In my area a venue is letting 200+ graduated seniors this year (so far, the limit is 400) come together for a makeup prom. They said hand sanitizer is available but no masks required.
The state’s current public health order is set to expire this week. Many restaurant owners are wondering what’s next and some don’t expect to be allowed to serve customers indoors again.
Scalo Restaurant has been a household name in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill, and the owners were looking forward to a successful re-opening. However, their grand opening, last month, wasn’t as successful as they had hoped and they don’t think it’s going to get any better anytime soon.
“It was so popular. We had a real successful crowd come in. We were able to space people appropriately,” says Kristie Sawant, owner of Scalo.
As soon as their doors opened, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham banned indoor dining, once again. “We understand her guidance. We understand her directives. We understand why she’s making these decisions, and we’re doing our best,” says Sawant.
Kristie and her husband, Prashant Sawant, say they have been operating at a 50% capacity ever since, and have done their best to utilize their patio space. “When we went to just the patio, we had to let some of our staff go. That was hard. That was really hard,” she says.
As the current health order is set to expire this week, it leaves the Sawants with little hope they’ll be able to open their dining room anytime soon. “I don’t feel she’s going to allow us to do indoor dining later on this week. I just don’t feel the numbers are dictating that,” says Sawant.
Just last week, the governor reiterated how indoor dining contributes to the surge of confirmed cases. “Why are restaurants the biggest risk? Because you can’t wear a mask while you’re eating,” said the governor on July 23.
However, the Sawants say they are more than ready to give their customers the dine-in experience they deserve. “We will be ready as soon as the order is given,” says Prashant.
The Sawants say they are considering spending extra money to expand their patio if the governor continues to restrict indoor dining. KRQE News 13 asked the governor’s office if the restrictions on dine-in services will be extended this week, but we did not get a response.
Restaurants not only big risk because of not wearing a mask while eating, but the fact that people are eating face to face at tables. Not an issue if the group is from the same household (assuming none of them have it), but often people from mixed households will meet up and that's where the problem is. Face to face close contact without a mask. It would be less risky going to a baseball game because everyone is facing the same direction when seated.
A New Mexico doctor is ignoring the statewide mask mandate in what the state is calling a “shocking” move. A sign posted outside the clinic said patients do not have to wear a mask inside.
KRQE News 13 spoke with Dr. Krafimir Hirstov who owns and runs a medical center called Reinecke Medical and Chiropractic in Roswell off of College Boulevard. He compared the current public health order to Nazi Germany and believes masks are useless against the virus.
As you walk into the medical center, you will see a sign that starts off by saying, “This isn’t Nazi Germany and we aren’t the Gestapo. If you do or do not want to wear a mask you are still welcome here.”
“When we enforce our rule on people, that is a dictatorship,” said Hirstov. “When we have the freedom to inform people so they can make an educated decision, that’s democracy.”
Hirstov has owned the medical center since 2013 and stands by the sign he posted. He said his own research shows, “Masks are proven useless against airborne viruses.”
“Your eyes are very much exposed, regardless of what kind of mask you have,” said Hirstov. “So when people come in and they have a mask and their eyes are exposed basically what that means they still have an open portal of entry where the virus could get in.”
However, that advice goes against the guidance from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, and New Mexico’s top doctor, Dr. David Scrase. Scrase remains adamant that wearing a mask both protects you and helps prevent the spread of COVID-19, even relating masks’ protective qualities back to the medical field.
“If you had to have an upcoming surgery, how comfortable would you feel with your operating team not wearing masks or not wearing gloves,” said Scrase. “I haven’t run into anybody yet who would feel comfortable with that kind of scenario.”
The New Mexico Human Services Department responded to Hirstov’s sign by email that said in part:
“All New Mexicans are required to wear masks at this time, especially when visiting medical clinics. It is shocking that a medical provider would encourage their patients not to wear masks and blatantly put them at risk of contracting COVID-19.
The New Mexico Department of Health, New Mexico State Police, and New Mexico Environment Department will continue to enforce violations of the Public Health Order, which include criminal and civil penalties. This particular clinic will also be referred to the New Mexico Chiropractic Board for any additional sanctions as deemed necessary.”
THE NEW MEXICO HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
But still, Hirstov doesn’t think masks should be a requirement. “People are exposed to the virus or to people’s germs no matter where they go,” said Hirstov.
Last week, the City of Roswell voted not to enforce the state’s mask requirement. However, the New Mexico Department of Health and State Police are still enforcing the mandate.
True the eyes are still exposed but the eyes are not an inhaler and so need far more viral particles to set in to be able to launch an infection. The respiratory tract is like a vacuum cleaner in picking up viral particles.
Well I question how much large venues can cut down on the large lines of people that tend to go to those things, both to get in and to get concessions. Not to mention the crowds of people as games or movies end.
Well I question how much large venues can cut down on the large lines of people that tend to go to those things, both to get in and to get concessions. Not to mention the crowds of people as games or movies end.
People mingling when entering or leaving their seats with masks is not an issue. It's face to face no masks where most infections occur. Time and dose.
HAMPTON, New Hampshire (KDVR) — Planet Fitness, Inc. announced Monday that masks will be required at all locations beginning August 1.
Currently, all Planet Fitness employees are required to wear masks. To date, the Company has approximately 1,450 locations open across 46 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Australia.
“As we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic, amid an ongoing global health crisis, wellness has never been as essential to our collective community as it is today,” said Chris Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer at Planet Fitness. “Gyms are part of the solution and a key element of the healthcare delivery system, providing much needed access for people to exercise and stay healthy. Given our leadership position within the industry, we believe it’s our responsibility to further protect our members, employees, and communities so that we can all safely focus on our health, which is more important now than ever before.”
Planet Fitness has already taken several additional steps to strengthen its existing cleanliness policies and procedures to help keep members, guests and employees safe.
These include:
Enhanced cleanliness and sanitization policies and procedures
Extensive training for employees
Physical distancing measures in its spacious and well ventilated stores
Reducing physical touch points with touchless check-in.
Earlier this month, Planet Fitness also launched a Crowd Meter feature on its free mobile app to allow members to check club capacity before coming into the gym.
“I believe that as people return to their daily activities, they need to be able to safely access gyms and fitness centers with confidence, and reestablish their norms and routines,” said Dr. Ian Norton, Health Emergency response expert, founder of Respond Global and former head of Emergency Medical Team response with World Health Organization. “While COVID-19 is a serious public health issue, so too is the epidemic of obesity and chronic disease killing 1.7 million Americans every year. Fitness contributes to lowering rates of non-communicable disease related to sedentary lifestyles and obesity, and improves mental health, physical health and overall well-being.”
In addition to reopening stores across the country, Planet Fitness also offers free live “Home Work-Ins” which are part of Planet Fitness’ “United We Move” campaign, designed to motivate and inspire everyone to stay physically and mentally fit, according to a release sent out Monday.
Copyright 2020 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Source - KRQE.com
Make people socially distance better! This is not happening, at least at the gym I frequent. People getting on shut off treadmills to chat with someone who's running or walking on a treadmill is just 1 example.
Fauci was just quoted as saying he'd be 'happy' if the forthcoming vaccines are only 60% effective.
That doesn't sound overly reassuring.
Guess there's only a 60% chance I'll ever go on a plane, or a cruise, or sit down in a restaurant ever again...
Fauci said he hopes the vaccine will have an efficacy of at least 60%, meaning on average the vaccine reduces a person’s risk of a Covid-19 infection by 60%.
Quote:
”Obviously, we would like to see it much, much higher. But 60% is the standard that you do for the cutoff. That’s not unusual. I would like to see the highest percentage that we could possibly get.”
Fauci said he hopes the vaccine will have an efficacy of at least 60%, meaning on average the vaccine reduces a person’s risk of a Covid-19 infection by 60%.
No, this is what he said:
"Don’t expect a vaccine as strong as the measles vaccine, which prevents about 97% of measles infections, Fauci said, adding he would be happy with a COVID-19 vaccine that’s 60% effective."
If that's the case then people will just have to live with the risk. Hopefully the T-cell immunity component in those who have had it is long lasting.
But 60% effectiveness in a vaccine that has been relatively rushed, is going to be a hard sell to a lot of people and is only going to give more ammo to the anti-vaxxers.
As you walk into the medical center, you will see a sign that starts off by saying, “This isn’t Nazi Germany and we aren’t the Gestapo. If you do or do not want to wear a mask you are still welcome here.”
“When we enforce our rule on people, that is a dictatorship,” said Hirstov. “When we have the freedom to inform people so they can make an educated decision, that’s democracy.”
People said the same things about seat belts and protective head gear.
No matter how careful you are, you're only as safe as other drivers allow you to be. I know drivers that could technically have no need to ever where a seat belt if they were the only ones on the road, but they've been T-Boned in real life.
Information clearly informed people that wearing them saves lives.
Asking people to wear masks, it's just a mask, this isn't how liberty dies.
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