[sf-lug] Next meeting would be April 5th but Covid-19

[Rick Moen]

Quoting John (jstrazza at yahoo.com):

> I understand that at 1pm Monday, there is a news conferences
> quarantining All citizens in the six Bay Area counties 

Re-posting what I just sent to another mailing list:



Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2020 15:54:12 -0700
From: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
To: skeptic at linuxmafia.com
Subject: Re: [skeptic] Apocalypse Now!

Quoting Stan Schwarz (stan7826 at gmail.com):

> I just got notice of this from the USGS mothership in Menlo Park.

The order asks all residents of six Bay Area counties (San Francisco,
Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa, and Alameda) to _remain
home as much as possible_.  But that is not the same as ordering people
to unconditionally stay at home.

Residents are free to go out to:

1.  provide or receive Essential Services (see below)
2.  go to work

...or to engage in Essential Activities, which include:

1.  Trips to enjoy the outdoors in ways that respect social distance
    (including without limitation walking, hiking, or running).
2.  Trips as required for health and safety, such as for medical matters or
    obtaining supplies.
5.  Trips to get household necessities such as food, etc.

Essential Services include:

o  All the usual health care stuff.
o  Grocery stores, certified farmer's markets, convenience
   stores, retailers selling household goods, and so on.
o  Farming, livestock raising, and fishing.
o  Businesses providing food, shelter, social services, and other
   necessities of life for the needy.
o  Newspaper, broadcast, and other similiar businesses.
o  Gas stations, car repair, and related.
o  Banks and other financial institutions.
o  Hardware stores.
o  Plumbers, electricians, etc.
o  Shipping, post office box, and similar places.
o  Educational institutions.
o  Restaurants for delivery or carry out service only.
o  Businesses that supply work-from-home needs.
o  Businesses that delivery or ship food or services.
o  Airlines, taxis, and private transportation providers.
o  Home-based caregiving.
o  Residential facilities and shelters.
o  Professional services such as accounting and legal.
o  Childcare as required to help employees work.

'Residences' include by reference hotels, motels, shared rentals.

The order extends to April 7th.


> The "Sweet Jesus" moment for me was when they said all non-essential
> travel is banned, including by bicycle.

It's not _banned_.  You just have to be prepared to state to a
theoretically inquisitive official that you are performing Essential
Activities or conducting Essential Business.  That includes, not putting
too fine a point on it, 'I'm riding my bicycle for exercise and to avoid
going stir crazy'.  Which is explicitly on the approved list on account
of the _obvious_ inherent respecting of social distance.

I mean, stop to think, Stan.  Or read the order and see for yourself:

https://www.smcgov.org/sites/smcgov.org/files/HO%20Order%20Shelter%20in%20Place%2020200316.pdf