Coronavirus 2

[smittykins]

On 5/12/2020 at 2:49 PM, ADoyle90815 said:

I got my stimulus check today, and it was just the check so no bragging letter from the Toddler in Chief. Will deposit it today.

I found out that mine was direct-deposited on April 28, so I went on a mini-shopping spree(~$50)for Shadow on Amazon—new ceramic dishes in a metal frame(so hopefully she won’t flip them over ?), a case of her favorite wet food, and pads for her Tidy Cats Breeze litterbox.

She’s totally not spoiled, though. 

Edited May 14, 2020 by smittykins

[GreyhoundFan]

This is infuriating, but totally expected in this corrupt administration:

 

[JMarie]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-overreaction-made-vietnam-a-virus-success/ar-BB146MOA?ocid=spartanntp

Quote

Experts say that unlike other countries now seeing infections and deaths on a huge scale, Vietnam saw a small window to act early on and used it fully.

But though cost-effective, its intrusive and labour intensive approach has its drawbacks and experts say it may be too late for most other countries to learn from its success.

Quote

Recognising that its medical system would soon become overwhelmed by even mild spread of the virus, Vietnam instead chose prevention early, and on a massive scale.

By early January, before it had any confirmed cases, Vietnam's government was initiating "drastic action" to prepare for this mysterious new pneumonia which had at that point killed two people in Wuhan.

Quote

Vietnam enacted measures other countries would take months to move on, bringing in travel restrictions, closely monitoring and eventually closing the border with China and increasing health checks at borders and other vulnerable places.

Schools were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday at the end of January and remained closed until mid-May. A vast and labour intensive contact tracing operation got under way.

 

[clueliss]

Confirmation that early samples were destroyed in China (and totally not shocked either)

 

Okay Brit FJers, pool noodles for social distancing 

Spoiler

 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

This is sweet:

 

[thoughtful]

59 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

This is sweet:

 

I love the fact that her goal is to become an epidemiologist.

Edited May 15, 2020 by thoughtful
grammar is a thing

[Seahorse Wrangler]

On 4/30/2020 at 9:36 AM, treehugger said:

Quebec has set a date to open elementary schools in Montreal for May 19.  We got a survey on Monday requesting we let them know whether or not we intend to send our kids back to school for the last month.  I actually really struggled with it, because the kids miss their friends and this is so hard for them, and I don’t love homeschooling, also, I’m a little worried they will fall behind (they are in a French immersion school and I am not really fluent enough to teach them French.  I’m working on learning, but I think they know more than I do at the moment).  But, my sister who is with us is diabetic and my husband has a compromised immune system so yesterday I responded and told them the kids were not coming back this school year.  It’s the right thing to do, but today I’m grieving.  I’m sad that my kids can’t see their teachers (who are just amazing and wonderful) and their friends, who they miss so much.  It’s really hard.  

Out in the sticks our elementary schools opened on Monday. I drove past yesterday and there was no distancing in the playground.

I'm glad my son is in high school, they are doing distance learning for the rest of the year.

[treehugger]

1 hour ago, Seahorse Wrangler said:

Out in the sticks our elementary schools opened on Monday. I drove past yesterday and there was no distancing in the playground.

I'm glad my son is in high school, they are doing distance learning for the rest of the year.

I honestly can’t imagine how hard it would be to keep early elementary kids separated on the playground.  It seems like an exercise in futility.  
Turns out as of yesterday that schools in Montreal are to remain closed till September now, so I guess all my agonizing was for nothing ?‍♀️.  They are finally going to set up proper distance learning for our school and I am beyond excited about that. I really don’t love homeschooling! 

[Ozlsn]

First weekend of loosened restrictions here. Noticeably more cars on the road, although the beautiful weather probably helped there. I went walking with my sister, and there were a lot of walkers, runners and cyclists out on the trails. Everyone is still practising distancing as far as I could see - I laughed at the dogs, who were most distinctly closer than 1.5m while their owners chatted from afar. Sports are starting up again in June and groups of up to 10 can train (with social distancing). Saw a few clubs that have obviously organised staggered training sessions, as well as a couple of smaller groups who were ad hoc training. Kids on bikes and scooters had taken over the outdoor courts and were having a ball. 

My state still has new cases - overnight we had 11 new cases, which are predominantly linked to a meat processing facility and a McDonald's. The rest of Australia has fewer new cases, with an average overall of about 15 new cases Australia-wide last week. Most are unsurprisingly concentrated in the states with the highest populations. Our total number of confirmed cases stands at 7,019, with 98 deaths.  NT is opening up bars and restaurants (to popular acclaim) although there are restrictions in place about distancing. A proposal out of the NT for a 'travel bubble' covering WA, SA and the NT led to one of the most amusing Twitter threads of the week.

And my holiday is off as the airline just confirmed the flight is cancelled. Still two months away and I can't say I'm surprised... but I hope we can maybe go in spring if some state borders reopen. We're all preparing for the projected second wave though, so who knows.

[GreyhoundFan]

This is so sad:

 

[fraurosena]

Late Saturday evening update:

• Faux News is reporting that the American government is willing to partially restore funding to the WHO again. According to a five-page draft letter to WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, obtained by Faux, the administration will "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions". "Despite [its] shortcomings, I believe that the WHO still has tremendous potential, and want to see the WHO live up to this potential, particularly now during this global crisis" the draft letter reads, apparently in Trump's voice. "That is why I've decided the United States will continue to partner and work with the WHO..." it adds. "China owes a massive debt to the entire world, and it can start with paying it's fair share to the WHO."
  Previous US funding of the WHO amounted to about 400 million dollar per year. If the US does match China's contributions, the new funding level will be about one-tenth of that amount.
  "If China increases it's funding to the WHO," the letter adds, "we will consider matching those increases."
• There were 153 new corona related deaths in Italy; the lowest daily number since March 9. The total number of corona related deaths in Italy now stands at 31.763, making it the third worst hit country in the world after the UK and the US.
• There are 346 Dutch corona patients in the ICU. The number of corona patients needing ICU care has been reduced by 36% in the last week.
  There were 27 corona related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the Netherlands up to 5670. 
  There were 45 new hospitalisations, bringing the total number of hospitalisations up to 11.537.
  The total number of confirmed cases is 43.870.
• There were 102 corona related deaths in Spain, the lowest number since March 18. The total number of deaths now stands at 27.563.
  There are 230.698 confirmed cases. More than 146.000 corona patients have recovered. 
• There were 119 corona related deaths in Russia, the largest number since the beginning of the corona outbreak.
  There were 9200 new confirmed cases, brining the total number of cases up to 272.043.
• There were 57 corona related deaths in Germany, bringing the total number of deaths up to 7881.
  There were 620 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases up to 173.772.
  There were anti-corona measure protests again in München, Berlin, Stuttgart and other cities around the country. Protesters believe the federal and state restrictions to limit the spread of the virus are going way too far. They carried signs saying "Freedom instead of compulsion" and "Against blind obedience", and they wore face masks with the text "Silenced".
  Meanwhile the measures at the borders between Germany, Austria and Switzerland have been eased. Checks at the border with France have also been eased; instead of systematic checks, they now only have intermittent checks. If all goes well, all travel restrictions between Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France will be lifted on June 15. 
• Italy is set to reopen its borders on June 3. The government is prudently waiting till after the national holiday on June 2, in order to prevent larges masses of people travelling on that day.
  Gyms and swimming pools may reopen on May 25. 
  On June 15 theatres and cinemas can reopen again, with the necessary safety protocols.
  Stores will be reopening on Monday, and people are allowed to visit others in their own regions.
• 19 miners from a platinum mine in South Africa have been infected with the corona virus. The mine's owner, Impala Platinum, says that the mine in Limpopo will be temporarily shut down. 
  Because of the corona crisis, the mining industry, with about 450.000 jobs, had been shut down for weeks. 
  South Africa is one of the worlds largest producers of platinum. The mines are currently producing at half capacity because of the lockdown.
• The total number of confirmed cases in India is now 85.940.  Despite these high numbers, the number of cases in India, which has a population of more than a billion people, is relatively low. Globally India ranks 11th in number of confirmed cases, after many European countries, as well as Turkey, Russia, Brazil and the US. The total number of corona related deaths in India is also relatively low at 2752 deaths.
  This weekend authorities will make a decision whether to prolong the lockdown or not. Earlier this month, some restrictions were already eased.
• Brazil has again reported a record number of new confirmed cases. Yesterday there were 15.305 new cases, bringing the official number of cases up to 218.223.
  There were 824 corona related deaths, brining the total number of deaths up to 14.817.
• Hundreds of people in the Yemeni harbour town Aden have died last week, apparently of COVID19, local healthcare authorities have told the Associated Press. Testing is hardly possible in the war torn country, and healthcare authorities are predicting a catastrophe. 
  The WHO predicts that half of the 30 million Yemeni people will become infected, and they expect that 40.000 patients will die. 
  Yemen is suffering under a civil war that has been raging through the country for five years. Millions of people have fled their houses and are being confronted with famine. More than 100.000 people have died. 
  People don't seem to care about an invisible virus right now. Many say they can't imagine their lives getting any worse than it is already.
  Healthcare in the country is virtually non-existent. Half of all clinics have been closed, one in five districts has no doctor at all, and there is only 1 oxygen tank available per month for 2.5 million people.
• There are 4.6 million confirmed cases world wide. 1.6 million patients have recovered. 
  The global total number of corona related deaths is 310.000.

[Ozlsn]

Coronavirus second wave hits rural America.

Cuthbert is the kind of place where social distancing was practiced well before it became a buzzword.

Tucked away in a quiet, empty corner of south-west Georgia, the town has one traffic light, two grocery stores and a dozen churches. There are zero skyscrapers or subway cars or international airports.

So, when Cuthbert's 3,000 residents first learned about coronavirus — visualised as maps with big red circles around America's urban centres — they thought to themselves, "surely that sort of thing could never happen here".

And in that way, Cuthbert's experience foreshadowed what's quickly becoming a pattern with the rest of rural America.

The country's most vulnerable communities, lulled into a false sense of security, are getting slammed with America's second wave of the virus right as the rest of the nation sees an overall flattening curve and pushes to move on.

Cuthbert had the highest death rate per-capita in the US

At the time of writing, Cuthbert and the surrounding Randolph County (total population: 6,700) reported 169 confirmed cases and 21 deaths.

That may seem like a drop in the bucket in a country with 84,000 deaths and counting.

But the speed with which the virus took over the town meant that for a few days in April, Randolph County had the highest per capita death rate in America.

[GreyhoundFan]

I think the real count is way higher.

[fraurosena]

Sunday's update:

• There were three new corona patients in the ICU in the Netherlands today, bringing the total number of corona patients needing ICU care up to 349. It's the first time since April 11 that the number of ICU corona patients has gone up again.
  There were 15 new hospitalisations, bringing the total number of hospitalisations up to 11.552.
  There were 125 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases up to 43.995.
  There were 10 corona related deaths, brining the total number of deaths up to 5680.
• In preparation for the Eid-holidays, the feast celebrating the end of Ramadan, Egypt has tightened its corona measures. On May 24 the curfew will start 4 hours earlier, which means Egyptians may not go outside from 17.00 hrs to 06.00 hrs. Authorities fear that the corona virus could spread rapidly if large groups of people gather in the streets or start visiting each other. Stores, restaurants, parks and beaches will remain closed during the Eid-holidays. There are deliberations on whether to reopen mosques and holy places in the second half of June. 
  There are 11.719 confirmed cases in Egypt, with 612 corona related deaths.
• Madagascar has had its first corona related death. A 57 year old health worker with underlying health issues died.
  Last week Madagascar announced it had developed a 'miracle cure', a herbal potion called Covid Organics. According to the president of the East African island this potion can prevent and cure Covid19. The WHO is critical and says there is no evidence that the potion works at all.
• Zhong Nanshan, the Chinese epidemics 'chief', has warned that a second corona wave in China could be on its way. As long as there is no immunity and there is no vaccine, a second wave is entirely possible. "The majority of the Chinese population is still vulnerable to corona infections because of a lack of immunity," Zhong said. "We are faced with a significant challenge, as at the moment China is doing no better than other countries."
  Zhong also said that local authorities in Wuhan, where the outbreak originated, suppressed important details about the size of the first outbreak.
  China has more than 82.000 confirmed cases, with 4633 official corona related deaths. Now the first wave seems to have passed, corona measures are being lifted. But Zhong said that Chinese authorities shouldn't relax their vigilance now. There have been new cases in China, in Wuhan as well as in northern provinces.
• The number of corona related deaths in Spain is below 100 for the first time. Yesterday 87 corona patients died, the lowest number since the state of emergency began.
• Greece is going to ease some of its corona restrictions faster than originally planned. Shopping malls will be reopened tomorrow, two weeks earlier than planned. Employees and customers must wear face masks. On May 25, cafes, bars and restaurants will be reopened, a week earlier than originally planned. Churches have been reopened today, but the number of visitors is limited and people must be seated three chairs apart from each other. Upon entry they must disinfect their hands. People who cannot enter can follow services outside on loudspeakers. 
  Travel between the mainland and the islands of Crete and Even, and on the mainland between regions will be possible again tomorrow. Greek beaches have reopened. Open air archeological sites, such as the historic monuments on the Acropolis, have also been reopened.
• There were 9709 new confirmed cases in Russia, bringing the total number of cases up to 36.912.
  There were 94 corona related deaths, bringing the total number of official corona related deaths up to 2631.
• Nepal as confirmed its first corona related death, a 29 year old woman who had recently given birth at the beginning of the month in a hospital in Kathmandu. After she came home, she began running a fever and had difficulty breathing. Testing showed she had Covid19.
  Nepal has a total number of 281 confirmed cases, and has been in lockdown since March 24. The South Asian country has a population of 28 million people of which about 100.000 people have been tested.
• Wim de Wulf, manager at ExxonMobil in Belgium, has sent an open letter to the Belgian King Filip. In the letter, Wulf appeals for the instatement of a special committee which should fundamentally reform Belgium in order to break the 'political impasse' in the country. According to Wulf, the corona crisis is only worsening the problems in the country, such as 'expensive state structures, laborious decision making procedures, polarised and time consuming disputes and regional estrangement." 
  The manager also says that there is "incisive ineptness and mediocrity" in the political class. He's addressing King Filip because  the constitutional rights of the king enable him to play a role in this situation. Wulf begins his letter with compliments: "Your leadership in the last couple of years has already shown that you know how to navigate in our complex country" and ends the letter with this sentence: "I believe that you, sire, can steer our country in a better direction."
• New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Adern has been refused entry into a cafe because of her 'own' corona rules. When she and her partner and a group of friends wanted to brunch together in the cafe, the limited number of people allowed in had already been reached. No exception for the prime minister was made.
  Her partner took the blame on Twitter. "I hadn't organised anything and hadn't made reservations." 
  Luckily for the couple, not much later some guests left the cafe and a table became available for them.
• Businessman and pharma magnate Martin Shkreli will not be allowed to leave prison early. A judge has dismissed his request for an early release. The 37 year old Shkreli became 'the most hated man in America' because his pharmaceutical company bought an Aids medication in 2015 and upped the price by 5000%. He was sentenced to seven years in 2018 because he had mislead investors in his previous company Retrophin.
  Shkreli had asked for an early release because his pharmaceutical knowledge could be of help in the development of a medicine against Covid19. The judge did not agree with his arguments. "The court does not believe that realising Shkreli will protect the people, even though he is attempting to use his experience with medication to help develop a medicine against Covid19, that he claims he would provide for free."
• Barack Obama has again criticised the administration's corona policy. He didn't name names, but said that "so many of the folks in charge have no idea what they are doing.. A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge.". Obama made his comments in a video for graduating students. Last week he called Trump's corona policy a "total chaotic disaster".
  Lately Trump has been attacking his predecessor on Twitter, saying he led the "most corrupt administration" in the history of the country. He is constantly tweeting out "Obamagate", meant to point to the theory that Obama was involved in the FBI investigation into Michael Flynn.

[Ozlsn]

6 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

think the real count is way higher

It will be interesting to see what the number of deaths above average is in even less hit countries like NZ and Australia.

5 hours ago, fraurosena said:

No exception for the prime minister was made.

The PM is not above the law. No one is above the law.

5 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Barack Obama has again criticised the administration's corona policy. He didn't name names, but said that "so many of the folks in charge have no idea what they are doing.. A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge.". Obama made his comments in a video for graduating students. Last week he called Trump's corona policy a "total chaotic disaster".

Personally I think he's remarkably restrained. I'd love to know what he says in private!

6 hours ago, fraurosena said:

The WHO is critical and says there is no evidence that the potion works at all.

WHO: "Can you guys just stay in your lane, please?!"

6 hours ago, fraurosena said:

In preparation for the Eid-holidays, the feast celebrating the end of Ramadan

The relaxing of restrictions in the NT has meant the mosques in Darwin have been able to open for prayers (with social distancing). Churches are also able to open, but the timing for Australian NT Muslims is particularly good.

[Smee]

8 days ago, schools in NSW began “phase 1” of a planned return to school. Phase 1 meant students go one day per week meaning no more than 25% attendance on any given day, with social distancing and increased hygiene measures in place. At the time of the announcement, this was to last at least 2 weeks, with re-assessment after 2 weeks to see how our case numbers fared with the easing of restrictions, and if all was ok, they’d announce phase 2, where kids go 2-3 days each meaning around 50% attendance. Last night - at 5pm, with no forewarning to teachers or principals - they announced all students would be back full-time (ie “phase 3” of the initial plan) from next Monday. 

So much for our sensible, gradual transition. So much for reassessing and keeping a close eye out in case of a second wave. And as it has been every damn step of the way for 2 months, teachers find out about drastic changes to their job via press conference to the public. I’m so pissed off.

I also feel stuck. I was quite comfortable sending my kids to phase 1, but I’m not ok with having them there full time before we’ve even had a chance to see the impact. But because they’ve already been that one day per week twice (their day was Monday), I can’t very well tell them they have to stay home all the time again while their friends attend and class video conferences are over; the mental health impacts of that would be huge. And continuing to send them 1 day would defeat the purpose when there will be 100% (or 90%) attendance on that day, because it’s impossible to socially distanced 30 six-year-olds confined in a classroom.

[nst]

While I was off for the last 11 weeks - not actually off but at home - they re-keyed the entire church. You know how expensive that is? That was a lot of doors....

I go back next Thursday to get my set and organize the rest of the keys and then officially in June sometime. 

They still said I chose my parents over the church...

[Ozlsn]

4 hours ago, Smee said:

Last night - at 5pm, with no forewarning to teachers or principals - they announced all students would be back full-time (ie “phase 3” of the initial plan) from next Monday. 

WTAF NSW?? I totally missed this. Did they give a reason? Victoria's plan was start P-2 and 11-12 Mon, then rest June 9th - at least this was announced a fortnight ago and we're all trundling along with that expectation. I can't believe they just sprung it on everyone, bizarre. 

[Smee]

27 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

WTAF NSW?? I totally missed this. Did they give a reason? Victoria's plan was start P-2 and 11-12 Mon, then rest June 9th - at least this was announced a fortnight ago and we're all trundling along with that expectation. I can't believe they just sprung it on everyone, bizarre. 

No specific reason, just the general “we’re testing well and numbers are low parents are keen to get their kids back blah blah”. And it’s mandatory. I would need a medical certificate to prove my kids were at increased risk in order to keep them home.

My husband is a teacher in a different part of the city about to be forced back into daily face to face contact with 80+ staff and 1200 students. My stress levels are back where they were in March.

At least I got to meet my new nephew last weekend before my family became too a high a risk to him again.

3 hours ago, nst said:

While I was off for the last 11 weeks - not actually off but at home - they re-keyed the entire church. You know how expensive that is? That was a lot of doors....

I go back next Thursday to get my set and organize the rest of the keys and then officially in June sometime. 

They still said I chose my parents over the church...

If they don’t think Jesus’s call to protect the widow, the sick, the poor etc was meant to include the elderly or sick within your family, then they need to re-examine their theology and what they’re even doing this for. Frankly, I’d be following the Matthew 18:16-19 suggestions.

[Ozlsn]

35 minutes ago, Smee said:

No specific reason, just the general “we’re testing well and numbers are low parents are keen to get their kids back blah blah”.

I would love to hear what the public health officials who came up with the three stage plan think, and whether they found out at the same time as everyone else.

 

[Smee]

From the NSW government info sent home today:

“Please note, students who live with a family member in one of the categories identified as being at increased risk by the AHPPC, should attend school unless a medical practitioner advises otherwise in writing.

If a student is absent without a medical reason for more than three days, this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence and followed up by the school.”

I just get angrier and angrier at this decision. Oh, and public transport can’t take more than 12 people at a time so if your kid needs to catch a bus or train to school that isn’t a designated school bus, you should just drive them. Because public transport is a luxury and not a necessity for everyone. Gotta get those oil prices back up!

[klein_roeschen]

In  few hours I will get tested for Covid19.
Backstory, my brother with whom I share the apartment was send home yesterday from his work. He works at the warehouse of a large, well known german internet retailer for clothes and shoes and that company had over the last weeks several cases. He had a slightly higher temperature when he came back in after his break and the company doc send him home. He didn't showed any other symptoms and when he came home I took his temperature again and she was in the normal range. But he did go to our general practicioner in the morning and she did the test. I told all of this to my employer when I arrived at work and together we decided that it is better for all of us that I get home and see if I can get tested or have to wait until my brother's test results come in.
Called right on the spot and got a free testing spot today at 6:40 pm. So wish me luck and I start to get a little bit nervous.

[fraurosena]

@klein_roeschen, good luck this afternoon! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed the results of both your and your brother's tests are ok.

Tuesday's update:

• There were 21 corona deaths in the Netherlands, bringing the total number of deaths up to 5715.
  There were 34 new hospitalisations, brining the total number of hospitalisations up to 11.613.
  There were 108 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases up to 44.249.
• Spain is allowing direct flights from Italy again, just as ships from Italy are also welcome in Spanish harbours once more. People arriving in Spain will have to go into isolation for two weeks as long as the emergency situation continues.
  At the end of June, tourism to Spain will be started up again. Tourism accounts for about 12% of Spanish economy.
• There were 9263 new confirmed cases in Russia, bringing the total number of cases up to 299.941. 
  There were 115 official corona related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths up to 2837.
  Russian prime minister Michail Misjoestin can resume work again, the Kremlin has said. After confirming that the 54-year-old had been infected with he corona virus on April 30, he went into self isolation. Putin's decree that vice prime minister Beloesov take over Misjoestin's tasks has been retracted. No information was released about Misjoestin's health. 
• The heatwave in Israel is making temperatures soar so high at the moment that the mandated wearing of face masks has temporarily been eased somewhat. Students are allowed to take their protection off In class. Wearing of face masks has also been lifted for all public spaces, but they must be worn during any gatherings of people.
  The heatwave has temperatures rising above 40C (104F). The fight against the spread of the virus is important, but the heatwave can also be dangerous, minister of Health, Juli Edelstein explained. 
• More than 20.000 healthcare workers in German hospitals and nursing homes have been infected with the corona virus since the middle of April. 894 of them were hospitalised. 60 of them died. Just as in other countries there is criticism about a lack of PPE in hospitals and nursing homes. 
• There are more than 90.000 corona related deaths in the US. More than 1.5 million people have been infected. Despite this, many states have eased their corona measures and Trump is twittering "Reopen the country".
  Trump has said that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine for a few weeks now as a preventive measure against corona. FDA and IGJ health experts are warning against the drug, because it can cause arrhythmia and its effectiveness against corona hasn't been proven. According to Trump "a lot of people on the frontlines' are taking the drug. "I'm using it too. I'm using it, chloroquine. Right now. I have heard good stories about it.  I take a pill every day." The IGJ says chloroquine should only be used in very serious cases. "Moreover, this is not a drug to use lightly: chloroquine is highly toxic in overdoses."
  Trump is threatening to turn his back the WHO. The World Health Organisation is 'a puppet of China' Trump said, and that's why he's now threatening to permanently discontinue funding and why he's 'reconsidering' US membership of the WHO. If the WHO doesn't meet his request for improvements within 30 days, the US will will stop funding permanently.
  Meanwhile Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced during a virtual meeting that there is going to be an independent investigation into the WHO's global response to corona virus outbreak. The investigation will 'start at the soonest suitable moment' and will result in recommendations on how to prepare for a future epidemic. "We can all learn from this pandemic. Every country and every organisation should review how it responded," the Director General said.
• There have been 30.000 corona related deaths in Latin America since the start of the outbreak. Brazil is by far and away the worst hit country, with 16.000 deaths.
  There are more than 250.000 confirmed cases is Brazil; only Russia and the US have more cases.
  The number of corona cases and deaths in Mexico is also on the rise. There were 2414 new confirmed cases yesterday, with 155 corona related deaths. The total number of deaths in Mexico is now 5332. More than 50.000 Mexicans have been infected. 
• Germany and France have come to an agreement about a 500 billion euro economic recovery aid package, meant to financially aid suffering EU regions through the corona crisis. According to Merkel and Macron, the agreement was reached after conferring with the Netherlands and Italy.

[clueliss]

Um - What the heck China

 

[clueliss]

Per the CDC 2 people in Arkansas attended church gatherings in early March.  from them 35 acquired covid and then they traced 26 more to the community.

I just keep thinking that when these morons get to heaven someday that God's going to shake his head and tell them - I wanted you to stay home and protect your neighbors you dolts.