![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/finger-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>As you may have read, Arizona is the COVID hotspot of the world.<\/strong> Yep – you read that right – we’re #1 not just in the U.S., but in the world<\/i>! This week our health care professionals have warned that if things don’t improve, they are going to invoke the triage experts.\u00a0 \u00a0Or as they are colloquially known, death panels.\u00a0 My friends and I decided in addition to avoiding COVID, we need to avoid a broken hip, as some death panel may figure it’s easier to shoot us than fix us.\u00a0 I admit that I have not been taking this latest news well.\u00a0 For a variety of reasons, we have not travelled more than 20 miles from our home in almost a year.\u00a0 So you can imagine our relief when Arizona began vaccinating<\/strong> older citizens last week.\u00a0 I am not eligible, but my husband was and we were able to get an appointment last Thursday.\u00a0 Typical of any government-run program, the state has managed to make registering as complicated as possible.<\/p>\nHere’s how I imagine the staff meeting went when they designed the enrollment system:<\/p>\n
Idiot #1:\u00a0 We’ve got this!\u00a0 Our systems works on the Chrome and Firefox browsers so it’s very accessible.<\/p>\n Manager:\u00a0 But the vast majority of older people either use either an Apple or Microsoft\u00a0 product.<\/strong><\/p>\n Idiot #2:\u00a0 No worries – we’ve instructed them to download either the Chrome or Firefox browser.<\/p>\n Manager:\u00a0 Ummmm, okay.\u00a0 But most of these people have no idea what a browser is and downloading is something they do with their dentures every night.\u00a0 They think Chrome is what’s on their wheels<\/strong> and Firefox describes the hot number with the boa that walked into the bingo room last week.\u00a0 \u00a0Well, maybe someone can help them download the browsers onto their tablet or phone.<\/p>\n Idiot #3:\u00a0 Oh no – the site isn’t compatible with tablets and phones<\/strong>.\u00a0 They have to be use a desktop.<\/p>\n Manager:\u00a0 Let’s hope this goes well.\u00a0 I assume you have enough server capacity to handle the demand for enrollment?<\/p>\n Idiot #4:\u00a0 Oh yes, we’ve got plenty of room<\/strong> and backup capacity.<\/p>\n Manager:\u00a0 So once they get on the site they just sign up?<\/p>\n Idiot #5:\u00a0 No.\u00a0 First they create an account, then they have to retrieve a verification code<\/strong> from their email, then come back in and verify their account.\u00a0 Then they go to the site and search day by day for an opening because we figured it was just to much work to put a calendar up showing “next available” appointments.<\/p>\n Okay – that’s my imagination but I don’t think I’m far off.\u00a0 As anyone who has the sense that God gave geese<\/strong> might have predicted, the systems crashed on the first morning and the “help” line wait time was over three hours.\u00a0 The statement from the Department of Health is that they didn’t anticipate the number of people who would be signing up.\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 We’ve been one of the worst hit states<\/strong> since the pandemic began, we have a large vulnerable population (over 75) and they have all been cooped up at home for almost a year.\u00a0 \u00a0Which is why I have so rudely characterized the people working on this as idiots.<\/p>\n It came to light yesterday that the state used Google<\/strong> to design the website.\u00a0 That goes a long way toward explaining why they designated Chrome as the go-to browser.\u00a0 It is shameful that they are using this event to steer people to their product.\u00a0 Luckily, after much hue and cry, they finally enabled people to use Safari.\u00a0 Silicon Valley has spent a lot of time lately talking about how they are improving the diversity in their workplace.\u00a0 Well, here’s an idea – why don’t they put someone over the age of 65<\/strong> to work on a program for people over the age of 65?\u00a0 Now, there’s a concept.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson As you may have read, Arizona is the COVID hotspot of the world. Yep – you read that right – we’re #1 not just in the U.S., but in the world! This week our health … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/old-man-and-computer-300x240.jpg\")
<\/a>Manager:\u00a0 So, we are going to start vaccinating the general public in Arizona.\u00a0 We’re starting with people age 75 and above.\u00a0 Tell me about the enrollment system<\/strong> you’ve designed.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/covid-card-final-small-300x242.jpg\")
<\/a>In any event, my husband received his first shot last week so we are one step closer to getting out of jail.\u00a0 We’re going to spend some time this week planning our summer vacation<\/strong> trips.\u00a0 Somehow it feels like we’re one step closer to normal.\u00a0 Hooray!!!<\/p>\n