Covid-19, Part 2.

This has been going around a lot and I wanted to share it today because things are starting to open up across the United States.  In my blog, Covid-19 Part 1, I mentioned how fragile we are as humans.  This virus has been unreal and living through it has been unreal.  So I wanted to post this because it sums up a lot of things that have happened in the past month that everyone across the world can relate to:

Today is Monday April 27th, 2020 and as of today, this is where we are:

• We are at 44 days of social isolation.  I have been off work now for 40 days.  I am being asked back to work to start "TO-GO" only orders and on Monday May 1st, our dining room is opening with huge restrictions.
  • ​These restrictions include social distancing (seating every other table), the restaurant will be at 1/2 capacity, the bar will be closed, all employees in the FOH will be required to wear masks/gloves and cannot touch any plates, silverware or drink ware using bare hands.  We will be on a restricted disposable 1-time use menu and we will have someone dedicated to spraying and disinfecting all touch-surfaces every 15-30 minutes every day.  
• The dollar is worth $ 5.32, the euro $ 5.77 and the pound $ 6.54.  In 1 month, the US Stock market went from 28,000 points to 18,000 points and has rebounded to 24,000 points.
• Schools have been closed since mid March and are teaching remotely on-line. This will continue for the rest of the school year.  Most parents are having to homeschool their children.  For colleges and universities, students were sent home and all teaching has moved to an online platform.  Schools have refunded housing and meal plans, parking passes, etc.  And small schools are shutting their doors for good because they could not handle the financial crisis placed upon them because of the virus.
• There are lines / tapes inside the stores on the floors to keep people 6 feet apart and to control 1-way lanes so people do not have to pass each other.
• Bars and restaurants are open only for takeout, home delivery & pick-up.  Most states have approved Alcohol-to-go sales.  
• Parks, beaches, hiking trails and walk-in places are not accessible to the public.
• All major and minor league sports competitions have been cancelled as well as kid's sports.
• All festivals and entertainment events have been banned.
• New segments, concerts, and shows are being filmed in an at-home environment where we can see the actors/singers/etc live from their living rooms
• Weddings, family celebrations and birthdays have been cancelled. Funerals limited to 10-20 people.
• People are doing drive-by parades to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries
• Young kids can’t understand why they can only see grandparents & other extended family and friends on a screen or thru a window if someone visits in person or on Facetime online.
• Hugs and kisses are not exchanged.
• The churches are closed or online.
• We have to stay away from each other at a recommended 6 feet apart, however the virus can last on surfaces and in people for a lot longer/farther than 6 feet
• Shortage of disposable masks and gloves in hospitals and across the world
• There are fewer ventilators than there should be.
• The President authorized the Defense Product Act requiring US Businesses to stop production of their products and produce products that America currently needs (masks, gloves, ventilators, gowns)
• People are wearing masks, some places even REQUIRE that you wear them to enter! People are even sewing their own cloth masks for sale or donation to medical facilities.
• Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bleach, antibacterial wipes and anything Lysol or Clorox is in short supply and limited per person.... IF you can even find them!
• Stores are closing early to disinfect everything. (24 hour stores are even closing by 9pm)
• Store check outs, pharmacies and even fast food drive thru windows have added plexiglass between the employee and the customer. Have to reach around or under to pay!
• You can't find isopropyl alcohol easily. .. the supply per person is limited.
• Australia, USA, Canada and Europe have closed their borders.
• Western Australia has been divided into 9 territories & an instant $1,500 fine issued for crossing the border without a valid reason. (Transport workers, Essential services etc)
• No one is travelling for leisure. Airports empty. Tourism has the worst crisis in history.
• The United States Congress has passed a series of stimulus bills to help America including an extra $600 per week all people on unemployment, a check of up to $1200 per American who filed taxes and Loans for small businesses.  The CARES ACT: costs $1.8 trillion, the largest stimulus ever approved in US History.  Overall Congress has approved close to $3trillion in stimulus funding...in 2019 the entire revenue taken in by Congress was $3.5 trillion.  
• People are dying.  As of today 55,000 US Citizens have died with a total of 993,000 confirmed cases in the US.  In the world, 209,132 people have died with a total of 3,027,192 cases confirmed.  The last time I posted about Covid (1 months and 7 days ago) we only had 250 deaths in the US from Covid.  SO in 1 month and 7 days we have had 54,750 deaths.  
• We have seen roughly 2,000 people In the US die on a daily basis since March 25th.  The FLU in the US killed 50,000 people over the course of the entire year of 2019...In just 1 month and 7 days Covid-19 has killed more US Citizens than the flu did in all of last year.
• Nursing Homes and hospitals have eliminated visitors.  That means people giving birth, people dying in the hospital, and people in nursing homes have been alone and without their family members.  Nurses and front line staff have had to serve as fill in family members for the countless people who have died in the hospital because of Covid-19.  
• Unemployment is currently at about 14-16% with 16.9million to 20 million Americans filing for unemployment because of Covid-19.  
• The President of the USA has given almost daily briefings on the Covid-19 outbreak.  This briefings have been very polarizing because of the Presidents remarks including remarks where he insinuated that people might be able to inject chemicals such as disinfectants into their body to eliminate the virus (the CDC, the poison control center,  FDA and other officials/companies/agencies have had to issue PSAs encouraging people not to digest or inject disinfectants).  The President has also issued many misstatements, instigated hate and fear towards Asian cultures and people because he kept calling the virus the "Chinese Virus" and has pushed fake cures such as the use of Hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, as helping with the virus.  The President's 3 family mutual funds all have major stock investments in Sanofi, the producer of Hydroxychloroquine.  
• No one has decided on where the virus came from.  Some believe it was a virus being developed in a lab in Wuhan, China and  escaped the lab.  Some believe it came from eating animals sold in wet markets in China (such as a bat).  China believe the US Military brought it into the country. All we know is that the virus started to spread in Wuhan, China and that China was slow in confirming the viruses existence and issue and waited for months before sounding alarm and closing off Wuhan China for 4 months.  It is believed that the first deaths in the US because of Covid were in early February.  

Why do I post this?
This should always be a reminder that life is precious & that nothing should be taken for granted. We are where we are with what we have. Let's be grateful.
This has been copied from various other versions.  If there is anything you think I should add, please feel free to comment below so I can add it to this list.