In response to Fiesty76's concern about the Texas Gov starting to reopen parks and retail and remove medical restrictions only 2 weeks after (finally) issuing a "stay in place" order: If you're cranky, how cranky do you think those of us fortunate enough to live in Oregon, where the Gov has been extremely proactive are? Gov Brown shut down restaurants and bars long before most states did anything, issued a "stay home" order shortly thereafter, closed all state parks, banned functions on site (including church services), set all the electronic reader boards along freeways and highways to say "stay home - save lives." The press conference was notable because she shared it with the Portland Mayor and Mult. County Commissioner--but all three stood far apart, took turns moving up to the mic to speak or answer questions. What a powerful message! If our national leaders had been doing that, it would have sent a message to everyone in the US!

Better yet, WA and CA, in spite of the fact that both states had early outbreaks that could have become huge, also have proactive Govs, so managed to contain the outbreaks without needing field hospitals, extra supplies, etc. All three West Coast states have sent ventilators that aren't needed here to NY. We also have medical people who've gone to NY to help where help is really needed. Still, all three west coast govs have agreed that they don't plan to reopen anything any time soon. Gov Brown says when the times comes, she visualizes allowing restaurants to reopen only if tables are separated by polystyrene dividers, people have their temps taken before entering, etc.

While we have a few idiots protesting every day at Noon in our town, they're considered fools by most. Virtually everyone here is being very careful to maintain distancing in stores, some of which only allow a few people inside at any one time. There are no clusters of people. Those of us who live adjacent to the ocean are allowed to walk the beaches (no one in their right mind would lie on a beach in Oregon except on an unusually warm day in August), but we must carry ID to prove we live here. Others are removed by the beach patrols. People walk outside, maintaining a distance, relying on the open air instead of masks for the most part. We're fortunate in that only 8,000 people actually live within our area, even though it ordinarily accommodates an additional 45,000-50,000 visitors most weekends. There is still lingering distrust for the VRD owners from other states who've shown up to use the houses that they usually treat like piggy banks and never use themselves; the police are called...and respond quickly. It's just not right that four cars (presumably at least eight adults, perhaps more if they have children) suddenly appear at a short-term rental property. Nightly rentals were shut down here almost a month ago.

Areas like this rely solely on tourists to support everyone in town, but we've tightened our belts and the town council is wrestling with how to operate without the almost million-dollar monthly income that flows in from TRT (transient rental tax) sources. If we can survive, why can't other areas of the country, especially those not totally reliant on tourism, survive through this crisis without "business as usual"? Shoot, the three most western states all rely heavily on tourism because we live in God's Country, but we've been setting a good example since early in this awful crisis. In our town, retired people living comfortably are contributing $$ and food to help us nourish all the people unemployed due to the total closure of restaurants and motels. It's great to see this hometown generosity!