COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Impacts

[lyle11]

The hospital ER where my wife works in Cuyahoga Falls, OH had 6 positive corona virus tests yesterday. These were their first. In a way, her job has gotten easier because they have fewer patients because the “frequent flyers” are staying away. She isn’t in direct contact with patients, but she is in close contact with ER nurses and doctors. I read today the virus might spread up to 27 feet in the air. Hard to know what to believe, which has been true for online and TV news for years for many subjects.

One bright spot for me is my wife isn’t constantly buying more “stuff” online.

[Eugene]

Last week, Kimberly-Clark's Cottonelle brand released this simple ad urging Americans to stop hoarding toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, it called on people to "share a square" with friends and neighbors in need.

Wondering if everyone shares the same square. Probably not.

Grocery store TP aisle has a sign, one package per customer. Two days in a row, I observed a woman I know, checking out with only one package of TP in her cart. She is single and lives about 5 miles from the grocery store.

[Eugene]

Another update.

Almost everyone, I know is locked up due to the coronavirus and going stir crazy. They are sending me e-mails, hundreds of e-mails. Tonight, received 5 e-mails from my brother, 2 from a granddaughter, 1 from a sister in-law, and 3 coronavirus messages from different governmental agencies.

[Jackman]

I'm a essential truck driver in NY Hudson valley area I drive 150 -250 everyday and believe me there is plenty of traffic out there I don't think people are willing to just stay home , I don't understand all the traffic its really not any less than a regular work day several of the old rail road bed walking trails had parking lots packed full of cars people on the trail spreading the virus. We need more cooperation to help end this thing.

[Jim Becker]

Around here the traffic difference is profound. Every time the news shows the morning traffic map, it is entirely green. Normal has a lot of yellow and some amount of red from the slowdowns. The traffic cameras show vehicles but not many.

[ajhbike]

We are still pumping out sausage in NJ and can't make enough. My 99 mile trip in the afternoon now takes the same 90 minutes as the 5am leg which is wonderful after a loooong day.

[lyle11]

I just got a call from our trash hauler that they suspended recycling. They will still pick up, but it now all ends up in the landfill. All I can think is, there must be manual sorting of the recycling and they want to eliminate any exposure to objects that might harbor the virus. I’m sure there are a lot of items put in recycling bins that have to be removed. I still see styrofoam sticking out of in the recycle containers, yet it says right on them it’s not recyclable. I don’t know how long the virus lingers on various surfaces. One business where I thought you’d stay employed was waste disposal, but if you’re on the recycling side of it, perhaps not.

I was listening to local radio and some parks have closed because people wouldn’t abide by the 6’ rule. I have about a 40 acre park with limestone walking trails 1/2 mile from home that I walk with my dogs. Even now with nice weather, I typically only see 1-2 people in the park in a 30 minute period. That’s good for me, but you would think a lot more people would want to get out of the house.

[Jim Reid]

ajhbike what brand of sausage do you make?

[Eugene]

Highway 50 through town, traffic way down with the Tech College, schools, churches closed, and the folks working in Jefferson City advised to stay home.

Drive past a dental office and two medical clinics every day to and from acreage. Either no vehicles in patients parking lots or at most one. Same for most of the local business. Hardware store yesterday and day before, only two people attending the business when normally there would be 4 or 5 folks working there. This is going to really hurt the local economy.

Two city parks. Went metal detecting at one on south edge of town. Road gates locked with a sign stating that the park was still open but the play grounds are closed.

Folks are out walking, usually small family groups. Everyone is keeping their distance except for the wife. For some reason she is around all the time and wants the hugs and kisses.

[Urbish]

...Went metal detecting at one on south edge of town...

I may do that this weekend

[Slim140]

I did a welding job yesterday for a friend who is one of the bigger farmers in our area. He raises about 100 acres of tobacco, soybeans, wheat, and strawberries. We were talking about tobacco and strawberries. He said his strawberries will be ready to pick the end of the month and his tobacco will be ready to plant next month. The problem is he's been getting help from south of the border for as long as I can remember on a work program. He usually gets about 16 guys a year. He said as of right now they can't come because of this virus and travel restrictions so he may not be able to get his tobacco in the ground (it's in his greenhouse growing right now) and his strawberries will probably rot cause them boys pick them everyday. He has about 3 acres of berries.

He also said Florida and California were suffering because of it now and things that are in season ready to harvest there. Tough times for the agricultural industry!

[Gary Dotson]

The economic impact, from all this, is going to be brutal! I expect that a lot of business's on forced closure will be unable re-open and will be flat broke. Lot's of restaurants are staying open for carry out only but I suspect that in many cases, that won't even pay the electric bill, never mind all the other expenses. So Sad!

[Dale Finch]

Shane, regarding your neighbor with the strawberries: I was thinking about a situation in Florida a bunch of years ago when they clamped down on migrant farm workers who were "taking jobs away from Americans". Well NO ONE else wanted to do that back-breaking work, and crops were rotting in the fields. The growers couldn't afford to pick OR ship anything. Finally they tried to open it up to charities/food banks, etc. as a U-Pick. Problem there is liability...

If your friend could figure out a way to cover liability, and then figure out how to separate the pickers (for the virusl), maybe he could open his fields up. You would think the government would step in and realize that if a solution isn't found, our grocery stores will soon run out of ALL food. That stuff has to come from somewhere!

This might not help financially, but possibly could feed folks and avoid waste.

NOTE: CBS just had a segment on this. No solution offered, but maybe it will get something started...

[Eugene]

The economic impact, from all this, is going to be brutal! I expect that a lot of business's on forced closure will be unable re-open and will be flat broke. Lot's of restaurants are staying open for carry out only but I suspect that in many cases, that won't even pay the electric bill, never mind all the other expenses. So Sad!

News last night. Individuals who received an IRS direct deposit tax refund will receive their $1200- stimulus payment shortly. It may be August before the $1200- will be paid to individuals who received a check for their IRS tax refund. The news didn't mention when individuals who owed/paid the IRS their taxes would get their check.

I don't see how local business can get financial help, a loan, from the banks. My local bank has only drive through service.

Along the same banking line. Purchased more stock market stock a couple weeks ago. Normally an electronic transfer of funds, took a week for the funds to be transferred to the brokerage.

[lyle11]

I don’t have a small business, but my understanding is that businesses with less than 500 employees are supposed to go to SBA.gov and apply for a loan that is forgiven if they retain their employees. Not sure exactly how it works, or how fast they’ll get the money, but the idea from what I understand is to allow them to try to get an infusion of free money for something like 8 weeks, with the idea that they can continue to pay and retain employees and quickly restart after the virus peaks and hopefully subsides to the point that businesses can reopen.

I’ve listened to the CDC doctors and I guess now they have determined that wearing a mask is a good idea. My wife works for an ER and now has been ordered to wear a mask as of last night when previously she was told not to. She is not patient facing. Just a couple of days ago, I saw the Surgeon General advise people not to wear a mask so, obviously it’s an evolving situation.