How's 'that' situation going now?

[Emerkeith Davyjack]

1. How is the Coronavirus situation where you live? What's closed down? Have you gone out much? Are you (Oh, what's the trendy term now " Self-distancing "?) staying inside as a precaution or actually infected or is anyone else you know? I hope, if so, you're well. Let's...well, exchange comments.
2.   I am now in Portland, Oregon. The Govenor, and then, locally, Portland declared a state of emergency. I saw the comment made that Oregon was the furthest behind on dealing with CV of the 3 West Coast states.
3.   I went out yesterday ( Sun.), I am ill and had sleep to make up to-day (Mon.) and ended up not going out - I may go out across the street to a all-nite grocery tonite-early Tues. I have not heard of a regular medical appointment Tues. being cancelled.

[Dave Palmer]

My university is shut down, so I am at home migrating my courses for online delivery.  I’m stuck here with a few thousand books and 22,000 comics, I wish I could figure out something to do with my free time.  Currently reading a Spider pulp.

[Dave Palmer]

Maybe these guys had the right idea after all

The Baron said:

This would be a great time to cosplay the Golden Age Sandman.

[The Baron]

AIM always looked to  me like they'd all bought their wives hats, and then wore the boxes.

[ClarkKent_DC]

ClarkKent_DC said:

I'm in the DMV* and work from home much of the time.

The Baron said:

So, when you need to renew your tags,  you go to the DMV DMV?

I go to the MVA (Motor Vehicle Administration).

[ClarkKent_DC]

In the realm of the comics we all love, two developments reported by The Comics Beat:

 "Publishers Respond to COVID-19 With Retailer Relief": Image, Dynamite, Aftershock and Vault make it easier for comics stores to return stock. 

and "Developing: Diamond Allows Stores to Put Accounts on Hold and Mulls Changes to Free Comic Book Day": Diamond floated making Free Comic Book Day a monthlong event ("Free Comic Book May") but the announcement confused people.

Vis a vis my friendly neighborhood comics store, Fantom Comics, it posted on Facebook and sent an email to customers telling us it's staying open, cleaning all surfaces, keeping the bathroom open so people can wash their hands before they browse, and will work with people if they want to pay online or in installments or have their comics mailed to them.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

On Monday, we were give permission to work from home.

On Wednesday, we were encouraged to work from home.

Starting next week, we will alternate working either two or three days from home each week.

My company was looking to reduce the on-site workforce by 50%. After Monday, our team of 12 was reduced by four, after Wednesday, five.

[ClarkKent_DC]

Update: Free Comic Book Day has been scratched.

From the Los Angeles Times, via Yahoo News: "Free Comic Book Day Has Been Postponed Amid Coronavirus Outbreak"

[JohnD]

Here in Connecticut, the state has been shut down, effective Sunday at 8:00 P.M. All "non essential" businesses are to close, and office workers are encouraged to work from home. I am blessed to work for an essential service; and, even though I am an office worker, my work has to be done on sight ( at least according to the VP, who has given the ok for me to go to work, as long as I stay in my office. ).

[John Dunbar]

Here in Nova Scotia, before last Sunday, March 15, there were no confirmed cases of Covid 19.  That day, it was announced there were 3 presumptive (suspected but unconfirmed by laboratory testing) cases.  As of today, there are 21, 9 confirmed and 12 presumptive.  No deaths as of yet in NS, one person was hospitalized but now recovering at home, another of the 21 has since been hospitalized.  For all of Canada (pop. 36 million) there have been just under 1100 cases as of today, with 13 deaths; 9 deaths occured in one province, British Columbia.

Bars are closed, as are gyms, movie theatres, barbershops, nail salons, tattoo parlours, and the like by order of the provincial government.  Restaurants are drive thru and take out only.  Many businesses have closed their doors for now, and those that are still open - grocery stores, department stores, and drug stores -  have reduced hours.  Schools are closed for at least the next 2 weeks.  In other provinces they have scrapped the rest of the school year.

The mood I observe among people - co-workers and the general public - is anxious and stressed.  I feel as if people have taken the messages to wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing (staying 6 feet apart in stores and public places) to heart.  However, there are a number of people who have recently returned from international travel, whio have been told to self isolate for 14 days and are not doing so.  Most if not all of the 21 cases in Nova Scotia are people who have travelled or been in close contact with someone who travelled.  It makes the rest of the population nervous, not helped at all by the perception some of those who travelled were dismissive of the seriousness of this situation and some continue to feel this way.  

For me personally, I work at a drug store and working from home is not an option.  I continue to work a full schedule and extra hours are there if I want them.  8 of my co-workers, about 20% of the staff, are staying home indefinitely.  Just today our company informed us all employees will be getting an extra $2 per hour retroactive to two weeks ago, and will continue at least until the end of April.  

My local comic shop closed on Thursday indefinitely.

[ClarkKent_DC]

The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at how this is affecting the nation's friendly neighborhood comics stores: "The Moment We Have Been Dreading': Coronavirus Lands Thanos-Sized Punch on Comic Shops"

[ClarkKent_DC]

The Baron said:

So, when you need to renew your tags,  you go to the DMV DMV?

ClarkKent_DC said:

I go to the MVA (Motor Vehicle Administration).

Speaking of which, I just got an email telling us all of the MVA offices statewide are closed indefinitely. You can do what you can online.

If what you need can't be done online, the governor has invoked a state of emergency, so by executive order, any license, registration or anything else that expired on March 12 or is going to expire in the near future will remain valid until 30 days after the state of emergency ends, whenever that is.

[Steve W]

I'm in Worcester, England and the situation here is changing every day. Last Tuesday evening we were told by government not to go to pubs or cafes, but the pubs and cafes were allowed to stay open.  Then, on Friday evening, the pubs, hotels and cafes were told by government to close, and we were all told to self-isolate if possible and work from home if possible. I'm therefore starting to work from home as from Monday until further notice.

We have only 3 confirmed cases here in Worcestershire, and no deaths up to now.  Shops are still open but gyms, pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels are now closed.  Food shops are constantly running short of food as people don't seem to realise that they don't need to overstock.  We have a freezerful of food ( which is always the case) so we can probably live at home for at least a week without venturing out.  However, I'm really missing bars and restaurants at the moment. The big question is - how long will this go on for?

I'm hoping it will all be over by July, but who knows?