Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

I really should read my own blog.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. ~Thomas Jefferson

One way or another, he’s a liar.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday/Thursday, Dec. 16-17

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday/Thursday, Dec. 16-17

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Seems like having everyone who receives the vaccine stay in the clinic for 20 minutes is a due & sufficient caution:

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Reader Interactions

55Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    The judge noted that Pacers International Showgirls and Cheetahs Gentlemen’s Club operated for five weeks during the pandemic under their own safety measures, which included keeping strippers 15 feet (4.6 meters) from tables, allowing no more than one stripper per stage and requiring them and other employees to wear masks.

    …..

    What’s going to happen next when there is some greater emergency? Are we all going to be under house arrest? Are we going to even have a Constitution?” said Saccuzzo, the Pacers lawyer. “I fear that we may end up in a country that we don’t even recognize.”

    I look forward to going back to debating women’s reproductive rights when this is all over.

  3. 3.

    mrmoshpotato

    The officers told the bus driver to allow the juveniles to reboard the bus but the driver fled the scene leaving the officers with the crowd of approximately 60 kids in a “very agitated state for officers to deal with,” the police said.

    I don’t blame the driver, and I hope they’re still healthy in 2 weeks.

  5. 5.

    YY_Sima Qian

    Yesterday, China reported 0 new domestic confirmed, 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases and 1 new domestic suspect case.
     
    Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang Province reported 2 new asymptomatic and 1 new suspect cases, at Suifenhe, all are traced close contacts already under quarantine. There are currently 10 confirmed (8 at Suifenhe and 2 at Dongning), 5 asymptomatic cases (all at Suifenhe), and 1 suspect case (at Suifenhe) in Mudanjiang. 2 residential compounds and an office building at Suifenhe, and 1 sub-district at Dongning, remain designated as Medium Risk.
     
    Dalian in Liaoning Province currently has 4 new asymptomatic cases (reported on 12/15), all are cold chain logistics workers from the same shift at the same company at the port facility there. They had previously tested negative on 12/8. 24 F1 & F2 close contacts have been traced and quarantined. As of 12 PM on 12/16, 8,154 at risk individuals have been swabbed (including all residents at the compound the cases live in), the 3,175 results obtained so far are all negative.
     
    Chengdu in Sichuan Province did not report any new positive cases. There are currently 11 confirmed (1 serious, 8 moderate and 2 mild) and 1 asymptomatic cases there. 1,235 contacts are under quarantine. 2 villages and 3 residential compounds are designated as Medium Risk.
     
    Turfan in Xinjiang “Autonomous” Region did not report any new positive cases. There are currently 4 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 1 residential compound, has been designated as Medium Risk. I am seeing social media reports that Xinjiang has implemented an incredible regular and free mass testing program. All workers in high traffic and high risk positions (from medical personnels to restaurant and hair salon workers) are tested every 3 days. Government workers and students are tested every 7 days. General population are tested every 2 weeks. That explains why the grandmother in the cluster was tested on 12/9, despite being retired with no occupation.
     
    At Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region, 7 confirmed cases recovered. There are 14 confirmed and 2 asymptomatic cases in the city. 49 close contacts were released from quarantine, 87 close contacts remain under quarantine. 5 sub-districts remain at Medium Risk.
     
    In response to outer packaging of a batch of domestically produced frozen chicken legs testing positive, Chuzhou in Anhui Province has reported that all 2,712 individuals at the meat processing plant have been tested, 423 environmental samples have been collected, all negative. 166 key individuals at the plant has been retested, an additional 304 environmental samples collected, still negative. There is no indication that the plant is the source of contamination.
     
    Yesterday, China reported 7 new imported confirmed cases, 4 imported asymptomatic cases:
     

    • Shanghai Municipality – 6 confirmed cases, 2 Chinese nationals returning from the US and 1 each from France, Italy (via Helsinki), plus a US national and a South African national coming from the US
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from the US; the case had landed at Guangzhou, before being transferred rot quarantine hotel at Foshan
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 3 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Canada and Cotê d’Ivoire (via Nairobi), and a foreign national coming from Jordan (via Cairo)
    • Xichang in Sichuan Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Singapore; the case arrived in China at Chengdu on 11/30, passed through 14 days of centralized quarantine there and tested negative on RT-PCR multiple times, upon release from quarantine


    Yesterday, Hong Kong reported 96 new cases, 6 imported (from Pakistan and Indonesia) and 90 local (26 of whom without clear sources of infection). There are another 70 cases who are preliminarily confirmed, awaiting retesting.

  7. 7.

    NotMax

    @Baud
    In the same ballpark

    A group of employees at Suzies Adult Superstore say their bosses fired them because they refused to keep the store open during Oahu’s second COVID-19 shutdown, according to a lawsuit filed in Honolulu.

    Eight former workers say they were not only terminated for refusing to violate the emergency order ― they say the store’s owners are now blocking their unemployment claims. Source

  8. 8.

    NeenerNeener

    Monroe County, NY yesterday:

    680 new cases, 743 people hospitalized, 144 in ICU, 413 total deaths (up from 390), 8.8% positivity rate.

    26% of the regular hospital beds are available, and 38% of the ICU beds are still open.

    It’s been 13 days since I saw the co-worker who didn’t know she had it. So far, I have normal temperature and no persistent headache or other known symptom.

  11. 11.

    opiejeanne

    @mrmoshpotato: 
    How stupid, how utterly stupid of these parents? Rhetorical question, I know parents this dumb.
    Plus, turning 60 kids loose in a mall is a party? I really don’t get that part of the story.

  14. 14.

    NeenerNeener

    @mrmoshpotato: I looked for local sites to get tested, and the web site had me answer a bunch of questions. The only one I answered “Yes” to was “Have you been exposed to anyone with COVID in the last 14 days”, so the web site recommended staying in isolation for 14 days after exposure. It will be 14 days tomorrow.

    I may still try to find a test site when I’m on vacation next week.

  15. 15.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Amaringkanbdullah reports 1,295 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 89,133 cases. Dr Noor Hisham also reports three new deaths today, for a total of 432 deaths — 0.48% of the cumulative reported total, 0.59% of resolved cases.
    14,671 active and contagious cases are currently in hospital; 106 are in ICU, 53 of them on respirators. Meanwhile, 1,297 patients recovered and were discharged, for a total of 74,030 patients recovered — 83.1% of the cumulative reported total.
    Three new clusters were reported today: Jalan Rusa and Pasifik building site in KL, and Maringkan in Sabah.
    1,214 new cases today are local infections. Selangor has 368 cases: 94 in existing clusters, 153 close-contact screenings, and 121 other screenings. KL has 297 cases: 173 in older clusters, 62 in Jalan Rusa and Pasifik building site clusters, 18 close-contact screenings, and 44 other screenings. Sabah has 184 cases: 13 in older clusters, one in Maringkan cluster, 97 close-contact screenings, and 73 other screenings.
    Melaka has 98 cases, all in existing clusters. Penang has 80 cases: 53 in existing clusters, eight close-contact screenings, and 19 other screenings. Johor has 67 cases: 21 in existing clusters, 32 close-contact screenings, and 14 other screenings. Perak has 41 cases: 37 in existing clusters, two close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Negeri Sembilan has 33 cases: 17 in existing clusters, 10 close-contact screenings, and six other screenings. Labuan has 16 cases: five in existing clusters, five close-contact screenings, and six other screenings. Kelantan has 10 cases: three in existing clusters, and seven close-contact screenings.
    Kedah has nine cases: two in existing clusters, five close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Sarawak has three cases, all close-contact screenings. Pahang has four cases, all found in other screening. Terengganu has two cases, both in existing clusters. And Putrajaya has two cases, both close-contact screenings.
    Only Perlis reported no new local cases today.
    Six new cases are imported. All were reported in Sarawak.
    The three deaths today are a 36-year-old man in Johor with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; a 55-year-old woman in Sabah with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease; and an 81-year-old non-Malaysian man in Sabah with hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and gout.

  16. 16.

    Amir Khalid

    @Amir Khalid:

    Dr Noor Hisham’s patronymic is Abdullah, not Abmaringkandullah.

    Sorry about the odd mix of fonts. I composed this in LibreOffice, and something must have happened when I copied the text over.

  18. 18.

    Amir Khalid

    The doxtor at my appointment today said he knew no more than I do about when Covid-18 vaccines will get here, or how I would go about getting my vaccination at the University of Malaya Medical Centre.  But he did say I’d be a high priority for early vaccination: comorbidities, I haz them.

  19. 19.

    Van Buren

    I admit that I did not foresee that COVID would make strip clubs and churches allies against the government.

  22. 22.

    Brachiator

    @mrmoshpotato:

    and requiring them and other employees to wear masks.

    Wearing masks, and well…not much else.

    I don’t think you can catch the virus from T&A.

    I might respect the judge’s order more had dancers, staff and customers been systematically tested for the virus.

    As it is, in California and elsewhere, all we have is insanity. Hospitalizations have increased dramatically and there are no ICU beds, and yet people still want to defy health authorities. They are not even trying to make excuses anymore.

  23. 23.

    Mary G

    We had 3,231 new cases here on Orange County, so we didn’t beat the record of 3,250, at least. They had to add to the y axis of the graph of hospitalizations again. Thousands of body bags and extra mobile refrigerator trucks have arrived. % ICU beds currently available 0%.

    LA County and the rest of the state are also out of control, per the LAT:

    Single-day pandemic records were shattered across California yet again on Wednesday. For the first time, a Los Angeles Times county-by-county tally found more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases and nearly 400 deaths in California reported in a single day.

    The Times survey Wednesday night found 51,724 new coronavirus cases reported in a single day, shattering the state’s single-day record broken on Monday, when 42,088 cases were reported.

    WASF.

  26. 26.

    TS (the original)

    JC – why even have a president* governor or any political authority. The stupidity of too many people and their assisting Judges will see a million dead before this is done.

    And we had a new total of 17 in a cluster around Sydney Northern beaches today and already there is talk of how strong will be the restrictions and/or will the other states again stop travellers from Sydney visiting. A reality check for those thinking for sure they would have family together for Christmas.

  28. 28.

    Mousebumples

    Pharmacist checking in. I don’t work with the public anymore, so I’m not involved in the covid vaccine rollout, but I love that we (as a profession) “found” extra doses of the vaccine.

    Not the first time it’s happened, for vaccination, either. I remember giving flu shots and a 5ml vial of vaccine (with enough for 10 x 0.5ml flu shots) would typically have enough contents for 11 or even maybe 12 shots.

    Great to optimize use of a scarce resource!

  30. 30.

    Geminid

    A couple of hours ago Reuters reported that President Macron of France has tested positive for Covid-19. Another reminder that this virus goes everywhere.

  32. 32.

    raven

    Donald Trump’s Atlantic City Casino To Be Blown Up And You Can Push The Button
    The right to demolish the former Trump Plaza casino is being auctioned to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City.

  36. 36.

    terben

    @raven: No expert, but I would think that any multi-dose vial would contain more than the exact quantity because of the way that syringes are filled and freed of trapped air bubbles. A small amount of liquid is typically wasted with each dose. Careful manipulation can minimize this wastage and generate extra doses per vial.

  37. 37.

    Anne Laurie

    @opiejeanne: Plus, turning 60 kids loose in a mall is a party? I really don’t get that part of the story.

    To be honest, my first response to this story was a memory of my mother telling my teenage brother, “I’ll always love you, but sometimes I don’t really like you.”…

  39. 39.

    Sloane Ranger

    Yesterday in the UK we had 25,161 new cases. This is a massive increase of 6500 from Tuesday. The rolling 7-day average had now increased by 36.2%, nearer 45% in the south east of England. The Health Secretary has just announced that Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey (except Waverley) and a number of towns/cities in the south and south east will be moved into Tier 3 (highest restrictions) from Saturday. Bristol and North Somerset will move down into Tier 2 and Herefordshire will move down into Tier 1. This means that something like three quarters of everyone in England will be living in Tier 3 locations. New cases by nation,

    England – 23,432 (up @7000)
    Northern Ireland – 510 (up @30)
    Scotland – 689 (down @150)
    Wales – 530 (down @80).

    Deaths – There were 612 deaths yesterday. 537 in England, 8 in Northern Ireland, 38 in Scotland and 29 in Wales.Deaths are up by 2.4% according to the rolling 7-day average.

    Testing – 304,360 tests were processed out of a capacity of 533,964. The rolling 7-day average shows a 6.7% increase.

    Hospitalisations – There were 18,038 people in hospital on Monday, 14 December and 1326 on ventilators on Tuesday, 15th. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admission has increased by 17%. ICU beds are, apparently, at 88% capacity.

    General – The Welsh Government has said that around 11,000 positive cases were left off their figures due to a computer error, so expect their case numbers to rise precipitately over the next few days. Given that they have the largest per capita outbreak of all the home nations, this is not good news.

    Also, despite the rising figures, the home governments are to continue the relaxation of restrictions over Christmas, although the Welsh government has advised that only 2 families mingle, rather than 3 and the Scottish government has said they advise that the 3 families only meet up on one of the days, rather than all 5.

    This all makes me want to thrown something at the TV/radio whenever a Minister comes on.

  40. 40.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @TS (the original): Reading through the ABC article you linked, the response at NSW seem quite sensible, and are reminiscent of what I have seen in China. (Minus the lock down of residential compounds with active cases. Then again, I assume Australian cities are less densely packed.)

    I am amazed that Queensland authorities are asking anyone who has been to Sydney Northern Beaches with the cluster of cases to quarantine at a hotel at one’s own expense! That is some of the toughest measures anywhere. I can’t imagine it being popular. In China, Norther Beaches would probably have been designated as Medium Risk (perhaps High). People with recent travel history to Medium Risk areas are asked to report to the local neighborhood committee and get tested immediately. Some areas may require 7 days of home quarantine even with the negative result. People with recent travel history to High Risk areas are generally required to self-quarantine at home for 14 days, even with a negative result. Of course, home quarantines in China are enforced by neighborhood committees and residential compound management, up to and including surveillance camera mounted outside of the door, magnet sensor on the door, and paper seal over the door. People with recent travel history to High Risk areas will also have yellow health codes within 14 days of travel, which would prevent access to large venues, anyway. Centralized quarantines in China are always free, except for visitors or returnees from overseas.

  43. 43.

    YY_Sima Qian

    @Sloane Ranger: Isn’t this the 2nd time a large quantity of positive cases have been left off the statistics due to some kind of computer error? Has the data tracking been outsourced to ill-qualified cronies, like in the US for a while?

    I am surprised even Scotland is going ahead with the relaxation. I had thought the Scottish government to be more sensible. Will there  be any enforcement of the restrictions? The vaccination campaign will not be far enough along prevent a Christmas and New Year induced surge.

    England should have continued with the lock down measures until mid-Dec. to suppress the epidemic, and then relax for Christmas.

  47. 47.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @OzarkHillbilly: And some people think my hatred of the Catholic Church is a bit extreme.

    No complaints here.** Stalked out of The One Holy Catholic And Apostolic Church at age 13, a few weeks after being confirmed, & never looked back other than in revulsion.***

    George Pell ought to reflect on the number of priests who drew tumbrel rides in late 18th-century France, and consider that  crafting effective guillotines is not exactly a lost art. Bastard.

    ** Of course, considering my exalted reputation around here, that may not be the sort of support you were looking for…

    *** Inter alia it’s hard to overlook the swarm of postwar European political parties that styled themselves “Christian Democrat” but were in fact “Catholic Crypto-Fascist.” And that was long before the pedophile obscenities. (I like Pope Frankie but my one regret is that he didn’t chuck Bernie Law out of his Vatican bolthole & send him back to the States to wear an orange jumpsuit before the SOB took his dirt nap in 2017.)

  48. 48.

    evodevo

    @Van Buren: Yes…govt. creates strange bedfellows…in dry counties in KY, the local preachers and the local bootleggers are quite often in cahoots making sure the county doesn’t go wet…

  49. 49.

    Robert Sneddon

    @YY_Sima Qian: I am surprised even Scotland is going ahead with the relaxation. I had thought the Scottish government to be more sensible.

    There’s a saying that the first thing a newly-minted military officer learns is to never give an order they know will not be obeyed.

    The Scottish Government, like Westminster is totally aware that they can lay down the law and cancel Xmas but people won’t listen and obey that law. Worst-case there’s rioting and civil disorder as part of the non-compliance and the police can’t cope with the disruptions, making things worse not better.

    Instead they’ve gone for a Grinch-type Xmas and a lot of advice about how it’s not a good idea to travel 200 miles to visit Aunt Mabel in Inverness. That’s things that folks won’t listen to, generally. Right now the world is well into the compliance fatigue stage of this pandemic, people are tired of doing the right thing and they are giving up being good about mixing indoors and visiting family etc. This was factored in by the epidemiologists back in March, it’s a driver for the second and subsequent waves in infection numbers they predicted back then.

  52. 52.

    Sloane Ranger

    @YY_Sima Qian:

     

    Isn’t this the 2nd time a large quantity of positive cases have been left off the statistics due to some kind of computer error? Has the data tracking been outsourced to ill-qualified cronies, like in the US for a while?

    You’ve either got an excellent memory or you’re taking notes :)

    Yes, the last time was a couple of months ago but that was for England. Each home government is responsible for collecting their own stats. I think they are all still done by government departments or public sector organisations, at least but I honestly don’t know about the devolved administrations. The Welsh government is Labour, so I think it unlikely they’ve privatised it.

    Robert Sneddon has answered your 2nd point. The thinking seems to be the same across all the home administrations.

    As for your last point about the English lockdown, I completely agree and have been saying it to everybody who will listen (and a few who didn’t). Johnson lives in fear of his backbenchers moaning about the “economy” and poor, hard pressed publicans. Plus Brexit approaches with an economy seriously weakened by COVID-19 already.

  54. 54.

    neldob

    My daughter was in Temecula (socal) last weekend and said the restaurants were full, elbow to elbow, very few masks seen the whole time.

  55. 55.

    Geminid

    @Geminid: Well, now I read in the Washington Post that the Australian Ellume company whose test was approved by the FDA Wednesday will ship only 100,000 home test lists in January. Two other tests- the Lucira and the Abbot BinaxNOW- require a prescription and will not be widely available until the new year. The BinaxNOW  test is used now in nursing homes and schools. Abbot expects to ship 30 million of the.home test next quarter, and 90 million more in the second quarter of2021.

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