Five cases in my little town.
But overall things are going well here in Australia in terms of the pandemic. Not for the economy unfortunately.
All of you in the states is what has me worried. Please keep safe everyone.
Hugs
Safari
Canada is doing pretty well all things considering. Our PM has our back for now.
There are various ways our government is helping individuals, families, businesses, medical workers, First Nations peoples, and more.
Itās detailed on this page.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html
The PM hasnāt had to use emergency powers yet and would really rather not. Most Canadians are following the advice of our head medical person Dr. Tam.
We have a bunch of potential vaccines about to start animal testing. If all goes well human trials should start in a few months.
Stay strong folks. Weāll get through this.
1 Like
Sure wish we had a normal head of government here in the US but unfortunately we donāt really have a reasonably sane group at the top of the government at the moment. But the people, for the most part, are actually following common sense during this time. I know we have some assHats around that cause a ruckus but mostly they are few and far betweenā¦at least in the part of the US I live in.
Stay safe everyoneā¦
2 Likes
Saaw : I can understand what your saying beyound the lines of text. Iāve been in the military, worked everything from retail to computer science at NASA Ames. In the service your spit on by some civilians and some others try to blow you up with their home made pipe bombs. In retail either you have your deranged customer Iām going to take out all my short commings on you. Some worker bee at the bottom of the food chain. Some get into a situation, like an expired cupon, then report you and your manager to corporate so they get their 25 $ gift card. Costing you your job possibly but they donāt care. No better working around some highly edjucated people either (NASA). Either the UNIX group hates the Mac group, a govt branch chief swears worse than any sailor (as they say), or your in a center wide task force and govt people are doing their usual insults about contractors yet they donāt realize, at the moment but soon will, Iām a contractor.
Iām sorry your going through the long hours, the attacks, having to probably step lightly and always been the better person. It gets old and, for me at least, after some customer attacks you like that is how I would feel the rest of the day. Some times, when I had to work retail ie: recession, Iād have only 10 minutes left of my day to go and thatās when āmy customerā would pop up and just ruin my day.
If you can start your own business do it. Your already working the hours. That way you can tell people like that where to go. 
1 Like
My hope is we realize that change and creativity is needed.
Not forcing things to be what they used to be. Stamping our
feet when people do not wish to be in danger for the sake
of convenience, is not progress. Itās the opposite.
Adapt. Change. Overcome.
This is one of those times survival of the friendliest will win.
The same philosophy that had vaccines created in the first place.
āFor the betterment of all (humankind).ā
As @Splutty said. Me ME! will not work here.
I am reminded of simple species that instantly adapt to things
when the environmental changes get serious or abnormal in nature.
Changes made that are better for the group, and not always the individual.
What do these species have in common?
Theyāve been around a very long time.
1 Like
I live in Central Massachusetts and honestly I consider myself very lucky and fortunate. I know our state numbers are still climbing and havenāt peaked yet. I honestly donāt watch the news that much anymore, or if I do itās when the kids are asleep. Rather than getting angry and political, my family and I have focused on things we can learn and improve in the house. This time quarantined has brought us back together to help make dinners snacks or whatever, and with a house of 4 teenagers that is not an easy feet. I try not to focus on the world, I just focus on my world and making it better.
6 Likes
Even the dogs are having a time of isolationā¦
1 Like
No bad numbers today, just hope and change and adapting.
I too, love my local french bakery.
1 Like
With more than 58,000 deaths, more Americans have died with Covid-19 than died in the Vietnam War
Third of hospitalised Covid-19 patients in UK have died, this is almost the same rate as Ebola which was 35% - 40% fatality
The number of people killed by coronavirus in London in the four weeks to 17 April has narrowly surpassed the number of civilians killed during the worst four-week period of aerial bombing of the city during the Blitz in World War Two.The first of those four weeks - the week ending 27 March - came before the sharp rise in Covid-19 deaths took place. So figures released next week are expected to show a four-week tally considerably higher than that recorded during the Blitz
People need to hear thisā¦ this is an incredibly dangerous disease the death rates are still very high here its far too soon to be talking about getting things moving again
Here they seem to have missed out on the situation in our care homes and are only now adding deaths here, In Scotland they are further ahead and are now this week discovering that over half of our deaths are in care homes a number that is not added to our total which are only hospital admissions. How could they not work out that no visitors and an unprotected young minimum wage with no PPE workforce was going to protect our most vulnerable . It beggars belief.
I wish I had some better news to share here but its still looking pretty grim
2 Likes
They are talking about easing lockdown on the 11th of May here but I donāt think they should. I really want to live myself so I am staying in my self imposed isolation until we have a vaccine.
I know youāll stay smart about what to do to avoid infection Alphea. It also gives me hope because the majority of OTG is made up of super intelligent people.
I also beg all of you to do everything in your power to avoid infection if you are vulnerable because of age or illness. I canāt handle more heart break if we lost more OTGerās when itās avoidable.
Stay safe, stay gaming and stay alive. Pretty please with cherries on top and chocolate sprinkles.
Hugs
Safari - in Australia BTW
2 Likes
And yet, thereās a huge swathe of Americans who think itās all a political ploy to take away our rights.
1 Like
Weāre kind of drifting toward the kind of stuff that gets threads lockedā¦
No, itās all good. We no longer have a ban on political discussion, as long as it stays civil. That being said, Iād like to keep THIS thread, at least, relatively on-topic.
Stay safe, all! 
Ah. Cool. I did not know that. I find the thread useful and inspiring, so was worried about it getting locked.
Iām sure there are folks in OTG that say donāt open their countries, and folks that say open it now. Thatās ok, and ok to talk about even. As long as it doesnāt get accusatory or mean.
My state is opening (with restrictions such as sanitizer, distancing and capacity) retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, malls, libraries and museums. If we donāt have a flare up of covid, phase 2 will allow for greater capacity. Except, my state ranks 49th out of 50 for testing, so not sure how weād know. The county and city folks want something stricter, and while they can no longer counteract the gov, they are recommending stricter rules, such as stay at home if you can and wear masks.
We also had a salon owner open (Iām willing to go to JAIL!!, she says). She was told to shut down, she opened again anyways. She was given a cease and desist order, she ripped it up on camera and opened again. She was given an injunction, can no longer open her business, and the state licensing folks are reviewing her. Our executive order does still specifically disallow things like salons, gyms, etc. She strikes me as looking for her 15 minutes of fame, not actually trying to make a statement. On the other hand, that could just be media portrayal.
Regardless, hang in there, stay safe and make the best decisions you can for you and your family.
1 Like
Sorry, my post wasnāt meant politically. I have seen many people on both sides of the debate provide good information. But the yahooās who think itās all a fabrication, those guys are just nuts. I donāt know or care where they line up politically.
No need to apologize to me.
And you werenāt the only one. It is a general drift.
My comment was only because in the past OTG had a strict policy of ānipping it in the budā at the first sign of drifting into politics and I didnāt want to see the whole thing locked down.
Iāve been corrected - Iām the one who should apologize. 
Iām the one who overstepped.
When we first went into lockdown there was only meant to be essential services. Like supermarkets and pharmacies, Doctorās, post office and eateries only for take away.
But then prime minister or some such decides he needs a hair cut, so hair dressers became an essential service with conditions. Maximum half hour appointment and MUST adhere to maintaining 1.5 metre distance. Approximately 4ā11".
LoL well the jokes that went about at the time were freaking hilarious. With hair clippers attached to poles to reach the client. But one that still has me laughing was a written comment about how the heck you can give a haircut at a distance other than to use a hedge trimmer tool.
Imagining the scene in my own head was probably way funnier than anything else you can conjure. But my mind imagined the powerful motorised hedge trimmers with someone in a barber chair getting an accidental ear lopped off in the process. The hair dresser saying OOPS sorry 'bout that, itāll grow back Iām sure.
My husband has experience with me saying OOPS while wielding the hair clippers to cut his hair. But I was trimming his eyebrows at the time and was just trying to take a little off when I slipped and made one eyebrow look very strange with a teeny weeny little bald spot in the centre. He wasnāt very amused with my āitāll grow backā comment at the time.
He clipped his own hair for a while after that little slip.
3 Likes
well here in the states I believe itās Georgia that the Govās essential businesses include barber shops, tattoo palors/shops, yada yada ā¦, and massage palors. just saying. on the other hand if you can make it work then more power to ya.
You heard about the drive through strip joints in PDX, right? ahahaha