Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #68

[SouthAussie]

Quarantine loopholes bring fresh efforts to fight outbreaks | Xfinity

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — An Australian state is toughening its punishments for anyone caught violating coronavirus quarantines, including jailing rule breakers for up to six months — a warning that follows rising virus cases worldwide and violations of restrictions that are now being further tightened.

The current set of fines for breaking a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine for some visitors or lying about their whereabouts “appears not to be enough" in some cases, Queensland state Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.

With higher fines and a threat of six months’ imprisonment, "I hope that will demonstrate to the public just how serious we are about enforcing these measures,” Miles said...

We have a case here in South Australia right now. Four men ages 22-29 years old who stowed away on a freight train from Melbourne (which is under lockdown) and were caught here ... midway on their way to Western Australia.
They are in jail right now, and will face court in the morning.

Four alleged stowaways arrested in Adelaide on freight train from Melbourne

 

[ilovewings]

My hairdresser is SO good with the hygeine of her salon. Sterilises all surfaces between clients. No overlapping of clients. She is likely not making a huge profit, but her intention is to stay in business and not catch the virus. She has a two little children and wants the best for them. It is a very safe and secure feeling being attended by her.

I had a stylist like that in Florida: i thought my stylist here in Michigan was cautious but when he took a plane ride to South Carolina to visit his sister last week i changed my mind. I think i will wait two-three weeks to make sure he didn't bring the virus back with him but i have to say he is being so irresponsible since he went right back to the salon after getting off the plane: imagine if he came back with the virus he would have exposed all his co-workers to it. It is great that you can trust your stylist- that is really important to have confidence in that person.

 

[SouthAussie]

I seriously think it comes down to one basic thought – how much are you willing to jeopardize another human’s life to serve your own needs?

As many of you have deducted, I am very “hard core” about each of our own responsibility. The only way to protect others is to stay home unless essential travel is needed, keep your distance, stay masked outside of your own home, wash hands obsessively and sanitize anything with possibility of bringing in the virus. Playing the odds, doing math to negate the risk is all self-serving in my opinion.

Once we emerge, life will have changed as we knew it before this pandemic. Hopes, dreams, financial plans will have been destroyed for many. Businesses will need to re-brand and rebuild from the ground up. To me – that is one place governmental aid should prioritize. In helping businesses rebuild after we’ve emerged. Why isn’t this being discussed and promoted? Instead of pussy footing around and tip toeing on too many political issues, why aren’t we subsidizing and supporting and offering $ to businesses that will shut down for a period of time to slow the spread? To me in my simple reasoning – it would be cost effective and save lives.

Obviously, the trial of momentarily shutting down and re-opening in phases hasn’t succeeded for most areas. IF we want to emerge and rebuild – we must backtrack and try another approach. Putting others lives at risk for our own purpose and often, our own pleasure, doesn’t seem to be working.

Probably the most sensible thing I have heard all day.

 

[oviedo]

Two NBA players test positive for coronavirus at Walt Disney World

sigh..
Florida coronavirus: Over 12K new COVID-19 cases on Monday

 

[margarita25]

“The Sun Belt has been hit hard, but coronavirus case numbers in other parts of the country — including Colorado, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota and the District of Columbia — have also risen sharply over the past week. The entire country reported 57,000 new infections on Monday for a total of 3.3 million cases, with at least 132,000 deaths linked to covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, since the start of the pandemic.“

[...]

“As Florida’s growing coronavirus caseload continues to shatter records, Miami “is now the epicenter of the pandemic,” Lilian Abbo, an infectious-disease specialist from the University of Miami Health System, warned on Monday. “What we were seeing in Wuhan six months ago, now we’re there.”“

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/14/coronavirus-live-updates-us/

 

[ilovewings]

I seriously think it comes down to one basic thought – how much are you willing to jeopardize another human’s life to serve your own needs?

As many of you have deducted, I am very “hard core” about each of our own responsibility. The only way to protect others is to stay home unless essential travel is needed, keep your distance, stay masked outside of your own home, wash hands obsessively and sanitize anything with possibility of bringing in the virus. Playing the odds, doing math to negate the risk is all self-serving in my opinion.

Once we emerge, life will have changed as we knew it before this pandemic. Hopes, dreams, financial plans will have been destroyed for many. Businesses will need to re-brand and rebuild from the ground up. To me – that is one place governmental aid should prioritize. In helping businesses rebuild after we’ve emerged. Why isn’t this being discussed and promoted? Instead of pussy footing around and tip toeing on too many political issues, why aren’t we subsidizing and supporting and offering $ to businesses that will shut down for a period of time to slow the spread? To me in my simple reasoning – it would be cost effective and save lives.

Obviously, the trial of momentarily shutting down and re-opening in phases hasn’t succeeded for most areas. IF we want to emerge and rebuild – we must backtrack and try another approach. Putting others lives at risk for our own purpose and often, our own pleasure, doesn’t seem to be working.

Without good leadership your excellent idea of backtracking which would mean shutting down, locking down, would be painful in the short run, but would result in success against this virus in the long run. Sadly, this will not happen. I really hate to be doom and gloom but you don't have to be a fortune teller to see what needs to be done for this country, will not get done.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Latin America and the Caribbean have reported more coronavirus deaths than US and Canada

As of Tuesday, Latin America and the Caribbean have reported at least 146,515 deaths due to Covid-19. The United States and Canada combined have recorded at least 144,451 coronavirus deaths.

The analysis is based on Johns Hopkins figures as of 4 a.m. ET today. The data for “Latin America and the Caribbean” includes the following countries: Brazil, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Haiti, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Cuba, Uruguay and Jamaica.

 

[CharlestonGal]

S.C. superintendent: Decisions on reopening schools shouldn’t be made by ‘bureaucrats’ in DC

COLUMBIA S.C. (WCSC) - State Superintendent Molly Spearman said on Monday that the decision to reopen South Carolina schools will be not be swayed by pressure from the federal government.

Over the past few days, President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have threatened to cut federal funds to schools that don’t reopen. In South Carolina, 10-percent of the budget comes from those funds, totaling millions of dollars.

“Education is a state and local issue. To say that everybody has to return back immediately in the same old way in school, those kind of decisions should not be made by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.,” Spearman said. “Those decisions and what we’re doing in South Carolina are best made here in South Carolina.”

She then said the decision over funding isn’t even made by Trump or DeVos.


“I know that that decision about federal funds comes from Congress, and I can’t imagine our congressional delegation ever voting to take away funds for the most vulnerable children in South Carolina, the largest percentage of federal funds go to help special needs students, children in poverty,” Spearman said. “I can’t believe that Congress would ever do that so I’m not concerned about that and that would not sway my decision.”

Spearman then said the decision to reopen or not will be based on information from the state’s department of health and the CDC.

 

[JerseyGirl]

How coronavirus cases spiked by more than 1 million in less than a week

Reported cases increased by 1,046,200 from July 6 through July 10, up from a 994,400 increase over the five days from July 5 through July 9.

The total global case number surpassed 13 million on Monday, growing by 1,061,600 between July 8 and July 13.

"We need to reach a sustainable situation where we do have adequate control of this virus without shutting down our lives entirely, or lurching from lockdown to lockdown," Tedros said.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Perhaps people in Michigan who call the governor Hitler should read this --- all the governor has done is mandate/order people wear masks when they are in places like a supermarket...

Macomb sheriff's office won't cite mask order violators

The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office on Monday announced it will not issue citations to people who don't wear masks — a pushback against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order that residents wear face coverings in businesses and crowded outdoor spaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Whitmer’s order went into effect on Monday, but the Macomb County department posted on its Facebook page that it would leave the issue up to local businesses.

“If a business wishes to enforce this order, they may require patrons to wear a mask,” the announcement said. “If the patron refuses, the business may ask them to leave their establishment. If the patron refuses, the business may contact us and we will treat it as a trespassing complaint.”

The sheriff's office said complaints against people not wearing masks or businesses that don't enforce Whitmer's order can be made with the Michigan Attorney General's Office...

 

[CharlestonGal]

Pediatricians walk back school-reopening stance as WHO gives dire warning

The American Academy of Pediatrics has clarified its stance on school reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic after the Trump administration repeatedly used the academy’s previous statement to pressure school systems to resume in-person learning in the fall.

The AAP, in a joint statement with three large education organizations, emphasized that school reopening should be driven by science and safety—“not politics.” It also directly responded to President Trump’s threat of withholding funding from schools that did not reopen, calling the move a “misguided approach.”

The point was echoed Monday by Michael Ryan, an infectious disease expert with the World Health Organization, who implored countries not to let school reopening become “yet another political football.”

 

[JerseyGirl]

Nearly 200 Jackson Health System employees in Miami have Covid-19, according to a senior director of communication. Most employees who test positive are out for 10 to 12 days.

"What we were seeing in Wuhan -- six months ago, five months ago -- now we are there," Lilian Abbo, with the Jackson Health System, said during a news conference Monday.




Cases and ventilator use continue to soar in Miami-Dade County

In the past 13 days, Miami-Dade County has seen a 68% increase in the number of Covid-19 patients being hospitalized, a 69% increase in the number of ICU beds being used, and a 109% increase in the use of ventilators.

Officials also reported a 28% Covid-19 positivity rate on Monday. The county has exceeded the 22% mark for the past two weeks, and the current 14-day average is 26%.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Local officials to take over coronavirus testing from federal government in Dallas County, Jenkins says

Dallas County will end its agreement with the federal government this week and assume near-total control of publicly funded coronavirus testing in an effort to provide quicker results, County Judge Clay Jenkins announced Monday on Twitter.

The shift comes after Commissioner John Wiley Price raised concerns Friday that results from the federally provided tests were taking too long — up to two weeks.

Price also suggested the city and county had created an unequal system this month as a private company, Honu, was hired to perform testing at the University of Dallas.

The private lab is providing results in the northern half of the county in about two days, while the lab contracted by the federal government to run operations at the testing center at Ellis Davis Field House in the Red Bird area is taking nearly two weeks.

Jenkins agreed with Price.

“We have to do what’s right for the people of Dallas,” he said Monday. “I appreciate the career politicians in the federal government. But eight to 10 days is too long.”

 

[JerseyGirl]

California prison reports more inmates have died from coronavirus

At least ten incarcerated people at the San Quentin Prison in Northern California have died from coronavirus complications, according to data from California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

San Quentin is the site of the worst coronavirus outbreak in California's prison system, with nearly 1,400 inmates who have tested positive.

The prison population is currently at about 4,000 inmates. It has been reduced by almost 10,000 inmates since March, through expedited transitions to parole and suspended intake from county jails, said CDCR.

There are 2,423 infected incarcerated people in California. There are also 755 CDCR employees who have tested positive across the state.

 

[JerseyGirl]

India recorded 100,000 coronavirus cases in last four days

More than 100,000 people in India have tested positive in just the past four days, said the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

The country recorded 28,498 new cases and 553 new deaths in the last 24 hours. That raises the country's total to 906,752 cases and 23,727 deaths.

More than 12 million tests have been conducted nationwide.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from New York City

The daily Covid-19 indicators are all under desired thresholds, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. “Again, today very good news, continued progress in the city thanks to all of you,” de Blasio said.

Here's a look at the latest numbers:

• The daily number of people admitted to hospitals for Covid-19 is at 46, under the 200 threshold.
• The daily number of people at health and hospitals' intensive care units is at 294, under the 375 threshold.
• The percent of people who tested positive for Covid-19 is at 2%, under the 15% threshold.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Canada-US border expected to remain closed until at least Aug. 21, two Canadian government sources said.

There will be stepped-up enforcement and surveillance at most Canadian land borders in the coming weeks. By mutual agreement, the US-Canada border has been closed to all non-essential traffic since March.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to formally announce the decision later this week.

President Trump and Trudeau discussed the matter briefly during a phone call Monday morning, according to Trudeau’s office. Trudeau said Canada recognizes that the US coronavirus pandemic is a "complex" situation. "Every month we have been able to extend the border closures to all but essential goods and services and those discussions are ongoing with the United States right now as we are a week from the next deadline for closures. We’re going to continue to work hard to keep Canadians safe and to keep our economies flowing and we will have more to say later this week I’m sure,” Trudeau said during a press conference Monday.



According to one poll, a large majority of Canadians say the US-Canada border should remain closed for the foreseeable future.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Vice President Pence is on his way to a coronavirus hotspot in Louisiana

Vice President Mike Pence has departed Washington for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a coronavirus hotspot, where he is expected to meet with Gov. John Bel Edwards, Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy and local and state officials.

Pence will deliver remarks at the State Emergency Operations Center at 1:00 pm ET, receive a coronavirus briefing at 1:30 pm ET, participate in a roundtable on higher education reopening at 2:45 pm ET, and hold a press briefing at 4:00 pm ET, returning to Washington in the evening.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Officials didn't stress the importance of masks early in the pandemic. That was a mistake, Fauci says.

Dr. Fauci said that in the beginning of the pandemic, health officials in the country were trying to make sure health care workers had enough personal protective equipment, including masks, as hospitals filled with Covid-19 patients.

"What got a little bit misrepresented in that message was not that it was just we wanted to preserve them, but they don't really work that well anyway," Fauci said in an interview. "That was the mistake, because in fact there's no doubt that wearing a mask is better than not having a mask for the general public," he added.

"It's almost as if we should say everybody should assume that you're an asymptomatic infected person. And that's the reason why you should wear a mask. But unfortunately that misstep in the beginning, when the connection between saving a short supply was equated with 'they don't have much benefit anyway, so why wear it?' ... I mean, that was the misstep. And you're right, it made it now a real challenge in communication," Fauci said.

 

[margarita25]

BBM:

Pediatricians walk back school-reopening stance as WHO gives dire warning

The American Academy of Pediatrics has clarified its stance on school reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic after the Trump administration repeatedly used the academy’s previous statement to pressure school systems to resume in-person learning in the fall.

The AAP, in a joint statement with three large education organizations, emphasized that school reopening should be driven by science and safety—“not politics.” It also directly responded to President Trump’s threat of withholding funding from schools that did not reopen, calling the move a “misguided approach.”

The point was echoed Monday by Michael Ryan, an infectious disease expert with the World Health Organization, who implored countries not to let school reopening become “yet another political football.”

Yay Dr. Mike! Looking forward to hear what all he has to say specifically in Monday’s conference wrt to this.

IMO, if WHO is giving a “dire warning” about this, we need to listen up.