[lindaelane]

It is possible to entirely stay home if that is your choice. There is grocery delivery, there is delivery from the drug store (door dash) and there is telemedicine. If you need to go to your doctor's office, no one is allowed in without a temperature check, a mask and social distancing, so you are not going to catch it there. Why not let those small businesses survive?

Deaths of despair (suicide, drugs) are way up. Deaths of people not getting cancer checks are going to go way up. Deaths of people so afraid of Covid they have strokes and heart attacks and call no one are up. In New York, when the lockdown was strict, 63% of those catching the disease had been locked down. In other words, the fact that there are essential workers already means the disease can spread in the community to anyone going out at all, or letting someone in their home who goes out.

Epidemiologists before this year always said "lockdowns do not work" - exception: 100 percent lockdown early in the disease, but we can't do that. You can look up this fact on the WHO site. Epidemiologists had no evidence that lockdowns were suddenly going to work, they just used them to slow the spread, stopping hospitals from being overwhelmed. In spite of scary headlines that our hospitals have more in them that they did before, only one-third of those are in hospital for Covid and no hospital yet has been unable to accept patients.

- - In some degree it seems to be a function of where you get your news, sensationalism creates ratings - why not change the channel to different news or read some facts from the internet?

Those who doubt we will get a vaccine in December - Do you know non-political doctors say that is when it will happen? Again, your news channel gets ratings by scaring you. A large majority of Americans believe "the news" is often untruthful. Please cheer up. Stay home with only no-contact delivery if you decide to, but please cheer up at least about the vaccine.

Oh, and read the Great Barrington Declaration (find it through a search engine) - signed by tens of thousands of medical professionals including epidemiologists and public health officials.

[Singerlady]

Originally Posted by Blackmagic

Why open the town squares ?
The treatments are more effective and the mortality rate is down from those who contracted it. As Americans we have civil liberties that allow us to make decisions on risk and reward. If you are at risk stay home and don’t infringe on others who have very low risk.

Get the virus...survive..ok! What are the long term effects from this virus? NO ONE KNOWS YET! That’s where my brain is. Whether you are low or high risk.......if you get it and survive, what will your health be like in 10-20 or even 5-10 years. Frankly, I don’t want to think about that. Not fearful, just being smart, cautious and RESPECTFUL of others who may not be in my situation!

[Debfrommaine]

Originally Posted by jksturgeon

It is not the responsibility of The Villages to protect you. if you feel unsafe going to the squares, don't go.
You must take personal responsibility to protect yourself as you see fit.

Absolutely.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by lindaelane

It is possible to entirely stay home if that is your choice. There is grocery delivery, there is delivery from the drug store (door dash) and there is telemedicine. If you need to go to your doctor's office, no one is allowed in without a temperature check, a mask and social distancing, so you are not going to catch it there. Why not let those small businesses survive?

Deaths of despair (suicide, drugs) are way up. Deaths of people not getting cancer checks are going to go way up. Deaths of people so afraid of Covid they have strokes and heart attacks and call no one are up. In New York, when the lockdown was strict, 63% of those catching the disease had been locked down. In other words, the fact that there are essential workers already means the disease can spread in the community to anyone going out at all, or letting someone in their home who goes out.

Epidemiologists before this year always said "lockdowns do not work" - exception: 100 percent lockdown early in the disease, but we can't do that. You can look up this fact on the WHO site. Epidemiologists had no evidence that lockdowns were suddenly going to work, they just used them to slow the spread, stopping hospitals from being overwhelmed. In spite of scary headlines that our hospitals have more in them that they did before, only one-third of those are in hospital for Covid and no hospital yet has been unable to accept patients.

- - In some degree it seems to be a function of where you get your news, sensationalism creates ratings - why not change the channel to different news or read some facts from the internet?

Those who doubt we will get a vaccine in December - Do you know non-political doctors say that is when it will happen? Again, your news channel gets ratings by scaring you. A large majority of Americans believe "the news" is often untruthful. Please cheer up. Stay home with only no-contact delivery if you decide to, but please cheer up at least about the vaccine.

Oh, and read the Great Barrington Declaration (find it through a search engine) - signed by tens of thousands of medical professionals including epidemiologists and public health officials.

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[oneclickplus]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

So, entertainment at the town squares were closed when the pandemic was under much better control than it currently is. Fast forward, the pandemic numbers have never been worse, and a massive influx of potential Covid spreaders are migrating south. Then the seasonal influx of high risk children and grandchildren visitors will follow. People from all over the country will be flying to Florida and converging on the 55 plus community that has been relatively safe during the slow season, where the older and more vulnerable full time residents generally take appropriate precautions. Despite this, starting next week the town squares will go back to business as usual, like the pandemic doesn’t even exist, WTF?

Could there possibly be a worse time to decide to open everything back up? I get that the powers that be need to sell all the houses they are cranking out, and it’s hard to sell houses without being able to showcase the Villages experience. But this could backfire in a big way if the Villages Covid numbers spike, which they most likely will. Not only that, but all the new houses they are trying to sell will have to compete with all the new pre-owned homes that will go on the market vacated by unfortunate Covid victims.

OK, all the Covid deniers, let me have it, I can deal with it.

Not a COVID denier - rather a COVID realist. We all need to be exposed for herd immunity to take effect. Be a patriot and take off your mask. Shakes hands with a stranger. Go to the town square events and mingle mingle mingle. We need to see 1,000,000 ... 2,000,000 ... 5,000,000 new cases (positivity tests - not deaths) every day. Lets "git'er done".

This is NOT sarcasm.

[72lions]

Originally Posted by jksturgeon

It is not the responsibility of The Villages to protect you. if you feel unsafe going to the squares, don't go.
You must take personal responsibility to protect yourself as you see fit.

As you too must take personal responsibility to not infect others.

[Johnsocat]

Recovery rate is 99+%. You got the same chances of getting pregnant with a condom. I think I'll take my chances and begin living life again. If course I'll wear mask if I cant distance myself.

[oneclickplus]

Originally Posted by 72lions

As you too must take personal responsibility to not infect others.

Nonsense. This assumes you know that you are contagious. The alternative is that we assume everyone is contagious (which is what most are doing now). And that's just ridiculous. I'm not responsible for making sure others don't catch the virus. Put on YOUR mask. Wash YOUR hands. Cower in YOUR house. Then, you don't have to worry about what everyone else is doing.

As if this isn't extreme absurdity already - can we just BAN all cars / planes/ lawnmowers to protect asthmatics from dying from pollution? Why aren't you worried about that?

"And you too must take personal responsibility for not putting any pollution in the air which will cause a child with asthma to die. Do it for the children."

It involves the same logic (but not the same agenda)

[merrymini]

Fun to watch you be manipulated by the crazy media. Run rats run!

[Krittermom]

Originally Posted by jmkeyzers

Easy fix. Stay home.

Yes, those of us with preexisting conditions do stay home. But we still need to go out to the pharmacy, groceries and doctor offices, where we run the risk of exposure from those who just don’t care to take precautions.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by acornhome

Because when you are done drinking and dancing you go to Publix, the dr’s office, or the gas station where you run into people who have been “cowering in their homes” because of compromised health issues or age but still need food, gas and to get to the drs office. That’s why.

Please take proper precautions to protect yourself in these situations. Publix should require masks but if there is someone not wearing one, stay away from them. A doctor's waiting room is full of sick people by definition; if they don't require a masks then find yourself a different doctor! I don't know if it is physically possible for me to be within six feet of another person while pumping gas, I'm certainly not there for 15 minutes, but according to the CDC you wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer will help protect you.

In most of the country Covid is not being spread by those who enjoyed the entertainment at the squares in The Villages. Covid is in the community (some more than others) and you can't tell where. Assume everyone you come in contact with is a potential carrier and you take necessary precautions to protect yourself.

[Deb H]

agreed

[Stu from NYC]

Guess full capacity of the squares is all about the money.

Merchants at the square have probably put pressure on to either reopen or they fold so reopen we will go.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Krittermom

Yes, those of us with preexisting conditions do stay home. But we still need to go out to the pharmacy, groceries and doctor offices, where we run the risk of exposure from those who just don’t care to take precautions.

Bingo.


Others are thinking, It's all about me.

[rugbyjohn]

You are absolutely correct.