March 31, 2020 - Shelby County Today has received multiple calls from viewers asking about the stay at home order and after some thought the simplest answer I could come up with was to act as if you are a "grounded teenager who is scared of getting into more trouble with their parents."
As a teenager in the 80s and 90s, when I was grounded that usually entailed no extras. In other words, if I was allowed to go somewhere, I only went there and then straight back home! Mom was timing me and would know if I stopped somewhere I wasn't supposed to.
The stay at home order is along those lines. If you are an essential worker, go to work and then go home. If you have to get gas, food, or medicine, go and get it and nothing else.
Getting food is probably the most complicated because of all the temptations when going to a 'it has everything' type store. The best way to prepare to get in and out as quick as possible is to have a list when you go inside. Be sure to include possible substitutions for items which are running in short supply. For example, if you have bread on your list, you might list tortillas as a substitution beside it. Being prepared will help you not to wander around the store while you try to think of what you need.
Meal planning for two weeks at a time will also help simplify the list and help you make fewer trips. Maybe even have some substitution meals planned just in case the key item in the recipe isn't available. For a list of recipe substitutions try this website, https://thegardeningcook.com/recipe-substitutes-replacements/.
If people will keep up with a list of needed items during the week or two weeks, then they can plan one trip to get the necessities.
When managing prescriptions and over the counter medications, the same plan ahead approach works. If you have a prescription which is needing to be filled this week and another one that is needing to be filled the following week, try to refill them at the same time to avoid having to go out each week.
We are a get-it-as-you-need-it society. It's time to go old school like our grandparents did and go to town once every other week or once a month if possible. Be patient and be kind. If you go to the store and the parking lot is full, you might consider waiting till tomorrow or trying a different time of the day.
To help separate the crowds, a staggered approach to when everyone goes out might help. Here is an article of a town that did just that - Lake Stevens assigns shopping days by last names to curb the spread of coronavirus. Shopping days were broken up into last names with A-M shopping on even days (2nd, 4th, 6th, etc) and N-Z shopping on odd days (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc). It wasn't overly complicated and maybe it will help.
Common questions SCT has received and answers which were given.
Please note that none of the employees of SCT are experts on the executive orders which have been issued. We do not guarantee our advice to be correct so if you disagree with what we say, please take your own advice over ours. We are just trying to help make sense to the best of our abilities and help those we can. The only absolute advice we can give is stay at home.
Question: My son's job is an essential job and I drive him to and from work. Is it still ok for me to do that?
Answer: Yes, as long as you drive him to work and return home without making unessential stops along the way.
Question: Is it ok to go out on the lake and fish?
Answer: SCT has not received a notice that any lakes are shutdown. Also, in Shelby County's Stay at Home order, section 8 says individuals may leave their residence to obtain necessary services or supplies for themselves and their family or household and fish is listed among the items.
Question: I have a loan payment due; can I go pay it?
Answer: Everyone does have to continue to manage their regular bills. I would call the company and see if payment may be made over the phone or what their procedure is for accepting payments. We all want to be safe during this time and I would make every effort to avoid getting out.
Question: I am running fever and am sick but don't want to lose my job for not going to work?
Answer: Contact your doctor over the phone and have them assess your condition and if they say you need to be tested, they will advise you on the next step. (The individual didn't have a doctor they normally see because they are rarely sick) Then, contact over the phone the call center in Nacogdoches at 936-468-4787, and hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Health care providers are urging patients with fever and respiratory symptoms to call instead of visiting the emergency room or doctor’s offices. Callers who meet testing criteria will be directed to the mobile testing site with an assigned ID number. Testing will be done in the patient’s vehicle by a clinical professional wearing personal protective equipment, according to the Emergency Operations Center. For those needing help outside call center hours or who can’t get through, a 24-hour patient hotline has been set up at 214-964-0319. A screening and informational website is located at catalysthealthnetwork.com/coronavirus.
Question: Should I be wearing gloves and a mask?
Answer: If you have gloves and masks to wear, make sure you research proper procedures because if you wear them incorrectly you may be doing more harm than good. For example, the virus could potentially last longer on the surface of rubber gloves and if you wear them and then touch more surfaces because of a false sense of safety, you aren't helping yourself or others. You are potentially spreading the virus more. Best answer for gloves or no gloves - try to touch as little as possible - imagine the doctor with his hands washed, gloves put on, and hands in the air so as to not touch anything. They use them to stay sanitized and safe for patients and themselves. Then they remove them. They also wash their hands before and after wearing them. Masks matter as well and here is a link to learn more about proper procedures - How to Properly Put on and Take off a Disposable Respirator
