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Long, sobering article, I hope that you think it's worth sharing, written by Tom Thompson of Barbara’s Bazaar.

As a local businessman, father, grandfather and husband I am extremely concerned that 'we' in our little village are not doing enough to maintain the social distancing needed to head off a crisis the likes of which already hit Italy, Spain and now the USA. Why anyone would assume that little Chapala will be exempt from the travesty of Covid-19 I don't know but it seems there are a lot of business people who aren't too worried.

All the countries with the most tragic results of Covid-19 have one thing in common, they waited too long to apply strict social distancing regulations. There are semi-success stories developing in some parts of the world (even the USA) where social distancing was applied earlier and curtailed social spread.

Since we in Jalisco have not had any testing to speak of, we certainly do not know how many asymptomatic cases we have here.

4 days ago the Governor gave a positive report of how the first 5 day 'stay home' effort showed signs of being effective.. He stated that it was applied by approx. 40% of the states residents. He showed how, if it was 80% applied the 'peak' of social spreading could be slowed drastically.

Two nights ago the Federal Sec'y of Health asked that the entire country apply an extreme social distancing policy for one month. He ordered that all "non essential" businesses be closed. All beauty shops, bars, gyms, etc. only essential businesses like grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, etc. (and for some reason he thinks restaurants are able to accommodate people safely). Last night the Chapala mayor also asked everyone to stay home and for non essential businesses to stay closed.

Three days ago on a morning dog walk I witnessed 6 foreigners all gathered around a table in the plaza at one of the outdoor cafes .. really I thought? Those waiters just got exposed to 6 strangers and the diners also to the families of each waiter .. they grab your coffee cup, serve you then you grab the same cup or plate .. doesn't it hit anyone how easy transmission will be if it is found locally?

Yesterday, I ventured out for my weekly grocery shopping, I wanted fish, so I went to San Antonio. What I witnesses there scared the bejesus out of me...a waiter from the popular restaurant (yes they were open!) in that strip walked out of the restaurant with a $500 peso bill in his hand, he went next door to the meat market, used his bare hand to open the door.. (one through which had passed many many people that day) he came out a minute later, using his bare hands again, now with the change in it and promptly went back to the restaurant to give the clients their change.

Not one thought was given by this young man to how much contamination he could be exposing himself to and thus the restaurant clients. At the supermarket the young girl fingered her phone between handling my fruit and veggies.. only the bag boy looked like he knew where he was and what he was doing, gloves and a mask!

In that little complex of shops there is another little eatery alongside the fish market, they had a group of 5 bicyclists from GDL, all sweaty and eating taquitos (finger food by nature) .. imagine what they could have left behind for the next guest or for the employees .. no sanitizer in sight..
In discussing this with my daughter she exhorts that many of these small businesses cannot remain closed.. I tell her, they risk losing a month's income or years of economic ruin, if we in Mexico lose the same percentage of victims to the virus as is expected in the USA. A little pain now, or a big price to pay down the road. It is hard to convince her otherwise and I am sure she speaks for a lot of Mexicans.
I am writing you to ask that each one of you do everything you can individually to respect the "stay home" policy and that you NOT support any business that is violating the public calls to observe this stay home plan for the month of April.. it is being done for our common good.

Also, when the time comes to help some of these businessmen's families, I hope you will all pitch in with donations to food banks that are being formed as I write this. When I am aware of a functioning one in our area, or individual cases I will use this medium to inform you.

First things first .. an 80% compliance could head off a disaster. It is obvious that restaurants who think they are being careful have no idea what that entails.. no reason for Real Estate, Sex Shops, gift shops, hardware stores nor beauty shops to remain open .. sorry but those are not essential.

We, as the adults in the room, have got to show how to survive this pandemic..stay home. When you need to go out, act like you have the virus..

We all love this little town .. PLEASE do all you can to encourage your favorite restaurant and bar to just take a break .. stay home.. It should be apparent to everyone that there is no medical infrastructure here to overload .. we're all off to GDL if we need a respirator ,, good luck there, eh?

An ounce of prevention.. as they told us when we were young ..

Share this, delete it, whatever you feel appropriate, I would never forgive myself if I kept what I saw in the last 3 days to myself as cases start spreading and people we know die .. hopefully, I am wrong and this worldwide pandemic will just skip Ajijic, I hope so..

This translates in English to "Your Safe Distance", cute..but its not just a carton, it's a reality during the Covid-19 pandemia.. PLEASE WEAR A MASK IN ALL PUBLIC PLACES AND MAKE SURE IT COVERS YOUR FACE AND MOUTH!!
Tom Thompson

Please everyone be careful, I want to see all your smiling faces in the future!
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Copyright © 2020 GotStuff, All rights reserved.

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On my trip to PV yesterday to buy food and supplies for my upholstery business (I work from home, communicate with clients by phone or email, if they need to drop off or pick up anything, we're maintaining social distancing, and items are put in plastic bags where they can be left to sit for a few days before handling)., almost everywhere was open for business and very little social distancing was observed. In Mega, 3 produce dept. employees were all standing head-to-head, laughing at something on one of their cell-phones- 2 had no masks or gloves, the other had the mask around her neck. However, my upholstery supply outlet was complying with orders- I had phoned them in the morning, she said they were closed, but if I gave her my order, I could come in through the side door and they'd give me what I needed. She greeted me with a bottle of hand-sanitizer, and I wore mask and gloves the whole time I was in there.

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In many ways, some businesses could continue, depending on the physicality of their business, on a limited basis, even if it was one or two people at a time, 10 feet distancing  and required masks, gloves and hand sanitizing.

Still, with reading so many posts about places Lakeside where people are ignoring the rules of distancing, I can't understand it. IMO, it's either a death wish or some type of "It won't be me" thinking.

 

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Yesterday I had to go into TelCel in Laguna Plaza to pay my monthly package. I arrived impressed to see a masked lady holding a large gel hand sanitizer bottle, she opened the door and asked that we remain outside until instructed to enter. There were 3 of us outside waiting with the appropriate 2 meter distance between us. Finally it was my turn to enter. She gelled my hands and I moved to the area where we pay. At terminal #2 was a customer renewing his plan. At terminal #1 was nobody and the attendant waved me to come up. I said NO, and pointed to the other client and explained that I would be almost rubbing elbows with this other person. This went on for about 15 minutes...the other client remained there, who knows why it was taking him so long!  The lady at the front door has now let 6 more people in and now we had a line. I still refused to move forward. Two other clients expressed their upset, we asked why not open cash #1 and then #4 at the opposite end. They just said no. The line continues to grow.....finally 2 managers come over to me asking what my problem was and that I was causing a problem!! I explain again. They point to my mask and tell me all is fine! I again refuse to move forward. Manager takes my info from a distance and heads up to do the transaction for me. Entire process took 30 minutes  which normally takes me 5 mins. I left the store and told my husband, " I think we are in very big trouble here"

Terrifying......they just don't get it.God help us all.

 

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9 minutes ago, Guiness said:

Terrifying......they just don't get it.God help us all.

Guiness, I think that might be a big part of the problem - an acceptance of fate with the  belief that God's will be done. I am all for faith but temper mine with a shot of common sense, science and hand sanitizer.

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1 minute ago, kam said:

Guiness, I think that might be a big part of the problem - an acceptance of fate with the  belief that God's will be done. I am all for faith but temper mine with a shot of common sense, science an hand sanitizer.

Agree, and this :() Amlo is making it worse by waving his amulets around and kissing a drug Lord's mother!! This is insane!!!

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Soriana at 8AM today, only one person with a mask and gloves on that works in the store.  The person cutting up meat.   Many shoppers in masks, hardly any with masks and gloves.  I had both.

Telmex Ajijic - paid our bill.  The cashier pulled up his mask when I arrived, no gloves.  Remember, I was wearing a mask and gloves.

GDL Farmacia Ajijic - Bought medicine, neither clerk in the pharmacy had on gloves or a mask.

Cristina Farmacia - No one working there in a mask or gloves.

Superlake - cashier in my lane had on a mask, no gloves.  Person bagging groceries, no mask, no gloves.

Walmart - I saw a couple employees with masks, no gloves.  The cashier in my lane had on a mask but no gloves.   Many shoppers in masks, very few with gloves and mask.

FYI - Amutoi is open, Fester store by Walmart and just about every other store that I could see while driving. 

Business as usual around here from what I experienced this morning.  Thunderbolt and lighting, very, very frightening!

 

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I'm not sure how wearing gloves at a store works... if those gloves touch it once, they just pass it off to every other package. No different than bare hands. So are they only good for protecting yourself? And when do you take the gloves off... before you take your mask off? After you take your mask off?

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Not to worry. I just was reading about the fact that Trojan is in the process of manufacturing giant condoms which will cover your entire body. So you simply roll it on before you go out (as opposed to in). When you return home you simply ask your ex wife or girlfriend to remove it. Eh Voila. Probleme resolu. 

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After years of being  at loggerheads with the HACCP police I can assure you that the only gloves that work are “ single use or use and discard “...... otherwise the gloves just keep on giving the bacteria / virus etc to the next thing you touch including your face .In short they are far more dangerous than sanitizing your hands after interaction.

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28 minutes ago, HoneyBee said:

Not to worry. I just was reading about the fact that Trojan is in the process of manufacturing giant condoms which will cover your entire body. So you simply roll it on before you go out (as opposed to in). When you return home you simply ask your ex wife or girlfriend to remove it. Eh Voila. Probleme resolu. 

From Naked Gun movie , with Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley .

C494A621-6F06-460C-A8BF-30E6FDD9865A.jpeg

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18 hours ago, DeborahM said:

Long, sobering article, I hope that you think it's worth sharing, written by Tom Thompson of Barbara’s Bazaar.

As a local businessman, father, grandfather and husband I am extremely concerned that 'we' in our little village are not doing enough to maintain the social distancing needed to head off a crisis the likes of which already hit Italy, Spain and now the USA. Why anyone would assume that little Chapala will be exempt from the travesty of Covid-19 I don't know but it seems there are a lot of business people who aren't too worried.

All the countries with the most tragic results of Covid-19 have one thing in common, they waited too long to apply strict social distancing regulations. There are semi-success stories developing in some parts of the world (even the USA) where social distancing was applied earlier and curtailed social spread.

Since we in Jalisco have not had any testing to speak of, we certainly do not know how many asymptomatic cases we have here.

4 days ago the Governor gave a positive report of how the first 5 day 'stay home' effort showed signs of being effective.. He stated that it was applied by approx. 40% of the states residents. He showed how, if it was 80% applied the 'peak' of social spreading could be slowed drastically.

Two nights ago the Federal Sec'y of Health asked that the entire country apply an extreme social distancing policy for one month. He ordered that all "non essential" businesses be closed. All beauty shops, bars, gyms, etc. only essential businesses like grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, etc. (and for some reason he thinks restaurants are able to accommodate people safely). Last night the Chapala mayor also asked everyone to stay home and for non essential businesses to stay closed.

Three days ago on a morning dog walk I witnessed 6 foreigners all gathered around a table in the plaza at one of the outdoor cafes .. really I thought? Those waiters just got exposed to 6 strangers and the diners also to the families of each waiter .. they grab your coffee cup, serve you then you grab the same cup or plate .. doesn't it hit anyone how easy transmission will be if it is found locally?

Yesterday, I ventured out for my weekly grocery shopping, I wanted fish, so I went to San Antonio. What I witnesses there scared the bejesus out of me...a waiter from the popular restaurant (yes they were open!) in that strip walked out of the restaurant with a $500 peso bill in his hand, he went next door to the meat market, used his bare hand to open the door.. (one through which had passed many many people that day) he came out a minute later, using his bare hands again, now with the change in it and promptly went back to the restaurant to give the clients their change.

Not one thought was given by this young man to how much contamination he could be exposing himself to and thus the restaurant clients. At the supermarket the young girl fingered her phone between handling my fruit and veggies.. only the bag boy looked like he knew where he was and what he was doing, gloves and a mask!

In that little complex of shops there is another little eatery alongside the fish market, they had a group of 5 bicyclists from GDL, all sweaty and eating taquitos (finger food by nature) .. imagine what they could have left behind for the next guest or for the employees .. no sanitizer in sight..
In discussing this with my daughter she exhorts that many of these small businesses cannot remain closed.. I tell her, they risk losing a month's income or years of economic ruin, if we in Mexico lose the same percentage of victims to the virus as is expected in the USA. A little pain now, or a big price to pay down the road. It is hard to convince her otherwise and I am sure she speaks for a lot of Mexicans.
I am writing you to ask that each one of you do everything you can individually to respect the "stay home" policy and that you NOT support any business that is violating the public calls to observe this stay home plan for the month of April.. it is being done for our common good.

Also, when the time comes to help some of these businessmen's families, I hope you will all pitch in with donations to food banks that are being formed as I write this. When I am aware of a functioning one in our area, or individual cases I will use this medium to inform you.

First things first .. an 80% compliance could head off a disaster. It is obvious that restaurants who think they are being careful have no idea what that entails.. no reason for Real Estate, Sex Shops, gift shops, hardware stores nor beauty shops to remain open .. sorry but those are not essential.

We, as the adults in the room, have got to show how to survive this pandemic..stay home. When you need to go out, act like you have the virus..

We all love this little town .. PLEASE do all you can to encourage your favorite restaurant and bar to just take a break .. stay home.. It should be apparent to everyone that there is no medical infrastructure here to overload .. we're all off to GDL if we need a respirator ,, good luck there, eh?

An ounce of prevention.. as they told us when we were young ..

Share this, delete it, whatever you feel appropriate, I would never forgive myself if I kept what I saw in the last 3 days to myself as cases start spreading and people we know die .. hopefully, I am wrong and this worldwide pandemic will just skip Ajijic, I hope so..

This translates in English to "Your Safe Distance", cute..but its not just a carton, it's a reality during the Covid-19 pandemia.. PLEASE WEAR A MASK IN ALL PUBLIC PLACES AND MAKE SURE IT COVERS YOUR FACE AND MOUTH!!
Tom Thompson

Please everyone be careful, I want to see all your smiling faces in the future!
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Copyright © 2020 GotStuff, All rights reserved.

I saw it on Facebook.

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1 hour ago, ibarra said:

Soriana at 8AM today, only one person with a mask and gloves on that works in the store.  The person cutting up meat.   Many shoppers in masks, hardly any with masks and gloves.  I had both.

Telmex Ajijic - paid our bill.  The cashier pulled up his mask when I arrived, no gloves.  Remember, I was wearing a mask and gloves.

GDL Farmacia Ajijic - Bought medicine, neither clerk in the pharmacy had on gloves or a mask.

Cristina Farmacia - No one working there in a mask or gloves.

Superlake - cashier in my lane had on a mask, no gloves.  Person bagging groceries, no mask, no gloves.

Walmart - I saw a couple employees with masks, no gloves.  The cashier in my lane had on a mask but no gloves.   Many shoppers in masks, very few with gloves and mask.

FYI - Amutoi is open, Fester store by Walmart and just about every other store that I could see while driving. 

Business as usual around here from what I experienced this morning.  Thunderbolt and lighting, very, very frightening!

 

Yes it leaves a lot to be desired. But while you are pointing fingers......

Maybe look in the mirror because at the same time you managed to expose yourself in 3 grocery stores, 2 pharmacies, and Telmex.   6 different exposures. Could you have gotten by  with 1 pharmacy and 1 grocery store and pay Telmex on-line? 

Just food for thought, I am not meaning to bash you but point out we all need to change our behavior. 

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2 hours ago, Guiness said:

Yesterday I had to go into TelCel in Laguna Plaza to pay my monthly package. I arrived impressed to see a masked lady holding a large gel hand sanitizer bottle, she opened the door and asked that we remain outside until instructed to enter. There were 3 of us outside waiting with the appropriate 2 meter distance between us. Finally it was my turn to enter. She gelled my hands and I moved to the area where we pay. At terminal #2 was a customer renewing his plan. At terminal #1 was nobody and the attendant waved me to come up. I said NO, and pointed to the other client and explained that I would be almost rubbing elbows with this other person. This went on for about 15 minutes...the other client remained there, who knows why it was taking him so long!  The lady at the front door has now let 6 more people in and now we had a line. I still refused to move forward. Two other clients expressed their upset, we asked why not open cash #1 and then #4 at the opposite end. They just said no. The line continues to grow.....finally 2 managers come over to me asking what my problem was and that I was causing a problem!! I explain again. They point to my mask and tell me all is fine! I again refuse to move forward. Manager takes my info from a distance and heads up to do the transaction for me. Entire process took 30 minutes  which normally takes me 5 mins. I left the store and told my husband, " I think we are in very big trouble here"

Terrifying......they just don't get it.God help us all.

 

And you could of avoided all this by paying your Telcel bill on-line at Mitecel.  

Please don't get me wrong  I am not trying to bash you personally... Just point out we all need to change our behavior.

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31 minutes ago, Mostlylost said:

And you could of avoided all this by paying your Telcel bill on-line at Mitecel.  

Please don't get me wrong  I am not trying to bash you personally... Just point out we all need to change our behavior.

I do not have a mex bank account like so many others here. Please explain how I could do that. I would very much welcome not having to go out anywhere. Maybe add some value with a helpful hint rather than lashing out.

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21 minutes ago, bmh said:

Since a member of my family and friends are dying.. That gives me the rght to berate people who are refusng to see the way thngs are going. Nurses and doctors are dying so people have the right to do what they feel like doing??

We all feel for you, but it does not give you the right to act like every other :() on this board that you disdain. If anger was the arbiter of manners, we all would be dead long ago.

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11 minutes ago, Guiness said:

I do not have a mex bank account like so many others here. Please explain how I could do that. I would very much welcome not having to go out anywhere. Maybe add some value with a helpful hint rather than lashing out.

I wasn't lashing out   sorry if you took it that way.  We all can find a way to stay home more. 

It is very easy..  Go to https://www.mitelcel.com/mitelcel/login     Open an account. If you don't understand Spanish use Chrome as your browser and it will translate. Then you can add time to an Amigo plan  or if you have a normal monthly billing plan pay your factura.   Mitelcel will accept any Visa or Mastercard doesn't matter the country of issue.

  

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