I'm a cnc machinist and my shop is amongst other major manufacturers. A nearby machine shop is closing its doors and sending staff home today or tomorrow due to concerns over covid 19. Staff will be on unemployment presumably.
Look I don't know everything and I'm not always right, but imo we all have to keep trying to calm people down and slow down this panic. If the panic spreads to manufacturing and shipping and it shuts us down, we have a real problem.
I have a key though, I'll be coming in no matter what, unless the virus ends up being actually a problem. Someone has to make stuff.
Calm down, calm your neighbors down.
Edit to add some stories:
- female secretary here thinks she has to start a garden to feed her family, that the shelves will never be re stocked
- boss's female cousin thinks it's literally the end of the world
- boss's wife's female friend was at a store over the weekend for normal buying, saw everyone else panic buying and decided to panic buy as well because emotions
Lol... women can do what they want but let's recognize reality here... women need to be looking to their men for leadership and security right now, and men you need to be a calming and reassuring force. Even my wife who was a philosophy major and is hyper rational is getting unnerved by the panic , she's keeping it together because I'm level headed about it
Small CNC shop reporting in. Good for you for keeping things normal.
I've been hearing rumors in Connecticut that some of the larger plants may do this, but for the most part, small CNC shops don't have people crammed in on top of each other. Most of these guys work independently. I gave everyone sanitizer, warned them to wipe down their work panels when they leave, and to see me if anyone needs to leave to care for children or elderly parents. Or needs a roll of TP. for home.