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I haven't seen an explanation that satisfies me of what our situation is at the end of March 2020. I may have missed it; it's not possible to read everything and listen to all the reports in the media, which are overwhelmed with stories. Some articles stress parts of the following, and all of the things in this post have been said somewhere by people who know what they're talking about. However, spelling things out this way helps me get perspective. Maybe it will clarify things for others as well. 

If you're a parent and have been on a long trip with your young children, you may relate to this: you've packed the car up, belted the kids in, and left the driveway. Fifteen minutes into the 400-mile leg of a cross-country journey to Disneyland, the 8-year-old in the back seat says, "Are we there yet?" I can't help thinking of this when I watch the Coronavirus Task Force briefings through March 21st (at least to this date. This may continue indefinitely I fear).

Today, March 17, 2020, TV and online news stories overwhelm me by their sheer numbers and range of topics. I do have other stuff to do besides keep a journal, so how can this be summarized? I just can't do it, so here are a few items.

CBS This Morning - March 17, 2020 (8am-8:30 approx)

Expert Recommendations about Social Distancing to Slow Coronavirus Undermined by TV News Footage and Ads
 
Social distancing is our best tactic to slow the rate at which infections occur so that the hospitals and medical professionals are not overwhelmed. We can see what could happen by checking out the experience of China and Italy. Experts say that two weeks from now, without drastic action today, the U.S. could look like Italy today, with critically ill people denied care and people dying at home.

The other day I saw a suggestion about keeping a journal of personal experiences/observations as the Covid-19 pandemic develops and overtake the world. Good idea, I thought, so I'm starting the ProvGardener Covid-19 Journal to document this extraordinary situation from my point of view. Some posts may be about the virus in general, but I want to focus primarily on what's going on in Rhode Island. Additionally, until the federal response rises to the occasion, I'm also following and documenting what is happening (and not happening) at that level.

Most of us never give categories much thought -- the librarians* among us are most likely to think about this, but even many librarians find cataloging boring and tedious. The fact is that everyone automatically categorizes everything every waking moment. Let yourself think about this: you got up this morning and you did different things in the bathroom than in the kitchen. You put clothes on, not the drapes. You looked for forks or spoons in the silverware drawer, not the sock drawer. And so on.