The World Re-opening?
It looks like more and more of the world is re-opening. It's not a general sort of thing. So far, it's been more selective.
Various media reports, for example, that Russia, has increased lock-downs as COVID cases continue to escalate. In China, a whole section of the Northeast part of the country has re-started lockdowns and cases pick up after an initial opening up. But there are more and more openings in countries where lockdowns have been relatively strict for the last two months or so.
Today's stock market leap to the stars will be interpreted as a positive reaction to this as well as a drug company's claim that it has made substantial progress with a vaccine. If you want to hang your investment hat on these two hooks and plow into stocks, there you go.
In our neck of the woods, things did in fact "loosen up" over the last week or so. But it had nothing to do with any government declaration. Local government in the New York Metro area remains in lockdown with only some loosening in outlying areas of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Schools remain closed and will not reopen this year. If and when they reopen in the fall, it seems it won't be business (or education) as usual. Details remain unclear as to what this might mean.
Which brings us to kids. They seem to have gotten the short end of the stick in this lock-down mess. The best example I could come up with was my recent foray into our local park. I haven't walked through this park in many months, having nothing to do with COVID. While I used to take almost-daily walks, my exercise routines have changed and, combined with my work schedule, there really hasn't been much time for those walks. But this past weekend I pushed myself out the door, more to see what was going on in the park. For sure, the park was not as full as it might be on a day where the sun was out and the temps were heading up (the high 70s on Saturday, low 70s on Sunday). But there were a lot more people doing a lot more things than had been the case for many weeks now.
Of course, the weather had a lot to do with this. Until the last week or so, our weather has been anything but spring-like: temps in the 50s/60s, lots of clouds, rain, etc. But the point here is that people just got out without having to "allowed" out by some government fiat.
Traffic picked up too. A neighbor told me he drove to Brooklyn on Saturday and traffic was almost normal (normal = heavy).
But despite the pick-up in human activity and interaction - at least in the park - one thing stuck out int he midst of the walkers, bikers, runners, soccer players, etc.: The kids park - you know, the one with the swings, slides - was empty. Empty as in there was not a single adult or child to be seen. Indeed, there were no children anywhere else in the park.
I don't know if kids mind not being taken to the park. Maybe their parents have found other ways to engage and entertain or get some fresh air. I hope so. But it was sort of sad seeing the playground area completely empty. Usually, it would be teaming with parents and kids on a day like Saturday or Sunday.
One other observation from my Saturday and Sunday constitutionals: the tennis courts were empty. More than empty, the nets were removed. More even than that, there was a police van and car, with about 5 or 6 cops hanging around the courts. (Were there to see that no "outlaws" put up nets and - heaven forbid - play tennis? If not for that, why were they there?)
I bring this up because it's might serve as an illustration of what's wrong with these draconian government lockdown orders. I offer this without falling into the camp of those who think the government should have stood by and let nature take its course, leaving decisions to lock down or stay at home to "the people." Given a choice between what governments actually did, and the latter alternative, a part of me wants to side with the "leave us alone" crowd; but I'm not married to that idea.
With that said, though, can anyone explain to me what enforcing a ban on tennis accomplished? (I don't play tennis, so I've got no bone to pick here.) Tennis players pretty much "social distance" when they play. It's not like team sports. There are no spectators on a typical tennis court. Maybe indoor courts present some sort of virus-spreading hazard, but outdoor courts? I don't see it.
Which brings up the question of why governments chose to shut down everything but "essential services." Did they put any real thought into this? If not, they've created a really difficult situation for a lot of people who've lost their jobs. They've devastated the most important sector of our economy: small businesses. They (along with our compliant religious leaders) had the gall to command us not to worship God in public. (Couldn't there have been some plan where people could attend Mass or religious services without being on top of each other?) I'll stop there, but I hope you get the point.
Various media reports, for example, that Russia, has increased lock-downs as COVID cases continue to escalate. In China, a whole section of the Northeast part of the country has re-started lockdowns and cases pick up after an initial opening up. But there are more and more openings in countries where lockdowns have been relatively strict for the last two months or so.
Today's stock market leap to the stars will be interpreted as a positive reaction to this as well as a drug company's claim that it has made substantial progress with a vaccine. If you want to hang your investment hat on these two hooks and plow into stocks, there you go.
In our neck of the woods, things did in fact "loosen up" over the last week or so. But it had nothing to do with any government declaration. Local government in the New York Metro area remains in lockdown with only some loosening in outlying areas of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Schools remain closed and will not reopen this year. If and when they reopen in the fall, it seems it won't be business (or education) as usual. Details remain unclear as to what this might mean.
Which brings us to kids. They seem to have gotten the short end of the stick in this lock-down mess. The best example I could come up with was my recent foray into our local park. I haven't walked through this park in many months, having nothing to do with COVID. While I used to take almost-daily walks, my exercise routines have changed and, combined with my work schedule, there really hasn't been much time for those walks. But this past weekend I pushed myself out the door, more to see what was going on in the park. For sure, the park was not as full as it might be on a day where the sun was out and the temps were heading up (the high 70s on Saturday, low 70s on Sunday). But there were a lot more people doing a lot more things than had been the case for many weeks now.
Of course, the weather had a lot to do with this. Until the last week or so, our weather has been anything but spring-like: temps in the 50s/60s, lots of clouds, rain, etc. But the point here is that people just got out without having to "allowed" out by some government fiat.
Traffic picked up too. A neighbor told me he drove to Brooklyn on Saturday and traffic was almost normal (normal = heavy).
But despite the pick-up in human activity and interaction - at least in the park - one thing stuck out int he midst of the walkers, bikers, runners, soccer players, etc.: The kids park - you know, the one with the swings, slides - was empty. Empty as in there was not a single adult or child to be seen. Indeed, there were no children anywhere else in the park.
I don't know if kids mind not being taken to the park. Maybe their parents have found other ways to engage and entertain or get some fresh air. I hope so. But it was sort of sad seeing the playground area completely empty. Usually, it would be teaming with parents and kids on a day like Saturday or Sunday.
One other observation from my Saturday and Sunday constitutionals: the tennis courts were empty. More than empty, the nets were removed. More even than that, there was a police van and car, with about 5 or 6 cops hanging around the courts. (Were there to see that no "outlaws" put up nets and - heaven forbid - play tennis? If not for that, why were they there?)
I bring this up because it's might serve as an illustration of what's wrong with these draconian government lockdown orders. I offer this without falling into the camp of those who think the government should have stood by and let nature take its course, leaving decisions to lock down or stay at home to "the people." Given a choice between what governments actually did, and the latter alternative, a part of me wants to side with the "leave us alone" crowd; but I'm not married to that idea.
With that said, though, can anyone explain to me what enforcing a ban on tennis accomplished? (I don't play tennis, so I've got no bone to pick here.) Tennis players pretty much "social distance" when they play. It's not like team sports. There are no spectators on a typical tennis court. Maybe indoor courts present some sort of virus-spreading hazard, but outdoor courts? I don't see it.
Which brings up the question of why governments chose to shut down everything but "essential services." Did they put any real thought into this? If not, they've created a really difficult situation for a lot of people who've lost their jobs. They've devastated the most important sector of our economy: small businesses. They (along with our compliant religious leaders) had the gall to command us not to worship God in public. (Couldn't there have been some plan where people could attend Mass or religious services without being on top of each other?) I'll stop there, but I hope you get the point.
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