Earlier today it was clear by all the news reports that the US was all-too-quickly approaching a milestone, the kind which no one ever wants to see..... A little while ago when I again checked the Washington Post that milestone has indeed arrived, with the disease now having claimed the lives of 100,000 people: mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandparents, grandchildren, husbands, wives, significant others....... Horrific, sad, and frightening.....
As I have been doing for quite some time now on a regular basis, too, I also took a look at my own area’s local statistics, and as of a few hours ago according to Fairfax County health records: 10,181 identified cases, 1,285 hospitalized, 376 deceased, and 234 new cases today. In my zip code, if I am interpreting it correctly, there have been 1,631 cases so far. In my own condominium community there have been at least two reported COVID-19 cases. Scary, much?
This thing isn’t really slowing down all that much at all in the DC area from what I can see, and yet they’re getting ready to open up the District and Northern Virginia, which while I find It will be freeing in respects, also still seems rather concerning in other ways. The governor of Virginia has now mandated that we all wear masks when in public buildings, indoors or anywhere where there are likely to be more than just a handful of people and social distancing is difficult or impossible to maintain. This includes restaurants, businesses, offices, government buildings, etc. Some places of business may be able to open if they can provide curbside services to customers. Still waiting for more clarification which should come tomorrow from the county, but I think this also lifts the restriction of traveling and going between jurisdictions unless specifically required for work, doctor’s appointments, etc., but those who are more vulnerable are still strongly urged to stay at home as much as is possible. (Frankly, good old common sense suggests that, anyway!) For Northern Virginia, this is Phase One of the process of opening up; the rest of the state has already been doing this for about a week now.
in Maryland, they’re still holding off on opening up Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, the two in that state most heavily-populated and most affected by the pandemic so far, and I think the plans are to open up somewhat later than either DC or Northern Virginia, but probably still within the next week.
As I have been doing for quite some time now on a regular basis, too, I also took a look at my own area’s local statistics, and as of a few hours ago according to Fairfax County health records: 10,181 identified cases, 1,285 hospitalized, 376 deceased, and 234 new cases today. In my zip code, if I am interpreting it correctly, there have been 1,631 cases so far. In my own condominium community there have been at least two reported COVID-19 cases. Scary, much?
This thing isn’t really slowing down all that much at all in the DC area from what I can see, and yet they’re getting ready to open up the District and Northern Virginia, which while I find It will be freeing in respects, also still seems rather concerning in other ways. The governor of Virginia has now mandated that we all wear masks when in public buildings, indoors or anywhere where there are likely to be more than just a handful of people and social distancing is difficult or impossible to maintain. This includes restaurants, businesses, offices, government buildings, etc. Some places of business may be able to open if they can provide curbside services to customers. Still waiting for more clarification which should come tomorrow from the county, but I think this also lifts the restriction of traveling and going between jurisdictions unless specifically required for work, doctor’s appointments, etc., but those who are more vulnerable are still strongly urged to stay at home as much as is possible. (Frankly, good old common sense suggests that, anyway!) For Northern Virginia, this is Phase One of the process of opening up; the rest of the state has already been doing this for about a week now.
in Maryland, they’re still holding off on opening up Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, the two in that state most heavily-populated and most affected by the pandemic so far, and I think the plans are to open up somewhat later than either DC or Northern Virginia, but probably still within the next week.
