Reflections on Cape Charles and the Eastern Shore
COVID-19 is in our community. Not to scare you, but that is a fact. How do you get COVID-19, and are there ways to protect yourself and your family?
It is mostly gotten by having sustained contact with the virus, and transmitted mainly by touching your face.
In this video, Dr. David Price, who has been on the front lines fighting this disease in New York City, gives you the details of the virus, and how you can protect yourself and your family. That is, how not to get infected:
The Town of Cape Charles has issued warnings for visitors to stay away. It has also implemented the following:
While the Mirror is completely against the current statewide shutdown, considers it way overkill given the data, Town Manager, also Emergency Manager John Hozey, and Mayor Dize did the correct thing by implementing these measures.
As was covered in this article, emergency response is an architecture with a set of protocols. Cape Charles is leveraging that architecture and implementing the prescribed protocol to protect its citizens. There really is no choice here.
Many years ago, when Joe Vacarro was Town Manager, I remember talking to him about emergency response. At the time, the town had none. We also noted that emergency response is fundamentally a local issue. That is, when things get real, Cape Charles is the point of the spear.
One of the first orders of business for Joe was to implement some form of framework based on the National protocols. At the time, we were more focused on natural disasters such as hurricanes. However, we were only a couple of years removed from 9/11, so an event like COVID-19, only due to some form of a terror attack, was also looked at.
Several years later, here we are. No one could have imagined something like this. The question becomes at what point do we decide to ease the protocols, and slowly get back to work?
The people advocating that we keep these shutdowns going for weeks or months longer simply aren’t grappling with or even acknowledging the human cost of the economic collapse that is certain to follow. They seem to be ignoring that aspect of the issue. And we should all be worried about that.
The crazy reaction to COVID-19 is to be expected. It’s hard to prepare for something you’ve never seen before. This is the most complex global crisis in modern history, and there’s simply too much motive for politicians and underlying media/support structures to game the situation. COVID-19 is gaming us.
Have local governments failed in response to the latest pandemic?
The purpose of the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Program is to provide federal grants to States to assist State, local, territorial, and tribal governments in preparing for all hazards. Title VI of the Stafford Act authorizes FEMA to make grants for the purpose of providing a system of emergency preparedness for the protection of life and property in the United States from hazards and to vest responsibility for emergency preparedness jointly in the federal government and the states and their political subdivisions.
So, the money has been available, and localities have been taking it, yet what they have been doing with it is dubious.
In an interview from January 2019, Georgetown Professor Steven Hatfill warned of a new flu pandemic in U.S., and how local governments were not going to be prepared:
ESVA Mask Makers is a group made up of folks that want to make fabric masks to donate to those who may need or want them. The group also helps to coordinate the collection of masks to get them to those who may need them.
Whether it’s one or 50 they will try to get the masks where they are needed most.
The community needs masks, so if you are wanting to sew and donate, contact them on their Facebook page. If you want to help do other stuff or just need a mask and want to stay connected, please join the Facebook group.
Researchers at Cambridge University tested a wide range of household materials for homemade masks. To measure effectiveness, they shot Bacillus atrophaeus bacteria (0.93-1.25 microns) and Bacteriophage MS virus (0.023 microns in size) at different household materials.
They measured what percentage the materials could capture and compared them to the more common surgical mask. Smartfilters.com compiled the graphs below:
The surgical mask performed best, capturing 97% of the 1-micron bacteria. Yet every single material filtered out at least 50% of particles. The top performers were the vacuum cleaner bag (95%), the dish cloth (“tea towel” in the UK! 83%), the cotton blend shirt fabric (74%), and the 100% cotton shirt (69%).
The test above used bacteria that were 1 micron large, yet the coronavirus is just 0.1 microns – ten times smaller. Can homemade masks capture smaller virus particles? To answer this question, the scientists tested 0.02 micron Bacteriophage MS2 particles (5 times smaller than the coronavirus).
The homemade masks captured 7% fewer virus particles than the larger bacteria particles. However, all of the homemade materials managed to capture 50% of virus particles or more (with the exception of the scarf at 49%).
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Town will be holding a special meeting to adopt measures to provide relief to local businesses.
Meeting date is April 8th at 6:30.
The Town is looking to extend the deadline for the business, professional and occupational license (BPOL) tax, which is currently due on April 15. The ordinance under consideration would extend this deadline without penalty or interest.
Taxes will still be due to the Town, but payment could be delayed until such time business revenues come back. Staff recommends September 30 as the new due date.
It will be live-streamed on Facebook and will also be videotaped for posting on the town’s website.
You can submit your comments in writing to clerk@capecharles.org to be read into the record during the meeting.
CBES is partnering with Shore Delivery Corps -as part of the Marketing and Visibility Committee. We are also inviting our members to volunteer and/or donate. You or a loved one may also be able to utilize this service.
Shore Delivery Corps’ Mission: To assist our fellow Eastern Shore citizens who are at the highest risk for serious complications from the COVID-19 pandemic with the intent to keep this population at home and out of public places. We are engaging volunteers who are at the least risk of COVID-19 severe complications to deliver the needed medical supplies and prescriptions as well as perishable and nonperishable groceries to the doorsteps of the COVID-19 high-risk population in as practical a virus-free manner as possible.
DONATIONS: The online system is being developed. Meanwhile, please mail checks to Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation, P. O. Box 205, Onley, Virginia 23418 and in the memo line, identify Shore Delivery Corps.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: 2 Key Areas are Delivery of Food/Meds/Supplies [those who are not a COVID-19 High Risk] &Remote Call Banks [no contact required]. Send your name with email and phone # to info@cbes.org and we will forward.
Shore Delivery Corps webpage is being produced and will be placed on the following websites: www.esunitedway.org and www.esvcf.com[CBES will also keep our members updated on www.cbes.org]
This mission is able to be accomplished as a result of the excellent partnership of Eastern Shore Community Foundation and the United Way of VA’s Eastern Shore.
Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia – Eastern Shore Branch:
The Foodbank in Tasley is distributing food, but asks clients to stay in their vehicles, follow the traffic pattern, and please be patient.
Hours: Tuesday & Thursday from 9 AM – noon and 1 to 3 PM (24530 Coastal Boulevard, Tasley, Virginia 23441).
Additional drive-through food distribution sites:
Northampton High School: Tuesdays from 10 AM – noon (16041 Courthouse Rd., Eastville, Virginia 23347); Eastern Shore Community College: Wednesdays from noon -1 PM (29300 Lankford Hwy, Melfa, Virginia 23410).
A recent online post from the Foodbank: “We are working on alternate distribution models in an effort to keep everyone safe while enforcing social distancing for our staff and those we serve.”
Updates can be found on the local Foodbank’s Facebook page.
Since March 20, the Library has been closed except for the Computer Lab and curb side service for patrons with books on hold. This is still in effect.
The Computer Lab and curb side hours are 10:00 to 2:00.
Staff is alternating days at this time. There are an average of 2 patrons using the computer and 2 patrons picking up books each day.
All of the returned books are being wiped down with disinfectant and allowed to sit 3 days before being shelving, and the Computer Lab and the open restroom are sanitized after being used.
Wi-fi is still available outside of the building at all times.
Governor Northam expanded the scope of his previous COVID-19 orders, extending the stay-at-home rule to June 10, a full 77 days from his initial closing of non-essential businesses.
While emergency response protocols may have required some stay in place orders, is this extension really warranted?
Virginia families and businesses will be the ones to deal with the fallout. COVID-19 is serious, but logical, and we should be focusing on mitigation to limit and flatten the curve.
“Going back to work” doesn’t mean an end to precautions, all social distancing, or strong measures to bolster medical preparedness and protect our vulnerable populations
The argument is that we are decimating our economy and plunging the country into a depression on purpose — something no country has ever done — this will destroy many millions of lives and cause so much suffering that it won’t be worth the cost.
America can chew gum and walk at the same time. That means we can talk about saving lives and livelihoods without sacrificing one for the other.
Why are we adding 70 days? As of this writing, Virginia seems to be coping. With over 100,000 tested, the rate of infection is only around 0.01.
There seems to be no realization for the hardship we are going to have to deal with. What is the economic mitigation plan?
Not only are we shutting down beaches, but gutting the 12th largest economy ($492,000,000,000) in the country.
Virginia businesses are not set up to handle a shutdown of this length. The service industry is being hammered; many businesses with never open, most of these are mom and pops. Those jobs are gone forever.
Canceling the school year also placed an undue burden on working families with school-age children. Assuming they still have jobs, how are two family earners, and single parents suppose to survive this?
How will the state budget look after-sales and other taxes have evaporated?
The courts are also affected, only taking on emergency cases.
Law enforcement is in the cross-hairs. People are going to be released from custody because their right to a speedy trial is being violated.
Finally, our governor was oblivious to the magnitude of what he was ordering. No questions about what this will do to the economy or working families. No questions about how his administration is planning to deal with that fallout.
We have lost sight of a hard fact that even the most extreme measures (shutting down Virginia till June 10) taken cannot completely eradicate the coronavirus or create a situation with zero risks. We have to balance the risks to our health with the risks of an economic meltdown.
You are on your own folks.