Covid-19 lockdown check-in

[Tonitrus]

City of Anchorage is going under lockdown starting Tuesday, December 1 through January 1. No in store dining only take out or delivery, all bars & clubs, theaters, bingo hall closed. 25% capacity for retail stores.

Do people really go out much when it is dark 23 hours a day anyway?

I'd say in a typical winter, they go out more. 

And for Anchorage, the darkness is more like 18-19 hours. 

[Barrister]

And Alberta hits yet another new record for number of cases reported in a day.

My office also reported another positive test.

[The Larch]

Restrictions are being eased in my region starting this friday. My city is still in the medium-high group of restrictions, but bars and restaurants will be able to open with capacity limits until 17h and up to 4 people can meet. I will finally be able to see my friends face to face after a month. 

[celedhring]

Catalonia eased restrictions a week ago, and infections are rising again 

[Sheilbh]

Catalonia eased restrictions a week ago, and infections are rising again 

It does really feel like it's worth just holding on with strict restrictions for another few months while the vaccines are rolled out and then go fucking wild in spring/summer. All the world on spring break behaviour

And I do think there's a real chance we're underestimating the size of an economic rebound. I think there's a real chance that consumers just go crazy once things are safe again because most people (not me ) have saved money in the last year and have a lot of cash to burn.

[celedhring]

I'm not sure there's that many people out there with wads of cash waiting for fun things to do...

[Sheilbh]

I'm not sure there's that many people out there with wads of cash waiting for fun things to do...

I don't know. I read a piece that in the UK and US most people have more money in their accounts than they had pre-covid and in the UK the average household saving rate is 25% - and that's unsustainable. We are naturally spenders who rely on credit cards not saving accounts

Obviously lots of people have been really badly hit financially and that will carry on in the recovery. But most people kept on working and cut their spending by a lot over the course of a year (no holidays etc). I feel like we could be surprised how much pent-up demand there is - there's a reason the 20s roared etc (and then there were lots who were on the outside of that).

Edit: I should say I have somehow managed to increase my household spending through all this - largely I think by buying books I'd finally have time to read (left unread) and signing up for remote fitness subscriptions (unused)

[The Larch]

I'm not sure there's that many people out there with wads of cash waiting for fun things to do...

There are, it's just that it's quite probably people we don't know. 

I mean, anyone with a steady income (think public servants, for instance, or retirees with cushy pensions) has kept getting it all this time, while having way less options to spend that money.

[Syt]

You remember TV preacher Kenneth Copeland who prayed Covid away?

Well, someone added a metal track. Works surprisingly well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JPRvxTjfOk&ab_channel=AndreAntunes

(to skip the intro, this is where the remix starts: https://youtu.be/0JPRvxTjfOk?t=41)

[Maladict]

Tested negative after having mild symptoms for a couple of days. I didn't know you could stick something that far up your nose

[garbon]

I'm not sure there's that many people out there with wads of cash waiting for fun things to do...

There are, it's just that it's quite probably people we don't know. 

I mean, anyone with a steady income (think public servants, for instance, or retirees with cushy pensions) has kept getting it all this time, while having way less options to spend that money.

I think pretty much everyone at my old job and at my current one are in that boat. Commute expenses disappeared as did chances for travel, pub-restaurant expenditure, cultural expenditure.  As long as your job didn't disappear (or pay isn't dependent on volume of work completed), there was savings to be had.

[Maladict]

I'm not sure there's that many people out there with wads of cash waiting for fun things to do...

There are, it's just that it's quite probably people we don't know. 

I mean, anyone with a steady income (think public servants, for instance, or retirees with cushy pensions) has kept getting it all this time, while having way less options to spend that money.

I think pretty much everyone at my old job and at my current one are in that boat. Commute expenses disappeared as did chances for travel, pub-restaurant expenditure, cultural expenditure.  As long as your job didn't disappear (or pay isn't dependent on volume of work completed), there was savings to be had.

Not sure about that. True, expenses for restaurants and days out and about are down, and I haven't bought any clothes this year iirc.
But cancelled trips did come at a cost, not to mention two cancelled weddings (although I accept that will not be a common experience). And I have done a lot of online buying from lack of diversion, like books, games, food deliveries.
So overall I'm probably having a normal year financially. Which, considering the circumstances, I'm not complaining about.

[The Larch]

I'm not sure there's that many people out there with wads of cash waiting for fun things to do...

There are, it's just that it's quite probably people we don't know. 

I mean, anyone with a steady income (think public servants, for instance, or retirees with cushy pensions) has kept getting it all this time, while having way less options to spend that money.

I think pretty much everyone at my old job and at my current one are in that boat. Commute expenses disappeared as did chances for travel, pub-restaurant expenditure, cultural expenditure.  As long as your job didn't disappear (or pay isn't dependent on volume of work completed), there was savings to be had.

Not sure about that. True, expenses for restaurants and days out and about are down, and I haven't bought any clothes this year iirc.
But cancelled trips did come at a cost, not to mention two cancelled weddings (although I accept that will not be a common experience). And I have done a lot of online buying from lack of diversion, like books, games, food deliveries.
So overall I'm probably having a normal year financially. Which, considering the circumstances, I'm not complaining about.

Well, I doubt that too many people had two cancelled weddings this year. 

I mean, I had a big trip to Japan go down the drain because of this, and I could cancel everything with no penalty, except the plane tickets, which will be valid next year, so even if that was a net negative for me, it was not a total loss. And yeah, I might do more online shopping, but all I've saved on social stuff (uncountable beers and plenty of dinners out) completely make up for that.

[celedhring]

I'm actually down for the year. I've been spending much less, but also got a lot of cancelled work. Most of my friends are on that boat, but then again most of them work in covid-sensitive sectors (film, culture, higher education...)

[Grey Fox]

Myself, I spend a lot less money. I didn't buy too many things & I've put off most car related expenses since it barely sees any use. So far, I gas up my car 3 times in 2020. I don't expect there will be a 4th time.