Reopening the US
The reopening of the US is something that has been on a lot of people’s minds. The problem with that is the effect that it could have on everyone with COVID still at large. The government is looking to open the US slowly in phases. So far the government has reopened schools and universities as well as allowed the visits of family members. There is still a high recommendation to not visit friends as it could spread the virus. The phase that I’m looking for is the opening of gyms and more restaurants. Gyms in San Francisco are still not allowed to open but restaurants can with takeout and outside serving.
The government also recommends things as well. Such as:
Encourage employees to work remotely as much as possible
Close or enforce strict social distancing protocols for office common areas (like cafeterias or lounges)
Keep nonessential travel to a minimum
Consider increasing space between employees and implementing different shifts to keep coworkers further apart from each other
Provide hygienic supplies like tissues, hand sanitizer, and soap
Implement flexible policies for employees when it comes to sick days or taking care of kids because of school closures
Many stores like Walmart and Costco as well have made many rule changes like where you enter and where you leave. Also how many people can be in the store at one time and even the way you can enter each aisle in the store. Things like vegetable markets even have extremely strict rules on how you can pick up each vegetable going as far as to have someone pick out your food for you. This is also something stores are implementing which is you order groceries and the store employees get an order and grab everything for you and you come to pick up. Many restaurants are doing outside serving or just takeout. Google also has been doing its best to make restaurants update their business hours so that there is less confusion on what is open and closed.
Regarding jobs, the government has been doing its best to support everyone with unemployment checks and COVID checks but for many, it is not enough. The good thing is that with these phases many more businesses are reopening and that means jobs are also opening too. The problem with that is the chicken race for who can grab the job first and also make sure you secure your job. Save your money and spend on what you need first before anything else. I have been seeing too many of my friends spending all their unemployment checks on new clothes and not having anything left for gas. All we can do is stay safe and mind yourself, wear your mask properly, and understand it is for your and other’s well being.