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COVID-19 Alert #7 - Two Things to Watch Out for Now

COVID-19 Alert #7 - Two Things to Watch Out for Now

May 11, 2020 Posted by: Joel Smernoff

Time to Keep Focused

It has now been over four weeks that you have been sheltering in place, and during this time, over 1 Million Americans have tested positive for the virus, and 59,266 of our citizens have died.

And now that the weather is starting to get nice out, and the infection curves are slowing down in most places, people are getting antsy to get out for some sense of normalcy and to get businesses restarted again. 

With this in mind, our biggest concern currently is that folks will start to get complacent about physical distancing and wearing PPE to protect themselves when out and about.  If we are not careful, it wouldn't be that hard to see resurgences in various locales since the virus is still out there and hasn't gone away.  

Virologists are very concerned that if this happens during the fall, the combination of new Covid cases and the seasonal flu hitting at the same time could overwhelm medical resources much more drastically than this spring.  

Our best advice to you is to continue to mask up and protect yourself if you do start to venture forth, and stay away from other people as much as possible, including in stores, at the office, in elevators and on mass transit.  I know this will be a pain in the butt and hard to do, but it really is the best way to stay safe and healthy, especially in the (still) hot zone of NYC. 


The Meat Supply Chain Might Be At Risk

There have been a number of reports over the past few days that the meat processing plants in the US are starting to shut down due to the dramatic spread of the virus amongst processing plant employees.  Some farmers and ranchers are even having to euthanize their flocks and herds now, since there aren't enough plants available to get their animals slaughtered and processed. 

What this means for you is that meat might be in short supply soon, and you should pay close attention to what is available in your grocery store now.  The industry does have some commercially frozen meat stored up to deal with supply shortfalls, but for only a few weeks, especially if demand spikes.  Therefore, if you have the space in your freezers, it isn't a bad idea to put up some extra chicken and ground beef this week or next for future use if the meat supply chain is knocked offline for a while.  

If meat is out in your local supermarket or Costco, check with your nearby craft butcher who might have more robust access to locally raised meat.