Our local Safeway closed today

[thecrow]

when one employee tested positive. I was worried about this scenario a few weeks ago,
and now that nightmare is becoming reality.
Besides the fact that the other employees will now have to live on unemployment,
the loss of this store will put a strain on the others grocery stores in the area.
Already you can’t get grocery delivery... the schedules are filled up with no openings... for weeks.

I am forced to pretty much stay at home because I’m 70 and have had pneumonia and plural infection in the past. If I go out at all, I wear a mask, gloves and goggles.
Why can’t people see that wearing masks and gloves protects the both of us?
I am being held prisoner by their thoughtlessness.
I see them running down the street with absolutely no protection, walking their families, and walking their dogs. I would be able to do these things (well,not running) if only they cared enough for themselves, their families and friends... and me.

/rant

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Yesterday, I saw the local Walmart refuse to allow a couplei without masks-- the guy bitched, but...

they left without incident.

Walmart, man, they've been controlling how many people in the store, and now enforcing mask rules. This is a whole new world...

[dem4decades]

6. The fact they both are shopping together is bad too. Just one please

And wear a mask

[Princess Turandot]

8. Especially if they are limiting the number of shoppers in the store at one time.

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. It is very common for families to shop Wal-Mart in herds, down here.

Kids, parents, grand parents, all in one aisle, and quite noisy.

Mr. Diixe does the shopping, he says now only one person at a time is in line to get into the store, getting in and out is much faster, and very much quieter.

[Hekate]

40. Couples shopping together is bad? Maybe they get it done faster. Maybe one is recovering from...

...surgery (like me). Maybe one is the driver.

[dem4decades]

42. Yes it is. The fewer people in the store the better. The fewer people in the store

The less danger for everyone. If you're recovering from surgery, stay home. If one is the driver, stay in the car.

I don't know why people think this is a choice, stay home, if you have to go out amongst others, do it with the smallest presence possible. One isn't the loneliness number, it's the smartest number.

[Hekate]

45. Better I should leave hubby at home, then. The reason it is now urgent is he is NOT a shopper...

I prepared quite a few main dishes for us and froze them before going under the knife, but that was for at most a couple of weeks, not two months, which it now has been.

If you want someone to help you out of bed at night, or watch your first few showers in case you start to wobble dangerously, he's your man (actually, he's mine, but I'm sure you know what I mean). If you want someone to argue the case with the insurance company, who wanted me in and out of the hospital in 23 hours, the guy deserves a medal. I'm 72 and no sissy, but for God's sake, a total knee replacement is major.

But if you want to wake up days after you get home (log in to DU where people are panicking) and realize the deluge is upon us, don't expect to write out your 2-page disaster-prep list and hand it off to him. He'll freak. He did freak.

So I've been patient. Short lists. Small tasks. Staying home except for PT. Sheltering in place.

And now the time has come. We wear masks, I wear gloves. We stand in line, and the line keeps moving. He gets a cart, I get a cart, and I don't stop until I'm done. Costco employees are all wearing masks. Costco employees count us in, and ultimately count us out.

It will be a month before we go back for renewed prescriptions, but honestly, I don't think there's much else I need except for the Rx for another two months. Which is how it is supposed to be, right? Except for continuing PT, I'm back to sheltering in place -- and someone else can have "my" place in the grocery store line here in SoCal.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

48. Couples shopping is good for me.

Together, we're more likely to remember what we're shopping for. Of course, we're also more likely to buy more than we originally intended.

[treestar]

49. Not in that case, but I've seen young couples

in the store.

[LAS14]

52. Hubby drives us and I go in the store. nt

[gay texan]

26. in West Texas the word "pandemic"

mean's bring the wife and all extended family.

[stopdiggin]

31. Walmart in my area, 90% no masks at all

no restrictions on entry (yest. afternoon). Pretty discouraging.
(apologize for my appearance at WallyWorld .. bedding plants are ridiculously hard to find in this area, otherwise ...)

[TreasonousBastard]

34. I'm on Long Island-- close enough to NYC, and with enough of our own victims, that it's...

pretty well sunk in.

I used to despise Walmart, too, but it's the only place open any more that actually has stuff you want. And all in one place. And that's not because it put the little guys out of business-- we didn't have that many little guys to begin with around here.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Wouldn't that closing be just temporary until the store is disinfected?

I hope so! It doesn't make sense to close it permanently. It does take a while to get deliveries, so I have started staggering my orders by placing a new order the week before the current order is delivered. That way I can reserve a delivery date a couple of weeks in the future and get the food I need in the meantime. But the situation does suck and I worry that it might get worse as some of these meat packing plants are being shut down. Even eggs are harder to get now. I'm staying home too, hoping the delivery situation stays stable. For once I'm glad to be fat; I won't starve as quickly.

[thecrow]

9. You are lucky to be able to get an order placed, VO

Here, I can’t even place one. Hopefully that will settle down, but I don’t see it happening soon.

[Sunriser13]

44. Contacts of the positive employee

Contacts of the positive employee may be required to isolate, which could make it hard to staff the store - just a thought...

[treestar]

50. I don't see why they don't hire more delivery people

There is a demand. Where are the enterprising capitalists when there is a demand for something? Libertarians need to explain.

[badhair77]

3. A local grocery store closed because a worker tested positive.

The worker left and they closed the store temporarily for cleaning. Then it reopened.

I’m with you on the carelessness and recklessness of those without masks and ignoring physical distances. I stay inside also. It’s hard to get store pick up time slots here and delivery is sparse. I had been ordering through Walmart but they often don’t not have what I want.

[StarryNite]

5. That store did the right thing.

I'm glad they cleaned and then opened back up.

[Grasswire2]

4. there are many folk who can't get a delivery or drive to the store either

someone's going to have to plan this out or people will go hungry...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. I worry about people in small towns or rural areas where those options

are not available. I guess I'm fortunate to be in a large metropolitan area where grocery deliveries are available, even though they are a lot slower than they used to be. Something needs to be done to help those who can't do that but I'm not sure what. Maybe something could be set up like a bookmobile only with food, where groceries purchased or ordered from a larger city's grocery stores could make weekly runs to small towns?

[marlakay]

7. My husband went to our safeway

No one was wearing masks except him. We are trying to shop at the stores being more serious.

[thecrow]

12. I have a (20 year old?) mask I got for woodcarving

So I wear that to get the mail and the rare walk with my dog,
and I am making masks for family and friends but I ran out of supplies quickly
so I’m waiting on stuff from Etsy, Amazon and eBay to make more.
My son and his family need to go shopping and they are both going, one in each store.
I am concerned that both of them will get sick and then they will have a teenager and a five year old running the house. They can’t find gloves anywhere either.

My son was already on quarantine because someone at his office had it and he had
several symptoms. The first doctor wouldn’t enter the room or touch him.
Dr. Useless told him he had Covid so he should go home and call him if he got worse.
So they went to another doctor who gave him a proper exam.
Flu test came back negative so they tested him for Covid, told him his lungs sounded bad
but gave him medications for his symptoms. 6 days later he was told the test came back
negative. I was so relieved... but still concerned. They live in Florida.
My other son is in Brooklyn. I am one stressed out mama!

[marlakay]

14. Hope they are ok

I am have daughter in San Antonio and I don’t worry about her except what her husband might bring home, he is officer in AF base there at least they live off base. She made him mask and she is one sending them to family.

I am more concerned about daughter who is manager of large honda dealership in CA, they are down to 50 employees from 350 but she is around people daily and her boyfriend (who I don’t like and is a trumper) is not careful. But I have to let go because its her choice, ugh!

I found a bag of masks about 3 weeks ago in garage and 2 wear the good ones with filters so we are good. My husband who has lung issues goes out rarely but wears a eye shield too.

[thecrow]

36. Thank you

I hope your family is safe too.

[Joinfortmill]

21. Agree

[Demovictory9]

11. closed for how long?

[thecrow]

13. I don't know

Just the thought that one person testing positive endangers a community’s grocery availability boggles the mind. And if they disinfect it? People will be wary of shopping there.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

15. So sorry to hear it.

My dad worked for Safeway for 32 years at the Warehouse. Guess What I have heard, if one person at the Warehouse gets' it they are shutting down that warehouse, effectively shutting down 10's of Safeway's.

It's a frightening thought how close we all are from ruin in this situation.

[Harker]

16. I had a customer at the pharmacy store

where I work say to me, smirking, "you know that mask ain't gonna help you, bud."

He kept it up even after I told him I wasn't wearing it for myself, but for him.

Difficulties bring out the confrontational side of selfish people sometimes.

[captain queeg]

18. What a moron. I haven't had anyone say anything stupid yet, but I see them out in the open.

I try to get out and walk everyday. I passed my neighbor. They were out in their driveway drinking beer. But they weren’t standing close and had masks. I would have guessed they were anti silence idiots, but as long as they are obeying protocol I’m fine with it.

[PCIntern]

19. I personally can't drink beer through a mask

But I’m Jewish and thus have limited abilities in the field of weird EtOH consumption.

Yes I get it. I’m having some “fun” with your serious post.

[Harker]

22. I see MAGA hats and pro-Trumpsky t-shirts

way too often.

They constitute a profound challenge to my professionalism. I remain polite by nature, but I won't be lectured by these fools.

As of tomorrow, our customers are supposedly required to mask up, but all I am authorized to do is summon a manager to 'remind' them of the importance of doing so.

I expect to be busy on the Public address phone, and I expect an increase of friction and maybe some pushback.

Western PA.

[captain queeg]

25. I haven't seen those hats lately, though still see the bumper stickers.

I admit I tend to judge on outward appearance sometimes, like those guys in the driveway. Didn’t have hats but had the look. Around here I don’t see people purposely flaunting it, though a lot don’t wear masks. Including me because I haven’t found any. But I keep my distance and clean my hands often and today I bought supplies to make DIY masks.

[Harker]

29. Good work.

It's time to get creative. Well before we were supplied (finally) with some paper masks, our store manager's partner had turned an unused set of bedsheets and shoelaces into masks for all of our staff, and a bunch of others.

I guess anything that stops droplets from flying is good enough.

I was belting out a few arias while driving westward in the late afternoon yesterday. The angle of the light was such that I could clearly see how much I was spraying while singing.

You know, in a way, it's helpful to get a heads up from hats and tees. It's as good as them shouting, "hey, I'm an asshole!" when they show up.

[captain queeg]

33. Yeah it's an announcement to the world "I am an idiot!"

[Joinfortmill]

20. I hear you. Stay safe.

[Cassidy]

23. Have you tried to see whether there is milk delivery or local dairy delivery in your area?

My local milk delivery company also delivers bread, coffee, eggs, cheese, pizza kits, chicken parmesan kits, and other meal kits. I know most adults are lactose intolerant, but there are many grocery options they provide beyond just milk.

[BigmanPigman]

24. Goggles...smart move!

I wish we all had those available as well as haz-mat suits. There is never too much protection during this extremely contagious pandemic.

[BigDemVoter]

27. TheCrow-- I am so angry for you. It just makes me furious to know that there are people

who are this thoughtless, but of course, I am not surprised after seeing the fools in Michigan and other places. Please be careful. I wish I had something to say that would help, and it hurts to not be able to tell you anything. . . Stay strong. We will eventually get through this, but it is going to hurt all of us. Ugh. It is awful, and having the "leader' we have just brings out he worst in me.

[thecrow]

37. Thank you BDV!

It is hard to be isolated but my beloved died 5 years ago so I am getting used to it.
I find that just the act of planning a daily routine helps.
I agree-
The Orange Man is the antichrist in every sense of the word.

[captain queeg]

28. I got thinking after reading various posts that maybe I ought to volunteer to deliver groceries

For people that can’t get out. I googled for local agencies and the ones I found all wanted a 6 month commitment. I don’t really understand the reasoning for that and soured on the idea. I’m willing to use my time and my car but I’m not going to promise to do it for six months.

[jmbar2]

30. scary and half reassuring

Where are you? You are so vulnerable. But sounds like you are taking all the right precautions. Stay safe and keep us informed of what's going on in your neck of the woods.

I'm on the coast in a small town in Oregon. So far, we have had no known cases, but locals are taking things pretty seriously. Tourists, not so much. All the parks and even roadside pullouts are supposed to be closed. But there is a popular walking trail close to me that had been blocked off by cones and warning ribbons, with signs. People tore them down today and it was a steady stream of mostly young invulnerables enjoying the pretty day.

Take care of yourself!

[thecrow]

38. Northern Virginia

So it’s pretty populated here.
All the people who never used to get their groceries delivered are suddenly doing so.
I kinda saw what was coming before most and because I was also planning a party and having six of those partners staying in my house, I got food for the party AND my guests.
Then I had to cancel the whole thing.
So I called my HOA and told them that due to Covid I would have to cancel my reservation.
That was around March 10. They told me I would have to pay a penalty of $70 for cancelling. They didn’t feel that Covid was a threat or excuse to cancel.
I immediately appealed. Included my senator’s warnings and suggestions.
Then that very day was when the stay at home suggestions started. The schools were closed.
The following Monday, having not heard from the HOA I went online to get their phone number.
A huge CLOSED sign was pasted across the site with the message that due to Covid, they were closed to the public until further notice.
So I called them and said that considering that they had closed to the public, would I get my whole rental fee back? Of course, of course.
Though I noticed that the playgrounds were still open! Another phone call to question the wisdom of that... next day the playground was all police taped.
So there has been some fun in this, but I cry when I look at the numbers of deaths.
This whole thing is unbelievable.... and getting worse.

[lame54]

32. I bet they reopen

[JudyM]

35. Can you get meals on wheels to get you through this tough patch?

[thecrow]

39. Meals on wheels must be totally inundated

There are several organizations here that have food banks.
I can still get a few things from a friend who has offered to shop for me.
I made masks for her and her household.
I may have to resort to other sources but as my dear departed beloved used to say
When I would get discouraged and overwhelmed at times ... Do you have your daily bread?
And somehow that would put everything right.
I baked bread for the first time in 5 years. He was always lurking in the kitchen, waiting on the first cut slice.

[JudyM]

41. That is lovely...

I feel it

[Meowmee]

43. See the same here

No one wearing masks while out walking etc. They are fools and very stupid as well as negligent. And I am on LI in NY, my county has 25,000 or so cases that we know of and hundreds of deaths. I haven’t checked for a while so maybe it is thousands of deaths now. People are such f****** idiots in this country. Which is why we are in this nightmare.

Guess what people you do not have a magic wand protecting you and you could be infecting everyone around you!

[thecrow]

46. That is pretty shocking

And especially in NY!!

[Meowmee]

47. Yep hard to believe 😔

[LAS14]

53. Yeah, I always wonder if people without masks understand that the masks...

... are for OTHERS' protection more than their own.

[thecrow]

54. Apparently not...

People on our local “Nextdoor” app say many things about why they don’t wear a mask.
Everything from “I’m not gonna catch it because I’m healthy”
to “God won’t let me get it and if he does, I will embrace it because ... God”
Some claim they are allergic to masks (cotton allergy?)
Anxious to the point of panic attacks
But most feel that being required to wear a mask hinders their “freedoms” somehow
Or that they don’t work, even though the CDC now recommends wearing a mask, even a homemade cloth one, when out in public.
Or so they say......!