What happened to all the Flour?

[Isaac]

I didn't think there was a lockdown in the USA. We see on the news all those people mixing and protesting, some even dressed in combat gear carrying huge machine gun things. You know what Yanks are like about freedom rights and the constitution amendments. If they're advised to do something, they'll ignore it.

Col

LOL .. that was funny and actually made me laugh out loud. Yes, I can see where you would get the impression that these people are hardly on any lockdown! And we're not on any sort of "nation-wide" rules, different states differ. But generally speaking, at least until a few days ago, most states recommended that people shelter-in-place and only go driving out for essentials: grocery store and the like. In most places it is not really strict, but still, in most places (up until a few days ago), including where I live in the southwest, 1) most non-essential businesses are closed, so there isn't much place to go anyway 2) we were 'requested' (I would say Ordered, but these executive orders had very little enforcement broadly speaking) to stay at home, and 3) big one - most people are working from home if they can. To me it definitely feels lockdown-ey. But truth be told, I can get away with driving around wherever I want (again many businesses closed), any time I want. In the very rare event that law enforcement noticed or cared, I would just be on my way to the grocery store, which I usually am anyway. It's very mixed here.

Between that and all the rituals my wife has been enforcing (spraying the bottom of my shoes, wearing masks any time enter a business, and disinfecting by hand every single item that comes into the house)....it's not much fun to go in and out anyway.

 

[ColinEssex]

Hmmm, seems to me that it's a bit hit and miss with each state doing different things, I don't think that bodes well for containing the virus. Still, this is new to the whole world, so it's a massive learning curve for every country, some do better than others. If I was Prime Minister I wouldn't have a clue where to start for the best.
Actually, I'm a bit excited, it's my weekly trip to the supermarket tomorrow, I'll need to queue up to get in but at least it's a bone fide trip out, even if it is only half a mile away. We are lucky, our Sainsburys is well stocked.

Col

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Col, it is in fact somewhat hit-and-miss with us. But then, some states have such low population that for them, social distancing is almost automatic. However, others have not fared so well. New York and Florida were hit hard, and Louisiana was also in the hot seat for a while. It depends on the population of retirees in the urban areas. New Orleans and some cities in Florida were retirement havens and got high infection and death rates.

The problem with the USA is that unless there is actually a formal declaration of war, the President doesn't have national quarantine authority despite what Trump might have said. But he is learning that sometimes the United States are not so united. Time will tell how badly this will hit us and we will have 50 separate experimental results for comparison.