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You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday/Friday, Nov. 19-20

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday/Friday, Nov. 19-20

by Anne Laurie|  November 20, 20204:59 am| 48 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

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US records more than 250,000 deaths from Covid-19

It has more reported infections and a higher death toll than any other country https://t.co/9VaqFiOdpu

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 19, 2020


We've outgrown football stadium-equivalents to help visualize the impact of U.S. Covid deaths. We're now up to ever-larger cities. Currently at equivalent of everybody dying in Buffalo, Reno, or Scottsdale. Will hit Madison soon. Newark, Lincoln, & Orlando just a few weeks away.

— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter) November 19, 2020

I would put a lot more confidence in the people who say nothing we might have done could have prevented this, if many of those same people hadn't said, quite confidently, that this would never happen. https://t.co/R9zt1qigsm

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) November 20, 2020

Every day spent obstructing the transition means more covid-19 deaths https://t.co/Xp6zOhP2SN

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 19, 2020

A key early fall switch in the American #COVID19 epidemic was a decline in urban disease, versus a rise in suburbs and rural areas.
Detailed @CDC analysis:https://t.co/oDFtTffyCC

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 19, 2020

In the first @CDCgov #Covid19 briefing in … almost forever, incident manager Henry Walke said the agency hopes to hold more regular briefings going forward. "That's our intent."
CDC is urging Americans not to travel this Thanksgiving, because of surging Covid cases.

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) November 19, 2020

Now #TonyFauci is addressing @WhiteHouse presser, talking about #COVID19 #vaccines & OWS.
Highly effective vaccines, "have crushed" diseases like measles and polio.
OWS has backed 6 candidate vaxes. 2 of them "extraordinarily impressive" – Moderna & Pfizer. pic.twitter.com/6zaINb7oOJ

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 19, 2020

3/Fauci
"Who looked at the data?" It was an independent body — with no allegiance to anyone. Now @FDA studying.
"We need to put to rest any concept that this was rushed in an inapprop. way."
"The cavalry is on the way."

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 19, 2020

======

Europe faces "tough" six months, with the continent once again epicentre of Covid pandemic, WHO says https://t.co/GHp39d6SMe

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 19, 2020

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 23,648 to 879,564: RKI https://t.co/qZoHfXQz7h pic.twitter.com/JCuEWKyyu7

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 20, 2020

Dublin Airport opens Covid testing centres, with capacity expected to reach 15,000 tests per day https://t.co/NjXMTrbq3p

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 19, 2020

Bosnia has one of the weakest health care systems in Europe after being ravaged during the 1992-95 war and it's also plagued by corruption and a lack of funds. COVID-19 is putting further strains on the country's hospitals. https://t.co/2Jwk97iMRf

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) November 19, 2020

Russia confirmed a new one-day record of 24,318 coronavirus cases, bringing its total to 2,039,926https://t.co/lrY88YscWs pic.twitter.com/v7j6kye5Fb

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) November 20, 2020

India’s total number of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began has crossed 9 million. Nevertheless the country’s new daily cases have seen a steady decline for weeks now. https://t.co/JeJnk6CBAq

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 20, 2020

India reported 45,576 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday https://t.co/MzlyVDLux3

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) November 19, 2020

India coronavirus: How a group of volunteers 'exposed' hidden Covid-19 deaths https://t.co/dNnAz494fl

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 20, 2020

South Korea warns of return to tough COVID measures to fight third wave https://t.co/ek2139GJa1 pic.twitter.com/g5CAK55hLP

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 20, 2020

Mexico has now become the fourth country with more than 100,000 COVID-19 deaths. The nation's director of epidemiology announced that it had reached the distinction Thursday, joining the United States, Brazil and India. https://t.co/2ds1n3mPNN

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 20, 2020

Canada on track to hit 20,000 COVID-19 cases a day by end of December: media https://t.co/fkVKEpPpqG pic.twitter.com/L7KoipB4pb

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 20, 2020

======

Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech will seek emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for their coronavirus vaccine, with the U.S. aiming to begin administering doses by the end of the year. https://t.co/IRoGb3uRCK

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 20, 2020

More positive #COVID19 #vaccine news.
From UK, @AstraZeneca clinical trials show >70-yr-olds get immune resps w/their vax = to those seen in <55-yr-olds. https://t.co/hedOayNiiV
And
China's Sinovac vax induces antibodies against the virus in <14 days. https://t.co/zXxPBN59WL

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 19, 2020

WHO advises against Gilead's remdesivir for all hospitalised COVID-19 patients https://t.co/XedjUG5ky3 pic.twitter.com/O88Mr7PSXF

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 20, 2020

A panel advising @WHO, whose Solidarity trial found remdesivir offered no benefit to hospitalized #Covid19 patients, now recommends against its use. @US_FDA approved remdesivir for hospitalized Covid patients, despite weak evidence. https://t.co/FMeHPIwR0U

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) November 20, 2020

======

Vermont, paradoxically, came into the pandemic with this ‘advantage’: Its voters are predominantly lower-income, older, and most of all White. This meant that prevention/mitigation efforts could be presented as ‘helping all of us‘ rather than balked as ‘giving unwarranted assistance to them.’

So what's the key to their success? From the start of the pandemic, they prioritized their most vulnerable populations. 2/ https://t.co/O6wM8peoOU

— Julia Belluz (@juliaoftoronto) November 19, 2020

JAW-DROPPING — nearly half of all #COVID19 tests in #Iowa are coming back positive.
Gov. Kim Reynolds — #Republican
Both Senators @ChuckGrassley & @SenJoniErnst are #GOP — and Grassley is COVID+.
2 days ago Reynolds mandated mask-wearing after long refusing to do so. https://t.co/b46dm8rOPF

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) November 19, 2020

Unfortunately, the spread of #COVID19 is rising in nearly every state, regardless of if they have mask mandates in place. Here in South Dakota, we’re focusing on solutions that DO good, not on responses that FEEL good. pic.twitter.com/3JD2N4YTch

— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) November 19, 2020

From a nursing student in North Dakota: "I’m a contact tracer in North Dakota. The virus is so rampant that we gave up" https://t.co/KHGOArKQNw

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) November 19, 2020

Did he use the phrase ‘purity of essence’?

This will be of interest to those who've read Michael Pollan's great book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. The innovative Virginia farmer Pollan embedded with, Joel Salatin, is now an anti-mask crusader hosting super-spreader events on his farm. https://t.co/oktjuVg5U6

— Seth Cotlar (@SethCotlar) November 19, 2020

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Reader Interactions

48Comments

  1. 1.

    slightly_peeved

    November 20, 2020 at 5:49 am

    Good news from South Australia. The lockdown has been called off 3 days early. Our lockdown was triggered by an infection from a pizza store chef to a customer. It turns out said infected customer was actually working at the pizza store, so the COVID strain wasn’t as virulent as they first thought. Bit of a relief, though that pizza store (who presumably went along with the lie) won’t be getting any business anytime soon.

  2. 2.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 5:50 am

    Yesterday, China reported 0 new domestic confirmed, 0 new asymptomatic, and 1 new suspect case, at Tianjin Municipality.
     
    Unfortunately, Tianjin reported 4 new domestic confirmed cases overnight. All are residents in the same residential compound as the asymptomatic case reported on 11/18, as well as the cold chain logistic dock worker that tested positive on 11/10. 3 of the 4 cases are members of the same family, and the remaining case is a worker for property management of the compound. They had all tested negative on RT-PCR on during the mass screening conducted on 11/11, but they were discovered during the 2nd round of mass screening (RT-PCR & antibodies) on 11/18, triggered by the confirmed and asymptomatic cases reported on 11/17 – 11/18. 2 members of the family had visited a local hospital for other illness from 11/15 – 11/17, and used negative test results from 11/11 to avoid a new RT-PCR test. The family member who had to stay in the hospital reported respiratory symptoms on 11/17, and was promptly transferred to isolation ward, and tested positive on 11/19. 1 family member had also visited Tangshan in the neighboring Hebei Province on 11/15 for a dinner party. The family also has a granddaughter (who has tested negative so far) who has been attending kindergarten. The hospital and kindergarten in question have been temporarily closed. The community worker had developed fever and exhaustion on 11/12, but did not visit fever clinic and instead self-medicated (probably because he had just tested negative). He also lives in a dormitory away from the residential compound.
     
    The residential compound in question is now deemed High Risk and is under lock down. Tianjin had avoided any community or sub-district level lock downs since the dock worker tested positive over a week ago. With the new cases and their travel histories, this may now be unavoidable to achieve eradication, along with mass screening at the district level. Unlike the confirmed and asymptomatic cases reported on 11/17 – 11/18, who were already under quarantine as close contacts, the new cases were found in community mass screening. The hope now is that these new cases have been found early into their infectious periods. However, there is no obvious contact with the new cases and the previously identified cases, and the previously identified cases have all been under quarantine since 11/11. There has clearly been cryptic community transmission in the area. Now the repeated mass screenings done at Dalian, Ürumqi and Kashgar during previous outbreaks appear to make more sense (though not necessarily at the municipal or prefectural level, perhaps more targeted at compound, community or sub-district levels), however expensive they may be.
     
    In Xinjiang “Autonomous “ Region, 4 cases have recovered and 34 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently no confirmed cases and 2 asymptomatic cases in Xinjiang, both Kashgar.
     
    Yesterday, China reported 17 new imported confirmed cases and 14 imported asymptomatic cases:

    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 6 confirmed cases, 5 Chinese nationals returning from Russia and 1 from Jordan
    • Fuzhou in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Indonesia
    • Shanghai Municipality – 4 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from France, Spain, Italy (via Spain), and a Russian national coming from Russia
    • Xi’an in Shanxi Province – 3 confirmed cases
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from the US and Madagascar; 4 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nepal and the US
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, 1 Chinese national returning from the US
    • Nanning in Guangxi Province – 2 confirmed and 2 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from overseas, no further information released
    • Beijing Municipality – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Switzerland (via Greece)
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national each returning from Egypt
    • Chongqing Municipality – 2 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Nepal
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Indonesia
    • Changsha in Hunan Province – 1 asymptomatic case, no information released
    • Nanjing in Jiangsu Province – 1 asymptomatic case, no information released
    • Zhengzhou in Henan Province – 1 asymptomatic case, no information released

     
    Yesterday, Hong Kong reported 26 new cases, 5 imported and 21 local (across multiple clusters). It appears that the 4th wave has arrived at the city. Schools will be shut for 14 days, and other circuit breaker restrictions will be implemented.

  3. 3.

    NeenerNeener

    November 20, 2020 at 5:52 am

    373 new cases in Monroe County, NY yesterday and we’re up to 313 deaths. 225 people hospitalized, 44 in the ICU. And this is before Thanksgiving, which some of my co-workers said yesterday they intend to celebrate as normal with their extended families. If I didn’t have a bunch of medical appointments and that car inspection scheduled between now and Christmas I’d become a groundhog now and hibernate until February.

  4. 4.

    satby

    November 20, 2020 at 6:27 am

    The key to shutting down the anti-mask nonsense is to fine scofflaws with a fine that hurts. All the mask refuseniks at the farmers market had some form of cloth face covering on yesterday; following the county council approving an ordinance allowing for stiff fines after a warning from the health department. Since the market has been warned for 6 solid months, they knew the next time the inspectors showed up they’d be paying big time.

    My hatred for these people is limitless.

  5. 5.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 6:27 am

    @slightly_peeved: Yeah, saw the new this morning in China. A great relief to not see a much more infectious strain. The mink strain in Denmark seems to have died out, too. Must be a huge sigh of relief down in Adelaide, but I think the authorities should have the attitude of better safe than sorry, even if they might have been overly excited with talk of a new strain without thorough genomic analysis.

  6. 6.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 6:30 am

    Iowa… It seemed such a hopeful place during the 2007 Democratic primaries. What happened in past 13 years?

  7. 7.

    Amir Khalid

    November 20, 2020 at 6:33 am

    Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 958 new cases today, for a cumulative reported total of 52,638 cases. Dr Noor Hisham also reports three new deaths for a total of 329 deaths — 0.63% of the cumulative reported total, 0.83% of resolved cases.

    13,221 active and contagious cases are currently in hospital; 110 are in ICU, 42 of them on respirators. Meanwhile, 956 patients recovered and were discharged, for a total of 39,088 patients recovered — 74.3% of the cumulative reported total.

    Five new clusters were reported today: Kasir in Sabah, Sri Jujur in Selangor, Enggor in Perak, OAD in Negeri Sembilan, and Makmur in Johor.

    953 new cases are local infections. Sabah has 512 cases: 189 in older clusters, eight in Kasir cluster, 196 close-contact screenings, and 119 other screenings. Selangor has 153 cases: 86 in older clusters, 17 in Sri Jujur cluster, 27 close-contact screenings, and 23 other screenings. Negeri Sembilan has 153 cases: 139 in older clusters, one in OAD cluster, 10 close-contact screenings, and three other screenings. KL has 41 cases: 19 in existing clusters, 17 close-contact screenings, and five other screenings. 

    Perak  has 24 cases: 15 in older clusters,eight in Enggor cluster, and one close-contact screening. Penang has 25 cases: 24 in existing clusters, and one other screening. Kedah has 19 cases: 17 in existing clusters, and two other screenings. Johor has nine cases: two in older clusters, five in Makmur cluster, one close-contact screening, and one other screening. Kelantan has seven cases: six in existing clusters, and one other screening. Terengganu has four cases, all close-contact screenings.

    Sarawak has two cases, one in an existing cluster and one other screening. Melaka has one case in an existing cluster. Labuan has one case, detected in other screening. And Putrajaya has one case in an existing cluster.

    Pahang and Perlis have reported no new cases today.

    Five new cases are imported, all reported in KL. They are arrivals from Nepal (two), the US, France, and Myanmar.

    The three deaths today, all reported in Sabah, are a 32-year-old woman in; a 39-year-old man with hypertension; and a 64-year-old non-Malaysian man with heart disease.

    In other news, Senior Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced that effective tomorrow, four Peninsular states will revert from the current conditional movement control orders to the less stringent recovery movement control orders: Kedah (except for Kulim district), Melaka, Johor (except for Kota Tinggi and Mersing districts), and Terengganu.

    He also announced enhanced movement control orders in the K Avenue Megacity in Penampang, Sabah, and conditional movement control orders in Kelantan state — both for two weeks, effective Sunday.

  8. 8.

    japa21

    November 20, 2020 at 6:42 am

    I can’t believe I find myself hoping we can return to the good old days of only 100K new cases per day and 1K new deaths.

  9. 9.

    Geminid

    November 20, 2020 at 6:50 am

    When it comes to farming, Joel Salatin, the Shenandoah Valley farmer referenced in the last tweet, has always been a very able practitioner and proponent of sustainable organic agriculture. But when it comes to politics, Salatin has always been somewhat of a Ron Paul type. So I’m not surprised to see that he’s taken up the anti-masking cause.

  10. 10.

    Amir Khalid

    November 20, 2020 at 6:57 am

    Some more other news: Senior Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced regular workplace Covid-19 testing for foreign workers. The testing will be partly subsidised by PERKESO (the Malaysian equivalent of workman’s compensation) if the worker contributes to that fund; otherwise the employer bears the full cost of testing. He also said legislation is being drafted to require employers to provide accommodation for these workers that provides for social distancing, unlike the crowded dormitories in use right now.

  11. 11.

    mrmoshpotato

    November 20, 2020 at 7:09 am

    @YY_Sima Qian:

    Iowa… It seemed such a hopeful place during the 2007 Democratic primaries. What happened in past 13 years?

    Well, 8 years of Faux News screaming about a guy daring to President-while-black for starters…

  12. 12.

    Brachiator

    November 20, 2020 at 7:13 am

    Does Trump even talk about the pandemic anymore?

  13. 13.

    mrmoshpotato

    November 20, 2020 at 7:18 am

    @Brachiator: Are you asking if he finally (too late orange assclown) pulled his lips off of Putin’s ass and is now loyal to the United States?

  14. 14.

    debbie

    November 20, 2020 at 7:19 am

    @satby:

    Meanwhile, here the legislature has introduced a bill to restrict the governor’s power to declare anything in a public health crisis. Everything will be required to go through them. These are the same assholes who tried to open impeachment hearings against the governor on charges of tyranny. Sometimes, I can’t tell what century I’ve woken up in.

    My hatred is equal to, if not greater than, yours.

  15. 15.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 7:20 am

    @mrmoshpotato: But Obama won Iowa in 2008 by 10%, and by 6% in 2012! I will never understand those Obama/Trump voters, especially those who still voted for Trump in 2020.

  16. 16.

    NotMax

    November 20, 2020 at 7:22 am

    FYI.

    The U.S. Navy said Thursday that an unspecified number of sailors assigned to a guided missile destroyer based out of Pearl Harbor have tested positive for the coronavirus.

    Navy officials say they became aware of the cluster aboard the USS Michael Murphy on Nov. 4.

    There are roughly 300 sailors assigned to the ship.

    When asked, the Navy wouldn’t confirm how many are infected with the coronavirus.

    But NBC News reported Thursday that nearly 25% of the USS Michael Murphy’s roughly 300 sailors had been diagnosed with COVID-19, citing unnamed U.S. military officials.

    The USS Michael Murphy is docked at Pearl Harbor while many of its sailors are reportedly ashore on Oahu. Source

  17. 17.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 7:22 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    Some more other news: Senior Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced regular workplace Covid-19 testing for foreign workers. The testing will be partly subsidised by PERKESO (the Malaysian equivalent of workman’s compensation) if the worker contributes to that fund; otherwise the employer bears the full cost of testing. He also said legislation is being drafted to require employers to provide accommodation for these workers that provides for social distancing, unlike the crowded dormitories in use right now.

    Why is the announcement coming from the Defense Minister?

  18. 18.

    Jesse

    November 20, 2020 at 7:22 am

    A bit surprised to see Noem show up in this tweet list. Looks like she’s trying to deflect blame away from a massively overdue mask mandate. I thought they issued a mandate up in ND, but based on what she’s saying, it sounds like there’s no mandate in SD.

    The thinking behind the tweet is so aggrieved. As if wearing masks is something that feels right, and is done for that reason alone. It sucks! Masks are no fun. Find me someone who says that wearing a mask “feels right”. BUT: I wager that the people who wear masks are also more likely to engage in other helpful behaviors, such as staying apart from one another, washing hands, avoiding larger gatherings, etc. etc. No one says that masks ALONE are the answer.

  19. 19.

    mrmoshpotato

    November 20, 2020 at 7:23 am

    @debbie:

    These are the same assholes who tried to open impeachment hearings against the governor on charges of tyranny. 

    LOL what?  Oh Ohio, are they high?

  20. 20.

    mrmoshpotato

    November 20, 2020 at 7:25 am

    @YY_Sima Qian: You asked what happened to Iowa in the past 12 years.  I answered with my idea about 8 of them. :)

  21. 21.

    NotMax

    November 20, 2020 at 7:26 am

    Follow-up news on something mentioned here earlier in the month.

    A Hawaii inmate held at Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona has died of COVID-19, state officials announced Thursday.
    [snip]
    This is the first confirmed COVID-19 death of a Hawaii inmate at the privately-owned prison.

    Meanwhile, at least 532 Hawaii inmates at the facility have tested positive for COVID-19. Source

  22. 22.

    debbie

    November 20, 2020 at 7:27 am

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Nope, just really, really stupid. I’m thinking there’s a new prion disease simmering in their gene pool.

  23. 23.

    OzarkHillbilly

    November 20, 2020 at 7:27 am

    @YY_Sima Qian: A black man became president.

  24. 24.

    p.a.

    November 20, 2020 at 7:29 am

    And not a fucking one of them will pay a price for sabotaging our response?????

  25. 25.

    Amir Khalid

    November 20, 2020 at 7:39 am

    @YY_Sima Qian:

    Because it’s a Covid-19 related measure, and he’s the public face of the non-health side of the government response. The matter itself is of course under the Human Resources Ministry’s jurisdiction.

  26. 26.

    LurkerNoLonger

    November 20, 2020 at 7:39 am

    @Jesse: I’m not sure what she’s implying by saying wearing a mask feels good. Wearing a mask isn’t the be all end all of staying safe. It’s one part, along with washing hands, social distancing etc. I swear, Republican women are worse than Republican men because I expect more from women.

  27. 27.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 8:01 am

    @Amir Khalid: Thanks for the explanation!

  28. 28.

    TS (the original)

    November 20, 2020 at 8:05 am

    @slightly_peeved:

    Quite unbelievable when the news came out. Is there a reason for the lies? I was wondering if it was a “cash in hand” job – with tax implications? But pure speculation.

     

    @YY_Sima Qian:

    A great relief to not see a much more infectious strain.

    My understanding is the genome analysis gave them a strain of covid that was common in the UK – but not seen in SA before (not unexpected, given the limited cases for the past many months in SA).  It thus seemed likely it had all come from quarantine and as with most other strains had spread through close personal relationships – not through a brief encounter as a customer in a take away store. I’m assuming this is what led the tracers to ask more questions.

    I understand the rush to lock down but some folks/businesses and the government had both financial and emotional losses.  Weddings were instantly stopped. People on vacation couldn’t go home. People going on vacation had to cancel. Businesses were upended.

    There will be caution to do this again when it really is needed & that in itself could be a problem.

  29. 29.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 8:12 am

    @mrmoshpotato:

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    The people who jumped shark because Obama became president never voted for him. That is the 20+% dead enders of the GWB years. However, the majority of Iowans sent the black man to the White House, twice! Did some substantial portion of them really become brain washed by the right wing media sphere? If they were so succeptible, would they not have succumbed before 2008, or certainly before 2012?

    One potentially explanation I have read is that the Obama/Trump voter is actually a very rare breed. Trump simply activated a segment of the ugly underbelly of the American electorate that had been disengaged from politics and elections before. With this newly activated group, the sane and empathetic cohort is now suddenly outnumbered in Iowa (and Ohio). The GOP had been reaching for this segment for decades, but had previously relied upon dogwhistles, rather than the blow horn that Trump wields.

  30. 30.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    November 20, 2020 at 8:12 am

    Unfortunately, the spread of #COVID19 is rising in nearly every state, regardless of if they have mask mandates in place. Here in South Dakota, we’re focusing on solutions that DO good, not on responses that FEEL good.

    Says the governor of a hicky state that managed get one of the worst infection rates in the country.

  31. 31.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    November 20, 2020 at 8:20 am

    @YY_Sima Qian: This is what happens when reality denial becomes a tribal identity marker.  I blame creationism that turned science into opinion in the minds of a lot of religious people.

    @mrmoshpotato: This far predates Obama. Remember back in the ancient days of the Bush administration the Texas board of education trying to teach the Discovery Institutes nonsense about intelligent design in school?

  32. 32.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 8:22 am

    @TS (the original): Between the breaches at Melbourne and Adelaide, something about the way medi-hotel staff is recruited, trained and paid (or how such contracts are awarded) need to be reworked. Are the staff so poorly paid that they need to work second jobs?

    In China, the staff at quarantine hotels are a combinations of neighborhood committee workers, hospital medical staff, government health department workers, as well as workers reassigned from other government departments and state owned enterprises. Of course, China with its very large state apparatus, has a huge pool of resources to draw from. I think South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan take similar approaches to staffing quarantine facilities. Contracting out to inexperienced private firms seems risky.

  33. 33.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    November 20, 2020 at 8:26 am

    @YY_Sima Qian: do remember that Trump is above all a reality TV show star and pretty much ran his administration that way. It’s not just racists Trump activates but the brain dead stoners who think with the magic talking box.

  34. 34.

    TS (the original)

    November 20, 2020 at 8:42 am

    @YY_Sima Qian:

    Are the staff so poorly paid that they need to work second jobs?

    This is a yes – and should definitely not be the case. Australia has very liberal minimum wage laws, (national minimum wage for adults is c. $20/hour) but companies get around them via using third party  companies with “contract ” labor.  Some of course, do not pay the correct wages.

  35. 35.

    mrmoshpotato

    November 20, 2020 at 8:43 am

    @YY_Sima Qian:

    Trump simply activated a segment of the ugly underbelly of the American electorate that had been disengaged from politics and elections before.

    Yup. The “He (Dump) says what I’m thinking” voter.

    No. He says what Fox News shits into his skull (h/t Driftglass) which is the same garbage that Fox News shits into that group’s collective skull.

    Also, let’s remember that virtually every network shot empty Trump podium into viewers’ eyeballs (especially you, CNN!).

  36. 36.

    mrmoshpotato

    November 20, 2020 at 8:45 am

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    This far predates Obama. Remember back in the ancient days of the Bush administration the Texas board of education trying to teach the Discovery Institutes nonsense about intelligent design in school? 

    I vaguely remember that.

  37. 37.

    Sloane Ranger

    November 20, 2020 at 8:49 am

    Yesterday in the UK we had 22,915 new cases. This is just over 3000 more than the day before, but, in good news, the 7 day average is reducing, currently by -2.4%. The new cases are distributed as follows,

    England – 20,291 (up @3000)

    Northern Ireland – 487 (down @30)

    Scotland – 1089 (down @200)

    Wales – 1048 (up @400).

    The cumulative total for the UK as a whole since the pandemic began is 1,453,256. England has the highest rate over the last 7 days per 100,000 of population (273.4), followed by Northern Ireland (210.3), Wales (180.5) and Scotland (144.2).

    Deaths – There were 501 deaths yesterday, with 2225 deaths where COVID was mentioned on the Death Certificate in the week ending 6 November. 416 of yesterday’s deaths occurred in England, 12 in Northern Ireland, 50 in Scotland and 23 in Wales.

    Testing – 364,490 tests were processed on Wednesday, 18 November out of a capacity of 536,471. The 7 day moving average shows an increase of 1.5% in number of tests processed.

    Hospitalisation – There were 16,409 people in hospital as of Tuesday, 17th and 1430 people on ventilators as of the 18th. Both numbers are increasing and, after a short period where the rate of increase in the use of ventilators seemed to be slowing down, it has resumed its previous trajectory.

    General – I have mentioned before that the English Test and trace system is under heavy criticism for not doing it’s job and the use of a private company to run the system has been particularly singled out as the reason. A recent BBC phone in programme has discussed this.

    The English Test and Trace system relies on individuals being contacted by phone and some people who work for the company have rung in to say that they are frustrated as they can make 100 calls and 90 either aren’t answered or go to voicemail. Of the remaining 10, some who answer put the phone down after they identify themselves. OTOH, others have rung in to say that, with the increase in scam calls, they either don’t answer the phone if it’s a number they don’t recognise or wouldn’t give personal details to anyone who just calls out of the blue claiming to be Test and Trace. It sounds like the mistake was having a centralised system, sounds more efficient but, much better to have someone knock on the door with ID to hand.

    In other news, the Government is now discussing how the nation pays for the pandemic. They are suggesting a pay freeze for all government employees other than NHS staff as part of the answer. The unions are naturally pushing back on this.

    More positively, I have reacted to the vaccine news by renewing by Senior Railcard for 3 years in the hope and expectation I will be able to start travelling again in the summer of 2021 and so get VFM out of it.

  38. 38.

    Citizen Alan

    November 20, 2020 at 9:01 am

    Here is the bit of hypocrisy that enrages me the most.  Almost without exception, everyone in this country who believes their rights are being tyrannically violated by being forced to wear a mask for a few hours every day during a pandemic also believes that a pregnant woman has no right to an abortion even though pregnancy last for 9 months and can cause significant healthy fuse and interferes with life activities. Fucking hypocrites every one of them.

  39. 39.

    NotMax

    November 20, 2020 at 9:07 am

    @Sloane Ranger

    by renewing by Senior Railcard

    “Sorry, not here, sir. That card applies to seating in carriages more than 65 years old only. Three cars back, if you please.”

    :)

    :)

  40. 40.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 9:28 am

    @TS (the original):

    This is a yes – and should definitely not be the case. Australia has very liberal minimum wage laws, (national minimum wage for adults is c. $20/hour) but companies get around them via using third party  companies with “contract ” labor.  Some of course, do not pay the correct wages.

    They are Australia’s first line of defense in this pandemic, can’t believe the state governments are penny pinching here. Might as well have the ADF take over. (Which is I think what Victoria did after the breach there?)

  41. 41.

    YY_Sima Qian

    November 20, 2020 at 9:32 am

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques:

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Good points. Well, they are activated now, and the post-Trumpian (but still Trumpist) GOP will continue to cater to them with abandon.

  42. 42.

    artem1s

    November 20, 2020 at 9:35 am

    @YY_Sima Qian:

    One potentially explanation I have read is that the Obama/Trump voter is actually a very rare breed

    no they aren’t. every member of my family that votes R (except maybe my mom), voted for Obama in 2008.  the best I can figure from their actions was they started out voting against Hillary in Ohio’s open primary because they thought a Republican couldn’t beat her ( I think they were rooting for Huckabee, ick!).  But they voted against McCain in the general because they had been brainwashed by the crap W spread about him during the R primaries in 2000. But honestly, from what they have said about not voting or O in 2012, I think they turned against him over Obama care (but were strangely OK with RMoneyCare?). And I think they believed that someone who grew up in a conservative Black church would continue to block same sex marriage legislation. They kept spouting nonsense about having their freedum taken away by something O had done, or not done.  It may have been the increases in SS matching or letting Ws tax laws lapse.  These are things are the most likely candidates that I can figure.  In all honesty they probably had to pinch their noses to voter for RMoney (Mormon) but at least he would be as awful on taxes and repeal the OCare mandates in their thinking.  But honestly, if you are looking for O turned T voters, you should be looking at White men and women earning $100K/year or more who have substantial 401Ks.  O picking Joe as his VP honestly made them feel like there was really a white guy in charge anyway.  Joe turned on them when he eviscerated their Randian hero Paul Ryan. That’s who White collar workers really wanted to be the next face of the R party.  But honestly with the recovery of the stock market, they got theirs and fuck everyone else.

    I kid you not, they believe everything they hear on hate radio, or FauxNews.  And they have no reasoning skills left where it comes to identifying a candidates policies and ability to actually govern.  And for some odd reason, they hate female candidates of any color even more than they hate a male candidate of color. So maybe Palin hurt McCain with the base even more than we really understand. Who knows.  But they are real and they are legion.

  43. 43.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    November 20, 2020 at 9:43 am

    @YY_Sima Qian: The racists perhaps, the TV zombies, no. It’s been shown they will only come and vote if their obsession is on the tricket.  That’s why the special election and midterms were on the money for polling.

  44. 44.

    blacque_jacques

    November 20, 2020 at 9:54 am

    @NotMax: It’s spreading like wildfire

  45. 45.

    Rina99

    November 20, 2020 at 10:00 am

    My reaction when I read that one of my senators, Rick Scott, has coronavirus: “Good, I hope he dies.” It’s a little concerning how unbothered I am at thinking that.

  46. 46.

    Sloane Ranger

    November 20, 2020 at 10:06 am

    @NotMax:

     

    “Sorry, not here, sir. That card applies to seating in carriages more than 65 years old only. Three cars back, if you please.”

    Only 60 years old here in the (Still a bit socialist) UK!
    :)

  47. 47.

    bluefoot

    November 20, 2020 at 10:23 am

    @satby: I agree but the problem is enforcement.  I don’t know how to implement that.

    We’ve already seen it’s difficult and unfair to put enforcement onto people like cashiers in stores.  And what we saw back in March/April cops in multiple cities handing out masks in the “nice” white neighborhoods and not insisting (white) people put them on, but hassling (or worse) POC without masks.

    For your farmer’s market, is it the managers of the market that get fined?

  48. 48.

    satby

    November 20, 2020 at 11:26 am

    @bluefoot: Each booth is its own business,so the individual owners, though if too many are caught without masks the market as a whole could be too.

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