We need testing

Is it just me or are the days just feeling endless?  I realize that it hasn’t even been that long since the Bay Area shelter-in-place was implemented but it feels like it’s been going on forever.  Maybe it’s because the kids haven’t really been able to leave the house and so they’re not really able to expend as much energy as they need.  Also #2 son doesn’t have much school work to do and typically finishes up everything (including the extra math and extra reading) by 10:30 AM so that doesn’t help with trying to keep him busy.

I have been obsessively reading about anti-body testing and vaccines and probably just bumming myself out even more about the state of the world.   I just haven’t figured out a good way to shut off my brain during these times.

In other news, East Bay Citizen has a good Alameda County specific update, highlights:

Hope for the homeless

It is impressive to see what governments can do when it becomes a public health emergency to do so. For example, we’ve been struggling with the growing number of unhoused people for, oh about forever, and the response has been slow given the growth.

But now, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors has quickly approved emergency housing in the form of leasing two hotels in Oakland. From East Bay Citizen:

The proposed lease agreements on Tuesday’s Alameda County Board of Supervisors agenda call for the county to use the Comfort Inn & Suites and the Radisson Hotel Oakland Airport, both on Edes Avenue, and near the Oakland Coliseum, to temporarily house the homeless during the crisis.

Under the proposed agreement, the county would take possession of the hotels through April 30, and potentially on a day-by-day basis afterwards, if the shelter in place remains.

In this together

CA is issuing a statewide, mandatory STAY AT HOME order.

Those that work in critical sectors should go to work. Grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and more will stay open.

We need to meet this moment and flatten the curve together.

Go to https://t.co/xtXFwVeWc2 to learn more.

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 20, 2020

 
This doesn’t necessarily change anything for the Bay Area since we’ve been sheltering-in-place in the Bay Area since Tuesday.

Hopefully this will help all of California return to normal more quickly. But if people are still treating this like a huge vacation and congregating in public, this is just going to last longer for everyone.

Taking the fun away

Even though the City sent the scary sounding press release about prohibiting all modes of travel it seems like our response to COVID-19 is lacking in one area: public play spaces.   There have been a number of social media posts about basketball courts being full and playgrounds being full and folks not practicing social distancing in our public parks.

Not that I’m a proponent of taking away fun, but if we all don’t participate in this social distancing thing then it’s going to take a lot longer for anything to return to any semblance of normality.  This is not to say that people can’t take walks or go for bike rides, but maybe having your kids touching germy monkey bars within spitting distance of other kids isn’t the best model of social distancing.

Act locally

At a time when it feels like our state and local institutions are doing more to help alleviate the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis then out federal government, it’s nice to see that the Alameda City Council has taken what actions that it can take to do so.

From last night’s City Council meeting which was a combo of some people in the chambers and some people dialing in:

The City Council meeting tonight is happening with some Councilmembers, staff, and members of the public attending virtually. To provide public comment, text or call 510-747-4802 or email clerk@alamedaca.gov. #alamtg pic.twitter.com/f8WBoQLchL

— City of Alameda (@CityofAlameda) March 18, 2020

Shelter in place from the storm

It’s feeling pretty grim out there.   Here’s the full Alameda County order because it’s helpful to read it yourself rather than just get a summary from press releases and such.   Because, personally, I was a little taken aback when I read the press release from the City of Alameda which contained this:

All modes of travel are prohibited except that which is necessary to accomplish essential activities, where social distancing of at least six-feet can be maintained.

Because “prohibited” is a really strong and scary word.   It does use that language in the order but it’s buffered by language that explains the prohibition in more detail.

National Horror Story: don’t be patient 31

Have you seen the reporting from Reuters about how COVID-19 spread through South Korea?

Apparently one person alone spread the virus to more than 1000 people:

The virus was first confirmed in the country on Jan. 20 when a 35-year-old Chinese woman who flew from Wuhan, China to Incheon international airport, which serves Seoul, was isolated upon entry into the country. In the four weeks following the incident, South Korea managed to avoid a major outbreak with only 30 people contracting the virus, despite many interactions between those later confirmed as being sick and hundreds more people being identified as contacts of the sick patients.

This changed with the emergence of “Patient 31.”

National Horror Story: this is real life

I mean, this is supposed to be the leader of this country and he can’t read words off a TelePrompter correctly?

From NY Magazine:

What Trump said: “We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days. The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight. There will be exemptions for Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings.”

In reality: The travel restrictions don’t apply to “American citizens or legal permanent residents or their families,” tweeted Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, shortly after Trump’s speech. But that distinction was not at all clear from Trump’s speech, leading to mass confusion for American travelers in Europe who were under the impression that if they didn’t return home by Friday, they’d be stuck on the continent for the next month.

Worse before it gets better

With the news about the Alameda Firefighter testing positive for coronavirus, it’s time that we start getting serious about efforts to protect our most vulnerable community members.  For those not getting alerts from the City, you can sign up here.

From the update:

Late yesterday March 10, City officials learned that an Alameda Firefighter tested positive for COVID-19. Following the positive test, it is our understanding that County public health officials in the County where the individual is being quarantined began a thorough investigation to identify anyone who might have been in close personal contact with the individual, which is protocol. The City of Alameda is fully cooperating with County public health officials.

Of course this is only the one case we know about in Alameda (but not quarantined in Alameda) because we’ve failed to test the whole population.  Apparently it is now up to private entities to do their own testing (mostly for their own benefit, but it’s helpful nonetheless).  Based on some reporting, Kaiser in San Francisco has started drive thru testing of the coronavirus but it’s by appointment only.  Kaiser is not testing anyone,just people showing symptoms, but it won’t cost Kaiser members anything if they qualify for a test.

Wash your hands

And wash ’em again.  Lotion your hands as well.

If you have kids in AUSD and you receive all of the alerts and announcements via email and text you’re probably like me waiting for the email that’s going to say that schools are being closed.  But so far based on emails that went out on Sunday and Monday, no school closures as of yet.

Sunday’s email essentially just said that the schools would be cleaned more (hopefully they’ll keep those soap dispensers full).  Honestly, it might might be helpful if the school district shelled out for portable handwashing stations across the campuses so that handwashing doesn’t need to happen just in the restrooms.  Elementary schools should be slightly better off because many classrooms have sinks in their rooms, but high and middle schools.  Handwashing stations.

Also, kids are not allowed to self serve in the lunch room and will be served by staff using sterile gloves.

All events, assemblies, and field trips are cancelled.  #1 daughter was supposed to be on a field trip next week but that is no longer happened.  I heard that prom may be cancelled as well but I don’t have confirmation of that.