CoViD-19 is Airborne | With Slightly More Cases Than San Diego, Melbourne Locks Down | Fighting Off Family Functions

A resting hummingbird at San Diego Zoo Africa Rocks Pollinator Garden (Taken 8.2.2020)

It was a super-chill Sunday around the homestead. In the afternoon, Nova and I went to my mom's to catch up with my cousin who was visiting. As I mentioned, they bought new patio furniture, so we appropriately separated by households/masked on in the backyard, though I constantly have to nag about this. I left Nova to get Darren from home hoping to go for the 6-8pm window at the Zoo, but by the time I got him and we gassed up, we arrived at 6:47, only to find that they changed August hours, so weekends now close at 7pm. They let us in, so we raced to the Amur leopard cubs, caught a little bit of Agapito, the Andean bear cub, but were then ushered out as security made the rounds and were back in the car by 7:30pm. 

We returned to my mom's but by this point everyone was inside, so we didn't stay long. 

Before we left, my cousin told me her brother is coming to visit this week from Indiana and so they'll be down on Sunday with his daughter and her boyfriend. And now, to be honest, I'm furious. 

I have SENIOR CITIZEN parents, my dad is SEVERELY immunocompromised and as it is takes about 30 pills a day for his medical issues and has almost died in the hospital twice in the last 5 years. My cousin will be FLYING from Indiana to stay in LOS ANGELES and then come down to visit DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. 

As I've said, my parents' yard is big enough that we can certainly distance and wear masks, but will they? Do I trust they know the State and County Health Orders and will follow? Or do I prepare to make a giant scene and revert right back to Bossy Rosey? Or do I Facebook message them before they fly out, "Hey! Super stoked to see you next week! Don't forget you are required to wear masks here, you need to stay away from my dad, and if any of us get sick, I will never forgive you. K, Byeeeee!!" 

This is obviously why so many residential outbreaks happen, because people slip, they take off masks for eating and drinking, get too close, and before you know it, an entire family is sick with the most vulnerable not making it while everyone else wonders who was asymptomatic. I'm gonna have to stew on this one all week. 

Usual stats and reading after the jump.

• The Coronavirus Is Airborne. Keep Saying It. It’s a jarring message, and the right one. - Slate (7.31.2020)
• What has changed in Melbourne as Stage 4 coronavirus restrictions take hold? -SBS news (8.2.2020)
• A summary of the Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne until 13 September: 
• From 6pm tonight shopping is one person per household, within 5km of home
• Daily exercise is 1 hour, max 2 people, within 5km of home
• Curfew 8pm to 5am unless you're at work, giving or getting care
• COVID-19 STATS
• CALIFORNIA
• 9,032 New Cases/509,162 Total Cases (Up 1.8%)
• 132 New Deaths/9,356 Deaths (Up 1.4%)
• 7.1% 14-day positivity rate
• SAN DIEGO
• 306 New Casse/5,655 New Tests/29,883 Total Cases 
• 0 New Deaths/565 Total Deaths (Usually no weekend reporting)
• 6.1% 7-Day Positivity Rate
• 0 New/37 7-Day Community Outbreaks
• 41% Case Investigation (This is moving up from a low of 7% on 7/18)
• 120.4/100k 14-day case rate (Moving Down fro last week, but must be under 100 for 14 days to get off State Monitoring list)