So does this mean that my gym can open, but only one member per 150 square feet, and everyone has to wear a face covering while exercising?

I thought the state orders out this week for Santa Clara County (among others) mandated no indoor hair salons or gyms. Does this order override the state’s?

So the plan is to try to catchup to Los Angles numbers, okay thanks.

The news article clearly stated:

"The Thursday order requires approval from the state, Williams said. If this approval is granted, hair salons, nail salons, gyms and other activities that can safely accommodate small gatherings and follow the county protocols would be allowed to reopen as soon as July 13. If the state grants the waiver after that date, these businesses would reopen at that time."

Thus without state approval this order is invalid.

That's terrific!

Now I can finally go to my colorist in downtown Los Altos and have my hair done.

Hopefully the Mountain View YMCA will also reopen shortly as well. Physical fitness is very important and it is surprising how so many people are seemingly unconcerned about their outward appearances these days...perhaps due to a sense of low self-esteem.

While it is still important to practice social distancing and wearing face masks in public, perhaps the Covid-19 epidemic will subside on its own. In 1918-1919, the Spanish Flu eventually went away despite the continuance of the MLB season and open ballparks.

Life will eventually return to normal providing we do not accrue any more viruses from abroad.

This is a positive step. The old strategy of “let’s lockdown until there’s a vaccine” was impractical, as it could take years before there’s a viable vaccine in mass production to vaccinate everyone. Far better to recognize the reality that coronavirus is going to be with us for a long time and we can’t stay indoors forever so we have to make adjustments to get school and work going again.

In response to Gerard Shonk you said:

“This is a positive step. The old strategy of “let’s lockdown until there’s a vaccine” was impractical, as it could take years before there’s a viable vaccine in mass production to vaccinate everyone.”

So you want to potentially accept legal liability of involuntary manslaughter. Because that is what you are committing if you choose this course of action. You are in effect randomly choosing others to get sick and die. THAT is unacceptable and you know it. You said:

“Far better to recognize the reality that coronavirus is going to be with us for a long time and we can’t stay indoors forever so we have to make adjustments to get school and work going again.”

I agree, once it is been established there is no additional risk to public health and safety by either having treatments to prevent disability or death from COVID. But as public health officers they cannot randomly pick and choose who lives or who dies. They will be guilty of involuntarily manslaughter too.

In the Movie Contagion, which was based on the original Pandemic Response Plan, the world in effect froze completely. NO ONE worked, NO ONE paid rent, NO ONE paid for their life support, and the government had to take responsibility to provide secured necessities of life including food.

THIS IS THE REAL PLAN but when push came to shove IT COULD NOT ACT ON IT.

WHY?

Because the “economics structure collapse” that is NECESSARY to address the virus is too much for the “economic elite” to swallow. The pandemic is the ultimate economic “reset” button forcing all people in the world to start as square one all over again.

It destroys the economic model of incurring debt and trying to keep afloat with enough earnings to keep the debt collectors off you.

The Virus is simply a force beyond anyone’s responsibility and it forces those living off of earnings from loans to give them up. Lenders knew about this risk for decades and they assumed it by choosing to be in that business.

The Movie Contagion was made 10 years ago and the Blue Ray had a special feature film about 12 min. long describing that all economics would vanish upon a pandemic. You all had at least 10 years to get prepared for it.

WE CANNOT CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE ALLOWED TO RANDOMLY GET SICK AND DIE. AND YOU KNOW IT.

>"Because the “economics structure collapse” that is NECESSARY to address the virus is too much for the “economic elite” to swallow. The pandemic is the ultimate economic “reset” button forcing all people in the world to start as square one all over again."

^ A very interesting observation as I read somewhere that this pandemic was initiated by outside sources to destroy American capitalism and in turn, create a new world order.

In response to Grateful Patron you said:

“^ A very interesting observation as I read somewhere that this pandemic was initiated by outside sources to destroy American capitalism and in turn, create a new world order.”

Here we go again regarding conspiracies.

The REALITY is that the WORLD CLIMATE CHANGE has caused ECOLOGLICAL LIFE PATTERN changes which contributed to this new bat species getting closer to humans. And at the same time HUMANS encroached on the areas where they lived.

Unfortunately, given these conditions alone, the new virus that the bats carried was able to cross species into humans because humans bred livestock near them, and then sold them to people for consumption without any steps to prevent the virus from getting inside a human host.

Again, look at the movie Contagion and it will show how nature is a VERY intelligent Enemy, and it is far more powerful than any measly group of humans. The Movie and the health community knew this was GOING to happen it was just a matter of WHEN.

And by the way, ALL ECONOMIC STRUCTURES ARE COLLAPSING AT THE SAME TIME.

The Chinese are going to lose their wealth as well, given they invested and became partners with the U.S. since the 1980s. Simply put WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME SINKING SHIP.

The situation is that Santa Clara county is currently doing better than other counties which are already open more. Our 2 week average daily case rate per 100K people is 7 after the recent rises.

Los Angeles is in the mid 20's and Orange County is in the mid teens. Santa Clara County has 750 contact tracers working and is now prepared to follow up on all new cases. even at the larger
numbers. Testing has been exceeding 6000 per day. This is vastly different than what would have been possible even 1 month ago. If new cases are detected and isolated they don't prompted more increases. For them it's 2 weeks staying at home, for a rolling 2000 people vs the others of the 1.9 Million. Plus each business has to have a plan and they can get that plan revised if it turns out it is creating new cases. So this just seems to make sense, and it's not a correction of something done wrong earlier.

LongResident please understand this?

Testing os not a treatment of the COVID. It does not prevent infection.

Tracings is not a vaccine to COVID, it does not prevent disease.

So those ideas simply are only doing one thing, identifying who is infected. It is not a public health program, or plan to control or treat the COVID. It is just an investigative tool.

I am getting tired of hearing this false premise. The REALITY is that we are in no way in control of this problem, and the testing alone does not make the public safe in any way.

Why is it that people propel this false logic. It is time for people to face the fact we are not in control of this situation. No one in the medical community will agree with this idea.

Oh how clueless some people are. They rave and rant and tell people how this person was chemist and that person has a Ph D and this other person developed this etc.

Testing can prevent infection. If you are positive, you will know to stay at home and not infect others
With tracing you can identify potential infected people and make sure that they do not infect others

People who spread this misinformation should be charged with involuntary manslaughter.

In response to He is embarrassing himself you said:

“Testing can prevent infection. If you are positive, you will know to stay at home and not infect others”

You DON’T know whether you are positive until you are TESTED, so that doesn’t control INFECTION. The majority of people are ASYMPTOMATIC, which means YOU do not know you are INFECTING anyone unless you are tested. SIMPLE LOGIC YOU ARE CONTINUING TO INFECT BEFORE YOU ARE AWARE OF IT. You said:

“With tracing you can identify potential infected people and make sure that they do not infect others”

TRACING only works BACKWARDS. It is not a PREVENTATIVE PROCESS because it is ALREADY TOO LATE that you INFECTED ANOTHER PERSON. Again you are not really understanding that testing is forensic and does not prevent infection in REALITY. So when you said:

“People who spread this misinformation should be charged with involuntary manslaughter.”

Given you just enabled someone to infect another with your proposed logic, which is so wrong that EVERYONE knows it, you can be charged with Involuntary Manslaughter. My approach PREVENTS infection so there would be no victims regarding Involuntary Manslaughter and you know that.

If someone does as I say they do not infect anybody, thus I cannot be charged with any Manslaughter and you know it.

Who is embarrassing himself? I think the readers here know that answer.

Is Covid-19 tracing similar to the one used for tracking STDs and HIV?

If so, tracing is very important as we do not want the coronavirus spread by diseased people who should be quarantined.

They did that with lepers in Hawaii during the 19th century to prevent others coming down with this dreadful & disfiguring disease.

Those who test positive for Covid-19 should not be allowed in public places until they are cured.

In response to Grateful Patron you said:

“If so, tracing is very important as we do not want the coronavirus spread by diseased people who should be quarantined.”

No argument, BUT YOU DID NOT ADDRESS PREVENTION. We should ASSUME all people are infected as a public health policy. Thus you said:

“They did that with lepers in Hawaii during the 19th century to prevent others coming down with this dreadful & disfiguring disease.”

Again no argument, but again we have to assume EVERYONE is infected until all are tested, correct? You said:

“Those who test positive for Covid-19 should not be allowed in public places until they are cured.”

Again I won’t argue against it, BUT that means that until all are cured and all are identified, you have to assume ALL people are infected, thus in reality ALL people should be quarantined. Your not providing any real explanation yet that testing and tracing prevents infection. Please provide some proof that it does?

Your just trying to change the subject.

@The Business Man

Are you attributing global warming to the Covid-19 pandemic? If so, that perspective is absolutely ludicrous.

While I can see your argument that testing and tracing will not prevent Covid-19, these measures can curtail the spread of the disease by warranting quarantines.

This particular virus was spread due to unsanitary cultural food practices and global travel.

Common sense would dictate that by not eating bats and practicing better animal husbandry of poultry & swine, certain viruses would not have an opportunity to make the jump from animals to humans.

These exotic viruses do not originate in the U.S. because we have more stringent food handling mandates in place.

Global warming is being used as a convenient excuse for everything going wrong these days.

What's next...will the 2020 election be impacted by global warming as well?

In response to GRATEFUL PATRON you said:

“Are you attributing global warming to the Covid-19 pandemic? If so, that perspective is absolutely ludicrous.”

Again I will put forth the special features section of the film Contagion, it discusses the scientists behind and the scientific proof that diseases like this are going to attack us humans from now on. I will not try to discuss this topic any further because there are those with a “belief” that climate change, and the side effects they cause doesn’t exist. There is nothing I can do regarding a belief because it cannot change, like the belief that there is a GOD and he wants to torture the human race. You said:

“While I can see your argument that testing and tracing will not prevent Covid-19, these measures can curtail the spread of the disease by warranting quarantines.”

YOU JUST SAID THE PROBLEM, IT WILL NOT PREVENT SPREAD OF COVID 19. AGAIN WE ALL HAVE TO ASSUME AND ACT AS IF WE ARE ALL INFECTED THUS IF YOU USE YOUR LOGIC WE ALL MUST BE QUARENTINED TO PREVENT SPREAD. When you said:

“This particular virus was spread due to unsanitary cultural food practices and global travel.”

This is just another way of trying to distract us from dealing with the problem. And there is no scientific proof that a virus could not occur here in the U.S. The facts are our methods of treating meat have been proven to fail multiple times regarding food safety with meat recalls occurring as much as 1 per year if not more. The reality is NATURE is our worst enemy and we HUMANS don’t understand and do not want to pay the cost of insuring our safety for any VECTOR of viral attack. You said:

“Common sense would dictate that by not eating bats and practicing better animal husbandry of poultry & swine, certain viruses would not have an opportunity to make the jump from animals to humans.

These exotic viruses do not originate in the U.S. because we have more stringent food handling mandates in place.”

I just demonstrated that if a NEW virus with NO test were to break out in the U.S. your theory would fall apart. In fact it can be demonstrated that China may have properly sounded the alert, BUT THE U.S. FAILED MISERABLY regarding response. WE OWN THAT FAILURE WE CANNOT OUTSOURCE IT.

Please stop trying to find any SCAPEGOAT to avoid addressing what should have happened in the U.S. Everyone who knows we aren’t in control of this problem wants to finds someone or something to blame. This is the problem that started on Apollo 13 after the explosion. Lovell turned to his crew and said, “NO WE ARE NOT GOING THERE WE WILL STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM BUT WE WILL JUST BE ANGRY, FRUSTRATED, WASTE RESOURCES AND WIND UP STILL WITH THE PROBLEM”

Our leadership especially our President NEVER had to deal with this kind of crisis in his life. He is demonstrating he cannot manage this problem. But I will concede that he is powerless to control it until he lets the medical community take ALL possible steps to deal with it. But he has tied their hands because he knows it will force a complete shutdown of the economic activity. So he calls the virus the Chinese virus, and doesn’t act to deal with it. Classic SCAPEGOATING.

Testing and tracing can help limit the spread especially when otherwise people are not social distancing, wearing masks and washing. Learning, working, living, voting and campaigning is best done remotely for now. As to voting, Trump is against it. The higher the turnout - especially of non-Trumpsters - the more likely he will lose in swing states. In Russia, the dictator demands your vote. In America, the want-to-be dictator needs to discourage voting among those not falling for his rhetoric. It is not enough to register online and vote by mail in California. The Democrats need to better organize ways Californians can affect the outcome in swing states. Does who is President matter in surviving this pandemic? Only if the replacement is better on this issue than the incumbent. But who could be worse?

>"The reality is NATURE is our worst enemy and we HUMANS don’t understand and do not want to pay the cost of insuring our safety for any VECTOR of viral attack."

>>"...like the belief that there is a GOD and he wants to torture the human race. "

>>"Classic SCAPEGOATING."

^ Now I am beginning to see your point...Mother Nature is the the real enemy of humankind and thus, the true SCAPEGOAT for all of our societal and health-related ills.

Poor Mother Nature...always getting blamed for everything.
But then again and being such an omnipotent force, Mother Nature should bear the full brunt of responsibility for the Covid-19 pandemic.

As for God...he only tortures us with disease, pestilence, natural disasters and journeys into hell because he loves us. *L*

You two might benefit from a TIME OUT. Is there anything about which you can agree - such as replacing Donald Trump?

>"You two might benefit from a TIME OUT. Is there anything about which you can agree - such as replacing Donald Trump?"

^ Political alliances and ideologies are a different topic altogether.

That said...it is apparent that Donald Trump has aligned himself with the many evangelicals who want to believe that the curtailment of this coronavirus epidemic will eventually be curtailed by a continued faith in God.

Potato/potato...perhaps best to continue wearing a face and practicing safe distance protocols
as neither God or Mother Nature can be held accountable for both the coronavirus and POTUS45.

Typo/correction...
Potato/potato...perhaps best to continue wearing a face [MASK] and practicing safe distance protocols...

I need to say something so we can clear the air.

WE are ALL in this SITUATION.

I understand Grateful Patrons feelings. I am going practically crazy not being able to go to social events I typically would do. WE are SOCIAL animals, and this situation is NOT healthy to our mental and emotional health.

I need to point out that we need to work together, and I hope this attempt to demonstrate my understanding for all of us will be some measure of empathy and compassion.

I just read that more than 50% of people testing positive were not aware they were infected.

I just want the world to stop bickering and start acting against a world wide enemy with a world wide defense.

This is possibly the highest test of the resilience of the human species we have had in a long time. It is time for us to say, OK, we are in it together and we are going to get it done together. NO MORE BLAMING JUST GET THE PROBLEM SOLVED.

Thank you for listening, and I hope we can address this problem ASAP.

But yes Trump definitely did not help the situation. But the World needs to learn a big lesson here, we are all interdependent on each other no matter religion, politics, philosophy, or any other arbitrary way of disintegrating the human species.

John Lennon's song "Imagine" is a good message

When the World will live as one?

IT IS TIME FOR THIS TO END.

@The Business Man

Well said.

You have no idea how much I appreciate your feelings.

I never had any negative intent for anyone, I only want to protect all of us.

to borrow a known term "e pluribus unem" a term used by the United States

"out of many one"

My version

"FOR ALL ARE ONE" it applies to the world

Lets embrace this challenge and when we overcome it, walk away in such a better state, and never ever forget the lessons learned.

I loved when the new year occurred in 1999 to 2000, we had a world wide 24 hr party
that day, and it was the most peaceful time we had in years.

Then everything went into the trash.

"NEVER FORGET"

Global warming, radiation and wind patterns are contributing to the spread of Covid-19 regardless of SIP mandates, safe distancing measures, wearing face masks, testing and tracing.

The virus is mutating and some people have natural predispositions towards getting viral infections.

Natural selection is in full swing and medical researchers have discovered a number of similar characteristics among coronavirus patients. People with O positive/negative bloodtypes, thicker hair and nicotine in their systems appear to have a lower incidence of Covid-19.

While cell phone radiation is minimal, it can trigger mutations in asymptomatic carriers and global winds are capable of carrying and transporting massive amounts of dust and debris, including particles containing both Covid-2 and 19.

An effective Covid-19 antivirus is DECADES away due to the mutation factors.

No one is safe regardless of personal precautionary measures and SIP mandates.

A complete lockdown is warranted only essential businesses should remain open.

Only the truly ignorant clamor for the reopening of all businesses at present. Most are either young, conservative, or evangelicals in denial of reality.

As far as economic factors and concerns, the USA survived the Great Depression and will either rise again or fall by the wayside.

Empires come and go. It is a part of human history so perhaps it's best to get over any self-serving preconceived notions of invincibility.

Life goes on with it without you.

Lastly, it should be noted that viral epidemics sometimes disappear on their own or over time regardless of 'effective' vaccines. The vaccine developed to combat the Spanish Flu did not become a reality until the 1940s.

That said, SIP mandates, social distancing and the wearing of face masks is about the best we can do at present to curtail the further spread of Covid-19...even though some people will eventually and potentially come down with it anyway as per my earlier post.

Mass vaccinations in the early stages of this pandemic will also prove inconclusive as this measure will not prove a vaccine's overall effectiveness...especially if the virus is fading out on its own due to fewer potential hosts.

Some people will eventually die, get ill, become carriers or be completely immune to the Covid-19 virus...so be it as that is life & part of the Darwinian model.

Keep in mind that testing positive for Covid-2 also opens the door to contracting Covid-19 as it is the basic building block (via mutation) for the coomon cold, influenza and other viral infections.

The so-called public health experts are not divulging this most basic of information/knowledge, perhaps due to economic and political pressures.