[glennaro]

Never did I think I would see this in America. People wrapped in masks shuffling quietly and nervously in place in a long line just to go into a store to buy a few things that their government says they're "allowed" to buy. A scene right out of a B-movie filmed in some Asian hell-hole like Wuhan or Suk-Muk-Dik, but instead it is becoming typical of conditions in Anytown, USA

So although the severe restrictions to our liberty serve a short-term -- and acknowledged necessary and important purpose to spread out the rate of infection so as not to overload our medical facilities, setting aside for a moment the devestating effects these restrictions are having on our economy and on society the price we'll pay -- which has been given little attention until the past day or two -- is that these draconian measures will have little effect on the total number of infections.

Medical professionals are now saying that this Chinese virus will run its course no matter what we do to "flatten the curve" which means, in basic mathematical terms, that while the rate of infection has slowed (a very good thing) the area under the "infection curve" is not expected to change; it will just spread out over a significantly longer time (a very bad thing).

[CondorFlight]

Markets in my region are back to fairly normal crowds;
but the shelves lack many items, and for some, quantities that you can purchase are limited.

Water and pizza are available (but not much by way of paper goods, except for the more expensive brands of tissue paper.)