Packchem91 said:
Steve Williams said:
Daviewolf83 said:
Packchem91 said:
packgrad said:
National parks should be opening up.
So one of the things that goes with this (I assume this is the part about working with governors) is that many states where these parks exist have 14-day self quarantines.
In particular...Yellowstone --- Montana and Wyoming both still have these rules (ID may as well). Montana's governor has said he will not remove it until they are at Phase 3.
So who's going to fly to Billings or stay in West Yellowstone or Gardiner only to have to quarantine when there to see YNP?
I'm sure the $$ pressures will pile up on those governors, as they look at destroying what has to be one of the larger, if seasonal, sources of income for the state -- tourism around YNP and other parks there.
I am just happy they are going to open in the state of NC. This should reopen the Blue Ridge Parkway where it has been closed and reopen some of the fly fishing spots that I have not been able to visit, since the Federal lands were locked down. Additionally, Governor Cooper has no jurisdiction/control of these areas, so the President can open them without having to have their agreement.
This is a positive move. It has made no logical sense to keep the Federal (and State parks for that matter) to be locked down, while you allow people to go to grocery stores and large box stores. Based on the CFR's I just posted, if you are under the age of 50,your risk of death is extremely small (likely as low as the flu).
To take this a step further. I don't know of any golf courses that closed but parks were shut down. Can't figure the logic of that.
I think what hurt parks was perception, and videos of "bad behavior". Stories of parking lots overflowing and paths packed. Video in Charlotte of a volleyball game going on, etc.
Those things may not be bad at all....but they occurred when we were at the peak of hysteria, and were hyped very negatively by our friends in the media.
Golf courses were always lower profile. And they quickly were smart to adopt and promote safety features such as dedicated carts, using noodle parts for putting so you didn't have to touch anything, etc.
Now boat ramps, state forests, etc....that's really impossible to explain. Other than fear mongering.
It is now about control and how much the government can get away with in the future. I keep saying the government had one shot to shut things down and this was it. We did not know how bad the virus would be, how it would spread, how many people would be infected, how it would impact our health systems, and the percentage of people by age that would die. We saw horror stories out of Europe, particularly Italy and Spain and based on these reports, we took drastic actions to slow the spread and prevent our hospitals from being overrun. I should point out that a couple of years ago, Italy's healthcare system was similarly overrun by the flu, so apparently it does not take much for it to be overrun.
We now have better stats and information on the virus and how it spreads and how many people could die. We do not have good information on the number of cases, but with the anti-virus testing that will come in the future, we will get a better idea. Once we open up, we will not shutdown to this extent again. We will have to move to a policy of only quarantining the sick and letting people who are not sick and have no health issues to go about their normal life.One thing the lock-downs have taught us it this - even with a lock-down we will still cases and we will have deaths. We have a much better idea of how will get sick and how many will die.
We are now seeing people clearly splitting into two camps, centered around political parties. Those people who align with Democrats tend to support continuing lock-downs and restrictions and attacking anyone who suggests another policy. I believe this is due to a mindset that the government should have more control over our lives and the government should decide what is safe. Republicans and Libertarians tend to be for less government control and more freedom to chose to do what you want, even it is risky. As we move forward, I expect this division to continue to grow. At some point in the near future, people are going to stop listening to the government and do what they want to do.
We are going to see more and more people doing what they want and ignoring the lock-down. As I have been saying, the government has until mid-May to get testing in place. After this, people are going to start coming out in mass. Businesses are going to start opening up and defying the governor. It the government tries to take legal action, it will go to court and I predict the government will lose. In some areas of the state that have seen limited impact from the virus, they can and should open up their economies now.
Personally, I will only wear a mask if it is required by my employer or a business I need to enter. If it is not required by either, I will not wear one - even if it is required by the government. I know enough now about the virus to assume my own risk. Once restaurants open, I will have no issue or concern about eating out. I will actually not be afraid to attend sporting events. I have looked at the data and I am willing to accept the risk.
Based on what I have read recently, avoiding virus' and bacteria is not healthy. Our immune system works best when we are exposed to virus and bacteria. In some cases, there is bacteria that our body needs to fight bad bacteria. We are constantly exposed to virus and bacteria and our body's immune system needs this exposure to develop natural defenses. Constantly wearing a mask and washing hands only serves to weaken our immune systems over the long-term. I saw a doctor predict that when we stop wearing masks and washing hands there will be an increase in illness. This is why I do not plan to wear a mask and plan to expose my body to the normal bacteria my body's immune system needs to function properly.
We are at a point now where we have to stop quarantining healthy people. If you are sick or if you are randomly tested and found to have the virus, you have to be quarantined. We will need to contact trace all those people who you contacted and if they are found to be sick, they should quarantine. For everyone else, go out and live life. If you are in a nursing home or other congregate facility, you should stay on lock-down. If you have a health condition that puts you at risk, you should continue to be careful - wear a mask, wash your hands, and avoid crowds.