Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

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

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

It could be worse. Vance could have said “post-menopausal sows.” Waiting for that audiotape to surface.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

The choice is between normal and crazy.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

“Why isn’t this Snickers bar only a nickel?”

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

In my day, never was longer.

American History and Black History can not be separated.

The arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend itself. it’s up to us.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

I am pretty sure Katy Tur wasn’t always such a bootlicking sycophant.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, Nov. 2-3

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, Nov. 2-3

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It’s not just Americans who believe in #OneWeirdMaskResistingTrick…

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36Comments

  4. 4.

    NotMax

    A paradigm of political backscratching, with the added excrescence of Rick Santorum as matchmaker.

    When the Trump administration gave a well-connected Republican donor seed money to test a possible COVID-19-fighting blood plasma technology, it noted the company’s “manufacturing facilities” in Charleston, South Carolina.

    Plasma Technologies LLC is indeed based in the stately waterfront city. But there are no manufacturing facilities. Instead, the company exists within the luxury condo of its majority owner, Eugene Zurlo.

    Zurlo’s company may be in line for as much as $65 million in taxpayer dollars; enough to start building an actual production plant, according to internal government records and other documents obtained by The Associated Press.
    [snip]
    Zurlo founded Plasma Technologies in 2003, according to articles of organization and other records filed with South Carolina’s secretary of state. The company’s most recently listed address is Zurlo’s condominium in Charleston’s French Quarter.

    The company has no other presence in South Carolina — or any other state — even though a U.S. government spokeswoman told the AP that Plasma Technologies has “manufacturing facilities” in Charleston. Source

  5. 5.

    YY_Sima Qian

    Yesterday, China reported 5 new domestic confirmed cases (all previously asymptomatic, under isolation) and 13 new domestic asymptomatic cases (all are traced close contacts already under quarantine), all at Shufu County in Kashgar Prefecture in Xinjiang “Autonomous” Region. 1 serious case has improved to moderate condition. There are now 62 confirmed cases (including 8 in serious condition) and 231 asymptomatic cases in Xinjiang. From 11/1, Kashgar has started the 3rd round of mass screening of all residents.
     
    Yesterday, China reported 44 new imported confirmed cases and 48 imported asymptomatic cases and 2 new imported suspect case:
     

    • Shanghai Municipality – 9 confirmed cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Argentina (via Schipol), 1 each returning from the Philippines, Ethiopia and the UAE (via South Korea), a French national coming from Hong Kong, 2 US nationals coming from the US (1 via Canada), and a Brazilian national coming from the US
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 8 confirmed cases, 2 Chinese nationals each returning from Bangladesh, and 1 each from India, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Congo (Kinshasa), Poland and Argentina; 3 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from India, Bangladesh and Yemen
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 3 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Ethiopia, Oman and Indonesia
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Japan
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 8 confirmed case (3 previously asymptomatic), 4 Chinese nationals returning from Pakistan, 3 from Canada and 1 from Nepal; 10 asymptomatic case, 6 Chinese nationals returning from Pakistan, 2 from Myanmar and 1 each from Egypt and Nepal
    • Hohhot in Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region – 4 confirmed cases and 2 suspect cases, no information released
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 4 confirmed cases, 3 Chinese nationals returning from Uganda and 1 from the UAE
    • Wuhan in Hubei Province – 4 confirmed and 19 asymptomatic cases (6 of whom are only positive for IgG, thus possibly recovered patients shedding dead viral particles), all Chinese nationals returning from India
    • Beijing Municipality – 2 confirmed cases (1 previously asymptomatic), both Chinese nationals returning from Pakistan; 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Hungary (via Vienna)
    • Tianjin Municipality – 2 confirmed cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Spain; 3 asymptomatic cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from Spain and 1 from France
    • Nanjing in Jiangsu Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Brazil; 1 asymptomatic case, no information released
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Iraq
    • Qingdao in Shandong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Japan
    • Changsha in Hunan Province – 4 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province – 1 asymptomatic case, no information released
    • Weihui in Henan Province – 1 asymptomatic case, the case returned from Russia in late Jul. and tested positive upon entry at Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, he tested negative in early Aug. but was held under quarantine until early Sept., when he returned home in Henan; the case tested positive during a pre-employment screening on 10/30, he is probably a recovered case shedding dead viral particle again, but the case is under isolation as a precaution, and so are 51 close contacts (who have all tested negative so far)


    Yesterday, Hong Kong reported 9 new cases, 3 from local transmission, 1 without source of infection identified.

  6. 6.

    Brachiator

    Spain is looking at potential collapse of the nation’s healthcare system under the weight of out-of-controlCovid-19.

    And yet, right wing deniers insist that the coronavirus is just another flu.

  8. 8.

    Redshift

    OT: My polling place is set up and open. There was a decent line waiting for 6am. We’re not handing out sample ballots this year because of the pandemic, so I’m going back to bed.

  9. 9.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. DG of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 1,054 new cases today, for a cumulative reported total of 34,393 cases. He reports 12 deaths, a new record, for a total of 263 deaths — 0.8% of the cumulative reported total, 1.08% of resolved cases.

    Meanwhile, 875 more patients recovered and were discharged today, for a total of 23,995 patients recovered — 69.8% of the cumulative reported total.

    Two new clusters were identified today: Cergas in Negeri Sembilan, and Permatang in the adjacent states of Kedah and Penang.

    1,040 new cases are from local infection. Sabah has 678 cases: 290 in existing clusters, 221 close-contact screenings, one SARI screening, and 166 other screenings. Selangor has 124 cases: 61 in existing clusters, 35 close-contact screenings, and 28 other screenings. Labuan has 81 cases: 58 in existing clusters, 15 close-contact screenings, three people back from high-risk zones in Sabah, and five other screenings. Negeri Sembilan has 71 cases: 43 in older clusters, 10 in the Cergas cluster, 11 close-contact screenings, and seven other screenings.

    Penang has 35 cases: 33 in older clusters, two in the Permatang cluster. Sarawak has 21 cases: 13 in existing clusters, one close-contact screening, and seven other screenings. Kedah has 12 cases: nine in older clusters, one in the Permatang cluster, one close-contact screenings, and one other screening. KL has 10 cases: four in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and three other screenings. Putrajaya has three cases: two in existing clusters, and one close-contact screening. Johore has one case, in an existing cluster. Melaka has one case, a  close-contact screening. And Terengganu has one case, in an existing cluster.

    Perlis, Kelantan, and Pahang reported no new cases today.

    14 new cases are imported, involving three Malaysians and 11 non-Malaysians. They arrived from South Korea (four), Japan (two), the Philippines (two), Uzbekistan, China, Hong Kong, Nepal, the UK, and the Maldives.

    10,135 active and contagious cases are currently in hospital; 94 are in ICU, of whom 32 are on ventilators.

    The 12 deaths today, all reported in Sabah, are a 64-year-old man with diabetes, hypertension and heart disease; a 58-year-old woman with diabetes and asthma; a 44-year-old woman with hypertension; a 14-year-old boy with TB, meningitis and hydrocephalus; a 61-year-old woman with diabetes and hypertension; a 25-year-old man; an 82-year-old man; an 80-year-old man with diabetes, stroke, and heart disease; an 80-year-old woman; a 70-year-old woman; an 47-year-old woman with diabetes, hypertension and psoriasis; and a 56-year-old man with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and heart disease

    In other news, a two-week conditional movement control order will be enforced in Seremban, the state capital of Negeri Sembilan, from Thursday to 18th September.

  12. 12.

    OzarkHillbilly

    From: In pictures: Day of the Dead in Covid times

    In Tepito, there are also altars to Santa Muerte, the Mexican folk saint of death. Represented by a cloaked skeleton, Santa Muerte is believed by some to grant wishes in return for pledges or offerings.

    Erika Nava Morales says she began believing in Santa Muerte 15 years ago when the favours she asked of Santa Muerte were granted.

    Erika’s altar also has a picture of her father, Enrique, who contracted Covid in May. Erika says she asked Santa Muerte to take her father, who had trouble breathing, away quickly to shorten his suffering.

    “He couldn’t breathe and he was suffering, I wanted to take him to hospital, but he didn’t want to go, he was too scared.

    “After I pleaded with Santa Muerte, he departed in less than two hours,” she recalls. “Today, I’m celebrating the Day of the Dead here with him.”

  19. 19.

    Ramiah Ariya

    Tamil Nadu: Special puja performed in Kamala Harris’s ancestral village
    Residents of Tamil Nadu’s Thulasendrapuram, — the ancestral village of Democratic Party vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris — performed a special puja at the Sri Dharma Sastha temple in the village for her grand victory in the US election, being held on Tuesday. After the puja, the organisers of the event arranged an annadhanam (offering of food) on the temple premises. Around 200 people participated. Expressing hope that Kamala Harris would definitely win the election, J Sudakaran, who is one of the organisers of the event and also the president of Green City Rotary in Mannargudi, said they had prepared and served sambar idli, which is the favourite food of Kamala Harris.

  25. 25.

    Sloane Ranger

    Rats, I was hoping to bring up the Magna Carta story! As it happens, only three provisions of the Great Charter are still law, the freedom of the Church in England, the protection of the rights and privileges of the City of London and the right to a fair trial. Everything else comes down to wishful thinking. Anyway, I don’t think the rights of soft play areas and Laser Maze (also the source of claims) were covered.

    Yesterday, the UK reported 18,950 new cases (down about 4000 from Sunday) but the figures are probably still subject to processing/reporting delays). Cases are distributed as follows,

    England – 15,860 (down @4000)

    Northern Ireland – 493 (down @180)

    Scotland – 951 (down @100)

    Wales – 1646 (double the number of new cases reported the day before). I hope this is some sort of reporting delay or anomaly.

    The figures released show the number of new cases appear to be plateauing, albeit at a high number.

    Deaths – There were 136 new deaths, a bit down from yesterday and significantly lower than the average for the past week. Could be the weekend delays again. We’ll have to see. Deaths were 125 in England, 8 in Northern Ireland, 0 in Scotland and 3 in Wales.

    Testing – Figures have been updated. 270,473 tests were processed out of a capacity of 519,770 so the government has reached it’s target of having a capacity of 500,000 by the end of October.

    Hospitalisations – 10,918 people were in hospital as of Thursday, 29th October and 978 were on ventilators as of Friday, 30th.

    General – There are rows here between those who question the need for a new lockdown, pointing to the apparent flatlining of the rate of increase in new cases. Supporters of the lockdown say the figures are extremely high and we need to decrease them before winter really bites. It’s all being debated in the House of Commons and the vote to lockdown or not to lockdown will take place on Wednesday. It is expected to pass with Opposition support due to a massive Tory backbench rebellion, which my own MP is publicly mulling about whether or not to join.

    Some questions remain about the government’s lockdown plans, especially around the status of opticians and dentists. They were closed during the earlier lockdown but their professional associations seem to think they will remain open due to their NHS connections this time. Also, nobody really knows about public libraries, which don’t seem to have been covered in any of the guidance. Schools and universities will remain open this time.

  26. 26.

    Amir Khalid

    Two comments I posted very late in yesterday’s thread. They may still be of interest.

    In other news, Malaysia’s PM Muhyiddin Yassin is not happy with the spike in infection numbers, so he says on the Book of Faces, and wants a review of the SOPs for sports and social activities. The National Security Council will take up the matter at tomorrow’s meeting.

    and

    I am not sure what to make of Muhyiddin’s demand here. The current third wave of infections has been attributed not to sports and social activities, but to infected illegal immigrants coming into Sabah from Indonesia and the southern Philippines, then spreading Covd-19 through contact with the local population and visitors from other states. Tightening up SOPs for sports and social activities would do absolutely nothing to address that.

    This seems as strange as what he did last week: seeking emergency powers to deal with the pandemic, only to be turned down by the Agong. I speculate that Muhyiddin wants to be seen as more proactive in dealing with the pandemic for political reasons. As I mentioned last week, he is in a fight to hold on to the PM’s job in the face of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that he, Anwar, is the one with majority support in Parliament and thus the rightful PM.

     

  27. 27.

    Brachiator

    @Sloane Ranger:

    Some questions remain about the government’s lockdown plans, especially around the status of opticians and dentists. They were closed during the earlier lockdown but their professional associations seem to think they will remain open due to their NHS connections this time.

    Here in Southern California, dentists had to develop special procedures to accommodate patients. In Texas, a friend went to the dentist, and stayed in her car, parked in the medical building, until time for her appointment.

    Also, nobody really knows about public libraries, which don’t seem to have been covered in any of the guidance.

    Are libraries open? The public library system here has been shut down since March or April. People can check out online materials, but not go to the actual library buildings.

  28. 28.

    Sloane Ranger

    @Brachiator: Yes, both opticians and dentists here have had to adopt new, anti-corona procedures. I’ve not been to a dentist since the pandemic began, although they keep bugging me to go in for a hygiene appointment, but I’m told dentists and their assistants wear more PPE, there’s more sanitising between appointments and rumour has it that they’ve switched to hand drills to minimise spray.

    Libraries here are currently partially open. They come under local authority control so procedures vary but where I live, you select your books online or ring up and ask for a genre, they’re picked for you by a member of staff and you collect them and return them at the entrance.

  30. 30.

    Robert Sneddon

    @RobertDSC-Mac Mini: The Magna Carta? Really? What a joke.

    The American Constitution is as out-of-date and useless to modern Americans as Magna Carta is to the average British person today. The Constitution though is Holy Writ while Magna Carta is a curio of times long past and best forgotten with a few, a very very few parts retained in modern law mostly because no-one’s bothered to shred the remnants and put them into the recycling bin. Yet.

  31. 31.

    Sloane Ranger

    @Robert Sneddon: I didn’t think Magna Carta had much application in Scotland anyway. Most of it had been superseded by the time of the Act of Union and Scotland has it’s own constitutional history and development.

  32. 32.

    EthylEster

    @rikyrah: regarding “Two thirds of Americans now personally know someone who has tested positive for Covid”

    I am now in this group.  A thirty something friend of mine texted me last week about her illness. She is still recovering. She got it from somebody at work. Fortunately she self-quarantined and has not transmitted it to anyone in her large family which lives nearby. But she had to repeatedly tell her mom to stay away. Mission accomplished!

  33. 33.

    Amir Khalid

    @Sloane Ranger:

    I know sweet FA about the Magna Carta, but I’ve seen it implied that it’s some sort of foundational charter of civil liberty in England. Is it?

  34. 34.

    J R in WV

    @rikyrah:

    A friend who plays fiddle and is often next door for music at parties (next door guy plays multiple instruments, blue ribbon banjo picker, old time mountain music expert) is an RN, will be Physician Assistant very soon as she is finishing the coursework, has had Coronavirus for weeks now. Expected to make a full recovery, no longer considered contagious, experiencing extreme weakness in spells.

    So wife and i know someone fighting this Trump Plague. Hope M. makes a complete recovery soonest, a wonderful person.

  35. 35.

    Sloane Ranger

    @Amir Khalid: Not really. It was written to protect the rights and privileges of the nobility, gentry and City of London merchants from the actions of the monarch and was basically ignored by everyone powerful enough to do so as soon as the ink was dry. The best you can say is that it stated, in writing, that the King wasn’t all powerful but had to consult with the nobility etc.

    A better candidate for the establishment of civil liberties, although still flawed, would be the much less known Bill of Rights (1689). This was signed by William and Mary after the overthrow of James II and outlined specific constitutional and civil rights and set the stage for constitutional monarchy. It was allegedly used as the basis for the US Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and US Bill of Rights, which, I suppose makes sense.

    Rather interestingly, it gives the freedom to bear arms in self defense, but, unlike the US, I’ve never heard anyone screaming about it when firearms laws are being debated.

  36. 36.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Brachiator: Are libraries open? The public library system here has been shut down since March or April. People can check out online materials, but not go to the actual library buildings.

    Enoch Pratt Free Library (Baltimore City) has curbside pickup in effect: Reserve a book on the library website, specify one of several branches for pickup, they call you when the books have arrived, you arrange a date/time for pickup, call the posted number on arrival, they bring a bag with the books to a canopied table outside.

    Baltimore County (surrounding the city like a truncated hex wrench) Public Library has something similar in effect but I’m not sure about pickup details – I have books out from them but they were checked out before the buildings were closed.

    Neither system is charging overdue fines.  /ftr

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