Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let there be snark.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

T R E 4 5 O N

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

Republicans don’t trust women.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday/Thursday, August 26-27

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday/Thursday, August 26-27

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The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday said it may investigate whether four states led by Democratic governors violated the civil rights of the elderly by requiring nursing homes to admit coronavirus patients, a practice which critics say led to thousands of deaths.

The department said it was seeking COVID-19 data related to nursing homes from four states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan…

Two of the four targeted states, Michigan and Pennsylvania, are among the most hotly contested in the Nov. 3 presidential election.

All four states have been hit hard by the pandemic, reporting among the highest number of COVID-related cases and deaths associated with nursing homes, according to figures reported by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The Justice Department did not issue data requests to other states that have reported comparable caseloads at nursing home facilities, such as Texas, Florida and California.

Reader Interactions

51Comments

  1. 1.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    Hard to believe there have been no comments in the hour since this post went up.

  2. 2.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s daily numbers. Five new cases. Three cases from local infection, all Malaysians, and all at the Armed Forces Hospital in Camp Terendak, Melaka: two patients in pre-surgery screening, one hospital worker screened because of symptoms. DG of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah says the hospital is not yet seen as a cluster site, but his ministry is monitoring the situation. Two imported cases, both Malaysians, returning from Egypt and the Philippines. The cumulative reported total is 9,296 cases.

    16 more patients recovered and were discharged, for a total of 8,994 patients recovered — 96.8% of the cumulative reported total. This brings active and contagious cases currently being isolated/treated in hospital down to 177 patients; eight are in ICU, six of them on respirators.

    No new deaths since 31st July, which makes this 27-day stretch without Covid-19 fatalities Malaysia’s longest since the outbreak began. The total remains at 125 deats, 1.34% of the cumulative reported total, 1.37% of resolved cases.

    In other news, an enhanced movement control order zone has been declared in Kedah, around the Tawar cluster site, effective midnight tonight local time, for an indefinite period. The Ministry is also investigating whether there is a connection between that cluster and the Sivagangga cluster; in both clusters, the strain of the virus involved carried the mutation designated D614G.

  3. 3.

    OzarkHillbilly

    South Korea’s parliament is shut down and a group of lawmakers enter self-quarantine as the country records more than 400 new #coronavirus infectionshttps://t.co/HBel23lgY7 pic.twitter.com/VswcDGDqCw

    It would seem that humans on an individual basis are incapable of consistent responsible behavior and that when they get together in groups, it magnifies.

    Africa’s coronavirus outbreak may have passed its peak,

    This is silly talk. There is no 1 single peak.

    A dilemma for ‘long-haulers’: Many can’t prove they ever had #Covid19

    Feature, not a bug.

    U.S. Justice Department weighs probe of blue states over COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes

    STFU tom.

  5. 5.

    Steeplejack

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    It doesn’t show up on a “next post” wing on the previous post unless you press the “Seriously, really do a page refresh” button (“click here to refresh” link under “Leave a comment”).

  6. 6.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Steeplejack: In the early AM, I always have a window open to the front page of BJ and refresh it every 5 or 10 minutes (unless I am engrossed in a story elsewhere), dialed to in between the OTR post and the last of last nights because as Anne explained, she thinks the OTR post should be at the top of the page. I never depend on those “next post” wings. They have lied to me too many times.

    This is not the first time this has happened to me. I have no idea why or how it does.

  7. 7.

    TS (the original)

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    It would seem that humans on an individual basis are incapable of consistent responsible behavior and that when they get together in groups, it magnifies.

    This is why

    1. Melbourne (Australia) brought in a curfew as the only way to stop groups of people being out at parties and other large group activities.
    2. 4 Australian states closed their borders and introduced mandatory quarantine for returning residents because people entering those states lied about where they had been in the past 2 weeks.

    People are still lying, we only hear about the ones who are caught out or the ones who seek medical attention because they think they have COVID-19.

  8. 8.

    Geminid

    Men being hit harder by Covid-19 is a physical effect of XCDD (X Chromosome Defiency Disorder). Usually the effects of XCDD are mental.

  10. 10.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @TS (the original):My point was more directed at the fact that all those early *success story* countries are now having difficulties after a relaxation of vigilance, because people everywhere are still basically people, with all the same faults and foibles (including a tendency to lie about inconvenient facts). Culture can make a difference, but it’s not a cure for the human condition.

    ** I consider NZ to be the exception that proves the rule. They remained vigilant and as such when it inevitably returned to their shores they caught it early and appear (I have read nothing of them lately, which I take to mean there is no story there) to have stopped it in it’s tracks. Of course, being an island nation helps.

  11. 11.

    Matt McIrvin

    @OzarkHillbilly: These outbreaks that are so alarming to them are TINY compared to ours. Their “oh my God, shut down the whole country” is a situation that we’d read as “mission accomplished, open the bars!”

  12. 12.

    Ken

    @WereBear: We could try drones. China used them to scold and fine people who were outside. I’m sure they could be fitted with face-eating attachments.

  16. 16.

    Mary G

    The OC ticked up on a couple of categories, but not enough to fall off the state list of “keep these numbers for 14 days and you can reopen” counties. We’re on day 4. In other news, the college kids of my next door neighbor had another huge party today. I just want to put on a mask, face shield, and gloves and go over there and slap somebody.

  17. 17.

    WereBear

    @Baud: An online friend reported, “People in my neighborhood are saying that Biden would make them wear a mask so they aren’t voting for him.”

    Of course, they’d never vote for him ANYWAY but Trump buried that thought in their heads and his half-hearted attempts to change it meant nothing.

  18. 18.

    mrmoshpotato

    @WereBear: “I never thought zombies would eat my unmasked face!” snobbed the woman who attended a Zombies Eating Unmasked Faces party.

    Quick question: Where did these zombies come from?

    ETA – also too, it’s a shame your comment is too long for the rotating tag. :(

  20. 20.

    Kay

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    U.S. Justice Department weighs probe of blue states over COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes

    Another capitulation to Barr.
    One would think the lawyers would have insisted on Barr adding one of the states the Trump Administration likes just to add a veneer of legitimacy. I suppose he’ll be mean to them if they speak up.

  22. 22.

    Kay

    In a joint statement on Wednesday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that more than a dozen other states had issued similar orders based on federal guidelines but the Justice Department was targeting these four states because they’re led by Democrats.
    New Jersey’s Democratic governor said that it “speaks volumes” that the letter was issued during the Republican National Convention and is focused on four states with Democratic governors.
    “The fact that this request from the Department of Justice, sent only to four states with Democratic governors, was announced by press release during the Republican National Convention speaks volumes about the nature of the review,” Alyana Alfaro, Gov. Phil Murphy’s press secretary, told CNN, adding that the office doesn’t comment on investigative inquiries.

    I guess the thinking is Barr goes away at some point and the institution’s credibility is magically restored now that the bad, scary man has left the building.
    That isn’t how credibility works.

  24. 24.

    SFAW

    The Justice Department did not issue data requests to other states that have reported comparable caseloads at nursing home facilities, such as Texas, Florida and California.

    Since it’s probably too late for the House to impeach The Traitor Barr, would it be considered uncivil or shrill of me to hope that — assuming a Biden win — Barr swings from the yardarm? Literally, not figuratively.

    Part of me wants a Biden Administration to spend the first six months doing to Rethug officials (etc.) exactly what this maladministration has done to Blue states. The Red screams and whines would reach the heavens.

  25. 25.

    TS (the original)

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    they caught it early and appear (I have read nothing of them lately, which I take to mean there is no story there) to have stopped it in it’s tracks.

    NZ still has new cases. It is not easy to stop & they still haven’t determined where the new cluster started.

    Probably some poetic license from the media here

    Christchurch: At least 400 people could have been exposed to the new coronavirus after attending services and a wedding at an Auckland church, health officials say. It comes as a further seven cases of COVID-19 were reported in New Zealand on Thursday. On Wednesday, health officials announced five known COVID-19 cases had been linked to Mount Roskill Evangelical Fellowship. That number has since grown to eight.

  27. 27.

    Obdurodon

    @WereBear: It would probably be different only in the sense that the mask-haters would interpret “herd immunity” as ripping the masks off of wearers and shoving them in front of the zombies to be eaten first.

  28. 28.

    SFAW

    @Kay:

    That isn’t how credibility works.

    Not to put too fine a point on it, but: I’m reasonably confident that Traitor Barr doesn’t care. He’s got the power, he’s going to use it.

  29. 29.

    mrmoshpotato

    @SFAW: I want Biden’s administration to charge all this criminal trash.  Ya know, the opposite of Obama letting the war criminals in the Bush regime skate.

  30. 30.

    Kay

    @SFAW:

    Trump ordered them to go after his political enemies and they hopped right to it. We’re told they have to or they’ll lose their jobs. Why we want them in their jobs if their jobs include launching political prosecutions of the Trump Family is never explained.

  31. 31.

    Steeplejack

    Yamiche Alcindor reporting on Morning Joe that 1,000-1,500 people will be attending Trump’s speech at the White House tonight. No masks required, unknown if any testing will be done.

    Super spreader event? ?

  35. 35.

    SFAW

    @mrmoshpotato:

    I want Biden’s administration to charge all this criminal trash.  Ya know, the opposite of Obama letting the war criminals in the Bush regime skate.

    That was my main “objection” to Kamala Harris as VP: I want(ed) her as AG, so a REAL DoJ would prosecute every last one of those traitorous, evil motherfuckers.

  37. 37.

    SFAW

    @Kay:

    Trump ordered them to go after his political enemies and they hopped right to it.

    I think it would be good humor if a Biden DOJ (FSM-willing) goes after Moscow Mitch. And when he whines (or whatever it is turtles do), they respond “Where were YOU when Trump’s DOJ was doing FAR WORSE, you traitorous asshole?”

    ETA: I can’t believe how much I hate all these treasonous/traitorous mofos

  38. 38.

    Sloane Ranger

    The UK Dashboard was experiencing technical difficulties yesterday (again) so here are the delayed figures from the UK (minus Scotland as usual)

    There were 1,048 positive tests reported yesterday. Positive tests remain stabilised at about this level. Don’t know how many were tests were processed since that section of the Dashboard hasn’t been updated since the 20th.

    875 of the positive tests were in England, 72 in Northern Ireland and 34 in Wales. The North of England remains the most heavily affected area.

    There were 16 deaths nationwide. The 2 in Scotland reported by Robert Sneddon a few days ago have now appeared in the UK Dashboard. The remaining 14 deaths are divided between England with 13 and Wales with 1.

    UK Government made a U turn about wearing masks in school. They will now be mandatory outside of classrooms in high incidence areas and up to Head Teacher’s discretion elsewhere. Also, the Government is trialing quarantine payments of £185 pw for low income workers in high incidence areas.

  39. 39.

    Kay

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is poised to endorse nearly two dozen freshmen House Democrats for reelection, triggering a revolt within the right-leaning organization and drawing fierce pushback from the group’s powerful GOP donors.
    The decision represents a sharp departure for the traditionally conservative Chamber, which has spent over $100 million backing Republican candidates during the past decade, and it threatens to further complicate the party’s prospects in the November election while driving a split in the business community.

    The Chamber hedges their bet on Republicans.

    I love how “a split in the business community” is portrayed as a disaster. The “business community” must apparently be 100% far Right with no dissenters. Cancel culture!

  41. 41.

    Kay

    @SFAW:

    I’m old fashioned. I don’t think the DOJ should go after Trumps or Bidens enemies. I think they’ve tragically lost their way and will find it very difficult to find their way back. They can’t just call a time out on acting ethically due to extreme circumstances. The whole point of the ethical rules is they’re used when there’s a threat to prosecutorial independence. If no leader ever behaved badly and there was never a threat  we wouldn’t need them. They’re FOR when it’s bad. When it’s good you don’t have any reason to call on them.

  42. 42.

    trnc

    @Kay: I guess the thinking is Barr goes away at some point and the institution’s credibility is magically restored now that the bad, scary man has left the building.

    The thinking is that Barr helps DT win again by smearing democrats. That gives Barr the option to stay on and start operating with zero limits.

  45. 45.

    Robert Sneddon

    Scotland — 68 new cases, no deaths of confirmed cases. Test positivity rate is 0.4%. Hospital numbers are up slightly again. The outbreak at the 2 Sisters food processing plant in Coupar Angus may be continuing to spread but slowly, with 10 of the new cases overnight linked to the plant.

     

    Testing numbers for children between the ages of 2 and 17 has increased 7-fold over the past couple of months as schools prepared to open. The test positivity rate in this group is currently about 0.3%. At the moment the evidence is that these cases are not due to spread within schools but via outside social contacts. This may change.

  46. 46.

    Obdurodon

    @Kay: The DOJ should not go after Trump or Biden’s enemies *because they are enemies*. They should pursue the cases of greatest wrongdoing and need for redress … which means darn near the same outcome because those people *really are* corrupt and have done great harm. Being a Trump accomplice shouldn’t be a shield under a Democrat president any more than it should under a Republican one.

  47. 47.

    SFAW

    @Kay:

    I know you’re right. But I’m so angry and frustrated over the enabling by the Rethugs and Barr of Trumps quasi-dictatorial desires, that I want to see some retribution. My perception is: what the DOJ (and various other Trump sycophants/idolaters) is/are doing is what fascist dictators do to their political opponents, in order to maintain their hold on power. What I’m looking for is: making all those evil bastards pay for what they have DONE, not for what we think they might do. Of course, they would paint it as “political payback,” when in reality it would be “this is so that y’all won’t be tempted to try that shit again, ever.”

    I see this as a legitimate and ethical, use of the DOJ — they’d be going after crimes, not opponents/ideology.

  50. 50.

    YY_Sima Qian

    Yesterday, China reported 0 new domestic confirmed cases and 0 new domestic asymptomatic case, for the 6th day in a row.
    In Ürumqi, there are currently 107 confirmed and 38 asymptomatic cases, with no cases in serious condition. 17 confirmed cases recovered yesterday and were released from hospitals, 6 asymptomatic cases were released from medical quarantine, 4 serious cases improved to moderate conditions. There are 2,506 close contacts remaining under quarantine and medical observation.
    At Dalian in Liaoning Province, 4 cases are currently in the hospital. There are 78 close contacts remaining under quarantine.
    Yesterday, China reported 8 new imported confirmed cases, 19 imported asymptomatic cases, 1 imported suspect case:

    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 4 confirmed cases (1 previously asymptomatic), all Chinese nationals returning from Qatar; 6 asymptomatic cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Singapore and 4 from Qatar
    • Shanghai Municipality – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from the US and Senegal; 1 suspect case, no information released
    • Hebei Province – 2 confirmed and 1 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 3 asymptomatic cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Singapore and 1 from Nigeria
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 3 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Russia
    • Zhenjiang Port in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic cases, a Filipino crew member off a cargo ship
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning the Philippines
    • Nanjing in Jiangsu Province – 1 asymptomatic case, no information released
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Singapore
    • Qingdao in Shandong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Russia

    Today, Hong Kong reported 21 new cases, 18 from local transmission, 4 of whom do not have clear source of transmission. Another 10 cases are preliminarily confirmed.

  51. 51.

    Sloane Ranger

    They’ve clearly sorted out the technical issues with the Government website because they’ve updated the figures.

    On Wednesday, there were 186,500 tests. This is a bit down from the last figure I saw, which was over 190,000.

    Nationwide there were 1,522 positive tests recorded today. Robert Sneddon has already reported Scotland’s number. Of the remaining new cases, England had 1,350 (largest number reported for some time), Northern Ireland had 69 and Wales 35 (about the usual number).

    There were 12 new deaths, 10 in England and 1 each in Northern Ireland and Wales.

    As of Tuesday, there were 767 people hospitalised across the nation, 64 of whom were on ventilators.

    Also, the Government’s Test and Trace programme has failed to meet it targets of reaching 80% of people with positive tests with only 75.5% contacted.

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