AZ / Maricopa Covid-19 tracker (Phoenix: salons, unemployment, pros and cons)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by FlurryCat

Close bars. Strict enforcement of masks and distancing. Anything less and we're gonna see how bad an idea going for herd immunity is.

For a while from August to October I felt like I wasn't taking a huge risk running out to the store for fresh veggies. Now I'm back to filling the freezer and being a hermit.

Originally Posted by MrsMac

I know here in Surprise they don’t enforce the mask requirement, they simply “educate.” There was a group of 50 people partying in the park across the street from my house, from toddlers to seniors, and not one of them was wearing a mask. When my husband called the non-emergency number for the PD they said they would send someone out to tell them about the mask rule but couldn’t enforce it or break up the party.

Mask requirements without enforcement are useless. We are trying to restrict grocery shopping to the base commissary (where everyone wears a mask) and grocery store delivery or pick up and I’m doing all my Christmas shopping online this year.

This nightmare won’t end until everyone has been vaccinated or starts observing mask protocol.

Many are. That is going to hurt the local merchants. It is partially their fault for not requiring masks, but also the governor for not making this a hard, statewide mandate.

[FlurryCat]

With the exception of bars, restaurants, theaters and a few other places not necessary for daily existence, they could keep the economy going if people at the top had some concern for something other than alienating part of their voter base. And maybe some direct aid to small businesses, not another corporate welfare giveaway for cronies.

Also, I think with improved treatments, the number of mild cases, and the death rate down, people are starting to believe it's no big deal - get it, get over it, and move on. I think the overly optimistic reports on a vaccine timeline and effectiveness are contributing to this as well. But more and more, I'm seeing articles about long-term organ damage, even in healthy young people. The current exponential spread is going to result in a huge burden on the health care system for quite some time, even with a successful vaccine.

[belgirl]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Many are. That is going to hurt the local merchants. It is partially their fault for not requiring masks, but also the governor for not making this a hard, statewide mandate.

Every merchant in Maricopa County requires masks. There isn't a store I have been to where masks aren't required and where 99.5% of people are wearing one. This isn't the issue and mask mandates are impossible to enforce. There is not enough man power. Furthermore, primary transmission is HOUSEHOLD transmission. If you also notice, those states who had the toughest restrictions at the start are now the hardest hit. I'm sorry, falling short of shutting down the whole economy again there isn't a ton that can be done until there is a vaccine.

[ringler24]

Originally Posted by belgirl

Every merchant in Maricopa County requires masks. There isn't a store I have been to where masks aren't required and where 99.5% of people are wearing one. This isn't the issue and mask mandates are impossible to enforce. There is not enough man power. Furthermore, primary transmission is HOUSEHOLD transmission. If you also notice, those states who had the toughest restrictions at the start are now the hardest hit. I'm sorry, falling short of shutting down the whole economy again there isn't a ton that can be done until there is a vaccine.

Just because you don't see others not adhering doesn't mean it isn't happening though. I walked into a store yesterday right behind a guy who didn't have on a mask and the store said nothing. Additionally someone had their kid in the store who was clearly sick with an awful cough. I got out of there quick. People need to stop having small parties and get togethers. I know we've done this and we are stopping now that the numbers are getting bad. My kids' schools will be shutting down again after this week. It's going to be a long winter.

[belgirl]

Originally Posted by ringler24

Just because you don't see others not adhering doesn't mean it isn't happening though. I walked into a store yesterday right behind a guy who didn't have on a mask and the store said nothing. Additionally someone had their kid in the store who was clearly sick with an awful cough. I got out of there quick. People need to stop having small parties and get togethers. I know we've done this and we are stopping now that the numbers are getting bad. My kids' schools will be shutting down again after this week. It's going to be a long winter.

Oh, I realize there are people that don't adhere to it - but the thing is, masks without social distancing aren't all that effective. It helps some, but social distancing is the key and I see more people not social distancing as opposed to not wearing masks. My parents haven't been able to go to church forever, because social distancing isn't enforced, and that rather annoys me.

My kids' school doesn't require masks and they have had very little cases--the ones that had it didn't get it at school and didn't transmit to anyone else. It was household transmission.

I think the other problem is with millennials. They think they are invincible. Thus 50% of the cases have been from that age group.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by belgirl

Every merchant in Maricopa County requires masks. There isn't a store I have been to where masks aren't required and where 99.5% of people are wearing one. This isn't the issue and mask mandates are impossible to enforce. There is not enough man power. Furthermore, primary transmission is HOUSEHOLD transmission. If you also notice, those states who had the toughest restrictions at the start are now the hardest hit. I'm sorry, falling short of shutting down the whole economy again there isn't a ton that can be done until there is a vaccine.

I disagree. We (Arizona) turned around one of the worst outbreaks of the summer in a matter of weeks with masks and strategic closures and staying the heck away from each other as much as possible. Our experience was studied and a scientific paper presented by the CDC. We were a big success story and now we have gone back to our old ways and are going to zoom back up. Hospitalizations, especially, in AZ have risen sharply over the past few days suggesting we are infecting more vulnerable people leading some credence to your observation that household transmission is taking a toll. Stop doing it! Vulnerable people may have access to a vaccine within three or four weeks. Stay alive, keep your head down. Nobody wants to be the last man to die in a war.

[FlurryCat]

Originally Posted by belgirl

Every merchant in Maricopa County requires masks. There isn't a store I have been to where masks aren't required and where 99.5% of people are wearing one.

I see probably 90% of people with masks. Almost half of them worn below the nose, as a chin diaper, or hanging from one ear. I've also seen people lower their mask to sneeze or cough. Frequently. Even well-meaning people are sloppy about it.

It's rarely enforced in stores because guidance to employees in most places is to not start a confrontation (I usually politely ask an employee what their policy is if I see a lot of violations someplace). This is for the safety of the employees, and wisely so.

You don't need to enforce it everywhere, just enough so people realize it's being enforced - If you had 2 cops for every 2 or 3 zip codes randomly walk through places and write some serious tickets, people would get the message.

[belgirl]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I disagree. We (Arizona) turned around one of the worst outbreaks of the summer in a matter of weeks with masks and strategic closures and staying the heck away from each other as much as possible. Our experience was studied and a scientific paper presented by the CDC. We were a big success story and now we have gone back to our old ways and are going to zoom back up. Hospitalizations, especially, in AZ have risen sharply over the past few days suggesting we are infecting more vulnerable people leading some credence to your observation that household transmission is taking a toll. Stop doing it! Vulnerable people may have access to a vaccine within three or four weeks. Stay alive, keep your head down. Nobody wants to be the last man to die in a war.

Yeah because Ducey shut down bars, restaurants, and gyms, and limited gatherings to 50 people. None of the mask mandates have changed. The minute those place re-opened, cases started to rise. If you re-read what I said, masks by themselves are not that effective without social distancing and this has been proven time and time again.

[Sno0909]

I go the gym just about every day. There are so few people there now, I feel completely safe being there. That would honestly be one of the last places I have a concern with. Same with restaurants. I feel way more "unsafe" in the grocery store and places like Costco.

I think the big test will be Thanksgiving and Christmas. I foresee a big outbreak, simply due to people refusing to not gather with friends and family.

[Ponderosa]

For a little while there I hoped AZ might be spared this latest wave. No luck. New numbers looks dismal. Nearly 20% positive. The hospitalization curve looks almost exactly like earlier this year. Hospitals are sounding the warning bells again and preparing for surge and worse. And Ducey remains in hiding. Last time he waited way too long to close bars etc and he appears set to do the same this time.