Northern Virginia leaders, health officials call for Phase One delay across region (Arlington: home, purchase)

[Skatergirl]

That idiot Garvey. Nothing nice to say about her.

Elderly and those with condiditons shoud be isoating and let healthy people reopen the economy!!!

Originally Posted by sonnymarkjiz

Great. Their letter worked.

https://www.insidenova.com/news/spec...460dbd9ff.html

[oneasterisk]

Originally Posted by ToyVW55

Ok, got it. I thought the angst on this thread was about how Virginia is handling things. Even in the link, the "officials" in Virginia were pretty clear they'd never stop anyone from driving around at any point. Not sure about DC and MD.

Just have this sign ready and see how things go...

[tgbwc]

The variances in the application of the rules perplex me. For example in Phase 1 churches are allowed to have 50% of their indoor capacity, yet restaurants which can operate by reservation can allow for no indoor seating. Restaurants can allow 25% of their outdoor seating capacity if they have it available, but outdoor pools which can also operate by reservation and most likely have more room for spacing have to keep their pool decks closed.

[sonnymarkjiz]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

The variances in the application of the rules perplex me. For example in Phase 1 churches are allowed to have 50% of their indoor capacity, yet restaurants which can operate by reservation can allow for no indoor seating. Restaurants can allow 25% of their outdoor seating capacity if they have it available, but outdoor pools which can also operate by reservation and most likely have more room for spacing have to keep their pool decks closed.

Don't forget how somehow, golf courses are allowed to be open. We can't interrupt the rulemakers favorite game!

But that mom and pop family owned restaurant or some random trail in a park? Bad! Close down now!

[Ffxdata]

I keep seeing people saying that “mom and pop stores are closed”. I’m not seeing that at all. Many have changed their hours and how they are doing business (offering curb pick up, offering shipping, limiting who can go in the store, etc), but they mostly aren’t closed. In Old Town Fairfax, for example, the only businesses forced to close were a tattoo shop, two yoga studios, a gym, and two salons. Businesses that have stayed open? Almost every restaurant where many added delivery and takeout options they didn’t have before, a paint your own pottery place that is offering online ordering and curb pick up, a book store that offered curb pick up, a hippy dippy crystal shop which is now shipping, two breweries and a boutique beer place that are all doing delivery and takeout, a cake shop that has been doing sold out business, a dry goods/gift shop that has kept their same hours, and a surf and skate shop that’s considered essential.

I’m not saying that businesses aren’t suffering. But they are suffering because people aren’t shopping or confident in shopping, not because of state restrictions.

[NOVAmtneer82]

Originally Posted by Ffxdata

I keep seeing people saying that “mom and pop stores are closed”. I’m not seeing that at all. Many have changed their hours and how they are doing business (offering curb pick up, offering shipping, limiting who can go in the store, etc), but they mostly aren’t closed. In Old Town Fairfax, for example, the only businesses forced to close were a tattoo shop, two yoga studios, a gym, and two salons. Businesses that have stayed open? Almost every restaurant where many added delivery and takeout options they didn’t have before, a paint your own pottery place that is offering online ordering and curb pick up, a book store that offered curb pick up, a hippy dippy crystal shop which is now shipping, two breweries and a boutique beer place that are all doing delivery and takeout, a cake shop that has been doing sold out business, a dry goods/gift shop that has kept their same hours, and a surf and skate shop that’s considered essential.

I’m not saying that businesses aren’t suffering. But they are suffering because people aren’t shopping or confident in shopping, not because of state restrictions.

It is largely because of state restrictions- especially with restaurants/ bars. How is a 10- 15 percent increase in take-out options (and that is likely generous) supposed to offset a 85-90 percent decrease in sales? Most have laid off the vast majority of their staff. Some will likely never come back. We need to start trying to open things back up slowly but surely- hunkering down forever because we aren't meeting some ever evolving target isn't going to work.

One business I notice is likely thriving right now- bike shops!

[sonnymarkjiz]

Originally Posted by Ffxdata

I keep seeing people saying that “mom and pop stores are closed”. I’m not seeing that at all. Many have changed their hours and how they are doing business (offering curb pick up, offering shipping, limiting who can go in the store, etc), but they mostly aren’t closed. In Old Town Fairfax, for example, the only businesses forced to close were a tattoo shop, two yoga studios, a gym, and two salons. Businesses that have stayed open? Almost every restaurant where many added delivery and takeout options they didn’t have before, a paint your own pottery place that is offering online ordering and curb pick up, a book store that offered curb pick up, a hippy dippy crystal shop which is now shipping, two breweries and a boutique beer place that are all doing delivery and takeout, a cake shop that has been doing sold out business, a dry goods/gift shop that has kept their same hours, and a surf and skate shop that’s considered essential.

I’m not saying that businesses aren’t suffering. But they are suffering because people aren’t shopping or confident in shopping, not because of state restrictions.

I'm seeing quite a few local restaurants closed down that are family owned near me. They don't have enough staff to even do the curbside pickup thing.

Same for some of the local wineries. They've been not open since this all started.

[ToyVW55]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

The variances in the application of the rules perplex me. For example in Phase 1 churches are allowed to have 50% of their indoor capacity, yet restaurants which can operate by reservation can allow for no indoor seating. Restaurants can allow 25% of their outdoor seating capacity if they have it available, but outdoor pools which can also operate by reservation and most likely have more room for spacing have to keep their pool decks closed.

Well, they consider gathering for worship fairly essential. It's actually been allowed to some degree either by driving up or limiting to 10 people, where restaurants weren't allowed at all.

Healthwise it doesn't make sense but I guess they assume that at 50% people can space themselves appropriately. You aren't necessarily being "served" by anyone. But, yeah, it's a lot of breathing in an enclosed building. Personally, I wouldn't do it. But I think the answer is that they are looking at worship as being somewhat essential.

[Ffxdata]

Honestly, we were do for a contraction as far as restaurants go. Things have been expanding exponentially over the past few years, and many industry insiders have said that a contraction was coming.

But honestly, I’m not eager to sit in a restaurant right now and neither are my neighbors. It’s not the restrictions keeping us from dining in. It’s a 20% pay cut and economic uncertainty that is keeping us from buying from restaurants.

[ToyVW55]

Originally Posted by sonnymarkjiz

Don't forget how somehow, golf courses are allowed to be open. We can't interrupt the rulemakers favorite game!

But that mom and pop family owned restaurant or some random trail in a park? Bad! Close down now!

I actually don't have an issue with golf courses. In generally, it's a pretty natural fit for social distancing and where it's not, they can easily make it so. The virus, so far, hasn't proven to be able to spread very easily in open, outdoor areas.

I think the only problem with some parks is that they can be very popular (some of them) and cause congregating on trail heads.

We've used Leesylvania this whole time and it's been fine but it's not really ever crowded.