IU Shutdown Extended To End Of Spring Term

Monday’s local newspaper headline:  IU Classes to be Virtual Rest of Semester.  So over the weekend Indiana University has added about a month to the shutdown, from previously the first week of April (that is, I’m not all that up on the academic schedule, but I believe spring semester normally ends in early May).  I don’t know if this means non-classroom activities won’t reopen until May either, but some things like ongoing experiments in laboratories would presumably at least be open to individuals involved.  Then on TV this morning the President was saying the whole coronavirus pandemic as such may last to July or August, though that doesn’t necessarily mean things would be closed (if at all) that long.  And the County Library — I did look this up — is still saying they will tentatively reopen on April 6.

So hopefully that will be the worst.  With students not coming back from spring break (with its opportunities for out-of-town infections) Bloomington is probably about as “safe” as anywhere in the US.  One meeting I wanted to go to downtown still went on on schedule though with a lower-than-usual attendance, which I expected.  But the trip downtown, usually about a twenty minute walk, was a little bit eerie.  My normal route takes me through the center of the IU campus and, granted that it has “officially” started spring break, I saw only four people as I passed through.  Discovering that I’d left home a bit early I also stopped in the student union which was still open, where I saw only one other person, and one of the restaurants there that I passed also seemed to be open (menus displayed outside by the entrance) though I didn’t notice anyone inside.  Then moving on downtown, I only saw four or five more people on the streets, although passing the closed public library I saw some people had taken advantage of its now-uncrowded parking lot.

Then on the way back, I went a bit out of my way to pick up some things at the supermarket I usually shop at, finding it more crowded than might have been normal, but got the things I wanted with no trouble — some vegetables, bagels, a package of frozen meatballs, a few other items.  I did pass the toilet paper section though and the shelves there did appear to be empty.