COVID-19 Check-In Thread Part IV

[Bob Schroeck]

Since Part III has hit 300 posts, time for a new threat to hopefully document the end of the pandemic and measures to address it.

[Cobalt Greywalker]

Still the same old story; going into work, and still of good health.

[LynnInDenver]

Still managing here. At least we're getting more and more friends through our front door so we can actually SEE them. Still having the internal war of when it's safe to do more things OUTSIDE the house.

[Bob Schroeck]

...And now we've made the leap... Kat, Joe, Scott and Nina are coming down from Bath NY to visit us next weekend. It'll be the first time we've seen them since late 2019. Of course we're all vaccinated.

[Inquisitive Raven]

Not much to say here. I'm still surviving.

[classicdrogn]

Likewise, just checking in

[Mamorien]

My dad's vaccines are holding up, or maybe it's just that he doesn't get around much anymore anyway. That latter may also be the reason why his legs gave out last Thursday. He spent the weekend in Chambersburg Hospital for observation; yesterday, he was relocated to the inpatient rehab clinic that happens to be closest to us (where he previously spent the period from July to October of 2018). Because the pestilence came to these lands in the meanwhile, we now have to make appointments to visit him, the first of which is for Thursday afternoon. I've got a therapy appointment that would cut short my time with him, but I'm thinking of rescheduling it, because tomorrow I go in for Moderna 2: This Time It's Supplemental (or, as my brother thought more fitting when we spoke on the phone earlier this evensong, Moderna 2: Electric Boogaloo, but he's one of those guys who thinks everything is a strapless evening gown), and my GP warned me this afternoon that a lot of people get clobbered by their second jab.

[nocarename]

Scheduled for the second jab this Sunday. So I guess time still means something, somehow.

[Mamorien]

Moderna 2: Immunologic Boogaloo had me looking longingly at my last two NiteTime gelcaps that night, so I was glad of postponing the next day's therapy appointment, and equally glad of being physically present at the rehab facility to provide my kindly gray-haired mother with moral support. (She is taking dad's collapse, and the continuing reminders of her own inability to provide him the level of care he needs, with varying but often low degrees of equanimity. If you know any good religions, thoughts and prayers could come in handy.)

[Labster]

I am now considered fully vaccinated. And as of today, we are finally out of the yellow tier. In fact, there are no more tiers, no more colors, just complete anarchy!!1! California appears to be asymptotically approaching 75% vaccination, which means roughly 15% of people are opting out -- there are usually structural reasons why it's difficult to get above 90% -- people with cancer treatments, infants/children not yet eligible, people with real religious concerns, people who are homeless and hard to reach, etc.

Anyway, you still have to wear a mask if you haven't been vaccinated. What this means in practice: people who aren't vaccinated feel free to go maskless, while the rest of us keep wearing masks everywhere because the other people are idiots. People everywhere are just about at their breaking point and getting into quarrels about stupid shit all the time.

Anyway, looking forward to the roaring twenties!

[LynnInDenver]

I am now considered fully vaccinated.  And as of today, we are finally out of the yellow tier.  In fact, there are no more tiers, no more colors, just complete anarchy!!1!  California appears to be asymptotically approaching 75% vaccination, which means roughly 15% of people are opting out -- there are usually structural reasons why it's difficult to get above 90% -- people with cancer treatments, infants/children not yet eligible, people with real religious concerns, people who are homeless and hard to reach, etc.

Anyway, you still have to wear a mask if you haven't been vaccinated.  What this means in practice: people who aren't vaccinated feel free to go maskless, while the rest of us keep wearing masks everywhere because the other people are idiots.  People everywhere are just about at their breaking point and getting into quarrels about stupid shit all the time.

Anyway, looking forward to the roaring twenties!

Yeah, we're still wearing our masks here when we go to stores, but very definitely I'm seeing the "wearing a mask" percentages drop quite fast now that we're also off the tier system - and we're at 54% single shot and better on vaccinations right now, so I really doubt that all of the ones without masks are vaccinated right now, which means it's still really risky for anyone who's immunocompromised to consider stepping outside the house. On the other flipper, positivity, new cases, and hospitalizations are still on the downward track (pretty much among the unvaccinated), so it's just the hope that we don't get a variant pop up that evades the immunization.

[Cobalt Greywalker]

Regular (-ish) check-in.  Still going to work, still OK.

[Dartz]

Registration opens up for people my age tomorrow

People have already taken to vaccinating themselves on the streets. There're used needles all over the park need the dog park and the playground and the pitches.

[classicdrogn]

Internet went out late Friday and it took Verizon this long to get their shit straight, so checking in again. Grumblemuttercurse.

[Inquisitive Raven]

Welp, as of last Friday, Philadelphia has lifted mask requirements for the fully vaccinated. You just know that plenty of the unvaccinated are going to take advantage of that while not admitting to being unvaxxed.

[nocarename]

Jabbed and signed up for the provincial lottery intended to encourage getting vaccinated.

Hopefully my shoulder stops being sore and my brain starts working sometime today.

[Jinx999]

I just got my second jab.

[Cobalt Greywalker]

Still here and working.

[LynnInDenver]

Still here. Still watching the vaccination numbers. We're slowly creeping towards 60% partially vaccinated. I established with my husband that 60% is the lowest number we need to see before hitting a restaurant for the first time, and even then we're going to keep it towards "known smaller crowd" places, which means for now that places like Snooze are off our list. Of course, we might just be keeping where we're not eating out nearly as much as we did pre-lockdown.

[robkelk]

... Of course, we might just be keeping where we're not eating out nearly as much as we did pre-lockdown.

Sounds like a plan - I know I'm saving money doing that.

Still here, still working... training a new guy to take over my job, though. He won't get my job until the new group that our director wants to create opens and I move to it... assuming that happens, of course. The fact that we're starting to look at the future instead of staying in panic-response mode is a good sign, though.

[Dartz]

I've friends over for BBQ. Most of 'em got their jabs early for reasons. I'm months away still - they didn't lengthen the window like I thought.

Sure if they give it to me it'll put me lights out, but I had a good time - so it's worth it.

[Bob Schroeck]

...And now we've made the leap... Kat, Joe, Scott and Nina are coming down from Bath NY to visit us next weekend.  It'll be the first time we've seen them since late 2019.  Of course we're all vaccinated.

Oh, I never said how this turned out.

Very well indeed.

Nina actually chose not to come down, so it was just the over-50 set.  We had a cookout with Helen and Attila attending on Saturday, and then Sunday noon before they left we went to the first restaurant we've visited since the pandemic started (excepting one where we ate outdoors last November at Provincetown, MA) -- a dim sum place we haven't been to in a few years.  In between was massive hanging-out as we used to do in our twenties.

[Mamorien]

In accordance with Gov. Wolf's relaxation of health restrictions, the rehab facility where my dad's currently enrolled has eased up on its visitation policy, which used to be by advance appointment only. Now one can, technically, drop in any time (although one still has to let them know one's coming and to accept an escort through the building), though in practice, my dad's exercising all morning, so visits aren't actually feasible until the afternoon. Existing appointments are still valid, so my mother, my brother and I are still planning to fall by on Thursday (which happens to be her birthday), after which, since I'll be 15 days past my second shot, I'm planning to take her (and Rip if he be still in town at that point) out to our local LongHorn for what I'm pretty sure is our first dinner out since the pestilence came to these lands.

[Inquisitive Raven]

I've been a bit more active in the past week.

[Mamorien]

In accordance with Gov. Wolf's relaxation of health restrictions, the rehab facility where my dad's currently enrolled has eased up on its visitation policy, which used to be by advance appointment only. Now one can, technically, drop in any time (although one still has to let them know one's coming and to accept an escort through the building), though in practice, my dad's exercising all morning, so visits aren't actually feasible until the afternoon. Existing appointments are still valid, so my mother, my brother and I are still planning to fall by on Thursday (which happens to be her birthday), after which, since I'll be 15 days past my second shot, I'm planning to take her (and Rip if he be still in town at that point) out to our local LongHorn for what I'm pretty sure is our first dinner out since the pestilence came to these lands.

Update: things have gotten a bit crazy for my brother, so he'll be visiting at the weekend, not on Thursday.