Winston_the_Great_Dane

Thanks for posting - a very interesting resource.

LouisB

Interesting, being in NYC I’m painfully aware of the hotspot, but large differences in numbers are typically only a few days or weeks away everywhere. Wasn’t long ago NY had less than 10k cases.

so, we all agree the lockdowns, distancing, hygiene etc are super important.

I’ve been avoiding going out at all to protect my family.

now, on a specific point about that. My cars NY state inspection (annual,safety) is due next month and I’m really not keen to take it. I watch the garage over road from me and they don’t really take any measures and customers come and go. Looks like a supermarket with respect to potential spreading.

is there a way to avoid it? Any ideas? Can mobile mechanics come out. Seems like a bit of a counterproductive thing to be doing in the current situation, they should defer them for a while. For a nearly new car, what would 8t find anyway (seems like formality). Any thoughts?

as for surviving and reducing healthcare overload, everyone who can, please stay home! Those that have to go out, we thank you for keeping things going.

LouisB

great link, thanks, can’t help but think this is optimistic, or at least the hidden gem is all measures must remain in place almost indefinitely otherwise it will come right back.
at least until there is a vaccine or widespread immunity testing. On the latter we might need a certificate of immunity before being allowed out, quite possibly, until then the only mitigations are slowing it (flatten curve), avoid healthcare system overload and hope for better procedures and treatments that improve the chances of surviving it. Scary times.

TexanScot

The banner at the top of the DMV's website suggests that licenses, registrations and inspections are extended until further notice:

https://dmv.ny.gov/inspections

They announced a similar program here in Texas, although of course muggins here paid to renew his registration literally the day before the announcement!

LouisB

oh great, let me check that. It wasn’t the case a few days ago, maybe they extended things recently. Makes sense. Not like I’m using the car or going out at the moment.

augigi

Of course it's legal to own a second house, but on "lockdown", it should not be legal to travel from a pandemic epicenter to a second distant location, potentially infecting a whole other area.

I am a critical care NP. The stories from NYC ICUs are utterly realistic and horrific.

The state-wide variations are ridiculous - there needs to be a strong, clear, consistent message.

civilservant

Welcome to Federalism. Ain't gunna to happen.

ss120396

I'm not even sure the federal government has the authority to issue a nationwide "stay at home" order, short of declaring martial law, since that goes well beyond interstate commerce. Trump does however have the ability to restrict travel between states. and could "quarantine" off badly affected areas if he wanted.

Pulaski

Why? Wyoming is not New York City.

When it comes to running a country the size of the US, one size does not fit all.

And how, pray tell, does getting in your car alone, or with your family (those who live in the same home with you), and driving to another home you own (and occupy alone, or with the above-mentioned family members you live with), put anyone at additional risk, assuming you don't stop and interact with anyone along the way?

Most, if not all, of your post ignores the US constitution. Arguments of "national emergency" aside, restricting people's rights to move around, especially between two properties they own, is at best going to be on extremely shaky legal ground, even if the properties are in different states.

TexanScot

I'm occasionally critical of the high levels of car ownership and the low population density here in Texas, but compared to NYC I think both of those metrics are going to help us somewhat when it comes to the impact of coronavirus.

Those subway cars in NYC are a nightmare at the best of time, nevermind with something like this going on.

Pulaski

My thoughts exactly, and another reason I'm glad we left NYC many years ago.

We (my family, and most of our neighbours AFAICT) are pretty much locked down, only going out when necessary, and practicing "social distancing", even though there are barely a couple of dozen cases reported within 20-30 miles of Pulaski manor.

ss120396

Yeah, actually I think you're right. The constitutional rights aren't absolute, libel and "fighting words" are still illegal despite the 1st amendment, and buying recent machine guns along with selling guns to felons are banned despite the 2nd. CDC does have the authority, given to them by Congress, to restrict interstate travel for those suspected of carrying a disease. But applying that to all people in a given state on the grounds of suspecting them of having virus would be sketchy. Though that's less to do with whether they own property in another state and more to do with general constitutional protections on interstate movement.

I guess my point was more that the federal government has really no authority on what goes on inside individual states. They do have the power to regulate things that cross state lines, but as you point out, even there, their power is limited (I probably overestimated it in my last post).

Pulaski

Thank you, yes, I think we're in agreement, and I don't think that the powers of the CDC were intended to allow the CD to lay siege to NYC on suspicion of everyone there having a communicable disease.

AlienUk

That bit is not the issue.
Let's say you catch the virus in NY. A week later, you drive down to Delaware where you have a beach house.
You do not interact with a single person on your trip down.
However, on Wednesday (still not showing any symptoms whatsoever), you need food for the house, so you put on your gloves and mask and go to your local supermarket where despite your best efforts, you pass the virus on to 3 people.
This is what they are trying to avoid.

Giantaxe

I think the scenario that's more of a concern is an asymptomatic patient moving to second home, and then developing serious symptoms once they're in a rural community. The result is an overload on the health care system of an area that likely can't cope with the influx.

Otoh, I don't see how you can legally restrict people from moving to their second home on which they pay property taxes etc on a year-round basis.