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The Coronavirus Panic Thread

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  • Starting yesterday my company started taking temperatures before we start our shifts. We also have signs up politely requesting customers wear masks. And we have a limit of 171 people who can be in our store. I think even on our busiest times we've never had that many. According to my janky calculations that about 10 people down every aisle. Yeah, pretty sure I've never seen that many people in the store at one time.

    And these policies are nice but we're so short staffed that there's nobody to make sure customers follow them. Most of our customers aren't wearing masks. We've had some for sale now for about 3 weeks and we can't be the only place who has them. Can't wait to see what new fun stuff I get to deal with today.
    I would have a nice day, but I have other things to do.

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    • I don't even know what policies/training our store is going to have past what's already public knowledge...it would not come as a surprise if they don't even know.
      "I am quite confident that I do exist."
      "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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      • It came up this weekend that the bank doesn't have anyone in charge of pandemic response. They're just implementing things as people suggest them. We don't have any guidance for masks, gloves, or sanitizing when we reopen the lobby, and we don't have any idea when that's going to be, either.

        We have a cloth mask for each employee at our branch, but since they're supposed to be washed after every use, we'll have to take them home to wash them. I'll probably alternate with the mask a customer gave me so I don't have to worry about washing as often. It's Frozen 2 themed.

        We're working on getting hand sanitizer dispensers for each of the entry doors, but not sure when we're going to get them, either.
        "I look at the stars. It's a clear night and the Milky Way seems so near. That's where I'll be going soon. "We are all star stuff." I suddenly remember Delenn's line from Joe's script. Not a bad prospect. I am not afraid. In the meantime, let me close my eyes and sense the beauty around me. And take that breath under the dark sky full of stars. Breathe in. Breathe out. That's all."
        -Mira Furlan

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        • My hunting this week has been rewarding. Two 8oz pump bottles of hand sanitizer at Winco Monday on the way home, 2tub (75ct each) package of disinfectant wipes at Walgreens yesterday at lunch (happened to be in that aisle when the nice young lady put several packs on the shelf, I took my allowed one and gave one tub to a coworker whose hunting luck has been worse than mine), and four 12.5oz cans of Lysol at Raley's (two at lunch, then stopped on the way home and they still had almost as much as they had at lunch, so I got another two). I think/hope that my squirrel-on-the-hunt urge has been appeased now that I do have some stock on hand. I did also get an online order of 4 18oz bottles of professional-grade hand sanitizer from Sally Beauty Supply during the week.

          I'm still very much hoping life will soon return to at least a level of normal where finding such routine supplies isn't such a huge triumph.
          "Crazy may always be open for business, but on the full moon, it has buy one get one free specials." - WishfulSpirit

          "Sometimes customers remind me of zombies, but I'm pretty sure that zombies are smarter." - MelindaJoy77

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          • The county is now officially in Phase 2, but they've also now announced that masks are mandatory in public.

            I'm not looking forward to finding out tomorrow how I'm going to be expected to enforce that in the Store.

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            • There were boxes of gloves available to buy today, albeit for a heavy price. So I bought some. Even if they don't really help against Corona, they shield the hands from other things.
              Customers should always be served . . . to the nearest great white.

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              • I found "one size fits most" gloves at Target last week. Bought a box just to keep around in case of need (I don't really feel a need currently).
                "Crazy may always be open for business, but on the full moon, it has buy one get one free specials." - WishfulSpirit

                "Sometimes customers remind me of zombies, but I'm pretty sure that zombies are smarter." - MelindaJoy77

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                • The bank I use has had their own version of distancing set up for well over a month:

                  You have the option to call ahead if you wanna come inside, but it's not strictly needed; however, people who do so get priority over walk-ins.

                  They allow one person in for teller-area service, and one person in for "talk to my banker/officer"-style services at a time; doors are otherwise locked, and they keep everything sanitized, with hand sanitizer available at the door.
                  "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
                  "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
                  "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
                  "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
                  "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
                  "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
                  Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
                  "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

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                  • It doesn't get any more amazing. Same chain but different physical store because I had to kill time to catch a bus home, I found a handful of sealed packages of reusable cloth face masks.

                    I found a leopard print one and purchased it. 6 dollars is costly, but Corona is more costly. I now have a mask that won't melt like the paper ones the hospital gave me that I kept reusing because they're what I had.

                    I don't see this mask as an affront. I'm chuffed I found it and I want to wear it. It's felineish.
                    Customers should always be served . . . to the nearest great white.

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                    • Our state's governor made it so that you have to wear masks in public spaces (allowances for people with breathing problems who can't wear them etc), and it's got people protesting. One of my roommates works at the county government center, and people have been protesting outside it. No one in the house is going to protest about it, not even D, who hates wearing them because it fogs up his glasses, but even he will wear one because he wants to protect his wife from the virus. (She's asthmatic.)

                      Meanwhile, a FB friend has been sharing various memes and such about how masks are stupid and anyone who wears them is a "follower" or something, that the rules to wear them are purely political or something. I am agog about this mentality of his, because he's a fucking nurse.
                      PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

                      There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

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                      • I've seen stories about how even teachers are like "eh, whatever" about masks and distancing and such. Yikes. Sometimes I go to the store and people are doing well, other times terrible. And I get it, the weather is nice and it seems like our cases are going down but they're wrong about that last part. We don't qualify for our state's requirements to move to phase two. So we are NOT in the clear, okay?

                        One of my neighbors was in the hospital for a week with pneumonia and fluid around her heart. Her husband didn't say it was COVID (and I'd never ask) but even so, she's in the at risk age group, and now has a history of respiratory problems. I don't want to risk giving to her, and just thinking of how many other at risk people are out there, is wearing a mask such a sacrifice? It's not, have some perspective.
                        Replace anger management with stupidity management.

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                        • I don't want to frack and it's so hard not to about masks.
                          But I just wish my state would pick one message to shops who can reopen.
                          the gov said req, suggested and not req if you can't and you don't need to show proof
                          dept of health saying everyone no matter what according to places that make it an issue

                          again, don't get me stated on if they are good/bad indifferent....I just wish they quit making this shit up as they go along and put out 1 clear message.
                          AkaiKitsune
                          Sarcasm dear, sarcasm. I’m well aware that dealing with civilians in any capacity will skin your faith in humanity alive, then pickle anything that remains so as to watch it shrivel up into an immortal husk thus reminding you of how dead inside you now are.

                          Comment


                          • Quoth Rosco the Iroc View Post
                            again, don't get me stated on if they are good/bad indifferent....I just wish they quit making this shit up as they go along and put out 1 clear message.
                            Agreed. I keep seeing conflicting information as well. Last time I went to Sheetz, the signs they had up about requiring masks had some small print at the bottom saying that if you come in without a mask, they'll "respectfully assume it's due to a medical condition." The signs they had up at Lowe's said that everyone had to wear one according to state law, and that people who didn't comply would be prosecuted. I went back to the pet store where my wife and I normally volunteer with the cats (which is currently on hold), and the only signs I saw about masks was that the employees were required to wear them.

                            In other news, the next to last set of counties moved into the yellow phase yesterday, and the first set moved into the green. The last set of counties still in the red is supposed to go yellow next Friday, and the next set to go into the green was announced yesterday to go next Friday as well. Once again, we didn't make the cut, but then we only went into the yellow a week ago. If green follows the same pattern as yellow, we'll probably get to go next. The number of new cases for my county has been in the single digits the last few days, and even with more counties loosening restrictions, the number of new cases has been under a thousand for almost three weeks now. It still fluctuates, but overall it's still going down. Also, starting next Friday, restaurants in the yellow phase will be allowed to offer outdoor dining.

                            I took a little road trip into one of the counties that had just gone green and got a badly needed haircut. It was less than an hour away, and a road trip and change of scenery was nice. Some of the restaurants were advertising that their dining room was now open, while some of the other ones are choosing to stick to carry-out only for now. I made a few other stops after I got my hair cut, and they're still requiring masks. Not sure if the law is requiring it, or if the places of businesses are requiring it. I stopped at a Lowe's while I was there because my local one was out of something I needed, and the signs I mentioned above were still up. However, I saw a few people not wearing masks and no one seemed to be bothering them.

                            Getting my hair cut went fairly smoothly, although things still aren't completely normal. I had to make an appointment ahead of time, and I'm glad I did it early because when I got there I found out that they were booked up through Tuesday. They had someone at the door checking people in and asking health-related questions (i.e. do you feel sick? Have you had a fever? Coughing? Sneezing?), and checking temperature before they let you in. And again, I had to wear a mask, which I had to make sure I didn't get the strings tangled in my hair like I did before. And they had signs up asking people not to touch the products on the shelf, but to ask an employee for help. But all in all, it's nice to feel somewhat human again after all this time.

                            Gas prices are starting to creep up again now that more people are driving, which is to be expected. And while no one wants to pay more for gas, in a way it's comforting. It seems more normal. Although I'd love to try to tell that to myself 20 years ago when I'd get pissed if the price went over a dollar a gallon.

                            We're finally having some nice summer-like weather, after some spring days that were colder than they should have been. I didn't even turn the air on until a couple weeks ago. I took a walk last weekend, and it was nice to see families having cookouts and gatherings again. It would be really nice swimming weather, but none of the pools are open, although apparently they're allowed to even in counties in the yellow phase. Some pools are delaying their opening until mid-June, and some aren't opening at all this summer.

                            We did our grocery shopping, and things are looking a little more normal. For the first time since this whole mess began, I was actually able to find everything I needed in one stop, without having to try the other store across the street for what I couldn't find at my usual store. Sanitizer and wipes are still almost impossible to find, but there was plenty of toilet paper, even name-brand stuff. Strangely enough, paper plates and stuff like that were almost wiped out, but I'm guessing that has to do with people having cookouts because they can now.

                            If things go the way I'm hoping, next time we go shopping we'll be able to go out for lunch first, like we used to do. It's hard to believe it's been almost three months since I was able to go out to eat at a restaurant and drink at a bar.
                            Sometimes life is altered.
                            Break from the ropes your hands are tied.
                            Uneasy with confrontation.
                            Won't turn out right. Can't turn out right

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                            • Paper goods are still really hard to find in general. A cousin in NJ told us that her grocery store was charging $2 per roll of lousy toilet paper. We scored a 12-pack of the "premium" store brand and shipped it to her and she was thrilled.
                              "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                              "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

                              Comment


                              • Things are fairly normal in stores here (Arizona). Toilet paper is easy to come by and every where seems to have a rack of hand sanitizer by the cash register.

                                It seems like everyone out here is all "we did the shutdown, now everything is back to normal, so stop worrying about it". This is despite the hospitalization AND death rate going up, that is waved away because there is more testing happening, so of course more cases will be found.

                                The only place that face masks are required is Costco. Some places are still monitoring how many people enter/leave, but others never really did and aren't even pretending now.

                                I fired my dentist because I went in for an appointment and found the waiting room packed full of unmasked people (chairs side by side, no distancing) and an unmasked receptionist. I walked right back out the door, called to cancel my appointment over the phone.

                                Personally, I totally rock my face masks! I've got a bunch of different patterns, including a few that go from neck to eyes. They are totally cute, and seeing as how I am allergic to the sun (if I get sunburned, I get funny skin things that have to be cut off which hurts and makes me cry), I love having another excuse to cover more skin.

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