Wear Your Mask - COVID-19 Thread II

[LynnInDenver]

Some of the barcades in Denver commenting on the disparity between the casinos being allowed to have their machines, and they aren't:

https://www.9news.com/video/news/local/n...35c120554c

I suspect it's mostly because of the tax revenue casinos bring in versus arcades - still doesn't make it right that one is able to do it and the other isn't. Not that I plan to venture to either anytime soon. In fact, we've been buying home arcade setups the past four months as part of being able to stay at home.

[Dartz]

'Golfgate' swings on.

And another one

[robkelk]

Is Tenet worth the risk? Doctors say no. Theatres say please

[LynnInDenver]

Yeah, theaters are among the last places that I'm willing to go right now. I'll dine-in at a restaurant before I step foot in a movie theater. It's just not worth the risk for less than three hours of entertainment.

[classicdrogn]

It'll be out on a streaming service ere long anyway. Or other places, and likely even sooner, if you don't mind getting caught wearing a patch and parrot if you win the lottery and the Party Van pulls up.

[Dartz]

Yeah, I'm going the cinema with a group of friends Saturday - followed by a meal at a local BBQ place.

Seems safe enought with the distancing and stuff they have going.

Even if it's not, my family have already had it so I amn't going to give it to anyone if I do get tagged.

[LynnInDenver]

It'll be out on a streaming service ere long anyway. Or other places, and likely even sooner, if you don't mind getting caught wearing a patch and parrot if you win the lottery and the Party Van pulls up.

Yeah, don't tempt me... I think I'd be mildly justified doing it that way given the way they're trying to return to the old normal, and I don't think we're going back to that regardless at this point, especially if it's in the middle of next year with two more case spikes behind us. I'm becoming disinclined to spend money with particular market segments that are trying to do the "it's safe now, go ahead and stick your heads in the sand," especially given that I'm already out of some of the events that I like to do (the last con of the year here for me, Mile Hi Con, is already set up to just be virtual, and I'm not holding out hope for next year's events at the rate things have been going... and my model club hasn't been able to meet for almost six months now, I've been to the store it's held at once since the lockdown started to lift) One of the tavern association has a lawsuit going basically saying the last call move up was not justified with sufficient evidence and that it's a death sentence for their businesses, so I'm not inclined to go anywhere near that subset of restaurants even after I feel it's safe for me and my own. I haven't heard of the barcades participating in it (yet), so I'll be willing to patronize the survivors (I know we're going to lose businesses in that space) once I feel comfortable doing that sort of indoor recreation.

Theaters were low on my list of places to go in general, anyway. We've actually tended to prefer going to places like the Alamo for our movie outings, but that falls under the "restaurant" category and I'm really not comfortable going indoors to eat right now. I'm already uncomfortable enough while wearing a mask, anything mask-free is really not an option.

Obviously, I haven't (to my knowledge) gotten infected, and I'd like it to stay that way.

[robkelk]

Something I hadn't thought of, but makes perfect sense:

In order to prevent a "twindemic", it's more important than ever to get your flu shot this year. Especially if you normally don't get the shot.

[LynnInDenver]

Yeah, planning on getting my flu shot.

I've actually been getting my flu shot regularly at this point anyway.

[robkelk]

Just a reminder: The Canada/USA border is still closed to non-essential traffic.

More than 18,000 people have tried to visit, shop, sightsee in Canada despite border closure

[LynnInDenver]

Yeah, I think that border should stay closed until the U.S. has an inoculation program that's proven to actually do the job, and a confirmed immunization rate at least 10 percentage points higher than what's determined to actually give herd immunity.

(Which means I don't expect to be able to play tourist in Canada for at least ten years unless I want to immigrate, even though I'd like to play tourist, but there you go. It's the bed we have to lie in.)

[Bob Schroeck]

Yeah, that means we'll probably not see Peg's relatives in Canada for at least ten years, either -- if ever.

[robkelk]

Halloween has been cancelled.

In Wakefield, a suburb of Ottawa-Gatineau.

[robkelk]

The holiday events keep on getting cut...

CP Holiday Train won't be leaving the station this year, for the first time in 21 years, because of the pandemic.

The rolling concerts will be replaced with virtual concerts, apparently.

[LynnInDenver]

Yeah, we're watching the numbers tick back up here (thanks to inconsiderate college students back in school, no less; Boulder told people in the 18-22 range that they can't do gatherings at all, to please stay the fuck home for the time being). We went from hovering around 140 hospitalizations to about 160 the past week. The colleges are struggling to get their student bodies to recognize that the parties can't happen, although it's also quite likely to be just a minority being "it won't affect me" assholes insisting they should be able to socialize in a pre-COVID way, but it's still threatening to undo what reopening we've been able to do.

They're finally allowing the barcades to reopen here (with otherwise similar restrictions to elsewhere) - at least they haven't done anything worse than make noise about having to be closed for so long. Me and mine don't feel comfortable being out in social scenarios involving complete strangers right now, and that feeling keeps being reinforced at the grocery store, so there you go, I hope they make it through, although by the point we feel more comfortable we may be beyond the desire to relive the arcade experience, along with many other things we used to do.

I'm about to buy at least one cheap webcam to send to someone else as a gift, so that I can see the other people in the D&D campaign instead of just hear them.

[robkelk]

Bucking the trend, Festival Franco-Ontarien is going ahead. As I post this, the general director of the festival is on the radio, explaining the precautions they're taking.

Based on what I'm hearing, I have no intention of going anywhere near the place - the staff and performers will probably be okay, but the crowds...

[Matrix Dragon]

We've been averaging about 10 to 15 cases a day in Victoria this week, all in Melbourne, so with a little luck, shouldn't be under lockdown too much longer.

[LynnInDenver]

The North American operations of Laser Quest (chain of laser tag arenas) has shuttered as a result of the pandemic. I used to go there regularly about 20 years ago, and I'm a bit bummed I won't get to go if I ever get the itch again.

[robkelk]

Quebec is expecting a run on flu shots this year. Psychologists, social workers, dental hygienists, psychoeducators, sexologists, physiotherapists, and other health workers in Quebec have been asked to take training to administer vaccines. (Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, auxiliary nurses, respiratory therapists and midwives alreay have that training.)

[robkelk]

Don't panic buy, find a side hustle and other tips to ride out the 2nd wave

"You would be surprised and probably floored by what people are willing to pay money for."

And if you make an extra $150 a month?

"That may not sound like a lot … [but] if you add two or three of those lines of income, now all of a sudden you got your car payments made."

[LynnInDenver]

Yeah, update to the webcam thing, webcam was ordered and delivered, and the DM ordered his own, and we've tested on at least a one on one basis to verify that their equipment works. So this weekend I can play D&D with my husband next to me, and my friends where i can actually SEE their faces.

[Norgarth]

Yeah, update to the webcam thing, webcam was ordered and delivered, and the DM ordered his own, and we've tested on at least a one on one basis to verify that their equipment works. So this weekend I can play D&D with my husband next to me, and my friends where i can actually SEE their faces.

[robkelk]

Since none of us are likely to have 30 people around the festive table this year, a suggestion is offered one week before the event in Canada: Smaller birds for a smaller Thanksgiving, says local farmer

[LynnInDenver]

   

So it worked out decently enough for "equipment we had lying around the house"... better screen on the rec room computer (used to be one of my husband's monitors before we replaced his), and the HD webcam that I use for occasional filming (which we bought before COVID-19 basically threw everything we know out the window alongside the baby and bathwater). We might do some sort of upgrade, maybe by moving the arcade cabinet so we can use a larger screen.

[robkelk]

This weekend is Turkey Day in Canada. The local "what's open and closed" list now includes the header "COVID-19 testing centres".

(Four open and two closed, on the off-chance anyone is interested.)