Semi-OT: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Discussion Thread VI (Don't Read Post 1 & FAQ)

[OkcSinceSGA]

Read on Twitter

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using RealGM mobile app

[OkcSinceSGA]

Unemployment is so backed up that I filed 13 days ago and still haven't received a piece of mail or confirmation email. I called 200 times other day and couldn't get through.

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using RealGM mobile app

[LKN]

Spoiler:

Well, Healthcare is a separate issue, but unemployment wise they did in fact go above and beyond with the proposal of the $600 a week on top of one's unemployment benefits (and vastly extending who qualifies for these benefits) for up to 4 months. I was incredibly surprised this much money was flat allocated. It is a major pay raise for a huge chunk of Americans who were laid off. Now we will see how seamlessly it is distributed, as that is a whole other matter (granted, to their credit, this is the reason why a flat amount was proposed).

Healthcare is not a separate issue because large proportions of the country have health insurance coverage thru their employers, they are let go they lose they paycheck and the healthcare coverage.

The employment issue they decided on still leaves tons of people unable to get unemployment benefits due to being self employed, or gig workers, etc. Also the unemployment is based on a state by state basis, and every state has different ways to apply, different payouts, etc. Here in Florida for example the website for unemployment has been outdated and not working right for years and out of spite our politicians refused to fix it. Now thousands are trying to get thru on the website and apply but they cant, it just crashes over and over. Reality is that unemployment numbers are likely far below what they are reporting because people are having trouble just applying for unemployment. Seems like regular people have to jump thru hoops just to do an application, while large corporations have an easy and short application process for help.

Also nothing has been done at all to freeze mortgage, rent, utilities, student loan, car, credit card payments, etc., except for some instances here and there. Bills are still coming and funds from the government seem a ways from arriving.

Also, in the last 2 weeks more people have lost their jobs than the first 6 months of the Great Depression, meanwhile Congress left Washington for 3+ weeks.

I understand that healthcare is important and tethered to many people's jobs, I'm simply saying that it is a whole other bag of issues. And there are indeed provisions for many here. A) They offered small business loans that do NOT have to paid back for many small businesses who keep their employees under contract. B) If the employees are laid off and below the poverty line they can apply for medicare for free. C) If they are laid off, many can apply for COBRA insurance for 3 years (granted, it will be more expensive for them). But again, it is its own bag of issues.

Concerning unemployment money itself, it is clear you did not read much up on the bill. As I mentioned, it vastly extended those who are available for unemployment benefits. In most instances now, if your job was mitigated or lost due to Covid-19 - regardless if you were self employed, a gig worker, an Uber driver, etc, you are indeed covered (granted I imagine they will be paid last as this will not be as easy for them to process). Which means that on top of whatever state benefits they earn, they will receive the $600 on top. And they made it a flat $600 simply to try to push the money out as easily as possible (and it does in fact create a situation where a SIGNIFICANT portion of America will now be receiving the biggest pay increase of their life). There is also the $1200 check that will be coming for most Americans by the 17th.

MANY states and their utility companies have also put a moratorium on rent/bill payments until they receive their money as well. I know that in my county rent can be back-paid, and the gas/electric company can simply will not shut down your power during Covid-19. The government has quite literally never done more for employees who were out of work in the history of the country. To still be saying they did not do enough seems pretty disingenuous and short sighted. I realize that this is not the case everywhere (at least yet), but I would say that by and large most citizens should not be reliant on a government much more than what has already been proposed/passed and enacted.

The enhanced unemployment was probably the biggest win that Schumer got in the bill. People are downplaying it way too much. My wife runs a newborn photography business. She would never be eligible for normal UI... but because of this bill she can get UI since she obviously can't run her business right now.

This goes for all kinds of other self-employed people who would never get UI.

Do we need more relief? Sure...(example - going to need holdout states to expand medicaid and we are going to need more medicaid funding). ... but I think the paycheck protection and enhanced UI are really good wins that will help a lot of people.

[LKN]

Unemployment is so backed up that I filed 13 days ago and still haven't received a piece of mail or confirmation email. I called 200 times other day and couldn't get through.

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using RealGM mobile app

The good news is that IIRC it will be retroactive once you start getting it.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Spoiler:

Healthcare is not a separate issue because large proportions of the country have health insurance coverage thru their employers, they are let go they lose they paycheck and the healthcare coverage.

The employment issue they decided on still leaves tons of people unable to get unemployment benefits due to being self employed, or gig workers, etc. Also the unemployment is based on a state by state basis, and every state has different ways to apply, different payouts, etc. Here in Florida for example the website for unemployment has been outdated and not working right for years and out of spite our politicians refused to fix it. Now thousands are trying to get thru on the website and apply but they cant, it just crashes over and over. Reality is that unemployment numbers are likely far below what they are reporting because people are having trouble just applying for unemployment. Seems like regular people have to jump thru hoops just to do an application, while large corporations have an easy and short application process for help.

Also nothing has been done at all to freeze mortgage, rent, utilities, student loan, car, credit card payments, etc., except for some instances here and there. Bills are still coming and funds from the government seem a ways from arriving.

Also, in the last 2 weeks more people have lost their jobs than the first 6 months of the Great Depression, meanwhile Congress left Washington for 3+ weeks.

I understand that healthcare is important and tethered to many people's jobs, I'm simply saying that it is a whole other bag of issues. And there are indeed provisions for many here. A) They offered small business loans that do NOT have to paid back for many small businesses who keep their employees under contract. B) If the employees are laid off and below the poverty line they can apply for medicare for free. C) If they are laid off, many can apply for COBRA insurance for 3 years (granted, it will be more expensive for them). But again, it is its own bag of issues.

Concerning unemployment money itself, it is clear you did not read much up on the bill. As I mentioned, it vastly extended those who are available for unemployment benefits. In most instances now, if your job was mitigated or lost due to Covid-19 - regardless if you were self employed, a gig worker, an Uber driver, etc, you are indeed covered (granted I imagine they will be paid last as this will not be as easy for them to process). Which means that on top of whatever state benefits they earn, they will receive the $600 on top. And they made it a flat $600 simply to try to push the money out as easily as possible (and it does in fact create a situation where a SIGNIFICANT portion of America will now be receiving the biggest pay increase of their life). There is also the $1200 check that will be coming for most Americans by the 17th.

MANY states and their utility companies have also put a moratorium on rent/bill payments until they receive their money as well. I know that in my county rent can be back-paid, and the gas/electric company can simply will not shut down your power during Covid-19. The government has quite literally never done more for employees who were out of work in the history of the country. To still be saying they did not do enough seems pretty disingenuous and short sighted. I realize that this is not the case everywhere (at least yet), but I would say that by and large most citizens should not be reliant on a government much more than what has already been proposed/passed and enacted.

The enhanced unemployment was probably the biggest win that Schumer got in the bill. People are downplaying it way too much. My wife runs a newborn photography business. She would never be eligible for normal UI... but because of this bill she can get UI since she obviously can't run her business right now.

This goes for all kinds of other self-employed people who would never get UI.

Do we need more relief? Sure...(example - going to need holdout states to expand medicaid and we are going to need more medicaid funding). ... but I think the paycheck protection and enhanced UI are really good wins that will help a lot of people.

No doubt. The enhanced UI is the masterpiece and key to everything in that deal. The unfortunate thing is they are SEVERELY understaffed on processing claims. I'm sure I'll eventually be approved but it may take a month or two

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using RealGM mobile app

[OkcSinceSGA]

Unemployment is so backed up that I filed 13 days ago and still haven't received a piece of mail or confirmation email. I called 200 times other day and couldn't get through.

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using RealGM mobile app

The good news is that IIRC it will be retroactive once you start getting it.

It's always been retro. It pays from date of filing .So that combined with $2900 stimulus won't be that bad I suppose. I may get a chunk of like 6k-8k at once TBH

My fear is if they deny me and I need to appeal. I have proof I was furloughed but the back and forth may take months.

[LKN]

Unemployment is so backed up that I filed 13 days ago and still haven't received a piece of mail or confirmation email. I called 200 times other day and couldn't get through.

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using RealGM mobile app

The good news is that IIRC it will be retroactive once you start getting it.

It's always been retro. It pays from date of filing .So that combined with $2900 stimulus won't be that bad I suppose. I may get a chunk of like 6k-8k at once TBH

My fear is if they deny me and I need to appeal. I have proof I was furloughed but the back and forth may take months.

I doubt that they are going to be denying many people (although I could be wrong).

We don't even need it - but I figure we should take it and spend the money since that helps the economy.

[Sgt Major]

Final post about masks.

Find. Make. Put it on when you going out in public. Don't fiddle with it. Wash your hands after taking it off. Done.

Read on Twitter

And the Japanese government is being heavily criticized for trying to downplay the danger and failure to enforce heavy measures, due to its attempt to keep the Olympics schedule as it was planned. Now that the Olympics are cancelled, they're turning the ship around and people are angry about that, because that move most probably comes too late to prevent wide spread infection and many deaths.

[Triples333]

Unemployment is so backed up that I filed 13 days ago and still haven't received a piece of mail or confirmation email. I called 200 times other day and couldn't get through.

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using RealGM mobile app

Are you in California? I'm in Nevada* (said California on accident because that is where I live) and filed on the 24th or 25th of March (so last week) online and received the card they apparently send as well as have that account set up through Bank Of America and my weekly claim filed. The first payment is set to come next week (and some of my coworkers who filed a few days prior have already received their payments). The $600 payments will likely start rolling out around the time of the $1200 check (or percentage of the $1200 for those over 75K but less than 100K), so I would expect those by the 10th-17th for those with their 2019 taxes filed/linked to their bank account. But up to a month later for others.

[ken6199]

Btw, Washington recovery rate is very promising. In a day or two it will jump over 10%. If it wasn't for those early outbreak nursing homes where lot of the elderly died, it could have even higher.

Lousiana on the other hand...

There's going to be a very unfortunate divide in the US between richer states with better healthcare and poorer states with worse healthcare.

Some of the southern states in particular are very vulnerable. There are small towns where the closest ICU bed is ~50-100 miles away

Yep. The NYTimes had a a heat map that showed the areas where distance traveled had reduced up to March 26th as the final recorded date. Almost the entire south/south east had not. They're going to be absolutely decimated.

With Washington state getting hit with Kirkland early on probably spurred on a response quicker than the trickling turning into cascading of cases that is seen elsewhere. Once again this shows that being aggressive with quarantining and distancing has value.

For King and Snohomish counties a big part of the middle class are tech workers who have less pressure of working from home. It's all about making that uncomfortable choice - if my bills are on the line that forces me to go out to work VS I can comfortably work remotely sitting in my Zoom meetings and placing online orders from Wholefoods without feeling much pressure in life. It goes both ways for employees and employers (who can more comfortably tell their staff to work from home wish less of a financial hit).

Kirkland's early hit certainly made a big impact with Kirkland-Bellevue-Remond triangle being the heart of the tech giants there, more people being alert relentlessly work from home is also a big factor. I know lot of people start WFH as early as first week of March as soon as those 7 cases broke out from that Kirkland nursing home on Feb 27, and that's before the first case from Amazon and Microsoft broke out. I remember landing in Seattle that weekend to start my new job there and immediately started looking for return flights to Houston. NYC hasn't even remotely taken off at that time.

South/Southeast unfortunately do not have that luxury. States like AL MS are probably in better shape due to less population density, NOLA and FL not so much.

[thelead]

The stupidity of government never ceases to amaze me:

Watch on YouTube

[LKN]

Leadership - being willing to sacrifice your career for the lives of your men

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[ken6199]

Final post about masks.

Find. Make. Put it on when you going out in public. Don't fiddle with it. Wash your hands after taking it off. Done.

Read on Twitter

Also my final comment on mask:
Use 1 mask to save 5 (for those who can be potentially infected by you and those who have to treat those infected). Addition by subtraction. Offense is the new defense, Luka.

[ken6199]

The good news is that IIRC it will be retroactive once you start getting it.

It's always been retro. It pays from date of filing .So that combined with $2900 stimulus won't be that bad I suppose. I may get a chunk of like 6k-8k at once TBH

My fear is if they deny me and I need to appeal. I have proof I was furloughed but the back and forth may take months.

I doubt that they are going to be denying many people (although I could be wrong).

We don't even need it - but I figure we should take it and spend the money since that helps the economy.

I am not concerned about denying those checks. It does the government no good at this point.

The biggest problem is - those who need the stimulus check more will be those who have to wait longer. Quickest is direct deposit if IRS has your bank information from your 2018 and 2019 tax returns, if not they will mail you a check (starting the week of May 4th).

The worst is there are folks who don't do their tax or don't have bank accounts - those are actually the ones who will need those checks the most but if you don't have a bank account how do you get the money?

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/stimulus-20-weeks-irs/index.html

[Ayt]

Leadership - being willing to sacrifice your career for the lives of your men

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Ridiculous.

[Catchall]

Unemployment is so backed up that I filed 13 days ago and still haven't received a piece of mail or confirmation email. I called 200 times other day and couldn't get through.

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using RealGM mobile app

You were laid off?

[ken6199]

Leadership - being willing to sacrifice your career for the lives of your men

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Unfortunately tragedies like this haven't stopped and will never stop.

We all know Li Wenliang by now, the first whistleblower doctor in China who died from COVID-19. They are now giving him medal of honor while at the same time made another one disappear, Dr Ai Fen.
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/coronavirus-china-doctor-disappears-warned-about-covid-19-threat/

Individuals like us have never been more helpless in the current situation. Its like what are we all doing here for?

[Vlade Divac]

Guys I just found this from today's New York Times - How to make your own face mask. It does not looks too complicated. If only I can find someone who can saw. Good luck!




Original High Resolution image here:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/cnxyilojlx4gdo6/Face%20Mask.jpg

[Bottomsouth]

Leadership - being willing to sacrifice your career for the lives of your men

Read on Twitter

?s=20

In fairness, he sent the letter to the higher ups at the same time he leaked it to the Chronicle. The Navy has acted on testing and keeping those infected sailors at Guam in isolation. As a captain I understand his concerns but you cannot send a letter to the ones that make decisions above you and then mail the same letter out to news publications as if the Navy is not reacting to the request. He lost some confidence there.

[Ayt]

Florida is cluelessly including church as an essential activity.

Essential services includes health care workers, law enforcement and grocery stores, among many, many others. DeSantis’ orders also classified gun and ammo shops, laundromats, hardware stores and pet supply stores as “essential services.”

In a significant deviation from what experts advise, attending church services is considered an “essential activity." DeSantis would also permit many outdoor activities, including golfing, if practiced with social-distancing.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/04/02/ron-desantis-quietly-signed-second-executive-order-targeting-local-coronavirus-restrictions/