is NorthernVA doing a different thing for reopening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are easing restrictions on their own. Went to pick up takeout for Mother's Day and the parking lot of the restaurant looked like a block party. No one six feet apart, no one wearing masks. It was crazy.

I noticed the same - people were wearing masks in the stores though. But not outside. I went to a small shopping center yesterday to pick up wine for dinner and a half gallon of milk, so I was probably part of the problem doing a small shopping trip like that! I saw people gathered outside their cars. Teens drinking Starbucks and eating frozen yogurt on the sidewalk and sitting on the curb. People were streaming in and out of the ABC store. And the roads were a lot more crowded than they have been.

It’s going to be 80 degrees by Friday. The state can either loosen restrictions or people are going to loosen them themselves, I think.

Comparisons are interesting. We ordered from a local family owned Greek/Italian restaurant yesterday. When I picked up the food around 4:00 there were few cars in the shopping center’s lot. I was the only customer who went in or out while I was there. I saw nobody just hanging out anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was so sad to walk through our NOVA Rec center area yesterday- it was beautiful out and I was the only person walking around- huge turf fields, 9 hole golf course, etc. that could be open for social distance walking and exercising. The golf course cart path would be a great social distance walking area. I fully agree with social distancing but shutting down all of the green spaces is forcing people to crowd the few areas that are open for walking and exercising.

The NoVa region will likely start Phase 1 later, based on the fact that this region is not yet experiencing the downward percentile trend of cases and hospitalizations. FFX, Arlington, Loudoun, PWC, and Alexandria are already in agreement to delay.

BUT, the Rec Center Golf Courses will be re-opening and a few more farmer's markets are re-opening. So while not in 'technical' phase 1, there is re-opening happening.

[Anonymous]

People aren’t getting it from outside, grocery stores or takeout..

https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them


NP here. I read the article, and assuming it is accurate, I think grocery stores would still be a problem if people do not practice appropriate social distancing. They are indoor areas, people are in there for a while, they touch stuff and put it back (yes, still, I observed it several times on my last trip). Takeout and outdoors I agree are minimal risk.


You’d have to spend 10 minutes with each person to actually be at risk, unless they are coughing and sneezing all over you. And this is assuming no one is wearing masks.

“The exposure to virus x time formulae is the basis of contact tracing. Anyone you spend greater than 10 minutes with in a face-to-face situation is potentially infected. Anyone who shares a space with you (say an office) for an extended period is potentially infected.”

While the article seems to have some validity based on the author's background, I'd rather see something peer-reviewed before agreeing to that conclusion.

[Anonymous]

Northam made a good point that people in areas which don’t close will likely try to travel to those areas in VA that open. I would definitely consider driving a few hours to go to a winery on a day trip (to sit outside), get some dinner, maybe a pedicure. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northam made a good point that people in areas which don’t close will likely try to travel to those areas in VA that open. I would definitely consider driving a few hours to go to a winery on a day trip (to sit outside), get some dinner, maybe a pedicure. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Sorry, *area which remain closed

[Anonymous]

Northam made a good point that people in areas which don’t close will likely try to travel to those areas in VA that open. I would definitely consider driving a few hours to go to a winery on a day trip (to sit outside), get some dinner, maybe a pedicure. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

No, you are not the only one, but COVID concerns aside, many people do not have the luxury of time to do that or an available vehicle, so I think it would still reduce spread.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure re-opening matters much. At least in the DC suburbs where we now have zip code data, the transmission is clearly happening heavily in lower income areas (arlandria, west end, columbia pike) where more essential employees live presumably in denser housing, and not nearly as much in higher income areas where people can self-segregate and stay home.

The way to actually stop the spread is to invest heavily in protecting people in these areas, with income support, etc. and somehow making it so they don't need to go to work. Or otherwise accept that we are heading toward a situation where low income working people generally have herd immunity and high income people do not.

Nothing about reopening rules changes the dynamic above - I guess except to the extent that higher income people who had been self-segregating now choose not to. Not the choice my family will be making.

[Anonymous]

My take on the NOVA letter is that they are kindly letting the governor know that they need the state to pit in more testing, tracing and quarantine housing before opening if Richmond wants to see the NOVA sales tax receipts. We have a lot of our infections coming from the Hispanuc community snd they live in tigher/high density buildings. The infections are spreading because they can't isolate one person when 8 people live in a 2 bdrm apartment. The state needs to find a place to quarantine sick people who can't isolate.

If you want NOVA's economic engine, gov, put the protective process in place first. That's their msg.

[Anonymous]

we need universal coronavirus testing. it's only answer.

the public's patience with quarantining is not unlimited. once it gets warm, people are going to start ignoring all the social distancing rules.

what is anyone going to do about that? put them in jail? we're emptying jails because of coronavirus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we need universal coronavirus testing. it's only answer.

the public's patience with quarantining is not unlimited. once it gets warm, people are going to start ignoring all the social distancing rules.

what is anyone going to do about that? put them in jail? we're emptying jails because of coronavirus.

+1

[Anonymous]

'We need a plan': Infectious disease specialist says '60% to 70% of Americans' will contract coronavirus
by Madison Dibble | May 10, 2020 03:01 PM

Up to 70% of citizens could contract the coronavirus by the time the pandemic subsides, according to one infectious disease specialist.

Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, warned public officials on Sunday not to make people feel as though the disease can be contained when the country reaches a breakthrough in testing or treatment. During an interview on Meet the Press, Osterholm predicted that 60% to 70% of people in the United States will contract the virus....

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/we-need-a-plan-infectious-disease-specialist-says-60-to-70-of-americans-will-contract-coronavirus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was so sad to walk through our NOVA Rec center area yesterday- it was beautiful out and I was the only person walking around- huge turf fields, 9 hole golf course, etc. that could be open for social distance walking and exercising. The golf course cart path would be a great social distance walking area. I fully agree with social distancing but shutting down all of the green spaces is forcing people to crowd the few areas that are open for walking and exercising.

The NoVa region will likely start Phase 1 later, based on the fact that this region is not yet experiencing the downward percentile trend of cases and hospitalizations. FFX, Arlington, Loudoun, PWC, and Alexandria are already in agreement to delay.

BUT, the Rec Center Golf Courses will be re-opening and a few more farmer's markets are re-opening. So while not in 'technical' phase 1, there is re-opening happening.

The governor’s slides showed that we are seeing a downward trend in NoVA, but that the percentage of positives is still around 25%.

[Anonymous]

If he keeps us locked up once the beaches open we are going to my parents’ beach house. The fact that Alexandria isn’t being transparent re the nursing home and Chirilagua outbreaks is horrible. The city still won’t test all nursing home employees unless they show symptoms. ALL 9 city nursing homes have outbreaks. Their employees are paid very little, many have other jobs, many live outside of Alexandria so if they are sick, they’re going home and spreading it outside of the city. And then all the low income people smashed together in multigenerational housing in Chirilagua. What do they do? Go door to door and test them all, every one. Help them. Their focus is on quarantine shaming people in parks, bike lanes, and advertising take out. I can’t stand our mayor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was so sad to walk through our NOVA Rec center area yesterday- it was beautiful out and I was the only person walking around- huge turf fields, 9 hole golf course, etc. that could be open for social distance walking and exercising. The golf course cart path would be a great social distance walking area. I fully agree with social distancing but shutting down all of the green spaces is forcing people to crowd the few areas that are open for walking and exercising.

I agree it is sad. People should be getting out in open green space which is good for both your health and mood. Some of things the politicians are doing is just irrational. It has become so politically polarized and about asserting your power and control.

[Anonymous]

So how is a store like Dick’s open now for indoor shopping? They were non-essential but they are allowing snall numbers in today.