So here we are, sheltered in place, staying at home, joined with the world in hiding from a virus.
Today, the governor announced an extension of the stay at home order until at least May 30.
So I guess now is as good a time as any to talk about how we got here.
Back in February, we started hearing about a virus that was sweeping through China, that started in Wuhan and quickly spread. It was deadly to many, particularly the elderly or those with immune system issues. It quickly overwhelmed their health care system. It was like a bad flu in overdrive. Fever, coughing, shortness of breath, all over body aches, many times ending with people in the hospital and many times on ventilators. It is called the novel corona virus - COVID-19.
It seemed contained to China for awhile - and then it wasn't. Italy was extremely hard hit, then Spain, And then New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta..... To date, there have been over 1600 deaths in Illinois, 88 of those in McLean County. The numbers change minute to minute.
On Mar 10, I flew to FL for my week at the condo with Mom and Dad. There were a number of people wiping down their armrests and tray tables with antiseptic wipes. On my flight were several families headed for Disney on spring break trips. I arrived on Thursday, and before the weekend, Disney and every other major tourist attraction had announced that they would be closed by Monday. I have thought about those excited little kids and I hope that their families managed to get there before the closure. In Bradenton, people were talking about it, and being a bit cautious, but no major measures were being taken to perform the new buzzword, "social distancing". Restaurants were open, beaches were open. We bought Girl Scout cookies on the sidewalk outside Walmart. Mom and I tried to go out to the beach one day, but the traffic was so bad that we couldn't get past 75th St (about 8 miles away), so we went to DeSoto instead.
Every day there was an update from the governor. The news was all corona, all the time. By the time I left for home, people were nervous. I took Mom to the store, and the shelves were pretty stripped - no milk, bread, meat, and toilet paper. We got what we could.
The airport parking lot in Peoria that I struggled to find a parking place in a week earlier was half empty on my return. At home, things were getting bad in Chicago, and there was talk of extending the kids' spring breaks in hopes that things would calm down in another week. I was supposed to go back to work at BCPA on Tuesday, Mar 24, but before that day came, my boss was determined to have been exposed to someone who had been exposed, and she and my coworkers were to self-quarantine at home for two weeks.
On Mar 20, the governor announced a shelter in place order in Illinois, beginning on Sunday, Mar 22 and running until Apr 7. Restaurants and bars were closed, except that they could do takeout or delivery. All non-essential businesses were closed - just about everything except restaurants that do carryout or delivery, gas stations, groceries - and taxes. Ridiculous. The filing deadlines for both federal and state were both extended to July 15, so there was no reason to be open, but..... Block offered a leave for two weeks of half-pay, and I elected to take it. I was out of the office from Mar 26 to Apr 7. I had to go back to button up what I could before the end of our contracts on Apr 17. But in the meantime, we were offered an extended season, renewing our contracts till July 15 - for the astronomical hourly (by Block standards) of $36/hour. How could I turn that down? It was a tough consideration, since currently, the federal government is paying unemployment of $600 per WEEK on top of your state benefit. I applied, and was offered the summer season. I hope I don't come to regret it.
On Mar 27, the president signed the CARES Act, which provided (in addition to the federal unemployment) a stimulus payment of $1200 per adult and $500 per qualifying child, which started arriving in bank accounts around Apr 10. Since then, things have been insane. Constant calls about where their payments are (why should we know?), as well as the virtual stopping of progress on delayed refunds that they were already griping about.
The Illinois order was extended until Apr 30. Today it was extended to May 30. A few things, like garden centers and some state recreation areas are opening with restrictions. And we are now required to wear masks in public (more about this later).
Things that have gone away:
March Madness (and all other sports)
Red Cross Evening of Stars Apr 29 (rescheduled to Oct)
Illinois Shakespeare Festival (season moved to next year)
BCPA season and Passion Play (will we have a summer season?)
Spain trip June 4
Schools are out through the end of the school year - no prom, no graduation, no senior trip, no spring sports season
So much more to say, but I'm exhausted talking about it.
