Change is occurring at warp speed with help of internet

Time flies when there’s tumult in the streets or illness in the air — or the distinct threat of same. Change is happening so fast now, accelerated by the internet and social media, that what seems relevant today is much less so tomorrow

That condition has been especially marked when it comes to the Peninsula’s major shopping malls. All of them have struggled to adapt to the challenges presented by both the pandemic and recent protests.

But the malls, vital to the financial health of their towns, are back online, albeit in carefully orchestrated fashion to account for virus-related rules and regulations.

These include San Mateo County’s largest malls, Hillsdale in San Mateo, Tanforan in San Bruno and Westlake and Serramonte, both in Daly City.

The long, pandemic-induced lockdown was particularly tough on shopping centers with significant interior retail outlets. Those enclosed entities could not easily provide curbside service once that option was permitted by local health authorities.

Hillsdale, for one, also found itself buffeted by serious concerns related to planned protests earlier this month. Just as it prepared to re-open, it was forced to close due to fears of potential looting that did not materialize.

But the fiscal damage was done. Now, like its northern peers, Hillsdale is seeking to regain its footing once again.

Pacifica’s pier

It’s one of the county’s iconic structures. The spectacular Pacifica fishing pier stretches a full quarter-of-a-mile over the ocean.

It’s an L-shaped concrete structure that opened in 1973, ironically as part of a sewage outflow system that dumped the town’s effluent out to sea.

That function is long gone, but the pier remains. It was shut down due to health concerns during the ongoing pandemic. After months of closure, it was scheduled to re-open this week.

The pier, located off Beach Boulevard, is a goto venue for fishing devotees (and sight-seers) from throughout the region. There is no charge, and nearby parking is free.

The Chit Chat Cafe on the pier was set to re-open as well.

More healthy living

With virus-induced selfisolation (within reasonable and modified limits) still in effect in the region, it would be fair to speculate that this practice may have gone a long way toward dramatically reducing the incidence of both traditional flu and the common cold.

It makes intuitive sense. What’s good for pandemic avoidance ought to be just as good for certain other ailments that are transmitted person-to-person. I can’t prove that, of course.

The statistics aren’t readily available. But there is certainly logic to the idea.

More data

Speaking of statistics, the numbers behind the virus outbreak in San Mateo County continue to be helpful — and cause for some guarded optimism going forward.

As of earlier this week, the county’s health officials had reported that 36 people were currently hospitalized in intensive care units for all causes. Of those individuals, ten were listed as virus patients, according to the health department’s website. Overall, there was a total of 29 hospitalized virus patients.

In terms of testing for the ailment, 49,259 residents had been tested as of noon Tuesday; 5.3 percent had turned out to be positive. John Horgan’s column appears weekly in the Mercury News. You can contact him by email at johnhorganmedia@gmail or by regular mail at P.O. Box 117083, Burlingame, CA 94011.