The Coronavirus Panic Thread

[Dreamstalker]

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

Wouldn't asking about that health exception fall under the same thing as asking someone who's exploiting the "service dog" loophole? i.e you can't really ask (aren't supposed to). I see so many people without masks I'm starting to wonder if they found that loophole.

My state's the same way. Masks, no masks...Since I have one that's actually comfortable I'm wearing it everywhere public. It helps with my pollen allergies too so...I may not have Covid, but I'm protecting you from my sneezes anyway.

Still a bit annoying going shopping non-locally as I need to convince my mom in advance to stop at "my" store that does curbside pickup. I try to schedule pickups for the day we're traveling in that direction anyway, but she doesn't quite grasp the concept of "pickup windows" (no we can't just go get it on the day, I need to tell them when I'm coming). Plus I have to justify everything I buy...

[Monterey Jack]

Looks like my store is finally allowing bottle and can redemption starting tomorrow, which is great, as I probably have over $20 worth in recyclables littering the floor of my spare room in plastic bags since mid-March.

[Dreamstalker]

Yeah, the trunk of our car is virtually full. One upside to the bottle redemption being closed down for the last two months is that the usual suspects that roam around town rummaging through dumpsters and private trash for cans were nowhere to be seen. Now...are we going to have to fight them for use of the machines...?

(typically, they show up once a day with at least one wire cart full of smelly, germy cans)

[Monterey Jack]

One upside to the bottle redemption being closed down for the last two months is that the usual suspects that roam around town rummaging through dumpsters and private trash for cans were nowhere to be seen. Now...are we going to have to fight them for use of the machines...?

I'd imagine a lot of people have just been tossing their cans and bottles away with no way to redeem them for cash, so those who spend their time rounding up stray bottles and cans in the wild will probably have hoarded a TON of them.

Regardless, going into work early well before my shift just to unload what I have.

[Dreamstalker]

My old store does have a security guard now, so maybe the can hoarders will be limited (FEM has tossed people out before for jamming the machines)...in this climate I can't imagine a cartload of smelly, greasy bottles will be looked upon kindly.

I got a haircut last night My salon is limiting appointments/people, sanitizing everything, chairs blocked off, masks, temp checks, etc. It's running well. She was able to match the slightly darker shade of haircolor that I had used at home, and likes the results.

Still trying to teach mom about mobile/online ordering...when I go back to work she can't rely on me for doing it (not that she won't try...probably be something like "can you order this for me at X on your break so I can pick it up in ten minutes?").

[Ghel]

My branch manager keeps saying he doesn't want to be the first bank to open in the area, but he doesn't want to be the last bank to open. So he's been watching to see which banks and credit unions reopen their lobby. There's only been one reopened so far, out of the 6 or so nearby.

This Monday, he was saying he thought we might reopen next Monday, but yesterday he changed it to maybe a month from now. One of the things preventing us from reopening is that we're supposed to be getting hand sanitizer stations for each of the entry doors. They're still on backorder. Also, they're supposed to be delivered to the main branch, and then someone will have to drive 2 hours to meet someone halfway to pick up ours.

[Monterey Jack]

My old store does have a security guard now, so maybe the can hoarders will be limited (FEM has tossed people out before for jamming the machines)...in this climate I can't imagine a cartload of smelly, greasy bottles will be looked upon kindly.

My store limits one person in the bottle redemption room at a time, and a maximum of 150 cans/bottles in one go. I was able to get rid of most of my recyclables, but the cans of vanilla/cherry Coke were not recognized by the machine, so I'll have to have another go in a few weeks when all available cans are programmed into the machine.

[MadMike]

It's official -- my county goes into the "green" phase next Friday, although it's not quite what I thought it was. I thought it was where everything would go back to normal, but not quite. Pretty much everything can reopen, but there are still restrictions in place, limiting the number of people at events and in businesses, and of course those damn masks. Once things are finally back to normal, I don't ever want to see a damn mask again. And I used to love Halloween...

Not surprisingly, the county where I work didn't make the cut this time, but surprisingly neither did the neighboring rural county were I grew up, despite having only 10% of the cases we've had. But I'm sure they'll make the next cut.

The last group of counties that were still in the red went into the yellow today, and I'm hoping I never see anything like this again in my lifetime.

Meanwhile, the statewide number of cases continues to drop, despite things reopening. And I'm looking forward to actually being able to go out and eat again next weekend. Hopefully my favorite burrito place reopens. They could have stayed open for carryout but chose not to. I've been getting food from there at least once a week for the last 20+ years, and I'm going into some serious withdrawal.

[Jay 2K Winger]

The Client's moving into "phase one," but we're still on a smaller crew and so I haven't been told to report back to work yet. I have to wait on a phone call from my supervisor before I can start gearing up to return to work.

And hope that my accounts and accesses are still working when I get back.

[YamiNoHime]

I'm back to full time come Monday.

[Dreamstalker]

There was a virtual "information session" today targeted toward reopening the restaurants; I signed on and lurked to see what they had come up with. Gave lip service to the retail team at the end...as a CW texted me at the time "Why the f is he congratulating D3 and O? Those clowns don't do shit compared to us."

If I can catch my manager when we go shopping tomorrow I'm going to ask him point-blank about the ending of PPP and unemployment if we're not brought back next week. I can't imagine they like doing our jobs.

[Buzzard]

It's depressing if I allow myself to dwell on it. Maddening, as well.
The county is starting to relax things, so... "We doesn't need no MASKS!" aaand now, one of the Wallyworlds down the road a bit has several politive cases amongst the workers, and rising. Nope, can't shut down, as this place serves many thousand people. Can't require masks, can't, can't, can't... can't help but to spread it.

Did do the throat clearing and point to mask with one guy who had his pulled down. "It gets hot". Yeah, and it fogs up glasses too. "huh. yeah." he got the hint. Just one out of freaking swarms, sadly.

[Food Lady]

I went back to work at the decor store today and it was everything I thought it would be as far as a liquidation in the middle of a pandemic. So we have been furloughed for 2 months and now we jump back in to a going-out-of-business sale. I couldn't work yesterday which was the first day and I'm glad; coworker said the line was wrapped. We had signs up saying bathrooms were for employees only and Assistant Manager had to clean up the men's room because some dude left a mess. Today the girls put a huge ladder with signs in front of the open doorway that goes to the little hall with the restrooms. We have the barriers and hand sanitizer and I was wearing a homemade mask. It's not required in our state so this older woman--who, according to our temp. manager is a pain that she's dealt with at her home store--was all up in my space. In fact, she wasn't on the customer side of the counter behind the barrier but right next to me because her stuff had been piled up at the side and it was a lot of stuff. Whatever, I just rang the bulky items from there. She was half a foot from me supervising the prices on my computer screen and I was uncomfortable but wanted to just get her out so I didn't say anything. I should have because customers should not be inches from a cash drawer. She handed me an envelope full of cash and I was so confused until she got through to me that she'd written her rewards codes on it. Ohhhhhhh. Good grief, I even had to tell her to go over there on the other side by the card reader to you know, use her card. And then she almost left the cash envelope behind. She admitted her husband was going to be annoyed by her spending and yet even with the discounts it was over $1,000.00 on decor. I think I'm OK with coming in on a weeknight for two hours to close (we close earlier now) but Saturdays are going to drive me to quit. I might be OK financially if I do so we'll see how Thursday goes.

Oh, and I keep remembering stuff: A) customer got mad at coworker today for touching her fake plants. How do you ring something up without touching it?? B) sucktomer literally tapping her fingers on the counter because I was wrapping up the glass tabletop for the lady in front of her, and she was buying a table runner. Ignored her because I admit I have a bias against non-masked people. She was not wearing one and table lady was. I know; it's wrong but I feel how I feel.

[Buzzard]

It's wrong to be biased against people who disregard your health? (and the health of everyone they meet)
This is new to me. I... think I'm just going to stick with this bias, no matter how 'wrong' it may be deemed.

[Food Lady]

It's wrong to be biased against people who disregard your health? (and the health of everyone they meet)
This is new to me. I... think I'm just going to stick with this bias, no matter how 'wrong' it may be deemed.

Just in a larger sense in light of "love your enemies"--according to my own belief system. That's not a feeling; it's a decision, so I could've told her I'd be with her as soon as I could but I didn't do that. I failed to treat everyone with the same level of customer service despite my feelings. I did treat a lot of un-masked people nicely so I could have done so for her. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure masks help at all and they're not required here but I'm doing it because I think I tend to be an asymptomatic carrier. Everyone around me gets sick and I never do, or never have symptoms.