@dannyboy I remembered during my undergraduate studies, some of the classes were hybrid while there was one that was fully online. Now, most of the classes at the alma mater are all online. Most of the classes in my current graduate alma mater are fully-online with some in-class with social distancing.
There is a new documentary out on Hulu Totally Under Control. Here is an excerpt from The Atlantic about the film . Haven’t seen it yet but thought y’all might be interested.
Given the ongoing nature of the pandemic, it may seem senseless to make a two-hour film that looks back on how the coronavirus ran rampant in the U.S. And yet, Totally Under Control—from the Oscar-winning writer-director Alex Gibney and his co-directors, Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger—not only documents the chaos of 2020 with clear-eyed precision, but also successfully argues for its own existence.
does best—it refuses to offer the viewer a soothing or satisfying conclusion, and instead demands action. It denounces the president, but it also focuses on the responsibility of the American public to remain vigilant in preventing the spread of the virus, to fight the news-induced numbness, and to challenge those in power whose false promises can undermine the true reality of a crisis.
In the final seconds of the film, a title card reveals that the president was diagnosed with COVID-19 the day after the filmmakers finished editing. Now, in mid-October, even that fact feels like old news—the president certainly thinks it is. Yet as painful as examining the past in all its ugliness may be, it’s a necessary task. As Totally Under Control makes plain, there’s no clear ending in sight for Americans. But there won’t be an ending at all if lessons aren’t learned.
I Kid You Not!
Not only have we just had our worst day every on reported infections from Covid 19 with 80,000 plus new cases, health experts now fear an outbreak of polio in the Americas during the pandemic due to a delay in vaccinations and surveillance.
The pandemic has stressed immunization and surveillance systems designed to catch and respond to vaccine-preventable diseases
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/23/health/polio-outbreak-risk-covid-19/index.html
Some various news items from around the country today (Oct. 26):
The City of El Paso TX has instituted a mandatory two week stay at home order. Residents may only leave their homes during the day for emergency purposes. Hospitals have reached 100% capacity. https://kfoxtv.com/news/coronavirus/county-judge-el-paso-hospitals-and-intensive-care-units-are-at-100-capacity
The governor of Idaho has moved the entire state back to level 3 restrictions which will limit the size of gatherings and require restaurants to only serve food at tables. https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/coronavirus/article246720586.html
In Utah, hospitals are preparing plans to ration care so that only those with the best chance of survival will be admitted. Some of the largest hospitals in the state have already opened overflow ICUs https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/10/25/with-coronavirus-cases/
I had a serious chat with my doctor this morning. Although I was there for something else, he strongly encouraged me to avoid travel or family get togethers over Thanksgiving and for the two weeks after Thanksgiving. He expects to see a huge spike in cases here in California. He recommended the same for the Christmas holidays.
@rosieheart What part of California? I’m near Sacramento and people are acting like we’ve turned the corner because we made it to the red tier (sigh).
Well, if this is any indication of what to expect from the aftermath of Thanksgiving gatherings, it looks like things will be worse for Christmas because we will have an explosion of cases after Thanksgiving around the time people will be traveling/gathering for Christmas.
Before the holiday, officials advised Canadians to curtail their plans by limiting celebrations to those living under the same roof or moving the party online, but it is not clear how widely the advice was heeded.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/10/27/thanksgiving-coronavirus-canada-united-states/
@parizienne I am so sorry you have to face this dilemma. I am sending positive thoughts your way as you make this decision. I know it will be hard to say goodbye to your current students, but remember: if you're not here, so many other students in the future won't be able to benefit from your teaching. Please take care of yourself, and best wishes.
@rosieheart What part of California? I’m near Sacramento and people are acting like we’ve turned the corner because we made it to the red tier (sigh).
San Diego. We are also in the Red tier but every week we come perilously close to dropping out of it. My doctor said that he expects Thanksgiving to pop us out of the red tier, and so will holiday events throughout December. Stay safe!
@michele-b That's where "Private Property - Posted No Trespassing - Violators will be prosecuted" signs come in handy. No neighbors sneak up on me at all. Humidity is horrid here in the summer...but it looks to our friend come this winter with covid-19.
Thank you. I’m grateful for your kindness and positivity.
Possibly a bit of a silver lining. We’ve been told they’ve bought cameras for our classrooms and there may be an opportunity for me to teach all of my remote and hybrid students (with a classroom proctor) simultaneously. I’d still like to be there with them. It will depend on numbers and my risk. If it works the way we are being told, I can keep my students.