Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The revolution will be supervised.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

This really is a full service blog.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Tuesday/Wednesday, Dec. 29-30

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Tuesday/Wednesday, Dec. 29-30

by | 43 Comments

This post is in: ,


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When it is known that actions will have consequences (beyond bragging rights and/or abuse on social media):

… Hotel bookings for the three-day New Year weekend had reached 1.8 times of bookings a year earlier as of Dec. 24, but many people were not travelling far, even though plane tickets were nearly 20% cheaper on average, Beijing-based online travel platform Qunar.com said.

“The trend is taking a train to visit cities within the reach of one hour,” the company said…

Around 34 million people will travel by train between Dec. 31 and Jan. 3, or 8.5 million people per day, down 6.9% from a year earlier, a China Railway official told reporters on Wednesday.

Huang Li, a white-collar worker in Beijing, said she decided against going to Sanya, on the southern island of Hainan, after the government told people to avoid unnecessary travel.

“I’m not sure if my son would be allowed to attend classes in his kindergarten if we leave Beijing,” said Huang, 40. “Too many uncertainties. We might be asked to do nucleic acid tests.”…

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Not unexpected, but still…

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Reader Interactions

43Comments

  1. 1.

    NeenerNeener

    Monroe County, NY yesterday:

    530 new cases, 964 people hospitalized, 146 patients in the ICU.
    There were 52 more deaths in the past 11 days, for a total of 559.

    34% of the hospital beds are available on average and 30% of the ICU beds.

    8.5% positivity

    I wonder if this is the start of the Christmas cases.

  2. 2.

    mrmoshpotato

    It’s not even a botched plan. They just didn’t make a plan. Now Biden will have to clean up the mess.

    Glad Josh acknowledged this.  There was no plan; these murderous bastards.

  4. 4.

    rikyrah

    @mrmoshpotato:

    I am glad people are telling the truth. This isn’t incompetence.

    It’s deliberate malice.

    They planned on using the vaccine to punish the Blue States. They were going to recreate the Spring of 2020, with the Hunger Games between the States. Only this time. It wouldn’t be PPE, but vaccine??

  5. 5.

    sab

    Of course they had no plan beyond getting themselves and their immediate family vaccinated. The whole rush to get an an approved vaccine was for them to get vaccinated. They didn’t care beyond that.

  8. 8.

    PsiFighter37

    Just read one of the incoming GOP congresscritters died of COVID-19 at age 41. Wonder if that will make the rest of the clowns take this more seriously. I do feel terrible for his wife and kids.

  10. 10.

    rikyrah

    Remember, the Task Force was like, they didn’t want to share their “work” with 46’s COVID Transition Team.

     

    They said that 46’s Team would ‘steal’  their work.

     

    What a phucking joke??

  12. 12.

    rikyrah

    K so covid killed a congressman, a bomb went off on Christmas Day in Nashville, there’s an active bomb threat rn in Leavenworth… And Trump is tweeting about Brad R, who is literally not real. I don’t feel like doing this for another 3 wks— Pretty Little Liar (@SpinnerSphinx) December 30, 2020

  13. 13.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 1,870 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 110,485 cases. Dr Noor Hisham also reports six new deaths today, for a total of 463 deaths — 0.43% of the cumulative reported total, 0.53% of resolved cases.

    22,562 active and contagious cases are currently in hospital; 131 are in ICU, 62 of them on respirators. Meanwhile, 745 patients recovered and were discharged, for a total of 87,460 patients recovered — 79.2% of the cumulative reported total.

    Eight new clusters were reported today: Tembok Choh in Johor; Broga building site in Selangor; Jalan Stesen building site, Berjaya, and Jalan Nikolas in KL; Gerbang Pongsu in Perak; Damai Ketari in Pahang; and Alor in Kedah.

    1,868 new cases today are local infections. Johor has 607 cases: 164 in older clusters, 374 in Tembok Choh cluster, 40 close contact screenings, and 29 other screenings. Selangor has 472 cases: 59 in older clusters, six in Broga building site cluster, 286 close contact screenings, and 121 other screenings. Sabah has 280 cases: 14 in existing clusters, 176 close contact screenings, and 90 other screenings. KL has 218 local cases: 29 in older clusters; 66 in Jalan Stesen building site, Berjaya, and Jalan Nikolas clusters; 40 close contact screenings, and 83 other screenings.

    Penang has 69 cases: 58 in existing clusters, one close contact screening, and 100 other screenings. Kelantan has 56 cases: 33 in existing clusters, 17 close contact screenings, and six other screenings. Perak has 48 cases: 28 in older clusters, one in Gerbang Pongsu cluster, 11 close contact screenings, and eight other screenings. Pahang has 48 cases: 10 in older clusters; 20 in Damai Ketari cluster, 15 close contact screenings, and three other screenings. Negeri Sembilan has 34 cases: 10 in existing clusters, 12 close contact screenings, and 12 other screenings. Kedah has 23 cases: six in older clusters, one in Alor cluster, nine close contact screenings, and seven other screenings.

    Melaka has eight cases: one in an existing cluster, and seven close contact screenings. Terengganu has two cases, both close -contact screenings. Putrjaya has one case, a close-contact screening. And Labuan has one local case, in an existing cluster.
    Only Perlis reported no new local cases today.

    Two new cases are imported. One was reported in KL, and one in Labuan.

    The six deaths today are a 58-year-old man in Sabah with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, prostate disease, and heart disease; a 55-year-old man in Johor with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; a 63-year-old woman in Sabah with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, osteoarthritis, and dyslipidaemia; a 55-year-old man in Sabah with diabetes; a 69-year-old man in Selamgor with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, dyslipidaemia, and gout; and a 45-year-old non-Malaysian man in Sabah.

  15. 15.

    rikyrah

    charge them???

    Trump dead-enders at DOD and OMB are playing a dangerous game–for the country and themselves. It wouldn't take a particularly creative prosecutor to charge them with conspiracy to defraud the US by obstructing the orderly functions of government — i.e., the transition. https://t.co/zkjhcNwEbh— Michael R. Bromwich (@mrbromwich) December 28, 2020

  16. 16.

    Sloane Ranger

    As I mentioned a few days ago my home Internet/landline connection is down due to a leak and my only link to the outside world is my mobile phone. Builder friend has done a temporary fix to stop further leaks until he can come back and do a proper job and the phone company can’t come out to repair the line until 11 Jan so no detailed updates from the UK till then.

    Just wanted to say that we had over 51,000 new cases yesterday and more areas are expected to be put in Tier 4 restrictions this pm.

  18. 18.

    terben

    In Australia today, 31 new cases, 13 of which are quarantined travellers. The other 18 are in the greater Sydney area. There were no deaths today. I fear that NSW is on the brink of an outbreak unless they take immediate steps to contact trace and isolate more effectively than they have up until now.

    Total cases 28,381. Total deaths 909. There are 23 cases in hospital, none in ICU.

  19. 19.

    Amir Khalid

    The pandemic has exposed America as woefully lacking in healthcare infrastructure. I think the Biden administration will need to put that on its Build Back Better to-do list.

  21. 21.

    Tony Jay

    @Sloane Ranger:

    It’s okay. Let me see if I can cover for you with a concise nugget of news.

    Covid 19 – Infection rates are shooting up. The scientists are united in calling for an immediate and severe national Lockdown to stave off a catastrophe as the NHS buckles under the weight of new cases + massive, long-term underinvestment. The Government is typically issuing ever weaker denials of reality until the inevitable u-turn.

    Other UK News – A major reason for the lack of Govt interest in the spiralling pandemic is that today sees the Mother of All Parliaments assembled to rubber- stamp Flobalob’s humiliating failure of a trade deal with the EU. The Tories are spaffing triumphalist haw-haws all over the green leather while Labour’s cardboard cut-out ‘leader’ is spending his time forensically explaining why Johnson’s deal is a complete disaster for Britain that he’s going to vote for anyway because White Racist Votes Matter or something.

    So all in all just another day in the Land of Mist and Shit-Shows

  24. 24.

    YY_Sima Qian

    On 12/29, China reported 7 new domestic confirmed and 7 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

    Dalian in Liaoning Province reported 3 new domestic confirmed (all previously asymptomatic) and 3 new domestic asymptomatic cases. The previously asymptomatic cases have been under isolation since 12/21 when they tested positive during mass screening of their communities. No information released for the new asymptomatic cases. There are currently 38 domestic confirmed cases (1 serious, 25 moderate and 2 mild) and 27 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 4 communities have been designated as Medium Risk. There are 13 communities, 2 residential compounds and a village at Medium Risk in the city. All mass gatherings and events in the city have been cancelled.

    Shenyang in Liaoning Province reported 2 new domestic confirmed and 1 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 1 of the new cases is a neighbor to the imported case reported on 12/23 and has been under quarantine since that date. The other visited the same hospital at the same time as the imported case, and has been under quarantine since 12/23. The asymptomatic case is the daughter of a previously identified positive case, and also spent time in the same room as the imported case at a hospital. 734 F1 close contacts and 2,779 F2 close contacts have been traced and are under centralized quarantine; 8,488 F3 close contacts have been traced and are under home quarantine. Another 17,205 residents are in residential compounds under lock down. 7,330 environmental samples have been collected and tested, all negative. There are currently 13 domestic confirmed and 2 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 1 community and 4 residential compounds are at Medium Risk. Interesting how Shenyang is transparent with data than Dalian.

    Heihe in Heilongjiang Province, on the border with Russia, reported 1 new domestic confirmed and 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases. The confirmed case is an elderly women discovered during screening of patient intake at a hospital, she is already in serious condition. 1 of the asymptomatic cases is the grandson of the confirmed case that lives in the same residence, and the other asymptomatic case is a classmate of the grandson discovered during mass screening of all students and staff in the same grade at the school. 1 residential compound has been designated as Medium Risk.

    Beijing Municipality reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (a 4 years old child), at Chaoyang District. Case summary indicates that the child’s father had visited the hotel deemed Medium Risk due to the cluster caused by the imported case from Hong Kong. The family has been under home quarantine since 12/19 due to potential exposure, but the father has yet to test positive. 1 village in Shunyi District has been designated as Medium Risk. The Shunyi outbreak has 14 confirmed (6 moderate and 8 mild) and 2 asymptomatic cases (1 imported) so far. Xicheng District has 1 asymptomatic case, and Chaoyang District has 1 imported confirmed case and 1 domestic confirmed and 2 domestic asymptomatic cases. There are 3 villages and 1 hotel are at Medium Risk in the city. Beijing and many cities across China are cancelling mass events and celebrations for both New Year and Chinese New Year. Until the end of semester, no schools in Beijing will hold any cross-class activities.

    Beijing Municipal CDC has released the results of the epidemiological investigation into the Shunyi outbreak. The index case is the imported asymptomatic case reported on 12/28, an Indonesian national coming from Indonesia. The case flew from Jakarta to Fuzhou in Fujian Province on 11/26, was deemed a close contact of an imported confirmed case on the same flight. He passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine at Fuzhou and tested negative multiple times. He then flew from Fuzhou to Beijing on 12/10, taking up residence at Shunyi District. It is unclear where he has been under home quarantine after arriving at Beijing (he should have been per policy). On 12/25, he was placed under quarantine again as a traced close contact of a domestic case, testing positive on IgM antibodies on 12/26, and on RT-PCR on 12/28. The Indonesian national infected his Chinese roommate (Case 2), as well as cashier (Case 3) at a supermarket while shopping. Case 3 turned out to be a super spreader, infecting Case 4 (the first discovered case in the cluster, who had traveled to Ningbo in Zhejiang Province before being informed of his positive test result) while shopping, her husband (Case 5), a driver of a ride hailing service (Case 6), as well as 2 friends (Cases 7 & 8) while shopping and sharing a ride. Cases 7 & 8 then infected their spouses (Cases 9 & 10). Cases 5, 7, 9 & 10 all work in the same industrial park, in turn infecting 5 co-workers (Cases 12 – 16). Genomic sequencing of viral samples from positive cases and environment indicate the strain to be L genotype, European branch, sub-branch 2.3, which is currently prevalent in Southease Asia. 

    Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province reported a new domestic asymptomatic case, a guard at a quarantine hotel. 137 contacts have been traced and quarantined, all have tested negative so far. All 2K+ residents at the case’s compound have been swabbed. The authorities believe the case was infected by an imported case.

    At Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang Province, 1 office building at Suifenhe has been re-designated as Low Risk. There are no more Medium Risk areas at Mudanjiang. 2 confirmed patients recovered (1 each at Suifenhe and Dongning), 1 asymptomatic case has been released from isolation (at Suifenhe).

    There are no changes in other Chinese cities with recent/current outbreaks.

    On 12/29, China reported 17 new imported confirmed cases, 10 imported asymptomatic cases:

    • Shanghai Municipality – 7 confirmed cases, 3 Chinese nationals returning from the US , and 1 each from France, Switzerland, Turkey (via France) and Bulgaria (via France)
    • Tianjin Municipality – 3 confirmed case, 2 Chinese nationals returning from the US and 1 from Japan
    • Hohhot in Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region – 2 confirmed cases, off a flight diverted from Beijing, no information released
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Malaysia and the US
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 1 confirmed case (previously asymptomatic), a Chinese national returning from Nigeria
    • Rizhao in Shandong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Mozambique; it appears that the case had entered China at Shenzhen i Guangdong Province, passed through the 14 days of quarantine there with negative test results, before flying to Rizhao on 12/26, presumably testing positive from followup testing during home quarantine
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed and 1 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Nigeria (via Kigali)
    • Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Romanian crew member off a cargo ship from Singapore
    • Yunnan Province (city not specified) – 4 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Myanmar via land border crossing
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Egypt and Myanmar
    • Wuxi in Jiangsu Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Egypt; the case had arrived in China at Chengdu in Sichuan Province on 12/12, passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine and tested negative 4 times, flew to Wuxi on 12/27, and testing positive from followup screening; 133 contacts have been traced so far
    • Nanning in Guangxi Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from overseas, no further information released,

    Overall in China, 1 case deteriorated to serious condition, 16 confirmed cases recovered, 6 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation and 4 were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 399 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 356 active confirmed cases in the country (359 imported), 5 are in serious condition (3 imported), 269 asymptomatic cases (219 imported). 12,846 traced contacts are currently under quarantine.

    On 12/30, Hong Kong reported 54 new cases, 7 imported (from the Philippines and Indonesia) and 47 domestic (13 of whom do not have source of infection identified). Another 50+ cases are preliminarily positive, awaiting retesting.

  25. 25.

    YY_Sima Qian

    My wife and I had been discussing a possible trip down to the tropical (technically sub-tropical) island of Hainan, China’s Hawaii, over the winter break, taking our daughter and my in-laws. After the recent sporadic outbreaks across China, I told her that it is not a good idea. My father in-law agrees (he is quite cautious, anyway, but I think the experience during Wuhan’s wave had a lasting impact on him). I am not concerned about risk of infection. However, should a few cases pop up in Hainan during our stay, or we share a plane or a train car with a case, it could really complicate our lives. We may be stuck in Hainan under local lock down, waiting for negative RT-PCR team tests before we can return to Wuhan. We may need to home quarantine for at least a week upon returning to Wuhan. Our health codes may show yellow, because of our travel history to a Medium/High Risk area, which would prevent us from accessing a lot of public facilities or spaces. My wife has even suggested that we drive round trip (more than a day each way, plus ferry rides to and from the island). I just don’t think it is worth it.

    We probably will forego the trip to Nanjing to visit my extended family on my mother’s side, for the same reason.

  26. 26.

    Scout211

    https://www.kcra.com/article/federal-medical-team-arrives-san-joaquin-county/35093626

    There is some much needed relief coming from the military to help with staffing at local hospitals here in the California Central Valley region.

    A team of medical professionals from the Department of Defense is working inside two San Joaquin County hospitals.

    The 39-member medical team arrived Tuesday to help at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial and Dameron Hospital in Stockton. The federal team includes doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and physician assistants.

     

    Dameron Hospital and Lodi Memorial were selected to house the federal team because the facilities already had the physical beds available.

    “It’s much easier to add bodies to accept more patients than it is to build up space or find space for these patients,” McCollough said.

    With federal help, McCollough said they’ll be able to add about 20 ICU beds at each facility. It will serve to add more capacity to the hospital and allow for transfers from other facilities.

    The federal team is contracted to help through mid-February if needed.

  27. 27.

    Soprano2

    When I heard about the death of the congressman-elect, I have to admit my first thought was to wonder if he was anti-mask, and if that would be mentioned in any of the stories about his death. I have a hard time feeling too sorry for someone who was against masks and advocated for everything to hurry up and open up. It’s like he killed himself because he thought he couldn’t get sick and die. I do feel for his wife and young children, though.

  28. 28.

    Soprano2

    @mrmoshpotato: Glad Josh acknowledged this.  There was no plan; these murderous bastards.

    Sure there was a “plan”. The “plan” was “get a vaccine, give Trump credit for it, let the market distribute the vaccine and everything will be OK right after Trump and all his friends and family get it”. I heard about a hospital somewhere that had a web site where all the staff could sign up for the first round of vaccines. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the administrative people signed up right away and took up all the spots so that many people who work directly with patients didn’t get in on the first round. I heard an interview with someone who said they didn’t know how they could have prevented this! I’m thinking, “Sure you could have, you could have designated who specifically was most important to get the vaccines, and then put only them on the list”. What happened here is how the Trump people wanted it to go. Oh, and yeah, they were definitely going to hold back vaccines from the blue states that didn’t vote for Trump. I wish the Biden people could take over the vaccine distribution planning today!

  29. 29.

    lowtechcyclist

    @rikyrah:

    Remember, the Task Force was like, they didn’t want to share their “work” with 46’s COVID Transition Team.

    They said that 46’s Team would ‘steal’  their work.

    What a phucking joke??

    The Biden team would have been like Geraldo opening Al Capone’s empty vault.

    ETA: But yes, “Covid task force,” that’s how it’s supposed to work.  The next Administration is supposed to be able to build on what you did – that is, if you had actually done anything – which, yes, means they get to take possession of all ‘your’ work.

    Which belongs to the American people, not this Administration or the next.  Fuckers.

  30. 30.

    trnc

    I haz question about the new corona variant. Do mutations have a direct relationship to spread? Specifically, is it likely that the Scott Atlas/Republican intentional contraction approach would necessarily lead to more rapid mutations and variations than we’ve already seen? So not only would we have the expected higher death toll from the current strains, but also new strains that require new vaccines?

    If so, it’s difficult to imagine why Atlas and his ilk are given any responsibilities by anyone beyond cleaning dog shit up from dog parks. I know that was already clear to most of us from the first tweet he shat out, but it still seems even more reprehensible as we hear about the new strains.

  31. 31.

    trnc

    @lowtechcyclist: But yes, “Covid task force,” that’s how it’s supposed to work.  The next Administration is supposed to be able to build on what you did – that is, if you had actually done anything – which, yes, means they get to take possession of all ‘your’ work.

    Especially ironic, given that the Obama administration specifically emphasized a pandemic as a likely threat during the transition, and DT took the tools left to him by Obama and flushed them down his gold plated toilet.

  32. 32.

    Barbara

    @rikyrah: My husband an I were ruminating on what a second Trump term would have looked like, and my view was that it would be like the last years of Robert Mugabe.  Even three more weeks of this narcissistic wallowing seems unendurable.

  33. 33.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Soprano2:

    I wish the Biden people could take over the vaccine distribution planning today!

    I wish Hillary Clinton could’ve taken over the presidency on January 20, 2017!

  34. 34.

    bluefoot

    @trnc: Mutations definitely have a relationship to spread.  The more infections, the more opportunities the virus has to mutate.  (Every time the virus replicates, especially in a new environment (host), it has a chance to mutate.)

    As I’ve said before here, it’s another reason we need to stop/slow the pandemic – the more it’s out there, the more chances it has to mutate into something worse.

    Right now it’s looking like the new variant is more contagious.  Which means we should be taking greater precautions.  The 6 ft, 15 minutes, masked guidance is based on what we know of the virus up until now.  With something more contagious, it might mean we need more than 6 ft and less than 15 minutes for the same chance of infection.  Or that surfaces become more important in spreading the virus.  We don’t know yet.

    Also, so far, the prediction is that the vaccines will still protect against the new variant.

    Here in the US, we are not doing enough genomic surveillance of the virus and its spread.

  35. 35.

    The Moar You Know

    The 6 ft, 15 minutes, masked guidance is based on what we know of the virus up until now.

    @bluefoot:  actually and sadly, it is not.  It’s based on what Americans will put up with, and how much available space is in most commercial structures.

    The minimum reach of an airborne aerosol isn’t six feet in 15 minutes.  It’s six meters.  20 feet.  But to act on that would require all of America to shut down completely, which we won’t do.

    EXAMPLE:  cigarette smoke is an aerosol.  How far away do you have to be from someone to tell if they’ve been smoking a cigarette recently or not?  It’s a lot more than six feet.

  36. 36.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @PsiFighter37:

    These are not normal people.

    I have to occasionally work with a couple of GOP/Trumpist/anti-maskers. One of them lost her mother to Covid a couple of weeks ago. Mother was only 71 years old, otherwise healthy.

    The co-worker offered up: “It wasn’t Covid. Everyone knows that hospitals lie and say it’s Covid because then they make more money.”

    So of course I my response was “That’s terrible! What do you think she died from, then?”

    Her answer? “Well, I don’t know — but it wasn’t Covid!”

    These are not normal people.

  38. 38.

    Yutsano

    @trnc:

    If so, it’s difficult to imagine why Atlas and his ilk are given any responsibilities by anyone beyond cleaning dog shit up from dog parks.

    Dr. Scott Atlas is a radiologist. He interprets images from X-rays, CT scans, MRI etc. He probably had a course on virology in Medical school and that was it. He wasn’t selected for his competence or knowledge. He was selected because he made noise the Oval Office Squatter wanted to hear.

  39. 39.

    Denali

    I wanted to thank our commenters from around the world – it is great to have some first hard information from other countries. We are in for a very difficult winter, I’m afraid, for a number of reasons. We have people out there who will either waste a lot of police time by bombing hoaxes, or people who really are extreme enough to set off bombs. They are terrorists.  So we have a pandemic that has not yet been controlled going on alongside people who are not willing to take commonsese measures to prevent it. Then we have an incoming President who faces a Congress that will oppose his every move just because he is not of their Party.  I hope he can thread the needle and unite our country, but I am afraid it is too late.

  40. 40.

    Soprano2

    @Chief Oshkosh: The co-worker offered up: “It wasn’t Covid. Everyone knows that hospitals lie and say it’s Covid because then they make more money.”

    I’ve heard this from several Trump supporters at the pub, it’s become conventional wisdom on the right that hospitals are lying to insurance companies about COVID because they’re getting rich off of it (have they ever met an insurance company? How could they get away with this?). When I ask them for proof, all I’ve gotten so far is “Well everyone knows the COVID test costs a lot more than the flu test, that’s why they’re testing everyone for COVID and no one for flu”. Never mind that doesn’t mean the entity that tests you makes more money…….*facepalm

  41. 41.

    CatFacts

    For what it’s worth, Louisiana politics writers like Robert Mann (rtmannjr on Twitter) seem to be saying that the congressman who died was not a hardcore anti-masker or Covid denier.

    I’m pretty sure I’d have hated Letlow’s policy ideas, but this is one scary disease.

  43. 43.

    Kent

    I actually agree with the Ryan Grimm tweet.  Push the vaccine out to the states as fast as possible.  Preference the critical groups first, but vaccine everyone in sight.  But don’t waste a lot of time trying to chase down the very last ER nurse or 80 year old nursing home resident before moving on to the next phase.  Push out every bit of surplus vaccine you get to whoever you can get it into while still emphasizing your priority lists.  There is always more coming the next week.

    Kind of like airline boarding where they call the next boarding group before the last one is completely boarded to keep things flowing.  The gate clerks don’t stand there and wait until every last first class passenger is on the plane and comfortable before starting the next group.  They move on as soon as the line starts to go down and if you missed your chance you wait and board with the next group.

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