USCIS Office re-openings?

[Steeleballz 7,550]

1 hour ago, KnoxThai said:

 

I bring up the flu and it's consequences to put things into perspective: we deal with this type of disaster (as a society) ever year.

 

 

  You are absolutely wrong. I have never seen hospitals overwhelmed the way we are right now and I've been in health care for 30 years. People that are looking at stats and charts are just not getting it. I don't blame them for that, but you just cannot fully understand the impact of this until you see it. We have not ever had this many severely ill and critical patients at one time. Where I am is not even one of the hardest hit areas, and we are not even close to the peak of this yet. Just like Italy, people are going to start dying because there are no hospital beds available, and there won't be anything we can do for them.

 

  Any medical professional in this country would gladly stay home for 3 weeks and have this thing go away. Anyone who has been in ICU with this illness would probably tell you the same. The stat of 80% of people having mild symptoms is fools gold. It means nothing when you see what the other 20% end up looking like. 

 

  

  

[Lil bear 4,217]

18 minutes ago, Steeleballz said:

 

  You are absolutely wrong. I have never seen hospitals overwhelmed the way we are right now and I've been in health care for 30 years. People that are looking at stats and charts are just not getting it. I don't blame them for that, but you just cannot fully understand the impact of this until you see it. We have not ever had this many severely ill and critical patients at one time. Where I am is not even one of the hardest hit areas, and we are not even close to the peak of this yet. Just like Italy, people are going to start dying because there are no hospital beds available, and there won't be anything we can do for them.

 

  Any medical professional in this country would gladly stay home for 3 weeks and have this thing go away. Anyone who has been in ICU with this illness would probably tell you the same. The stat of 80% of people having mild symptoms is fools gold. It means nothing when you see what the other 20% end up looking like. 

 

  

  

Agree totally. 43 years  in the health profession. And current measures are not about just saving lives of older people .. as might’ve interpreted from Lt Gov (TX) remarks. It’s about doing what is possible to reduce the great risk of the health system overloading and being unable to provide appropriate services to ALL who need it ... those who have heart attacks, strokes , break legs in accidents , are involved in car accidents , are diagnosed with diabetes , hypertension, hepatitis, moms who give birth , baby’s born with congenital defects who need immediate surgery, patients waiting for life saving transplant surgery ...the list goes on. This is what’s at risk .Even if my parents lives at 91 might not be worth paying such a heavy price to protect ... . is the bigger picture worth protecting ? 

Edited March 24, 2020 by Lil bear

[usmsbow 801]

18 hours ago, ourwildjourney said:

So many of us are in the same boat -- needing in person office appointments.  

I know all of our crystal balls are very cloudy right now, but do those of you who watch and know this closely have an opinion on when USCIS offices will open?  (I am especially wondering about ASC and biometrics).

Specifically -- It feels like Monday the 30th could be a day that the Federal Gov't wants to reopen businesses (just basing this on Trump's comments today of the cure not being worse than the problem itself).  And Monday the 30th most certainly will be a day that the Democratic governors of hard hit states like CA, NY, WA want to keep things closed.

If there is a clash between Federal and State, who would control when field offices open?  The States or the Fed?

 

 

I am a fed employee who has been working from home for nearly a week now. My office shifted from 0% telework to about 90% telework. Our building is now closed to the general public too. 

 

I'll tell you right now: there is no way my office is going back to nearly 0% telework in the near future. My office management is planning on this going on for a month or two- minimum. 

 

While I have no connection to USCIS, I can't imagine its offices in hot spots such as NYC, Seattle, LA, and SF will feel comfortable opening to the general public in the near future.

 

Trump can say whatever he wants, but he only has so much power. In my case, it is the local chief federal judge who decides if my building opens to the general public or not (I work in a federal court house). 

 

 

 

[KnoxThai 44]

Some folks have to be in a constant (or frequent) state of heightened sense of urgency (and panic) all (or most) of the time either because that's their DNA makeup or just their profession (maybe both).

 

To say that China was able to handle this situation better than we can seems quite unlikely (and that's what folks are suggesting here).

 

Some folks are panicking because of all of the media coverage and most certainly placing an undue strain on our health care system (when they are in fact not in need of urgent care). Caution and care are good. Fear and panic and not good.

 

I will reiterate the calm rational thought (and keep the politics out of it) is a better course of action than panic and doomsday thoughts. If you have to interject politics into your argument about this situation, you pretty much lose all credibility as having a calm, rational and unbiased opinion on the subject. 

 

I think of Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid and look at the US and say Thailand. Here we are freaking out but most of our basic needs are met on the pyramid and many people have to find something else to worry about. In Thailand they have many more people that do not have their basic needs met as well as we do here and they are panicking much less. In Thailand they have a lower level of health care compared to the states yet they are not freaking out anywhere near as much as US citizens. 66 million people in Thailand so they certainly have the population to panic, but they don't. If you understand Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid you will understand this comparison and how it fits into this whole thing (as well as a culture over there that is not preconditioned to panic and over-react).

 

I applaud all healthcare workers across the country for their efforts, to be certain.  My God bless each and every one of them and give them strength and peace.

Edited March 24, 2020 by KnoxThai

[Lil bear 4,217]

2 minutes ago, usmsbow said:

 

Trump can say whatever he wants, but he only has so much power. In my case, it is the local chief federal judge who decides if my building opens to the general public or not (I work in a federal court house). 

 

 

 

Thankfully 

1 minute ago, KnoxThai said:

Some folks have to be in a constant (or frequent) state of heightened sense of urgency (and panic) all (or most) of the time either because that's their DNA makeup or just their profession (maybe both).

 

To say that China was able to handle this situation better than we can seems quite unlikely (and that's what folks are suggesting here).

 

Some folks are panicking because of all of the media coverage and most certainly placing an undue strain on our health care system (when they are in fact not in need of urgent care). Caution and care are good. Fear and panic and not good.

 

I will reiterate the calm rational thought (and keep the politics out of it) is a better course of action than panic and doomsday thoughts. If you have to interject politics into your argument about this situation, you pretty much lose all credibility as having a calm, rational and unbiased opinion on the subject. 

 

I think of Pavlov's hierarchy of needs pyramid and look at the US and say Thailand. Here we are freaking out but most of our basic needs are met on the pyramid and many people have to find something else to worry about. In Thailand they have many more people that do not have their basic needs met as well as we do here and they are panicking much less. In Thailand they have a lower level of health care compared to the states yet they are not freaking out anywhere near as much as US citizens. 66 million people in Thailand so they certainly have the population to panic, but they don't. If you understand Pavlov's hierarchy of needs pyramid you will understand this comparison and how it fits into this whole thing (as well as a culture over there that is not preconditioned to panic and over-react).

 

I applaud all healthcare workers across the country for their efforts, to be certain.  My God bless each and every one of them and give them strength and peace.

It’s Maslow not Pavlov 

[Hopeful2BinTN 1]

11 hours ago, N400NYC said:

Yes those 15 cases went to zero in no time!!!! 

 

Meanwhile today - back in the real world -  >10,000 new diagnoses were confirmed in the USA - in one day.

 

What an amazing job the psychopath is doing! Things are going so well, he thinks we should even start thinking about relaxing all those annoying social distancing regulations - on the day 10,000 people were diagnosed with COVID19.

 

Thankfully I am now free to VOTE against this catastrophic disaster of a president in November. 

I assume you won't cash the check this "disaster of a President" will be sending? You may not agree with him, but trashing him in a forum for people fighting to be Americans is ridiculous. You should be thankful you are past the place where a comment like that would possibly take away your ability to become a citizen.

[KnoxThai 44]

4 minutes ago, usmsbow said:

 

I am a fed employee who has been working from home for nearly a week now. My office shifted from 0% telework to about 90% telework. Our building is now closed to the general public too. 

 

I'll tell you right now: there is no way my office is going back to nearly 0% telework in the near future. My office management is planning on this going on for a month or two- minimum. 

 

While I have no connection to USCIS, I can't imagine its offices in hot spots such as NYC, Seattle, LA, and SF will feel comfortable opening to the general public in the near future.

 

Trump can say whatever he wants, but he only has so much power. In my case, it is the local chief federal judge who decides if my building opens to the general public or not (I work in a federal court house). 

 

 

 

I too work in a courthouse and as you probably know each district can and does act according to their own best interests.

 

Hot spots where the virus is prevalent will certainly be treated differently (and should be) than low density cities and towns with little or no need to be so energized. This is where local governments should and do step in to address the problem. We don't have a single person with all the answers or to blame for everything.

[KnoxThai 44]

7 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

Thankfully 

It’s Maslow not Pavlov 

Frequently get them reversed. LOL

[stech786 236]

19 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

As an RN on the front lines, and also at ground zero, I disagree.  Not interested in debating Trump's job performance with you.  Thanks.

 

I agree. I have doctors in family. They say worst is coming 😞 not sure how anyone see the president doing excellent at all. Politicians are getting tested without showing any symptoms while real patients with symptoms are not!!  they have limited supplies in hospital so they set high expectation who to allow testing.  

 

 

19 hours ago, WandY said:

The media is hyping the impact of the virus, for obvious reasons. Nothing else they've tried (against Trump) has worked. Our president is doing an excellent job handling the situation. Sounds like you caught a case of TDS.

 

[gregcrs2 1,778]

1 hour ago, lostintnstinTN said:

I assume you won't cash the check this "disaster of a President" will be sending? You may not agree with him, but trashing him in a forum for people fighting to be Americans is ridiculous. You should be thankful you are past the place where a comment like that would possibly take away your ability to become a citizen.

He does not send checks, Congress authorizes it.  

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

20 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

Banks are not federal offices.

Most banks in our area only the drive thru is open.

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

19 hours ago, arken said:

Yep and with the increasing testing capacity, it goes up in an alarming rate for sure, will beat China in number of cases for sure. 
 

I just hope our government doesn’t make the same mistake Italy did.

Many more people were ill in China...mild symptoms, didn't go to the doctor, etc.  It is the same now in the US. As testing becomes more prevalent the numbers will go shooting up but will remain a fraction of the real cases as most people with the virus will never be tested.

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

13 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

Doctors and nurses are essential workers.  Transportation is an essential service.  Neither are subject to stay at home orders.

Amazon warehouse workers are essential)))

[SalishSea 17,834]

3 hours ago, Lil bear said:

Agree totally. 43 years  in the health profession. And current measures are not about just saving lives of older people .. as might’ve interpreted from Lt Gov (TX) remarks. It’s about doing what is possible to reduce the great risk of the health system overloading and being unable to provide appropriate services to ALL who need it ... those who have heart attacks, strokes , break legs in accidents , are involved in car accidents , are diagnosed with diabetes , hypertension, hepatitis, moms who give birth , baby’s born with congenital defects who need immediate surgery, patients waiting for life saving transplant surgery ...the list goes on. This is what’s at risk .Even if my parents lives at 91 might not be worth paying such a heavy price to protect ... . is the bigger picture worth protecting ? 

I'm the rookie here, having been in practice for only 20 years, but I completely agree with you and @Steeleballz.  I am a hematology/oncology RN, and my patients are extremely vulnerable.  I also have a hospice patient and a kidney transplant patient in my home.  Really burns me to see people minimizing the risks of the virus.  

 

I wonder who they think will be there to take care of their parent, child, spouse if doctors and nurses get sick? Telemedicine only goes so far.  Can't treat acute appendicitis from a distance.  Most of what we do is absolutely hands-on.

Edited March 24, 2020 by Jorgedig

[SalishSea 17,834]

25 minutes ago, boris64 said:

Amazon warehouse workers are essential)))

Totally agree!  I am so happy they are prioritizing orders of baby formula and medical supplies at the moment.  My order of cozy socks can wait 😉