Wisconsin

[WarriorDad]

Marquette announced online classes the balance of the semester.  Today is the first day students went online for MU.

[MUfan12]

Because firms need time to figure things out

My question was more geared at why announce a soft lockdown starting Tuesday and something more drastic a day later?

[GooooMarquette]

Because firms need time to figure things out, especially when working from home hasn't traditionally been an option.

The fact is you can't have a "total lockdown."  If you are keeping grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. open, you have to provide services to those stores.  Colleges still have some students still living in the residence halls.  They need to be fed and the common spaces need to be cleaned.  They are also providing classes remotely.  The IT support can't always be done remotely however.

Get as many people home as possible while still serving the basic needs of society.

I agree that companies need time to figure things out, but frankly, any CEO who isn't blind as a bat should have seen this coming for at least a week. I doubt one more day will help that blind bat find his sight.

Regarding "total lockdown," I agree. Still, the list from CT is crazy long. You basically need first responders and law enforcement, healthcare workers, grocery stores, and the truckers, food processors and support to keep the grocery shelves stocked. Then add utility workers as needed to keep the basic infrastructure functioning. We should be able to make it 2 weeks without much else.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Separate from the order that will take effect tomorrow?

If so, why not just start the damn thing tomorrow.

His handlers have written that done for him to say yet.

Isnt this how it's done with leaders that you dont like or agree with?

[copious1218]

My question was more geared at why announce a soft lockdown starting Tuesday and something more drastic a day later?

Pretty sure it's the same lockdown. Going into effect at 12:01am Wednesday.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Still, the list from CT is crazy long. You basically need first responders and law enforcement, healthcare workers, grocery stores, and the truckers, food processors and support to keep the grocery shelves stocked. Then add utility workers as needed to keep the basis infrastructure functioning. We should be able to make it 2 weeks without much else.

It actually seems longer than it is in practice.  I think a lot of places are exempt but keeping a skeleton crew for emergencies.  For example my bank called and said they are open but will only allow people in by appointment.  Or auto dealers can only have repair shops open (i.e. essential person's car breaks down, they can get it fixed).

So the list permeates, but the activity level is pretty low here.

[skianth16]

I agree that companies need time to figure things out, but frankly, any CEO who isn't blind as a bat should have seen this coming for at least a week. I doubt one more day will help that blind bat find his sight.

Yeah, can you imagine needing more than 3 or 4 days to figure out how to transition thousands of employees into a work from home scenario? Anyone still working through the details on this must be a total moron.

[GooooMarquette]

Yeah, can you imagine needing more than 3 or 4 days to figure out how to transition thousands of employees into a work from home scenario? Anyone still working through the details on this must be a total moron.

I never said they were a moron if they are still working through the details. In fact, most companies will be working through the details well into any shelter in place order. But one more day of planning won't - or at least shouldn't - make a dramatic difference in terms of preparation, while it could make a dramatic difference in terms of slowing the spread.

If you still don't get it, consider this. The virus spreads exponentially, so in one day the rate or infection will increase dramatically. Do you think CEOs' collective knowledge will increase as dramatically - exponentially - in one day as well?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I think rants are justified in these tough times. I’ve gone off a couple times about the failure of leadership at the top.

Ditto!
But venting on the soapbox is good therapy.

[real chili 83]

Who the hell knows what essential businesses means. Or who would be able to enfore it

NM.

[MUfan12]

Summerfest moved to September.

At this point I'm thinking the first game in the state with spectators might be a college hoops game.

[4everwarriors]

Sew iz Summerfest now gonna bee knowan as Fallfest, hey?

[real chili 83]

Because firms need time to figure things out, especially when working from home hasn't traditionally been an option.

The fact is you can't have a "total lockdown."  If you are keeping grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. open, you have to provide services to those stores.  Colleges still have some students still living in the residence halls.  They need to be fed and the common spaces need to be cleaned.  They are also providing classes remotely.  The IT support can't always be done remotely however.

Get as many people home as possible while still serving the basic needs of society.

This. ^^^^^

[withoutbias]

Is it expected that a list of “essential” businesses and personnel like Connecticut’s will be released with Evers’s announcement tomorrow?

If Wisconsin’s is similar to that list, what happens if your role falls into a category on that list but your business would not be considered an “essential” business.

If I am fortunate enough to work at a company that will continue to pay everyone even during this shut down and part of my work is on salesmen monthly commissions but I can only run some of the reports needed to complete that work on a printer at work, and the salesmen are paid on commissions, am I allowed to go into work on April 1 to get at least the reports run so I can do everything else from home after that? I assume the answer is yes, but also don’t want to get in legal trouble just trying to do my job. There’s really no way I can properly do my job without going into work at least on April 1.

[Hards Alumni]

lockdown means grocery, pharm, and logistics.  EMS, and infrastructure repair only.

This isn't difficult stuff.

Shut down to go food, shut down, all the creature comforts we think are essential.

This is like the bombs falling in London and we are in the tube waiting it out.

We do this for two weeks and we have a shot.

[wadesworld]

lockdown means grocery, pharm, and logistics.  EMS, and infrastructure repair only.

This isn't difficult stuff.

Shut down to go food, shut down, all the creature comforts we think are essential.

This is like the bombs falling in London and we are in the tube waiting it out.

We do this for two weeks and we have a shot.

That’s what I don’t understand though. Do we have a shot if we lock down for 2 weeks? Grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. are still open. What are the chances every single person working in those industries are virus free? I’d put it at 0.00%. Which means they’ll give it to someone they work with or they tend to at work. Which means after 2 weeks we have people with covid 19. And we’re back to spreading it.

But let’s say it works perfectly and after 2 weeks we’ve stopped the spread in America. How long are we stopping international travel? Can American citizens who are outside of the country not come back then?

I just don’t see how this goes away without an antibody that fights it and/or a vaccine that prevents it. That’s many many months away.

The lockdown is solely so hospitals don’t get overcrowded. Locking down for 2 weeks will only delay that. Which is better than just letting it go. But I just don’t think the 2 week lockdown will be as effective as people hope. Especially if it’s just state by state and not an entire nation lockdown.

[cheebs09]

That’s what I don’t understand though. Do we have a shot if we lock down for 2 weeks? Grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. are still open. What are the chances every single person working in those industries are virus free? I’d put it at 0.00%. Which means they’ll give it to someone they work with or they tend to at work. Which means after 2 weeks we have people with covid 19. And we’re back to spreading it.

But let’s say it works perfectly and after 2 weeks we’ve stopped the spread in America. How long are we stopping international travel? Can American citizens who are outside of the country not come back then?

I just don’t see how this goes away without an antibody that fights it and/or a vaccine that prevents it. That’s many many months away.

The lockdown is solely so hospitals don’t get overcrowded. Locking down for 2 weeks will only delay that. Which is better than just letting it go. But I just don’t think the 2 week lockdown will be as effective as people hope. Especially if it’s just state by state and not an entire nation lockdown.

I don’t think the hope is to eradicate it at this point with these measures. The charts shown last week in the WaPo article showed that even cutting down our activity by 80% has a huge positive impact on flattening the curve.

I think we would need to shut down much longer than 2 weeks to stop this. However, the shutting down for 2 weeks at least let’s the hospitals, PPE suppliers, etc. catch up and spread out the spike. Granted, it feels like the federal government is not fully utilizing some of the time we are buying.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

My guess is that it is simply easier for society to accept a two-week "stay at home" order, and then extend it for another week or two after that, versus just saying "hey we are shutting down until May 1."

[Hards Alumni]

That’s what I don’t understand though. Do we have a shot if we lock down for 2 weeks? Grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. are still open. What are the chances every single person working in those industries are virus free? I’d put it at 0.00%. Which means they’ll give it to someone they work with or they tend to at work. Which means after 2 weeks we have people with covid 19. And we’re back to spreading it.

But let’s say it works perfectly and after 2 weeks we’ve stopped the spread in America. How long are we stopping international travel? Can American citizens who are outside of the country not come back then?

I just don’t see how this goes away without an antibody that fights it and/or a vaccine that prevents it. That’s many many months away.

The lockdown is solely so hospitals don’t get overcrowded. Locking down for 2 weeks will only delay that. Which is better than just letting it go. But I just don’t think the 2 week lockdown will be as effective as people hope. Especially if it’s just state by state and not an entire nation lockdown.

Two weeks should allow us to determine who is and is not infected.  Allows our health care system to not be as overwhelmed.  Flattens the curve.  Allows plans to be deployed.

Doesn't eliminate the problem at all.  We are way past that.  We won't see normal again until the end of summer. 

[JWags85]

I never said they were a moron if they are still working through the details. In fact, most companies will be working through the details well into any shelter in place order. But one more day of planning won't - or at least shouldn't - make a dramatic difference in terms of preparation, while it could make a dramatic difference in terms of slowing the spread.

If you still don't get it, consider this. The virus spreads exponentially, so in one day the rate or infection will increase dramatically. Do you think CEOs' collective knowledge will increase as dramatically - exponentially - in one day as well?

No but it allows another day to hear if a stimulus package is coming or not and understand that scenario.  People seem to think businesses can just turn off/on.  There are very real discussions about holding out for another few days/week for news, or laying off large portions of companies.  The "businesses will come back, profits will come back" narrative is great for huge companies with reserves and buffers.  Small/medium sized businesses who didn't have a great start to 2020 are close to toast and just sending people home for a few weeks to start back up again in May isn't realistic.

[Hards Alumni]

No but it allows another day to hear if a stimulus package is coming or not and understand that scenario.  People seem to think businesses can just turn off/on.  There are very real discussions about holding out for another few days/week for news, or laying off large portions of companies.  The "businesses will come back, profits will come back" narrative is great for huge companies with reserves and buffers.  Small/medium sized businesses who didn't have a great start to 2020 are close to toast and just sending people home for a few weeks to start back up again in May isn't realistic.

I mean, you're sort of assuming that small/medium sized businesses aren't going to get some sort of federal bailout here.

[GooooMarquette]

No but it allows another day to hear if a stimulus package is coming or not and understand that scenario.  People seem to think businesses can just turn off/on.  There are very real discussions about holding out for another few days/week for news, or laying off large portions of companies.  The "businesses will come back, profits will come back" narrative is great for huge companies with reserves and buffers.  Small/medium sized businesses who didn't have a great start to 2020 are close to toast and just sending people home for a few weeks to start back up again in May isn't realistic.

I don't think businesses can just turn off and on. I know it's complicated.

But I also KNOW the virus won't just turn off while we wait another day. And since it spreads exponentially, the damage from that growth will outweigh any benefit we get from waiting.

[Lighthouse 84]

Does anyone have any additional information on Village Pointe Commons in Grafton?  It's a senior living facility in which a 91 year old man died last Thursday and 3 others have contracted Covid-19.  The National Guard has been brought in to assist the staff.  With other senior facilities with an outbreak of Covid-19, the cases seem to multiply quickly, but I've not seen any more information on this facility regarding additional cases.  Is it being kept under wraps for some reason?  Have they gotten control of it at this facility and, if so, what did they do to stop the spread?  I've got a mother-in-law down the road in the same type facility in Mequon and the obvious concern is what to do if it hits her place.

[JWags85]

I mean, you're sort of assuming that small/medium sized businesses aren't going to get some sort of federal bailout here.

There's been no clarity or legit hint as to what is coming other than a general bailout.  And is that payroll covered for 2 weeks? 4 weeks?  Still doesn't cover potential outstanding debt service, AP, etc...  The idea that CEO's/business owners should have had this covered and accounted for by a week more by now is ridiculous, especially when not everyone has bountiful resources for contingency plans.   

[Lighthouse 84]

There's been no clarity or legit hint as to what is coming other than a general bailout.  And is that payroll covered for 2 weeks? 4 weeks?  Still doesn't cover potential outstanding debt service, AP, etc...  The idea that CEO's/business owners should have had this covered and accounted for by a week more by now is ridiculous, especially when not everyone has bountiful resources for contingency plans.

The plan that Rubio put forward the other day would be an incredible help for small businesses.  Maintain the payroll for 6-8 weeks and the money becomes a grant rather than a loan (that part not used for payroll would still be a loan). That would keep the employees on board so that when the business opened up again, the employees will still be there.  I represent a number of restaurant franchisees that may end up laying off countless employees.  If money goes directly to the employees after the layoffs occur, rather than the employer maintaining the employees, the employer will lose many of those people as employees.