Man in his 50s has self-quarantined.
Author: hankkalet
Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie.
Donald Trump’s Racist Rsponse
Donald Trump insists on calling the Novel Coronavirus the “Chinese Virus,” and his supporters are all on board with a naming designed to deflect blame and inflame anti-Asian anger.
Trump has been using the phrase in his tweets for at least a week, after calling it a “foreign virus” in his national address last week — a tactic he’s been using to rally his base no matter the larger issue since he announced his candidacy five years ago.
The president’s overt xenophobia and racism is the context here, over-riding all other claims he and his supporters have made about naming the virus — especially the canard that this is about where this virus originated.
South Brunswick’s Healthcare Businesses at Virus’ Mercy
Local restaurants and retail establishments are not the only businesses in South Brunswick feeling the sting of the COVID-19 outbreak. Healthcare businesses like chiropractors, dentists, and other specialists are struggling, as well, as patients cancel appointments and business has slowed to a trickle. In response, many are laying off support staff or cutting their hours. Others have been forced to close temporarily despite still having to pay so-called fixed costs like rent and insurance.
South Brunswick: Empty Shelves are the New Normal
We visited the Franklin Park Stop and Shop last night and, as expected given that we all need supplies while we shelter in place to protect ourselves and our community from COVID-19 infection, found empty shelves in the bread, water, and paper goods aisles. However, the store was fairly well stocked with other supplies — plenty of produce and snacks, lots of yogurt and a decent amount of milk available, but the panic buying seems to be continuing.
Patreon: South Brunswick Businesses Feeling Sting of Coronavirus
This is a short post on how local restaurants are managing. As I hear back from others, I’ll update.
Novel Coronavirus Has Local Restaurants Operating in “Safe Mode”
We’ve entered a surreal moment in our history. Faced with a virus that is spreading and that could potentially mutate and become even more deadly than it has been to date, we have locked ourselves away in our homes as a necessary precaution, but one that will have potentially devastating consequences for our economy.
Hank Kalet 