Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Donald Jessica Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

You cannot shame the shameless.

I desperately hope that, yet again, I am wrong.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

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

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

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

Books are my comfort food!

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

“woke” is the new caravan.

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

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, Dec. 21-22

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, Dec. 21-22

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People who figure they can jump to the front of the vaccine (or remdesivir) line:

Reader Interactions

54Comments

  1. 1.

    NeenerNeener

    Monroe County, NY yesterday:

    459 new cases, 735 people hospitalized, 127 patients in the ICU, 456 deaths total, up from 429 at the end of last week. Positivity rate at 8.6%.

    It’s nice to see the new cases number go down, but I expect it to go right back up again after Christmas and New Years. Especially 2 weeks after New Years. And then there’s the upcoming Super Bowl parties after that….

  2. 2.

    YY_Sima Qian

    Yesterday, China reported 2 new domestic confirmed and 6 new domestic asymptomatic cases.
     
    Dalian in Liaoning Province reported 2 new domestic confirmed case and 6 new domestic asymptomatic cases. One of the confirmed cases is a traced close contact who has been under quarantine since 12/18. However, the remaining new positive cases were discovered from mass screening of all residents in areas with concentrations of cases and contacts. There are currently 5 domestic confirmed and 12 domestic asymptomatic cases there. A community has been designated as Medium Risk. There are 1 community and 1 residential compound at Medium Risk. The authorities will conduct mass screening of all residents in Jinpu New Area, Pulandian and Dalian Bay districts. So far, 1.25M residents in Jinpu New Area, 111,334 in Dalian Bay District and 60,335 in Pulandian District have been tested, all negative (other than the positive cases reported).
     
    Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang Province did not reported any new positive cases. There are currently 10 domestic confirmed (8 at Suifenhe and 2 at Dongning), 10 domestic asymptomatic cases (all at Suifenhe), and 1 domestic 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.
     
    Beijing Municipality did not report any new positive cases. There are 2 domestic confirmed cases in the city. The hotel were the cases stayed at remains designated as Medium Risk.
     
    Chengdu in Sichuan Province did not report any new positive cases. There are currently 11 domestic confirmed and 1 domestic asymptomatic cases there. 1,049 contacts are under quarantine. 1 village and 1 residential compound have been re-designated as Low Risk. 1 village 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 remain designated as Medium Risk.
     
    Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region did not report any new positive cases. 2 confirmed cases recovered. Currently, there are 5 confirmed cases in the city. 3 close contacts were released from quarantine, 5 close contacts remain under quarantine. 1 sub-district remain at Medium Risk.
     
    Guangzhou in Guangdong Province did not report any positive cases. The authorities have also tested 59,243 individuals in the Dongyong Township surrounding the quarantine hotel, all negative. There is 1 domestic asymptomatic case  in the city.
     
    Yesterday, China reported 13 new imported confirmed cases, 11 imported asymptomatic cases:
     

    • Shanghai Municipality – 6 confirmed cases, 4 Chinese nationals returning from Russia and 1 each from Slovenia (via Vienna) and the US
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Myanmar and Zambia (via Dubai); 3 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national from Myanmar and 2 foreign nationals returning from Kenya
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Japan; 4 asymptomatic cases, 3 Chinese nationals returning from Russia and 1 from the US
    • Hohhot in Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region – 2 confirmed cases, off a flight diverted from Beijing, no information released
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 2 confirmed cases (both previously asymptomatic), 1 Chinese national each returning from Ghana (via Cairo) and Ethiopia
    • Zhengzhou in Henan Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from the US
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from the US

     
    Overall in China, 9 confirmed cases recovered, 9 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation and were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 580 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 324 active confirmed cases in the country (285 imported), 4 are in serious condition (3 imported), 214 asymptomatic cases (182 imported), and 1 suspect case. 7,850 individuals remain under quarantine.
     
    Yesterday, Hong Kong reported 63 new cases, 10 imported and 53 local (13 of whom without clear sources of infection).

  5. 5.

    Humanities Prof

    The wife again.

    Our positivity rate is down to 40%. But even better, my rural hospital thinks we’ll get our first supplies of the vaccine next week. For me, the finish line is in sight. I’m the weak link in the family (all others staying at home). I will happily raise my sleeve as soon as possible for that vax. And then I will cry as a huge weight will be lifted.

  6. 6.

    Gvg

    @eclare: isn’t that after Biden? He will set a better example. Also it will help if the NFL doesn’t allow ads that depict big gatherings to party. Not sure they will, but I think they could, or whatever network is running it.

  8. 8.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 2,062 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 97,389 cases. Dr Noor Hisham also reports one new death today, for a total of 439 deaths — 0.45% of the cumulative reported total, 0.55% of resolved cases.

    17,646 active and contagious cases are currently in hospital; 111 are in ICU, 51 of them on respirators. Meanwhile, 911 patients recovered and were discharged, for a total of 79,304 patients recovered — 81.4% of the cumulative reported total.

    Eight new clusters were reported today: Pasar Baru and Bukit Naga in Selangor; Residen building site, Kasih building site, and Sinar View building site in KL; Paginatan in Sabah; Tampoi Jaya in Johor; and Rapat in Perak.

    2,058 new cases today are local infections. Selangor has 1,013 cases: 464 in older clusters, 272 in Pasar Baru and Bukit Naga clusters, 151 close-contact screenings, and 126 other screenings. KL has 501 cases: 54 in older clusters; 369 in Residen building site, Kasih building site, and Sinar View building site clusters; 39 close-contact screenings; and 39 other screenings. Sabah has 252 cases: 20 in older clusters, 35 in Paginatan cluster, 146 close-contact screenings, and 51 other screenings. Johor has 167 cases: 123 in older clusters, 20 in Tampoi Jaya cluster, 14 close-contact screenings, and 10 other screenings.

    Negeri Sembilan has 57 cases: 30 in existing clusters, 16 close-contact screenings, and 11 other screenings. Penang has 23 cases: seven in existing clusters, two close-contact screenings, and 14 other screenings. Perak has 17 cases: four in older clusters, two in Rapat cluster, six close-contact screenings, and five other screenings.

    Melaka has nine cases: three in existing clusters, and six close-contact screenings. Pahang has six cases: one in an existing cluster, three close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Kedah has five cases: two in existing clusters, one close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Kelantan has four cases: two in existing clusters, and two other screenings. Labuan has two cases: one in an existing cluster, and one other screening. And Putrajaya has two cases, both in existing clusters.

    Sarawak, Terengganu, and Perlis reported no new local cases today.

    Four new cases are imported. They were reported in KL (three) and Selangor.

    The one death today is a 69-year-old non-Malaysian man in Sabah with stroke.

    In other news, the Ministry of Health tweeted today that it has spent RM2.05 billion (US$504.4 million) to secure enough vaccines for 26.5 million people, or about 83% of Malaysia’s population. The vaccines are to be acquired from Pfizer in the US, AstraZeneca in the UK, Sinovac and CanSinoBio in China, and The Gamaleya National Center in Russia, once they pass a three to four month evaluation process. The Ministry also pledges that Malaysians will be vaccinated for free.

  9. 9.

    NotMax

    It will be available to all EU countries at the same time, on the same conditions

    Great timing, U.K.

    //

  10. 10.

    Amir Khalid

    @NotMax: Thanks to BoJo and the Brexiteers, the UK will very soon find itself up shit creek sans paddle, and not just on vaccines.

  13. 13.

    NotMax

    State numbers. There is usually a reporting lag of 2 to 3 days in the numbers released so not hot off the presses, as it were.

    Hawaiʻi County: 1816 (13 new; 170 within last 14 days; 85 required hospitalization; and 44 deaths)
    Honolulu County: 17,158 (104 new; 1323 within last 14 days; 1242 required hospitalization; 218 deaths)
    Kauaʻi County: 138 (one new; 17 within last 14 days; seven required hospitalization; one death)
    Maui Island: 785 (14 new; 175 within last 14 days; 70 required hospitalization; 17 deaths)
    Molokaʻi: 22 (0 new; three within last 14 days; one required hospitalization; 0 deaths)
    Lāna‘i: 106 (0 new; 0 within last 14 days; five required hospitalization; 0 deaths)
    Pending: 0
    Residents diagnosed outside of Hawaiʻi: 326 (two new; no data is available for cases within last 14 days; three required hospitalization; and two deaths)

    N.B.: Whether the Honolulu County numbers include cases stemming from recent, ongoing outbreaks in prisons on Oahu is unclear. Some sources say yes, others include caveats, citing different governmental entities which say otherwise, making surety murky.

  17. 17.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @satby: A long time friend. Burned right thru him. 3 days from diagnosis to death. If only he’d been able to make it to January 20 when it all will miraculously go away.

  18. 18.

    Amir Khalid

    @eclare:

    They wanted to quit the club and still keep membership privileges. Someone should have told them it doesn’t work that way.

  21. 21.

    Martin

    Also, hospitals here are planning to start rationing care in the next couple days. New cases have fallen off their peak, but due to the lag hospitalizations are still climbing. We haven’t seen the death spike yet.

    Unclear if the drop in cases is real, or if they simply can’t process as many tests. I suspect the latter since our positivity rate isn’t falling yet.

  22. 22.

    Tony Jay

    @eclare:

      Exactly.  The EU holds all the cards.

    Yeah, yeah, but (and this is the important thing) the EU may have all the cards, but the UK is playing Extreme Twister.

    That’ll show ’em.

    (Narrator’s Voice) – “They were not shown.”

  24. 24.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    I’m kind of miffed…my wife had a very brief Covid exposure yesterday at work. She’s a front line health care worker. She hasn’t been vaccinated yet and hasn’t even been informed of a date when she might get the first dose. But Rupert Murdoch, Joni Earnst and Lil Marco all got theirs.

  25. 25.

    grandmaBear

    Dr. DIL was supposed to get her first vaccine today. Her hospital has not yet received any vaccines. The local paper keeps up the optimistic reporting on who’s going to be in the next wave, but on the ground we’re not really seeing the first wave yet.

  26. 26.

    Tony Jay

    @Amir Khalid:

    On the one hand I’d imagine that someone in Germany might allow for exceptions to be made where oodles of money sports events involving rigorously tested sportspeople playing behind closed doors are concerned, but it’s equally as likely that they might… not.

    OTOH, I’m not entirely confident that next year’s delayed Euro Championships will be going ahead in any recognisable form. The English Virus (which is what I’m sure the bookies will be taking bets on this ‘mutant strain’ of Covid being called outside of the UK) should be ripping hard through most of the continent by then, and it’s not like anyone is going to have the slightest iota of confidence in the British Government doing anything right to contain it.

    What a disaster.

  27. 27.

    Mary G

    @OzarkHillbilly: I’m sorry you lost your friend. May his memory be a blessing.

    Sweet baby Jeebus, I’ve typed that so much lately that when I typed the first ‘m’ in memory the phone filled in the rest of the sentence.

    Fuck Trump.

  28. 28.

    Sloane Ranger

    Comments above noted. I would point out that almost half of the country did NOT vote for Brexit and they are just as affected as those that did. Also, a lot of the lorry drivers in the queues are EU citizens who just want to get home for Christmas.

    Yesterday in the UK we had 33,364 new cases. This is about 2600 less than the day before. The rolling 7-day average has increased by 54.8% and we have now passed 2 million cases since the start of the pandemic. New cases by home nation,

    England – 28,742 (down @3,400)

    Northern Ireland – 555 (up @50)

    Scotland – 1504 (up @500)

    Wales – 2563 (up @200)

    Deaths – There were 215 deaths yesterday, 198 in England, 7 in Northern Ireland, 0 in Scotland and 10 in Wales.

    Testing – 433,470 tests were processed yesterday out of a capacity of 663,550. This is an increase of 10.3% in the rolling7-day average.

    Hospitalisations – 18,771 people were in hospital on Thursday 17th December and 1364 were on ventilators on Friday, 18th. The rolling7-day average for hospital admissions has increased by 18%.

    General – The press reports that many of the lorry drivers prevented from leaving the country are bring held at a partially built lorry park the government was readying for post-Brexit. There are no provisions for them to eat or drink on site, nor enough working toilet/sanitary facilities.

    In the meantime, the government is negotiating with the EU about agreeing a testing regimen that would allow cross channel deliveries to resume. There is a call for the excess testing capacity to be moved to Kent in preparation.

  29. 29.

    Tony Jay

    @Sloane Ranger:

    I’m sure Priti Patel will push ahead with some kind of secure accommodation system for the stranded lorry drivers. An easily navigable grid of dormitory barracks, perhaps, with high fences to meet security regulations and maybe big floodlights at intervals around the edge. In fact it might be an idea to put quite a few of them up, to allow for social distancing, of course. And not just in Kent, either, since that would be discriminatory.

    Once the current crisis is over I’m sure they’ll find a use for all that free and secure accommodation, what with so many people likely to lose their homes and jobs in post-Brexit Britain. Waste not, want not. /s

     

    In all seriousness, though, I’ve been meaning for a while to say how much I appreciate your daily data dumps. Being able to access accurate information without foraging through the media swamps is such a timesaver. Many thanks.

  33. 33.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    So a year of this nonsense and people still haven’t learned the virus is spread person to person?

  34. 34.

    Sloane Ranger

    @Tony Jay:

     

    In all seriousness, though, I’ve been meaning for a while to say how much I appreciate your daily data dumps. Being able to access accurate information without foraging through the media swamps is such a timesaver. Many thanks.

    My pleasure ?

  41. 41.

    UncleEbeneezer

    So here’s a question for the group: yesterday my wife ran over to help our neighbor with a pet emergency and forgot to grab a mask. Was inside with her for 30-45 mins, only close for a short time. Neighbor has no symptoms or positive test, but obviously that is no guarantee. I am 47, fit and no known co-morbitities (though I have had bronchitis a few times). How would you handle a bubble-broken without a + Covid test (everything about testing, quarantine etc., is always premised on CONFIRMED contact with the virus). We live in a tiny place, and tomorrow is my birthday. My understanding is that it takes 5-7 days before a test for my wife, would even show anything. Not sure how we should handle things. Curious to know others’ thoughts.

  42. 42.

    grandmaBear

    @grandmaBear: Dr. DIL got her shot after all, yay! She was texted by the county public health office that they had some and they were available to county residents on the 1a list so she rushed out without breakfast. She’s now trying to contact all their residents to get the news out. This is not how this is supposed to work.

  43. 43.

    J R in WV

    @grandmaBear:

    Totally disorganized, isn’t that the only way our current White House team can do anything?

    Sometimes that’s a good thing, sometimes it isn’t.

    Like this vaccine thing… should be totally organized, we knew it was coming, we had plenty of time to get things organized, but, NOT organized at all~!~

    Fuck’em, those lazy ignorant fuckers!

  44. 44.

    grandmaBear

    @J R in WV: I know. Now she’s gone into work to help sub for a few on duty so they can get theirs. It seems like chaos. I don’t think we’re going to see any reasonable process until a couple of months into the next administration.

  45. 45.

    lowtechcyclist

    @UncleEbeneezer: Here’s my opinion, for what it’s worth.

    Given that there’s no particular reason to think your neighbor has Covid, I wouldn’t suggest that you and your wife try to isolate from each other.

    But to the extent that the two of you can keep to yourselves for the next two weeks, I’d recommend you do so to keep from spreading the virus to others in the off-chance that it turns out that neighbor was Covid-positive.

    If you, your wife, and your neighbor continue to be in good health for the next two weeks, you can relax then – at least, as much as anyone can relax these days.

  46. 46.

    gvg

    @Tony Jay: It has occurred to me that Boris may have used this new mutant virus news as an excuse to reverse his long resistance to shutdowns when it was obvious they were needed.  I am not at all knowledgeable about British politics, so I am just asking.

  47. 47.

    laura

    @UncleEbeneezer: I would immediately start wearing masks indoors and if possible, isolate in separate areas of your dwelling. Wipe down all surfaces doorknobs, or contact points and hope for the best.

    My dear friend is recovering from Covid that her partner brought home from his beer making group. I begged them to separate but she said they would wait to see if symptoms developed aka “too late.” Each are recovering from mild cases. My spouse had a friend over in the house for over an hour while I hid. I wore an N95 24/7 for just shy of a week. Spouse donates blood products weekly and so is tested in a pooled group. He’s confirmed negative but still recovering from “The Talk.” We’ve agreed that if one of us is exposed they have to quarantine at the Hotel up the road because our house is to small to safely isolate.

    The desire for human contact is hard to deny. The cost of human contact is so very high and the loss is crushing.

  50. 50.

    bluefoot

    @OzarkHillbilly: I am so sorry.  May his memory give you comfort as time passes.

    I know from experience that grieving in isolation during the pandemic is difficult.  Take good care of yourself.

  51. 51.

    bluefoot

    @UncleEbeneezer: I would second the others and have you both wear a mask indoors for at least 7 days to see if any symptoms develop.  Clean any high-contact surfaces at least once a day. Crack windows open where/when feasible to keep your living space ventilated.  If you can, you both should get tested.

  52. 52.

    Bill Arnold

    @Humanities Prof:

    . For me, the finish line is in sight. I’m the weak link in the family (all others staying at home). I will happily raise my sleeve as soon as possible for that vax. And then I will cry as a huge weight will be lifted.

    Do keep track of whether the (mRNA) vaccine-produced immunity is sterilizing. It is not yet certain that it is, because it was not measured in the clinical trials; just symptomatic cases were measured (AFAIK). Since both mRNA vaccines are ~95 percent effective, it’s a reasonable but not yet certain bet that the immunity will prevent transmission, so masks should remain advised until the science settles out, hopefully within several months with aggressive studies of the vaccinated sub-population.
    Envious, though. I won’t rate a vaccination for many months.

  53. 53.

    Tony Jay

    @gvg:

    Not quite. He’s still resisting the overwhelming verdict of the scientific community that wants the whole Christmas Superspreadtacular nonsense dropped and a national Lockdown imposed. Instead he’s persisting with the regional Tier policy that hasn’t worked, inventing new Tiers so he won’t have to admit he’s putting the South East and London under Lockdown and just generally blustering away like a bathtime fart.

    Odds on he’ll duck out over Christmas, maybe run off to Europe for ‘important negotiations’ and leave the actual announcement of extending Tier 4 (Lockdown with glasses and a false nose) nationwide to his Renfield of a Health Secretary.

    Flobalob doesn’t do bad news if he can ever avoid it. Something about smirking and gurning through serious calls for national sacrifice tends to upset the rubes and hurts ‘Brand Boris’ which is all that arsehole cares about.

  54. 54.

    J R in WV

    @glc:

    This Diary entry is great, hard to read, tearing at every bit of one’s empathy. The comments were pretty good too.

    Thanks for sharing this!

    I have a friend who is an RN, but about to become a nurse practitioner (or physician assistant, one or the other) who came down with Covid-19, kept on trucking, beat the virus and continued toward her career goal. She also plays the fiddle in her spare time~!~ yes, that’s another joke…

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