anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

since March, we have seen my parents twice. dh and ds spent a weekend at a summer house in PA with DHs parents and nephew. that's it for us seeing people socially.

we have had food delivered on instacart. we went to target once in june.

i go to work daily since May, DH works from home.

DH and DS go out for a walk maybe 3 times a week.

we've tried to stay inside and avoid people as much as possible.

all we hear is how we're ruining DS's summer. we're overreacting, the rates are so low it's fine.

every day i see more and more people not wearing masks, not distancing, and hear about the outings/parties/events my coworkers go to.

i am really really tired of the guilt trips and feel like we're the only ones still saying no to everyone.
how do i keep saying no? do i just give in? why is choosing to be cautious seen as such a bad thing?

Message edited 8/27/2020 8:03:45 AM.

Re: anyone still quarantining?

my life hasn't chaned too much since the spring.
we always went the grocercy store, drug store walks & got takeout.

I saw my family once ( indoors, no mask) we have seen my in laws 3 times because they kept askign & we thought it would be rude.

we wen to a few stores because we had to, but no dining out.

I can tell that some of my neighbors still aeren't getting hair cuts or color, but most of the peopel with kids are going to the pool and having famil over.

my aunt is still ordering groceries & only visiting family while wearign a mask.

so ther eare peopel being more strict than I am ,but it does seem that people with kids are lettign them out & about a little bit more.

I have some friends that want to visit, but I am not sure I am comfortable with that yet.



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Message edited 8/26/2020 11:25:36 PM.

Re: anyone still quarantining?

You quarantine when you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick or if you've been to a high risk area. And true quarantine is seeing nobody at all and not leaving your house for 14 days or whatever is deemed necessary by officials.
What you are doing is socially distancing.


But to answer the question I haven't since May. The infection rate has now been below 1% for about 18 straight days according to the state. That's way inside my comfort level.
Other than wearing my mask when out and about, being diligent about hand hygiene, and following any other precautions set forth, I go about as normal as allowed to.
Stay at home orders have been lifted and things are opening up again. Even our very cautious and conservative governor is allowing it now slowly but surely .

Fresh air and walks can be safely done daily even at the height of this and to ve honest probably should be for mental health reasons alone. (Physical benefits of Vitamin D as well). I don't think you need to stay inside that much.

However nobody should be giving you a guilt trip about anything you chose to do. It's none of their business what you do. I wouldn't even entertain it.


What are you doing about school this year? Is your DS going in person at all?

anyone still quarantining?

I am not quarantining but I am trying to be safe (well my version of safe). We see a small group of people. My parents and my sister's family but not extended family yet. We aren't going to large gatherings. I don't take my kids to stores but my husband I will go if needed. My older daughter is limited on who she can see because her friends are crazy and hang out in big groups with no masks, no social distancing and walk the mall and port jefferson. That is too much for me.

My my older daughter did camp this year but it was mask mandatory and she loved it. My younger one was in summer school with no masks for kids and she loved that too. Both are going back in the Fall full time, masks mandatory.

anyone still quarantining?

There's really no reason to quarantine yourself unless you have been exposed oe have the virus. Plus you are going to work. Do you work in isolation without human contact?

Re: anyone still quarantining?

No, not since they lifted stay at home orders months ago. We haven't really seen anyone only because we're new to our area and didn't have a chance to make friends before COVID hit. My parents did visit though last week from NC and stayed about 9 days. That's really it for socializing.

We go out shopping at all stores, even during lockdown I continued to go in person to food shop. We've gone to dr appts as needed throughout all of this, I also had foot surgery in July. We eat out every weekend, indoor or outdoor, and have had nothing but good experiences at restaurants in terms of safety measures.

We still wear masks and social distance as needed but 3 months of quarantine was enough, I can't live my life like that indefinitely. It was a tough few months, there were points where I was getting very depressed and anxious so for me finally being back out in society has made a huge difference in my well being. We live in a small community with very, very low infection rates so I feel ok getting back to life here.

Everyone has to do what's best for them but IMO, a full quarantine just isn't sustainable long term..........at least not for me.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

to answer some questions:

DS will be doing blended classes. I am not happy about it, but distance learning is just not an option after how the spring went.
he will not be going to after school. DH will drop him off and pick him up.

we've discussed the proper precautions to take when in school, and knowing my very cautious and rule-following DS, he will do what he's told. i can't guarantee any of the other kids will but that's beyond my control.

yes, i go to work. i have no choice as i just started and my job requires me to be in the office. my desk is at least 6 feet from anyone else, and anytime someone comes near me, i put on my mask. i wash my hands multiple times a day, use sanitizer when necessary. i wear my mask each and every time i go outside. there are air purifiers in the office to keep the air circulating.

as i do go to work, i am trying to minimize any contact and other activities. we do only the necessities. i do not consider social engagements to be necessities. others do. i do not need to see people for my mental health. it's probably better that i don't. the phone calls, texts, and zoom happy hours are more than enough for me. i still socialize with my friends, just not in person.

everyone treats us like we are crazy because we won't go to a 20 people birthday party where no one is wearing masks. or go to the beach which is overrun with people. or go shopping. i guess i was hoping i wasn't the only one, but it seems i am.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

I haven't been for quite some time.
Everyone needs to do whats best for them and their family. I don't have young kids and I live alone. Things may be different if that wasn't the case.

I wear my mask everywhere. I wash my hands. Keep my distance when needed.
The numbers are very low which makes me more comfortable.

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

We are in an in-between stage. We were very strict until a few weeks ago. At the end of June, we joined a pool club. For the first month, I would not let my son within 6 feet of anyone. We would leave if it got too crowded. Over the last 2-3 weeks, I have started letting him play with two kids there. Both will be in his first grade class in 2 weeks. I would say the same 10 families go to the pool every single day, all day and most of the parents have told me that is the only thing they have done all summer.

We have been going on multiple walks and bike rides every single day since March. We are outside in cold, snow, heat, humidity, drizzle. I live in a town where it is easy to distance yourself if you want to get outside. We might see a few other families walking, but then we just move to the other side of the street.

We go to the grocery store and Target as needed. I try to limit the grocery store to once a week and I go to Target maybe twice a month to pick up specific food items I like there and toiletries. I have not gone to any other stores.

We have gone out to eat once at 4:45 pm. We ate outside and my DS complained that it was too early to eat - lol.

We have all gone to the dentist and for our yearly physicals.

We have seen my family once and my DH's family twice. We do not live close to our families otherwise I would be comfortable seeing them more often. We have not seen any friends in person though since I feel like that is an unnecessary risk.

DS and I will be back at school/work 5 days a week in 2-3 weeks. Our bubble, which has been relatively small, is about to get HUGE. All we can do is encourage mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing. I fear that schools do not have a lot of the details worked out - actually I KNOW some schools don't and that concerns me.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

We are. Granted I’m 35 weeks pregnant. My DH has anxiety and is super cautious. I’m cautious but have done some things like a hair cut and massages. We have only really seen my in laws. My DHs family has gotten together but we won’t go. We’ve been to stores but mainly use Instacart or order things on line. We’ve all gone to the dentist. My DH is still cutting his own hair. I’ve taken my DS to the barber. We finally had a play date for my son with a friend whose family we know has also similarly cautious like us. Yes my DH is going to school full time. He is excited. We feel like all these other things are choices whereas school is something that you have to do. I’m just worried myself because all of this is getting to me snd I know with a new baby it’s just going to continue. My husband is a lot more comfortable with isolating. He just doesn’t feel the need to take risks. We both work from home.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

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Message edited 9/28/2020 5:43:41 AM.

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

We are still being careful.

We wear masks at stores (obviously).
We limit our visits to stores. Whatever I can order online, I do. Groceries are usually delivered except for quick runs to pick something up. I think Home Depot is our most frequently visited store, lol.

DS went to the barber once but other than that, all hair and nails have been done at home.

I have made several trips to the doctors (dentist, pcp, and gyn).

We have not gone OUT to eat but we have picked up pizza and sushi and do drive thru.

We have had bbqs outside with a neighbor.

But I'll be honest...we have let the kids socialize. They ride bikes, go to friends houses, play in the pool, stuff like that. And fortunately, it's all siblings with similar aged kids, so while it might be 8 kids, it's just 3-4 families on or around our street. And those families are also keeping their social life fairly mellow.

So while we aren't isolating, we aren't back to normal. We are on the lower end of socializing.

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

I think everyone needs to do what they feel comfortable with.

We limit our exposure, but there are things we do that others might not and vice versa.

We go grocery shopping. I try to go once a week at max. That & home depot/lowes are pretty much the only stores we go to.

We socialize with family/friends that we feel keep up the same level of social distancing we do. We let DD play with the neighbors. We went away this weekend (just me and DH) and ate IN a restaurant for the first time.

We see my family regularly and have been since Mid-May.

I am still working from home (DH goes to work in a hospital every day) and DD will be remote learning for the 1st quarter at least.

We do go out for walks/bike rides. We went to some farms out east and the aquarium- that one made me uncomfortable, so probably will avoid places like that for a while.

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

I definitely am since cases here are rising b/c of the college students.

I wear a mask whenever I'm in public/around other people and I keep my distance. I don't go to stores just to hang out or waste time. And I don't see my friends in person (a lot of them are already hanging out with a lot of other people).

My son's school is remote until January 18 and they'll reassess at that time.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

my life is the meme
"when you find out your normal daily lifestyle is called quarantine."

i go to work, go home, do most of my shopping online, and i see my son twice a week at work.

since march, i've seen one relative (we had breakfast at a park for my birthday and then we had lunch together for her birthday).

aside from ordering more meals via food delivery apps, nothing much has changed in my day-to-day life.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

Not saying this is the case here, but I have noticed that some of my friends are very quick to judge people who are becoming more social and are quick to judge those not following as strictly as we were in March.

I will not say I am "easing up" on restrictions, because I will continue to wear my mask and follow any and all guidelines and restrictions. But I have been out to eat and did some clothes shopping, and I have expanded who I see to socialize with.

I think people can begin to go out more and do more things while still being safe, especially with the rates as they are. I don't like the assumption some of my friends have that because I go out to east once a week I am being unsafe and putting myself and others at risk.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

I think you should stay in your comfort zone and tune everyone else out. It’s perfectly reasonable to still be cautious. However there has been a lot of evidence lately attesting to the safety of outdoor gatherings, even populated places like the beach (I won’t link, but I am recalling articles in the NYT and the WSJ that I read recently that quoted multiple epidemiologists from Harvard, Hopkins etc). So I feel very comfortable outdoors in light of the new evidence and Low numbers. But I would never force or judge someone who isn’t there yet. We went through hell and we all have some PTSD to some degree.

It’s interesting, bc like PP I get judgement for going outside freely (masked, but I’ll go anywhere) often by people citing science, when I feel like the science is on my side here in terms of outdoor gatherings. It seems like some people truly don’t want to hear good news.

Message edited 8/27/2020 12:46:53 PM.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

As I said a couple days ago when this was posted by someone else, yes still social distancing. I really do not understand why people are not. BUT I'm not sitting in the house all day or seeing nobody, I just try to limit as much as I can. I go to work in an office everyday all throughout. We wear masks all day at work. I try to keep physical distance from co-workers as much as I can, but obviously there are times when I have to be right next to someone, but we do have the masks on. I did Instacart through May, with limited trips to drugstore. But since June I do go out and food shop, but I try to go off times or places that are not crowded. I will do errands I need to do, and have started doing recreational shopping, meaning Ive gone to Bed Bath & Beyond, Bath & Body Works once, which I NOT comfortable at, Old Navy once, Homegoods once but not nearly like I did before...if I don't need something I don't go shopping because I'm bored like I did before, which is better for my wallet. I see immediate family now, in June I finally started going inside my moms house. I see a couple of close friends. Did get my haircut once, and have been to Dr's. In fact I've had a lot of dental work recently, so have had no choice. But I do try to limit as best I can. But working outside the house really makes that impossible. Had a bunch of co-workers who had Covid and two cousins die from it. So I've seen it first hand. I still take off my work clothes and shower when I get home. I'm more cautious than most people I know, but I'm definitely not a hermit. It' s just not business as usual yet for me and I don't perceive that changing for at least a another year or two. But who know, maybe we will be pleasantly surprised. Do you as people love saying, just don't put others in harms way.

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

We are doing only what is legally mandated in terms of wearing masks in stores, etc. but otherwise not quarantining. We did it for 4 months and honestly our mental health was not good. We are done. We cannot live life like this with no end date in sight. Our kids are going to school (hybrid) and taking the bus. I am back in the office. I dined inside for the first time last week. We are doing as much as possible to live our normal lives. We feel the risk is very low right now and are very tired and leery of the mixed messages coming from the media and politicians.

That being said - it's not like I'm throwing big parties in my house or making it a point to go to crowded places I wouldn't normally go to. And, I TOTALLY respect anyone who is doing otherwise and would never judge them or convince them otherwise. My brother, his wife and 2 kids all had the virus in March. They weren't hospitalized and all recovered, but are terrified of getting it again and so we make it a point not to see them.

I am curious what will happen around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays...will families get together? Will people shop? Will we be locked up again? Depressing stuff for sure...

Re: anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

You have to do what you think is right for you and your family. Try not to care about what others think.

We've had to return to work from the beginning (essential workers). But we've only had interactions with family, a few select get togethers (less than 4 adults), a few playdates with friends. We've tried to keep most get togethers outdoors. The kids been much more isolated. They have not gone to camp and only recently (and even then very rarely) go to stores. They have resumed some sports as well.

I consider school a necessity, so that they will be going to full time. The school we are sending them to has implemented a ton of social distancing guidelines. Unfortunately, my district unsurprisingly and disappointingly dropped the ball so private school was our best option.

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

I'm taking the same precautions of have been since before we were even in a pandemic. I wash my hands often, sanitize when we can't and follow the rules given right now. I do pick and choose what I'm comfy with right now and indoor gatherings with friends aren't my thing.

These are the numbers reported yesterday in Suffolk. It's pretty safe right now.

0.6 percent of those tested on Long Island in the last reported 24-hour period tested positive for COVID-19
0.5 percent of those tested in Suffolk County in the last reported 24-hour period tested positive for COVID-19
Tested Positive for COVID-19

44,641 total cases
36 new cases

anyone still quarantining/social distancing?

Our parents we see all the time, both indoors & outdoors, we know they are taking precautions. Extended family & friends, we get together outdoors, but I do let people use my bathroom if we are hanging out in the backyard.
My kids have resumed sports, they ride bikes with friends and have pool playdates (no indoors), we dine out outdoors only, my kids have been in Stop & Shop, Trader Joe's, CVS, & Target. They are going to school full time and my girls will resume dance & gymnastics.
I am definitely middle of the road when it comes to how cautious we are. For what it's worth, I went into my school last week to set up my classroom, and I already have a horrible cold. I have been so healthy the last six months, not really going anywhere.