COVID-19 General Colorado Thread (Denver, Arvada: rental, mortgage, loans)

[dr.frog]

I see another round of shutdowns as inevitable. Yes, people are tired of COVID and are less frightened/cautious than they were in the spring, and since we aren't taking enough steps to control the disease voluntarily or at the state or federal level, that pretty much means all we can do is rely on local health departments to shut down businesses, as they did during the spring before we saw any statewide stay-at-home orders. The problem is that stay-at-home orders really hurt business owners and laid-off employees, and the federal government is so dysfunctional at present there's very little hope of another payout to compensate people until January.

I do not think BIden is planning a national one-size-fits-all lockdown, just a national coordinated strategy for imposing lockdowns and otherwise dealing with the disease, instead of the federal government fighting with the states and hospital systems for PPE and ventilators and drugs, the president using his bully platform to undermine public health experts and local government officials, etc. We need to get everyone pulling in the same direction through clear leadership from the top about what steps to take.

Meanwhile.... maybe once hospitals and morgues fill up and people see the refrigerated trucks and mass graves in their own towns, not just in far-away cities, that'll scare folks enough to see staying home as the best way to keep themselves and their families safe. Unfortunately since deaths are a trailing indicator that means we're probably in for a very rough time in the next month or so as infections continue to percolate through the community.

[otowi]

Shutdowns again seem likely - but the timing could not be worse with Christmas coming up. I think maybe they'll go to a partial shutdown where businesses can stay open but for takeout/carryout or one-at-a-time or appointment model only, etc. Who knows? I guess we'll see. I do know that I personally have noticed the huge uptick in virus cases where I work - every day it seems another person or several is dropping for actually getting sick or having to quarantine.

[sammy87]

Originally Posted by dr.frog

I see another round of shutdowns as inevitable. Yes, people are tired of COVID and are less frightened/cautious than they were in the spring, and since we aren't taking enough steps to control the disease voluntarily or at the state or federal level, that pretty much means all we can do is rely on local health departments to shut down businesses, as they did during the spring before we saw any statewide stay-at-home orders. The problem is that stay-at-home orders really hurt business owners and laid-off employees, and the federal government is so dysfunctional at present there's very little hope of another payout to compensate people until January.

I do not think BIden is planning a national one-size-fits-all lockdown, just a national coordinated strategy for imposing lockdowns and otherwise dealing with the disease, instead of the federal government fighting with the states and hospital systems for PPE and ventilators and drugs, the president using his bully platform to undermine public health experts and local government officials, etc. We need to get everyone pulling in the same direction through clear leadership from the top about what steps to take.

Meanwhile.... maybe once hospitals and morgues fill up and people see the refrigerated trucks and mass graves in their own towns, not just in far-away cities, that'll scare folks enough to see staying home as the best way to keep themselves and their families safe. Unfortunately since deaths are a trailing indicator that means we're probably in for a very rough time in the next month or so as infections continue to percolate through the community.

I dont think Biden has the authority for a national shut down over the states. I know several Gov's would flat out reject it. And even so, what authority does Biden have? We are in a republic where the states make these decisions.

That said, I see restaurants shutting down to indoor dining and bars as well. Schools are already planning on moving remote. Will he cancel the ski season? doubt it but maybe.

[Mike from back east]

Perhaps a president could deny relief funds to states that refuse to lock down. If some governors want to play hardball they need to beware of federal bean balls coming at their fat heads. Just a hunch.

[bluescreen73]

A friend of mine shared this on Facebook. As the husband of a former crapbooker...err scrapbooker it hit close to home.

"Coronavirus - explained in craft terms. You and 9 friends are crafting. One is using glitter. How many projects have glitter?"

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Perhaps a president could deny relief funds to states that refuse to lock down. If some governors want to play hardball they need to beware of federal bean balls coming at their fat heads. Just a hunch.

I guess that's possible, before the election Biden conceded that a nationwide order to wear masks wouldn't fly, but I think just having an administration who advocates for wearing masks and encourages it will help. Remember, we changed the public perception of smoking largely through advertising, why not change minds about wearing masks with the help of advertisers?

[dr.frog]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Perhaps a president could deny relief funds to states that refuse to lock down. If some governors want to play hardball they need to beware of federal bean balls coming at their fat heads. Just a hunch.

Yes, this is part of the leverage Biden might have, although it might be problematical getting Congress to approve a conditional relief bill like that when rural red states that have been resisting taking any action to control the virus are overrepresented in the Senate. Maybe the COVID deniers will change their tune when they see the bodies piling up in their own communities, or their numbers will be thinned by natural selection by January 20 anyway.

[BarryK123]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

I guess that's possible, before the election Biden conceded that a nationwide order to wear masks wouldn't fly, but I think just having an administration who advocates for wearing masks and encourages it will help. Remember, we changed the public perception of smoking largely through advertising, why not change minds about wearing masks with the help of advertisers?

And just like smokers, the vast majority of anti-maskers are the less educated. You can't fix stupid.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by BarryK123

And just like smokers, the vast majority of anti-maskers are the less educated. You can't fix stupid.

That's very true, but at least for the most part they've been shamed out of smoking in public

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by sammy87

I dont think Biden has the authority for a national shut down over the states. I know several Gov's would flat out reject it. And even so, what authority does Biden have? We are in a republic where the states make these decisions.

That said, I see restaurants shutting down to indoor dining and bars as well. Schools are already planning on moving remote. Will he cancel the ski season? doubt it but maybe.

If covid response is going to be left up to the states, then they should be able to shut down borders. Free movement between the states makes it nearly impossible to to control. Colorado's current spike is following just behind the large outbreaks in the plains states. North Dakota currently has no available hospital beds.