Indiana moving to Stage-5 on Saturday, 9/26/20

[wh]

This includes no size limitations on events, if approval is granted by the county health department. Hopefully, the new normal at the ARC will look a lot like the old normal.

Indiana will move to reopening plan Stage 5, mask mandate to continue

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fox59.com/news/coronavirus/gov-holcomb-state-leaders-to-give-update-on-reopening-plan-mask-mandate/amp/

[vusupporter]

This includes no size limitations on events, if approval is granted by the county health department. Hopefully, the new normal at the ARC will look a lot like the old normal.

Indiana will move to reopening plan Stage 5, mask mandate to continue

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fox59.com/news/coronavirus/gov-holcomb-state-leaders-to-give-update-on-reopening-plan-mask-mandate/amp/

Even with this, the executive order requires businesses to continue their efforts to keep at least 6 feet of distance between unrelated patrons. So there's no way you're going to see a full-capacity ARC.

[Chairback]

When was the last time we were full capacity?  Or needed it.

[FWalum]

Family has a restaurant here in the Fort. The math doesn't make any sense. A restaurant with 6' social distancing between tables is probably no more than 70% capacity. All bar patrons are suppose to be seated with social distancing. Either enforce these rule/suggestions or just allow full capacity with the mask mandate and stop playing these word games. We are trying, but many or our competitors are just having a free for all with full dance floors and karaoke nights etc.. The local Turner's Club is packed most every night and nobody seems to mind. This is really beginning to piss me off.

Direct quotes from the Back on Track Website for Stage 5:
• Restaurants and bars that offer food service open at full capacity
• Bar section customers must be seated, whether at a table or counter
• Social distancing required as a seating consideration
• Provisions must be made so individuals, households or parties are spaced six feet apart from another individual, household or party
• Bars and nightclubs open at full capacity
• Customers must be seated, whether at a table or counter
• Social distancing required as a seating consideration

Very few places are following these rules and the ones that are are getting their asses kicked.

[bbtds]

This includes no size limitations on events, if approval is granted by the county health department. Hopefully, the new normal at the ARC will look a lot like the old normal.

Indiana will move to reopening plan Stage 5, mask mandate to continue

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fox59.com/news/coronavirus/gov-holcomb-state-leaders-to-give-update-on-reopening-plan-mask-mandate/amp/

Even with this, the executive order requires businesses to continue their efforts to keep at least 6 feet of distance between unrelated patrons. So there's no way you're going to see a full-capacity ARC.

The only way this would happen, a full capacity ARC, is if there is a Trump rally in the ARC and that would be a certain death trap for many of the Trump supporters.

[VALPO LI]

When was the last time we were full capacity?  Or needed it.

Sunday February 10th 2019 vs. Loyola 5,148 fans.
After that Monday December 30th 2019 vs. Loyola 4,364 fans.

Average attendance last year 2,797 (55% full)

[FWalum]

What is sad is that after the way last season ended with the tournament run, I would have expected a slight uptick in attendance. We will struggle for a loooonnngg time into the future trying to reach the types of numbers VALPO LI quoted. Large social gatherings for these types of events will continue to lag behind for years to come.

[wh]

I have attended several IN HS volleyball games this fall to cheer on my grandchild. Everywhere I've been the requirements are similar:
- masks on at all times
- every other row blocked off to provide adequate spacing between attendees above and below
- fans in the same row are asked to leave gaps, other than within your own group
- instructions posted at entrances and announcement made over the PA

I would think Valpo could do something similar.  Blocking off every other row would cut capacity in half.  Building in same row spacing for season ticket holder groups is simple enough. Sections not needed to accommodate season ticket holders can be designated for single game ticket holders with similar social distancing requirements.  I'm guessing that would still allow for as many as 2000 fans at capacity. Given that some regular supporters (especially seniors) may decide to sit this season out, 2000 should be plenty to accommodate everyone interested in attending in person. BTW I heard that the Athletic Department was scheduled to present it's "500 capacity" plan to the administration today. That plan was devised before the state went to Stage-5 and loosened event restrictions.  Hopefully, they have revised it accordingly. Staying with 500 max. (10% capacity) is needless overkill given the new rules and something that I personally wouldn't be interested in participating in.   

[crusadermoe]

Az long as we taze people who don't comply that should work!     

[Corohan2]

be good if they just tazed people. things are goint to go nuts this week.

[bbtds]

Time to wake up people

58 people have died at a Valpo nursing home......not all residents

40 are currently in the coronavirus ward on the 5th floor of Northwest Health Hospital (formerly Porter Regional) on US 6 & Hwy 49.

[valpopal]

Time to wake up people

58 people have died at a Valpo nursing home......not all residents

40 are currently in the coronavirus ward on the 5th floor of Northwest Health Hospital (formerly Porter Regional) on US 6 & Hwy 49.

Could you offer support for this? The current dashboard (Nov. 2) for Porter County shows there has been a total for the year of 22 deaths in Center Township (where Valparaiso is located) connected to Covid-19. It also lists only 24 patients currently hospitalized for Covid-19 in all 12 townships of Porter County, which includes the hospital. I ask because I have a relative who works at a Valpo nursing home, and there have been no deaths at her location.
https://www.porterco.org/1638/Dashboard-for-DESKTOP-DEVICES


Additionally, the state website lists a total of 57 Covid-19 related deaths in all of Porter County for the year.
https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/

[FWalum]

As someone who does vital records data for counties in Indiana and has done such work for Porter County it would appear that valpopal's data is what has been reported. Perhaps there is some lag from reported data to the actual current situation, but that would seem to be quite a large jump and would have to be a very significant lag to account for those differences.

I get concerned when discrepancies exist in health data and would be interested in your source bbtds, where are you getting this information?

[vok22]

I have a family member that works at multiple hospitals across the area. I couldn't give an exact number for anything, but they are telling me that the numbers on the dashboards for NWI are about a week behind because somebody has to plug everything in by hand, and that reality is worse than what the current numbers show. But again, I can't speak to any exact numbers and don't know anything about nursing homes.

[FWalum]

I have a family member that works at multiple hospitals across the area. I couldn't give an exact number for anything, but they are telling me that the numbers on the dashboards for NWI are about a week behind because somebody has to plug everything in by hand, and that reality is worse than what the current numbers show. But again, I can't speak to any exact numbers and don't know anything about nursing homes.

Deaths should be reported within 2-4 days depending upon the doctor's final sign-off (obviously some death cases can linger on for significant amounts of time), the positive cases and hospitalizations could very well be behind that by a significant number of days.

[bbtds]

I had to check with my source and they said it was okay to give out this info as long as I didn't give the name of the nursing home. My source is a person who works in the Covid unit at Northwest Health-Porter (the hospital at US Hwy 6 & St Rd 49). The three hospitals in Starke County, LaPorte and Porter County have joined together to become Northwest Health.  I don't believe beyond the one nursing home that any other nursing homes have more than 1 or 2 deaths. My info is from November 2nd and at this time I don't have any other current info.

[justducky]

This Pfizer vaccine announcement might mean that many of us (highest risk) receive it before the end of the season. How quickly it hits the streets could still change many of yesterday's scheduling and attendance assumptions.

The downside to this is that I sold my large and long held position in the stock about 3 years ago.      

[covufan]

This Pfizer vaccine announcement might mean that many of us (highest risk) receive it before the end of the season. How quickly it hits the streets could still change many of yesterday's scheduling and attendance assumptions.

The downside to this is that I sold my large and long held position in the stock about 3 years ago.      

The way I understand it, the first priority will be:

- In-patient Healthcare Workers (top priority)
- Out-patient workers/first responders
- Residents in long term care facilities
- Congregate housing/essential workers

After that would be highest risk. With two doses needed and a -70 C shipping/storage requirements, we won't see it hitting general population until March-May, unless many skip out on this vaccine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[justducky]

The way I understand it, the first priority will be:

- In-patient Healthcare Workers (top priority)
- Out-patient workers/first responders
- Residents in long term care facilities
- Congregate housing/essential workers

After that would be highest risk. With two doses needed and a -70 C shipping/storage requirements, we won't see it hitting general population until March-May, unless many skip out on this vaccine.

Lots of moving parts but I'm expecting The Biden Task Force to be handed the difficult decisions that will probably please none of us. Politics aside and in no particular order I would recommend that Fauci, Biden, Trump, Pence and Harris publicly receive the first 5 doses to impress on the vaccine doubters the importance of receiving it. After that I'd cynically expect significant chaos with the deepest pockets usually prevailing.

Lots of speculation by Wall Street on the speed at which this gets done but my hope is that I can make it to the ARC for at least a girl's basketball or volleyball game or two where spacing might not be a big issue. Also, however it is prioritized, many of us should fall into that first 30,000,000 dose category. Maybe those with proof of vaccination can be seated elbow to elbow in C and H where we can cough and sneeze and argue with each other kind of like normal times. 

[justducky]

The Dow will open 500 points higher on a Moderna vaccine announcement which exceeds the efficacy shown by Pfizer. Looks like similar technology and similar logistical distribution problems. Some speculation that much of this could be distributed by CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart and that 40,000,000 combined doses (20,000,000 people) could be vaccinated by end of December. If  Trump's "Warp Speed" and Biden's planned rollout can be properly integrated and executed then maybe? February will look a lot like a our normal MVC prelude to St.Louis?

Either way the finish line is now in sight and I hope that none of us collapse and die with it clearly in our sights. Hold on until January!

[vu84v2]

Logistics issues are somewhat easier with the Moderna vaccine, as it can be stored for longer periods and can be stored in a regular freezer rather than a super cold freezer. I agree that the finish line is in sight, but realistically the country is not going get back to close to normal until late Spring or Summer. Even at these high efficacy levels, you probably need something like 70 percent of adults to be vaccinated to kill the vaccine - and there are a lot of hurdles (logistically and ideologically) that need to be overcome to get to that number.

[justducky]

I agree that the finish line is in sight, but realistically the country is not going get back to close to normal until late Spring or Summer.

We may need to redefine "normal". If all of the willing members of the named priority groups and most or all of the elderly are vaccinated by early Feb (say 50 million) then life for them has essentially returned to "normal". With minimal risk for serious infection and hospitalization most of us will take our chances and return to near normal activities.

Even at these high efficacy levels, you probably need something like 70 percent of adults to be vaccinated

That might be high. Many in the low risk category have already dismissed the dangers and are behaving accordingly. Most have or will survive infection and will bolster the combined herd and vaccinated immunity groups.

there are a lot of hurdles (logistically and ideologically) that need to be overcome to get to that number.

The ideological hurdle could evaporate quickly. If Trump, Pence, Biden and Harris receive their vaccinations publicly then the anti-vaccers are each standing alone with a very personal and perhaps dangerous decision to make. I think enough will eventually come around so that the summer and fall infections and deaths drop off the charts and out of the headlines.

Bigger picture, I get why many are resentful for the sacrifices they have made to protect the fragile (like me). Hopefully I can repay your generosity by continuing to be a mischievous board irritant for many years to come. 

[vu84v2]

justducky - I also hope that you can continue to be a mischievous board irritant for many years to come.

[bbtds]

The Dow will open 500 points higher on a Moderna vaccine announcement which exceeds the efficacy shown by Pfizer. Looks like similar technology and similar logistical distribution problems. Some speculation that much of this could be distributed by CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart and that 40,000,000 combined doses (20,000,000 people) could be vaccinated by end of December. If  Trump's "Warp Speed" and Biden's planned rollout can be properly integrated and executed then maybe? February will look a lot like a our normal MVC prelude to St.Louis?

Either way the finish line is now in sight and I hope that none of us collapse and die with it clearly in our sights. Hold on until January!

As always during this pandemic the keys are 1. wearing a mask  2. social distancing when possible  3. washing your hands
Avoiding large groups of people (like at sporting events) is one of the big keys because these are superspreader events. And I dare say that both political persuasions have participated in these kind of events.

I don't believe anyone should take their guard down (not practice the 3 items above) in March because some of the public will have received the coronavirus vaccine. It will be summer or fall before anything like that happens at public events.

[justducky]

I don't believe anyone should take their guard down (not practice the 3 items above) in March because some of the public will have received the coronavirus vaccine. It will be summer or fall before anything like that happens at public events.

What I'm hinting at is some kind of "Proof of Vaccination Card". A section of restaurants might phase to elbow to elbow "vaccinated only" seating. Maybe Tuesdays and Thursdays at your hair dresser are scheduled only for the vaccinated. Something like this might be tried at the ARC also. Maybe upper vs lower bowl alternating isolations of the vaccinated from the great unwashed  . Just throwing around ideas so you can add any reopening thoughts that cross your minds.