Coronavirus and wearing masks in stores

[storewanderer]

Don't forget the famous politician who sat on that Wal Mart Board of Directors from 1986-1992. That time period was the epicenter of production switches out of the US and to China for the type of products sold by Wal Mart.

I love this strategy of deflection LOL. Conservatives always use "What about Hillary?" to deflect attention away from their own actions. I guess it works on some people.

A member of the Board of Directors would not be responsible or involved in those issues. They provide overall advice on corporate governance issues, not day-to-day procurement decisions.

Coronavirus and masks in stores has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton lol.

The Board of Directors is there to protect the interests of shareholders. Maximizing profits is in the interest of shareholders. Shifting production to lower cost areas would be in line with maximizing profits. The Board is not responsible for procurement decisions but management is responsible for them and the Board typically has to buy off on management's ideas (by way of approving a budget, or similar).

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bo ... ectors.asp

The reason we have a shortage of, among other things, face masks and medical supplies is because so much production was moved out of the US, specifically in the 80's and 90's. It was noted by another poster here that Wal Mart was a heavy hitter in that strategy. I was simply point out someone who was involved in "corporate governance" at Wal Mart during the time period where so much production moved out of the US. Whether or not this individual agreed with what went on or not, during that time, I do not know. Maybe that was why they resigned from the Board in 1992, who knows, multiple things happened in 1992 that may have influenced the exit. As I said, before follow the money.

This article spells out the scenario that played out. Hopefully the source PBS is not considered too "biased."
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontlin ... china.html

So what started with clothing and other non-essential goods in a drive for "the lowest price" ended with critical goods like medical equipment such as masks sourced overseas and US supply chain torn down to a point that it was inadequate to handle US needs. This is a problem. Thanks the the 1980's and 1990's businesses and politicians. Again follow the money.

Meanwhile in Reno there was a nursing home that was dealing with the mask shortage by instructing employees (nurses, etc.) to wear a mask one day, then store it after their shift ended, then turn the mask inside out and wear it again the second day... yeah... Then on the third day, start over with a fresh mask. That ended in a few people dying there last week and who knows what additional fall out will come as a result. Those deaths may or may not be pegged under the COVID death count but COVID or not, had processes been sanitary, I suspect those deaths would not have happened. How many more deaths like this have happened or will happen, all because we can't manufacture enough critical health care equipment in the US? A real hard line needs to be taken with this.

[klkla]

My point is this has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton, 1980's, 1990's or WalMart.

In the here and now we have a dangerous shortage of protective gear for our healthcare workers and other essential workers like supermarket employees. We are nowhere near the point of being able to test all citizens and get to the business of reopening our economy. The President needs to use the War Powers Act and take care of these problems. He was first advised by epidemologists of the seriousness of this virus in December and didn't take it serious until about three weeks ago. But it's not too late.

In particular I think testing is the most crucial. Because once we can identify those that have the antibodies or are not infected we can get those people back to work.

[storewanderer]

My point is this has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton, 1980's, 1990's or WalMart.

In the here and now we have a dangerous shortage of protective gear for our healthcare workers and other essential workers like supermarket employees. We are nowhere near the point of being able to test all citizens and get to the business of reopening our economy. The President needs to use the War Powers Act and take care of these problems. He was first advised by epidemologists of the seriousness of this virus in December and didn't take it serious until about three weeks ago. But it's not too late.

In particular I think testing is the most crucial. Because once we can identify those that have the antibodies or are not infected we can get those people back to work.

I don't think we produce the test kits here either, aren't those all being imported as well? So masks, we barely produce any here.

I was in a number of stores the past few days and it was real interesting in certain parts of Reno, most people had masks on. Many had the medical grade masks on, which is pretty selfish given that the medical providers in the area have a mask shortage, and the largest hospital group in the region put out a plea yesterday asking for people to donate hand-made masks (what will those even do in a medical setting...? I guess it is better than nothing, or turning a used mask inside out and using the next day...). In certain other parts of town almost nobody had masks on. In the rural areas almost nobody had masks on.

I still think where we sit in this situation has a lot to do with moves in the 80's and 90's to shift production overseas. It has, literally, brought us to our knees here. The US used to be a self sufficient country that could take care of itself, decades ago. As the businesses and politicians gutted the domestic manufacturing in the 80's and 90's that stripped the US of being self sufficient.

Maybe that War Powers Act will still come in to play. 4012 did sign an Executive Order a few weeks back acknowledging the act at least, so it is on the radar. I think various business groups fought the idea of using it, unsurprisingly. Probably the same business groups that are hoping for some relief money. Sigh.

[cjd]

This kind of crap is what's got me so frustrated and on edge about this. How are we ever going to expect to get back to some sense of normal if we can't even get businesses to make supplies we need. We need safety gear, we need testing supplies. Everyone wants to get past this lockdown and out of work crap, I assume. Why can't all the shut down factories get to work and get supplies made to move us toward recovery?? Why are we still doing nothing about the situation?? Is any progress even being made on hospital supplies or are we just sitting and assuming everything will work out when it obviously isn't?! Where's the ingenuity, confidence and drive we had in the past? This didn't happen during WWII. This is just embarrassing.

[TW-Upstate NY]

Is any progress even being made on hospital supplies or are we just sitting and assuming everything will work out when it obviously isn't?! Where's the ingenuity, confidence and drive we had in the past? This didn't happen during WWII. This is just embarrassing.

The answer is (unfortunately) OF COURSE NOT! And until you have the powers that be stop scheming about how they can make a quick buck off of this there won't be any progress. When you have the Gov. of Mass. actually be able to procure a decent amount of masks for health care workers in his state and then the owner of a pro sports team in that state send the team plane to China to pick them up that says a LOT about the lackadasical approach the Federal Government has taken towards this. Don't get me wrong-much thanks to Gov. Baker and Bob Kraft for doing what they did but it should not have had to come to that. Or the same goes true for states essentially shopping for PPE and ventilators the way you and I would approach shopping at a yard or estate sale. You've literally got Govs. begging for equipment and supplies and the answer they get from Washington is we're not your supply clerk? Or (and this is my personal favorite)-you better be nice to me when you ask (or else.) The present administration should be ashamed of themselves but they're not. Historians will judge this period very harshly-(and rightfully so.) To all the nurses, doctors, EMT's, first responders and the like-THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. It's too bad you're not getting the support you need to do your jobs and quite possibly save lives that will ultimately be lost because of absolute benign neglect on the part of the present national administration.

[storewanderer]

Total disaster, cannot get masks and nothing but damage control being done by all parties involved (that is the surface problem).

Local hospital group Renown continues to have a mask shortage (like every other hospital group in the US) and then last week pleas for individuals/public to donate them fabric masks, but wait the fabric stores are all deemed non-essential businesses by the governor of the State of Nevada, and the only place you can buy fabric right now in the entire state of Nevada is Wal Mart. Plus what good do fabric masks do in a medical setting? Oh, follow the money again.

Address the root problem: return production to the US for these and all medical items including medicine and vaccines. Nobody will address that. Not the current administration and not anyone who appears to be running in November. And that is very sad.

[storewanderer]

It appears there are also various instances of mask theft happening.

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/nation/2 ... 896970001/

https://www.kolotv.com/video?vid=569499192

Maybe there need to be some very stiff criminal penalties (more stiff than usual) for theft of a much needed product that is vital to the health of medical providers like this during a pandemic.

[Super S]

Because this thread is drifting a little from the topic, I edited the name of the thread to more accurately reflect what I was intending to discuss.

[storewanderer]

Reno is trying to pass a law that all store employees and all restaurant employees must wear masks (and gloves) within the city. It is unclear if this will actually be passed or not.

But nothing forcing customers to wear masks (supposedly they want to make this rule, but it is outside their powers to do so).

I am a little nervous with the concept of forced mask use resulting in re-use of masks due to supply shortages. If this is the rule they need to mandate a new mask is used or proper sanitation of the masks being re-used (with what rubbing alcohol, the shelves are empty).

[klkla]

But nothing forcing customers to wear masks (supposedly they want to make this rule, but it is outside their powers to do so).

Is that a law that is specific to Reno? I know here in Los Angeles our mayor has ordered that all customers in retail stores must wear masks.