Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #49

[imstilla.grandma]

This is such a strange coincidence:

1st America the Beautiful quarters of 2020 features a fruit bat mother and her pup


The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Friday that federal emergency aid has been made available to the territory of American Samoa to supplement territorial and local recovery efforts in the affected areas beginning on Jan. 20, 2020 and continuing.

"In Federal funding is available to territorial and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct federal assistance under Public Assistance, for all areas affected by COVID-19 at a federal cost share of 75 percent," a press released stated.
FEMA: American Samoa to receive federal assistance amid growing pandemic

On February 13, 2020, the U.S. Mint released a quarter honoring the National Park of American Samoa in Utulei, American Samoa. The quarter is the first release of 2020 and the 51st release of the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program.

Despite the tropical downpour, the quarter launch ceremony was attended by approximately 800 people, including 500 children. The ceremony included cultural performances by local students. Following the launch ceremony, the Territorial Bank of American Samoa exchanged $7,000 in quarters.

The National Park of American Samoa Quarter features a Samoan fruit bat mother hanging in a tree with her pup, evoking the remarkable care and energy that the species puts into their offspring. The design promotes awareness to the species’ threatened status due to habitat loss and commercial hunting. The National Park of American Samoa is the only park in the United States that is home to the Samoan fruit bat.
First 2020 Quarter Celebrates American Samoa | U.S. Mint

 

[Deleted member 39678]

So they can mass park to shop but not listen to a sermon. That appears to be the dichotomy. Shopping is essential but religious observance is not. Are drive in movies still open? Presumably not as drive in movies are non essential. I don't have an answer but hopefully the governor does.

Sacramento’s drive-in theater reopens – but with restrictions

The restrictions include:

• People must stay in their vehicles at all time except to visit the restroom
• One person in the restroom at a time, except an adult with a child
• Vehicles must be parked 10 feet apart
• Concessions are closed
• Customers who do not follow these rules will be asked to leave

Sacramento’s drive-in theater reopens – but with restrictions

 

[Henry2326]

US Daily confirmed cases appears to have peaked but can't yet say the same for deaths....

John Burn-Murdoch on Twitter

 

[Lilibet]

Ventilators are merit based now? When did that happen and who decides if someone "deserves" one?

Edited to clarify wording:
I think you misunderstood, probably because of my unclear use of the pronoun “they.” I meant that the person who is deliberately in a crowd and gets Covid-19 should think twice about whether they themselves deserve a ventilator over someone who obeyed the stay-at-home orders. Not that anyone else would decide who “deserves” a ventilator. It was just a hypothetical conversation about personal responsibility, at least on my part. I hope that helps.

 

[Inthedetails]

This is such a strange coincidence:
View attachment 243583
1st America the Beautiful quarters of 2020 features a fruit bat mother and her pup

Sbm

Let the conspiracy theories begin. Or better yet, let them please don't begin!

jmo

 

[tresir2012]

Nope. Not hard to criticize the protesters when Trump’s own plan shows that most states are not even close to ready to move onto Phase One of the plan.

From the link

"On Wednesday, White House coronavirus task force leader Vice-President Mike Pence said 24% of the counties in the US have had no reported coronavirus cases. He added that half of US states have fewer than 2,500 cases.

The Trump administration had previously pencilled in 1 May as a possible date to reopen the nation, and on Wednesday Mr Trump said some states may be able to reopen earlier than that."

Presumably the states that have less than 2,500 cases maybe.

Minnesota 2,213 121 974 400 22 44,368 8,027 [1] [2]
Oregon 1,844 72 1,772 452 18 37,583 9,207 [1] [2]
New Mexico 1,798 53 1,280 859 25 36,632 17,507 [1] [2]
Kansas 1,790 86 1,464 615 30 17,676 6,077 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Arkansas 1,777 +38 38 1,020 594 13 24,205 8,094 [1]
Idaho 1,668 44 1,171 988 26 16,183 9,588 [1] [2]
South Dakota 1,542 7 983 1,784 8 11,660 13,491 [1]
New Hampshire 1,342 38 791 999 28 13,424 9,991 [1]
Nebraska 1,287 28 1,237 676 15 14,652 7,692 [1] [2]
Maine 847 32 433 635 24 14,923 11,197 [1] [2]
West Virginia 825 18 582 451 10 19,794 10,822 [1]
Vermont 803 38 765 1,285 61 12,566 20,106 [1]
Hawaii 574 9 155 404 6 23,617 16,608 [1] [2]
North Dakota 528 9 336 702 12 12,963 17,233 [1]
Montana 426 10 173 409 10 10,569 10,146 [1] [2] [3]
Wyoming 422 2 214 725 3 7,280 12,512 [1] [2]
Alaska 314

From Worldometers link to follow

United States Coronavirus: 739,502 Cases and 39,040 Deaths - Worldometer

 

[Henry2326]

TEXAS

JOHN BROWNSTEIN - EPIDEMIOLOGIST
Interesting to see #Texas rolling out plans for re-opening even though #COVID19 forecasting out of Texas says that the probability they are at peak deaths is 0%...
Great work by @meyerslab out of @UTAustin as always
Projections #coronavirus John Brownstein on Twitter

 

[Deleted member 158085]

It was on a big screen in the car park apparently so they could watch and listen from there cars like a drive in. Personally, if everyone is following social distancing, what are they doing wrong?

If it wasn’t allowed in their state and there was an alternative, that’s what’s wrong.

All of us are having to sacrifice something. If there is something ridiculous (like the ban on buying plants), then petition your governor. Otherwise, suck it up like the rest of us are doing.

<modsnip>

 

[CSIDreamer]

Really? It was on the radio and they could have listened at home? There goes the argument that the elderly can’t figure out the technology to listen to that sermon.

They use FM transmitters that have a range of about 300 feet (football field length). It isn't like you tune in to a local news station with a tower.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Same thing with obesity, high blood pressure, etc. I can’t believe some of the things I’m reading -

“Well, pre-existing conditions, gonna die anyway, might as well be now so we can get our economy going. Oh, yeah, and plus - the virus isn’t really all that bad. It will only be an excruciating death for some, after all. Hey, let’s go protest and scream over the Governor as he lists names of today’s dead. That’ll show ‘em!”

Nonsense. All of it. I’ve never liked whiners.

Yeah, it's a lot of ugly. The goading by powerful interests makes it a lot worse, JMO. Plus, how do they know they themselves don't suffer from chronic inflammation or some other silent complicating factor?

 

[mickey2942]

I really don't understand why a governor would want to control sales of "non essential" items. Non essential to who? By what criteria does someone decide that?

Probably, Montana will be reopened next week. Our numbers have been steadily rising, but up to 422 in the entire state. Hardly anyone takes public transportation here.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

They use FM transmitters that have a range of about 300 feet (football field length). It isn't like you tune in to a local news station with a tower.

Oh, I guess none of these people have the half dozen “sermon stations” on TV on Sundays as I have without even having cable. There are so many alternatives.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Sacramento’s drive-in theater reopens – but with restrictions

The restrictions include:

• 
  
  
  • People must stay in their vehicles at all time except to visit the restroom
  • One person in the restroom at a time, except an adult with a child
  • Vehicles must be parked 10 feet apart
  • Concessions are closed
  • Customers who do not follow these rules will be asked to leave

Sacramento’s drive-in theater reopens – but with restrictions

I personally would think this is great, if people follow the rules. I love the drive-in, and wish we had more in every state.

 

[Inthedetails]

But someone has to act with integrity, and accept that yes, we live in a bullying culture where you will be criticized, no matter what. But showing humility and doing the right thing as a powerful person helps to tear that culture down, as there are still good people who will support you.

Snipped

Duty. Service. Integrity.

Those things still exist. Ratings and popularity aren't the driving force for everyone. Thank goodness.

What also exists is bullying, putting down, creating division.

Easy to decide how to behave, imo, no matter what "side" you're on.

jmo

 

[Henry2326]

From the link

"On Wednesday, White House coronavirus task force leader Vice-President Mike Pence said 24% of the counties in the US have had no reported coronavirus cases. He added that half of US states have fewer than 2,500 cases.

The Trump administration had previously pencilled in 1 May as a possible date to reopen the nation, and on Wednesday Mr Trump said some states may be able to reopen earlier than that."

Presumably the states that have less than 2,500 cases maybe.

Minnesota 2,213 121 974 400 22 44,368 8,027 [1] [2]
Oregon 1,844 72 1,772 452 18 37,583 9,207 [1] [2]
New Mexico 1,798 53 1,280 859 25 36,632 17,507 [1] [2]
Kansas 1,790 86 1,464 615 30 17,676 6,077 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Arkansas 1,777 +38 38 1,020 594 13 24,205 8,094 [1]
Idaho 1,668 44 1,171 988 26 16,183 9,588 [1] [2]
South Dakota 1,542 7 983 1,784 8 11,660 13,491 [1]
New Hampshire 1,342 38 791 999 28 13,424 9,991 [1]
Nebraska 1,287 28 1,237 676 15 14,652 7,692 [1] [2]
Maine 847 32 433 635 24 14,923 11,197 [1] [2]
West Virginia 825 18 582 451 10 19,794 10,822 [1]
Vermont 803 38 765 1,285 61 12,566 20,106 [1]
Hawaii 574 9 155 404 6 23,617 16,608 [1] [2]
North Dakota 528 9 336 702 12 12,963 17,233 [1]
Montana 426 10 173 409 10 10,569 10,146 [1] [2] [3]
Wyoming 422 2 214 725 3 7,280 12,512 [1] [2]
Alaska 314

From Worldometers link to follow

Farzad Mostashari, previously CDC EIS Officer interprets the data this way:
None of these states should be reopening til positivity rate is 5% or less
NY, NJ > 40% (my gosh)
MI, CT > 30%
GA, MA, IL, CO > 20%
PA, DC, MD, IN, LA, DE, VA > 15%
RI, SD, AL, NV, SC, IA, CA, PR, TX, MO, FL, KA > 10%

You can also look at the change in positivity week by week in different states
Sharpest increases in + rate:
SD went from 10% -> 24% + samples
KY 5%-> 14%
DE 16% -> 25%
MD 19%->26%
SC 6%->13%
VA 15% -> 22%
@GovernorVA doesn't need protestors telling him to open up right now

Fortunately, there are also some states that have a declining positivity rate, giving promise to some hard-hit states that the outbreak may have crested (clinical correlation required!)
LA down 25% -> 11%
WA 16%->4% (great job WA State)
CT 39%->32%
GA 29%->22%
MI 33%->27%

So when we see these national trends, it's reflecting some areas where the outbreak seems to be coming off sky-high positivity levels, and others where it appears to be going up, in many smaller markets like South Dakota
But overall, positive rates are HIGH and trends are up
But we have to look at all the data together to see what's going on, not just positivity rate - Trends in Cases, Hospitalizations, Deaths (remembering that there is a time lag between each stage)

Farzad Mostashari on Twitter

 

[drama_farmer]

Get My Payment | Internal Revenue Service

I just checked this, my payment will be in my account on April 22.

Me too! Thanks for reminding me to check today, mickey.

 

[tresir2012]

If it wasn’t allowed in their state and there was an alternative, that’s what’s wrong.

All of us are having to sacrifice something. If there is something ridiculous (like the ban on buying plants), then petition your governor. Otherwise, suck it up like the rest of us are doing.

These protests are already biting some of the protesters in the butt. The covidiot who organized the one in Kentucky will likely see her business fail, not because of the lockdown, but because central Kentuckians are angry as all get-out about the protest and are very vocal about boycotting that business.

I don't think they were protesting but just attending a drive in church service. Maybe I have misinterpreted the posts.

 

[Inthedetails]

Why does everything have to be a fight?

 

[CSIDreamer]

Oh, I guess none of these people have the half dozen “sermon stations” on TV on Sundays as I have without even having cable. There are so many alternatives.

But people are still flooding Walmart. There are so many alternatives. No?

The point is, they are not being unsafe by their actions. Whether or not I agree with them sitting in their cars is irrelevant. Jmo

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Coronavirus: UK hospital deaths reach 16,060 after 596 more patients die

Another 596 people have died with coronavirus in UK hospitals - the smallest increase in nearly two weeks.

The Department of Health announced the latest increase, with 16,060 people with COVID-19 - the disease caused by coronavirus - now confirmed to have died in hospital across the four home nations.


NHS England announced another 482 deaths in hospitals in England, taking the country's total to 14,400.

Scotland saw a further 10 deaths, Wales 41 and Northern Ireland 1.

According to each home nation's health authorities, the number of deaths in hospitals now stands at:

• England - 14,400
• Scotland - 903
• Wales - 475
• Northern Ireland - 194