The Coronavirus | Contains 4.5% Alcohol

[Mr EliteL]

Today at work sucked, just like Monday did. Only brought it back when two more people came in and my section leader came back from home shopping. Next week though will only be 3 of us, and the third comes in 7 hours after I get in (doing three 10 hour Friday shifts). Tomorrow is our General Store Manager's last day with us. Longest time for GSM so far, yet I can still remember the last one clearly. I'm also doing two 10 hour Saturdays, so I have more fun tomorrow too.

Retailers I can see being the last (other than doctors of course, who'll never be) workers allowed to stay at home. So I have next to no hope there. Even if the store gets closed, there's still home orders unless they stop that too, which I can't imagine happening. Will be surprised if we do. Wonder if the virus will spread to my town. Did overhear another colleague knowing of someone who does or might have it (I wasn't listening closely). Apparently 9 cases in Essex (my area) so far. Hooray.

[Moonface]

Grocery stores won't shut. It's a basic necessity people need access to.

I'm going in early tomorrow to try and get a head start before the customers come in. Today was stupid, and with a state of emergency being declared now tomorrow will be like the end times have arrived.

[Moonface]

So WWE just announced that their biggest show of the year, WrestleMania, is now being held at their Performance Center with no crowd.

They've been doing it with their weekly shows, but to know their biggest show is going to be done this way is bonkers! I'm absolutely making sure I don't miss it when it airs live just to see how the hell WWE plan to pull off a 5 hour show without a crowd in a venue that can't host the sort of grand spectacle WrestleMania typically has.

[Dragon Lord]

The Governor of Minnesota announced that starting tomorrow at 5 PM and going through March 27th, all restaurants, bars, theaters, gyms, casinos, etc., will have to close for dine-in eating. Carry out, delivery and drive-thrus will be allowed to remain open, but at this rate it won't matter because everyone will go into such a panic that no one will want to leave their house anyways.

I cannot believe how idiotic this is getting. The amount of overreacting over the Coronavirus by both the government and the people is just stupid.

[Moonface]

I don't think closing things is a bad idea since it helps stop large gatherings of people and contains the spread of the virus. Otherwise it's just going to stay around longer and also increase the chances of hospitals being overcrowded and thus people dying. The only stupidity that's certain is people bulk buying items at the stores to an extent that they really don't need. One man does not need 32 rolls of fucking toilet paper.

[Dragon Lord]

Closings things would be fine and dandy as long as the Government pays me for my reduced hours/missed work time because of it. But when I'm being forced to lose money because the Government wants to overreact and shut everything down, it's stupid. I'll have 11 hours of work this week if my boss decides she doesn't want to keep the restaurant open just for carry-out orders, and I wouldn't blame her for not wanting to do that. Especially since, as I said before, people are going to get to a point where they are too afraid to come out of their houses.

My boss also mentioned closing the convenience store side of things at 8 PM instead of 10 PM if business slows down because of all this drama, so that would actually cut my hours for the week down to 9, since one of my shifts would have been until 10.

So if the government wants to force places to be closed, they need to reimburse the businesses so they can pay their employees for that missed time, because it's not our choice to miss two weeks of work.

[Mr EliteL]

@Moonface I thought that was going to get cancelled like everything else, but wow. Even on a normal show I can't imagine no crowd, and there being none for WRESTLEMANIA?! OK what? Yes I get something had to be decided upon but that is, well, something.

Yup, have to agree on overreacting. Things are getting out of hand.

I have come down with a bit of a sore throat....OH NO. Despite the virus I am due a cold though, as I usually get something in the early part of the year from Winter. So I'm not too worried. 

[Moonface]

Definitely, people shouldn't lose out on pay because their job closed for the virus. My store already closes two hours earlier now, but that isn't because things are slow, it's because things are so crazy we need an extra two hours of no customers to actually catch up and tidy the store because people shop like animals.

[Karo]

Well since everyone has different GOTY for 2020 that is a-okay and everyone has different taste and there GOTY are different. even if AC is objectively the best game ever 

The shutting down of everything I think might be a bit much like I understand the fear, but I don't get why is this virus so scary to the governments? Like does it have a high mortality rate or something? I really haven't been bothered to google it because I kinda treat it like anyother virus that going around. I mean I don't mind the remote learning, but it does interfere with people's jobs like Night Lords and I thought I heard that companies have to compensate their employee if the shutdown happens?

Not to mention the hoarding are you expecting multiple countries to literally shut down entirely for months on end? Give it a few weeks and will probably see some sorta clearing up at least I'd like to think so. I really have never seen such a big scare over any type of illness before.

[Moonface]

This virus has a higher mortality rate than normal flu, and also there is no vaccine against it yet. The US is not allowing people from Europe into the country, and Canada is not allowing anyone who is not a citizen or legal resident in either.

Also, the hoarding is a mixture of reasons. Some do it from sheer panic alone. Others in the event of a mandatory quarantine or so they can self isolate. More jump in because they see stocks are getting low in stores and don't want to be shit out of luck if they wait until they need more of something, such as toilet paper. Regardless of reason, the problem this makes is companies were not prepared for this mass level of buying. Florida has large amounts of water for hurricanes because we know about them well in advance. This wasn't expected far out enough to make not only enough water, but enough anything. My store is getting in food deliveries that are sold out by the end of the day because we're starting to not get enough in and because people expect that, they'll buy lots of it before they no longer can get any.

This whole situation with stores can be summed up well by the Tragedy of the Commons: https://youtu.be/CxC161GvMPc

[Karo]

I don't know how to tell the USA...but keeping the Europeans out probably wont' save us. <.< The reaper come for us and he is asking for our dues! D: Silliness aside I do wonder how all these quarantine measure will be going on for?

Sounds pretty crazy to me my family really hasn't stocked up on huge supplies to be honest, so I'm not really sure if there going to be anything left at this rate? Luckily I do live in the middle of no where so there might always be hope for me.

That was an informative Ted Talk next week I shall do my own about AC.

[Moonface]

I don't know how to tell the USA...but keeping the Europeans out probably wont' save us. <.<

This may be to prevent needing to give more help to even more people. Also, some companies void their travel insurance policies if you remain in a country after a national emergency has been declared within it.

[Karo]

I mean that it, but I of course have to joke about things. Gotta love insurance companies.


Quick update on my school my uni has turned everything into remote universities till the end of Spring break.

[Moonface]

I doubt any educational facility at this point isn't doing remote learning. I'm very curious how my exams are going to work out since nothing will presumably stop me from just having an open book beside me with notes in it.

[Karo]

I somehow typo'd mine it was actually till the end of Spring Semester I somehow put Spring break so basically I'm not going back for quite a while. XD

My brother-in-law had to go into work today he works at an elementary school and apparently even elementary schools are doing remote learning which I'm like..."I wish my school did remote learning back in the day"

As for the exams Moony....take full advantage of them. be an honorable student!