The Coronavirus Panic Thread

[EricKei]

One thing I love -- but which we all know SC's would ruin for everyone PDQ -- is how some sushi places there do it: The freshly-prepared a la carte food items come down a conveyor belt (with a clear cover). When the item you want reaches you, you hit the button, the door opens so you can grab the plate (the belt pauses), and it's added to your tab. When you finish a plate, you feed the plate itself into a slot on the table. When you're done eating, you pay the tab.

[Dreamstalker]

There's a sushi place near my cousins in NJ that works that way; I've always wanted to go. That exact setup may not work with table distancing though...unless you do it via overhead zipline. That might be fun, but again someone somewhere would find a liability issue to ruin it.

[Kit-Ginevra]

Ooh catapults?

[Ironclad Alibi]

It is time to open a ninja run restaurant.

[Monterey Jack]

Had my first major run-in with a "Maskhole" today. Near the end of my shift tonight, I was going out to round up some carriages when I saw a dude in the foyer sans mask. I asked him (very politely) if he had a mask, and he snapped at me to "Go get him one" and demanded a manager. I had no patience for that shit, so I just walked away without a word, got my front-end manager, and let her deal with him.

Still, five months deep into this, and only one really bad customer interaction about masks means I've been blessed.

[Dreamstalker]

My OldJob (if my favorite manager was still there he'd hire me in a reverse-nanosecond) doesn't seem to care if SCs have masks while in the store, just that they have them to get in. Although I did notice that the sign out front was changed to "masks are required for shopping in the store" so maybe they got slapped by town/state gov. My town is one of the few "green zones" in the metro area and we want to keep it that way.

[KuariKaydrith]

Starting next Monday, we are required to wear masks in every public building, something I have no issues with at all. This coming Thursday, there is an anti-mask demonstration at the provincial government building...it doesn't surprise me at all, honestly. I know that as a province we'd like to keep our ongoing no reported cases streak, but, well, it's probably best left to fratching at this point :/

[jedimaster91]

One of my coworkers tested positive. I haven't been around this particular person in probably a week and a half. No one else I work with has been asked to quarantine yet; just keep an extra close eye on any symptoms and whatnot. I feel bad for her. She is one of the sweetest people you could meet and one of her daughters-in-law was recently diagnosed with lymphoma.

[Food Lady]

My coworker tested positive and I hadn't see her for 1 1/2 to 2 weeks but the hospital staff suggested I get tested. They asked me to quarantine until I got the test results. It's weird that they considered that contact. I hadn't seen her for a month due to store shutting down and then I saw her for literally 2 to 3 minutes on the day she went home sick.

[telecom_goddess]

at the day shift of my partner's work, which is a warehouse/factory, someone tested positive. They admitted to contracting due to continuing to have large family gatherings, and now because of this up to 14 people are out due to quarantine and my partners are being forced to work overtime, along with a lot of other people. I don't even want to know what it's costing the company in terms of lost productivity due to having to DROP everything and deep clean. Plus those people not being there now. This is the second time this has happened!

[MadMike]

Cases in PA are coming down again. They had spiked to over a thousand a few days several weeks back, but now they're staying well below that. I think the last time I heard, we were at around 500. I don't check the numbers every day anymore like I used to, because it was just stressing me out. Not sure if it's because of the further restrictions on restaurants or bars, or if it's because we're coming to the end of vacation season. I'm interested to see what happens over Labor Day weekend. I'm also concerned about what's going to happen when school starts back up, although not all schools are going to fully reopen. Some of them are going online-only, and some of them are doing a hybrid thing where one group goes in two days a week, and another group goes two other days. My district was going to do the hybrid thing, but not enough teachers were willing to go back in.

My wife's job notified her earlier today that they would be continuing to work from home through the end of the year. Haven't heard anything new from my job about going back, although they did say that when we do, they're only going to have 50% of the work force onsite, and everyone will have to wear masks even when they're sitting at their desks. Previously they said it would be just when you were moving around through the building. Hopefully they're feeling stupid about the remodel they did several years back where they crammed us all closer together.

Stores are pushing mask use more now, at least as far as signs go. Sheetz used to have signs saying masks were required, but at the bottom it said, "If you are not wearing a mask, we'll respectfully assume it's due to a medical condition." Now their signs just tell you to wear a mask. Other stores that used to have signs saying masks are "recommended" now say they're required. Not sure how much they're actually enforcing it though, since I still see a few people without masks, or worse yet, they're wearing a mask but have their nose sticking out. That one really annoys me, even more than not wearing a mask at all. If I see someone without one, then maybe they have a medical condition or some other valid reason. But why go through the trouble of putting one on and then negate the whole point of wearing it?

I have a vet appointment for one of my cats on Monday, and apparently they're not actually letting people in the building. Instead, you pull into the parking lot, let them know you're there, and they come out to your car, pick up your pet, treat it, and return it to your car. I also have a dentist appointment that day, and apparently they're not letting people sit in the waiting room. I have to call after I park, and then someone will come out and let me in the office. Not sure what people without cell phones are supposed to do.

[EricKei]

worse yet, they're wearing a mask but have their nose sticking out

There's a LOT of that happening here -- especially in grocery stores/restaurants, from both customers and workers >_<

I have to call after I park, and then someone will come out and let me in the office. Not sure what people without cell phones are supposed to do.

A local lab place (e.g. for blood draws) is doing this. If you don't have a cell, you can apparently come to the door and wait for someone to show up; they will ask for a description of your car and come out to grab you when they're ready.

[KuariKaydrith]

Not sure what people without cell phones are supposed to do.

What are people without cars to wait in supposed to do? Sit outside and pray it doesn't rain, I suppose.

We've got people up in arms about the mandatory mask order going into effect this coming Monday, going so far as to state they feel like pariahs for their refusal to wear masks. I've been making masks so I've got an assortment handy and ready to go for when I have to wear them while I'm out and about, but then I'm in the demographic for those who'd get hit the hardest if we caught COVID. Frankly, I'm not willing to take any chances with my health, one way or the other anyway.

[telecom_goddess]

That's what I'm wondering, if you have an appointment and have no car? I've gone to appointments without a car TONS of times and I don't want to be standing around outside if it's hot, or raining or whatever.

[EricKei]

tg -- Good question. When I went for a lab test the other day, a local "home" had a transport van and they were ferrying residents. I can only assume they get a pass and are allowed to go right in, in limited numbers.