Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #86

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Sydney made an announcement today.

They will still have NYE fireworks (they are always SO spectacular ... and crowded ... and televised).
But they are shortening the display to 'just a few minutes', blocking off all the roads to the city so people cannot congregate, and only allowing frontline workers to enter the harbourside viewing areas (yay! good for them :) )

Sydney CBD to be locked down on NYE with shortened fireworks display
 
As Texas COVID-19 cases climb, President-elect Joe Biden introduces plan
November 8, 2020

“As the numbers continue to climb, President-elect Joe Biden is getting to work to tackle the deadly virus. He posted about it on Sunday on his transition website.

His initial plan calls for doubling the number of testing sites, investing in rapid at-home tests, creating a nationwide pandemic dashboard and mobilize 100,000 Americans for contact tracing.

His plan also calls for all governors to issue a mask mandate.

"We still have opportunities to get this under control and drive those numbers down, but that's going to be left up to the individual, it's nothing the mayor, county judge, [or] governor can do," said Dr. David Persse, the city of Houston's health authority.“

[...]

“As Biden makes the transition, it's not clear whether President Donald Trump's administration will grant Biden's new task force access to the federal agencies. But, work with the governors could begin as soon as possible.“
 
margarita25 said:
<RSBM>
“As Biden makes the transition, it's not clear whether President Donald Trump's administration will grant Biden's new task force access to the federal agencies. But, work with the governors could begin as soon as possible.“
Click to expand...

Ah, thank you for posting this. I had been wondering.

So the president-elect team can start working with governors right away - those who are concerned about the rapidly rising levels, and who are willing - even though the president-elect team have to wait until later in January before they can put their full pandemic plan into action, or issue any Executive Orders.
 
SouthAussie said:
Ah, thank you for posting this. I had been wondering.

So the president-elect team can start working with governors right away - those who are concerned about the rapidly rising levels, and who are willing - even though the president-elect team have to wait until later in January before they can put their full pandemic plan into action, or issue any Executive Orders.
Click to expand...


Yes, that's the most he can do at this point--make suggestions--and after he's in office, he can put his plan into effect.

He still won't be able to issue a federal mask mandate, however, because that still falls to the governors, and even if they issue mandates (many have), their legislatures can override them and throw the responsibility to individual counties, such as happened in Kansas.

I don't think a lot of folks realize the US isn't just one huge country under a single administration. It's a "nation of states," and each of those states has a lot of rights when it comes to rules like this.

Biden can close borders and reduce state-to-state travel, and he can develop a task force to help educate and inform. I hope he does because I've been waiting for a national educational push that appeals to people on an emotional level.
 
SouthAussie said:
Sydney made an announcement today.

They will still have NYE fireworks (they are always SO spectacular ... and crowded ... and televised).
But they are shortening the display to 'just a few minutes', blocking off all the roads to the city so people cannot congregate, and only allowing frontline workers to enter the harbourside viewing areas (yay! good for them :) )

Sydney CBD to be locked down on NYE with shortened fireworks display
Click to expand...


Little things like that mean a lot to the citizenry.

Glimmers of hope that normalcy will return. We just have to be patient.
 
Wales comes out of 'firebreak lockdown' after 17 days of 'hard work and sacrifices'

Wales's 17-day firebreak lockdown has ended and new national measures to combat COVID-19 have come into effect.

"Coronavirus is a highly infectious virus - it thrives on contact between people. To keep each other safe we need to reduce the number of people we have contact with and the amount of time we spend with them.

"There will be a new set of national measures from today, which will follow up all the hard work and sacrifices which have been made during the firebreak.

"We cannot go back to the way we were living our lives and throw away all that hard work."
 
GRT said:
Yes, that's the most he can do at this point--make suggestions--and after he's in office, he can put his plan into effect.

He still won't be able to issue a federal mask mandate, however, because that still falls to the governors, and even if they issue mandates (many have), their legislatures can override them and throw the responsibility to individual counties, such as happened in Kansas.

I don't think a lot of folks realize the US isn't just one huge country under a single administration. It's a "nation of states," and each of those states has a lot of rights when it comes to rules like this.

Biden can close borders and reduce state-to-state travel, and he can develop a task force to help educate and inform. I hope he does because I've been waiting for a national educational push that appeals to people on an emotional level.
Click to expand...

I think everyone on this thread understands what it is like there. We have spoken about that many times.
My country is also a nation of states. Each state makes its own decisions.
Fortunately, our states here work hard to get on the same page when it comes to something serious like this that affects the whole nation.
Biden-Harris are going to try to do that same thing, to the best of their ability.


Implement mask mandates nationwide by working with governors and mayors and by asking the American people to do what they do best: step up in a time of crisis.

Experts agree that tens of thousands of lives can be saved if Americans wear masks. President-elect Biden will continue to call on:
  • Every American to wear a mask when they are around people outside their household.
  • Every Governor to make that mandatory in their state.
  • Local authorities to also make it mandatory to buttress their state orders.
Biden-Harris Transition:
Combating COVID-19 | President-Elect Joe Biden
 
Yes, yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Breaking now, hard data on Pfizer's vaccine, it is indeed a great day for science and humanity Coronavirus: First vaccine offers 90% protection say firms - BBC News. BBC is reporting UK has 30 million doses pre-ordered, enough to get to our frontline workers and frail and elderly. Boris Johnson holding presser 4pm.

I was watching my stocks and shares on a live feed and suddenly noticed things rocketing, thought something's happening, gotta be a vaccine, and it was!!!! Well done, Big Pharma where would we be without you. World seems a more hopeful place in lots of ways this week.
 
SouthAussie said:
I think everyone on this thread understands what it is like there. We have spoken about that many times.
My country is also a nation of states. Each state makes its own decisions.
Fortunately, our states here work hard to get on the same page when it comes to something serious like this that affects the whole nation.
Biden-Harris are going to try to do that same thing, to the best of their ability.


Implement mask mandates nationwide by working with governors and mayors and by asking the American people to do what they do best: step up in a time of crisis.

Experts agree that tens of thousands of lives can be saved if Americans wear masks. President-elect Biden will continue to call on:
  • Every American to wear a mask when they are around people outside their household.
  • Every Governor to make that mandatory in their state.
  • Local authorities to also make it mandatory to buttress their state orders.
Biden-Harris Transition:
Combating COVID-19 | President-Elect Joe Biden
Click to expand...


The plan looks decent, but unfortunately, the US is pretty strongly divided along party lines at this point, and 27 states have Republican governors.

I'm still holding out for a national campaign that reaches across partisan lines.

Perhaps that won't happen.
 
sds71 said:
@AndrewFeinberg
@Transition46
announces members of the Biden-Harris Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board
Click to expand...

Yay! Dr. Osterholm is on there! :)

(eta: in the latest Osterholm update I posted last night, he refers to our current situation as a “rocketship” blasting off.)

——

“Biden on Monday named the members of the team of public health and science experts to develop a blueprint for fighting the coronavirus.

The group includes doctors and scientists who have served in previous administrations, many of them experts in public health, vaccines and infectious diseases.

Notable among the members is Rick Bright, a vaccine expert and former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. He had filed a whistleblower complaint alleging he was reassigned to a lesser job because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug pushed by President Donald Trump as a COVID-19 treatment.“

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area
 
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“Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising so quickly that, in roughly a week, the number could surpass the highest tally seen in the spring surge, a Tribune analysis has found. And the skyrocketing admissions are raising new concerns that some hospitals could eventually be packed with patients.

The analysis comes as Illinois continues experiencing surges in coronavirus cases and deaths. State health officials Sunday reported more than 10,000 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. There also were 42 more deaths reported Sunday, bringing the confirmed statewide death toll to 10,196. The seven-day statewide positivity rate increased to 10.6%.“

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

—-


Pence absent from Covid-19 planning calls for more than a month
Oct. 29, 2020

“...It’s a prolonged absence that represents just the latest sign of the task force’s diminished role in the face of the worsening public health crisis it was originally created to combat.

Once a driving force behind the White House’s coronavirus messaging, the group hasn’t held a collective press briefing in months. Inside the West Wing, task force members’ growing alarm over the virus’ resurgence has gone largely ignored. And among health officials on the front lines, there is mounting consensus that the federal government has little new aid to offer – leaving states to face the pandemic’s third and potentially worst wave increasingly on their own.

“There’s not any acknowledgment or appreciation of the severity of the surge,” said an official in one governor's office long frustrated with the federal response. “The stark reality that we’re facing is the White House – from top to bottom – has stopped governing and is only campaigning.“”

[...]

““This is the most worrisome of the three surges so far,” said Bruce Siegel, the CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals, which represents safety net providers. “This is the first time we’ve had such widespread outbreaks across America.”“

—-

“Biden's announcement of a coronavirus task force is an acknowledgment of record new infection numbers in recent days that mean that the Covid-19 crisis will be far worse by the time he reaches the Oval Office in January. The initiative is a forceful statement of intent and makes clear that Biden will use an active transition period to mobilize against the staggering health and economic challenges he will face.“

Donald Trump in denial over election defeat as Joe Biden gears up to fight Covid

—-

Texas doctor named to President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 task force

“It's not clear whether or not President Donald Trump's administration will work with Biden's task force. However, Biden says he plans to reach out to governors about a state mask mandate as soon as possible.“
 
Last edited:
margarita25 said:
Yay! Dr. Osterholm is on there! :)

(eta: in the latest Osterholm update I posted last night, he refers to our current situation as a “rocketship” blasting off.)

——

“Biden on Monday named the members of the team of public health and science experts to develop a blueprint for fighting the coronavirus.

The group includes doctors and scientists who have served in previous administrations, many of them experts in public health, vaccines and infectious diseases.

Notable among the members is Rick Bright, a vaccine expert and former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. He had filed a whistleblower complaint alleging he was reassigned to a lesser job because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug pushed by President Donald Trump as a COVID-19 treatment.“

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area
Click to expand...

Dr. Emanuel and Dr. Gawande are also familiar to me. I have Dr. Gawande's wonderful book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.
 
Coronavirus UK: Half of positive Covid cases not being detected, expert says — The Independent

“About half of all positive Covid-19 cases in the UK are not being detected, an expert has said.

Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said these infections meant the country’s efforts to control the virus were being carried out "with one hand behind our back.”

“He added: "It's probably partly because many of them are asymptomatic or so mildly infected they don't recognise the symptoms, partly because people do have symptoms but actually genuinely aren't recognising them as Covid - I've heard a few cases of that in the last week - and also the possibility that some people are having symptoms and actually ignoring them, perhaps because they don't want to go into self-isolation.

"Whatever the reason, those missed 50 per cent of cases - it's like trying to control the epidemic with one hand tied behind our back. We can't do it effectively if those cases are not also being self isolated and their contacts traced. It's going to make it much more difficult.”
 
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