Down to Zero
Jun. 5th, 2020 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cjlasky7An important milestone for me:
My branch is re-opening on Monday.
It's been approximately three months since the Borough Park branch closed, but corporate finally decided it's safe enough to take in regular customers again.
(I'm not quite so sure about that, but we're diving in anyway.)
I spent part of today helping to rearrange the layout of the branch. We're herding the customers to the last window. Transactions and/or paperwork will be passed down to the tellers or customer service reps. (Teller windows have been blocked off.) Nobody will be allowed in without a mask. (Let's see if we can make that work in Borough Park....)
I'm both excited and a little nervous.
Sign of the times: police removed all the garbage cans from street corners in my neighborhood, presumably as a looting prevention measure.
But let's try to keep things positive:
For the first time since early March, there were zero deaths from Coronavirus in New York City.
Governor Cuomo released his plan for police reform in New York State. On a related note, there is an excellent article on the website for The Atlantic ("How to Actually Fix America's Police") on measures that can be taken on federal, state and local levels to make police more accountable. I'm not sure all the proposals are politically workable, but the authors (Seth Stoughton, Jeffrey Noble, and Geoffrey Alpert) make a good case for modifying or eliminating qualified immunity. I suck at links, but find it and give it a read. If you wonder if anything can change in this country, it's good to know there are people out there with actual plans.
The other encouraging news I've heard is the discovery that Covid-19 attacks endothelial cells in blood vessels.
("Wait--thats GOOD news?!")
Well, no. But if true, it would tie together many of the seemingly unrelated illnesses that have cropped up around Covid, including the inflammatory disease putting children in the hospital. A fuller understanding of how Covid attacks the body can help in developing a vaccine (or, short of that, an effective treatment).
Hope everybody is okay.
I'll report from work on Monday.
My branch is re-opening on Monday.
It's been approximately three months since the Borough Park branch closed, but corporate finally decided it's safe enough to take in regular customers again.
(I'm not quite so sure about that, but we're diving in anyway.)
I spent part of today helping to rearrange the layout of the branch. We're herding the customers to the last window. Transactions and/or paperwork will be passed down to the tellers or customer service reps. (Teller windows have been blocked off.) Nobody will be allowed in without a mask. (Let's see if we can make that work in Borough Park....)
I'm both excited and a little nervous.
Sign of the times: police removed all the garbage cans from street corners in my neighborhood, presumably as a looting prevention measure.
But let's try to keep things positive:
For the first time since early March, there were zero deaths from Coronavirus in New York City.
Governor Cuomo released his plan for police reform in New York State. On a related note, there is an excellent article on the website for The Atlantic ("How to Actually Fix America's Police") on measures that can be taken on federal, state and local levels to make police more accountable. I'm not sure all the proposals are politically workable, but the authors (Seth Stoughton, Jeffrey Noble, and Geoffrey Alpert) make a good case for modifying or eliminating qualified immunity. I suck at links, but find it and give it a read. If you wonder if anything can change in this country, it's good to know there are people out there with actual plans.
The other encouraging news I've heard is the discovery that Covid-19 attacks endothelial cells in blood vessels.
("Wait--thats GOOD news?!")
Well, no. But if true, it would tie together many of the seemingly unrelated illnesses that have cropped up around Covid, including the inflammatory disease putting children in the hospital. A fuller understanding of how Covid attacks the body can help in developing a vaccine (or, short of that, an effective treatment).
Hope everybody is okay.
I'll report from work on Monday.
no subject
Date: 2020-06-06 01:53 am (UTC)Borough Park and my area is actually fairly safe for the most part. There are no protests over here - the protests are East of us - in Flatbush under Prospect Park and around Prospect Park. The most they've been doing protest wise in Borough Park is closer to Kesington on Fort Hamilton and McDonald. And there was a whole group lined up for free antibody testing.
Another bit of good news on the Coronavirus front - they've linked it potentially to genetic coding and blood type. It affects A blood type more than others. Another clue that it may be linked to blood vessels and affect certain blood types more than others.
More we know, the closer we come to a cure.
They've removed the garbage cans off the street corners in all neighborhoods. Mine didn't really have any. They did it to prevent people from using them as a weapon. (They were apparently doing so in certain areas of Manhattan and Brooklyn.)
I'm not going back any time soon - I can't drive there, no one can. Also we work very well remotely from home - apparently. I bought a desk chair - my current one isn't going to make it three more months.
I need to check out the Atlantic article.
To do a link? it is "<" then "AHREF", then "=" then "the link" then ">" Then the words you want to use describing it, then "<" then "a" then ">". I bought an HTML code sheet back in the early 0s and figured it out. Also, DW has a nifty "rich text" option that can do it for you - I think.
I had to figure it out because I was posting essays on this insane board run by academic coding geeks with attitude. They HTML scripted things to death. And they kept correcting me. As a result, I know stuff. I'm lazy though, so don't always do it well. Also DW is horrid with dropping links.
no subject
Date: 2020-06-06 03:09 am (UTC)As for your question: am I scared of the virus?
For the first time, I'm more scared for the rest of the country than I am for New York.
Personally? No, not really.
But I am cautious. At the bank, I will not handle money or checks without gloves. (I have a box of gloves at home, too.) I will not go within six feet of anyone I don't know without my mask. I have hand sanitizer and clorox wipes at my station.
It encourages me that health care workers, even ones who work with Covid patients,, have a low rate of infection IF they have the proper protection. I figure if it works for them, it'll work for me.
Hope this helps.
no subject
Date: 2020-06-06 03:36 am (UTC)I'm more afraid for the rest of the country right now as well. I think we're lucky in that we have a smart and overall, kind, human being as a Governor. Which I'm incredibly surprised by - I hated him for five years, now I'm defending the man to people who supported him when I hated him. It's hilarious.
It's kind of impossible for me to stay six feet from anyone without a mask - although I'm trying, by walking in the street, trying not to get hit by bikes and cars, and going to do laundry rarely. I do it once a month. Living in an apartment building has its issues. And getting food deliveries.
I figure walking around outside - I'm safer than indoors. And I've discovered detours.
Sounds like you are taking the virus seriously at least. That's good. You'll be safe returning to work. Although I wouldn't go within six feet of anyone I knew and wasn't living with without a mask either. My mother doesn't agree with me on this point.
no subject
Date: 2020-06-06 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-06-06 05:52 pm (UTC)I have had several extended family members who had it. And it's not something you want. My Aunt struggled with it for three months. And my cousin reports a hellish three weeks.
Being careful is the responsible thing to do.