogolia: If you go into your video settings in Zoom, there is a “Touch Up My Appearance” checkbox. It basically does a bit of real-time blurring on your face.
I would also highly recommend setting a virtual background to something more professional, rather than using our messy at-home offices. I’m currently rocking pictures of spaceships.
Ohio Mom
Ohio Dad’s Nurse-practioner Dermotologist just called to cancel his appointment for tomorrow morning.
It’s a small office, just her and another NP, all they do is skin checks, burn things off, simple biopsies and referrals to MDs when they find something concerning.
So I guess that white crusty thing is staying on Ohio Dad’s cheek near his ear for a while longer.
Apparently, our other outing scheduled for tomorrow, voting in the primary, is also being cancelled.
Scout211
Just a note. If you want to do the online purchase and grocery pickup, get your orders in now. Most places are still taking reservations but some are not. I did an order today and the first opening was a week away and that’s out here in the boonies.
MisterForkbeard
For anyone who wants something to do, GDC (Game Developer’s Conference) is doing their entire conference virtually this year, and you can watch any of their sessions online free. You can see the list of sessions at the following link, and all sessions are archived so you can watch them after they’ve aired:
https://gdconf.com/gdc-2020-virtual-talks?_mc=blog_x_gama_le_x_gdcsf_x_x-119-gdc20
There’s some really interesting stuff in there that’s not strictly programming related. “Storytelling with Verbs” or “How to make a 6-month game in only 4.5 years” are probably both pretty interesting, for example. :)
Zelma
The governor hasn’t quite closed down New Jersey, but pretty close. I’m something of a loner by nature, quite happy with my books and my computer. But now that I know I can’t go out, I want to. Nobody ever said Homo sapiens were rational.
zhena gogolia
@MisterForkbeard:
I FOUND IT! It’s not much, but it helps. It’s like Doris Day toward the end of her career.
different-church-lady
I think we’ve finally reached the point of over-reaction. There’s just no way you can expect an entire metropolis to stay inside their homes for three weeks.
debbie
@Ohio Mom:
Weak though they are, has there been any reaction from the Ohio Democratic Party?
different-church-lady
@schrodingers_cat: No brainer: postpone. You’ll be helping give the folks in your doctor’s office have less reason to go in.
different-church-lady
I’ll say it again: Zuckerberg is never going to properly pay for what he unleashed on our society.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: Well, I didn’t mean LITERALLY. But I feel bad every time you have to answer.
different-church-lady
@different-church-lady: And I see Cole is with me on this one:
WaterGirl
@different-church-lady: And the alternative is likely medical professionals looking at a group of people who are having trouble breathing, and have to decide which ones get the respirator and which ones die a horrible death.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Well three weeks off for me, and two weeks of no pay.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@schrodingers_cat: Madame has a colonoscopy on Thursday, kind of surprised that they’re still doing it. I have to take her there(it’s local) and pick her up.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Especially Aunt Maxine.
Jaysails
@schrodingers_cat: Kaiser called this morning to cancel my next infusion. They’re definitely freeing up resources to deal with this.
patroclus
I don’t understand. What did these Aunties do??!!
Calouste
@different-church-lady: Wuhan (11 million people) went under lock down on January 22, and still is almost 8 weeks later.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@schrodingers_cat: postpone if you can. Even though people have been told if they have Covid-19 to call but not go in , many people will go in anyway.
mali muso
My dentist office called me this morning to let me know they are shutting until April…beat me to the punch of calling them to cancel my cleaning which was scheduled for Friday.
different-church-lady
@Calouste: Yeah. You first. Don’t leave your house for three weeks. Let me know how that goes for you.
trollhattan
@schrodingers_cat:
Just got an email from my allergy center telling me to “stay the fvck home and we’ll tell you when you can come in for your booster.” Been two weeks and I’m at my maintenance-strength dose by now, so hopefully fine for a couple more weeks. (Early in the cycle they want you there 2x/week.)
Original Lee
This is Warsaw under full quarantine https://youtu.be/3gZfpsrX7dEtoday, March 16, 2020.
WereBear
@different-church-lady: With Internet and cats? Piece of cake!
Darkrose
@MisterForkbeard: I always pointed that feature out when I did Zoom training. Very handy.
Origuy
For reference, here’s the text of the Santa Clara County order.
HugeCat
Looking at the Covid Tracking Project, California has much lower rate of positive results to total tested, compared to other states and national average. Is it just an anomaly of reporting, or maybe California is doing something right?
MisterForkbeard
@different-church-lady: This has probably been covered already (since I had to take a break from the thread), but the entire metropolis isn’t staying inside for three weeks.
The entire metropolis is staying inside for three weeks except when they need to leave for food, emergencies, and work :/
Still difficult, but much more achievable.
hotshoe
I’m eleven miles by highway from the county line of one of those six counties — but we’re the affordable housing area for many thousands of the service workers of any of those famous 6-county high-tech firms. Which means eleven miles is less than nothing; the virus has already come home with at least some of those hard-working folks, and we just don’t know it yet. I’m not panicked, but I am angry that local government seems to think that an arbitrary line on the map means anything.
The schools and the libraries can be closed, but the honky-tonks aren’t closed! What the hell?
When my sister said that her husband wanted to go out partying for St Patricks, I told her she couldn’t go and would need to make him sleep in the garage for two weeks if he did.
Why is it up to me to spread good info? Why isn’t County Health making the right info available?
Goddamn good ol boys.
BQuimby
San Francisco here. Officially sent home from work around 2. All so odd – surreal. Places are closed down already. Have cat food and that is all that really matters, yes?
Ken
It occurs to me that this might cause some cognitive dissonance among those weird groups that claim the sheriffs are the ultimate authority in the US.
I’m also sure that there will be someone, soon, who is screaming about his civil liberties being violated by a quarantine, who will be found to have advocated for an HIV quarantine in the early 1980s.
Ken
Oh, good. I read this and began counting cans of soup. It turns out I could last three weeks without leaving my apartment, though I would get horribly crabby when the cola ran out.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@debbie:
Nothing yet from the ODP:
Absentee voting will still be going on
JaySinWA
@schrodingers_cat: I would offer somewhat contrary advice. If this is something you are going to need to do for health, safety, prescriptions, or work and they are not asking you to postpone, I would try to do it now since it may not be available later.
If this is just something you do just because you think you are supposed to have an annual check-up, then by all means postpone.
Ohio Mom
Debbie@38: All I know is that a Court has to decide on the petition to postpone the primary. Haven’t heard any reason why they would say No.
But you have inspired me to check the Ohio Democratic Party site and David Pepper’s Twitter. At this point, I don’t know how they could be against the postponement without looking irresponsie. It’s a conundrum.
Tulip
@MisterForkbeard: Well this is interesting, I think they modified the announcement from this morning because I thought they defined essential businesses as only: grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, hospitals, police and fire. The list has been substantially expanded to what I’m reading now. Our business is still closing, but I may be able to come in for a few days and finish up with my “desk”. Whew. Still trying to figure out how pay issues, but it may not be as dire as first thought.
chopper
@MisterForkbeard:
dang, video technology even has a ‘vaseline on the lens’ effect. what a brave new world we live in.
MisterForkbeard
@Tulip: Yeah. This is the best list I’ve found so far:
https://twitter.com/AsmGrayson/status/1239690021226995712
Basically, ‘essential’ business are kept open. Vets are kept open. Grocery stores are open. Restaurants are open, but only for takeout.
You can walk around if you want to, but maintain distancing and they’d prefer you not do it all that much. Don’t travel unless you need to, essentially.
debbie
@Ohio Mom:
Yeah, they may have used up their complaint cards when bitching about the primary being scheduled on St. Patrick’s Day.