Susan Barrett2 said:They trap us within four walls and then tell us to work on our immune systems. Just get out into nature—stay home. It’s nothing but constant contradictions. Honestly, you guys can't even decide if you're sending us away or bringing us in. This whole thing is going to wreck everyone's health, leaving us totally vulnerable to whatever beast decides to strike next.
Well, I don't think anyone is arguing against getting outside for a walk—especially somewhere scenic like a park or near the coast. The main thing is just keeping your distance and avoiding big crowds, right? I see people out walking all the time who are actually being careful and following the guidelines. Personally, I'm out there too—walking the dog, jogging, getting some exercise... but I've got way too much on my plate to stop now, especially since this gorgeous spring weather finally decided to show up!
James Chavez91 said:It feels like there might be some sort of unspoken agreement over at the National Organization for Women.
You only see checkpoints at the county exits—nowhere else within the county itself, I guess.
I honestly think it's the same deal here—checkpoints are only positioned where you enter or leave San Francisco toward Watering on one side, and then again on the other side heading toward Sedona or Seattle. Honestly, if they aren't going to approve these requests—which seem totally logical and rational to me—then maybe things should just stay this way.
People are finally starting to realize how much of a knee-jerk reaction this whole measure was—it just feels totally thoughtless, doesn't it? It actually makes me pretty happy to see that the head of our local FEMA office in the Pula region is saying basically the exact same thing I was saying when they first rolled this out. "Dina Kozlevac, the lead official for the local Civil Protection Headquarters, is making his stance clear. According to him, those permits should really apply across seven different areas—including the Pula region, Rovinj region, Poreč region, Buj region, Pazin region, Buje region, and the Labin region—since all those spots are so closely linked together.".
Honestly, they really nailed this one—kudos to them! Deciding not to require passes between the cities and towns that used to fall under the Pula municipality is just common sense, I guess. Though, I still don't quite get what their deal is with Medulin... since you can drive from there to Pula without any issues at all because there aren't even any checkpoints...
Luckily, most people in my neighborhood here are pretty private—you know, the type who mostly keep to themselves and stay tucked away in their own houses or backyards. Since everyone stays in their own bubble, I guess things like this wouldn't even get noticed, because we don't really deviate much from our usual quiet routine anyway.
I honestly don't get how neighbors always seem to find out when someone is stuck in quarantine. I mean, what are people even bragging about? When my job sent me home for two weeks to isolate, I didn't tell a soul—except maybe my mom, my brother, and my absolute best friend—because I knew they wouldn't go running to the neighbors with the news. For everyone else, I was officially just "on vacation" if anyone happened to ask.
Matthew Jackson2 said:Look, at its core, the concept of isolation isn't necessarily where the controversy lies, but rather the fact that the government is essentially locking people away without providing the testing necessary to justify it. Fundamental American civil liberties should always carry more weight than the budget concerns of a testing lab, and these kinds of restrictions ought to be kept to an absolute minimum whenever we have the technological capability to just run a quick test instead.
I totally agree! Like, sure, isolation makes sense IF you're actually sick. But if someone just decides I need to quarantine without running a test to confirm I even have the virus—when I feel perfectly fine, by the way—then there's really no point in talking about isolation. There’s zero proof I'm infected or even a risk to anyone, and nobody has bothered to prove otherwise. If they try to hand out fines for that, I guess I'll just see them in court!
This article is pretty interesting—Supreme Court Justice Andrew Abramov actually voiced some criticisms regarding the measures rolled out by the task force. Especially intriguing to me is this part about that whole self-isolation thing. It seems kind of senseless, right? I mean, why force someone into a 14-day isolation if they aren't even sick or infected? By that logic, if they happen to break the rule, they aren't even a threat to spread the virus, and they could probably even challenge any fines in court.
"The Supreme Court Justice is also debating how the government defines self-isolation, which the Communicable Disease Act describes simply as “isolating and treating oneself at home.”
It’s totally questionable, according to the Justice, whether constitutional rights can be restricted when there’s clearly a test available to confirm or deny an infection. “Locking people in their own homes without testing puts them in a humiliating position: they're neither healthy nor sick, just stigmatized based on what the majority thinks. We're seeing unauthorized people—like pharmacists—validating this, and apparently, they're even prepping mobile phone tracking measures too.”
Abramov believes this measure prioritizes saving money over testing—basically putting the state's economic interests ahead of fundamental human rights. “That is unacceptable; those two things aren't even in the same league,” the Justice notes."
So, I guess they should just test people first, and then if they actually turn up positive, *then* they go into self-isolation. That would make way more sense! People really ought to think twice before calling for a public lynching of anyone who breaks isolation rules, especially if they haven't even been confirmed as infected.
Matthew Jackson2 said:Look, on the very first day, even if you are contagious, the risk is negligible. You might even be more likely to pick it up indirectly—say, from touching a surface where someone else's saliva lingered—rather than through direct contact with your own secretions. At the end of the day, the virus still has to breach your primary mucosal defenses and replicate enough within your system before you actually become a carrier yourself.
My family doctor actually mentioned a patient who was right next to someone with a confirmed case and didn't catch it at all! So, I guess there are definitely certain conditions where the virus just doesn't jump from person to person.
mistydrifter2 said:I live alone here in Washington, D.C., and I’m wondering if it’s alright to hang out with a friend who also lives by himself. Neither of us is sick, nor do we know anyone dealing with coronavirus, or would it be better if we both just stayed put unless we absolutely had to head to the grocery store or the pharmacy?
I stopped by his place yesterday for a quick drink and some food, but now my friends are telling me that even that wasn't allowed...
Nobody is stopping you, really—not if you feel like there isn't any actual risk to you. I still hang out with my best friend; we head out to hit the gym together at least once a week.
Matthew Jackson2 said:It’s pretty obvious the company decided it makes more sense to just pay you to stay home for 14 days rather than gambling on a mass wave of sick calls. Honestly, there isn't any logic missing here if their business model and risk assessment suggest that paying you to sit on your couch is actually the more profitable move. It’s the more responsible way to handle things, too. Besides, she could have been an asymptomatic carrier of the virus; just because she didn't show symptoms during her own 14-day stretch doesn't mean she wasn't spreading it to you. Sure, the odds might be lower, but they aren't zero.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to risk management. Take our approach here in the States, for example: once someone goes through 14 symptom-free days, they can usually wrap up their self-isolation and get back to life. But look at medical professionals—they don't just walk back onto the floor after two weeks. They have to get tested first, and they only return once they have a negative result because the stakes are incredibly high and they simply cannot afford to take that risk.
What you said at the start would totally make sense if I were running my own show, but I didn't even get the notice to stay home until late in the evening!—I'd already finished my shift, had plenty of contact with my coworkers, went grocery shopping, and even hit the gym. It wasn't until I was right in the middle of my workout, maybe around 7 PM, that I finally got the confirmation to stay home. So, for this first week, I stayed put and just hung out at the house, but starting today, I'm getting back to my normal routine!
So, I just ran into this total absurdity with self-isolation rules. Last week, my job slapped a "preventative" isolation period on me because my wife had been visiting the USA within the last eight days (since last Thursday, to be exact). My managers told me—strictly following corporate protocol, of course—that I had to stay home for the next 14 days, just as a precaution. It’s all on the company's dime, though, since they're still paying my full salary. Even my doctor couldn't officially put me on medical leave because, technically, I haven't even been in contact with someone who was actually confirmed positive. Now, I've heard through the grapevine that my wife is perfectly fine—she didn't have a single symptom! So, it turns out we were all just blowing smoke. People were panicking for absolutely no reason. I asked my boss if I could just head back to work normally, but they insisted I wait out the full 14 days, which feels totally pointless... but hey, I'm getting paid to sit here, so I guess I can't complain too much. For the past week, I've been playing by the rules and staying isolated—not because there was an official order from the health department (I didn't even have one, so I wouldn't have risked any fines if I went out!), but just because of my own conscience. But starting today? I’m living like I’m on vacation. There is just zero logic to this whole thing. Honestly, most of these mandates the government has rolled out over what's basically just a nasty cold feel pretty ridiculous to me.
So, we actually sent in a request for passes for our folks at the Municipality yesterday—though, I guess, we're still waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I decided to take a bit of a gamble and tried driving into the City just to see what the vibe was like... and honestly? There aren't any Police Department roadblocks anywhere! So, it seems like you can pretty much move around freely right now. Those passes are really mostly intended for getting to those more remote spots.
Matthew Jackson2 said:Look, if that local clinic is referring you to a major hospital in the city, they’re essentially issuing you a transit pass right then and there.
The real headache here is how incredibly vague the whole thing is. On my own paperwork, it lists me as living in a "suburban" area within the city limits. But there isn't a single pharmacy in my immediate neighborhood—so am I allowed to drive into the downtown district to pick up medicine, or does the local sheriff's office have to issue me a formal permit first? And if the authorities actually do have to issue a permit, can they just email it to me, or am I stuck driving all the way down to the station just to pick up a piece of paper?
boldotter2 said:Most of the USA is basically split up into these tiny little municipalities.
Like just yesterday, they were setting up checkpoints between rural counties (which shouldn't even be considered separate entities!) and the main cities they rely on. People weren't just blocked from getting to Walmart; they couldn't even reach an ATM, a pharmacy, a gas station, or sometimes even a bakery! And we're talking about maybe 15,000 people total between the town and the surrounding areas. Of course, there was zero warning, nothing. Just a patrol sitting at the "border."
Meanwhile, you can drive between Brooklyn and Queens in Washington, D.C. without any issues at all—and there are more people living there than in the entire Midwest... yet this whole rule was clearly made just to stop people from fleeing Washington, D.C.
Luckily, it looks like they finally snapped out of it today and loosened things up a bit... I guess the local sheriffs just wanted their moment of glory.
It feels like this whole thing was rushed through, and it probably took a couple of days for them to actually see what was happening on the ground—though I bet people are still pretty confused. For instance, I live in a neighborhood that's maybe 1.9 miles miles from San Francisco, but it officially belongs to a different township. Even though we're totally tied to San Francisco, I called the local office and they told me I need a permit. Then later, I went for a run, left my neighborhood, and hit the main highway without seeing a single patrol anywhere. I really think they should have given local leaders the choice to set boundaries around a major metropolitan area (including all its suburbs) or just stick to the county line.
crimsonranger3 said:Goddammit. I am not infected. There have been three cases in my city—one recovered, so that leaves two. I have a contact at the hospital, so I know for a fact there are only two active cases in a city of 50,000. And because of this, I can't even get in my car and drive out to some village 6.2 miles further out to enjoy nature, go for a walk, or ride my bike. Why? Because of a couple of Infected Washington, D.C. residents who lost their minds over an earthquake and falling facades and decided to flee? To hell with the Government and all of you supporting this. Restricting the ENTIRE country just because of a few specialists in Washington, D.C.? Give me a break.
And it won't be two weeks; this nonsense is going to drag on for two months. Since last Monday, I haven't been around people because I respect the rules. I haven't hung out with friends because I respect the rules. And frankly, I'm losing my mind because I am not some antisocial cactus that can survive two weeks without human contact. Even if I could manage two weeks, it wouldn't stop at two. You'll see what happens when people snap due to these restrictions being rolled out en masse just for Washington, D.C. They're isolating the whole country because of them. Absolute bullshit.
I followed the measures as they were introduced, even though I thought they were excessive. Now, it has reached the point where I am physically sick with anxiety over whether I will catch the virus and die, versus the desperate need to just leave the house and be with other PEOPLE. Humans are SOCIAL beings, not moles.
I've basically given myself until the end of April. For Easter, I'm planning to stay close to family, but if this drags on longer, I don't care. The BBQ for May Day and all those birthdays coming up—everything is going according to plan, quarantine or no quarantine. Until then, I'm just chilling, running, and working out outside (regardless of those strips they put on the gym equipment—those can just be peeled off), and stuff like that. I need to get back in shape over the next two months if it's time to kick off swimming season.
Jonathan Mitchell said:Look, if you don't have a mask, it would be the decent thing to do to find a tutorial on YouTube and make one yourself. That way, when you step outside, you're actually protecting people just in case. You can't just act like "oh, it's just this lady here." If she was in Germany for the last two weeks, she needs to be in self-isolation. Period. The people issuing the isolation orders are the ones with the actual info. The company is required to call, verify, and then follow whatever protocols or instructions they receive. They shouldn't just send you home and call it a day. Because if they keep acting like this, they might end up having to shut down the whole company, which is the real problem. If everyone keeps doing this, we'll quickly become just like France with how reckless and uncontrolled the infection and death rates get. Some irresponsible doctors have already shown us exactly how NOT to act in a crisis. It's a disgrace!
Look, I have a mask—I’ve had one at work and gloves too, for that matter. I mean, I assume all that protection is actually meant to do *something*, right? For those of us working on the front lines with the public, we're definitely the most vulnerable because you never know who's going to walk through the door. But hey, I guess my immune system is pretty solid, so if I do catch something, it probably won't be anything too crazy.
So, I just got off the phone with that helpline, and they told me to check in with my doctor once my medical leave kicks in and all that. Apparently, I don't have to be strictly housebound—I can actually head out into nature or something, as long as I stay away from crowded spots. And get this—it looks like that woman who came by our office doesn't even have COVID. Honestly, it might actually be better this way! At least I’ll get a solid two weeks of distance from everyone, which is a relief because I feel like I'm starting to trip out a little from all the stress. I guess I feel a bit silly for not just going to get tested myself, purely for my own peace of mind.
Steven Castillo82 said:The thing is, you always end up bumping into someone—it's just how it goes—so if I were actually in isolation, I wouldn't risk it (even though I run regularly). Honestly, my biggest fear isn't getting sick, it's accidentally infecting someone else since most of the folks around here are elderly. My place is right by the road, and I can basically drive down to the beach in minutes. There's even a path above the shore where the owners only show up for a month during the summer. When you really think about it, maybe it's better to just shut up and stay home. People get these half-baked ideas—"let's just hit the beach" or "just a quick walk in the park"—and suddenly you've got a crowd of people breaking quarantine and wandering all over the place.
They say they're having a massive issue with that in Italy, and honestly, we Dalmatians have pretty much the same mindset—we're just as undisciplined.😁
Yeah, Jane Doe, it's probably best to just stay quiet and not go bragging about anything. Personally, I think it's kind of a drag that I got put in isolation because of work, especially since my chances of actually getting sick are super low. Now I'm just sitting here wondering how I'm going to justify missing work, since my job isn't exactly something I can do remotely. I guess I'm just worrying too much—it's not like I'm under house arrest or in prison, so nobody's actually out there trying to limit my freedom.
Steven Castillo82 said:I’m not in quarantine right now, but if I end up stuck at home, can I legally head down to the beach right across the street—like, just hop on my boat and go fishing? I live on the edge of this tiny coastal town where basically nobody shows up during the winter, so I could easily get to my boat without getting within 50 feet of anyone else. My boat isn't even at a public marina; it's parked at a little spot on the water where there isn't another soul for miles.
I’m in a similar boat here—well, a similar situation! I live in a small town too, where once it hits 8:00 PM in the winter, you basically won't see a soul on the streets. So, I was thinking about heading out for a quick thirty-minute jog. At the end of the day, if there aren't any people around, there's no way to spread the virus, right? Which means there's really no risk of me catching anything or passing it on to someone else.
Jonathan Mitchell said:Why are you even asking? This is ridiculous. You're just scared of a fine, and you're annoyed because you followed the rules and the company's instructions. But honestly, it's questionable whether they even have the right to act like this. They should be verifying if the lady is actually under quarantine first, and then anyone who had contact would follow whatever the health officials mandate. The way people are acting is just like those doctors back in the day who tried to hide that they went on weekend ski trips to Germany.
Get it together, people. Stop making up your own rules. Otherwise, just call 911 and ask.
I find all of this super weird too, though I guess illogical stuff kind of runs the show at my company. With those specific instructions, they were probably just trying to cover their own backs so they wouldn't end up working with clients who are technically "off the grid" because they aren't in quarantine. And yeah, this whole measure is meant to be preventive, but it doesn't make any sense to me—we don't even know anything about this woman (like, is she actually infected? Is she even supposed to be in isolation?).
So, here’s the situation: My job just called me tonight to tell me I need to stay in self-isolation for the next two weeks. Apparently, a client stopped by my workspace today who—according to her—had been over in Germany just last week. Since we have to report stuff like this to a specific department at the firm, I went ahead and did that, and now I'm stuck with this. In the meantime, I finished my shift, hung out with my coworkers, headed home, popped into the grocery store... honestly, I was right in the middle of a run when they gave me the news! Is the self-isolation period mandated by an employer actually the same thing as the official isolation ordered by a public health official? And more importantly, if I get caught out and about, am I still looking at a fine in a case like this? I mean, we don't really know anything about this woman—whether she actually was in Germany like she says, or if she's even tested positive or anything. There could be a whole lot of nothing going on here, really.