Official lockdown loopholes

[BBowmaster]

Just got the official lockdown notice here in Michigan. So, staying at home is now required not merely suggested. Except... for activities essential for health and well-being.

Launching a few rockets, filming them for the kids in my 4H club, seems essential to our mental wellbeing. And there’s all these athletic fields no one is using right now...

 

[Cl(VII)]

Dallas county goes into lock down at midnight, but I went to the pool store today because I didn’t have enough chemicals for more than about a month. Guy said they are considered essential, so they will still be open after today (thousands of backyard swamps would make for a nasty West Nile virus season, so I see that). The contractor working on my house told me that construction is “essential”, so they can finish the work. Also, hardware stores will remain open, as well as, restaurants for takeout, banks, grocery stores, etc. I’m starting to wonder how this is different than what we had before.

 

[DAllen]

Yeah this "lockdown" really isn't a lockdown in the true sense of the word...Reading through the executive order from Gov Whitmeyer it almost appears that they are encouraging outdoor activities provided you're following social distancing stuff.

 

[cwbullet]

If suggested to stay at home and you go out, I would suggest you relook at your priorities. It is very self-centered and I would hate to have a death on my conscience.

 

[afadeev]

Dallas county goes into lock down at midnight[...]

If suggested to stay at home and you go out, I would suggest you relook at your priorities. It is very self-centered and I would hate to have a death on my conscience.

Sounds like TX may be prepping to reverse the social distancing guidelines in the near future ... because ... Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick likes The Hunger Games?

https://theweek.com/speedreads/9043...s-should-willing-sacrifice-lives-save-economy

 

[BBowmaster]

If I go out, alone, interact with no one, then return home alone, how is that different in effect from staying home?

I could restrict myself entirely so that there’s zero chance of me infecting anyone else. When the lockdown is lifted, eventually they’ll find my body. How is that helpful?

My intention is to go lift a few rockets by myself, film it for the kids in my 4H Rocket club, then put it online to help inspire them to design and build rockets while they’re home.

Or I can keep myself alone at home until I die to teach them that obeying rules to the letter is more important?

 

[Steven]

That's what I've been doing when it's a nice, sunny day. I'm not interacting with anyone while driving. If I get pulled over, I'll go into a coughing fit.

 

[tsmmiller]

My company has been declared “essential infrastructure” so we are exempt.
We were handed letters today on official stationery that said we were employees of said company, and were exempt from any quarantine orders and would provide company ID upon request.
We were also told we must carry both letter and ID with us if we are out.

 

[H_Rocket]

I’m starting to wonder how this is different than what we had before.

Out here west of Fort Worth (Aledo), we can't get a haircut or go to the gym. However liquor stores are essential. When this is over there are gonna be some fat, scraggly, hung over folks emerging from their doomsday bunkers wondering what to to with all the TP, rice, Ramen, and Lysol they stocked up on.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

If I go out, alone, interact with no one, then return home alone, how is that different in effect from staying home?

I could restrict myself entirely so that there’s zero chance of me infecting anyone else. When the lockdown is lifted, eventually they’ll find my body. How is that helpful?

My intention is to go lift a few rockets by myself, film it for the kids in my 4H Rocket club, then put it online to help inspire them to design and build rockets while they’re home.

Or I can keep myself alone at home until I die to teach them that obeying rules to the letter is more important?

I have been under a shelter in place order for more than a week, and I go for occasional walks, which is specifically allowed as long as you maintain safe distances.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not different from staying at home. You have a chance of touching surfaces outside your home that have been contaminated by others, or you might be the one contaminating them. The safe distance guidelines may not be 100% effective. Not everyone you meet outside will be following common sense practices. So there is some risk.

Another thing to consider when trying to use a loophole in something like a public-safety order is how much you’d enjoy explaining it to an authority who doesn’t see it your way.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Sounds like TX may be prepping to reverse the social distancing guidelines in the near future ... because ... Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick likes The Hunger Games?

https://theweek.com/speedreads/9043...s-should-willing-sacrifice-lives-save-economy

Dystopian mindset. When the grannies start piling up, he’s going to regret ever saying this.

 

[KidRockET]

There are things worse than death...

We were all handed a death sentence the day we were born...

If your patients finger is bleeding, you don't cut of his arm...

I realize that my position is in the minority here...

I think we have severely overreacted to this situation...

 

[Marc_G]

To @KidRockET and others that think we are over reacting, here is one perspective to consider. This attached file, if I can get it to work on my mobile browser, shows the deaths per day due to COVID-19 in the US. Yesterday, it was over 200 per worldometers.info. That's on par with a very bad flu season. But look at the shape of the curve, and recognize the exponential increase will likely continue for several more weeks at least. We may be just a week out from thousands of deaths per day. The only thing we can do right now is break the infection chain. It is not an over reaction.

 

[KidRockET]

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html




Where was the panic during the normal flu season?

 

[CalebJ]

I'm not sure why you think that's a relevant response...

 

[KidRockET]

Ok, I'll ask again...

Where was the panic during normal flu seasons in the past?

These numbers are equally terrifying...

 

[CalebJ]

Normal flu season is something we deal with every year and have a plan in place for. If you didn't understand Marc's post, the implication is that if we don't take action immediately then this will get far, far worse than flu. It's not overreaction, it's being proactive.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I think the argument is that the flu numbers are NOT equally terrifying. What people are worried about with this virus is deaths in the range of a million or two if we do nothing.

 

[FredA]

Maybe Mother Nature has finally given us a way to fix stupid.
Go party ya fools!

I have a close friend with the virus - not a person I consider would be a risk but none the less VERY sick.
Not something I want....

 

[David Schwantz]

That's what I've been doing when it's a nice, sunny day. I'm not interacting with anyone while driving. If I get pulled over, I'll go into a coughing fit.

My local PD told me point blank "that you can do just about anything you want, we are not pulling over people". Not that I am thinking of robbing a bank.

 

[Flyfalcons]

Ok, I'll ask again...

Where was the panic during normal flu seasons in the past?

These numbers are equally terrifying...

There is less (no) panic during flu season because our health care system is large enough to absorb the sick patients. We are currently filling our ER's to capacity or beyond, and I, for one, don't want myself or any of my family to have to be fighting over a limited supply of life-saving ventilators. And my work is being extremely impacted by this! I can handle losing my job again, but we need to do our best to stay healthy so the hospitals can save as many people as they can.

 

[NateB]

There is less (no) panic during flu season because our health care system is large enough to absorb the sick patients. We are currently filling our ER's to capacity or beyond, and I, for one, don't want myself or any of my family to have to be fighting over a limited supply of life-saving ventilators. And my work is being extremely impacted by this! I can handle losing my job again, but we need to do our best to stay healthy so the hospitals can save as many people as they can.

Except our health system barely handles a bad flu season.

Even 1 month ago, our hospital was full with rooms doubled up in the ER and cots lining the hallway full of people waiting for rooms on the floor. Hospitals on town (ours included) going on diversion which means patients coming in by ambulance have to go somewhere else.

 

[boatgeek]

For anyone who's thinking that it's not so bad, here's a good thought exercise. Think about your friends and family. Say out loud "I'm OK with ____ and ____ dying so that I can [insert hobby or job here]." Say names, not "two cousins." Say out loud "If I have trouble breathing, I'm not going to go to the hospital." If you can say both of those honestly, then at least you're idealogically consistent. If you can't, well maybe you should get with the program.

Current estimates are that 50%-70% of the population will get this and, of those, 3% will die. That's pretty consistent with one or two people dying from any particular person's group of friends and family.

 

[Marc_G]

Ok, I'll ask again...

Where was the panic during normal flu seasons in the past?

These numbers are equally terrifying...

What you may not understand is that we are already losing people to COVID-19 at a daily rate similar to a BAD flu season and we are just getting started. Soon (a week or two)we will be at 5-10-20 times that number of deaths per day. Where it tops out depends on how effectively we keep apart to slow the spread.

 

[David Schwantz]

I have given my wife and family a horrible life. I drive a truck for a living, gone for weeks at a time. Longest trip ever was 9 weeks. My wife lived with this for the past 34 years now, kept up a home for me to come back to. Raised our Son, a lot, by herself. Weathered water leaks, blizzards, car break downs all by herself. God bless her heart. And now she has to chance getting this virus cause some idiot can't stay at home!

 

[o1d_dude]

To @KidRockET and others that think we are over reacting, here is one perspective to consider. This attached file, if I can get it to work on my mobile browser, shows the deaths per day due to COVID-19 in the US. Yesterday, it was over 200 per worldometers.info. That's on par with a very bad flu season. But look at the shape of the curve, and recognize the exponential increase will likely continue for several more weeks at least. We may be just a week out from thousands of deaths per day. The only thing we can do right now is break the infection chain. It is not an over reaction.View attachment 410201

I’m not convinced the information that has been pushed from China is accurate. In fact I am inclined to believe the number of Chinese deaths has been concealed.

The number of cellphones in active daily in use in China has dropped by 2.1 million(?) over the past year and over 220K in Wuhan over the same time period. Figures appeared yesterday in the media.

Am also hearing many Chinese factories in Wuhan are running their factory lights around the clock so their electricity usage appears normal. Daily worker attendance logs are “massaged” as well. All done to keep the Central Party happy with reports of normalcy.

Doesn’t look like the Hong Kong movement is going anywhere at the current time. Hmmm...

K’Tesh is over there and perhaps has an inside perspective if it can get through the censors/Great Firewall Of China.

Very sad situation.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I’m not convinced the information that has been pushed from China is accurate. In fact I am inclined to believe the number of Chinese deaths has been concealed.

The number of cellphones in active daily in use in China has dropped by 2.1 million(?) over the past year and over 220K in Wuhan over the same time period. Figures appeared yesterday in the media.

Am also hearing many Chinese factories in Wuhan are running their factory lights around the clock so their electricity usage appears normal. Daily worker attendance logs are “massaged” as well. All done to keep the Central Party happy with reports of normalcy.

Doesn’t look like the Hong Kong movement is going anywhere at the current time. Hmmm...

K’Tesh is over there and perhaps has an inside perspective if it can get through the censors/Great Firewall Of China.

Very sad situation.

I'm very skeptical of China's official numbers on this too.

 

[Marc_G]

Agree to skepticism on the numbers. On another forum I'm on is a Chinese guy we buy things from. Not sure where he is, but he reports thing s back to normal in his area. He was giving us plenty of concerning reports during the height of it for the Chinese outbreak, then gradual return to normalcy.

 

[o1d_dude]

Today's reporting indicates symptomatic people are being turned away from Wuhan hospitals so Central Party can claim Chinese Virus under control with no new cases diagnosed.

The number of cellphones dropping is very troubling. China has over a BILLION cellphones active on a good day.

 

[TimothyG]

My company has been declared “essential infrastructure” so we are exempt.
We were handed letters today on official stationery that said we were employees of said company, and were exempt from any quarantine orders and would provide company ID upon request.
We were also told we must carry both letter and ID with us if we are out.

Ver are your papers!?