Traffic where I live in Boston is near normal, certainly during the day and even at night. Last night two crashes on Beacon Street. One at 10pm, the other 11:30pm. I have no idea where these people are driving to and from. Seriously. One sounded like a drunk driver. The stay-at-home-order and city curfew have been a joke for quite some time. But, recently, it’s been extraordinarily laughable. I’ve called our (U.S.) lockdown, lockdown lite. Well, in many cases it’s faux lockdown.
Same traffic in my neighborhood as well at all hours. Also, my morning commute (including today) lately, the buses are getting more crowded. When getting on, I now have to “look around” for an empty seat. When the shutdown first started, the buses were practically empty. I don’t know if more people are being called back to work or people are finding new employment.
Same with afternoon public transit as well. Crowds are building again, especially the buses.
My son was commenting on the traffic yesterday. He said that it was nearly normal. I’d say watch for a spike in cases within a week or two.
Crowded public transit could become an issue as well. That is all I use other than an occasional taxi.
Did I hear correctly that the stay-at-home order has already been extended and that Gov. Baker will have more to say on Monday?
Sometimes it seems that the more I tune in to the radio or tv news, the less I know what’s going on, if that makes any sense.
Mayor Walsh says the stay at home order will continue for the City of Boston.
Not sure what the Governor will do/say.
I believe a number (maybe around seven) reps in MA are asking Baker to extend until June.
Re traffic in the city, Mac’s cousin said Brookline folks were respectful of the stay at home orders. But that was when I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago. I wonder if it changed. I also wonder how many are just out and about in cars. We noticed some areas even in Sutton have more traffic. But then we were out for a “ride” also.
WBZ radio commented a couple days ago, and this is paraphrased not a direct quote, “If it seems like there is more traffic on the road the last couple weeks, you are right.” .. I drive only one town around 7:45AM and back the other way sometime in the 2PM hour, to and from the job I have to be at as an essential. I have definitely noticed an increase in traffic. And the few times I have had to do late-day errands I have also noticed an increase in and around my area, but I would not say it’s nearly close to the levels of “normal”. Some of this is just due to people who were not going anywhere at all for the first month of this, and have gotten more brave about it. Some of it is a minor increase in things opening. Some of it is people just out for “a ride”, because to them there are no weekdays vs. weekends at this point in time, and part of it is what was already there from the beginning of this.
I would absolutely agree with you that there are various reasons for more traffic. I will see if I can reach my son (not always as simple as one would think 😉 ) who drives in and out of Boston and see what he has noticed.
DEFINITELY more traffic. No doubt about it.
I am sure of that as I see it here too.
There is still the question regarding public transit, especially when I use it first thing in the morning. Has there been a sudden surge in hiring? Are more employees being called back?
I heard that the mayor of Somerville is canceling all activities through December.
I’m afraid that this is going to be a VERY SAD upcoming holiday season unless that miracle vaccine comes into play. 🙁
Major news on the Covid research front. Strong signals of vitamin D deficient people more susceptible to Covid. Including being more extreme cases and possible increase death. They are doing more of this testing this weekend at MGH and a report will be posted Monday. The large amount of people along the Mediterranean diets are considered some of the healthiest in the world but it tends to decrease vitamin D.
Excellent. My son mentioned this yesterday. I get tons of sun but will check my levels. Thank you Matt
Road traffic is near normal here in NJ. If anything maybe a little above normal on beautiful days like today. The one exception is the weekday morning and evening rush hour periods, which while busier than they were a month or two ago, remain lighter than the pre-pandemic era. Still a lot of people teleworking, as you’d expect. But yes, any illusion of “stay at home” is long gone. Our beaches and boardwalks have opened in full here as well, the only restriction being still delivery/curbside only for the restaurants and stores. Looking at a couple boardwalk cams around the region today though, they are *packed*.
Air traffic is up as well. It’s about tripled off of it’s lows, with yesterday’s total traveler number of ~250,000 being a new high since the depths of the crisis, though still only a meager ~10% of normal. I suspect that number will continue to rise pretty quickly as more restrictions are eased.
As you all know, I’m for gradual reopening so long as it follows a science-driven protocol. But, what I’ve been witnessing yesterday and today in the Boston area worries me. I took a long bike ride, with a mask on. Beautiful day for it, by the way. Most bikers did not have masks; about half of the runners had masks; I saw a half-dozen groups of people (I’d say easily 15-25 in some cases) gathering in parks.
It saddens me. Why? Because even if people think they’re invincible – the vast majority of younger people will not get seriously ill or die from Covid-19 – can’t they behave properly to avoid exposing those at risk. Do they even care?
That’s why to me the whole reopen argument is a farce. Many of these people are anti-science and extraordinarily selfish.
I’m okay with patio seating at restaurants when we reopen, but there has to be physical distancing.
If I see more scenes like this, I may have to adjust my thinking on this disease’s pathway.
They are gathering near the governors house today. I’m sorry but these people disgust me. My three year old grand and I just had a lovely nighttime chat. How does a three year old get what these self centered folks do not….discussion from my POV and hers below
My grandkids miss school and their friends. But they are also used to respecting others when it comes to illness. We are in the same house. They had a difficult winter with illness so were careful with me since I tend to get bronchial infections and was battling an autoimmune disease. It didn’t occur to me how much they naturally understand until three and a half year old Rilyn Mac just explained.
She was trying on a child size mask my cousin, Deb, made for her as well as all of my grandkids and my kids and me. Thank you. Deb.
Once the mask was in place she explained that when the corn-a-birus is here we need to wear a mask because it is important not to get people sick. And we don’t want to get sick.
But when the corn-a-birus is gone, then she can hug Minnie Mouse again when they go back to Disney.
I’ll add. My daughters friend took her two kids to a park in framingham yesterday. Two older ladies started yelling at her for having her kids wear masks. They said she was brain washing her kids and followed them continuing to yell. Kids are nervous enough without this. When they finally got away from the women, they went after others.
Insanity.
Thanks for sharing your stories, Vicki.
I don’t understand the mask-shaming. You know the irony of it. Often the people who mask-shame are the ones who say I’ll do whatever the heck I want, nobody can tell me what to do.
Vicki, your daughter’s friend should have called the police and reported that those two women were walking around without their masks, not to mention harassment. It’s now a state law subject to a $300 fine. Sorry she and her kids had to go through that.
She said she wanted to call the police and I said the same as you. But she said her kids were scared at a time when everything is scary for kids. So she had to try to help them understand
Yep. You are right Joshua. And THEY are the ones ironically who are keeping all closed longer.
C-19 for 5-17 is up…
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Traffic where I live in Boston is near normal, certainly during the day and even at night. Last night two crashes on Beacon Street. One at 10pm, the other 11:30pm. I have no idea where these people are driving to and from. Seriously. One sounded like a drunk driver. The stay-at-home-order and city curfew have been a joke for quite some time. But, recently, it’s been extraordinarily laughable. I’ve called our (U.S.) lockdown, lockdown lite. Well, in many cases it’s faux lockdown.
Same traffic in my neighborhood as well at all hours. Also, my morning commute (including today) lately, the buses are getting more crowded. When getting on, I now have to “look around” for an empty seat. When the shutdown first started, the buses were practically empty. I don’t know if more people are being called back to work or people are finding new employment.
Same with afternoon public transit as well. Crowds are building again, especially the buses.
My son was commenting on the traffic yesterday. He said that it was nearly normal. I’d say watch for a spike in cases within a week or two.
Crowded public transit could become an issue as well. That is all I use other than an occasional taxi.
Did I hear correctly that the stay-at-home order has already been extended and that Gov. Baker will have more to say on Monday?
Sometimes it seems that the more I tune in to the radio or tv news, the less I know what’s going on, if that makes any sense.
Mayor Walsh says the stay at home order will continue for the City of Boston.
Not sure what the Governor will do/say.
I believe a number (maybe around seven) reps in MA are asking Baker to extend until June.
https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/05/15/charlie-baker-reopening-plan-criticism
Re traffic in the city, Mac’s cousin said Brookline folks were respectful of the stay at home orders. But that was when I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago. I wonder if it changed. I also wonder how many are just out and about in cars. We noticed some areas even in Sutton have more traffic. But then we were out for a “ride” also.
WBZ radio commented a couple days ago, and this is paraphrased not a direct quote, “If it seems like there is more traffic on the road the last couple weeks, you are right.” .. I drive only one town around 7:45AM and back the other way sometime in the 2PM hour, to and from the job I have to be at as an essential. I have definitely noticed an increase in traffic. And the few times I have had to do late-day errands I have also noticed an increase in and around my area, but I would not say it’s nearly close to the levels of “normal”. Some of this is just due to people who were not going anywhere at all for the first month of this, and have gotten more brave about it. Some of it is a minor increase in things opening. Some of it is people just out for “a ride”, because to them there are no weekdays vs. weekends at this point in time, and part of it is what was already there from the beginning of this.
I would absolutely agree with you that there are various reasons for more traffic. I will see if I can reach my son (not always as simple as one would think 😉 ) who drives in and out of Boston and see what he has noticed.
DEFINITELY more traffic. No doubt about it.
I am sure of that as I see it here too.
There is still the question regarding public transit, especially when I use it first thing in the morning. Has there been a sudden surge in hiring? Are more employees being called back?
I heard that the mayor of Somerville is canceling all activities through December.
I’m afraid that this is going to be a VERY SAD upcoming holiday season unless that miracle vaccine comes into play. 🙁
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/15/nation/somerville-extends-state-emergency-cancels-events-through-december/%3foutputType=amp
Newly Reported
Cases Today
1,512
New Tests
Reported Today
12,410
12.2 % positivity rate. Still too high
Newly Reported
Deaths Today
113
https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-dashboard-may-16-2020/download
Major news on the Covid research front. Strong signals of vitamin D deficient people more susceptible to Covid. Including being more extreme cases and possible increase death. They are doing more of this testing this weekend at MGH and a report will be posted Monday. The large amount of people along the Mediterranean diets are considered some of the healthiest in the world but it tends to decrease vitamin D.
Excellent. My son mentioned this yesterday. I get tons of sun but will check my levels. Thank you Matt
Road traffic is near normal here in NJ. If anything maybe a little above normal on beautiful days like today. The one exception is the weekday morning and evening rush hour periods, which while busier than they were a month or two ago, remain lighter than the pre-pandemic era. Still a lot of people teleworking, as you’d expect. But yes, any illusion of “stay at home” is long gone. Our beaches and boardwalks have opened in full here as well, the only restriction being still delivery/curbside only for the restaurants and stores. Looking at a couple boardwalk cams around the region today though, they are *packed*.
Air traffic is up as well. It’s about tripled off of it’s lows, with yesterday’s total traveler number of ~250,000 being a new high since the depths of the crisis, though still only a meager ~10% of normal. I suspect that number will continue to rise pretty quickly as more restrictions are eased.
https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput
As you all know, I’m for gradual reopening so long as it follows a science-driven protocol. But, what I’ve been witnessing yesterday and today in the Boston area worries me. I took a long bike ride, with a mask on. Beautiful day for it, by the way. Most bikers did not have masks; about half of the runners had masks; I saw a half-dozen groups of people (I’d say easily 15-25 in some cases) gathering in parks.
Then I see this tweet from Ohio: https://twitter.com/McClellandShane/status/1261437529439395840
It saddens me. Why? Because even if people think they’re invincible – the vast majority of younger people will not get seriously ill or die from Covid-19 – can’t they behave properly to avoid exposing those at risk. Do they even care?
That’s why to me the whole reopen argument is a farce. Many of these people are anti-science and extraordinarily selfish.
I’m okay with patio seating at restaurants when we reopen, but there has to be physical distancing.
If I see more scenes like this, I may have to adjust my thinking on this disease’s pathway.
They are gathering near the governors house today. I’m sorry but these people disgust me. My three year old grand and I just had a lovely nighttime chat. How does a three year old get what these self centered folks do not….discussion from my POV and hers below
My grandkids miss school and their friends. But they are also used to respecting others when it comes to illness. We are in the same house. They had a difficult winter with illness so were careful with me since I tend to get bronchial infections and was battling an autoimmune disease. It didn’t occur to me how much they naturally understand until three and a half year old Rilyn Mac just explained.
She was trying on a child size mask my cousin, Deb, made for her as well as all of my grandkids and my kids and me. Thank you. Deb.
Once the mask was in place she explained that when the corn-a-birus is here we need to wear a mask because it is important not to get people sick. And we don’t want to get sick.
But when the corn-a-birus is gone, then she can hug Minnie Mouse again when they go back to Disney.
https://imgur.com/a/K7Wi8op
I’ll add. My daughters friend took her two kids to a park in framingham yesterday. Two older ladies started yelling at her for having her kids wear masks. They said she was brain washing her kids and followed them continuing to yell. Kids are nervous enough without this. When they finally got away from the women, they went after others.
Insanity.
Thanks for sharing your stories, Vicki.
I don’t understand the mask-shaming. You know the irony of it. Often the people who mask-shame are the ones who say I’ll do whatever the heck I want, nobody can tell me what to do.
Vicki, your daughter’s friend should have called the police and reported that those two women were walking around without their masks, not to mention harassment. It’s now a state law subject to a $300 fine. Sorry she and her kids had to go through that.
She said she wanted to call the police and I said the same as you. But she said her kids were scared at a time when everything is scary for kids. So she had to try to help them understand
Yep. You are right Joshua. And THEY are the ones ironically who are keeping all closed longer.
C-19 for 5-17 is up…