Europe Starting to Lift Restrictions to Open Up Economies
It will be a good look at what the US might expect if we begin to open up economies more in the coming weeks/months. Even in Spain and Italy where death tolls are still high, they will begin opening up things like bookstores and construction sights and more.
Personally, I understand the premise of the community action we are taking but I have a hard time accepting unrestricted timeframes. As someone who likes to do events big and small, and someone who believes in the nurturing and positive health benefits of human to human contact, restrictions on gatherings have a pretty profound effect.
Positives though- I have gotten to know my neighbors a bit more through street level conversations as couples take more walks or as we do more yard work. We are all getting more acquainted with technology that can help connect us when we aren’t able to meet in person. We’re learning how we can be quicker to respond and better protect ourselves and necessary service personnel for future diseases or resurgence in COVID cases. But all of this truly can’t substitute what it means to be human and to interact with one another across generational and other differences, and to find purpose and meaning within the context of our labor...
Let’s pray that the indicators out of Europe will be good ones.
Reopening Our Economy
Here’s a piece on CNN that articulates all the state’s plans on reopening their economies. It does a pretty good job of covering high level details of what the states are currently doing and their process to create plans to open up.
Many are in “task force” mode, but it’s reassuring to hear talk of getting life back to “normal” once prepared to battle the virus on a new battlefield. Here in Connecticut we’re looking at shit down mode until at least 2-3 weeks into May and are in a “not a time to relax” mindset. Positively, we’ve joined a regional coalition of states in the Northeast to open up with a cross state plan (but we are one of the most populous corridors in the country so this really does make sense as we may need to respond at community/county/regional levels moving forward).
Parents Coping with Online Education
As many as 44-55 million children are impacted with shut downs due to COVID measures (depending on when the article was written...) That means their parents are also impacted.
Many parents are struggling to balance work (if still working) and the increased need to be more involved in their children’s schooling. It’s more than making sure homework is being done, it’s monitoring kids activity during the day, fielding kids questions that might normally be addressed in class, etc.
This article from a month ago had some good ideas on balance. But if anyone has an article with 4 more weeks of data behind it, please share. My hunch is that coping is very different today than it was just one month ago.
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