Yellow Phase

It's amazing how words we very rarely or never used just a few months ago have been used so much lately that probably most of us are downright weary of them - COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic, non-essential business, social distancing, Zoom, yellow phase, green phase, red phase, flattening the curve, masks, etc. I'm not sure if any other states are using the red, yellow, green descriptions for lifting the restrictions, but that's what our Governor has done here in Pennsylvania. Yesterday he said that 24 out of 67 counties will be moving from red to yellow on May 8. Many thought the number would be higher because more than 24 counties met the requirements. The requirement they talked about the most was that your county had to have an average of less than 50 new cases per 100,000 people for the previous 14 days. The counties in the southwestern portion of our state (Pittsburgh and surrounding counties) did meet those requirements, but they were told them had to stay in red just because too many people live in those areas. Moving to yellow means that more businesses can reopen and provided we keep 6 feet apart and wear masks, we can be in groups of up to 25 people. The county in which Bloomsburg is located and where Paul's family live are still in red because they were way off the mark of less than 50 new cases per 100,000. The library we usually go to is in a different county than where we live, but they also went to yellow. Businesses which are still NOT allowed to open in yellow include hair salons, gyms, and just about everything related to "entertainment" aside from the fact adults can now go golfing. SPORTS of any kind are banned. They specifically mentioned kids are NOT allowed to play baseball even if fewer than 25 people are there. Life is definitely NOT anywhere close to back to normal in yellow. The upsides are #1 I believe the libraries will be reopening at some point during yellow. I'm imagining they might just be offering a sort of curbside service, but that is all we really need. #2 We can get together with friends.

The first five or six weeks of the lockdown, the neighbors were all really strict about not letting kids get within 6 feet or another child from a different family. Lately the kids are playing together more and more albeit always outside (whereas before they frequently would go into each other's houses) and secondly making sure not to touch each other. Since everyone has been very isolated for more than a month, it's been nice to see the kids rollerblading, riding bikes, climbing trees, etc. with other kids in our little development. I called one mom yesterday and suggested a play date or sleepover or something with her two sons and my kids sometime after May 8. I told Nadia that she could plan a couple of sleepovers. I think she's thinking of inviting 3 seventh grade girls over one night and 2-3 sixth grade girls another night. We shall see if their parents are okay with having their girls come to our house or not. Nadia learned yesterday that she won't be traveling to Oklahoma in July for the Bible quizzing nationals. She had memorized all of 1 and 2 Peter and the first 8 chapters of Hebrews. She had been working on chapter 9 this week, but she's taken a couple of days off. Next week she's planning to switch gears to studying and memorizing Matthew as then she'll have 14 months to prepare. There are more verses in Matthew than the other three books put together that she was memorizing the past few months. We had assumed that April and May would be stay-at-home months and most likely June, but I have to admit it's been a bit overwhelming emotionally as things in July have begun to be cancelled as well.

If I was allowed to ask the Governor three questions, here is what I would ask:

1. Will summer camps be allowed to operate this summer? He has allowed child care to reopen so I think it will depend on whether he sees camp as child care or entertainment. Also the 25 person capacity might be problematic for most camps.... I expect in the next week or two that we'll hear from the camps whether they will be open this summer or not.

2. What is necessary for a county to move from yellow to green? He has given ZERO details as to what those requirements will be thus far. Green is when zoos, museums, hair salons, gyms, theaters, amusement parks, etc. can reopen, and at least smaller churches (or maybe all churches?) will be allowed to resume having in-person services. There are NINE counties in our state that have each had between 1-7 positives altogether. I honestly have no idea why those nine counties are under ANY restrictions whatsoever. Three of those counties have only had ONE person test positive. One person in a county having a virus means schools, churches, and businesses need to shut down in that county? It doesn't make sense to me, but I don't live in any of those counties.

3. What is the numerical definition of a mass gathering? He has said that mass gatherings won't be allowed even in the green phase and typically the examples given have been concerts and festivals. My reason for asking is because I am not sure if our church services on Sunday mornings qualify as a mass gathering or not? I hope not. If so, we will probably switch to a smaller church during the green phase if ours is still limited to online services only.

2020 is not a year any of us are going to forget any time soon. Nadia's cousin, Rachel, will be turning 11 on Monday. Last night the girls had a "virtual" sleepover over Zoom that included playing Boggle together, doing a craft, and watching a movie. I thought it was very creative of them! Nadia was happy that I let her stay up until midnight. I'm already accustomed to homeschooling my kids, cutting my own bangs, and giving Paul, Oliver, and Ian haircuts. Thankfully we don't live in New Hampshire. "IF YOU’VE cut your or a family member’s hair because barber shops and salons are closed, congratulations, you’ve committed a criminal offense punishable by up to a year in prison.

In New Hampshire, cutting hair without a state license is a Class A misdemeanor." In 2020 many states are letting inmates out of prisons out of fear that they might come down with the coronavirus, while others are being arrested for things like playing softball with his daughter . Some employees don't want to go back to work because they are paid more on unemployment (with the $600 bonus) than they would get if they went back to work. Paul was supposed to get his teeth cleaned next week, but because his appointment is scheduled two days before we move from red to yellow, he has to wait five more months to get his teeth cleaned. It's a very mixed up world we live in right now! Here's to hoping and praying that we reach the green phase ASAP! I've been working on a grocery order at Walmart since Monday, and today was the first time ever since the middle of March that I was able to add flour or toilet paper to my shopping cart. We shall see if Paul actually comes home with those items tomorrow!