To all those who responded to my post: First, thank you all for your concern. I've worked at my company for 5 years. We recently unionized, and I need to check with our union rep tomorrow about my predicament.
I have seniority, but with unemployment and Social Security I will be okay financially. There were younger guides with families that lost their jobs. One of those guides could have my hours if I were laid off.
I also have an appointment (timing!) for my yearly physical on Tuesday. Rest assured the status of my employment will come up. I could very well get some sort of note from my doctor.
The sad thing is, I have loved being a Tour Guide in retirement. Sadly, some of the best tours for me are the Cruise Ships loaded with senior citizens. Senior citizens are more sedentary, which means they usually don't hop off, and take the entire 2.5 hour tour. Because I'm older, I can establish a rapport, and by the end of the tour you see a lot smiles, which is really rewarding. Aussieguy, you'll be happy to know my second favorite group is Australians. There are the most easy-going and relaxed travelers.
So the very thing that I love, meeting people from all over the world and showing them San Francisco, is now a dangerous thing for all involved. Not for a moment would I compare my risk to a health care worker, EAllusion. But it is sad that human intercourse will be diminished. And being realistic, it will be months to more than a year before the tourism industry starts to recover. And the business models may be different if and when it does recover.
I think about MDB, and I think about the people that I have been conversing with for years. I really do appreciate the sense of connection I feel with the people on this board. As we begin to self-isolate, I think of the
streets of Siena, but it's hard to sing along on the internet.
:-(
...but then there's the other side of the coin:
Politico wrote:At least three people who visited Mar-a-Lago in the past 10 days have tested positive for the deadly virus, and were spotted in photographs with the president and other club members. A top Brazilian official, Ambassador to the U.S. Nestor Forster, who was seated with the president at a Saturday night dinner at the club, tested positive for COVID-19. So did Fabio Wajngarten, the press secretary to President Jair Bolsonaro who was spotted standing next to Trump in an Instagram post. An email to Trump supporters who attended a fundraiser at the club last Sunday suggests there was now also a mysterious third person who was at the club last weekend with the virus.
The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, came down with flu-like symptoms on Friday and her doctor determined a test for coronavirus was necessary, a spokesman said.
The handshakes, diplomatic huddles, cozy VIP photo-ops and meet-and-greets at Mar-a-Lago became a potential nexus for other cases — the mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, tested positive after being in the same area as the Brazilian officials. Since last weekend, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez and several Republican lawmakers close to the White House — Rep. Matt Gaetz, Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Lindsey Graham — all self-quarantined as a precaution.