The Coronavirus thread

[Crucial_Infra]

Breaking: Mecklenburg county issues stay at home proclamation beginning Thursday at 8 am through April 16 

 

[TCLT]

37 minutes ago, Crucial_Infra said:

Breaking: Mecklenburg county issues stay at home proclamation beginning Thursday at 8 am through April 16

The county posted the order, but it's missing pages... It was originally missing half the pages but they fixed the document at the link. Must've been double sided and they forgot to scan both sides. It specifically lists everything considered "essential".

https://www.mecknc.gov/news/Documents/Mecklenburg County Stay at Home Orders.pdf

Edited March 24, 2020 by TCLT
county fixed doc

[urbanlover568]

6 minutes ago, TCLT said:

The county posted the order, but it's missing pages... It was originally missing half the pages but they fixed the document at the link. Must've been double sided and they forgot to scan both sides. It specifically lists everything considered "essential".

https://www.mecknc.gov/news/Documents/Mecklenburg County Stay at Home Orders.pdf

So if you violate it, you get a class 2  misdemeanor.

[videtur quam contuor]

Trades is essential but not construction per se. I think project sites will suspend (and should).

[TCLT]

1 minute ago, urbanlover568 said:

So if you violate it, you get a class 2  misdemeanor.

Yup. Reading through it though, there's a lot of activities that fall under what's considered essential so it's probably going to be pretty hard to get cited unless you're doing something obviously prohibited like playing 11 v 11 soccer or having a BBQ and drinking beers in the park with all your friends. Seems like most businesses that haven't been specifically shut down already could probably get away with calling themselves essential based on the definitions.

[urbanlover568]

3 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

Trades is essential but not construction per se. I think project sites will suspend (and should).

I wonder if Trump declares everything "safe", if cities and counties would have to follow on the 30th.

[TCLT]

2 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

Trades is essential but not construction per se. I think project sites will suspend (and should).

It looks like construction is included under essential infrastructure. Page 7, Paragraph 5 of the order. 

"construction (including, but not limited to, construction required in response to this public health emergency, hospital construction, construction oflong-term care facilities, public works construction, and housing construction);"

The "but not limited to" would probably be enough leeway for projects to move forward.

[navigator319]

This is a joke.  Was hoping our little region would not by into the hype.  Only purpose this serves is allows print and tv media to hype and fear monger.  Everyone's daily life is unaffected by this as everything is essential.   

[Matthew.Brendan]

Woohoo, financial institutions are excepted. So I continue to get to be the only one in our building. Fun stuff.

[videtur quam contuor]

 

[urbanlover568]

This is horrifying....

 

A grim find in Spain: Army troops disinfecting nursing homes found some residents abandoned – dead in their beds or left to fend for themselves, the country's defense minister says. A judicial probe has been opened. 

[elrodvt]

Sounds like that wall needs to fence in Florida. 

POLITICO: 'Dumbest s---': DeSantis takes heat as he goes his own way on coronavirus.
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2020/03/24/dumbest-s-desantis-takes-heat-as-he-goes-his-own-way-on-coronavirus-1268818

[urbanlover568]

Over the past 24 hours, Spain has reported nearly 7,000 new cases of coronavirus and 680 new deaths, raising the total to 42,058 cases and 2,991 dead 

Spain has more daily cases and deaths than Italy now.

[gman430]

5 hours ago, TCLT said:

Yup. Reading through it though, there's a lot of activities that fall under what's considered essential so it's probably going to be pretty hard to get cited unless you're doing something obviously prohibited like playing 11 v 11 soccer or having a BBQ and drinking beers in the park with all your friends. Seems like most businesses that haven't been specifically shut down already could probably get away with calling themselves essential based on the definitions.

So what’s the point of even having a “shelter in place” if it’s not enforceable and almost everything still going on is considered essential? 

Edited March 25, 2020 by gman430

[TCLT]

So what’s even the point of even having a “shelter in place” if it’s not enforceable and almost everything still going on is considered essential? 

So I probably oversold the leniency of it and that’s my bad. The restrictions should definitely make it more difficult (or at least more cumbersome) for people to gather in any type of group, even small. How heavily LEOs enforce the rule against people gathering is still TBD. And it further reduces the types of retail/business that tend to gather a lot of people in close proximity. Note that a lot of places that already shut down on their own due to demand drop would be covered by these restrictions so there won’t necessarily be a noticeable change for that reason. All that will go a long way to slow the spread.
At the same time it seems that most business not already shut down or having their employees work from home can continue, at least in some limited capacity. But it should be the impetus for any businesses who’ve been holding out on allowing WFH to finally let it happen. And individuals will mostly be able to continue to live their lives, move around if they need to, and buy what they need from places still open for business. So you don’t have to get up in arms about your constitutional rights being trampled just yet.

[urbanlover568]

Another virus in China. This one called "hantavirus"

 

https://nypost.com/2020/03/24/man-who-died-on-bus-in-china-tests-positive-for-hantavirus/amp/

[kermit]

16 hours ago, urbanlover568 said:

Another virus in China. This one called "hantavirus"

 

https://nypost.com/2020/03/24/man-who-died-on-bus-in-china-tests-positive-for-hantavirus/amp/

Nothing new about hantavirus. Its passed from rodents to humans, not human to human. Its been around since the dawn of time and is everywhere. Bringing it up now is just more sensationalism from the Post.

Edited March 25, 2020 by kermit

[Matthew.Brendan]

NY Post is a small step above the National Enquirer. A fine substitute if you run out of toilet paper.

[urbanlover568]

The virus bill agreed by Republicans, Democrats, and the President funds some unique programs...

$100,000,000 to Nasa, because, who knows why.
$20,000,000,000 to the USPS, because why the hell not
$300,000,000 to the Endowment for the Arts / because fudge it
$300,000,000 for the Endowment for the Humanities/HELP  because no one even knew that was a thing

$15,000,000 for Veterans Employment Training / for when the GI Bill isn't enough
$435,000,000 for mental health support / thats a lot of fudgeing suicide hotlines
$30,000,000,000 for the Department of Education stabilization fund/ because that will keep people employed

$200,000,000 to Safe Schools Emergency Response to Violence Program
$300,000,000 to Public Broadcasting / NPR 
$500,000,000 to Museums and Libraries / Who the hell knows how we are going to use it

$720,000,000 to Social Security Admin / but get this only 200,000,000 is to help people. The rest is for admin costs
$25,000,000 for Cleaning supplies for the Capitol Building / I crap you not it's on page 136

$7,500,000 to the Smithsonian for additional salaries
$35,000,000 to the JFK Center for performing Arts
$25,000,000 for additional salary for House of Representatives
$3,000,000,000 upgrade to the IT department at the VA
$315,000,000 for State Department Diplomatic Programs

$95,000,000 for the Agency of International Development
$300,000,000 for International Disaster Assistance
$300,000,000 for Migrant and Refugee Assistance pg 147
$90,000,000 for the Peace Corp pg 148
$13,000,000 to Howard University pg 121

9,000,000 Misc Senate Expenses pg 134
$100,000,000 to Essential Air carriers pg 162 This of note because the Airlines are going to need billions in loans to keep them afloat. $100,000,000 is chump change

$40,000,000,000 goes to the Take Responsibility to Workers and Families Act. This sounds like it's direct payments for workers. Pg 164

$1,000,000,000 Airlines Recycle and Save Program pg 163
$25,000,000 to the FAA for administrative costs pg 165

$492,000,000 to National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) pg 167

$526,000,000 Grants to Amtrak to remain available if needed through 2021 pg 168 (what are the odds that doesn't go unused)

Hidden on page 174 the Secretary has 7 days to allocate the funds & notify Congress

$25,000,000,000 for Transit Infrastructure pg 169
$3,000,000 Maritime Administration pg 172
$5,000,000 Salaries and Expensive Office of the Inspector General pg 172
No voter ID to get a ballot, & anonymous “ballot harvesting” pg 650

$2,500,000 Public and Indian Housing pg 175
$5,000,000 Community Planning and Development pg 175
$2,500,000 Office of Housing

$1,500,000,000 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Office of Public and Indian Housing. 1,000,000,000 of which can be used as "additional administrative and other expenses". pg 176
$720,000,000 to the public housing fund pg 177

$100,000,000 for Community Block Grants for Native Americans pg 183
$250,000,000 for Housing Block Grants for Tribes pg 182

$130,000,000 for AIDS Housing pg 185
$20,000,000 of which goes to one time grantees whatever the hell that means pg 186

$15,000,000,000 for the Community Development Fund pg 188

Only $10,000,000 of which is set aside for infrastructure for fighting infectious disease pg 191

$5,000,000,000 in Homeless Assistance pg 193

$100,000,000,000 for Rental Assistance - pg 198

An additional $7,000,000 enforce the Fair Housing Act - 203

Paid Family Leave for Sickness is 2 paid work weeks pg 213

Emergency Family Leave
Now applies to all employers not just companies over 500 employees pg 208
Guarantees paid leave to employees who have an in-law who gets sick pg 209
Opens up leave for some you are in a "committed relationships with" pg 212

$1,000,000,000 for more Obamaphones

$227,000,000 for grants to States for youth
2 activities pg 80

$261,000,000 for grants to States for dislocated worker employment and training activities, including supportive services and needs-related payments; pg 80

$10,000,000 for Migrant and Seasonal
Farmworker programs...WTF??

$100,000,000 for ‘‘Job Corps’’,

$15,000,000 for ‘‘Program Administration’’,

$6,500,000, to the ‘‘Wage and Hour Division’’,

$30,000,000, to OSHA

$10,000,000 for Susan Harwood training grants
$1,300,000,000, for ‘‘Primary Health Care’’,
$75,000,000, for ‘‘Student Aid Administration’’,
$9,500,000,000, for ‘‘Higher Education’’,

Edited March 25, 2020 by urbanlover568

[Madison Parkitect]

Man, seeing those huge numbers like a hundred billion for this and that really makes it clear just how much money two trillion dollars is. It's basically incomprehensible.

[urbanlover568]

20 minutes ago, Madison Parkitect said:

Man, seeing those huge numbers like a hundred billion for this and that really makes it clear just how much money two trillion dollars is. It's basically incomprehensible.

Buckle up for hyperinflation as @A2. Noted.

[A2.]

43 minutes ago, Madison Parkitect said:

Man, seeing those huge numbers like a hundred billion for this and that really makes it clear just how much money two trillion dollars is. It's basically incomprehensible.

And just ponder this: 

The total derivative market place is close to $2 QUADRILLION. 
 

Ps—when these weapons of financial destruction start to default, watch out! 

 

25 minutes ago, urbanlover568 said:

Buckle up for hyperinflation as @A2. Noted.

It’s coming. First deflation (where cash is king), then after that, money drops from helicopters creating all the toilet paper you’ll ever need.  :-(
 

A2

[allthingsplanes]

14 hours ago, TCLT said:

So I probably oversold the leniency of it and that’s my bad. The restrictions should definitely make it more difficult (or at least more cumbersome) for people to gather in any type of group, even small. How heavily LEOs enforce the rule against people gathering is still TBD. And it further reduces the types of retail/business that tend to gather a lot of people in close proximity. Note that a lot of places that already shut down on their own due to demand drop would be covered by these restrictions so there won’t necessarily be a noticeable change for that reason. All that will go a long way to slow the spread.
At the same time it seems that most business not already shut down or having their employees work from home can continue, at least in some limited capacity. But it should be the impetus for any businesses who’ve been holding out on allowing WFH to finally let it happen. And individuals will mostly be able to continue to live their lives, move around if they need to, and buy what they need from places still open for business. So you don’t have to get up in arms about your constitutional rights being trampled just yet.

I have an example from this past weekend.  I drove by an Autobell and there were probably about 20 cars there.  Ridiculousness.  That type of thing should be shut down in my view.

[nicholas]

2 hours ago, urbanlover568 said:

The virus bill agreed by Republicans, Democrats, and the President funds some unique programs...

$100,000,000 to Nasa, because, who knows why.
$20,000,000,000 to the USPS, because why the hell not
$300,000,000 to the Endowment for the Arts / because fudge it
$300,000,000 for the Endowment for the Humanities/HELP  because no one even knew that was a thing

~snip

Man.....I don't even know how to respond.   There's just so much stuff.

Edited March 25, 2020 by nicholas

[tozmervo]

The NEA  funding I can explain - it gets disbursed to local arts organizations to help fund/pay staff. Blumenthal, for example, employs many dozens of people and contracts with even more to provide services that support the theaters (ushers, stage hands, security, etc). They have had to shut down all their revenue-generating activities. Multiply that by thousands of arts organizations across the country. 

NASA - maybe to stimulate private contractors working with them? Dunno. 

USPS - sigh. Congress has never let them conduct the kind of reorganization necessary to modernize the post office, though it does provide  a vital service to areas that private industry won't, or would charge a fortune to serve. Not sure why they need an infusion of cash right now though.