CORONA Main Coronavirus thread

marsh

marsh

On TB every waking moment
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJlt5cRB52I
58:53 min
World Health Organization holds a briefing on the coronavirus outbreak – 7/13/2020
•Streamed live 8 hours ago


CNBC Television

The World Health Organization is holding a briefing Monday on the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 12.91 million people worldwide and killed at least 569,128, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. WHO's top official warned world leaders last week that the pandemic "is not under control" and is getting worse.
 
marsh

marsh

On TB every waking moment
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0kLKzdjOw0
2:46 min
Disney World Reopens As Coronavirus Cases Spike In Florida | TODAY
•Jul 13, 2020


TODAY

As Florida reported a record number of new coronavirus cases over the weekend, Disney World opened its doors for the first time in four months. The number of visitors was limited and new safety measures were in place. NBC’s Sam Brock reports for TODAY from Orlando.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
marsh said:
My apologies if I misnoted. Now, if you don't pay to join Youtube, each video goes through 2 screens saying that the video can't be played at this time. Each message has a different run time, so things can get confused before you get to the actual video.
Click to expand...

I don't have that issue, I use an ad blocker - maybe that's why. Are you on a computer (vs. a pad or phone) and are you using firefox? If you are, try AdBlockPlus add-on and that problem should go away. Triple thanks for posting all those videos with that handicap you have of needing to go through so many screens for each.

HD
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.dailymail.co.uk

US COVID-19 cases hit record high for third day in a row with 63,000

The US recorded it's most-ever coronavirus cases at 63,000 and it's second-highest ever fatalities at 990 deaths. Florida also reported it's most ever deaths.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
(fair use applies)

US coronavirus cases hit a record single-day high for the THIRD day in a row with 63,000 cases - as Florida sees most deaths in a day at 120 with ONE-THIRD of those living around South Beach testing positive
Mary Kekatos
Published: 11:48 EDT, 10 July 2020 | Updated: 11:03 EDT, 13 July 2020

  • The US set a record-high of more than 63,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, breaking the previous single-day record of 62,000 set on Wednesday
  • More than 133,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and 990 of those fatalities were recorded on Thursday, the second-most since the pandemic began
  • Florida also reported record-high coronavirus fatalities with 120 deaths, bringing the toll above 4,000, and one-third of those living in Miami-Dade County testing positive
  • Deaths, which have been lagging behind surging cases of coronavirus, are now starting to catch up
  • Texas set multiple coronavirus records with 9,689 people hospitalized for the virus and 15.6% of test Three states, Arizona, Arkansas and California, also reported single-day high for hospitalizations while Florida and Louisiana say their hospitals are nearing capacity

The US has once again set a record-high number of coronavirus cases for the third day in a row, recording more than 63,000 new infections in a single day.

This breaks the previous record set on Wednesday of more than 62,000 and brings the total number of cases to more than 3.1 million.

So far, more than 133,000 Americans have died since the start of the pandemic with 990 deaths recorded on Thursday, the second-highest ever.

Deaths were previously trending downwards even as the number of infections surged across the country, but lately have begun catching up.

On Thursday, Florida reported 120 coronavirus-related fatalities, the most since the pandemic began Deaths in Texas also surpassed 100.

Hospitalizations have also been skyrocketing in multiple states with intensive-care unit beds at or nearing capacity, leaving doctors and nurses stressed and overwhelmed.

'We're in a very difficult, challenging period right now,' Dr Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease experts in the US, said on Thursday during a teleconference organized by The Hill.

As the country began reopening, many states 'jumped over the benchmarks,' Fauci said, referring to indicators of a slowing infection rate required for states to begin phasing out of lockdowns.

'I would think we need to get the states pausing in their opening process,' he said, although he added: 'I don't think we need to go back to an extreme of shutting down.'

President Donald Trump has openly said he disagrees with Fauci, and has continued to downplay the spike in cases.

'For the 1/100th time, the reason we show so many Cases, compared to other countries that haven't done nearly as well as we have, is that our TESTING is much bigger and better,' he tweeted on Thursday.

'We have tested 40,000,000 people. If we did 20,000,000 instead, Cases would be half, etc.'

The Florida Department of Health reported 120 deaths on Thursday, the highest single-day jump since the start of the pandemic in March.

Additionally, the Sunshine State recorded 8,936 cases, bringing the total to 232,718, the fourth-most in the country.

In Miami-Dade County, home to South Beach, the local health department reported a 33.5 percent positivity rate, believed to be the highest in the state.

Despite record numbers of cases and deaths being reported, Gov Ron DeSantis said he believes Florida has 'stabilized,' but admitted he'd liked to see cases and deaths go back to May and June.

However, DeSantis has resisted reinstating lockdown measures and said he does not believe that mandating masks will help reduce the spread of the virus.

He also echoed President Trump's comments that the rise of COVID-19 across the US is a result of more testing rather than increased spread.

'There have been way more infections than documented cases,'' DeSantis said during on Monday. 'But it's not really evidence that it's more prevalent.'

Meanwhile, Texas set multiple coronavirus records with top officials warning that the worst is yet to come.

The Houston Chronicle reports that 9,689 patients have been hospitalized after testing positive for the virus, a 0.82 percent increase from the previous record set on Wednesday.

Currently, 953 ICU beds are available in the state, which is the first time since March 13 that Texas has had fewer than than 1,000 available ICU beds.

Another record set on Thursday was the amount of tests combing back positive over the past seven days, which sits at 15.6 percent.

'The numbers are going to look worse as we go into next week,' Gov Greg Abbott told local station KRIV-TV in Houston on Thursday.

In a stark contrast from the beginning of the pandemic, during which he was resistant to wearing masks, Abbott now begged people to wear them.

Abbott said he understands the face coverings may be uncomfortable, but that's 'the only strategy we have left to avoid having our economy shut down again.'

'The last thing we want to do is shut things down again,' he told KRIV-TV.

Hospitals in several states are beginning to feel the strain as their beds become full and staff becomes overwhelmed.

Three states, Arizona, Arkansas and California, all reported single-day record highs in coronavirus-related hospitalizations.

And in Louisiana, after reaching a low of 542 patients on June 13, the state rebounded as is now reporting 1,042 hospitalizations with 110 of those patients requiring ventilators.

That's the highest level in the state since Phase 1 reopening began on May 15.

On Wednesday, Louisiana's Gov John Bel Edwards said the state is 'going in the wrong direction' and has wuped nearly erasing all the gains it had made against the virus in just three weeks.

In Florida, nearly half of the state's intensive-care units intensive care units are 90 percent full while at least 20 percent have reached capacity, state data shows.

According to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, 95 hospital ICUs were at least 90 percent full on Thursday while 45 hospital ICUs were at capacity.

At least 46 others had just one bed available.

'Three months ago, everyone joined in a shared goal of flattening the curve, which was temporarily accomplished,' Larry Antonucci, CEO of Southwest Florida’s Lee Health hospital system told USA TODAY.

'The curve is no longer flat. Instead we have a spike in cases and the spike is growing fast.'

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.cnbc.com

California closes indoor restaurants, movie theaters and all bars statewide as coronavirus cases rise

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered all counties in the state to close all bar operations and the indoor operations of businesses including restaurants, movie theaters and museums, as Covid-19 cases continue to climb.
www.cnbc.com www.cnbc.com
(fair use applies)

California closes indoor restaurants, movie theaters and all bars statewide as coronavirus cases rise
Noah Higgins-Dunn
Published Mon, Jul 13 20203:22 PM EDT Updated 5 Hours Ago

Key Points
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered all counties in the state to close all bars and the indoor operations of businesses including restaurants, movie theaters and museums, as Covid-19 cases continue to climb.
  • The businesses will be allowed to operate outdoors, if possible, except for bars, he said.
  • In addition to the statewide order, Newsom said he would also close indoor operations for fitness centers, worship services, personal care services, malls, offices, hair salons and barbershops for 30 counties on California’s monitoring list, which represent 80% of the state’s population.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all bars and all dine-in restaurants, movie theaters, museums and other indoor businesses across the state to close Monday as Covid-19 cases continue to climb.

The affected businesses include all operations at bars and the indoor operations at restaurants, wineries and tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums and cardrooms. All except for bars will be allowed to operate outdoors, if possible, he said.

NEW: #COVID19 cases continue to spread at alarming rates.​
​
CA is now closing indoor operations STATEWIDE for:​
​
-Restaurants​
-Wineries​
-Movie theaters, family entertainment​
-Zoos, museums​
-Cardrooms​
​
Bars must close ALL operations.​
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 13, 2020​

The order comes after Newsom previously ordered these businesses to close in counties on the state’s “monitoring list.” The new order, which will now apply across the state, is effective immediately, Newsom said.

In addition to the statewide order, Newsom also ordered the closure of indoor operations for fitness centers, worship services, personal care services, malls, offices, hair salons and barbershops for all counties that have been on California’s monitoring list for three or more consecutive days, which represent 80% of the state’s population. There are now 30 counties on the list, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange counties, Newsom said.

Effective immediately, CA is closing some indoor business operations statewide and additional indoor business operations in counties on @CAPublicHealth Monitoring List for 3 consecutive days.​
​
Find the updated list of counties here: COVID19.CA.GOV pic.twitter.com/W3wBJp2ap5​
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) July 13, 2020​

Newsom said the state recorded 8,358 new cases on Sunday. The state’s positivity rate, or the percentage of all tests returning positive, has ticked up to 7.4%.

“The data suggests not everyone is acting with common sense,” Newsom said at a press conference Monday.

California hospitals also reported an increase in the number of coronavirus patients, growing 28% over a two-week period, he said. There were 6,485 people hospitalized with Covid-19 as of Sunday.

The Golden State governor’s order on Monday marks one of the largest rollbacks any state has issued since reopening their economies. Newsom reminded residents to limit their interactions with people outside their households and encouraged them to meet outside if they do meet.

Earlier on Monday, two of California’s largest school districts, Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified, issued a joint statement announcing that they will begin the fall school year online.

In the statement, the school districts said much of the research surrounding the coronavirus and children is still unknown and many of the guidelines for reopening are “vague and contradictory.”

“One fact is clear: those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither,” according to the statement.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.latimes.com

Opinion: Oh no. It's Lockdown 2.0

No tattoos. No touch ups. No Pilates. No God. It's Lockdown 2.0, SoCal style.
www.latimes.com www.latimes.com
(fair use applies)

Opinion: Oh no. It’s Lockdown 2.0
By Mariel Garza Editorial Writer
July 13, 2020 4:14 PM

Here we go again. California is back on coronavirus lockdown.

And we have no one to blame but ourselves.

With the harshest of initial pandemic closures lifted around Memorial Day, many Californians seemed to think the danger from the novel coronavirus was over and rushed out to make up for three terrible months of quarantine.

We partied, we protested, we patronized salons and stores. And too often, we did so without maintaining a safe distance from others or wearing a face mask. Businesses ignored infection-control rules in large numbers, and some county sheriffs refused to enforce the rules.

And — surprise, surprise — the virus took full advantage of our lowered defenses. COVID-19 cases have risen steadily over the past month, with Los Angeles as the hottest hot spot in the state. More troubling: Hospital admissions rose, too, as did the percentage of coronavirus tests that come back positive. Health officials said they expect to see the COVID-19 mortality rate, which has been decreasing, start rising again in the next few weeks.

It was just a matter of time before Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state back on lockdown.

On Monday, he did just that, announcing a significant rollback of the state’s reopening plan in an attempt to flatten this new curve. Lockdown 2.0 is not as extreme as the first version. For one thing, Californians will still be able to enjoy dining out — but only if they remain outside. Indoor dining, as well as wine tasting and movie going, are prohibited statewide.

Things are more strict in the 30 counties that have been on the governor’s COVID-19 watch list for three consecutive days, which includes all of Southern California.

Short version for SoCal: No tattoos. No touch ups. No pedicures. No Pilates. No movie premieres. No barhopping. No Sunday Mass.

What’s a Southern Californian to do?

Newsom likened the new orders to lowering the dimmer switch on reopening. It’s an analogy he’s quite fond of using when discussing pandemic restrictions. But it feels as if the lights just went out. Again.

Some of the restrictions seem reasonable. Bars, for example: Drinking alcohol generally makes people less cautious, and crowding a bunch of drinkers together seems like a particularly bad idea right now. But why pick on salons and tattoo parlors? I haven’t seen any evidence suggesting they are a major source of transmission.

If it’s any consolation, California is not alone. The coronavirus is surging in 39 U.S. states. Florida has had more confirmed cases of COVID-19 than most countries. Hong Kong is also closing gyms, movie theaters and indoor restaurants and banning gatherings of more than four people to get control of a sharp increase in new cases.

Barbara Ferrer, the public health director for Los Angeles County, tried to lift spirits Monday as she closed a briefing on the latest cases and deaths. “We flattened the curve before, and I know we can do it again,” she said.

We have to, because we’re not getting out of this second shutdown until then.

This time, however, let’s do it the right way. State, county and city officials must make the rules clear to everyone — and then enforce them. With fines if necessary. During the 1918 flu pandemic, San Francisco authorities fined individuals $5 or $10 if they refused to comply with the face mask requirements. That’s the equivalent of $100 or $200 in today’s dollars.

Newsom has tried being the nice governor. But he must get tough now. We can’t keep going through a closing and reopening cycle until there’s a vaccine — assuming there will be one. The episodic shutdowns will destroy the economy, not to mention the will to get out of bed in the morning.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.wfla.com

Florida coronavirus: More than 8,000 hospitalized with COVID-19 throughout state

We finally know the number of coronavirus patients hospitalized in the Tampa Bay area right now. The state released the numbers after weeks of pressure.
www.wfla.com www.wfla.com
(fair use applies)

Florida coronavirus: More than 8,000 hospitalized with COVID-19 throughout state
Mahsa Saeidi
Posted: Jul 13, 2020 / 07:24 PM EDT / Updated: Jul 13, 2020 / 07:24 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Four months into the coronavirus pandemic, and Florida has finally revealed the number of current coronavirus hospitalizations.

As of Monday evening, more than 8,000 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized across the state. That figure includes 1,065 people in the Tampa Bay area.

Hillsborough County has the most hospitalizations among the Tampa Bay area counties, followed by Pinellas and then Polk.

“We are actively caring for these people, doing everything we can to help them improve and get better,” said Hershey Pyle, who has been an ICU nurse for 30 years in Polk County.

Florida had been reporting hospital bed capacity. But the state wasn’t revealing if COVID-19 patients were in the beds.

Public health experts said that coronavirus patient data was critical to understanding the severity of the pandemic.

“Is it more difficult to take care of a coronavirus patient?” investigative reporter Mahsa Saeidi asked.

“It is more difficult, they are extremely sick, they require multiple medications that we’re giving them throughout the day, 24 hours around the clock,” Pyle explained.

It doesn’t just require more time though. Pyle says taking care of a coronavirus patient requires stricter protocols and more staff members.

“When they’re very sick, to help recuperate some of the lung space, we will actually lay them on their belly,” said Pyle. “Frequently, we will have a one-on-one, (meaning) one nurse is assigned to that one patient.”

While the goal is to have one nurse to one patient, it doesn’t always happen with staffing shortages.

It’s important to note, the state’s data doesn’t say if the patients are in general hospital beds or the intensive care unit.

LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:
  • Key West requires everyone over 6-years-old to wear a face covering whenever they leave home
  • BayCare to pause some non-urgent surgeries in Hillsborough, Polk counties
  • Surge in coronavirus hospitalizations taking toll on Manatee County EMS
  • Florida coronavirus: More than 8,000 hospitalized with COVID-19 throughout state
  • Coronavirus cases down in 15 to 34 age group but up in others, Hillsborough County data shows

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.cnn.com

Florida has more Covid-19 than most countries in the world. These stats show how serious the problem is | CNN

What should be a booming tourist destination this time of year is now riddled with coronavirus, dwarfing other states and even entire countries in some metrics.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com
(fair use applies)

Florida has more Covid-19 than most countries in the world. These stats show how serious the problem is
By Holly Yan and Amanda Watts
Updated 4:14 PM ET, Mon July 13, 2020

What should be a booming tourist destination this time of year is now riddled with coronavirus, dwarfing other states and even entire countries in some metrics.

Here's what the situation in Florida looks like:

Florida had more new cases in 1 day than the entire US did in about 2 months

Florida reported its highest number of new Covid-19 cases in one day -- 15,300 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

That's a new record for the most new cases in a single day from any state -- including New York state earlier in the pandemic.

It took the entire United States 59 days to top 15,000 combined cases -- from January 21 to March 20.

It also took the entire US more than two months from the start of the outbreak to top 15,000 new cases in a single day.

That happened on March 26, when the US had 18,036 new cases in a single day, according to Johns Hopkins data.

Florida has 12x the cases of Australia and South Korea combined

Australia and South Korea both have more people than Florida, but both countries have seen just a fraction of the Covid-19 cases that Florida has.

Australia (population 25 million) has had 9,980 cases of Covid-19, according to data Monday from Johns Hopkins University.

South Korea (population 51 million) has had 13,479 coronavirus cases as of Monday.

Florida (population 21 million) has had 282,435 Covid-19 cases by Monday, according to Johns Hopkins.

In other words, Florida's Covid-19 cases has topped Australia's and South Korea's combined -- times 12.

Florida's Covid-19 death toll is like 10 jumbo jets crashing

At least 4,277 Floridians have died from Covid-19.

A Boeing 747 plane can carry about 400 passengers. That means the coronavirus death toll from Florida is about the same as if 10 jumbo jets crashed, killing everyone on board.

Florida has triple the number of China's Covid-19 cases [my comment : China's REPORTED cases]

Six months ago, the world thought this new coronavirus was contained to China -- specifically, the Wuhan area.

But now, the entire country of China has less than 1/3 the total Covid-19 cases that Florida does, according to Johns Hopkins data. As of Monday, China had 85,117 total cases since the pandemic started, compared to Florida's 282,435.

Florida has surpassed Italy in Covid-19 cases, too

Italy came under worldwide scrutiny for its handling of Covid-19 as the disease quickly spread out of control.

But after strict government mandates, the country has managed to quell the virus and has largely returned to normal.

As of Monday, Italy (population 60 million) had 243,230 cases from throughout the pandemic. Florida (population 21 million) has already surpassed that number, at 282,435.

Florida's death toll, however, remains lower than Italy's -- 4,277 in Florida, compared to 34,954 in Italy.

Florida has more Covid-19 cases than most countries

If Florida were a country, it would rank No. 9 in the number of Covid-19 cases worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins data Monday.

Eight countries have higher counts than Florida: the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, Peru, Chile, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

And more than 100 countries have fewer Covid-19 cases than Florida, including France, Germany and Japan.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
(fair use applies)

At the ‘epicenter’ of the COVID pandemic, Miami-Dade mayor resists more closures
By Douglas Hanks and Alex Daugherty
July 13, 2020 04:01 PM , Updated 5 hours 41 minutes ago

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Monday he wants to see if existing restaurant restrictions, an ongoing 10 p.m. curfew and a countywide mask order help stabilize the county’s alarming COVID numbers before forcing more businesses to close.

Gimenez is under pressure on both sides, with cities and restaurant groups criticizing last week’s ban on indoor dining and Miami-Dade seeing much more coronavirus spread and hospitalizations than when the county mayor ordered all nonessential businesses to close in March.

“We’re not there yet. But everything is on the table. I don’t think anyone on this call wants to take that drastic step,” Gimenez said at a Monday morning online press conference with local doctors advising him on Miami-Dade’s COVID plan. “If we simply follow the rules, and keep our masks on and keep our distance, wash our hands, that we’ve opened can be done in a relatively safe way. ... Right now, I don’t have any intention of going further.”

The mayor’s press conference was announced after political rivals scheduled their own Monday morning media event to criticize the county’s response. Miami-Dade Democrats repeatedly criticized Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, and Gimenez, a Republican congressional candidate, for failing to communicate on hiring contact tracers.

“I hope that the governor and mayor will come to their senses and work with all of us to act quickly,” said Miami-Dade Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, whom Gimenez hopes to challenge as the Republican nominee in Florida’s 26th Congressional District.

“At best, we have a hole in our leadership at the state level and at the federal level,” Democratic state Sen. Oscar Braynon said. “A coordinated effort between federal, state and local leaders would have stopped us from breaking the [COVID case] record yesterday.”

County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, who is running for Miami-Dade mayor, said DeSantis should activate a temporary field hospital in Miami Beach, which has not accepted a single patient since opening in April but remains open.

“We have a field hospital in Miami Beach, but it hasn’t been activated,” Levine Cava said. “The governor has said we’re bringing in 100 nurses from out of state, but we don’t have a plan. We don’t have a state plan, we don’t have a county plan. Some have estimated we need 10,000 contact tracers. We need to get started.”

On Sunday night, Miami Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala. the health secretary under President Bill Clinton, called for a 21-day shutdown.

Doctors call current situation ‘extremely grave’

Doctors on Gimenez’s call described Miami-Dade’s COVID situation as “extremely grave” and placing the county in the “epicenter” of the current COVID pandemic that once was ravaging New York and China. They urged the public to comply with county rules on businesses and public spaces, including requirements to wear masks.

“We really need your help. Miami is now the epicenter of the pandemic. What we were seeing in Wuhan five or six months ago, now we are there,” said Dr. Lillian Abbo, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Miami and chief of infection control at the county’s tax-funded Jackson hospital system.

Miami-Dade’s daily count of reported COVID cases topped 3,200 on Monday, a fraction of the more than 50,000 reported daily from the Chinese province of Wuhan. And New York City’s COVID measures remain far more alarming than Miami-Dade’s. While Miami-Dade is seeing about one in four COVID tests come back positive, roughly 70% were testing positive at the peak of New York’s outbreak in the spring.

But the county numbers are far worse than what Miami-Dade faced when Gimenez reopened restaurants and nonessential businesses on May 18. Then, COVID patients occupied about 22% of the county’s supply of intensive-care beds. On Monday, they occupied 98% of ICU beds.

Abbo said she’d welcome more business restrictions but not at the expense of more people being pushed into financial turmoil.

“Yes, I would love to order a lockdown. However, we are trying to prevent that,” she said. “Because we understand how important the economy is ... for people to be able to pay their day-to-day bills and survive.”

Gimenez said the public needs to take the mask rules seriously and make it socially unacceptable to ignore them.

“All of us have to have a little bit of peer pressure in enforcing the rules,” he said. “It’s not OK to take off your mask in front of me, thank you very much. Because you may have the virus. As a matter of fact, I may have it. That’s the message that needs to be driven home.”

He declined to say whether he’d asked the White House to encourage President Donald Trump to cover his face when he flew to Miami late last week and greeted Gimenez without a mask, an apparent violation of the mayor’s own emergency rule that masks be worn in public places. The county has not answered what exemption applied to Trump, except that the White House requires people greeting the president to be tested for COVID ahead of time (as Gimenez said he was).

“The president of the United States has extraordinary measures that protect him,” Gimenez said Monday. Trump wore a mask for the first time in front of the media the next day while visiting a military hospital near the White House on Saturday.

On Monday, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said he thinks the president and DeSantis should reinforce the wearing of masks, especially if they appear in Miami-Dade County.

“I’d love for the president to come out and say everyone should wear a mask in public,” Suarez told the Miami Herald. “I’d love for the governor to say that as well. There’s a segment of the population that listens to them and only then. We would all benefit if they would say that.”

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.houstonchronicle.com

Republican committees in 8 Texas counties vote to censure Gov. Abbott over COVID response

Eight county Republicans Executive Committees have now voted to censure the Republican...
www.houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com
(fair use applies)

Republican committees in 8 Texas counties vote to censure Gov. Abbott over COVID response
Jeremy Wallace
July 13, 2020 Updated: July 13, 2020 8:16 p.m.

Republicans in eight different Texas counties have now voted to censure Gov. Greg Abbott for his order requiring Texans to wear face coverings and take other protective measures as COVID-19 spreads throughout the state.

Over the weekend, the Henderson County Republican Party Executive Committee, just west of Tyler, held an emergency meeting to censure Abbott, a Republican, for not calling the Texas Legislature into a special session to help manage the COVID-19 emergency.

Since July 4, seven other county Republican Party Executive Committees around the state have approved censures of Abbott, including in Montgomery County, where they voted 40-0 on the censure.

The Montgomery County Republican Executive Committee’s censure resolution says Abbott has acted with “disregard to the Texas Constitution,” pointing to the mandated mask requirement for people in counties with at least 20 positive cases, limiting gatherings and the closing of bars across the state.

It’s similar to a censure resolution passed by Ector County Republicans in the Odessa-Midland area.

“The Ector County Republican Executive Board decided it would be a fitting day for us to send a clear message to Governor Abbott,” the party wrote on its Facebook page. “A message that we will no longer sit quietly while he over reaches his authority again, again, and again.”

Those censures now go to the state Republican Party where members could vote on censuring Abbott when they hold their state convention, which was scheduled for this week in Houston before Mayor Sylvester Turner blocked the in-person convention in the city out of fear it could spread the virus.

Abbott in television interviews last week acknowledged his orders have upset some people.

“So I knew when I issued this executive order that there would be some people in various parts of the state of Texas who may not be pleased about it,” he told Fox 26 in Houston. “Candidly, it is inconsistent with what I would want to do.”

REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES THAT VOTED TO CENSURE GOV. ABBOTT

Montgomery County

Ector County

Llano County

Harrison County

Denton County

Hood County

Eastland County

Henderson County

He said his decisions are guided by the “magnitude of the spread of the coronavirus” and how it has strained ICU capacity in Texas hospitals.

On Friday, in another television interview on KRGV in the Rio Grande Valley, Abbott said he felt he had to issue the mask requirement as “a last best chance we have to avoid a lockdown.” He said the last thing he wants to do is issue a stay-at-home order statewide and potentially damage the economy.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
patch.com

Texas Coronavirus Count Exceeds 264K, 43 New Deaths

The daily positivity rate on Monday was 16.85 percent, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
patch.com patch.com
(fair use applies)

Texas Coronavirus Count Exceeds 264K, 43 New Deaths
The daily positivity rate on Monday was 16.85 percent, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
By Tony Cantu
Jul 13, 2020 3:45 am CT
Updated Jul 13, 2020 11:11 pm CT

Texas gained another 5,655 additional cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, pushing the historical count to more than 264,000. In the same time period, another 43 people succumbed to the respiratory illness virus, raising the historical death count to 3,235.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the daily positivity rate on Monday was 16.85 percent. According to the agency's statistical dashboard, the number of cases since the onset of illness began sweeping across the state now stands at 264,313.

Since the onset of illness across the state, 136,419 Texas residents have recovered from the contagious repiratory illness for which there is no cure. However, there are currently 124,659 patients currently hospitalized.

The counties with the highest concentration of illness are:

Harris: 45,368 cases.
Dallas: 33,800 cases.
Bexar: 19,648 cases.
Tarrant: 18,161 cases.
Travis: 14,788 cases.
El Paso: 9,716 cases.
Hidalgo: 8,040 cases.

From earlier:

AUSTIN, TX — More than 8,000 new cases of the coronavirus were reported on Sunday across the state — a record number for a day considered one of the slower days for new diagnoses — raising the historical illness count to 258,658 from the previous day. Moreover, 80 new deaths from the respiratory illness were reported over the past 24 hours.

The number of new cases on Sunday totaled 8,196. The four score of new deaths brings the historical fatality count to 3,192, as shown on a statistical dashboard maintained by Texas Department of State Health Services. While 132,638 patients have recovered from the respiratory illness, there are 122,828 active cases of illness across the state.

The uptick comes one day after state health officials reported 10,351 new coronavirus cases as the state surpassed the 250,000 mark in positive diagnoses thus far. Also on Saturday, 99 more deaths from the viral infection were reported.

Illness rates have grown exponentially since Gov. Greg Abbott began an aggressive economic reopening on May 1. Since then — as he's witnessed cases rise exponentially — the governor has taken steps aimed at curbing spread of the scourge.

To that end, Abbott previously scaled back on his economic reopening by pausing the time when already opened businesses can operate at 100 percent occupancy. He's also ordered bars to close up again, barred all elective surgeries and medical procedures to accommodate a growing number of coronavirus patients and mandated the wearing of protective face coverings — a reversal in stance for a governor who previously extolled the virtues of "individual responsibility" in first making their wearing optional.

On Sunday, Abbott announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has extended federal support of Community-Based Testing Sites in Dallas and Houston — both in counties the hardest hit by the illness wave — through July 31 to screen for the coronavirus. He previously secured an extension of these sites in June.

Anticipating more spikes in illness this week, Abbott on Friday deployed additional federal resources to help fight the coronavirus scourge in the Houston region. In an advisory issued Friday evening, the governor said availability of resources are the culmination of talks with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the White House. Among the latest tools to the state arsenal in the fight against coronavirus are an Urban Area Medical Task Force from the U.S. Department of Defense expected to arrive in the region on Monday and a Disaster Medical Assistance Team from U.S. Health and Human Services.

According to the state's dashboard, the counties reporting the greatest number of cases so far are:

Harris: 43,939 cases.
Dallas: 32,626 cases.
Bexar: 19,137 cases.
Tarrant: 17,757 cases.
Travis: 14,622 cases.
El Paso: 9,510 cases.
Hidalgo: 7,727 cases.
Nueces: 5,965 cases.
Galveston: 5,873 cases.
Fort Bend: 4,758 cases.
Collin: 4,459 cases.
Denton: 3,937 cases.
Cameron: 3,854 cases.
Williamson: 3,745 cases.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
ktar.com

Arizona reports 1,357 new coronavirus cases, 8 additional deaths

Arizona reported 1,357 new coronavirus cases on Monday and eight additional deaths, increasing the state's totals to 123,824 cases and 2,245 fatalities.
ktar.com ktar.com
(fair use applies)

Arizona reports 1,357 new coronavirus cases, 8 additional deaths
By KTAR.com
July 13, 2020 at 8:24 am UPDATED: July 13, 2020 at 6:33 pm

The Arizona health department reported 1,357 new coronavirus cases on Monday morning and eight additional deaths.

That brought the state’s totals to 123,824 COVID-19 cases and 2,245 fatalities.

The Arizona Department of Health Services has been providing case and testing updates on its website each morning. The dashboard includes, among other information, testing trends, updated hospital capacity and a ZIP code map of cases.

The daily reports present data after the state receives statistics and confirms them, which can lag by several days. They don’t represent the actual activity over the past 24 hours.

New cases have been increasing in Arizona at a faster rate than testing has been increasing, indicating community spread of a virus that has no impact on some people and is seriously debilitating or fatal for others. Infected people who don’t show symptoms are still capable of spreading the coronavirus.

Face coverings can help prevent the virus’ spread and are required in public throughout the Phoenix area and many other Arizona communities when social distancing isn’t possible.

Gov. Doug Ducey gave local governments the authority to implement mask requirements on June 17, and most of the regulations were in effect within a few days. Officials said it would take several weeks for the effects of the requirements to be seen, and that’s about how long it took for the positive test percentage to stop increasing.

Arizona’s weekly positive rate for PCR tests, which diagnose active coronavirus infections, had been steadily rising since early May, when it was 5%, but is showing signs of leveling off. The positive rate for last week’s completed tests is 19%, which, if it holds up, would be the first weekly decline in 10 weeks.

The PCR positive rate peaked the week starting June 21 at 21% and remained at that level the following week. Previous weekly rates can change as test results come in for samples taken during those times.

There have been more than 701,000 PCR tests completed in Arizona since the start of the pandemic, including 6,240 added to the total Monday, with a positive rate of 14.2%. The positive rate was 14.1% on Sunday, 12% on June 30, and 6.7% on May 31.

The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients in Arizona’s hospitals declined Sunday for the second consecutive day to 3,373, 59 fewer than the previous day and the lowest point since July 5.

However, 936 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds, the most ever.

In other notable hospital data from Sunday related to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients:
  • 425 were discharged, a decrease from the previous report for the second consecutive day following four consecutive days of more than 500.
  • 1,650 were seen in emergency departments, the fifth consecutive day that number decreased.
  • 617 were on ventilators, 40 more than the record high set the previous day. (About half of the state’s ventilator supply remains unused.)
  • 99 intubations for respiratory distress were performed, one more than the previous day but well below the daily high of 121 from July 7.
For all beds, not just those with COVID-19 patients, Arizona’s hospitals remain near the fullest they’ve been during the pandemic.

Inpatient beds were 87% full Sunday, 1 percentage point below the high point seen July 9. Inpatient beds have been at least 85% full each of the past six days.

Arizona’s ICU beds were 90% full Sunday, 1 percentage point below the high point last seen July 7. ICU beds have been at least 89% full since June 30.

Hospital bed data on the health department website does not include surge beds that have not been activated but can potentially increase capacity.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
azbigmedia.com

Arizona surpasses 2 million COVID-19 cases - AZ Big Media

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona reached 1,563,193 on Friday, Jan. 14, an increase of 20,257 from the previous day.
azbigmedia.com azbigmedia.com
(fair use applies)

COVID-19 cases in Arizona top 44,000 in July alone — one-third of total cases
Business News | 2 hours ago | AZ Business Magazine

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona reached 123,824 on Monday, July 13, and the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 reached 2,245 after an increase of eight from the previous day.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona increased 1,357 from the previous day, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. In a bit of positive news, it marked the third consecutive day of diminishing increases for the state.

Of the total number of COVID-19 cases in Arizona since the start of the pandemic in January, 44,320 cases — or more than one-third of the total number of cases — have come in July alone. Here is a look at Arizona’s daily increases in cases during July:

July 1: 4,878 new cases

July 2: 3,333 new cases

July 3: 4,433 new cases

July 4: 2,695 new cases

July 5: 3,536 new cases

July 6: 3,352 new cases

July 7: 3,653 new cases

July 8: 3,520 new cases

July 9: 4,057 new cases

July 10: 4,221 new cases

July 11: 3,038 new cases

July 12: 2,237 news cases

July 13: 1,357 new cases

Arizona has climbed to No. 7 among states with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases. New York leads the nation with the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

Arizona led the U.S. in the growth of confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, and if states were viewed as their own countries, the Grand Canyon State would lead the world, according to an alarming analysis by The New York Times. Arizona state officials pushed back against that characterization, but Arizona doctors fear the situation could worsen.

For every 1 million Arizona residents, 3,300 cases of COVID-19 have been detected over the past seven days, the Times reported.

Relying on data from Johns Hopkins University, the analysis also revealed that Arizona has the country’s highest daily percentage of positive coronavirus cases, with more than 25% of tests showing a positive result.

The findings echo Arizona’s last-place ranking among 50 states in the Harvard Global Health Institute’s COVID-19 risk assessment tool on Wednesday.

Gov. Doug Ducey’s office refuted aspects of the Times analysis.

“There is no question that Arizona is experiencing a significant number of COVID cases,” spokesperson Patrick Ptak wrote in an email. But he said characterizations that Arizona is the “worst in the world lack context and are misleading and inaccurate.”

Ptak refuted the idea that Arizona is the worst in certain categories, arguing, for example, that Brazil has completed only one-sixth the number of tests per 100,000 people, and Peru has a nearly 40% positivity testing rate.

The second worst state for growth in new cases was Florida, with 2,700 cases per million residents, according to the Times analysis. South Carolina was third, with 2,300 cases. Bahrain is the first country to appear on the list, at No. 4, with 2,200 cases per million residents.

Arizona doctors and health care workers have raised the alarm about the need for more staffing, testing and personal protective gear across the state in recent weeks. Masks and social distancing are a must, according to Dr. Shad Marvasti and other experts.

“You need to really do both in order to mitigate, and ultimately, hopefully suppress the spread of COVID-19,” said Marvasti, the director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix.

Marvasti told Cronkite News he doesn’t agree with how the state moved away from face masks and social distancing, which he said were more widely used during Arizona’s stay-at-home order, and he believes more must be done to help reverse course before the state becomes an epicenter of infection.

“This basically puts us to where New York and Italy were at one point, just to give perspective in terms of where we’re at,” Marvasti said. “If we continue, obviously, we’re going to get to very similar circumstances with respect to rationing health care, and issues related to hospital beds and medical supplies.”

To slow the spread of the illness, New York City did a phased reopening and now is in phase 3, which means outdoor dining, nail salons and other services have returned. Since hitting records high in March, Italy, too, has minimized spread, according to the Times.

Arizona can replicate that success, Marvasti said.

“If you look at New York and Italy today, after several months and concerted efforts that they’ve made, and following the public health guidelines, they are now doing really well in terms of their numbers. That’s where we really want to go.”

Marvasti said Arizona is paying the price for not taking the time necessary to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The state reopened after Ducey’s stay-home order expired May 15, but he ordered some business to shut down again on June 29, when he also banned large gatherings and allowed county and city officials to require face masks in public. Since then, officials have been scrambling to enforce mask mandates and adequate social distancing in public places and businesses.

“We never really ended the first wave,” Marvasti said. “We had a little bit of a decrease, which worked because of the first shutdown, but then we had a surge because we rushed back to normal too quickly.”

He wants Ducey and state health experts to reevaluate the state’s approach, which closed only certain businesses, such as gyms and bars.

“The science tells us that being inside enclosed settings with poor ventilation is really the worst place in terms of increasing risk for COVID-19,” Marvasti said. “I think we really need to look closely at all our options, and we shouldn’t shy away from another shutdown if that’s what it takes to control the spread and save lives.”

Comparing health crises

So how do COVID-19 numbers compare nationally with other illnesses and pandemics? STAT first compared COVID-19 death projections to past pandemics and leading causes of death in early April to help Americans get a better sense of the numbers. The previous comparison used projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which now estimates the death toll will be 72,433 by Aug. 4. IHME previously predicted a death toll of 60,000, which the U.S. surpassed April 29.

For the updated comparison, STAT used a model created by Youyang Gu, an independent data scientist. The model projects 88,217 to 293,381 deaths by early August.
How this projection stacks up to past pandemics and flu seasons:

1. 1918 flu pandemic: 675,000 deaths
2. COVID-19 pandemic: 88,217 to 293,381 projected deaths
3. 2017-18 flu season: 61,000 deaths
4. 2018-19 flu season: 34,200 deaths
5. 2009 swine flu pandemic: 12,469 deaths

How this projection stacks up to the nation’s leading causes of death:

1. Heart disease: 269,583 deaths
2. Cancer: 252,500 deaths (based on 2019 data)
3. COVID-19 pandemic: 88,217 to 293,381 projected deaths
4. Stroke: 60,833 deaths
5. Alzheimer’s disease: 50,417 deaths
6. Drug overdoses: 29,265 deaths
7. Suicide: 19,583 deaths

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.kgun9.com

Arizona sees new highs in COVID-19 ventilator, ICU bed use

Arizona is reporting all-time highs in coronavirus patients using ventilators and occupying beds in intensive-care units.
www.kgun9.com www.kgun9.com
(fair use applies)

Arizona sees new highs in COVID-19 ventilator, ICU bed use
By: Associated Press
Posted at 10:03 AM, Jul 13, 2020 and last updated 5:45 PM, Jul 13, 2020

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona is reporting all-time highs in coronavirus patients using ventilators and occupying beds in intensive-care units.

The state Department of Health Services said 671 COVID-19 patients were on ventilators and 936 were in intensive care as of Sunday.

Hospitals were hovering around 90% capacity.

Health officials have reported 1,357 confirmed COVID-19 cases and eight additional deaths.

The state became one of the nation's coronavirus hot spots in May after Gov. Doug Ducey relaxed stay-at-home orders and other restrictions.

A federal judge heard arguments Monday in a fitness chain's challenge to Ducey's order shutting down gyms, bars and water parks until at least July 27.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.augustachronicle.com

Analysis: Georgia adds more than 9,300 COVID-19 cases over weekend, University Hospital brings back visitor restrictions

Georgia shot back up with 3,600 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and has added more than 9,300 new cases since a...
www.augustachronicle.com
(fair use applies)

Analysis: Georgia adds more than 9,300 COVID-19 cases over weekend, University Hospital brings back visitor restrictions
Tom Corwin
Posted Jul 13, 2020 at 4:43 PM Updated Jul 13, 2020 at 7:35 PM

Georgia shot back up with 3,600 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and has added more than 9,300 new cases since a record-breaking day Friday, while Augusta added nearly 150 cases on Monday. University also had its highest number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital.

Georgia added 3,643 new cases Monday to reach 120,569, with 25 new deaths for 3,026. Since Friday, the state has seen 9,358 new cases, an increase of 8.4%, and 61 new deaths, an increase of just over 2%, according to analysis by The Augusta Chronicle.

In the Augusta area, Richmond County saw 148 new cases to bring its total to 1,759, and Columbia County added 109 for a total of 961.

Jefferson County added 11 cases for 215, Burke County saw 15 more for 191, McDuffie County added eight for 164, Jenkins County added three for 142, Screven County saw five more for 115, Wilkes County increased by six for 115, and Lincoln and Warren counties had three more each for 67 and 34, respectively. Glascock and Taliaferro remained the same with 15 and two.

Since Friday, Richmond County has added 242 cases, nearly 16%, Columbia County County shot up 178 cases or 22.73%, Jefferson County saw 42 new cases or 24.3%, and Wilkes County increased 27 or 30.7%, according to Chronicle analysis. All other Augusta counties increased by more modest amounts.

There were two new deaths Monday in the Augusta area, one in Richmond County for 61 and in Wilkes County for two, raising the toll to 114. There were four new deaths since Friday.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported the results of 27,392 tests Monday, of which 13.3% were positive. Since Friday, the state has gotten back 70,310 results, of which 13.3% were positive, according to analysis.

After setting a record high for COVID-19 patients being treated in the hospital with 64 last week, University had 71 in the hospital on Monday, spokeswoman Rebecca Sylvester said. University also added 125 new cases since Friday and is returning Wednesday to many visitation restrictions it implemented in the spring. No visitors will be allowed for inpatients, outpatients, surgery patients or in the Emergency Department, Sylvester said. Labor and delivery patients will be allowed one support person and mothers with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will be allowed to visit between noon and 4 p.m., she said.

AU Health System was at 1,908 positive cases since March, an increase of 102 since Friday, with 38 patients in the hospital, spokeswoman Christen Engel said.

Doctors Hospital of Augusta saw 13 new cases since Friday to reach 125 with 30 patients in the hospital, spokesman Peter Moberg said.

Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta saw seven more cases to now have 159, with 54 active cases among 53 veterans and one employee, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

South Carolina saw 1,158 new cases to reach 58,003, with 11 new deaths for 961, the Department of Health and Environmental Control reported. Aiken County saw 37 new cases to reach 732 with 12 deaths and Edgefield County had five new cases for 129 with four deaths.

Since Friday, South Carolina has added 5,730 new cases or increased just under 11 percent and 39 new deaths or 4.2 percent. Aiken County added 133 cases or 22.2 percent and one death while Edgefield added 20 cases or 18.35 percent with no new deaths.

Since Friday, the state got the results of 33,339 tests, of which 17.19 percent were positive and the overall positive rate has crept up to 10.44 percent, according to analysis.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.chron.com

Atlanta, L.A., San Diego to keep schools closed

Resisting pressure from President Donald Trump, three of the nation's largest school...
www.chron.com www.chron.com
(fair use applies)

Atlanta, L.A., San Diego to keep schools closed
Laura Meckler, The Washington Post
Published 6:49 pm CDT, Monday, July 13, 2020

Resisting pressure from President Donald Trump, three of the nation's largest school districts said Monday that they will begin the new school year with all students learning from home.

Schools in Los Angeles, San Diego and Atlanta will begin entirely online, officials said Monday. Schools in Nashville plan to do the same, at least through Labor Day.

Several other big cities were considering similar plans, while others have adopted hybrid plans through which students would be in school on certain days and at home on others. Some have announced plans to open five days a week, as the White House has demanded, but they appear to be in the minority.

The decisions are another sign that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to wreak havoc on fundamental aspects of American life, and the economy, well into fall. Many parents who need to work will be left scrambling for child care. And while some schools found success with virtual school in the spring, it was a disaster for many, with little indication it will be drastically better in the new school year. In some ways, it may be more challenging because students will be starting with new teachers who do not know them.

Still, some school leaders are concluding that the risk to students and staff members is too great to allow in-person education of any kind.

"The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control," said a joint statement from the Los Angeles and San Diego districts. They said they would return to in-person learning later in the academic year, "as soon as public health conditions allow."

Monday's developments from California and Georgia, two states with surging rates of coronavirus infection, reflect the deep divide that has opened over the risks and benefits of in-person school. Trump and his senior aides emphasize the benefits to children and parents of having students in schools, while others voice concern that reopening will allow the virus to spread.

At the White House on Monday, Trump again pressed his case for in-person learning.

"Schools should be opened," he said when asked for his message to worried parents. "Schools should be opened. Kids want to go to school. You're losing a lot of lives by keeping things closed."

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos pressed the same message on Sunday, dismissing concerns about rising caseloads as "little flare-ups" that can be managed as they arise.

She also noted that children do not appear to become seriously ill or die of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, though it's less clear how easily they spread the disease.

Others are concerned about teachers and school staff members, who face more significant risks. An estimate from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 1 in 4 teachers are at elevated risk based on their age or underlying health conditions.

Asked Monday about an Arizona teacher who died of covid-19, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany focused on the benefits to children and compared teachers with other essential workers.

"There's a way for essential workers to go back to work, just as our meatpacking facilities did. Just as you all in the media are essential workers, we believe our teachers are as well," she said.

The message was more nuanced Monday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a fresh sign of the rift between Trump and the experts who work for his administration. Last week, Trump questioned the CDC guidance on schools opening, calling it too tough and expensive and pushing for changes.

In a briefing for school officials and other decision-makers, a CDC official said Monday that decisions about whether to open schools should depend on the local situation.

"We're in a very different place in the nation right now than we were even two weeks ago as far as transmission rates go," said Erin Sauber-Schatz, lead for the CDC's Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force. "There are places where transmission is low. And those places, it will be safer to open schools for students, teachers and staff."

She said the CDC would soon release new documents aimed at helping parents decide whether to send their children to school.

"There is a lot to consider. It's not a clear answer at this point in time," she said. "I can say from personal experience, it's a really tough choice."

In Atlanta, the schools had been planning a hybrid option, with students in school on certain days and learning from home on others. But amid rising cases, the superintendent announced a plan for all-virtual learning for at least the first nine weeks of school, or until the spread of the coronavirus falls off.

"In a perfect scenario, we would have a face-to-face engagement for the first day of school," Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring told the district's school board. "We also do not want to turn our ears and eyes away from the truth."

The statement from Los Angeles and San Diego said their decision was a "significant disappointment" for teachers and "an even greater disappointment to the many parents who are anxious for their students to resume their education."

They added that there will be training for teachers and students about how to better use online education.

The announcement came on the same day that California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, put many restrictions on daily life in the state back in place. He ordered bars closed and halted indoor operations of restaurants, wineries and theaters statewide, among other restrictions.

Some rural districts have said they plan to reopen fully for in-person school. In addition, districts in Kansas City, Mo.; Indianapolis; Providence, R.I.; and Reno, Nev. are planning to offer in-person school five days a week for at least some students, said Michael Casserly of the Council of Great City Schools, which represents urban districts.

But many other urban districts - including New York City, the country's largest - have announced hybrid plans. The idea is to try to create distance between students by reducing the number in the building at any given time.

"It's all over the place and changing constantly because of conditions and state directives," Casserly said.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.sun-sentinel.com

Parents should decide whether kids go back to school, governor says

In a step back, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that parents should have the right to keep their children home from school buildings in the fall, particularly in areas like South Florida that have be…
www.sun-sentinel.com www.sun-sentinel.com
(fair use applies)

Parents should decide whether kids go back to school, (FL) governor says
By Angie DiMichele
Jul 13, 2020 at 7:11 PM

In a step back, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that parents should have the right to keep their children home from school buildings in the fall, particularly in areas like South Florida that have been pummeled by COVID-19.

DeSantis and President Donald Trump both have said that schools should reopen five days a week and children should be there. But DeSantis said Monday that he understands some parents might disagree.

During a news conference in Miami, he stressed that every parent should have the option of sending their children back to school, even if they decide not to.

The return to school has grown into one of the hottest debates nationally as people like Trump insist that children should no longer learn at home and that schools can contain the coronavirus.

Many South Florida parents reacted in panic when state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said last month, “We want schools fully open” with students in classrooms. Those parents have argued that children are not safe at school as COVID-19 spreads across the landscape.

Other parents say that their kids need face-to-face instruction and a social life and that adults will find it difficult to work if their children remain at home.

DeSantis emphasized, as he has before, that children are at low risk for COVID-19. But he said he advised Corcoran to work with school districts collaboratively and recognized that South Florida’s response may differ from other Florida school districts.

“I’m not going to dictate how everything goes,” DeSantis said. “You’re going to have a lot of school districts around this state that are going to open up, and that’ll be it.”

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.newsweek.com

Oregon Governor Mandates Face Masks to be Worn Outdoors

Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced Monday that face masks will be required outdoors as well as indoors as of Wednesday, while indoor social gatherings of 10 or more people will be banned.
www.newsweek.com www.newsweek.com
(fair use applies)

Oregon Governor Mandates Face Masks to be Worn Outdoors
Aila Slisco
7/13/20 at 9:10 PM EDT

Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced on Monday that Oregon residents will soon be required to wear face masks outdoors in addition to indoors, whenever adequate physical distancing is not possible.

Brown said that expanded mask requirements would take effect on Wednesday, along with new limits on social gatherings. The governor said the restrictions were necessary because she refuses to allow the virus to "spiral out of control," while noting that the number of cases reported over the past week exceeded all of those reported throughout the month of May.

"Already Oregonians must wear face coverings in indoor public spaces. Starting on Wednesday July 15, face coverings will also be required outdoors if you cannot maintain a physical distance," Brown said. "Any time that you are outdoors, cannot maintain a physical distance of 6 feet, and you are with people you don't live with, please, please, please, put on your face covering."

Oregon reported 280 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total to 12,438 confirmed cases since the pandemic began. Over 100 new cases have been recorded each day for more than a month. The state has seen a total of 237 deaths due to the virus, with 3 of the deaths added on Monday.

Brown's order also placed strict new limits on indoor gatherings. Social gatherings of more than 10 people are now prohibited, although the limits do not currently apply to people gathered at churches or businesses.

The governor said she hoped the public would comply with the new measures, but added that an enforcement task force had been set up to intervene in cases where people are "unwilling to work with" the restrictions.

"We need to do absolutely everything we can to reduce transmission in ways that do not require us to close down businesses again," Brown said. "Let's be honest, state enforcement of limits on the size of an indoor social get-togethers will be difficult. I'm not going to set up the party police."

Brown praised residents for their previous efforts to contain the virus, saying they had "sacrificed so deeply," but warned that she would have "no choice" but to adopt more strict measures if cases continued to surge.

She said that she did not want to "go the route of Texas and California" by forcing the closure of bars and restaurants, while adding that "nothing is off the table."

"The proof here will be in the numbers," Brown said. "Either people will adhere to this requirement and be a positive force for stopping COVID-19, or I will be forced to take more restrictive measures."

Research suggests that the risk of transmitting the virus outdoors is far lower than indoors. An April study by Japanese researchers found that the virus may be 19 times more likely to be transmitted indoors.

However, experts have stressed that keeping physical distance is likely to be a much stronger protective factor than merely being outside without adequate distancing, which is believed to still pose a serious risk of transmission.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.ksl.com

Utah sees 546 new cases of COVID-19, 1 new death

Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 546 from Sunday, with one new reported death, according to the Utah Department of Health.
www.ksl.com www.ksl.com
(fair use applies)

Utah sees 546 new cases of COVID-19, 1 new death
Jacob Klopfenstein
Updated - Jul. 13, 2020 at 1:17 p.m. | Posted - Jul. 13, 2020 at 12:59 p.m.

Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 546 from Sunday, with one new reported death, according to the Utah Department of Health.

The new numbers indicate a 1.9% increase in positive cases since Sunday. Of the 418,335 tests conducted in Utah so far, about 7.2% were positive for COVID-19.

The health department now estimates that there are 12,087 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah. Another 17,728 people are estimated to have recovered from the disease because they were diagnosed with COVID-19 three or more weeks ago and have not died.

The seven-day average of daily new cases is now 655.6 cases per day, according to the health department. The positive test rate average over that time period is 10.1% positive per day.

There are a total of 207 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Utah as of Monday, according to state data. Out of those, 86 are currently in intensive care unit, or ICU, beds across the state, the health department reports.

About 67% of all ICU beds in Utah hospitals are occupied as of Monday, according to the health department. About 51% of non-ICU beds in the state are filled, state data shows.

Monday's totals give Utah 30,030 total confirmed cases, with 1,850 total hospitalizations and 216 total deaths from the disease. Previously, there were 29,484 cases in the state.

The death reported Monday was a woman from Weber County who was between the ages of 25 and 44, according to the health department. She was a resident of a long-term care facility before her death.

The total number of cases reported by the health department includes all cases of COVID-19 since Utah’s outbreak began, including those who are infected now, those who have recovered from the disease and those who have died.

There is no COVID-19 news conference scheduled for Monday. Utah officials provide updates once a week on Wednesdays or Thursdays.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.santafenewmexican.com

New Mexico at 15,291 COVID-19 cases

Santa Fe County reported three cases Monday, putting its overall number at 341.
www.santafenewmexican.com www.santafenewmexican.com
(fair use applies)

New Mexico at 15,291 COVID-19 cases
Phill Casaus
Jul 13, 2020 Updated 3 hrs ago

The nexus of New Mexico's COVID-19 battle is increasingly turning to its two most populous counties.

Bernalillo County and Doña Ana County headed the state's COVID-19 report Monday, with Doña Ana (82) and Bernalillo (59) reporting more than half of the state's daily total of 264.

Bernalillo County, centered in Albuquerque, now has 3,134 cases — the second-highest in the state, behind McKinley County, where a massive outbreak in the spring and early summer has begun to ebb. Doña Ana County, which had relatively few cases in the early months of the crisis, now has the state's fourth-highest number of cases (1,487) and has seen soaring increases in the past several weeks.

Santa Fe County reported three cases Monday, putting its overall number at 341.

In addition, the state Department of Health said three more people have died from COVID-19 — a woman in her 80s from Chaves County; a woman in her 50s from McKinley County and a man in his 90s from San Juan County. The state has reported 548 deaths related to the respiratory disease.

The Department of Health said 172 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, a figure that could include people from out of state. It also said 6,363 people have recovered.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.nwahomepage.com

Coronavirus in Arkansas: 572 new cases, hospitalizations reach record high

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Governor Asa Hutchinson announced 572 new cases of COVID-19 in Arkansas at his daily press conference on Monday, July 13. Addressing the state for the first time sin…
www.nwahomepage.com www.nwahomepage.com
(fair use applies)

Coronavirus in Arkansas: 572 new cases, hospitalizations reach record high
Heath Higgs
Posted: Jul 13, 2020 / 01:54 PM CDT Updated: Jul 13, 2020 / 02:13 PM CDT

Governor Asa Hutchinson announced 572 new cases of COVID-19 in Arkansas at his daily press conference on Monday, July 13.

Addressing the state for the first time since Friday, Hutchinson reviewed the numbers reported over the weekend, which included a record-high of 1061 new cases on Saturday and 503 new cases on Sunday.

Hutchinson shared the following map of where the cases were reported over the weekend (July 11-13).

There 572 cases announced on Monday include:

Pulaski County – 77 cases
Washington County – 53 cases
Sebastian County – 40 cases
Pope County – 25 cases
Benton County – 23 cases
Mississippi County – 23 cases

Hospitalizations due to the virus are up by 19 in Arkansas to a new all-time high of 439, Hutchinson said.

The state announced two additional deaths due to COVID-19 on Monday, raising the death toll in Arkansas to 323.

There are now 6510 cases of COVID-19 considered active by the Arkansas Department of Health, according to Secretary Dr. Nate Smith, including:

5425 in the general community
958 in correctional facilities
127 in nursing homes

Smith announced 515 recoveries from the virus on Monday, raising the total recoveries to 22,106 in Arkansas.

The state reported 5254 tests performed over the last 24 hours.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.wsoctv.com

COVID-19 in the Carolinas: Nearly 12,000 more NC patients presumed recovered

Here is a daily breakdown of what you need to know surrounding COVID-19 in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
www.wsoctv.com www.wsoctv.com
(fair use applies)

COVID-19 in the Carolinas: Nearly 12,000 more NC patients presumed recovered
By: WSOCTV.com News Staff and The Associated Press
Updated: July 13, 2020 - 5:57 PM

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported at least 1,827 new COVID-19 cases Monday morning as the state reported 20,889 completed COVID-19 tests (percent positive of nearly 9%). It is the 20th consecutive day North Carolina has reported more than 1,000 new cases.

DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said this week she would like to see the percent positive number fall to 5%.

Hospitalizations dipped again to 1,040 after Saturday’s record high of 1,093 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, however, only 80% of hospitals reported their data to NCDHHS on Monday.
Content Continues Below

Currently, 25% of hospital in-patient beds and 23% of intensive care unit beds are available statewide.

NCDHHS also reported 11,806 new COVID-19 recoveries this week, for a total of 67,124 patients presumed to be recovered.

Because NCDHHS and North Carolina hospitals do not track when individual patients recover from COVID-19, the department provides a number of patients presumed to be recovered each week based on an average recovery period of 14 days for non-hospitalized patients and 28 days for hospitalized patients.

However, it is unclear at this time whether those patients are still infectious and could spread the disease to others in the state.

New cases vary day by day based on a lot of factors. That can include how long it takes to get results back, so a new case reported today can really be several days old. The 7-day average for cases is about 1,800.

The other big metric we watch is the percent of positive cases. This is data we can only get from the state because it’s not as simple as factoring a percent of new cases each day from the number of tests. That’s because test results take days and come from a variety of places.

In South Carolina, the Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Monday 1,532 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 13 additional confirmed deaths. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 58,003 and confirmed deaths to 961.

The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC on Sunday statewide was 7,230 (not including antibody tests) and the percent positive was 21.2%.

There are currently 1,488 hospital beds occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19, and 205 of those patients are currently on ventilators. [...]

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.counton2.com

Data reveals South Carolinians who gather in groups of 50 have nearly 100% chance of contacting COVID-19

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – New data from Georgia Tech reveals your risk of exposure to the coronavirus after appearing in a crowd. According to the new model, if you are in a group of 50 you have an…
www.counton2.com www.counton2.com
(fair use applies)

Data reveals South Carolinians who gather in groups of 50 have nearly 100% chance of contacting COVID-19
Tim Renaud
Posted: Jul 13, 2020 / 10:44 AM EDT / Updated: Jul 13, 2020 / 06:30 PM EDT

New data from Georgia Tech reveals your risk of exposure to the coronavirus after appearing in a crowd.

According to the new model, if you are in a group of 50 you have an 84% chance of being with someone who is infected in Georgia, and a 98% chance if you live in Arizona. Those percentages turn a little grimmer back home, revealing your risk in South Carolina is nearly 100%.

The data shows your risk of contracting the virus is slightly lower when attending gatherings like dinner parties, which is approximately a 36% chance.

Researchers say the information is based on real-time COVID-19 surveillance data.

You can view the map and see the most recent data by clicking here and visiting the Real-time US and state level estimates.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.wjtv.com

393 new coronavirus cases, one additional death reported in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is reporting 393 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Mississippi. One additional death was also reported. That brings…
www.wjtv.com www.wjtv.com
(fair use applies)

393 new coronavirus cases, one additional death reported in Mississippi
Posted: Jul 13, 2020 / 11:46 AM CDT / Updated: Jul 13, 2020 / 05:35 PM CDT

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is reporting 393 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Mississippi. One additional death was also reported.

That brings the state’s total number of cases to 36,680 with 1,250 deaths.

New COVID-19 related deaths reported to MSDH as of 6 p.m. yesterday. [...]

Estimated Recoveries

Presumed COVID-19 cases recovered, estimated weekly (does not include cases still under investigation).

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.waaytv.com

Alabama adds 1,860 new coronavirus cases; total at 54,768

Stay with WAAY 31 for the most up to date coronavirus information
www.waaytv.com www.waaytv.com
(fair use applies)

Alabama adds 1,860 new coronavirus cases; total at 54,768
Ashley Thusius
Posted: Jul 13, 2020 10:26 AM Updated: Jul 13, 2020 11:19 AM

As of 10 a.m. Monday, July 13, the Alabama Department of Public Health says 54,768 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Alabama since it began testing in March. That's an increase of 1,860 cases from Sunday.

The department says 17,301 cases have been confirmed in the last 14 days. It also says there are 25,783 presumed recoveries in the state.

The state reports the total number of hospitalizations since March 13 is 6,745. It also confirmed three more coronavirus deaths, bringing the state total to 1,096.

You can find the amount of coronavirus cases for North Alabama counties, the number of cases added in the last 14 days and how many coronavirus deaths are confirmed below. You can find data for all counties in the state here.

Madison County: 2,535 total cases/ 1,539 new cases in last 14 days/ 9 deaths

Morgan County: 1,397 total cases/ 458 new cases in last 14 days/ 5 deaths

Limestone County: 665 total cases/ 271 new cases in last 14 days/ 3 deaths

Lawrence County: 146 total cases/ 49 new cases in last 14 days/ 0 deaths

Marshall County: 2,050 total cases/ 597 new cases in last 14 days/ 12 deaths

DeKalb County: 1,001 total cases/ 439 new cases in last 14 days/ 7 deaths

Jackson County: 442 total cases/ 238 new cases in last 14 days/ 2 deaths

Lauderdale County: 600 total cases/ 208 new cases in last 14 days/ 6 deaths

Colbert County: 528 total cases/ 170 new cases in last 14 days/ 6 deaths

Franklin County: 950 total cases/ 119 new cases in last 14 days/ 16 deaths

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.kvrr.com

North Dakota reports 108 new COVID-19 cases Monday - KVRR Local News

CASS COUNTY, N.D.–The North Dakota Department of Health reports 108 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. Twenty counties report new cases. Cass County reports the most new cases with 28 and Burleigh County the second most with 21. No new deaths were reported on Monday. North Dakota’s COVID-19 numbers...
www.kvrr.com www.kvrr.com
(fair use applies)

North Dakota reports 108 new COVID-19 cases Monday
No new deaths were reported on Monday.
Kendra Johnson
July 13, 2020

The North Dakota Department of Health reports 108 new COVID-19 cases on Monday.

Twenty counties report new cases. Cass County reports the most new cases with 28 and Burleigh County the second most with 21.

No new deaths were reported on Monday.

North Dakota’s COVID-19 numbers: 4,442 positive cases, 43 current hospitalizations, 3,653 people recovered and 87 deaths.

Cass County accounts for 2,502 of the total positive cases and 72 of the total deaths.


BY THE NUMBERS

233,097 – Total Number of Tests Completed* (+4,564 total tests from yesterday)

123,878 – Total Unique Individuals Tested* (+1,399 unique individuals from yesterday)

119,436 – Total Negative (+1,291 unique individuals from yesterday)

4,442 – Total Positive (+108 unique individuals from yesterday)

2.4% – Daily Positivity Rate**

277 – Total Hospitalized (+6 individual from yesterday)

43 – Currently Hospitalized (+5 individuals from yesterday)

3,653 – Total Recovered (+83 individuals from yesterday)

87 – Total Deaths*** (+0 individual from yesterday)

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED TODAY

Bottineau County – 1
Burleigh County – 21
Cass County – 28
Cavalier County – 2
Dickey County – 1
Dunn County – 2
Grand Forks County – 11
Grant County – 1
LaMoure County – 1
Logan County – 1
McIntosh County – 1
McKenzie County – 5
Morton County – 4
Mountrail County – 2
Ramsey County – 2
Stark County – 1
Stutsman County – 2
Walsh County – 11
Ward County – 3
Williams County – 8

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
news.yahoo.com

Mystery as Argentine sailors infected with virus after 35 days at sea

Argentina is trying to solve a medical mystery after 57 sailors were infected with the coronavirus after 35 days at sea, despite the entire crew testing negative before leaving port. The Echizen Maru fishing trawler returned to port after some of its crew began exhibiting symptoms typical of...
news.yahoo.com
(fair use applies)

Mystery as Argentine sailors infected with virus after 35 days at sea
July 13, 2020, 11:57 pm

Argentina is trying to solve a medical mystery after 57 sailors were infected with the coronavirus after 35 days at sea, despite the entire crew testing negative before leaving port.

The Echizen Maru fishing trawler returned to port after some of its crew began exhibiting symptoms typical of COVID-19, the health ministry for the southern Tierra del Fuego province said Monday.

According to the ministry, 57 sailors, out of 61 crew members, were diagnosed with the virus after undergoing a new test.

However, all of the crew members had undergone 14 days of mandatory quarantine at a hotel in the city of Ushuaia. Prior to that, they had negative results, the ministry said in a statement.

Two of the other sailors have tested negative, and two others are awaiting test results, the province's emergency operations committee said.

Two sailors were hospitalized.

"It's hard to establish how this crew was infected, considering that for 35 days, they had no contact with dry land and that supplies were only brought in from the port of Ushuaia," said Alejandra Alfaro, the director of primary health care in Tierra del Fuego.

A team was examining "the chronology of symptoms in the crew to establish the chronology of contagion," she said.

The head of the infectious diseases department at Ushuaia Regional Hospital, Leandro Ballatore, said he believed this is a "case that escapes all description in publications, because an incubation period this long has not been described anywhere."

"We cannot yet explain how the symptoms appeared," said Ballatore.

The crew was placed in isolation on board the ship and returned to the port of Ushuaia.

Argentina exceeded 100,000 total cases on Sunday, and the death toll rose to 1,859. The majority of infections are in the Buenos Aires area.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.newsweek.com

Brazil Covid-19 Deaths Rapidly Approaching U.S. Toll

The two countries lead the world for COVID-19 cases and fatalities.
www.newsweek.com www.newsweek.com
(fair use applies)

Brazil COVID-19 Deaths Rapidly Approaching U.S. Toll
Kashmira Gander
7/13/20 at 12:48 PM EDT

Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. continues to lead the world in cases and deaths. But experts fear Brazil is in danger of overtaking it when it comes to fatalities.

Over the weekend, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 230,370 new global COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours preceding July 12, 10:00 CEST—a record spike. The U.S. and Brazil had the most new cases—at 66,281 and 45,048, respectively—and deaths, at 803 in the former and 1,214 the latter.

The U.S. accounts for 3.3 million of the 12.9 million confirmed worldwide coronavirus cases, and more than 135,000 of the almost 570,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. In recent weeks, the U.S. has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases, with Southern states hit particularly hard.

Meanwhile, Brazil is the second worst-hit country, as shown in the Statista graph below, with over 1.8 million reported coronavirus cases and over 72,000 deaths. However, Anya Prusa, senior associate at the Brazil Institute of the U.S.-based Wilson Center think tank, told Newsweek the number of cases is likely higher. There is a broad consensus Brazil is underreporting cases, she said, especially because testing is still limited. The daily test positivity rate, or the percentage of people who test positive for infection of all those tested, is 33.2 percent in Brazil, with countries testing widely tending to be closer to 5 percent.

"This suggests that people who are getting tested in Brazil are likely those with obvious symptoms or at high risk, and that many who have more mild symptoms may not be getting tested," said Prusa. One study published last week estimated the figure could be as high as 9 million.

Last week, Luis Felipe López-Calva, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said COVID-19 deaths in the region are likely "vastly underestimated," including in Brazil. Excess deaths, or those above the average expected during a period of time, can help elucidate the impact of a new infectious disease like COVID-19. Data collected by The Economist cited by López-Calva showed 32 percent of excess deaths in Rio de Janeiro were unaccounted for by confirmed COVID-19 deaths, with that percentage as high as 80 in Manaus. Similar findings have been made in the U.S.

Miguel Lago, executive director of the Brazil-based non-profit the Institute for Health Policy Studies, told Newsweek he believes Brazil will surpass the U.S. in terms of deaths "in the next few weeks."

He pointed to research published by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in May forecasting that deaths in Brazil will exceed 125,000 in early August and continue rising after that. In late June, the IHME forecast 166,362 people will die through October 1, based on the assumption that officials will impose or keep social distancing measures when deaths per day in each state reach 8 per million people. On Monday, an IHME graph suggested that Brazil would overtake the U.S. in total deaths by early August.

In a statement published alongside the June forecast, IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray commented: "Brazil is at a grim tipping point."

"Unless and until the government takes sustained and enforced measures to slow transmission, the nation will continue its tragic upward trajectory of infections and deaths."

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has been compared to President Donald Trump in both his populist politics and his downplaying of the pandemic. Last week, he tested positive for the coronavirus.

Back in March in the early days of the pandemic, Bolosonaro described the coronavirus as a "little flu," and also said "Brazilians should be studied. We don't catch anything. You see people jumping in sewage, diving in it and nothing happens to them."

After COVID-19 reached Brazil, businesses and borders in the country were closed, but the president expanded the list of essential businesses to include personal service establishments and gyms. He said lockdowns were "the path to failure, to breaking Brazil."

Lago said: "It's clear that the country is not leading fair responses to the pandemic, so I don't see anything that could stop this trend."

He went on: "If nothing changes Brazil will become the biggest victim of COVID-19 in the world. Politics are to be blamed for that."

Brazil is one of the few developing nations to have the capacity to deal with COVID-19 in terms of healthcare and social policies, Lago said, as it has built one of the largest universal healthcare systems in the world over the past thirty years and also has one of the largest cash transfer programs.

"Unlike the majority of Latin American countries, Brazil had the tools to respond properly to the COVID-19 crisis," said Lago. "However the chronic incompetence of the federal government, fuelled by the irresponsible political strategy adopted by the president himself to save his popularity, have turned impossible to activate this state capacity."

Prusa said the virus is increasingly spreading in the country's interior where there are fewer health resources, and cases and deaths in the country are likely to continue to increase.

Lago and Prusa both expressed concern that state and local governments are easing social distancing measures when the virus is not yet under control. GPS data from cell phones from geo-tracking technology firm Inloco seen by Prusa showed that the rates of social isolation went up in early March but have declined from a high in early April, and are nearing pre-lockdown levels. She said this indicates fewer people are staying at home. Data on traffic congestion from the Inter-American Development Bank reflects similar patterns.

To Prusa, the situation could still go either way. "New cases had flattened in the United States in May and early June, whereas Brazil was continuing to climb. But now we are seeing cases surge again in some parts of the United States."

She said: "Whether Brazil overtakes the United States for total number of deaths, and when, will depend as much on U.S. actions as it does Brazilian ones."

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.firstpost.com

Coronavirus Updates: Bengal extends lockdown in containment zones till 19 July, stringent orders in urban hotspots-Health News , Firstpost

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Reports said that the enforcement of lockdown will be monitored strictly in Kolkata and five north Bengal urban hotspots Watch LIVE News, Latest Updates, Live blog, Highlights and Live coverage online at firstpost.com.
www.firstpost.com www.firstpost.com
(fair use applies)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's crosses nine lakh COVID-19 cases with 28,498 new patients, 553 deaths reported in past 24 hrs
FP Staff
July 14, 2020 10:12:33 IST

The total cases stand at 9,06,752 including 3,11,565 active cases, 5,71,460 cured and 23,727 deaths.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.aljazeera.com

Mexico coronavirus deaths fourth highest in the world

Latin American nation reports more than 35,000 deaths from COVID-19, surpassing Italy but behind US, Brazil and UK.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
(fair use applies)

Mexico coronavirus deaths surge to fourth highest in the world
Latin American nation reports more than 35,000 deaths from COVID-19, surpassing Italy but behind US, Brazil and UK.
13 Jul 2020

Deaths in Mexico from the coronavirus pandemic have crossed 35,000, with the Latin American country overtaking Italy for the world's fourth-highest total deaths.

Mexico on Sunday recorded 276 additional deaths and 4,482 new infections to bring its coronavirus death toll to 35,006, with 299,750 confirmed cases, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University.

It trails the United States, Brazil and the United Kingdom in total deaths caused by COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.

This past week saw a record daily numbers of new infections in the country, but President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he was optimistic and blamed what he called "conservative media" for causing alarm.

"The bottom line is that the pandemic is on the downside, that it is losing intensity," Lopez Obrador said on Sunday after being briefed on the situation.

The government has faced criticism for reopening the economy too soon and the number of cases is expected to rise in the coming days as restrictions affecting small businesses and restaurants are relaxed.

The coronavirus death toll per million residents in Mexico, whose population numbers about 120 million, is the 16th highest in the world, according to data by research firm Statista.

But Mexican officials say the true toll is likely much higher due to limited testing.

Several former officials have criticised Lopez Obrador's administration for its management of the epidemic.

Former Health Minister Salomon Chertorivski, who held the post from 2011 to 2012, said on Thursday the government had reopened the economy before meeting globally established criteria for doing so. He added that Mexico might need to impose a new lockdown.

"There are three fundamental variables: a reduction in the last 14 days in the numbers of contagions, reduction in recent days in the number of deaths, and reduction in the number of hospitalised people," Chertorivski told Mexican newspaper Reforma. "None of those three parameters were achieved."

Meanwhile, in the capital Mexico City, authorities plan to target neighbourhoods with a higher number of people infected with COVID-19 as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

It has already implemented a camera surveillance system aimed at monitoring the use of face masks in a number of neighbourhoods.

.
 
Heliobas Disciple

Heliobas Disciple

TB Fanatic
www.aljazeera.com

Latin America reels as coronavirus pandemic gains pace

Countries struggle to contain new outbreaks as economic desperation leads to protests over hunger and job cuts.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
(fair use applies)

Latin America reels as coronavirus pandemic gains pace
Countries struggle to contain new outbreaks as economic desperation leads to protests over hunger and job cuts.
Natalie Alcoba
14 Jun 2020

Buenos Aires, Argentina - Hilda Benavides cooks for 100 people now in Puente Alto, one of the poorest areas around the Chilean capital of Santiago, and among the hardest hit by the novel coronavirus.

One day last week, the 50-year-old grandmother spent the morning frying chicken, peeling potatoes, cutting carrots, and making jello for dessert. She spent the afternoon delivering the packaged meals to her neighbours. In the evening, she handed out donated diapers to young families who were out of work. That day, Benavides also found out her 21-year-old daughter, who lives with her, had tested positive for COVID-19.

"Many of the people who are infected, it's because they went out to work," said Benavides, whose small operation is voluntary. "They had to work in order to eat, because the financial support that the government is giving is not enough."

Scenes like this are playing out in communities across Latin America, which finds itself in the jaws of the pandemic that has claimed more than 400,000 lives around the world.

Brazil has reported more than 850,000 cases and 42,000 deaths, second only to the United States. The virus is also spreading aggressively in Chile and Peru, with cases climbing in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama.

As countries struggle to contain new outbreaks, the looming threat of winter, and other respiratory illnesses like influenza and pneumonia, will complicate matters further. Economic desperation borne out of lockdowns that have dragged on for months is posing its own menace. Protests have broken out over hunger and job cuts.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed our region to the limit," Dr Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, said last week.
Structural issues

The problem is compounded by insufficient testing, or government meddling in statistics, that has cast doubt over official figures. Last week, the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered the government of Jair Bolsonaro to reinstate statistics it had wiped from public view.

Right-wing President Bolsonaro's response has been roundly denounced as reckless. He has mocked the severity of the virus he called a "little flu", and sabotaged local lockdown efforts by discouraging people from complying. As the virus rips through impoverished favelas, communities are left to contain the crisis on their own.

"The structural problems of the region make it the worst place for the epicentre," said Maria Victoria Murillo, director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University, in New York City.

"Inequality is very high. Urbanisation is very high. That means you have a lot of informal housing, and people who live in crowded conditions with no access to water, which is perfect for contagion and makes it very hard to observe social distancing, or to wash your hands."

The structural issues extend to the fiscal situation. Many countries were already struggling economically before the pandemic hit. And with half of the region's workforce in the informal sector, reaching them with financial assistance is its own problem. Those just above the poverty line slip under it.

Peru, with a population of 31 million, is still under a lockdown imposed in mid-March and has reported more than 200,000 cases and 6,000 deaths. The government was in a stronger economic position than many of its neighbours to provide financial help. But much of the population do not have bank accounts, or live in communities with no banks, so they had to travel distances and expose themselves to the virus to cash a state bonus. Without fridges in their homes, many people had to go into the community more frequently.

"It's a chain of problems that intensify the possibility of contagion," said Paula Munoz, a political science professor at the Universidad del Pacifico, in Lima. But given the structural issues, "I'm not sure if there could have been another way."

Argentina, with 45 million inhabitants, also imposed a strict lockdown early on, and it now has one of the lowest rates in the region, with just more than 800 deaths. But Argentina was already in a brutal recession when the outbreak struck. The cost of a quarantine that has the economy running on fumes is fraying nerves.

"I can last one more month. Maybe two. But if we're talking four months, it's not possible," says Andres Vega, who runs a stationery shop in Buenos Aires.

He has not met the criteria for government credits, so he returned the bulk of his merchandise, and shifted to houseware products hoping to boost sales. Now it is baking utensils, frying pans with a Che Guevara motif, and a copy of Salvador Dali's surrealist melting clock that are on display in his storefront.
'Like a war'

The economy also weighs on Cynthia Viteri, the mayor of Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador, which has learned painful lessons from its bout with the virus. In April, with the health system collapsed and morgues overflowing, horrifying images of cadavers on the street circled the world.

"It was like a war, where the dead would fall without hearing a single shot," she told Al Jazeera. Viteri, who herself contracted the virus in the early days of the country's outbreak, said the municipality stepped in to make up for a failure on the part of the central government, which is responsible for the public health system.

The city set up hospitals, mobile clinics, health centres along its border, and went door to door looking for possible coronavirus carriers. "Our strategy was to go out and find the sick people in their homes," she said. Viteri says it has been 20 days of zero deaths over the normal amount.

"What failed here was a terrible health system that isn't even good enough for normal times, let alone a pandemic. And corruption, to the highest degree. Here they would hold dead people hostage, they would ask for money to pick up the bodies, they would overcharge, this is a scandal as big as COVID," said Viteri. She says some 10,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Guayaquil, a city of 2.7 million, not the 2,000 quoted by the government.

In the midst of this devastation, Murillo and Munoz believe the pandemic could lead to important changes. Governments that have collected information on the most vulnerable sectors of society have data to devise policies that can help them, says Murillo.

"This has also opened the conversation about what is the role of the state and to talk about fiscal reform," she added.

"There are a lot of things that we're going to have to rethink, but it's a difficult time for that too, because we're going to have fewer resources," added Munoz.

"The recession is going to be very very hard this year and that is going to produce a lot of discontent," said Murillo. "So if there isn't an opportunity for political change, my sense is that people are going to start pouring back into the streets pretty soon."

.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top