Looking back at the coronavirus

                                  The Virus

Today is April 9, 2020

Covid -19- ongoing posts from my journal.

Just three weeks ago, there was hardly any concern about the COVID-19; now it's plain scary. The Virus is the worst in New York City and New York State. California is also bad, but it is in many, many states now.

Our State of Washington is the hot spot that started it all.

  We are supposed to keep a six-foot distance from everyone. And we’ve been strongly urged to wear masks and surgical gloves… but so many people ignore these guidelines, especially the mask guidelines. Most stores keep people out when there are too many in the store. So, there are lines at grocery stores snaking out the doors, waiting to be let in. Only essential businesses can remain open. So, most restaurants are closed

Just looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic, a page every day from my journal as it was experienced by

Ric

Most sporting events are postponed and rescheduled to a distant month. Or it is cancelled altogether. All schools are closed until the end of the summer vacation. Everyone is taking online courses for their schooling, or their parents are homeschooling them. Many factories are closed, and employees are furloughed. Unemployment is in the millions, and a record number of people have filed for unemployment benefits. The government is giving trillions to keep businesses from collapsing and giving every American family a couple of thousand dollars. So, two breadwinners are getting roughly $2,500.00. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is starting a worldwide fast tomorrow, the 10^th

-Out of my journ^al Covid-19

Ric

All the churches have cancelled services starting 3 weeks ago. Most sporting events. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is starting a worldwide fast starting tomorrow, the 10th of April.  This is to bring down the COVID-19 virus and restore our economy. So, Charlotte and I are starting a fast tomorrow Morning. We take too much medicine and have illnesses that don’t take kindly to skipping meals. So, we are going to stop using anything electronic for 24 hours…Yikes! I would rather fast! Also, during this time, we will prayerfully ask Heavenly Father to end this Pandemic and restore our economy.

   Our General Conference was not held in the usual building in Salt Lake City, but at Temple Square in a small annex. Only a handful of General Authorities, the Prophet Russel M. Nelson, and different technical people to help air the Conference. Also, a couple of Teenagers, a boy and a girl, I believe 14 years old, who gave talks and people to say the prayers, and many others that I haven’t mentioned. Still, few in number. The General Authorities kept a six-foot distance from each other.

  The Church closed all Temples worldwide and brought home almost all of the missionaries from overseas. All church schools are closed. In general, all places that bring a lot of people together are closed.

  The Olympics were cancelled in Tokyo, Japan. Most cruise lines have cancelled cruises, and the airlines are shut down, except for a small percentage of normal traffic.

  People are doing yard work, working on their houses, going for walks, running to the grocery store if necessary, and trying to keep 6 feet apart from others. One church down south decided to hold a Choir practice, and many people caught the virus…Many people are saying food is hard to get and is selling for highly inflated prices. This was on Facebook today. The toilet paper someone found was outrageously overpriced and nearly impossible to get, according to Facebook posts. My wife is telling me this as I type it out.

Another entry tomorrow....Ric

   Mostly old people are dying, usually in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living Homes, etc. People with pre-existing conditions, compromised immunity systems, asthma, and breathing problems are also dying more than the norm in the general population.

   Some stores, such as sporting goods stores, are refusing to close, saying they are needed to sell guns to protect themselves. My wife and I went to Sportsman's Warehouse the other day wearing masks, and they looked at us like we were nuts…

   Coronavirus killed a mom, her 3 sons, all in 10 days of each other…my wife tells me.   Some states are hardly affected and are not taking the virus seriously, like in Texas. The virus is attacking some people who are not taking the Government's warning seriously.

   In other countries, Italy was the hardest hit by the virus, where people have died in the thousands.

   The Prime Minister of England has the Covid -19

 9^th

In April 2020

   It’s 12:00 midnight as I type, April on Mac Pro, vintage 2014, man! How time flies.

   Yesterday I had to start washing and waxing my own car because the car washes are all shut down by the Virus…The irrigation still hasn’t come on, probably due to the coronavirus. I’m having to use city water on my lawn. Many people are concerned now.

Friday the 10^th April 2020

Today on the news, the coronavirus curve is starting to flatten, which means good news; this only applies to New York state.

   In our area, it’s still on the increase.

   Today, we had the worldwide fast, which originated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the General Conference. Charlotte and I couldn’t stop eating because of all the medicine we take, so we fasted by going electronics-free for 20 hours. We found it very difficult to do. And don’t want to do it again anytime soon. I got my walk done today, and Charlotte went along…and Bear dog. We went to Costco today, and of course no toilet paper…although we didn’t need any, but you wonder where people are getting any. Still, about only a quarter of people are wearing masks at Costco..my wife agrees. We know many people working in the hospital are truly serious about sheltering at home because they see the virus and what it can do. And they wear their masks. Usually, their kids do too. On the news today, I observed the news people showing many positive things people of this country are doing to help others…many positive instead of negative. Some churches are planning to meet for Easter Sunday services, no matter what… we will wait and see if this makes the pandemic worse in the states. Charlotte told me that the United States has the most deaths of any country from the covid19. Yesterday I baked cookies and took them over to our bishop's house. I put together a Coronavirus care package. In it, I put 4 rolls of toilet paper, a bottle of hand sanitizer, and, of course, the cookies. They got a real kick out of it! Took toilet paper and took it to the Kershaws..We talked a long time when delivering it, about Lois Alcorn and her broken hip.

   The Coronavirus is still getting worse in the Benton County area.

   The coronavirus drones, to police the beaches in Florida.

   Hospitalizations are going flat, but deaths are on the rise in New York City.

   The United States is reporting 20,000 coronavirus deaths..more than any other country.

  For the first time in history, all the States have declared a state of emergency.

  Some believe the coronavirus was here much earlier than we realize.

   Deaths from Coronavirus as of today, and cases are 364, up 9% in the Tri-Cities. 33,259 coronavirus cases in the United States; 20,597 deaths.

April 12, 2020, Sunday

Continue to get more deaths on April 12th. Countering the virus. We didn’t go to Whitney’s for Easter; we stayed home and hunkered down. We had a wonderful roast for easter dinner..Charlotte made great muffins. Fairly nice out today…but cold. Rusty called us this am, and they're going to Mona’s and Jim’s for easter.

April 13^th, 2020, Monday

I rode my recumbent bicycle. April 13th also went for a walk with Bear. My Gout is better. They turned on the irrigation today, and of course, something had to go wrong. The front sprinkler solenoids weren’t getting power, so after much testing, I finally figured out that the electrical cable was broken somewhere in the yard. So I’m going to have to buy a new cable..bummer. The back cable did the same thing a couple of years ago…must be the cable rusting or something like that.

  Georjean was here to clean today. She had Oliver in toe..nice little kid. Charlotte and I drove over to Subway, got food, and went over to the Numerica convention building parking lot and ate…just to get away from the house. Going stir-crazy with this order to stay at home except to go grocery shopping or order food and pick it up, or go to the Doctor..that’s about what we can do.

     April 14^th, 2020, Wednesday

Today, President Trump says it’s his constitutional right to determine when states should ease restrictions and get things back to normal. Mostly Democratic governors are rebelling…Republican governors are falling in line..this is what I heard yesterday.

  I have an appointment on Friday to get a shot for my gout.

                       Saturday 18^th of April 20

Today I helped Jesus Ramos clean on April 18. Actually, I picked up the yard and picked up poop. I also sprayed weeds, did some watering, then took my bike out and went for a walk. Wrote some in the book. Yesterday I got my gout shot, and boy, do I feel better.

  So far in the Tri-Cities, about 46 people have died, and 600 people have been infected by the virus

                     24^th April 20 Friday

Democratic governors are rebelling…Republican governors are falling in line..this is what I heard yesterday.

I have an appointment to get a shot on Friday for my gout.

Saturday 18th of April 20

24th April 20 Friday

Today, Charlotte worked on Taxes. She does a lot of the work…I’m kind of behind the scenes. I fixed a sprinkler today that flooded the lawn the other day. Bought a new hose at Home Depot…it was other crap..so I took it back and got a better one. Went to Reliance Pharmacy also. Georjene came to clean today. She does talk a lot, and she comes with Oliver, a 9-year-old. I don’t know how I did it, but I walked 7,200 steps today. Amazing! The coronavirus is…Well, I can say this..hardly anyone is wearing masks at Home Depot, etc. Something to do with states talking about going back to normal. 804 cases and 42 deaths in the Tri-Cities. All the hospitals have 48 covid 19 cases, and it’s 17% of hospitalized people. This is in the TriCities. Tyson meats in the TriCities has 100 cases alone. A good part of the cases are from the old folks' homes.

Monday, April 27th, 20

Termination winds are blowing about 45 mph. The Coronavirus is still on the rise in the Tri-Cities. At one business, or factory, about 150 people have tested positive for the VVirus. I think 8 states have now started a program to remove the restrictions enacted by the White House. Fewer and fewer people are wearing masks in the Tri-Cities. Two of our neighbors' kids showed up at our doorstep with their bags packed and ready to go. Their parents caught them before they got in or knocked. One is named Ezra…he’s autistic, and little Addy, who is 6, I think. Charlotte is working on the taxes.

Saturday 2nd of April 20

Yesterday we went up to our place in Naches and checked out everything. We mowed our lawn and did a lot of spraying weeds, and paid Ryan for cleaning up the leaves on our lots. And believe me, there were at least 5 loads taken out of there…in a trailer!

Today in the Tri-Cities, we still have not reached the top of the curve for COVID-19. To this date, there are 1000 cases of coronavirus in our area. The state is still, or the governor is still imposing a stay-at-home order. They will return things to their normal order in four stages. Stage one has started; some construction, hunting and fishing, car washes, and others.

I rode my bike this AM-early and then took Bear for a walk. Did the normal watering and then a lot of chores. I did some banking on my cell phone..where I have an apt for Numerica, my credit union. I go online and then take a picture of both sides of the check to deposit, and presto, I don’t have to go to the credit union to deposit it. Cool! I washed the cars. Then caused a major storm to move it…drat! Went for another walk. Tried to clean up the cars from the first part of the storm, and then it hit again! I gave up.