tbh I wanna be happy that the state announced surge testing and a shutdown but... I recently finished the free JHU contact tracing training, and now I'm thinking about all the additional services that didn't get announced

not that this means they don't exist, but I am concerned?? for example (hypothetical): family of 4, single mom, two kids, and grandma. mom has been feeling junk, can't tell if it's just exhaustion, goes to get tested since it's free and you can make an appt.

she tests positive and gets told: you have to quarantine. but this is Hawai'i - she's in a two bedroom apartment with a single bathroom, which is an unacceptable space to quarantine in with family. so she has to leave.

but how does she leave? even if the state/DOH/nonprofit/a friend offers a safe place to quarantine, grandma can't take care of both kids for two weeks - she doesn't drive, so she can't get groceries safely; she can't help with online learning;

one of the kids is too small to bathe to unattended, but they have a shower/bath and she's unable to physically lift little one in and out. so mom is distraught - there's no quilt of services that will meet all of the needs so that she can quarantine

away from her family, who is also dependent on her income that she can't afford to give up for two weeks of quarantine.

I don't say this for fun or because I think it's interesting - I think we are truly seeing how much failure is happening in public health. Now, it's true that some resources are already active for the different issues I posited in this situation.

But another barrier: resources EXISTING =/= resources getting to those in need. My point: we do not have a functional model where as soon as an adult is identified as a positive case, the mechanisms in place (1) identify all of their needs and

(2) ensure that they are met. So I'm feeling 2% of relief that we are finally trying to test more and shut down to lower transmission but I'm also saying: it's almost September and we needed these first steps back in APRIL. now, we need 10x MORE.

because people are now in very different financial straits than they were in early pandemic days. safety net? we don't even have a laminated picture of a cartoon life saver next to a door. /end rant