My jaw actually dropped. pic.twitter.com/HkvWnCHIF9
— Philip Bump (@pbump) December 22, 2020
NEW: U.S. sets single-day record with more than 3,350 deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday, according to an NBC News tally. https://t.co/6A1chi3auV
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) December 23, 2020
2020 will be the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time – due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic. The expected 15% jump would mark the largest leap since 1918. https://t.co/Xgw6QAZE8C
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 22, 2020
Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, said she plans to retire, but is willing to first help President-elect Joe Biden's team with its coronavirus response as needed. https://t.co/BlJun8udSk
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 22, 2020
The U.S. government is negotiating with Pfizer to acquire tens of millions of additional vaccine doses in exchange for helping the pharmaceutical giant gain better access to manufacturing supplies, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. https://t.co/5x7TIfLyTS
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 23, 2020
Time to add to the 3 W's (Wear a mask, Watch your distance, Wash your hands) 2 V's: Ventilation and Vaccination. A full house – and a winning hand against Covid.
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) December 23, 2020
Inside the warehouse containing some of the nation's most critical supplies and vaccines https://t.co/lLNxpXZMn6 pic.twitter.com/toVxgveyU7
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 21, 2020
======
NEW: long overdue, I’ve updated our excess deaths data, expanding the list of countries to 30
We have tracked 1.5 million excess deaths so far, considerably more than the 960k attributed to Covid-19 in the same countries over same period.
Free to read: https://t.co/JxVd2cG7KI pic.twitter.com/MshKwU5QRM
— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) December 22, 2020
UK Covid deaths up by nearly 700 in 24-hour period https://t.co/6ftuucUfhh
— The Independent (@Independent) December 22, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic is not under control in France and a new lockdown must remain an option, Karine Lacombe, the head of the infectious diseases unit at Paris’ Saint-Antoine hospital said https://t.co/Zj9zfkttTx
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2020
Russia confirmed 27,250 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, bringing the total number of reported cases to 2,933,753 https://t.co/JPQFAMHRes
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) December 23, 2020
Keep calm, Taiwan says after first local COVID-19 case in eight months https://t.co/ChpmAgDtli pic.twitter.com/NsyiQXeXfD
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2020
South Korea's Moon under fire for vaccine plans as COVID-19 cases surge https://t.co/gMDMOf8gQM pic.twitter.com/jYaqjQVuXC
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2020
COVID-19 vaccine stirs rare hesitation in nearly virus-free Singapore https://t.co/pArVty9H2G pic.twitter.com/jK9mfOWgGJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2020
Thailand confirms 46 new coronavirus infections https://t.co/Kty50KD1us pic.twitter.com/GCQsobdjP6
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2020
Covid-19: The Philippines and its lockdown baby boom https://t.co/l6je3E9b9h
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 23, 2020
Dubai to begin inoculations with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from Wednesday https://t.co/G6bqzNfwfa pic.twitter.com/blcIsvn4Hx
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2020
Sydney's Covid restrictions to be reviewed ahead of Christmas https://t.co/zexmzHObqs
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 22, 2020
Sadly #Antarctica is no longer free of COVID-19! The Chilean army today reported 36 personnel at O’Higgins Base have tested positive (26 military and 10 civilians); the station has been undergoing the annual exchange of personnel over the last few weeks; pic @Base_OHiggins pic.twitter.com/OKtjqQQ4Om
— The Antarctic Report (@AntarcticReport) December 22, 2020
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Losing track of how many #COVID19 #vaccine doses are coming to your State, and who will get immunized? This handy-dandy dashboard keeps track for you: https://t.co/1ll9BYKk6D
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) December 22, 2020
The @CDCgov analysis of the mutant UK and SoAfrican #SARSCoV2 viruses, and what they plan to do to protect Americans. (Hint: It's not much.)https://t.co/D2S98Oy8aw
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) December 23, 2020
2/ This chart from the Oxford #COVID19 study is tricky — take a moment. The blobs on the right show the range of reduction in epidemic growth rates, in countries worldwide, a given intervention has had. Limiting gatherings to <10 ppl cut spread in half. pic.twitter.com/7PJUmSFc7p
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) December 22, 2020
China's CAS COVID-19 vaccine induces immune response in mid-stage tests https://t.co/Jrq49NYxIT pic.twitter.com/Rm2NOV5m2W
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2020
Secondary bloodstream infections associated with severe COVID19. The study, in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, is the 1st to assess the microbiology, risk factors & outcomes in hospitalized patients w/ severe COVID https://t.co/t0zLGWiFCq
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) December 22, 2020
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The hospital characteristics most associated with poor or worsening hospital outcomes for patients with #COVID19 are high or increasing community case rates. As case rates of COVID-19 increase across the nation, hospital mortality outcomes may worsen https://t.co/qa8WEXEvnR
— JAMA Internal Medicine (@JAMAInternalMed) December 22, 2020
No state has more total new cases than California, but adjusted for population, Tennessee's outbreak is worse. Gov. Bill Lee has declined to issue a mask mandate, leaving the decision up to local officials. https://t.co/1wqFpasGt6
— CNN (@CNN) December 22, 2020
Tennessee is ‘ground zero’ in the nation’s virus surge, and Christmas could make it worse. Eight of the nation’s 20 metropolitan areas with the most cases per capita are in Tennessee https://t.co/Ff21on8WY0
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) December 23, 2020
With hospitals nearly overwhelmed, officials say California ‘cannot afford’ another holiday surge https://t.co/ZEQ73hM2vu
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) December 23, 2020
Texas AG Ken Paxton urged White House to revoke Harris County COVID relief over mail ballotshttps://t.co/71xHElASyA #hounews
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) December 22, 2020
America 2020:
In our Very Serious Country Full of Real Grownups, a strip club was open during a pandemic and people can own AK-47 rifles so that when they have a temper tantrum over wearing masks, they can make a run at a mass killing. https://t.co/HAf86eBQCC
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) December 22, 2020
The U.S. just set a record for the daily number of deaths from COVID-19 and the junior senator from Texas wants to set new mortality records for the next three months. https://t.co/1dzze4vAmX https://t.co/KMPdmm3mZQ
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) December 23, 2020
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 23, 2020
WereBear
Same as it ever was.
Jack Canuck
@WereBear: Too bad more people aren’t asking themselves, ‘Well, how did I get here?’
opiejeanne
Ted Cruz is a sanctimonious idiot. Ken Paxton is a monster.
opiejeanne
@Jack Canuck: Water flowing underground might not be the answer.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@opiejeanne: They keep telling me that Ted Cruz is really smart, I’ve still seen no evidence of this. Sorry to hear about your greenhouse.
WereBear
@Jack Canuck: Self-reflection is not a value in most American’s lives, and they fear and resent it when it appears.
Both men and women get trapped in sub-cultures where the highest value is conformity. Get along, don’t challenge anyone, don’t try to rise above your station, accept what you are given, don’t question authority, just shut up and be grateful…
It’s passivity, which is the opposite of questing and individuation. Sure, they are miserable, but they usually manage not to think about that, either.
WereBear
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I think a better category for him would be “clever.” Though the low bar in the Republican party has to be another factor in his success.
I recoil from his face instinctively… and yet, he is in politics. Then again, it was the same with Nixon…
a thousand flouncing lurkers was fidelio
Tennessee reported only 4,441 new cases yesterday, which is a sharp drop in new cases, but there was also a drop in testing from 58,714 Monday to 16,026; yesterday’s positivity rate was 19.63%. As the news reports above show, we’re fucked.
We have 1,676 available hospital beds and 182 available ICU beds. The governor has still not issued a statewide mask mandate, but he has asked people to wear a mask and stay home, in a nice, polite way, which is the really important part.
His wife has now tested positive.
mrmoshpotato
Biden should tell her to get fucked.
NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY yesterday:
Back up to 638 new cases from 459 cases yesterday, 775 people hospitalized, 125 patients in the ICU. 488 deaths total, up from 456 yesterday
Positivity rate at 8.7%
33% of the hospital beds are available on average and 32% of the ICU beds
zhena gogolia
OT but there’s no appropriate thread. We’re going to have high winds (60-mile gusts) on Christmas morning. Widespread power outages. WTF.
mrmoshpotato
@opiejeanne: Who is this asshole Chris Pandolfo?
mrmoshpotato
@zhena gogolia: Hot. Dog.
Hot airborne dog blown away by the wind. :)
opiejeanne
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Thanks. We have to inventory everything we lost, and assign a price to all of it. We’ll start tomorrow morning, after it hits the id-30s, and after we have a chat with our insurance agent. .
opiejeanne
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I think Cruz is cunning, He was probably a suck-up in school.
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 1,348 new cases today at his media briefing, for a cumulative reported total of 98,737 cases. Dr Noor Hisham also reports five new deaths today, for a total of 444 deaths — 0.45% of the cumulative reported total, 0.55% of resolved cases.
18,279 active and contagious cases are currently in hospital; 102 are in ICU, 44 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.
Five new clusters were reported today: Saga Tengah in Sabah; Menara Wang and Jalan Panah building site in KL; Hala Mutiara in Perak; and Kolam Air in Kedah.
1,332 new cases today are local infections. Selangor has 523 local cases, the most of any state for the eighth day in a row: 209 in existing clusters, 154 close-contact screenings, and 160 other screenings. KL has 223 cases: 145 in older clusters, 15 in Menara Wang and Jahan Panah building site clusters, 14 close-contact screenings, and 49 other screenings. Sabah has 189 cases: 14 in older clusters, five in Saga Tengah cluster, 113 close-contact screenings, and 57 other screenings. Melaka has 124 cases: 123 in existing clusters, and one close-contact screening. Johor has 118 cases: 80 in existing clusters, 24 close-contact screenings, and 14 other screenings.
Pahang has 45 cases: 44 in existing clusters, and one close-contact screening. Penang has 43 cases: 12 in existing clusters, nine close-contact screenings, and 22 other screenings. Negeri Sembilan has 31 cases: six in existing clusters, 15 close-contact screenings, and 10 other screenings. Kedah has 14 cases: one in an older cluster, eight in Kolam Air cluster, three close-contact screenings, and two other screenings.
Perak has eight cases: six in older clusters, one in Hala Mutiara cluster, and one close-contact screening. Kelantan has four cases: one one close-contact screening, and three other screenings. Putrajaya has four cases: one close-contact screening, and three other screenings. Sarawak has three local cases, all found in other screenings. Labuan has two cases, both in existing clusters. And Terengganu has one case, found in other screening.
Only Perlis reported no new local cases today.
16 new cases are imported. 12 were reported in Selangor, three in KL, and one in Sarawak. They are arrivals from Indonesia (seven), India (two), the Phiippines (two), Turkey (two), China, Ukraine and Oman.
The five deaths today are a 40-year-old woman in Selangor with hypertension, asthma, and obesity; a 67-year-old woman in Selangor with diabetes, dyslipidaemia and hypothyroidism; a 49-year-old man in Sabah with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, stroke, and heart disease; a 71-year-old man in Selangor with diabetes, hypertension and heart disease; and a 68-year-old man in Sabah with diabetes and hypertension.
WereBear
@zhena gogolia: That sounds horrible!
WereBear
@opiejeanne: What a nightmare.
YY_Sima Qian
Yesterday, China reported 1 new domestic confirmed and 8 new domestic asymptomatic cases.
All of the new domestic positive cases were reported by Dalian in Liaoning Province. The confirmed case is a traced close contact who has been under quarantine since 12/21. The remaining new positive cases were discovered from mass screening of all residents and/or screening at hospital intake. Annoyingly, the Dalian Municipal Health Commission is not publishing the case summaries of asymptomatic cases, nor clarifying how many of the asymptomatic cases were discovered from hospital intake. Curiously, none of the 6 cold chain logistics workers, who were discovered as asymptomatic cases, have turned symptomatic and been reclassified as confirmed. We will have to see if the authorities will release genetic analysis to see if and how the ongoing outbreak is connected to the cluster at the cold chain logistic facility. There are currently 6 domestic confirmed and 20 domestic asymptomatic cases there, 2,013 individuals are under quarantine. The city has extended mass screening to all districts. The mass screenings at Jinpu New Area, Dalian Bay District and Pulandian District are complete, all results negative so far (other than reported positive cases). Jinpu New Area will be screened a 2nd time. There are 1 community and 1 residential compound at Medium Risk.
There are no changes in other Chinese cities with recent/current outbreaks.
Yesterday, China reported 14 new imported confirmed cases, 4 imported asymptomatic cases:
Overall in China, 1 case worsened to serious condition, 19 confirmed cases recovered, 9 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation and 1 was reclassified as confirmed cases, and 751 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 320 active confirmed cases in the country (280 imported), 5 are in serious condition (4 imported), 219 asymptomatic cases (179 imported), and 1 suspect case. 7,618 individuals remain under quarantine.
Yesterday, Hong Kong reported 53 new cases, 6 imported and 47 local (20 of whom without clear sources of infection). This is the lowest new case count in the city in a few weeks.
Amir Khalid
@mrmoshpotato:
Here you go.
Amir Khalid
@mrmoshpotato:
You should give her a break. Dr Birx still has useful expertise, and she won’t have to compromise herself under Biden like she had to under Trump.
Sloane Ranger
Yesterday in the UK, we had 36,804 new cases. This is an increase of about 3500 from the day before and a new all time high. The rolling 7-day average has increased by 61.2%. New cases by home nation,
England – 32,288 (up @3500)
Northern Ireland – 439 (down @120)
Scotland – 1316 (down @200)
Wales – 2761 (up @200).
Deaths – There were 691 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday, 608 in England, 16 in Northern Ireland, 43 in Scotland and 24 in Wales.
Testing – 423,675 tests were processed yesterday out of a capacity of 682,894. This is an increase of 13.7% in the rolling 7-day average.
Hospitalisations – 18,943 people were in hospital on Friday, 18th and 1364 were on ventilators on the same date. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions has increased by 17.8%.
General – An agreement has now been reached with the French government that cross channel travel can resume subject to a negative test. The NHS and army have been moved to Dover to start the testing and lorries are starting or will shortly start to move. It is expected to take 3 days to get rid of the backlog. It has been reported that the agreement with the French requires their citizens be prioritised. If true, I can’t see this being popular with other EU nations.
Also, it is expected that other areas will enter Tier 4 (lockdown) restrictions possibly as early as Boxing Day, including where I Iive, due to surging case numbers.
Mary G
I think Biden will keep Dr. Birx on for a short time, until she can be convinced to debrief all the fuckups, then give her some lovely parting gifts for retirement, because it seems she did a lot of good work in the Army and on the PEPFAR program, GWB’s one genuinely good thing. She’s not the first person to fall for the con.
JPL
@opiejeanne: I’m so sorry about your greenhouse fire, and the loss of your tools and plants.
Chyron HR
@Amir Khalid:
“Dr. Birx had to compromise herself,” sure is a take.
Mary G
Orange County reported only 2,233 new cases today, much lower than the last 4-5 days. Also 29,144 PCR tests, way higher than ever before, so I’m thinking the spread of covid and the holidays means reporting isn’t super precise. We had to add to the y axis of the hospitalization graph yet again, as we hit a new record. It’s now more twice as high as it started out at. Test positivity rate up to a shocking 15.2% and zero ICU beds available. Plus we very badly need rain.
debbie
@opiejeanne:
Eddie Haskell ring a bell?
(So sorry about the greenhouse fire.)
Amir Khalid
@Chyron HR:
Yes, I am more sympathetic than you to her situation.
JWR
@WereBear:
Back we he became a nationally known figure, I said to myself that Cruz the Ooze was the reason the House of Representatives exists in the first place, because that was where we knew he’d probably be voted out after two agonizingly slow years. But this is Texas, where the voters re-elected an indicted worm like Ken Paxton, so oh well…
Sloane Ranger
@Sloane Ranger: Update- the border is open but nothing is moving. The situation is confused but there seems to be a protest by lorry drivers over the order in which they depart.
NorthLeft12
Anne, thanks again for these excellent compilations. You are saving all of us a great deal of work, not to mention the very helpful information we learn to help keep us safe.
I don’t think I am exaggerating to say that you are literally a life saver. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Mary G
Taiwan is having a national scandal over the one case, and has lowered the boom on the culprit:
Nelle
@NorthLeft12: Well said. I’m in total agreement. Your work has informed my behavior since last January. Thank you, thank you.
NorthLeft12
Since people seem to be reporting on their own area’s status, I’ll chime in for Canada, Ontario, and my own county [Lambton].
Canada – struggling to contain the second wave everywhere, and vaccination is limited to only senior home workers, and healthcare workers in the higher Covid areas. Quebec has chosen to vaccinate the residents of the homes first. I believe that they are the only province to prioritize that way. Need the Moderna approval and supply to vaccinate far north communities.
Ontario – just going into a four week “lockdown” [two weeks for the far north folks] due to our worsening situation which is clearly spreading from the metro Toronto area. Too late in most people’s opinion…..including mine.
Lambton [just east of Port Huron, Michigan] – we were doing amazingly well but the last ten days or so has seen an increase of over ten times our previous case load. My own work place has two separate outbreaks that have shutdown two large construction projects for at least the next two weeks.
Hope everyone stays well over the holidays.
evodevo
@zhena gogolia: Just 2020 sayin’ “I’m not over yet, suckers!”
OzarkHillbilly
@opiejeanne: What happened?
ETA: never mind, fire. Sorry to hear this.
Don K
@opiejeanne:
Not saying anything new I know, but:
Conservative: Blastocysts, embryos, and fetuses have infinite value, and we will do anything necessary to keep them alive; actual living, breathing humans have no value except as inputs to business processes, so olds have negative value.
Taken4Granite
@Jack Canuck: Or better yet, especially if they’re Republicans, “My God! What have I done?”
mrmoshpotato
@Taken4Granite:
A billion times this.
LongHairedWeirdo
Holy (string of expletives). Cruz YES!ing passing laws to keep the government from protecting its people from the next pandemic, which might be far more deadly.
This is almost as good as the SCOTUS deciding they had to rule Cuomo’s restrictions on religious gatherings unconstitutional, in spite of them having been lifted, because Cuomo might do so again… without any thought that things might even be *worse* next time. Or that Covid-19 might mutate into a more deadly strain. Or, as above, another pandemic can happen.
You know, this reminds me of a comic strip I saw… a person is sorrowfully apologizing to Mother Nature over what humanity is doing to the earth, and she gathers the poor slob into her arms and says “there, there; you’re not hurting me! Life always finds a way over time. You’re killing YOURSELVES.”
Trust the Republicans to grease a slide in front of the cliff for all their lemmings, without caring that others will be caught too.
Another Scott
@Amir Khalid: I think this is probably the right response.
I heard parts of an extended Q&A with Birx on C-Span a few weeks ago. She was saying all the right things, as far as I could tell. Given that we only see snippets in the news designed to gin-up outrage (and clicks) most of the time, and given that Fauci said things about masks early on that were used as a cudgel against him, I’m inclined to give these professionals a break. If Fauci and Biden see a place for her, that’s fine with me. If they decide to pass and let her enjoy her retirement, that’s fine with me too.
Cheers,
Scott.
VOR
@Another Scott:
Birx destroyed her reputation in this short interview where she praised Trump’s attention to the scientific literature and detail.
http://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1243556939369496576?s=20
Another Scott
@VOR: Yes, but that was from March 27.
Donnie seemed to understand facts about the virus and its implications when he talked with Woodward. Maybe that’s the side that he was showing her, while Mr. Hyde came out in the public pronouncements and lack of action. Dunno.
To be clear: I think that she has mostly been a disaster in her interactions with the press when he was around. But maybe she’s got appropriate skills that Fauci and/or Biden might think would be useful. I guess we’ll find out if that’s the case, or whether they think it would be better for her to stay retired.
FWIW.
Cheers,
Scott.