Corona virus and fishing pressure.

[cutthroatkid]

Lloyd3, everyone is aware of the financial fallout from this. I see more people denying the severity of the virus than denying the economic fallout. The problem governors are facing is how to open up the economy without causing a massive surge in ill people. Last week we heard of a meatpacking plant where hundreds of workers became infected and the plant had to close down. Work places could easily become hotspots for new infections if things aren't done correctly, and the governors at least know this if some citizens do not. As far as the predictions being wildly inaccurate, I remember the original predictions being for 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the US. Currently the total is about 40,000 deaths and 750,000 tested infections (the number for both is probably actually higher) and the country is still experiencing several thousand new cases a day - 25,000 yesterday alone as an example. This is despite massive efforts for the past several weeks to mitigate the infection. I can see the death toll reaching 100,000 pretty easily if things aren't handled correctly. Were it as easy to reopen businesses as just saying "go back to work" it would have already been done. It's very easy for us to sit back and gripe, but when you're in charge and your decisions affect the lives and deaths of millions of citizens the decisions are not quite so easy. If you have any brilliant insights as to how to proceed without causing a lot of people to get ill (about half the hospitalizations are people under 65) and die I'm sure your governor would like to hear it.

[lloyd3]

Given what we know now, we did the right thing to treat this as seriously as we did. The risks of overwhelming our healthcare system and our hospitals was something we needed to address. The risks now are far-more pervasive, as poverty kills just as surely as this latest strain of influenza. From what I'm reading and hearing about the processes being considered, the likelihood of additional and massive infections seem reasonably low. We have learned alot in the last 90 days about what is and is not likely to occur. Depending on who you use to get your information, your perceptions will clearly vary, but the fear that is being peddled now is more-likely driven by political interests than by scientific ones IMHO.

[creakycane]

On weekends, I've seen a reasonable number of fly anglers in usual pools, one car per turnout typically, as is customary this time of year on larger stocked/wild streams. Mid-week, very light as is typical. A few regulars late in the day looking for risers in the evening on the bright, warm days.
Probably biggest change is the lack of gatherings or bunches of cars at trailheads. Very light traffic in backcountry, from my rambling last weeks. Entrances through state parks are closed, but many areas have adjoining private and national forests, so proper access is limited and somewhat hit and miss unless you are willing to walk and fish somewhat covertly.
Eerie how all the small churches were completely lifeless on Easter and since then. Fresh flowers at graves in a churchyard near the stream said there had been visitors at some point, other than the black bears. Saw an older property owner along one stream, who I chat with on occasion. Lamented all his family has moved away, no local jobs, severe addiction issues, everything falling apart. C-19 has not impacted the area much, it is already very economically about as depressed as it can get. Yet, spring, with its flowers and rich plant growth, is so beautiful. A true lesson in contrasts.

[lloyd3]

creakycane: Sounds an awful lot like where I grew-up in nowhere Pennsylvania. Must be a bit further south with the brighter/warmer days?