Government Response to Coronavirus 4: The Reality Show From Hell

[Ozlsn]

As of 3pm yesterday Australia had 6,359 confirmed cases, with 46 new cases in the previous 24 hours. There have been 61 deaths.  At present the curve is flattening, but I guess we get to find out how successful we were at staying inside over Easter in two weeks. My local government area remains #2 in the state for cases, which is rediscovered by someone local who posts on Facebook about it roughly every two days. Yes, there are a lot of cases. Not, it's not because of the hospital. Yes, it is a good reason to assume you and everyone else is infectious and limit contact. 

[Becky]

Holy moly  is that for real The “Council to Reopen America?” A bunch of Trump sycophants and enablers. Where is the public health expert, actual medical doctor, epidemiologist? For that matter, where is anyone with a goddamn clue or who does not have his or her head up Trump’s ass? This absolutely enraging.  

We are on our own, boys and girls. No wonder people are panicked, there is absolutely no evidence that our federal government cares one bit about anybody who has not given them a pile of money at some point.
 

 Gah! I need a drink. 

[Ozlsn]

Was watching ABC (Australian) news and they cut to Trump's press briefing. Holy hell, that was... embarrassing. I found myself actually laughing out loud at it because it was just so bad. How anyone keeps a straight face in there I don't know. Then they cut away again saying (paraphrased) "these briefings go on for hours, we'll go back if he says anything useful."

Meanwhile a large outbreak of covid-19 has caused two hospitals in north-west Tasmania to be closed and the region going into full lockdown - this is due to the outbreak being in hospital staff. It's a major issue because that is a significant reduction of Tasmania's hospital capacity, and in an area where the population on average is older and lower income. I hope the lockdown stops local spreading, and that they can work out a solution to cover the medical needs.

[ALM7]

4 hours ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

Thank you!  My plan when I finally logged in was to answer the nice PMs I got, then make a status update to announce my triumphant return. ? But when I saw a question that I knew an answer to, I had to indulge my inner Hermione Granger and answer it.

 

@WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?, I have been so worried about you!  I checked all the time, hoping you would post, or be on FJ, I mean it, I thought about you all the time.  I'm so relieved you are okay!  You have always had a special place, you're a very sweet person.  Take care, and did I mention how glad I am to see you again Lol!

You just made my day very good!

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

1 hour ago, ALM7 said:

@WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?, I have been so worried about you!  I checked all the time, hoping you would post, or be on FJ, I mean it, I thought about you all the time.  I'm so relieved you are okay!  You have always had a special place, you're a very sweet person.  Take care, and did I mention how glad I am to see you again Lol!

You just made my day very good!

Aw!  You just have me all the good feels.

[Cartmann99]

On 4/12/2020 at 6:37 AM, fraurosena said:

Are you using Chrome by any chance? If so, changing over to Safari might help. I used to use Chrome, but since a couple of months tweets simply won't embed anymore, and Safari works just fine. 

On that note, I'm using Firefox, and I couldn't see any embedded tweets on FJ, so I went into my extensions and had to go through and turn them off one by one until I located the culprit that was blocking them.

[GreyhoundFan]

It's sad that the governors have to do this. Of course, emperor orange is not pleased. "Governors form groups to explore lifting virus restrictions; Trump says he alone will decide"

Spoiler

President Trump declared Monday that he has “total” authority and “calls the shots” when it comes to deciding how and when to lift the pandemic restrictions and reopen the economy, even as governors on both coasts proceeded with their own plans and asserted their own powers.

The contrary approaches hinted at what could become a fractured response from state and federal officials in the coming weeks and months, marked by disagreements over who has the authority to dictate when, whether and how to begin the nation’s slow return to normalcy.

“The authority of the president of the United States, having to do with the subject we’re talking about, is total,” Trump said, adding, “The president of the United States calls the shots.”

He also suggested that if a governor declined to go along, he or she would pay a price. “If some states refuse to open, I would like to see that person run for election,” Trump said.

That was not the view of two groups of governors, one on the East Coast and one on the West, who announced Monday they were forming multistate committees to explore how and when to lift the restrictions.

Asked at a news conference whether state leaders should maintain control over that process, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said, “Seeing as how we had the responsibility to close the state down, I think we probably have the primary responsibility for opening it up.”

After the president’s remarks, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo called in to CNN and suggested Trump was acting like “a king.”

“We don’t have a king, we have an elected president,” Cuomo (D) told host Erin Burnett.

Cuomo said he would challenge the White House in court if Trump pushes to reopen businesses without enough safeguards to protect public health.

Earlier in the day, Cuomo was joined via phone by governors from New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island as they formed a pact to coordinate on an eventual end to their states’ restrictions. Later, Cuomo announced that Massachusetts, led by Gov. Charlie Baker (R), was joining the group.

“Everyone is very anxious to get out of the house, get to work and get the economy moving. Everyone agrees with that, but the art form here is going to be doing that smartly, doing that productively, and doing that in a coordinated way,” Cuomo said.

“This has to be informed by experts and by data,” he added. “You take one step forward, you see how it works, and then you measure the next step.”

On the West Coast, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington also announced a pact to work together to tamp down the ongoing outbreak and carefully restart the economy in their states.

“Covid-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries,” the three governors said in a statement. “It will take every level of government, working together, and a full picture of what’s happening on the ground.”

Underlining the sharp political and cultural divide that has undergirded the nation’s reaction to the pandemic, nine of the 10 governors involved in the two groups are Democrats.

In contrast, Trump is facing increasing pressure from some conservative activists to reopen the economy, arguing that the sustained economic downturn could do more damage to Americans by destroying their livelihoods, and that there are safe ways to get the economy going.

Trump again Monday insisted it is up to him, not the governors, to decide when to “open up the states.” The White House is assembling its own internal task force on how to do so.

“For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government,” Trump, who had once hoped to have the economy “raring to go” by Easter, tweeted on Monday. “Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect. It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons.”

Still, Trump added that he is “working closely with governors,” and expects that to continue. “A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!” he wrote.

Later, Trump said at a White House press briefing that his administration is “very close” to a plan to restart the economy. “We want to have our country open. We want to return to normal life,” he said.

The truth may lie somewhere in the middle. Governors typically have authority to lift the stay-at-home restrictions and business closures in their states. But if Trump calls for the economy to reopen, many ordinary Americans, as well as some GOP governors, may heed his exhortations.

Even as the debate gathered steam on Monday, the coronavirus outbreak itself clearly remained far from over.

New York recorded its 10,000th official death from the virus, and fatalities around the nation climbed beyond 23,000. The country now has more than a half-million confirmed cases of covid-19, and while the number of new cases has leveled off in recent days, tens of thousands of new infections are still reported daily.

Public health experts, including some in the administration, have repeatedly cautioned against moving too quickly to reopen the shuttered U.S. economy, warning that the president’s goal of resuming some activities by May 1 might not prove realistic.

“It is a target, and obviously we’re hopeful about that target, but I think it’s just too early to be able to tell that we see light at the end of the tunnel,” Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said over the weekend on ABC News’s “This Week.”

Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Easter Sunday that the return to normalcy would not happen all at once.

“It is not going to be a light switch,” Fauci said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “. . . It is going to be depending where you are in the country, the nature of the outbreak you’ve already experienced, and the threat of an outbreak that you may not have experienced.”

China’s experience highlights how halting and precarious the transition can be. Some companies there have begun the process of restarting production, but the process has proved expensive and slow.

Meanwhile, China on Monday reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases since early March, most involving people returning from other countries. That heightened fears of a second wave of the outbreak — a scenario public health experts have repeatedly warned about should a country reopen too quickly.

Distributing face masks and imploring employees to wash their hands count among the more uncertain methods for ensuring safety, experts say. But these are largely the methods that Chinese companies have been relying on as they have ramped back up — and American businesses may have few better options.

In the United States, businesses from small manufacturers to major brands such as Whirlpool and retailing giant Amazon are taking steps to get their workers back on the job. Much of the challenge involves putting in place reliable testing on a large scale.

Governments and companies face a difficult choice in coming weeks: They can either reopen with layers of stifling and expensive hygiene controls, or return to work with fewer controls and accept the risk of second-wave infections. No silver bullet exists against further community spread, yet the global economy cannot sustain a lockdown until a vaccine is developed, which could take a year or longer.

An array of countries are wrestling with that precise challenge.

In Spain, thousands of construction, factory and office workers, along with others in some nonessential businesses, went back to work, ending a two-week “hibernation” in a country where covid-19 has claimed more than 17,400 lives. But bars, restaurants, hotels, sports centers, shops and leisure venues remained closed.

Italy announced 3,153 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, the lowest daily increase since April 7, bringing the total number of cases in the hard-hit country to 159,516.

But at a news conference in Rome, officials warned that although the lower numbers were good news, it was still uncertain when normal life could resume. “At the moment, any hypothesis about reopening is premature,” said Angelo Borrelli, head of the Civil Protection Agency, according to the news agency ANSA.

And France extended its lockdown for a month, until at least May 11.

In the United States, there were fresh reminders of just how far the nation remains from anything resembling its pre-pandemic routine.

The Supreme Court announced that for the first time ever, it would hold oral arguments via teleconference next month. “In keeping with public health guidance in response to covid-19, the justices and counsel will all participate remotely,” the court said in a news release.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) announced that the chamber would delay its return to legislative session until early next month, and possibly longer if public health experts recommend against bringing the lawmakers back to Washington for a full session.

In New York, Cuomo sketched out a vision of what reopening the state might look like: easing isolation restrictions, increasing economic activity and adjusting the definition of “essential” workers.

Cuomo said that once officials begin the reopening process, the infection rate will dictate whether the actions grow more robust or are dialed back. “If you see that infection rates start ticking up, which would be undermining everything we have accomplished thus far, then you know you’ve opened the valve too fast,” he said.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

15 hours ago, hoipolloi said:

People have been fixing the PR announcement on the "Council for Re-Opening America:"

Before:

Afters:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I saw another this morning that made me laugh:

[WiseGirl]

18 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said, “Seeing as how we had the responsibility to close the state down, I think we probably have the primary responsibility for opening it up.”

So much truth to this. 

19 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Trump added that he is “working closely with governors,”

Since when? He's been nothing but a combative moron during this whole thing.

11 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

How anyone keeps a straight face in there I don't know. Then they cut away again saying (paraphrased) "these briefings go on for hours, we'll go back if he says anything useful."

You now understand why I fill up the swear jar every time he is on. Also I assume the news never cut back to mango moron. Rarely is anything that comes out if his mouth useful to the majority of us.

[GreyhoundFan]

CNN's chryons during yesterday's rally are great.

[GreyhoundFan]

16 hours ago, hoipolloi said:

People have been fixing the PR announcement on the "Council for Re-Opening America:"

Before:

Afters:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 minute ago, GreyhoundFan said:

 

What the fuck are Ivanka's qualifications?

I love my daughter, more than Trump loves his as I'm actually capable of human emotion, but when she worked for me over the years on school breaks, etc.  I had her filing, making copies, answering the phones, taught her some basic Excel, some Word formatting...sorting inventory tags by product line...

I did not give her a seat on steering committees, or leave her in charge of IT while I ran to get lunch.

Someone explain to me why she and her shady husband are there?

[Howl]

Quote

“The authority of the president of the United States, having to do with the subject we’re talking about, is total,” Trump said, adding, “The president of the United States calls the shots.”

If this doesn't tell our citizenry what we're in for, I don't know what will.  This is how malignant narcissism plays out.  It was predictable.  That it will get worse is also predictable.  

The weeks ahead are gonna be lit. 

[GreyhoundFan]

Since Obama wearing a tan suit and asking for mustard on his hamburger set off hysterical pearl-clutching by the reich-wingers, I am sure the response would have been insane:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

I'm so glad I didn't see the propaganda video shown in yesterday's rally.

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

21 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

I'm so glad I didn't see the propaganda video shown in yesterday's rally.

 

I wish I hadn't.  I am still so angry.

[Howl]

2 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

What the fuck are Ivanka's qualifications?

Being Trump's daughter.  Authoritarianism 101:   Surround yourself with family and install them in high ranking positions, because they are the ONLY people you can trust. 

Not sure what the over/under is on Ivanka being Trump's running mate for the 2020 election, but it's def a possibility.  

Edited April 14, 2020 by Howl

[Dandruff]

2 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Someone explain to me why she and her shady husband are there?

They're over 18 and two of the minimal number of people he trusts?

I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he's been asking his teenager for suggestions on what to do...and then doing it.

[Howl]

2 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he's been asking his teenager for suggestions on what to do...and then doing it.

I truly hope that Barron is OK.  He's certainly old enough to be on line and understand what's going on.  The only picture I've ever seen of Trump with a big, genuine smile is a picture of him with Barron at a baseball game and he's leaning over to hear something Barron is saying.  However, Barron is probably being brain washed with all the bullshit.  

He's also dealing with being an incredibly tall kid at a very, very young age. He appears to be as tall or taller than Trump (supposedly 6'2") and he's only 13. 

[clueliss]

Nearly  600 on the Theodore Roosevelt test postive.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-intl-04-14-20/h_334962a9a40140e7a3350a97ee65cd9c

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Cuomo's speach today made me feel a lot better about the governors and Fauchi speaking like sychopants lately.

He made it clear we don't have a king, but he and the other governors are too busy to care about anything related to politics and they want to work with the federal government for the best interest of the country.  I'm doing a bad job paraphrasing, but the not so subtle subtext is you gotta do and say what you gotta do and say in order to get what you need for the people.

I'm still angry this is necessary, but it was a much needed bit of narrative for me.

[fraurosena]

 

[Howl]

Did anyone watch the melt down yesterday? Was it off the charts? I can no longer watch Trump or listen to his voice.  

Alas we have a gov here in Texas who is a Trump sycophant.  Mayors are putting policy together city by city and town by town.  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

42 minutes ago, Howl said:

Did anyone watch the melt down yesterday? Was it off the charts? I can no longer watch Trump or listen to his voice.  

Alas we have a gov here in Texas who is a Trump sycophant.  Mayors are putting policy together city by city and town by town.  

It was bad enough I am still angry that he has any support from anyone.  Who can watch him behave like that and not immediately demand he be replaced?

[GreyhoundFan]

Here's what a leader should write: