Curfew restrictions: Is it legal to leave your house?

Grace Jones86 said:Screw the counties.

If they don't open up normal access to Washington, D.C., they haven't achieved anything.
We are talking about damn Washington, D.C.

If they think they can lock down Washington, D.C. for half a year, a year, or five years (🙄), then forget the epidemic and everything else.

At what point would they actually restore normal traffic flow, especially since they even mentioned public transit as something that needs to be brought back?!
Never?

And public transit isn't going to run based on permits? Are they insane? 🐔

edit:
Even in the long term—and a few months is already a long time—repressively restricting people's lives to their specific municipalities or counties is inconceivably perverse and aggressive.
I sincerely hope they realize exactly what they're doing.

We all agreed to this regime because they promised TEMPORARY AND SHORT-TERM brutal restrictions. I agreed to that because I am rational and I understand what epidemiological containment looks like.
They need to be held strictly to their word instead of us acting like sheep.

Haha... I mean, technically they could...🤣 but then again, they’d have to find some way to justify all that money being poured into this whole e-portal system...🤦

Yeah... I get where you're coming from... but honestly, for most people, just being able to move around within the county would solve 90% of their issues... since basically everyone's daily routine (commuting to work, doctor appointments... tending to the farm or checking on the vacation house... 🤣) happens right here in their own neck of the woods anyway...
🤷

Joseph Taylor11 said:Haha... I mean, technically they could...🤣 but then again, they’d have to find some way to justify all that money being poured into this whole e-portal system...🤦

Yeah... I get where you're coming from... but honestly, for most people, just being able to move around within the county would solve 90% of their issues... since basically everyone's daily routine (commuting to work, doctor appointments... tending to the farm or checking on the vacation house... 🤣) happens right here in their own neck of the woods anyway...
🤷

Sure, "except" for that ring surrounding Washington, D.C.,62 miles where a massive number of people live, gravitating toward the capital or living right in Washington, D.C., commuting from the outskirts. ☕

That’s the group whose lives are currently paralyzed. Just wonderful.
There's a reason they call it a lock down. 😁

Of course, it's exactly the same situation with the areas surrounding Seattle, Indianapolis, and Miami...

Grace Jones86 said:Sure, "except" for that ring surrounding Washington, D.C.,62 miles where a massive number of people live, gravitating toward the capital or living right in Washington, D.C., commuting from the outskirts. ☕

That’s the group whose lives are currently paralyzed. Just wonderful.
There's a reason they call it a lock down. 😁

Of course, it's exactly the same situation with the areas surrounding Seattle, Indianapolis, and Miami...

True... but we have 50 states... and Washington, D.C.... everyone near Seattle... Indianapolis... Miami... they could all theoretically head into those cities since they're in the same area... 😉)
The only real headache is for Washington, D.C.—but you can get an e-portal permit for work anyway... and everything else isn't something you can't figure out in the short term...

Just so we're clear—I'm generally against these kinds of movement restrictions... but I really think they need to allow people to travel at least within their own counties...🤷

I am sincerely hoping that by mid-May, I'll be able to get around normally and make my way back to Washington, D.C.

Grace Jones86 said:That’s the very first measure they’ll scrap by the end of April, because it’s the one that most brutally insults the basic civil rights of citizens. They know it too. The economy is secondary here; this is about fundamental human dignity and people's actual lives, their property, etc.

Look, from the moment this measure was implemented and the pandemic hit, causing growth to stall, I predicted they’d pull the plug in the last week of April when the general "easing" begins.
Since the number of cases hasn't actually started dropping yet, maybe this gets pushed to the first week of May, but I simply cannot hold out longer than that.
If they drag this out any further, the public is going to start getting seriously agitated, and they don't need that... it would be completely counterproductive for them.

Then again... our leadership structures and our people are trash. They could easily keep this in place for months. Fortunately, we have the examples of Germany and Austria, which will be lifting movement restrictions by early May at the latest, so we'll be forced to follow suit.

Good grief, they haven't given a damn about this for the last 20 years or so, so I have no clue why they’d suddenly start caring now. If things went according to their playbook, this would probably drag on forever since they finally have the power and control they couldn't even dream of before. But hey, if nothing else, elections are coming up soon, so they can't afford to overplay their hand if they want to keep pretending to be the nation's saviors.

I haven't been obsessively stalking the stats the last few days, but I think I saw a day where there were only 39 new cases. If it keeps going like this, we won't need this rule past the end of April—and even then, that feels like a stretch. Sure, those nursing homes messed up the numbers a bit, but those aren't people who got sick from wandering through grocery stores or hanging out outside or being at work.

They could easily lift this ban today. I mean, the people who don't *need* to travel aren't going anywhere, and anyone who actually *has* to go somewhere will get their pass anyway, so the whole thing is totally pointless. It’d be way more effective to take all those cops sitting at checkpoints and send them to actually check on people in quarantine to make sure they’re staying put.

fadedranger162 said:Good grief, they haven't given a damn about this for the last 20 years or so, so I have no clue why they’d suddenly start caring now. If things went according to their playbook, this would probably drag on forever since they finally have the power and control they couldn't even dream of before. But hey, if nothing else, elections are coming up soon, so they can't afford to overplay their hand if they want to keep pretending to be the nation's saviors.

I haven't been obsessively stalking the stats the last few days, but I think I saw a day where there were only 39 new cases. If it keeps going like this, we won't need this rule past the end of April—and even then, that feels like a stretch. Sure, those nursing homes messed up the numbers a bit, but those aren't people who got sick from wandering through grocery stores or hanging out outside or being at work.

They could easily lift this ban today. I mean, the people who don't *need* to travel aren't going anywhere, and anyone who actually *has* to go somewhere will get their pass anyway, so the whole thing is totally pointless. It’d be way more effective to take all those cops sitting at checkpoints and send them to actually check on people in quarantine to make sure they’re staying put.

That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking for days. But now I'm getting worried that this won't be easy, normal, or even rational. Instead, we'll have all these epidemiologists and task forces twisting things and playing games—intentionally keeping their boots firmly planted on our necks during this "epidemic" for as long as they feel like, regardless of whether it's necessary. China-style. 😵

Look, I know I’m basically reposting what I wrote a couple of days ago, but seriously, we are flying blind here. There is zero strategy, and if you listen to those press conferences, you can't even tell what the actual goal is supposed to be.

If the whole point is reaching some kind of herd immunity, then this entire approach is a total bust because there is no way we're ever getting there with these numbers. Instead, the move should be keeping cases at the absolute max that the healthcare system can actually handle without collapsing. Right now, it feels like the goal is to drive infection numbers down to zero, which is just impossible no matter what restrictions they slap on us—just look at what happened over in Mexico. So, my question is: what happens in a month or two? The task force really needs to step up and tell us exactly what the game plan is.

Justin Phillips15 said:I am sincerely hoping that by mid-May, I'll be able to get around normally and make my way back to Washington, D.C.

Scientific projections suggest the epidemic in the USA could practically be over by then. Now... if this measure is truly vital from an epidemiological standpoint (though from what I’m reading—it isn't), they’ll keep it in place until the very end. 🙄
But I’m naively hoping they are at least somewhat rational and won't pursue such destruction just for the hell of it. I hope they scrap it the second conditions allow, which could be about two weeks from today. ☕

Carl Wilson said:Look, I know I’m basically reposting what I wrote a couple of days ago, but seriously, we are flying blind here. There is zero strategy, and if you listen to those press conferences, you can't even tell what the actual goal is supposed to be.

If the whole point is reaching some kind of herd immunity, then this entire approach is a total bust because there is no way we're ever getting there with these numbers. Instead, the move should be keeping cases at the absolute max that the healthcare system can actually handle without collapsing. Right now, it feels like the goal is to drive infection numbers down to zero, which is just impossible no matter what restrictions they slap on us—just look at what happened over in Mexico. So, my question is: what happens in a month or two? The task force really needs to step up and tell us exactly what the game plan is.

I’m wondering what happens six months from now when hospitals are overflowing with people who missed essential diagnostics and medical care during their 3rd and 4th months of this mess.
Honestly, it all leads to the same place: let the chronic patients stay home, let healthy people get on with their lives, and just test hospital staff daily. That’s it.
Hospitals need to be open for patients. It breaks my heart to see a facility like Dubrava sitting completely empty—and anyone who has ever even walked through those doors knows exactly what kind of place that is.
Our healthcare system is already collapsing anyway; waiting lists are endless. If you want to actually find out if you're sick in a timely manner, you're forced to go private.
By the way, in Germany, hospitals are functioning normally for patients, even with 80 million people and 120,000 infections.

Look, let's say I have to head to Washington, D.C. for a job interview (and potentially to sign an employment contract), which won't happen until these hardcore restrictions are lifted.
I won't be able to get to Washington, D.C. anyway (because I seriously doubt the peasants working in government agencies even grasp the concept of a job interview or building a career), nor will there be any such interviews until these hardcore measures are completely gone.

Grace Jones86 said:Scientific projections suggest the epidemic in the USA could practically be over by then. Now... if this measure is truly vital from an epidemiological standpoint (though from what I’m reading—it isn't), they’ll keep it in place until the very end. 🙄
But I’m naively hoping they are at least somewhat rational and won't pursue such destruction just for the hell of it. I hope they scrap it the second conditions allow, which could be about two weeks from today. ☕

Besides, that damn Capak said just two weeks ago that they'd lift this once they saw about a week of consecutive drops in cases... which could happen right about now.

Grace Jones86 said:Look, let's say I have to head to Washington, D.C. for a job interview (and potentially to sign an employment contract), which won't happen until these hardcore restrictions are lifted.
I won't be able to get to Washington, D.C. anyway (because I seriously doubt the peasants working in government agencies even grasp the concept of a job interview or building a career), nor will there be any such interviews until these hardcore measures are completely gone.

Same here. I’m terrified that if they actually call me in for an interview, they won't even issue my pass.
The sign for Washington, D.C. is only 200 meters from my house, yet I’m banned from entering the Washington area.
They could have at least grouped Washington, D.C. with its surrounding suburbs and Washington County, instead of this absolute garbage.

Carl Wilson said:Look, I know I’m basically reposting what I wrote a couple of days ago, but seriously, we are flying blind here. There is zero strategy, and if you listen to those press conferences, you can't even tell what the actual goal is supposed to be.

If the whole point is reaching some kind of herd immunity, then this entire approach is a total bust because there is no way we're ever getting there with these numbers. Instead, the move should be keeping cases at the absolute max that the healthcare system can actually handle without collapsing. Right now, it feels like the goal is to drive infection numbers down to zero, which is just impossible no matter what restrictions they slap on us—just look at what happened over in Mexico. So, my question is: what happens in a month or two? The task force really needs to step up and tell us exactly what the game plan is.

That isn't happening.

They should have communicated this a month ago, or any day between then and now.
They haven't and they won't. This government treats its citizens like mindless idiots who don't deserve serious communication.

Implicitly, they're hinting that the target is to drop new cases below 20 or 10—like they already did in Canada. Once that happens, they'll declare the restrictions lifted.
Then they just HOPE (because they know summer isn't a magic fix) that the weather will help push those numbers down to zero or close to it.

Grace Jones86 said:Look, let's say I have to head to Washington, D.C. for a job interview (and potentially to sign an employment contract), which won't happen until these hardcore restrictions are lifted.
I won't be able to get to Washington, D.C. anyway (because I seriously doubt the peasants working in government agencies even grasp the concept of a job interview or building a career), nor will there be any such interviews until these hardcore measures are completely gone.

And you're telling me you can't just set up an interview over Skype?!

Melissa Phillips4 said:Same here. I’m terrified that if they actually call me in for an interview, they won't even issue my pass.
The sign for Washington, D.C. is only 200 meters from my house, yet I’m banned from entering the Washington area.
They could have at least grouped Washington, D.C. with its surrounding suburbs and Washington County, instead of this absolute garbage.

Listen, I’m going to make this simple because clearly, we aren't on the same page. You’re sitting there in your local town hall meeting acting like you own the place, but you don't even know the basics of how the modern workforce functions. It's called job hopping. It isn't some kind of failure or laziness like you're implying. It's a strategy. People move from one company to another every couple of years to secure better pay, better benefits, and actual career growth. In today's economy, if you sit in the same cubicle at some mid-sized firm in Indianapolis for twenty years waiting for a gold watch, you're just getting left behind. Get it through your head: moving up often means moving out. Stop judging what you don't understand. 😁
And why exactly is that important? Why is it considered normal or even justified to go...

That kind of horror doesn't exist anywhere else. Personally, I try to have zero contact with the American public—especially those bureaucrats and low-level civil servants—under normal circumstances. I don't want any conversation with them. I view them as nothing more than primitive, medieval bottom-feeders. Then, suddenly, some ridiculous crisis forces you to actually communicate with those shallow shells of human beings. 🐔

If you ask me, there’s no way they lift the travel ban between cities before June 1st. If we're lucky, maybe around May 15th

The folks in charge said they’re going to follow Austria's lead and try to match whatever they do.

Larry Walker24 said:If you ask me, there’s no way they lift the travel ban between cities before June 1st. If we're lucky, maybe around May 15th

The folks in charge said they’re going to follow Austria's lead and try to match whatever they do.

Only if they're aiming for total economic and social suicide. If that's the plan, fine... then traveling to another city and living a normal life isn't even going to be the main issue.☕

Larry Walker24 said:If you ask me, there’s no way they lift the travel ban between cities before June 1st. If we're lucky, maybe around May 15th

The folks in charge said they’re going to follow Austria's lead and try to match whatever they do.

Austria dealt with much harsher hotspots and a significantly more intense epidemic.

Larry Walker24 said:And you're telling me you can't just set up an interview over Skype?!

Showing up at the office, signing paper contracts, getting your hardware, and actually meeting the crew and the company—you can't do all that via Skype. That’s why most companies freeze their hiring processes... ergo the world is standing still.

Your logic is bizarre. Seriously. By that reasoning, we should just manage "life" through Skype every time a new virus hits... and just give up on civilization indefinitely.
Pure trolling.

Who guarantees we're talking about June under that logic? Could be September, could be next May. 🙄

Oh sure... everything can be done over Skype.

Grace Jones86 said:Showing up at the office, signing paper contracts, getting your hardware, and actually meeting the crew and the company—you can't do all that via Skype. That’s why most companies freeze their hiring processes... ergo the world is standing still.

Your logic is bizarre. Seriously. By that reasoning, we should just manage "life" through Skype every time a new virus hits... and just give up on civilization indefinitely.
Pure trolling.

Who guarantees we're talking about June under that logic? Could be September, could be next May. 🙄

Oh sure... everything can be done over Skype.

I said having a CONVERSATION over Skype. Don't go putting words in my mouth!!

Look, that's how you nail down business deals out there. I'm definitely not flying to London or Dublin just so they can have a thirty-minute chat with me.

I guess I'm just the crazy one then.🤦