The Coronavirus | Contains 4.5% Alcohol

[Dragon Lord]

I was just about to post that we're dealing with that in Minnesota, with our Governor refusing to shut things down, but I just looked up on a news site and saw that he issued a 2-week "Stay at Home" order today, finally caving and just getting it done with.

Now let's see how many people are stupid enough to ignore it and still be out and about like normal.

[Mr EliteL]

Spain has now surpassed China for death count with 3,434 to 3,285.
UK is at 465.

Was watching a part of Trump's speech yesterday and just hated it. Was already in a tired state, so maybe that helped towards how I felt.
15 days, 14 now to stop the spread? Then what? I assume lockdown across everywhere in the US if not already announced by state. Needed to be done already though.

@Dragon Lord: Really hoping you don't have it and it's just a minor setback you can easily recover from.

[queenzelda]

With Jing being a pharmacist he's essential personnel. He has to come home wearing his work badge, whereas before he didn't have to. His work gave him a piece of paper saying he's "essential personnel" that he keeps in the car. Our state isn't in lockdown, but we might as well be since the state across the water from us is. 

[Mr EliteL]

His work gave him a piece of paper saying he's "essential personnel" that he keeps in the car. Our state isn't in lockdown, but we might as well be since the state across the water from us is. 

I got one of those papers today too, to prove I'm outside for a reason. If I'm ever stopped, but there's only a 10 minute time frame between me and work, so slim chance I might be stopped.

My store is now making customers queue and only allowed through one door before shopping. Even if we're in uniform to shop we have to join them too. All for good measure I get, but I really couldn't be bothered today.  My new GSM wants us to go back to using the crap system we usually use, which is a stupid idea. We're likely going to close the doors in a week or so to be a home delivery store (for the time being) and trying to go back will be a waste if time. OK enough about that.

Main news I got today, I haven't checked anything else yet, but yay our Prime Minister has tested positive. F I guess.

EDIT: Ooh, just remembered. Got my first thank you today from a customer about coming in and working. I was doing what I normally do, but was good to finally hear it to me personally. 

[Moonface]

I've been getting a lot of thanks from customers since I'm one of the more memorable workers due to being British. The odd few have given me tips too which is always nice.

[Dragon Lord]

minor setback you can easily recover from.

The Nurses that I talked to on the phone seemed to believe that I had it since all of my symptoms lined up with the symptoms of the virus. What seemed to really seal the deal on their belief is when I mentioned the slight pressure I felt in my chest when I inhaled. 

Other than one or two days of having a slightly high fever, my symptoms never really went past being mild. The sore throat and coughing were annoying, but never painful. The worst part of it is how stuffed up I've been during it and how much mucus it has produced (which I know is gross, but just detailing my possible experience with the Coronavirus). 

My fever is still lingering, which the nurses said for this situation would be normal. Symptoms can last up to two weeks. Hopefully my fever breaks in the next day or two, and then I can do my three days of no fever and then be able to go back out into the world and most importantly get back to work and not keep losing money.

[Dragon Lord]

Numbers update for those who don't keep track:

Total Cases Worldwide: 1,196,944
Total deaths worldwide: 64,580

The United States has taken the lead on total cases, with 308,124 reported cases. This is more than double of the next highest, which is Spain with 126,168. Italy comes in at third with 124,632. China has dropped down to sixth for total cases.

Total deaths still sees Italy at number one with 15,362 deaths, followed by Spain with 11,947 and then the USA with 8,395. China has gone down to seventh overall in deaths.

[ShiraNoMai]

My grandma just tested positive for it now Not sure when she contracted it, but she's a dialysis patient, and she got sepsis the other day and was sent to the ER, where she has basically remained since then. -sigh-

[Moonface]

Got an email this morning that someone at my work tested positive and that anyone who came into contact with them was notified and told to stay home for 10+ days. This comes after another store in the area had their entire deli department closed down because someone there was positive. Meanwhile I see the same fucking people coming in the store every single shift I'm in, and last night Shira and I went shopping at the Publix near us and not a single line at the registers was following the 6ft rule. Our register went from being just us on it to suddenly a mob of people just piled up behind us within touching distance. A team leader at my store also said "They can't force us to stay home because they can't arrest all of us and they can't make us pay fines so I'll just continue going where I want". Customers are asking for turkeys that can feed 8+ people because they're still planning to get together for Easter. An entire line of people waiting for toilet paper followed the 6ft rule because they knew we'd enforce it on them if they didn't, but then proceeded to unanimously state "This rule is stupid, it doesn't help we should just carry on as normal". One customer even asked us why we couldn't ask the hospital down the street to give us masks to sell to customers because we didn't have any.

[Mr EliteL]

In our store we have arrows on the floor to guide customers instead of them repeatedly going down the same isle and to avoid them crossing paths with other customers. About half are following it though. We also actually have toilet rolls lasting on the shelf in the day, plus canned food. Only item that is most likely to always out of stock is handwash.

USA now has recently over taken Spain in deaths. 14,797 to 14,792 and I'm guessing it won't be too long until Italy drops to second. Apparently UK has surpassed Italy in total deaths in one day too, and still doing very poorly for recoveries. Keep safe, guys.

[Moonface]

Apparently my company has given stores the choice to limit the number of people in the store at one time. I won't be shocked to find no such limit has been put in place because so far the handling of this pandemic by Publix has been fucking awful. Their idea of hazard pay is to move everyone's evaluations up early, and then give 50% of whatever pay increase you get from that evaluation as hazard pay. So if you get a 50c raise (the highest you'll probably get but could be lower) you get 25c an hour hazard pay. 25c an hour to put yourself at risk of catching the virus is a joke.

Another store also got an email from the regional manager bitching that there were too many carts left outside after telling that same store in-person that they were spending too much time collecting carts and need to spend more time inside filling shelves. Gotta love the pricks that sit behind desks thinking they know how to actually handle things that they have no experience in dealing with. If you think it's so easy then why don't you come down and show us how to do it?

[Dragon Lord]

That is a pretty big joke. Kwik Trip (the convenience store that my mother works for) gave all workers a $2 an hour increase for their willingness to continue working during the pandemic. So now my mom is getting $17 and hour, which is pretty damn nice.

Bad thing about working for a self-owned business is that I won't be getting shit when I go back to work next week. Get to go back out there and work for no pay increase and not even a thank you.

[Dragon Lord]

Sorry for the double post, but I realized that I completely forgot to respond to a very important post and didn't just want to edit my previous post since it'd likely go unnoticed.

@ShiraNoMai - I'm very sorry to hear about your grandma and I hope that her condition has improved since your post. I apologize if it felt like your post went ignored. Just wanted to let you know that I'm wishing well for your grandma.

[Mr EliteL]

I should've mentioned something too, must've forgot when looking at news. Really unlucky to hear a family member comes down with it. Hope your grandma will be in the recovered side of cases.

At the moment the workers in my store will be getting a week extra pay in June. Nothing in the meantime, and of course no idea when things will be back to normal. 25c extra an hour and nothing for places of work like DL's is bollocks though.

[Karo]

I hope your grandma doing better Nikki. Please do let us know how she doing it been a lil bit so I'm hoping she doing better from where she was....