Omicron explosion spurs nationwide breakdown of services

[Sniper 6,371]

You could be on your own, plan and prepare accordingly. I put this here as a Public Service Announcement. Just be aware, you might not be able to access the services you need in a timely manner.

......"The current explosion of omicron-fueled coronavirus infections in the U.S. is causing a breakdown in basic functions and services — the latest illustration of how COVID-19 keeps upending life more than two years into the pandemic.

First responders, hospitals, schools and government agencies have employed an all-hands-on-deck approach to keep the public safe, but they are worried how much longer they can keep it up.

In New York City, officials have had to delay or scale back trash and subway services because of a virus-fueled staffing hemorrhage. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said about one-fifth of subway operators and conductors — 1,300 people — have been absent in recent days. Almost one-fourth of the city sanitation department’s workers were out sick Thursday, Sanitation Commissioner Edward Grayson said.

The city’s fire department also has adjusted for higher absences. Officials said Thursday that 28% of EMS workers were out sick, compared with about 8% to 10% on a normal day. Twice as many firefighters as usual were also absent.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-education-pandemics-76830eee3a8c2a5688df4fc77488195a

[brucin 828]

I work for my local DPW. I've been out with the Rona for 10 days. Our staff is down 40% currently. I'm off quarantine tomorrow. Luckily no major storms or service breakdowns in the last 10 days.

Lets hope our luck holds out but hope is not a strategy.

[Xtors 265]

7 hours ago, brucin said:

I work for my local DPW. I've been out with the Rona for 10 days. Our staff is down 40% currently. I'm off quarantine tomorrow. Luckily no major storms or service breakdowns in the last 10 days.

Lets hope our luck holds out but hope is not a strategy.

How are you feeling? Guess not too bad if you are posting here!

[Sniper 6,371]

7 hours ago, brucin said:

I work for my local DPW. I've been out with the Rona for 10 days. Our staff is down 40% currently. I'm off quarantine tomorrow. Luckily no major storms or service breakdowns in the last 10 days.

Lets hope our luck holds out but hope is not a strategy.

This is a biggie to think about. It also hold true for ALL municipal services. What happens if the water treatment staff is short handed, can't keep the pumps running or they don't have the treatment chemicals? How about the sewer authority, do they have enough staff to keep the crap flowing downhill? Power company, enough staff to keep the lights on, and let's hope we don't get an ice storm.

You need to be prepared for any disruption in services.  Add in Fire, rescue squad or police. Are YOU prepared?

Also, this isn't just because of people being actually sick. It's also the quarantine policies that are keeping the healthy people out of work for 7 - 14 days after exposure.

[Sniper 6,371]

Another point of reference, make sure you stay stocked up with your basic necessities and groceries, and don't let supplies run down. Wifey came back from the grocery store and said items that were always available , were really light or empty. Seems the grocery stores are also having staffing/delivery issues, so stuff isn't making it back on the shelf.

This is predicted to go on for another week or two, until Omicron dies down. But it will take the supply chains even more time to catch back up.

[leahcim 671]

We did just have a couple "major snow storms" and probably a "bomb cyclone" as well... At least we were supposed to.  These events, or predictions of such events, usually result in a draw down of groceries and other "necessities." Maybe compounded with COVID fears.  I have found it difficult to find organic frozen corn though.

[Sota 1,182]

need to pick up a couple things tomorrow anyways.  think I'll put in another curbside pickup at BJs 

[Sniper 6,371]

49 minutes ago, leahcim said:

I have found it difficult to find organic frozen corn though.

Wait... what??  Oh. No..


 

[brucin 828]

6 hours ago, Xtors said:

How are you feeling? Guess not too bad if you are posting here!

 

Thanks for asking.

I actually didn't get very ill at all. I thought I had a head cold but when Cin tested positive the Dr figured I had it too and put us both on quarantine. He gave us 10 days because we are not vaxed.

Cin was sicker then myself and still has a cough but she feels much better than she did.

My Dr said his office is calling it the Covid cold because symptoms are mild and resemble the common cold. He said his office has dozens of cases. It's obviously highly contagious.

[10X 3,050]

1 hour ago, brucin said:

 

Thanks for asking.

I actually didn't get very ill at all.

I'm very glad to hear that!  Glad your wife is mostly recovered as well.

 

[Sniper 6,371]

1 hour ago, brucin said:

My Dr said his office is calling it the Covid cold because symptoms are mild and resemble the common cold.

Many common colds are caused by the Coronavirus (about 20%), and others caused by the Rhinovirus.... so there's that...

Anyone ever remember being quarantined in past years for multiple weeks because of the common cold?

I didn't think so...

[father-of-three 217]

The hospital I work at is trying to work around the no-longer standard 10 days off after a positive corona virus test, due to the high number of employees out.  It is now 5 days if they are not symptomatic.

[1LtCAP 3,970]

3 hours ago, Sniper said:

Another point of reference, make sure you stay stocked up with your basic necessities and groceries, and don't let supplies run down. Wifey came back from the grocery store and said items that were always available , were really light or empty. Seems the grocery stores are also having staffing/delivery issues, so stuff isn't making it back on the shelf.

This is predicted to go on for another week or two, until Omicron dies down. But it will take the supply chains even more time to catch back up.

took mom shopping last night. milk, canned food and frozen foods were all low.

[leahcim 671]

40 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Many common colds are caused by the Coronavirus (about 20%), and others caused by the Rhinovirus.... so there's that...

Anyone ever remember being quarantined in past years for multiple weeks because of the common cold?

I didn't think so...

Anyone ever remember being tested for a common cold in.... Ever?

[brucin 828]

1 hour ago, 10X said:

I'm very glad to hear that!  Glad your wife is mostly recovered as well.

 

Thanks appreciate the kind thoughts.

[Xtors 265]

4 hours ago, brucin said:

 

Thanks for asking.

I actually didn't get very ill at all. I thought I had a head cold but when Cin tested positive the Dr figured I had it too and put us both on quarantine. He gave us 10 days because we are not vaxed.

Cin was sicker then myself and still has a cough but she feels much better than she did.

My Dr said his office is calling it the Covid cold because symptoms are mild and resemble the common cold. He said his office has dozens of cases. It's obviously highly contagious.

Great to hear. If you don't mind me asking, what were your symptoms? Last Sunday I woke up at 2am with an insane headache, sore throat and nausea. Figured I picked up the Omi. No tests around though. Will do an antibody test in a couple weeks. As part of my plan I did a bunch of nasal irrigation and gargling and that helped nips things in the bug right quick, especially the headache, which two Aleve didn't budge. Never had a fever or dropped my SpO2. Feeling basically back to normal since Friday.

[brucin 828]

55 minutes ago, Xtors said:

Great to hear. If you don't mind me asking, what were your symptoms? Last Sunday I woke up at 2am with an insane headache, sore throat and nausea. Figured I picked up the Omi. No tests around though. Will do an antibody test in a couple weeks. As part of my plan I did a bunch of nasal irrigation and gargling and that helped nips things in the bug right quick, especially the headache, which two Aleve didn't budge. Never had a fever or dropped my SpO2. Feeling basically back to normal since Friday.

Very similar to Cindy's symptoms except instead of nausea she had body aches. She said it felt like her skin hurt.

I just had sinus congestion and a mild sore throat.

[Sniper 6,371]

On 1/9/2022 at 2:54 PM, Sniper said:

Another point of reference, make sure you stay stocked up with your basic necessities and groceries, and don't let supplies run down. Wifey came back from the grocery store and said items that were always available , were really light or empty. Seems the grocery stores are also having staffing/delivery issues, so stuff isn't making it back on the shelf.

Well, this isn't heading in the right direction:

...."Before Christmas eve, President Biden declared his administration's efforts to eliminate supply-chain bottlenecks ahead of the holiday season had succeeded. Ten days into the new year, we can firmly say that is not the case. 

The hashtag "BareShelvesBiden" has been trending on Twitter for the last 24 hours. The hashtag ranked on Twitter's most trending list as of late Sunday evening.

People from around the country tweeted pictures and videos of bare supermarket shelves as Biden's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force fails to address pandemic-induced disruptions. 

Southern, PA

Target. Southern California.

Oakton, Virginia

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bare-shelvesbiden-trends-alarming-number-people-report-empty-shelves

[Bomber 1,008]

On 1/9/2022 at 10:37 AM, Sniper said:

Also, this isn't just because of people being actually sick. It's also the quarantine policies that are keeping the healthy people out of work for 7 - 14 days after exposure.

Yep. They could have ended this a year ago: Stop with the testing! 

If feeling too ill to work, stay home, otherwise leave people the F alone.

Needless to say they don't want this to end.

[gleninjersey 2,037]

Just got back from quick Costco run.  I'm not going to lie.  They were COMPLETLY OUT of the artichoke & parmesan cheese dip!!  Things are getting bad out there!

But seriously, if you aren't stocked up on what you need all it could take is one or two bad storms, another ship getting stuck in the Panama Canal, etc for things to go from a minor inconvenience to pretty bad.

 

[Sniper 6,371]

Now, port congestion hits the NY ports. It's not only happening on the West coast ports. This will delay products coming through East coast ports.

...."New data from Bloomberg shows a rare bottleneck has materialized at the New York area's port terminals, the busiest on the East Coast, due to labor shortage fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We have seen a spike in the number of labor going out into quarantine," Port Authority Director Sam Ruda said.

The developing backlog is a labor issue as port workers stay home due to the rapid spread of the Omicron virus. 

Meanwhile, at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, on the West Coast, responsible for 40% of all shipping containers entering the U.S., congestion is at a record high of three weeks. 

President Biden's plan to alleviate port congestion is not working. Vessels are avoiding the mess on the West Coast and are opting for other less crowded ports. The shipping crisis continues to spread.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/new-york-port-hit-rare-vessel-congestion-amid-covid-induced-labor-shortage

[1LtCAP 3,970]

9 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Now, port congestion hits the NY ports. It's not only happening on the West coast ports. This will delay products coming through East coast ports.

...."New data from Bloomberg shows a rare bottleneck has materialized at the New York area's port terminals, the busiest on the East Coast, due to labor shortage fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We have seen a spike in the number of labor going out into quarantine," Port Authority Director Sam Ruda said.

The developing backlog is a labor issue as port workers stay home due to the rapid spread of the Omicron virus. 

Meanwhile, at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, on the West Coast, responsible for 40% of all shipping containers entering the U.S., congestion is at a record high of three weeks. 

President Biden's plan to alleviate port congestion is not working. Vessels are avoiding the mess on the West Coast and are opting for other less crowded ports. The shipping crisis continues to spread.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/new-york-port-hit-rare-vessel-congestion-amid-covid-induced-labor-shortage

the labor shortage is NOT being caused by covid19. we need to collectively stop letting them get away with this lie.

[father-of-three 217]

4 hours ago, Sniper said:

Well, this isn't heading in the right direction:

...."Before Christmas eve, President Biden declared his administration's efforts to eliminate supply-chain bottlenecks ahead of the holiday season had succeeded. Ten days into the new year, we can firmly say that is not the case. 

The hashtag "BareShelvesBiden" has been trending on Twitter for the last 24 hours. The hashtag ranked on Twitter's most trending list as of late Sunday evening.

People from around the country tweeted pictures and videos of bare supermarket shelves as Biden's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force fails to address pandemic-induced disruptions. 

Southern, PA

Target. Southern California.

Oakton, Virginia

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bare-shelvesbiden-trends-alarming-number-people-report-empty-shelves

There was that recent bagged salad recall, but I have also seen intermittent gaps in some foods for several weeks now.  The setback with Aldi is that when they don't have one of their two food options,, their shelves look really bare.  One of the local milk,/dairy suppliers at my local Shop Rite had a notice on the cooler about having less size variety on milk due to staffing issues.

 

I have been buying extra non-perishables to prep for a potential shortage.

[leahcim 671]

On 1/9/2022 at 4:04 PM, Sniper said:

Wait... what??  Oh. No..


 

I made my weekly trip to Stop and Shop yesterday. Early morning to avoid crowds (I know I'm getting Omicron at some point, but I think it's wise to try and minimize the initial inoculation to give the immune system more time to mount a defense). The only thing I noticed missing was almost all the bagged lettuce, but that is related to a contamination issue.  Also, no organic carrots, and no organic golden potatoes. Other than that, shelves seemed well stocked.  Plenty of organic frozen sweet corn! But Also completely out of vegan eggs (that just don't sound right), my oh my.

Nothing like those pictures from zero hedge, unless you were looking for vegan eggs.

[Sniper 6,371]

1 hour ago, leahcim said:

Nothing like those pictures from zero hedge, unless you were looking for vegan eggs.

Consider yourself lucky. Apparent the old people don't want to venture out of Crestwood Village:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Empty shelves and thinning groceries and drug supplies are reminiscent of March 2020, Washington, D.C., shoppers told Fox News Digital. 

"It's like a Soviet store during 1981. It's horrible," one man said.

"Honestly, it looks like March of 2020, when everybody was stockpiling and the shelves were bare," another man, Dominic, told Fox News Digital. 

"It's just a domino effect. I mean, just complete total domino effect," Dominic said. "It's kind of scary."

Larry, another D.C. shopper, told Fox News: "Whatever it is, I know they need to hurry up and get this straightened out because people will be starving. It's going to get rough if it keeps on continuing like that." 

Multiple shoppers rattled off a litany of groceries they couldn't find, ranging from milk to beverages to produce.

"Everything, meat, egg, dairy, certain breads were out, most vegetables, it was all fresh items," one man said as he left a Giant grocery store.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/shoppers-astounded-empty-shelves

[Sniper 6,371]

This is showing up in more and more mainstream sources, and the prediction is, we don't hit Peak Omicron for another few weeks.

....."Empty shelves have returned at supermarkets as grocery employees call out sick and truckloads of food arrive late.

Shares of major grocers including Albertsons, Kroger and Walmart fell Tuesday. Albertsons shares fell 9.75% to $28.79 at market close, after the company detailed the supply chain challenges and inflated costs it’s seeing on its earnings call.

Grocery store workers are feeling the effects of omicron, too. Samantha Webster helps replenish coolers with butter, gallons of milk and more as dairy manager of a Safeway store in the San Francisco Bay Area. Safeway is owned by Albertsons.

Since early December, she said more and more employees have had to take off from work because of getting Covid or having close contact with someone who is sick. She said 15 employees are currently out of the store’s nearly 60-person staff.

Fewer pallets are arriving from Safeway’s warehouses and there are not enough grocery workers to help unload them, she said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/11/empty-grocery-shelves-return-as-sick-employees-supply-chain-delays-collide.html

[leahcim 671]

1 hour ago, Sniper said:

Consider yourself lucky. Apparent the old people don't want to venture out of Crestwood Village:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/shoppers-astounded-empty-shelves

Perhaps, but I've seen the same stores after weather forecasts of big snowstorms, and they can be slim pickens. Maybe they're more afraid of the COVID.

[Sniper 6,371]

15 minutes ago, leahcim said:

Maybe they're more afraid of the COVID.

That's what I'm thinking.

I was in Walmart by me today, checking out the landscape. Majority of people back in masks again.

[leahcim 671]

I see about 50/50. Maybe less.

[1LtCAP 3,970]

46 minutes ago, Sniper said:

That's what I'm thinking.

I was in Walmart by me today, checking out the landscape. Majority of people back in masks again.

i noticed that last weekend at the somerdale walmart.