Ags' point. More population more positive cases. My point is that it's still hovering around 1% of total population. No matter the county.

Exactly.

My point, Templeton, is your original post about % of positive cases meant nothing. The fact that more people in Round Rock wear masks than in Belton or Temple or even Killeen means nothing against fighting the spread.

I am not talking about in a Wal Mart. I am not about to go inside anywhere in greater Austin. I am talking about in cut out pastures watching soccer games. I wear mine in Wal Mart. People wearing them at soccer games are just ignorant fools.

Well not if they're immune compromised. But then again they should stay home.

SIAP. My roommate from Legget Hall has a son with a compromised immune system and several co morbidities. He sees Dr's from the NIH. Their way of life has been upended since March 13. Anyway, she's lives in Dallas her dad lives in Austin. In order to visit her dad, they've left their travel trailer on my property to be able to stay overnight and not drive to and from Austin 2x in one day. She visits with my husband and I while here from a social distance. No mask. If I had to wear one, on my own property, to spend time with her and her boys I would. But the distance is the biggest thing for her. And we're always outside. She won't go in shared spaces. That's what they've been advised to avoid their son getting the Covid 19. So you're either that committed to not getting it or you're probably going to get it.

agsalaska said:

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My point, Templeton, is your original post about % of positive cases meant nothing.

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alaska, i don't know how my post with case counts per capita from this week proved your point about % of positive cases? Those were two unrelated posts. As I said last week, percentage of positive cases is not a primary metric. I think your complaint is probably valid about the irresponsibility of the newsmedia possibly not fully understanding that metric but still reporting on it.

jill, it may not bother you that mclennan county had 4 times as many new cases as travis county did last week, but it's certainly germane to the discussion and not all an irrelevant difference from a public health perspective (1% across the board).

prognightmare, i don't understand your logic at all on wanting 30k weekly cases when hospitalization rates are 5%. not to mention we don't even know how long antibodies protect.

all of this to say, i think it's pretty apparent that this thread (or the last couple of pages at least) is not a good-faith discussion of the facts and figures surrounding COVID19 policy decisions. it's a huge part of my job to stay abreast of the research and the statistics, and honestly i'm very moderate in my positions compared to the other college-educated people i know. i jumped in only because i had had pertinent discussions with public health officials related to school closures that i thought might shed light on why the metric was a part of the discussion. i don't have an agenda, truly (except as an educator: maybe logical discourse?).

it's really sad and bizarre the way the virus has become so politicized on all sides. peace.

Mclennon County is not in my lane. That's Bo's and his dr wife's lane. And I wonder if the high increase is due to baylol students back in class but that leads to tu students back in class and not the same percentage of positive cases. Unless they just haven't caught up in testing at tu. I honestly don't know. And the standards are so bass akwards. Travis has more deaths out of all surrounding counties. But they wear masks to and from the RR and at the drive thru.

You know why it's political. The fact we don't agree on how it should be handled makes it political. I'm just ready for normal. I'm more concerned about the financial livelihood of friends. And now one that wasn't essential is fighting for her life. Covid knocked out her means to earn a living, falsely, but cancer is real and she cannot physically work. I'm with Prog. Open it up. The fact that TABC is telling bars how to get around the "greater than 51%" alcohol sales rule tell me this is bs. And f Abbott.

templeton said:

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agsalaska said:

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Seems like the close I get to Austin the more incessant on masks they become.

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I wonder if that's why Williamson and Travis counties have better infection rates?

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Dude, this was your comment. Maybe I took it the wrong way. Sure seemed like you were taking a shot. Maybe not.

Fair enough. I made my point and will move on.

She's not a dude.

if i may...

I know Templeton and can assure you she is not a worrywort coronabro. She's a very positive person and as she said "moderate." Not that we've ever sat and fleshed out all our political beliefs, but I can assure you she does not live in fear of this.

I am a very healthy runner. My children are very healthy and involved in athletics. My wife is a healthy tennis player. Not that I would pretend that our risk of dying from COVID is 0%, but I understand that my risks to going out and not wearing a mask is very minimal, not only of catching it, but having any long lasting ill effects. Alaska, Prog, and Mazzag, all are in their 30s-50s I assume based on your postings, with children. Which would make me assume that you're probably healthy as well and in a very low risk population. Templeton and her family are in a very low risk population.

I admit to being more conservative in my politics and in the camp that thinks that a lot of our reaction to COVID is overblown. I have feelings about people that politicize the whole thing on both sides, but I have to remember that they're humans as well with different medical histories, experiences, and responsibilities. My whole family hates masks. My whole family would happily go out in public without them and like to pretend that the whole thing doesn't exist. We do wear masks and we don't argue with, what is in my opinion, some dumb regulations. Why? Because there's no need to be jerks about it, and while I can't speak to your relgions principles, my faith does ask me to obey my governing authorities.

I want things to open back up and I think that a lot of our current regulations are very draconian. In particular, Bars and Movie theaters have a very valid complaint about what's gone on the last 6 months and I feel for people in those industries.

But at the end of the day, I just have my healthy family to worry about (with our minimal risk.) Templeton, our superintendents, County Judges, Mayors, and Governor, have to worry about a whole different population than just my family. I can assure you that no school district worth its salt wants social distancing, virtual learning, or masks. It's a freaking nightmare to try and work around. They have to make decisions based off a group that refuses to go to school because of somebody compromised at home, a group that will refuse to wear masks at school, a group that refuses to go to school if there are no masks, etc.

It's easy for us to look at data and say "open it back up" (which I am in the camp of) without taking into account the data that CDC, Bell County, etc. is sharing as it relates to you and your family, or the important and valid anecdotal stories about friends that have lost their business because of the shutdown as opposed to somebody who has to make decisions for larger swaths of people.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that while I am completely opinionated, and probably on most of your sides in the policies regarding this thing, sometimes we need to check our rhetoric regarding discussions with others.

Outside of people on the far right and left that have agendas, everybody wants this to be over and done with. I have no reason to think anybody on this board wants businesses shut down, mandatory masks, or virtual learning. But people with broader scopes of the people their work affects have accountability to other parties outside of just our families. Nobody is going to sue me if my kids get COVID. BISD, TISD, Providence, and CTCS do have that worry and have to look at numbers differently than me.

TL;DR: It sucks. I hate masks. This whole thing is stupid, but organizations and businesses have different responsibilities and concerns than a healthy family.

Prognightmare said:

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I have friends and neighbors whose mental state is crumbling because government won't let them earn a living. If the government impedes someone from earning a living then they should all be denied pay as well. Then let's see how long this bull**** really lasts.

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that i am 100% in agreement with. the government picking and choosing what's acceptable to be open and what's not acceptable is angering.

i'm sure the financial toll this takes on us won't be known till after we are long dead.

mazzag said:

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She's not a dude.

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Now I know

Ate and shopped in Travis Co today. No Karens. One stop was a patio store on Bee Cave. No way I was going to wear a mask while looking at outdoor displays. No dirty looks from others. I could tell the owner DGAF. Then onto Tri-Supply. Same vibe. Stopped at HEB by ikea felt a few darts while outside looking at plants. Then to Twin Liquors. I know how crazed they are in temple but didn't get that vibe in this one. But I guess that's actually Williamson. Folks are tired. And it's hot and masks suck in this heat.

My sip loving brother is a dem. Took my oldest to the gun show at the expo last weekend. My son needed a break outside from his mask. My sip loving brother remarked "it's better than a ventilator "...my son is 25. My brother is beyond help. FFS.

That's why this is political.

Prog keep my thoughts on here. Period. You know why. If not PM me.

templeton said:

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did you know that Travis County has more people than Bell County?

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My husband gently told me tonight that this was too snarky and rude. I'm so sorry. Thanks for bearing with me.

mazzag said:

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Mclennon County is not in my lane. That's Bo's and his dr wife's lane. And I wonder if the high increase is due to baylol students back in class but that leads to tu students back in class and not the same percentage of positive cases. Unless they just haven't caught up in testing at tu. I honestly don't know. And the standards are so bass akwards. Travis has more deaths out of all surrounding counties. But they wear masks to and from the RR and at the drive thru.

You know why it's political. The fact we don't agree on how it should be handled makes it political. I'm just ready for normal. I'm more concerned about the financial livelihood of friends. And now one that wasn't essential is fighting for her life. Covid knocked out her means to earn a living, falsely, but cancer is real and she cannot physically work. I'm with Prog. Open it up. The fact that TABC is telling bars how to get around the "greater than 51%" alcohol sales rule tell me this is bs. And f Abbott.

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Yes, it's totally due to Baylor. She has more than a few stories about Baylor kids since they've come back lol. The good thing is they aren't getting hospitalized with it.

Bohunk, don't leave us hanging! Story time!

Electrical_Ag said:

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Bohunk, don't leave us hanging! Story time!

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Oh it's typical college kid crap....none of them want to quarantine once they are positive or do anything to stay away from others. Big parties going on everywhere. Everyone in the media and on social media is wigging out about this, but college kids don't give a single eff about this. How you choose to interpret that is up to you.

mazzag said:

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Mclennon County is not in my lane. That's Bo's and his dr wife's lane. And I wonder if the high increase is due to baylol students back in class but that leads to tu students back in class and not the same percentage of positive cases. Unless they just haven't caught up in testing at tu. I honestly don't know. And the standards are so bass akwards. Travis has more deaths out of all surrounding counties. But they wear masks to and from the RR and at the drive thru.

You know why it's political. The fact we don't agree on how it should be handled makes it political. I'm just ready for normal. I'm more concerned about the financial livelihood of friends. And now one that wasn't essential is fighting for her life. Covid knocked out her means to earn a living, falsely, but cancer is real and she cannot physically work. I'm with Prog. Open it up. The fact that TABC is telling bars how to get around the "greater than 51%" alcohol sales rule tell me this is bs. And f Abbott.

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Bravo

BohunkAg said:

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Electrical_Ag said:

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Bohunk, don't leave us hanging! Story time!

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Oh it's typical college kid crap....none of them want to quarantine once they are positive or do anything to stay away from others. Big parties going on everywhere. Everyone in the media and on social media is wigging out about this, but college kids don't give a single eff about this. How you choose to interpret that is up to you.

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We were hoping for juicier details like gonorrhea rampant among the bu campus.

Not that I'd wish that on anyone. I have friends' kids there.

agsalaska said:

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Bump. It sure seems pretty normal around me right now.

My taqueria is open and serving up some good enchiladas

Neither of my liquor stores or my corner store give two ****s about masks.

Baseball and Soccer are rocking and rolling.

Now I just need the VFW to open for happy hour.



Also, for Mazzag, my daughter just started 6th at Lake Belton Middle school. She came home yesterday from school and I asked her what she learned. She said she learned that CNN is fake news.

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i've been trying to find what our positivity rate is as of late, but it's not been easily accessible. i did see we only had 4 positive tests yesterday which is good i'd wager.

i did see that the TDT had a terrible headline the other day Belton ISD reports five COVID-19 infections at two middle schools; 2 new deaths bring toll to 73.

they very easily could have added "Bell County has" in front of the 2 new deaths. whatever editor let that slide needs a butt chewing.

The KDH headline yesterday "KISD has had 51 staff test positive...Since March". Umm ok. And as of today 2 high school students. Out of how many high schools? I hate headlines.

agsalaska said:

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Bump. It sure seems pretty normal around me right now.

My taqueria is open and serving up some good enchiladas

Neither of my liquor stores or my corner store give two ****s about masks.

Baseball and Soccer are rocking and rolling.

Now I just need the VFW to open for happy hour.



Also, for Mazzag, my daughter just started 6th at Lake Belton Middle school. She came home yesterday from school and I asked her what she learned. She said she learned that CNN is fake news.

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It may be normal in your corner of the world, but it is not normal for a lot of other people, in particular, those who own businesses that are not allowed to operate at all, Or at a sustainable level

The damage is about a lot more than just you or me, or your baseball league

agsalaska said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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agsalaska said:

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Bump. It sure seems pretty normal around me right now.

My taqueria is open and serving up some good enchiladas

Neither of my liquor stores or my corner store give two ****s about masks.

Baseball and Soccer are rocking and rolling.

Now I just need the VFW to open for happy hour.



Also, for Mazzag, my daughter just started 6th at Lake Belton Middle school. She came home yesterday from school and I asked her what she learned. She said she learned that CNN is fake news.

---

It may be normal in your corner of the world, but it is not normal for a lot of other people, in particular, those who own businesses that are not allowed to operate at all, Or at a sustainable level

The damage is about a lot more than just you or me, or your baseball league

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NM.

Lighten up Pablo. My post had nothing to do with the damage that has been caused by all of this.

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Whoa

Take it easy

I think it's YOU that needs to lighten up

Thinking about taking my son here on saturday.

Captain Pablo said:

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agsalaska said:

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Captain Pablo said:

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agsalaska said:

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Bump. It sure seems pretty normal around me right now.

My taqueria is open and serving up some good enchiladas

Neither of my liquor stores or my corner store give two ****s about masks.

Baseball and Soccer are rocking and rolling.

Now I just need the VFW to open for happy hour.



Also, for Mazzag, my daughter just started 6th at Lake Belton Middle school. She came home yesterday from school and I asked her what she learned. She said she learned that CNN is fake news.

---

It may be normal in your corner of the world, but it is not normal for a lot of other people, in particular, those who own businesses that are not allowed to operate at all, Or at a sustainable level

The damage is about a lot more than just you or me, or your baseball league

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NM.

Lighten up Pablo. My post had nothing to do with the damage that has been caused by all of this.

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Whoa

Take it easy

I think it's YOU that needs to lighten up

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Hell maybe so

We took out kid to it a couple years ago when they set up at the Mayborn museum. He loved every thing about it.