COVID-19 Check-Ins

Login to post comments
82 posts / 0 new
Kristen K.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803
COVID-19 Check-Ins

Hello!

Just thought I would reach out and see how everyone is doing. I'm thinking about you all and I hope you are doing well in this crazy new world.

My family has been hit pretty hard right now because we are all in the travel and hospitality industry. Tori's museum has closed, and Kirk's restaurant is on limited hours for carry-out only. However, Katie is on her way home from WDW for a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing my baby again and will be driving back down with her when she returns.

If you're not doing OK, if you just want to reach out and talk my inbox is always open. I may not have any answers but I am pretty good at listening. We are all in this together, and can only take it one day at a time.

JoAnn C's picture
Offline
Joined: 05/20/2011
Posts: 6757

I am hanging in there. I will be working from home until further notice.

__________________

JanJ's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/14/2013
Posts: 1681

Ontario just declared a state of emergency so KenJ and I are now working from home for the foreseeable future. Hopefully we can get the spread stopped before it gets out of control.

Offline
Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 1905

Our County pretty much closed last week. Schools, Day Cares, and non essential business were asked to close. By Sunday Bars and restaurants were told that they could only open for take-out. I think the rest of the state has now followed. Mark and I both still have to work. We are thankful to still be working but not crazy about possibly being exposed.

Offline
Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 1905

Oops, that posted twice.

Spook's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/27/2012
Posts: 2786

Erik and I are still working. He's a mechanic so it hasn't really affected his job yet. We closed the dining room and are take out only which isn't a big deal as I work at Dairy Queen and it's mostly take out anyway. However, it's march break here in Ontario and we are no where near as busy as usual. People just aren't going out much I guess ( except to the grocery stores to hoard food and toilet paper sarcastic ). Schools here are closed for two weeks after the march break and all non essential businesses are closed. We haven't had a case of the virus here yet, hopefully we can keep it that way crossfingers

oHIo's picture
Offline
Joined: 10/04/2014
Posts: 844

DH and I are both retired so work is not an issue, but we are both over 65 and Mike became an insulin dependent diabetic last fall after being on oral meds for years. He's also a heart patient and uses an inhaler that is generally prescribed for COPD patients. He hasn't been in the hospital yet this year which is a good thing! My health is pretty good. I still watch the twins once or twice a week and my special needs granddaughter and her baby brother once a week. I helped out when Ilah had her tethered cord surgery last year and heel cord surgery a few weeks ago. Yet I still worry since Ilah's mom and dad are emergency room nurses at a hospital classified as a level 1 trauma center.

We are hunkered down and go out only when necessary. I run the errands and make him stay home, although he still walks the dogs. Grocery stores in Northwest Ohio have no TP, tissues or paper towels, but since we are Costco members we had plenty of paper products on hand before this all started. The grocery stores have plenty of fresh produce and it is not too difficult to find beef and chicken if you know at which store to shop.

My daughter, mother of the twins, was diagnosed with influenza A last Saturday and started Tamiflu the same day. The boys who had flu shots had only a touch of it. Their dad started Tamiflu last night. Fortunately I was never exposed. Mike and I both had flu shots but I still don't want to risk exposing DH to anything that might put him in the hospital!

Kristen K.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

oHIo wrote:
I still don't want to risk exposing DH to anything that might put him in the hospital!

I hear that! Tori, Geordon, and I are all on the high risk list. They both have pre-existing lung issues, and I'm immunocompromised. We're all hunkered down at home and I'm not letting Geordon leave the house at all. I plan on going out for groceries on Saturday to restock a few things. For the most part we are just trying to stay calm.

Tori and I started watching a Marvel Movie Marathon, we are re-watching all the movies in order of release. Yesterday we got through Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, and Avengers.

Mandy's picture
Offline
Joined: 06/18/2013
Posts: 2485

My parents and I are doing pretty well. My mom is slightly suffering because she has been renting a car through Lyft. She has to earn $250 before she starts to earn money. Ever since the theme parks closed along with Disney Springs, I think it has been hard for her earn money.
I really miss my furry co-workers even though some of them are butt heads. I finally made it out to Publix to get some food and drinks. I'm hoping the food I bought will last me a while. A couple weeks ago I bought bogo toilet paper so I'm set on that front. I'm getting paid for the hours that I would have worked this week and I am going to get paid every week the parks are closed.
I also have a sore on near my belly button that seems to be healing slowly. I did drain it earlier today and it seems to be doing better after that. I might go to the minute clinic tomorrow to have it checked out just in case. I tried to set up an appointment today but they are all filled and the walk in wait time is over 180 minutes.

JMed's picture
Offline
Joined: 02/16/2014
Posts: 3849

Doing good here, Blondie is out of school until April 13! She is in Georgia with my parents as Joe and I are both still working. She has all of her assignments online and she has her violin to practice. Poor mom and dad laugh

I work in a medical office, it is a group of eye doctors but they are specialists so we are still there keeping our patient's sight in tact. Our major problem right now are surgery centers closing down and not being able to help people with retina detachments or holes. gaah

Joe owns his own business so we are a little stressed about that. I don't think people are going to be spending lots of money on home audio/visual systems. Maybe security stuff but the other random stuff... sad

Work has been stressful with all of the rescheduling and staffing. We have a lot of younger kids who are very worried about not being able to work and have money for bills so there is a lot of reassurance going on. Our docs (4) have such varying opinions on how things are to be done and it is nerve wracking keeping them all happy. waiting

But good thing is we are both healthy. I do worry about Joe with the heart issues. We have plenty of TP and food. We have a friend with a house in the mountains and they are currently in Orlando for the "winter" So, if I get off work, we will head there to breathe the mountain air and hang out on the lake. crossfingers biggrin

Hope you are all doing well, and I'm here to talk to if you need to! muchlove

__________________

"I do not like the cone of shame."

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell."

"It seems to me that we have a lot of story yet to tell."

Jennifer Huotari | Create Your Badge

The Huotari's Disney Adventures | Promote Your Page Too

Kristen K.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

Well, Illinois just got put under a "stay at home" order that starts tomorrow until April 7th.

I went out and grabbed some last minute things from the grocery store, such as dairy and fresh produce. They say that the markets are going to continue operating for us, but if you don't get there first thing in the morning the shelves are so depleted that the staff can't keep up re-stocking. I have some TP, but I would like to find more. I'm thinking that I may just have it delivered from amazon or somewhere because it's easier than trying to find it.

Katie made it home Wednesday night and plans on being back in Florida by April 1st. She filed for emergency unemployment today. I really want to go back with her but since we're not really sure that the Parks will be open again by then I may just stay home to reduce my exposure. Florida already has a higher rate of infection and mortality rate than Illinois does, it's interesting to see how the different States are responding.

JMed's picture
Offline
Joined: 02/16/2014
Posts: 3849

I have a grocery order in that I'm picking up today. Hopefully I get a pack of coveted TP. We are good right now but if they did the stay at home order tomorrow, we would need more.

I'm still supposed to be at work Monday. Joe is questionable. They have already "closed" the islands and beaches to people other than residents.

I've just been hanging out in the backyard, thank goodness the weather is beautiful, with Walt and relaxing. Our patient demographic is older and normally very sick patients so we have to really limit our exposure as not to spread it to the more vulnerable.

xoxo stay safe everyone!

Oh, I bought the party pack on Heads Up last night which includes Disney Parks, Joe and I loved it!!!!

__________________

"I do not like the cone of shame."

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell."

"It seems to me that we have a lot of story yet to tell."

Jennifer Huotari | Create Your Badge

The Huotari's Disney Adventures | Promote Your Page Too

Offline
Joined: 11/15/2012
Posts: 912

G is lucky he works for Bank of New York and they took the decision last week for him (and now all staff) to work from home. I on the other hand work in the worst place going one of the original designated hospitals for Covid19 and in respiratory. I am admin and now do not go onto the ward and cannot even get water for drinking. The ward is where they are putting all suspected and confirmed cases (although it is throughout the hospital now). My office is across a corridor and we are trying to stop the nurses coming in but have been told we cannot. We are trying to keep it a clean area.

Honestly I am scared. I know that 80% of the population is predicted to get this is some shape or other but when you are so close to it on every working day you wonder how long before it is me. They are already asking admin if they will help on the wards (not surprisingly most of us don't want to). My colleagues say I am the calm one in the office but I am not, I am trying to still do my job and reassure patients and the others. I have found out I am at risk because I am 55+ and a high BMI and hypertension.

There are some good bits, my elderly very at risk parents are the other end of the country and are being looked after by neighbours for which I am very grateful for so I cannot put them at risk, I can still buy craft bits online (thanks to Scrappy I have a Cricut machine and love it), Disney + streams next week, it has finally stopped raining and is sunny and bright, my holiday is 6 months away so I might still get it (if it doesn't happen it is not the end of the world we will get out there eventually) all of my friends here are still OK, I still have a job (however scary it is) and the birds are singing, the plants are starting to regrow and I have my online friends to chat to.

Stay safe, hope you all manage financially if your jobs are temporarily shut, big hugs to you all

__________________

Kristen K.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

Sending you big hugs and lots of strength energy Sally-Ann. I'm sure you are taking every precaution that you can. Sometimes being "the strong one" is the hardest job of all. Allow yourself the time to process things when you go home at night, it's absolutely OK to feel scared. This is scary, and it sounds like you are in the thick of it.

You have a safe place here if you need to vent. We've got you. muchlove

Spook's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/27/2012
Posts: 2786

Ontario has just announced that all non essential businesses must be closed by midnight tomorrow. They are releasing a list of who that includes tomorrow morning. We are not sure if we are considered non essential but it's not looking good sad

JanJ's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/14/2013
Posts: 1681

Spook wrote:
Ontario has just announced that all non essential businesses must be closed by midnight tomorrow. They are releasing a list of who that includes tomorrow morning. We are not sure if we are considered non essential but it's not looking good sad

Hopefully you can still stay open for take out only. crossfingers

Spook's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/27/2012
Posts: 2786

JanJ wrote:
Spook wrote:
Ontario has just announced that all non essential businesses must be closed by midnight tomorrow. They are releasing a list of who that includes tomorrow morning. We are not sure if we are considered non essential but it's not looking good sad

Hopefully you can still stay open for take out only. crossfingers

I'm not sure we will be. We don't have burgers or food, just ice cream. I don't think the treat stores are considered essential (although ice cream is essential to me laugh )

Mandy's picture
Offline
Joined: 06/18/2013
Posts: 2485

Here in Florida, all food locations are to-go and delivery only until May 8. A lot of schools have closed until the middle of April.

MrHub's picture
Offline
Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 9502

Hello all, just checking in. Here in Montgomery County, PA. we just went into a hard "Stay at home" order at 8pm from our Governor. No none life emergency travel. Our county is considered an epicenter for Covid19 in PA.

Scrappy and I are still working. My Department just changed my shifts so only one dispatcher in on duty at a time, so I will be doing 7 days on and seven days off. I am first under my supervisor so I at least get day shift. He will be working when I am off and this shift is permanent until this thing is over. We have one dispatcher that was tested for the virus but have not gotten the results back yet. He was in New Orleans week before last and when he came home he didn't feel well.

I have to say it is a little freaky, no traffic stops, no crime, we have had 1 domestic in the past 2 weeks. The stupid phone calls still keep coming though.

The only thing our stores are really out of is TP, Lysol products & hand sanitizer. Other than that we can get just about anything, except for booze & guns.

Schools are closed for minimum of another 3 weeks.

Kristen K.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

MrHub wrote:
We have one dispatcher that was tested for the virus but have not gotten the results back yet. He was in New Orleans week before last and when he came home he didn't feel well.

Yikes! That is scary. Sending you good strong immune system vibes for your continued wellbeing.

Kristen K.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

Mandy wrote:
all food locations are to-go and delivery only until May 8.

And yet Disney continues to say they will be opening April 1st. waiting

I wish Disney would put out a new announcement so that Katie doesn't go back and down there on her own. She doesn't do well mentally when she doesn't have something to keep her busy and I would rather her stay here as long as possible. I know she's an adult and is going to do what she thinks is best, but if Disney would put out some new information she would at least have a few days to think about it.

Offline
Joined: 11/15/2012
Posts: 912

Good news my hospital have managed to get us remote access so we can work from home. We will still have to go in once a week but I can cope with that. clapping

__________________

Offline
Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 1905

yay yay yay
That is great news!

JoAnn C's picture
Offline
Joined: 05/20/2011
Posts: 6757

That's great news Sally-Ann

__________________

Kristen K.'s picture
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

Sally-Ann wrote:
Good news my hospital have managed to get us remote access so we can work from home. We will still have to go in once a week but I can cope with that. clapping

It's about time! Glad to hear it!

Mandy's picture
Offline
Joined: 06/18/2013
Posts: 2485

That's so good to hear Sally-Ann!

The union let it's cast members know that we are being furlough started on April 19. We knew that it was coming. The only thing we are losing is pay so we can hopefully get the unemployment benefit which would give us more money then what Disney could. The union is fighting to get the governor of Florida to fix the unemployment system before thousands of more people enter.

I also got Conceal Don't Feel: A Twisted novel for free from Disney books. I finished that in a few days time. It was really good and I highly recommend. I also got Straight On Til Morning: A Twisted novel for 99 cents from Disney books. I'm really excited to dive into it since it is the next book in the series.

JoAnn C's picture
Offline
Joined: 05/20/2011
Posts: 6757

Hi all. I'm checking in. Today wasn't a good day. I should have woken up at Pop Century this morning but instead I worked from my dining room table. I also canceled my May trip tonight.

For the most part, things are going good. I have been working from home for the past month and will do so until we are permitted to go back into the office. I do miss my team. My boss had a video conference team meeting last week. It was nice to see everyone. I even wore a pair of Minnie Mouse ears for the meeting. We have another video conference next week. I need to figure out what Disney gear I'll wear.

__________________

MrHub's picture
Offline
Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 9502

Sally-Ann wrote:
Good news my hospital have managed to get us remote access so we can work from home. We will still have to go in once a week but I can cope with that. clapping

Glad to hear it!

MrHub's picture
Offline
Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 9502

JoAnn C wrote:
Hi all. I'm checking in. Today wasn't a good day. I should have woken up at Pop Century this morning but instead I worked from my dining room table. I also canceled my May trip tonight.

We feel your JoAnn! We should be on the road to Disney right now! Sad( Sad MDE still shows our Moonlight Magic event for 4/21/20 but of course, we got notified of that cancelation a little while ago. Just waiting now to see how long it takes to put our borrowed points back into our 2020 use year.

Glad to hear you are doing good though. awesome

Spook's picture
Offline
Joined: 04/27/2012
Posts: 2786

I've known for a while we aren't going in May. I'm finally going to click the cancel button sad I doubt the park will open in May but even if it did, the border is closed for another 30 days. We are also cancelling our Berlin and Disneyland Paris trip. Our spring races have been cancelled and I have a feeling there won't be any races for the remainder of the year.

Work is slow. Easter can be a good cake weekend but it was a bust. They have extended the state of emergency until may 12 which means we will lose Mother's Day which is a huge cake weekend. Sales are maybe 50% of what they should be. My poor mom is so tired and in pain ( severe arthritis) and of course stressed. She had been planning on cutting her hours back this summer but now she has to work more. Our staff is down by about half because no one wants to work. I believe some are actually worried about the virus but most just went in the program the government came out with that gives you $2000 a month. Since none of our staff make that much as they're all part time, they are getting paid more and don't have to work waiting

I'm so over this. I just wish things could go back to normal.

Mandy's picture
Offline
Joined: 06/18/2013
Posts: 2485

Spook wrote:
I've known for a while we aren't going in May. I'm finally going to click the cancel button sad I doubt the park will open in May but even if it did, the border is closed for another 30 days. We are also cancelling our Berlin and Disneyland Paris trip. Our spring races have been cancelled and I have a feeling there won't be any races for the remainder of the year.

Work is slow. Easter can be a good cake weekend but it was a bust. They have extended the state of emergency until may 12 which means we will lose Mother's Day which is a huge cake weekend. Sales are maybe 50% of what they should be. My poor mom is so tired and in pain ( severe arthritis) and of course stressed. She had been planning on cutting her hours back this summer but now she has to work more. Our staff is down by about half because no one wants to work. I believe some are actually worried about the virus but most just went in the program the government came out with that gives you $2000 a month. Since none of our staff make that much as they're all part time, they are getting paid more and don't have to work waiting

I'm so over this. I just wish things could go back to normal.

That really stinks for you guys and especially for your mother. Arthritis pain is really bad for me and I think I only have mild arthritis, so I really feel for you mother. I hope things turn around for you guys.