6/25/20: With
the coronavirus acting as a giant brake on our economy, we continue to inch
toward recovery. Today we learned that another 1.5 million Americans filed for
unemployment. This marks the fourteenth week in a row marred by more than a million claims for
benefits.
To put that in perspective, I’m 71 years old. The worst month for job
losses in my lifetime would have been 838,000 in October 1949. We’ve topped that fourteen weeks in succession.
Now that the economy is opening back up, hopefully we will learn, once
the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, that as many as 15 million men and
women (that’s my guess) went back to work in June.
It is estimated that 19.5 million remain unemployed.
*
WELL, DON’T you fret! Because – according to Fox News –
we’re going to be saved! Maybe not the godless
liberals, though.
____________________
God apparently anointed Trump to be president
and then do a terrible job.
____________________
President Trump said this week that he was honored to be told that God put him “in office for such a time as
this.” He said Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, told him
back in 2016, he was going to win the election “because God put you here for
this occasion.” Plus, who could forget – as reported by Fox News –
that in May, two college professors reported
findings of a study they conducted. It turned out “that 49 percent
of those frequently attending worship services believed that Trump was anointed by God to be
president.”
Unfortunately, God apparently anointed Trump to
be president and then do a terrible job.
So how is the battle against the coronavirus going?
Not so great. And thanks for asking. A large part of the
problem, currently, is that Trump and his fans have decided masks and social
distancing are for sissy liberals. But the disease continues to spread –
and
so long as it spreads, so long does the economy continue to stagger. We learned
on June 19, that CDC had registered 32,218 new cases of the virus. That was the worst single-day
tally since April 25. But the next day was a little worse: 32,411 cases. Then
we had 27,616 and 26,657 cases. On June 23, the number rose to 34,313.
June 24: 37,667.
That brought the total of confirmed cases for the month to 586,602,
with CDC numbers always posted a day behind.
That means the U.S. is averaging 24,442 cases per day in June,
which is worse than May, when we averaged 23,394.
The death toll is, mercifully, slowing, but as of Thursday
evening, 125,796 Americans have died.
*
A LARGE PART of the problem relates to the president,
himself, who has provided no leadership in terms of reducing the spread. He has
downplayed the threat of death (the virus is really like the flu), claimed his
administration had it under control (it didn’t), said it would go away in April
(nope), said when it got warm the virus would be gone like a miracle (no
miracle) and, most recently, said testing is overrated and makes us look bad.
So, his followers don’t think they need masks, or need to social distance, so
long as they drink bleach.
Reality, however, can be cruel. Last weekend, WAFB, Channel 9
News, reported that Louisiana health authorities had discovered
that three bars in Baton Rouge, JL’s Place, Reggie’s, and Fred’s, all popular hangouts
for LSU students, were at the center of a fresh outbreak. More than 100
young patrons and employees had tested positive for the virus. Health
authorities explained that anyone who had visited these bars over the weekend
should consider themselves exposed and self-quarantine.
The spread to girlfriends, boyfriends, roommates, parents,
grandparents, and the community at large was all but guaranteed.
The Oxford Eagle reported that the University of Mississippi was banning
all fraternity and sorority rush parties after 162 students tested positive
for COVID-19. “The director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life,
Dr. Arthur Doctor, stated in an email that his office has ‘instructed all
fraternity chapters to refrain
from hosting recruitment or social events in Oxford or any other cities.’”
Last week, South Carolina, health officials warned that young people could contract the disease and
end up seriously ill.
As of today, 4,160 of
the 22,608 confirmed cases in South Carolina are people ages 21 to 30.
This accounts for 18.4% of all confirmed cases in the state.
Additionally, people in their teens account for 7.0% of confirmed
cases.
“The increases that we’re
seeing serve as a warning that young adults and youth are not immune to
COVID-19,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC physician consultant. “They
also tell us that younger South Carolinians are not taking social distancing
seriously.”
According to WYFF, Channel 4,
South Carolina set records
for infections three days in a row, with 987 cases last
Thursday, 1,081 last Friday, and 1,155 last Saturday. Seven of every ten hospital beds in the state
were filled, including 673 patients with COVID-19. The good news is that states
are ramping up testing and identifying more cases. (Don’t tell President
Trump.) But the bad news is that in South Carolina increasing numbers were
coming back positive: 16.2% in the state. Clemson University, among the
favorites to win the NCAA football crown in 2020 – if there is a season –
had to drop back and punt after 28 players and
staff tested positive.
In Oregon, we learned again,
how packing people into tight spaces can lead to super-spreader events. After
the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church ignored warnings and held services for
several hundred on May 24, the coronavirus erupted in Union County, in the
northeastern corner of the state. Until then, Union had been almost untouched
by virus. A month later, 236 cases had been traced back
to the church.
Where did faith leaders at
Lighthouse get the idea to return to normal worship? In an Instagram post, on
May 22, they announced
that “in accordance” with President Trump’s demands that churches be allowed to
reopen, they would be back in action by Memorial Day.
And…cough, cough…they were.
*
MEANWHILE, Florida broke its one-day record for most
infections last Saturday, breaking the old record set last Friday, which broke
the old record, set last Thursday. Case numbers, to be exact: 3,207, 3,822,
4,049.
Then, the record was blown to bits, with 5,511 new cases confirmed on June 24. “We have to take this very seriously,” one health
expert explained. “We have a much worse problem now than at any point since the
outbreak started in Florida.” Today was
equally grim, with 5,504 additional infections.
Like many GOP leaders, Gov. Ron DeSantis at
first tried to claim his state was doing great. He said numbers were going up
because the Florida Health Department was doing more testing.
You know: Trumpspeak.
The Orlando Sentinel shot that idea
down, noting that the daily positive rate was 12.5% last Thursday, compared to
5.7% for the year.
Since 20.5% of Floridians are 65
or older, you can understand why
DeSantis has a growing problem on his hands.
And,
if you’re young, you might not die if you get the virus –
but you might end up hospitalized and get a
nice bill from your doctor. The Miami Herald recently began a story this way,
Sixteen people walked into a Florida bar. And
they think they walked out with coronavirus.
It’s no joke.
All sixteen attended a birthday party at a
Jacksonville eatery. Not only did they enjoy ice cream and cake they hugged and
kissed, and now they’re infected. At least seven employees of the bar have
tested positive.
And that is how you spread the virus.
Erica Crisp, a 40-year-old healthcare worker
and one of the partiers, admitted her mistake on Facebook: “Welp, Florida opened back up and my butt
should’ve stayed home this past weekend cause I just tested positive for the
damn COVID. #IKnowBetter #MyFault #WearYourMasksPeople.”
According to some health projections, Florida now “has all the makings of the next
large epicenter.”
*
TEXAS offers additional proof that
it’s not just blue states that end up getting hammered. This is especially true
when red state citizens decide they’re different and they’ll stay safe if they
go ahead and do what they always do.
And can we just say that
birthday parties might not be a good idea right now. Eighteen relatives in one
North Texas family attended a surprise party for a daughter-in-law. The real
surprise came later, when it turned out one of the attendees brought both a gift
and the coronavirus. All eighteen persons caught the disease and three ended up in the hospital.
Like Florida, Texas has seen a
disastrous rise in cases, and even if our president does think testing
should be reduced, this headline from Texas might sober even the White House fool:
BUSINESSES FEAR THE WORST AS COVID-19 CASES
CONTINUE TO RISE
From North Texas, where a
birthday party went awry, down to the Rio Grande, the disease is spreading.
Health officials [in the Rio
Grande Valley] urge people to wear masks and practice social distancing to
lower the spread. Some business owners we spoke to fear people have become too
comfortable and forgot we are still in a pandemic. Doctors urge people to take
this matter seriously.
“Our deaths have doubled in
three weeks. We have people that are 40-years-old, 50-years-old, 60-years-old
dying. Our average age of a person turning positive is no longer 60 or 70’s now
it’s in the 30’s,” said Dr. [Ivan] Melendez.
Governor Greg Abbott warned yesterday
that the state was facing a “massive outbreak” of disease. Tuesday, state
health officials reported 5,489 new cases, the worst day for Texas to that
point. Then, Wednesday, there were 5,511 new cases; and the number of
patients hospitalized with COVID-19 also reached a new high: 4,389. As with
several of the hardest hit states, it wasn’t just increased testing (as Trump
claims) that made the numbers look grim.
On June 23, the rate of
positive results in Texas was 10.4%, the highest since April, when the state
shut down. (See chart, below.)
*
“Ventilated COVID-19 patients have quadrupled.”
HERE’S AN ODDITY related to the spread of COVID-19. Whereas Mr.
Trump seems to think we shouldn’t bother testing, those entering his august
presence are always tested.
Sheriff Mark Lamb, of Pinal County, Arizona, made headlines
last month when he said he would not enforce a state-wide stay-at-home order. Last
week, he flew to Washington D.C. to take part in a White House ceremony, where
the president would sign a toothless police “reform bill.” When Lamb arrived at the White House, he told
reporters, “one of the first things” that Trump aides did was test him for
COVID-19. White House protocol, he was informed. Anyone coming within a
football field of the Orange Buffoon must be tested.
So, here’s how it goes:
1. President Buffoon is safe behind a wall of
testing.
2. That man loves walls.
3. Lamb tested positive.
4. Arizona is one of several states currently
experiencing an explosive new spread of the disease.
We now know, Arizona health authorities have seen huge
increases in reported cases since Republican Gov. Doug Ducey threw open all the
doors on May 15, and said the state was back in business. You can understand
his dilemma, and the desire of all Arizonans, and all the rest of us, to return
to normal. It would be nice, however, if our leaders at least faced facts.
Banner Health, Arizona’s largest hospital system, warned on June 8, that they were seeing a steady rise
in COVID-19 cases. “Our ICUs are very busy caring for
the sickest of the sick who are battling COVID-19. Since May 15, ventilated
COVID-19 patients have quadrupled,” a spokesperson noted. The hospital chain
offered up the usual list of suggestions for containing the spread, including
“avoid gatherings of more than ten people.” And this was June 8.
Since then, Arizona’s problem has metastasized. On
March 21, the state announced its first 41 cases. Only twice, before May 28, had
the state recorded more than 500 in a single day. Since then: 501, 702, 790,
681, 187, 1,127, 973, 530, 1,579, 1,119, 1,438, 789, 618, 1,556, 1,412, 1,654,
1,233, 1,014, 2,392, 1,827, and on June 18, a record-shattering
2,519.
That record lasted for twenty-four hours. On June
19, the state reported 3,246 cases of the virus.
Then three more bad days: 3,109, 2,592, 2,196.
And on June 23 the record tumbled again, with Arizona reporting an additional 3,593 new cases.
Naturally, the governor has been forced to say he’s not worried. The hospitals are ready; the state, he
says, is just doing a better job of testing. It’s increased testing that seems
to show infections are rising.
Before the stay-at-home order was lifted, we know 5% of
Arizonans tested turned up positive. According to Johns Hopkins University, the
positivity rate in the state is now 22.6%, “topping the
charts,” as it were.
Other
states with the worst, current positivity rates:
South Carolina 14.8%
Florida 14.4%
Nevada 14.2%
Texas 13.7%
Mississippi 12.7%
Alabama 12.4%
Utah 11.9%
Georgia 11.7%
All are red states.
(This
chart was edited on 6/29.)
*
Well,
not to worry! Help is finally on the way. Sort of. Guess who got a lucrative government contract, some weeks back, to
supply respirator masks to the Navaho Nation. That would be former White House
deputy chief of staff, Zach Fuentes. The contract was worth $3 million and was awarded just 11 days after Fuentes formed his
own mask-supplying company.
Only a couple of minor problems. First, about $800,000
worth of the masks Fuentes delivered proved defective. Another $422,000 worth
turned out to be not the masks the Navaho Nation ordered.
Also, kind of funny: Fuentes got most of his masks from
China.
By early June one of
every thirty Navahos had been infected with
COVID-19. But they did have 377,400 masks provided by Fuentes’ company that
they couldn’t even use.
Equally “impressive,” Blackpoint
Distributors, a company that got a $2.4 million contract to supply U.S. prisons with surgical gowns at a time of
spreading virus, has finally delivered! That company is run by Mathew J.
Konkler, who “describes himself as a White House volunteer” for Vice President
Pence. Blackpoint Distributors, Konkler’s company, was created in April and won
the contract in May. The contract specified that there was an “urgent” need for
delivery, and the last shipment was due by June 3.
Sadly, it arrived on June 25.
(Maybe the Navahos could loan prison hospitals a few
masks made in China that just happen to be no good.)
