As Trump urges reopening, thousands getting sick on the job (AP)

[entremet]

NEW YORK (AP) — Even as President Donald Trump urges getting people back to work and reopening the economy, an Associated Press analysis shows thousands of people are getting sick from COVID-19 on the job.

Recent figures show a surge of infections in meatpacking and poultry-processing plants. There's been a spike of new cases among construction workers in Austin, Texas, where that sector recently returned to work. Even the White House has proven vulnerable, with positive coronavirus tests for one of Trump's valets and for Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary.

The developments underscore the high stakes for communities nationwide as they gradually loosen restrictions on business.

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"The people who are getting sick right now are generally people who are working," Dr. Mark Escott, a regional health official, told Austin's city council. "That risk is going to increase the more people are working."

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Dr. Fauci said as much yesterday. Urging caution. But not just that, there's no real tracking anywhere, so we're going in blind.

As Trump urges reopening, thousands getting sick on the job

NEW YORK (AP) — Even as President Donald Trump urges getting people back to work and reopening the economy, an Associated Press analysis shows thousands of people are getting sick from COVID-19 on the job.

apnews.com

 

[CesareNorrez]

Anyone paying attention saw this coming. We know how contagious this virus is and what are the best possible conditions for it to spread. These kinds of jobs are hotspots. I wonder how hard it will be move back to being more cautious and how we can make sure these kind of essential jobs get the proper protections on site.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

Once my place of work opens the door to the public again, I assume it is only a matter of time for me.

 

[Strike]

Buckle up. Wonder how much of a shit show it's going to be come November.

 

[spookyduzt]

Essential pawns.

 

[BasilZero]

Gonna be fun next week....since our last day of stay home is May 15th....

 

[astroturfing]

maybe hospital workers should go on strike.

 

[Jag]

We are open since we are essential. We are going to start phasing people back in around mind June but maintain just 50% occupancy at all times along with masks, etc..

 

[ThatMeanScene]

Of course more people will get sick. It is deeply upsetting to see that what people warned is happening and this is only the beginning as more areas will open and more will be infected. Sigh.

 

[SpitztheGreat]

Gonna be fun next week....since our last day of stay home is May 15th....

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If you're in NY then it doesn't mean we're going full-reopen on the 16th. I don't expect to be back in my office until late June at the earliest.

 

[LProtagonist]

Remember, as Rand Paul said, it's a good thing that these people are getting sick as it means they might be immune so that they can be forced to go back to work without fear of getting sick again.

 

[Nude_Tayne]

I work at a company of 400 or so people around Madison. We're essential so we're open. So far there are no reported cases of employees or their family members. Once everything is back open and social distancing has become relaxed, I won't be surprised if that changes. The virus will spread more rapidly and someone who comes into contact with someone who comes into contact with someone who has it will get it, and eventually it'll get back to us. That's just how it works.

This whole thing is fucking stupid. You can't brush this under the rug. We know how contagious it is. Just look at the cruise ship stories, and many other stories like it. Once America is back to "open for business", the virus will get out of control and we'll have to shut everything down again because you can't fucking hide the numbers.

 

[Deleted member 21339]

Didn't NYC just do a study showing that most of the people getting sick were not working and "staying home"?

 

[Deleted member 2809]

trump: nobody could have seen this coming, I take no responsibility

 

[GungHo]

Yeah, had this argument with my management. Fell on deaf ears. Report to work or lose your job. They're throwing caution to the wind, and have doubled down, even with the folks with pre-existing conditions that put them at high risk. They are convinced they can keep the buildings clean. What happens to you between home at the office or if you fail social distancing is your problem.

 

[Jiraiya]

2 this week at my job. They closed for a day and sanitised...back in here the next day.

 

[El_TigroX]

If you're in NY then it doesn't mean we're going full-reopen on the 16th. I don't expect to be back in my office until late June at the earliest.

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June?! I think your company is being a bit optimistic. We're in Midtown East and hearing September-December at the earliest.

I took the antibody test and came back negative - which is good, and yet a horrible bummer. I was hoping to have one less concern when riding the subway when the office does open back up... was just hoping I was past this shit.

 

[SteveWinwood]

no shit

 

[Messofanego]

Back to the grinder.

The Nib ✒️ on Twitter

“Back to the grind. @PiaGuerra ✒ https://t.co/uT6sMRcm38”

twitter.com

 

[Deleted member 21339]

Not everybody works on an assembly line in a meatpacking plant. Kinda dumb to generalize.

 

[Deleted member 8741]

My wife is scheduled to work the COVID unit mid-June. Fuck this bullshit.

 

[Mar Tuuk]

June?! I think your company is being a bit optimistic. We're in Midtown East and hearing September-December at the earliest.

I took the antibody test and came back negative - which is good, and yet a horrible bummer. I was hoping to have one less concern when riding the subway when the office does open back up... was just hoping I was past this shit.

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Yea I'm a NYC DOE Teacher in downtown Manhattan and I don't expect September to be viable either to go back.

 

[KNZFive]

Remember, as Rand Paul said, it's a good thing that these people are getting sick as it means they might be immune so that they can be forced to go back to work without fear of getting sick again.

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I mean, I hate Rand Paul's guts and his logic here, but I hope he's at least right about permanent immunity after catching it. But there's no evidence yet confirming it.

So NOBODY should be forced to go back to work. My fiance's dad had to decide to retire a year early after he was one of the few people at his job who wasn't furloughed. but they wanted him to come back in even after 2 people at his job tested positive. Both his wife and mother-in-law (who lives with them) have breast cancer and are undergoing treatment. So he said "Fuck that" and retired right after he turned 65, even though he wanted to wait one more year.

And I say this, yet I'm probably going back into work as a teacher come August. I'll be wearing a mask and maybe even a face shield while teaching. I may have caught the virus already earlier this year when my fiance came down with mild symptoms, but I'm not sure...

 

[LProtagonist]

I mean, I hate Rand Paul's guts and his logic here, but I hope he's at least right about permanent immunity after catching it. But there's no evidence yet confirming it.

So NOBODY should be forced to go back to work. My fiance's dad had to decide to retire a year early after he was one of the few people at his job who wasn't furloughed. but they wanted him to come back in even after 2 people at his job tested positive. Both his wife and mother-in-law (who lives with them) have breast cancer and are undergoing treatment. So he said "Fuck that" and retired right after he turned 65, even though he wanted to wait one more year.

And I say this, yet I'm probably going back into work as a teacher come August. I'll be wearing a mask and maybe even a face shield while teaching.

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I'm a teacher as well. Who knows what's going to happen with us this upcoming school year. All the ideas such as keeping desks 6 feet apart are actually impossible to implement. We're already starting to discuss amongst ourselves and administration what it might look like.

 

[Mar Tuuk]

And I say this, yet I'm probably going back into work as a teacher come August. I'll be wearing a mask and maybe even a face shield while teaching.

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This is what I'll be doing in my classroom IF we open in September. In NYC I don't think they'll take the risk especially with crowded classrooms and how we're seeing the virus affect children.

 

[theytookourjobz]

I've worked at a gym for the past 5 years. We're closed with no target date for reopening. It probably won't reopen. $1200 helped pay my mortgage for a month but the applying for unemployment here in Florida was a clusterfuck. I got nothing. A friend gave me a job at the restaurant she manages and I start next week. I'll be wearing a mask and they are following guidelines but I don't really have a choice. Sucks.

 

[Deleted member 8741]

I've worked at a gym for the past 5 years. We're closed with no target date for reopening. It probably won't reopen. $1200 helped pay my mortgage for a month but the applying for unemployment here in Florida was a clusterfuck. I got nothing. A friend gave me a job at the restaurant she manages and I start next week. I'll be wearing a mask and they are following guidelines but I don't really have a choice. Sucks.

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I'm sorry to hear that. Best wishes that you get back on your feet soon!

 

[Loudninja]

Dumb fuck thinks he can brute force this.

 

[Deleted member 61909]

My city is opening up. I work for the library and I got a message from our director stating how we should prepare to open up next monday. This is way to early...

 

[SpitztheGreat]

June?! I think your company is being a bit optimistic. We're in Midtown East and hearing September-December at the earliest.

I took the antibody test and came back negative - which is good, and yet a horrible bummer. I was hoping to have one less concern when riding the subway when the office does open back up... was just hoping I was past this shit.

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I'm in an upstate region that has almost all the check marks to reopen. That said I'm saying June but it could be longer.

 

[Mr. Poolman]

Die!
Die in my name!


This man belongs on a jail.

 

[mjc]

I've worked at a gym for the past 5 years. We're closed with no target date for reopening. It probably won't reopen. $1200 helped pay my mortgage for a month but the applying for unemployment here in Florida was a clusterfuck. I got nothing. A friend gave me a job at the restaurant she manages and I start next week. I'll be wearing a mask and they are following guidelines but I don't really have a choice. Sucks.

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Sorry to hear that, best of luck to you.

 

[Deleted member 61909]

Dumb fuck thinks he can brute force this.

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they are employing the ol' "plug your ears to the problem" strategy.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Our state started reopening last week. Outside of our jobs, grocery runs, and the occasional takeout, my wife and I agreed we're pretty much staying at home until 2021. Hopefully everyone here will be doing the same.

 

[EternalWinter]

I work at in-patient facility and my director doesn't give a shit that other places are opening up. We've been COVID free so far and she'll be damned if it makes its way into the facility by prematurely opening. People that are working from home will continue to do so and I'm sure all these new cases will extend how long we remain this way.

We all knew this was coming when the reopening push happened on the 1st.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Not everybody works on an assembly line in a meatpacking plant. Kinda dumb to generalize.

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I'm sure the numbers will be much better at bars, restaurants, clubs, movie theaters, gyms, and salons.

 

[Schlorgan]

 

[Gentlemen]

Not everybody works on an assembly line in a meatpacking plant. Kinda dumb to generalize.

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what?

 

[Deleted member 21339]

I'm sure the numbers will be much better at bars, restaurants, clubs, movie theaters, gyms, and salons.

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Where is that opening? Not where I live. And there's countries that are doing that now (like France and Germany) and they seem to be in ok shape. It can be done within reason, of course.

 

[entremet]

Not everybody works on an assembly line in a meatpacking plant. Kinda dumb to generalize.

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The issues is not that we are re-opening. We need to re-open. The issue is that we are re-opening unprepared. Tracking is rather limited.

Germany, SK, and others have pretty good tracking.

Additionally, CDC recommendations were thrown out the window. Trump's own CDC.

 

[darkwing]

blood bacon and roast chicken for all!

how hard is it to provide some good PPE and health protocols if you are trying to open up

 

[PawPrints]

Republicans stopped caring at this point. They are trying to normalize that deaths will be part of the process so that corporations can go back to making money

 

[darkwing]

everybody dies, why not make a few pennies along the way

what has become of America

 

[Flex1212]

This is what happens when you have clueless people running the government. People just need to listen to the experts not shitheads like Trump.

 

[Fliesen]

Once my place of work opens the door to the public again, I assume it is only a matter of time for me.

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Not to defend blindly reopening "the economy", but you do realize that it's only a matter of time for most people.
Eventually, most folks will have had COVID-19 - i don't believe in a vaccination being introduced anytime soon.

Tracking needs to be a thing. Testing needs to be a thing.
No country can just sit this one out, we (i.e. every country) eventually needs to reopen, but without risking to lose control of the situation again, forcing yet another shutdown.

Austria re-opened retail a month after the initial outbreak (on April 14th), and we're doing very much okay. Additional businesses are being brought back 'online' in a staggered kind of way, like every 2 weeks; while infection rates are constently being monitored.
If everything goes back online at the same time, there's no way to pinpoint where the culprit really lies when infection rates go back up. Like - is it manufacturing? is it retail? is it restaurants.

 

[BassForever]

everybody dies, why not make a few pennies along the way

what has become of America

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Nothing, this is who we've been for years/decades, we're just not hiding it anymore :/

 

[Doc Kelso]

June?! I think your company is being a bit optimistic. We're in Midtown East and hearing September-December at the earliest.

I took the antibody test and came back negative - which is good, and yet a horrible bummer. I was hoping to have one less concern when riding the subway when the office does open back up... was just hoping I was past this shit.

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I'm at WTC and we're being told June but I think that's just because our Board is trying to take things as they come now. I'm fully expecting an optional full WFH announcement by June with the office re-opening in September. Especially since a bunch of us commute in from Jersey, which is going to complicate things vastly. When one side of the river opens the other one will flock to it.

 

[FaceHugger]

The top 10 states that are seeing the most weekly increases were over 100% gains in the past seven days. None of them have strict or even reasonable shutdowns.

Trump also made an executive order to force meat processing plants back into production even though they were seeing very high infection rates within them. There was no order to first test all workers. In that first week confirmed cases in major beef or pork slaughterhouses jumped 40%. So, all of those workers will now spread it more. All of the highest 15 counties nationwide had meat processing plants or state prisons. These new people will now spread it further.

Trump and the states that are not being serious about this are the reason our numbers keep increasing.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

Not to defend blindly reopening "the economy", but you do realize that it's only a matter of time for most people.
Eventually, most folks will have had COVID-19 - i don't believe in a vaccination being introduced anytime soon.

Tracking needs to be a thing. Testing needs to be a thing.
No country can just sit this one out, we (i.e. every country) eventually needs to reopen, but without risking to lose control of the situation again, forcing yet another shutdown.

Austria re-opened retail a month after the initial outbreak (on April 14th), and we're doing very much okay. Additional businesses are being brought back 'online' in a staggered kind of way, like every 2 weeks; while infection rates are constently being monitored.
If everything goes back online at the same time, there's no way to pinpoint where the culprit really lies when infection rates go back up. Like - is it manufacturing? is it retail? is it restaurants.

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Yes I know it is only a matter of time for everyone, but when the government takes that approach when still opening up then you might as well just say "shits going to happen, but we are doing Hurd immunity so get to work and risk being sick or lose everything".

Also, your country has more of a reliable government. I don't knoe much much more, but is gaurenteed.

 

[Ouroboros]

I work at a school and we are discussing all sorts of solutions for next school year. It is really challenging. Being tech savvy, I am 100% starting virtually....but not everyone is on board with that.

/THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!!