Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

[monster]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

All y'all are being super patient with the "flattening the curve" explanations, but what Dude asked was why ONLY a month.

you're right, to me the curve thing makes it obvious the plan is not to make it disappear, merely slow it down so we can cope better, but I guess that needed spelling out.

The period might well get extended, but we can't all stay indoors for ever until it disappears completely/sufficiently/we have a reliable vaccine......

Some of us are unemployed right now so don't have an employer who will pay them to stay at home. Some work in jobs where their employer will go out of business if forced to pay them when they are not working. Those people will not be able to buy food, pay pills, might lose their houses and cars, AND THEIR HEALTHCARE (if they have any) There is a limit to the extent to which even the most community-minded can "take one for the team".

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by monster

Some of us are unemployed right now so don't have an employer who will pay them to stay at home. Some work in jobs where their employer will go out of business if forced to pay them when they are not working. Those people will not be able to buy food, pay pills, might lose their houses and cars, AND THEIR HEALTHCARE (if they have any) There is a limit to the extent to which even the most community-minded can "take one for the team".

Oh absolutely, a critical part of all this will have to be financial relief. Delayed mortgage payments, utilities, etc. with no penalties. City of Austin has already declared that no one's electricity is getting cut off while this is ongoing--not least because they anticipate they won't have staff available to go out and do the manual shut off anyway. Other cities have officially put residential evictions on hold. Shut down schools are offering free food to kids during the suspension, ostensibly for the ones who were on free breakfast/lunch programs, but they make it clear that no ID or anything else will be needed, just show up and get a box of free food Mon-Fri. Some are using school bus routes to avoid having people gather for food pickup, just drive the normal route at the normal time and slide a box out the door to any kid standing outside at their normal spot.

It's like, there's no point in repossessing a car that you can't sell because all the car auctions have been shut down, you know? The debt will rack up, and I doubt very many creditors will be outright forgiving anything, but putting people out on the street is exactly what they won't want to do.

[Flint]

But how will we pay for it?

[xoxoxoBruce]

"Just went to Seattle’s UW Medical Center to ask how much patients are being charged for a coronavirus test. $100-$500 if they have insurance. $1,600 if they don’t."

[monster]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Oh absolutely, a critical part of all this will have to be financial relief. Delayed mortgage payments, utilities, etc. with no penalties. City of Austin has already declared that no one's electricity is getting cut off while this is ongoing--not least because they anticipate they won't have staff available to go out and do the manual shut off anyway. Other cities have officially put residential evictions on hold. Shut down schools are offering free food to kids during the suspension, ostensibly for the ones who were on free breakfast/lunch programs, but they make it clear that no ID or anything else will be needed, just show up and get a box of free food Mon-Fri. Some are using school bus routes to avoid having people gather for food pickup, just drive the normal route at the normal time and slide a box out the door to any kid standing outside at their normal spot.

It's like, there's no point in repossessing a car that you can't sell because all the car auctions have been shut down, you know? The debt will rack up, and I doubt very many creditors will be outright forgiving anything, but putting people out on the street is exactly what they won't want to do.

Basically, those people can stomach being told it's for 2 weeks/a month, but if it's longer than that, they are less likely to co-operate because they know they won't make it financially. That's why ONLY a month. Trying to slow it and make it more manageable with the good will of the public.