Quarantine Life

I mean, I don't think anyone's actually gonna give a damn if you step out onto your balcony or sit on the front porch—like, go ahead and toss a lounge chair out on the lawn in your backyard... just don't be loitering outside the fence or trying to force an interaction with the neighbors.

That guy driving the tractor? Total overkill. Honestly, instead of just shutting his trap, he’s out there whining and making a whole scene about it.

Honestly, if he’s telling the truth, the punishment is way too harsh. I live out in the sticks myself—I can step right out of my backyard onto the fields and walk my dog through nothingness all day. Aside from my family, the closest person to me is basically just someone standing in my yard. Once I hit the fields, there isn't a soul for hundreds of yards, and once I get a mile out, I'm completely alone. So what, am I supposed to get the same penalty as someone walking in circles in the middle of downtown Chicago?

If we're going to let one person decide whether they can leave their house based on their own judgment, then that rule has to apply to everyone else, too. In an actual emergency, trying to micromanage individual decisions just isn't smart—or even practical...
It would be much more logical to simply penalize those who break the rules after the fact, rather than setting up special emergency tribunals just to debate whether someone’s sense of urgency was valid. That’s my first point. And secondly—we only have his word that he was actually caught out in his own yard. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he was spotted wandering around the neighborhood, just like that guy who claimed he was "splitting wood."

The FBI is watching us 😲 🤣

Some people are basically in self-imposed quarantine, claiming health officials told them they can head out as long as they stay away from crowds.
They weren't actually near anyone sick, just in the same apartment building.
Maybe the CDC guidelines differ for indirect contact versus being right next to someone, but I wonder if they’ve notified the local authorities, or if they'll just end up getting slapped with an $1,200 fine if they get caught wandering around outside.

The grocery store is practically empty today. What’s really striking, though, is how people on the street are actively avoiding each other—everyone's crossing to the far side of the sidewalk just to maintain distance 😲 Is this old-school intolerance resurfacing, or just pure, unadulterated anxiety? 😢 Walking through town, I feel like I've slipped into a parallel dimension. It’s the same world, yet everything feels fundamentally different because there's nobody around. Or maybe it’s just the streets that are deserted 😵 And no, before anyone asks, I haven't been drinking, I don't have a fever, and I'm definitely not coughing 😳

In Washington, D.C., we had thirteen people break quarantine within just a single twenty-four hour period, whether they were heading out for a quick coffee, popping into a local grocery store, or simply taking their car out for a spin

Daniel Gomez10 said:The FBI is watching us 😲 🤣

Some people are basically in self-imposed quarantine, claiming health officials told them they can head out as long as they stay away from crowds.
They weren't actually near anyone sick, just in the same apartment building.
Maybe the CDC guidelines differ for indirect contact versus being right next to someone, but I wonder if they’ve notified the local authorities, or if they'll just end up getting slapped with an $1,200 fine if they get caught wandering around outside.

File a formal complaint along with a copy of those health department instructions, and the whole mess should be resolved...

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.

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.

Lawrence Reed3 said: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.

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.

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?).

I honestly think the European Union needs to realize that giving people way too much "freedom" can actually backfire on us all
Our doctors are basically acting like skiers right now, and I bet if the hospital numbers start climbing over the next two weeks, we’re going to see the exact same mess happen here as they did in Italy. Seriously, WHO CAN ACTUALLY STOP ME from heading out to work the fields or just swinging by a local diner, or even hitting the coast for some fishing?
It’s honestly such a struggle to follow these guidelines when breaking them could end up costing someone—including you—their health or even their life
But hey, that's how my coworker puts it; until a few more folks end up in a cemetery, people just aren't going to take any of this seriously

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.

Lawrence Reed3 said: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.

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.😁

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.

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.

Lawrence Reed3 said: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.

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!

Matthew Jackson2 said:File a formal complaint along with a copy of those health department instructions, and the whole mess should be resolved...

I really think we need better public education on this. If people are being told what to do, they should understand that self-isolation means staying home—period. No exceptions.

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.

The doctors weren't hiding anything. In fact, they reported their travel whenever required and even asked for permission beforehand. They stayed in touch with the health department, too.
Everything can be verified, so this whole attack on them feels totally unnecessary since nobody seems to know all the facts.

Lawrence Reed3 said: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.

You basically *are* under house arrest; it's just that instead of the police ordering it, the CDC did.

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.