In my opinion it’s not only that we re-opened too early (we did reopen with much higher level of new cases than other countries) but that we did re-open some things altogether (bars, gyms, indoor restaurants, etc).
If you look at a lot of the spread, they are often categorized (before it goes out of control) by large spreader events. We should have kept closed the places where these super-spreader events happened while at the same time having a coherent national message that the pandemic was far from over. Just like we did nothing between mid January and early March, once again, nothing was done until the shit hit the fan. No consistent messaging across all States to warn people not to lower their guard, no mandating mask in indoor places, and no warning that the economic pain of the lockdown could come back should we behave like if it was business as usual again.
Anyway, about the vaccine being delivered in October, I’m as eager as anyone to get a vaccine but I won’t be standing in line to get it first for sure. With this little testing (there’s no possible way to assess long term side effects on that time scale IMO), I don’t feel too comfortable being the de facto guinea pig for whoever lobbies the FDA the hardest to certify their vaccine.
~30% of non-pandemic levels is not “relatively little” for one of the highest risk activities. (And the total numbers of flights have been reduced significantly, so that’s NOT even having the individual flights at 30% density )
It’s more risky than indoor activities that are under much stricter restrictions, and importantly, people are traveling between higher-spread areas and low-spread areas which is a big deal since there was/is no coordinated response. Greatly limits the ability to do targeted actions just in areas with high new cases.
In my opinion, a “rebound” was inevitable no matter when we reopened. Staying closed would keep numbers down, but you need to stay closed to maintain those results. If that’s your focus, you have to stay closed until there’s an effective vaccine. Otherwise you are just delaying the inevitable.
Remember, this all started with a “close for two weeks, so we can flatten the curve”. I doubt we would’ve closed at all, had the given timeframe been 6 months.
One of the main problems is we never got new infections low enough and testing/contact tracing efficient enough (in capacity and speed) to meet in the middle. This made the rise in infections back up much faster than it could have been. Testing and contact tracing is almost completely useless in the current situation that the government has created, rather than being an important tool.
Definitely. The test results are taking so long where I live that the contact tracers don’t find you in time to do anything about it.
And amazingly to me, many of the people they call flat out refuse to give up their contacts. I suspect it’s economic and they don’t want them sent home from their low wage job when they’re barely scraping by.
I would imagine if you’re doing this right, it would be very easy to identify who you’ve been exposed to. Or at least name the places and times out of your google maps timeline.
Yes and unlike many other indoor places, the air filtration on most airplanes is already HEPA grade level. The transmission in airplanes is via neighboring seats since you don’t have the distancing, not the ventilation system.
I won’t call it a sham, but i still don’t think contact tracing is all that productive. In a controlled environment, sure, but theres simply no way to identify everyone you came in contact with on your daily subway ride to work.
To blame failure on the lack of opportunity to do contact tracing is little more than rationalizing our lack of power over this. We were going to “fail” no matter what we did (short of a military enforced ban on leaving your house, for everyone and any reason).
So much talk. I find of interest the underlying presumption that a solution exists, and that failure to have accessed that solution already lies with this or that entity, most often one found intolerable in the first place for unrelated reasons.
Experiences with the virus on foreign soil, similar to our own, suggest that presumption most likely is in error. Reality, which sucks, is that this is a very aggressive and implacable virus . . . . far more so than viral enemies we have successfully fought in modern times. This one does not succumb easily to our war machine directed against it, here or across the world.
COVID-19, regardless who is in charge here or elsewhere, will be neutralized only in the fullness of time. I’m not certain it ever will be fully eradicated.
I’m sure that if he is to use an executive order to extend the $600 bonus benefit, Democrats will raise hell that it’s beyond his authority and subverting the constitutional process - even though it’s exactly what they want anyways.
It’s sad they’re holding up this very direct and timely benefit that everyone agrees is necessary, just so they can use it as leverage to get their full $3 trillion agenda.
There is no question in my mind that our fight against the virus has been hampered, compromised, and seriously slowed owing to its arrival during a presidential election year.
The Dems say no because they want the benefit to be from them. They will not allow the president to win with the $600. I don’t believe folks should make more $'s by not working. But a win is a win.
I hope the president & staff hold tight on the price being talk of. 3 trillon vs 1 trillion.
How the turn tables… Now Canada has illegal alien caravan problems to deal with. After they complained about Trump keeping kids in cages…
But they’re just seekng asylum from poor local health and economic problems!!! They can’t individually fix their country’s ineffective government. It’s a humanitarian issue.
They also finally bumped up the $1,000 fine to $750,000. $1000 was not an effective deterrent.
Obama never had a Covid 19 to contend with either. So let the Republicans go for the stimulus $1200. More folks will be helped & forget about going for $600 which helps many stay home instead of looking for work.
Yeah… Four new iPhones for a $150k income household with 2 kids and secure jobs. As opposed to covering actual lost income from a statically changed business environment.
What makes you think all folks who received $1200, go out & buy new phones. Folks I know that received the money were very grateful.
One nice lady that cleans my house was so happy to get that large fund. (no comment please) Or even my son who received the money, was elated. These 2 people never thought of wasting their money on trivial items.
I didn’t say “all” folks. $150k is a crazy income level to get the extra bonuses, especially if they still have an income (and are already saving more and spending less, that’s what the DATA says. Not what “I” say). There is no justification for taking funds from kids’ future to hand to high income individuals who don’t need them. Apple’s quarterly report showed the iPhone purchases… Again, actual data.
People newly out of work, on the other hand, need funds to buy groceries. That’s where the funds should be going, directly addressing pain from the pandemic. The checks to lower income and newly jobless go directly back into the economy as well and reduce the amount that would be spent bailing out companies, rather than into savings, inflating the stock market, and luxury goods.
Since it’s implemented as a “advance on a tax refund”, it would be very easy to instead make it linked to reduced income year over year.
You miss the point. The only reason it hasnt already been enacted is because they’re intentionally holding it hostage in an attempt to force through a $3 trillion larger agenda.
Besides, who cares what the Republicans would let Obama do - of course the hypocrisy flows both ways, how it’s flowing right now is what matters right now. And it’s a new low to preach how it’s an essential benefit Americans need to survive, while at the same time refusing to enact it over petty partisan bickering.
