Government Response to Coronavirus 6: Dr. MyPillow and Demon Sperm

[47of74]

I hate this fucked up state

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Gov. Kim Reynolds has eliminated most of her COVID-19 restrictions in the latest health proclamation. 

According to the Governor's Office, the proclamation removes indoor mask requirements in public spaces, gathering limits and restrictions on businesses starting 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 7. 

This comes the same week Iowa was ranked No. 47in the country for its vaccine distribution, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is worse than all other states except Idaho and Missouri. Reynolds addressed this in a press conference earlier this week.

I am so fucking done with Iowa. I’d rather move to and work in fucking hell than spend another day in Iowa. 

[47of74]

#CovidKim is trending on Twitter now

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The hashtag #CovidKim has been trending on Twitter. And in this case, “Kim” doesn’t stand for Kim Kardashian, Kim Jong-un, Kim Possible, or even “kitten in mayonnaise,” which could be adorable. No, the “Kim” here happens to be Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R).

Why is the word “Covid” being associated with Reynold’s first name? In general, it’s not a good sign to have such a word attached to your name. For example, including “Covid” in your user name is not the way to attract people to your Tinder profile, unless you are looking to hook up with “Spike Protein Sam”, “Coughing Carol”, or “Sepsis Sally.” So what did Reynolds do to earn such a hashtag?

Well, it turns out people are reacting to the Covid-19 coronavirus emergency proclamation that Reynolds issued on Friday and will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. Rather than enhance or increase Covid-19 precautions in Iowa, this proclamation will actually relax existing Covid-19 public measures. Yes, you heard that correctly. In the middle of the worst part of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic to date in the U.S., Reynolds is relaxing restrictions:

 

[Ozlsn]

5 hours ago, 47of74 said:

#CovidKim is trending on Twitter now

Heh. Can you try to get #dimKim going too? Seems appropriate. 

Seriously, I looked up the stats for Iowa, and while 800 new infections/day is down from previous levels it's still really not the time to be rolling back masks.  Stay safe, and I hope you get out soon.

[Coconut Flan]

It still makes me shake my head to realize the population of the state of Iowa is less than the population of the county where I live.  

[AmazonGrace]

 

[47of74]

Yeah 3.16 million people here in Iowa.  About two hundred miles east of me in Illinois Cook County has about two million more people than all of Iowa.  Los Angeles County in California has a higher population than all but six states.  Or at least it did in 2017.

What is so frustrating for me is that Iowa used to have a sane and functional government.  Back in 2008 when Iowa had the floods we had both a Democratic Governor (Tom Vilsack) and control of both houses of the Iowa legislature so we had a functional government to deal with those disasters.   I don't even want to think how fucked over Iowa would have been if #CovidKim and her enablers in the Iowa Legislature had control back then. 

Even when I was growing up it seemed like Republicans were a lot more reasonable and sane.  Even in 1997 and 1998 when the GOP held a trifecta it didn't seem like they were as nasty and as unconcerned about the people of Iowa than they are now.  But then Iowa politics took a hard reich turn in 2012 and it has not gotten better in the years since.  When #CovidKim took over it went from bad to worse, and went right into the manure pit since the pandemic started.

Yes I know there are Republicans in every state and there are crazies up in Minnesota too (such as Michelle Bachmann or the MeinPillow guy).  But Minnesota just seems to be a better state overall.  That's a state that actually has a plan to deal with pandemic.  Hell even Wisconsin would be better because they have a Governor who is trying.  Ditto with Illinois even though the Illinois Governor's personality just rubs me the wrong way.   

[nokidsmom]

3 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Even when I was growing up it seemed like Republicans were a lot more reasonable and sane.  Even in 1997 and 1998 when the GOP held a trifecta it didn't seem like they were as nasty and as unconcerned about the people of Iowa than they are now. 

Live in what is now a blue county in IL but when I moved here 25 years ago, county was solidly red but even the local GOP officials were sane.   One of them was directly responsible for the nature preserve across the street, preventing the area from falling into the hands of real estate developers, believe it or not. 

3 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Yes I know there are Republicans in every state and there are crazies up in Minnesota too (such as Michelle Bachmann or the MeinPillow guy).  But Minnesota just seems to be a better state overall.  That's a state that actually has a plan to deal with pandemic.  Hell even Wisconsin would be better because they have a Governor who is trying.  Ditto with Illinois even though the Illinois Governor's personality just rubs me the wrong way.   

Don't always agree with the IL governor but in the case of this pandemic, I see him as really trying to do the right thing.

[47of74]

6 hours ago, nokidsmom said:

Live in what is now a blue county in IL but when I moved here 25 years ago, county was solidly red but even the local GOP officials were sane.   One of them was directly responsible for the nature preserve across the street, preventing the area from falling into the hands of real estate developers, believe it or not. 

Don't always agree with the IL governor but in the case of this pandemic, I see him as really trying to do the right thing.

Pritzker just rubs me the wrong way.  I'd vote for him and hold my nose while doing so but I just don't like him.

At least some of the businesses here in Iowa are saying fuck you to #CovidKim

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The Pedalers Fork on the Northeast side of Cedar Rapids said it would not be making any changes to how they handled COVID-19 safety. Staff would still wear masks, keep customers socially distanced, and limit the size of the groups. Disposable menus were also used. Staff said it was emotional to hear the mandates were being lifted because it has been difficult navigating the pandemic, but said it was important to keep the safety protocols in place.

“We just want to do our part to keep the community safe and not spread anymore COVID-19,” said Mia Suntken, the General Manager. “We just want to do our part.”

Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart said the city would continue to enforce its mask mandate. He said that would give businesses, like The Pedalers Fork, a way to keep staff and patrons safe.

And other local bars and restaurants are following suit.

 

[Audrey2]

14 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Yeah 3.16 million people here in Iowa.  About two hundred miles east of me in Illinois Cook County has about two million more people than all of Iowa.  Los Angeles County in California has a higher population than all but six states.  Or at least it did in 2017.

What is so frustrating for me is that Iowa used to have a sane and functional government.  Back in 2008 when Iowa had the floods we had both a Democratic Governor (Tom Vilsack) and control of both houses of the Iowa legislature so we had a functional government to deal with those disasters.   I don't even want to think how fucked over Iowa would have been if #CovidKim and her enablers in the Iowa Legislature had control back then. 

Even when I was growing up it seemed like Republicans were a lot more reasonable and sane.  Even in 1997 and 1998 when the GOP held a trifecta it didn't seem like they were as nasty and as unconcerned about the people of Iowa than they are now.  But then Iowa politics took a hard reich turn in 2012 and it has not gotten better in the years since.  When #CovidKim took over it went from bad to worse, and went right into the manure pit since the pandemic started.

Yes I know there are Republicans in every state and there are crazies up in Minnesota too (such as Michelle Bachmann or the MeinPillow guy).  But Minnesota just seems to be a better state overall.  That's a state that actually has a plan to deal with pandemic.  Hell even Wisconsin would be better because they have a Governor who is trying.  Ditto with Illinois even though the Illinois Governor's personality just rubs me the wrong way.   

I blame the maturation of Fox news and the tea party movement. It seems like the tea party movement which appeared to be started as a reaction to President Obama's election, move to the Republican party way off to the right.

[Ozlsn]

17 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

I just don't know how to react to this, honestly. It's just so horrible, both the rushed strongman executions and them being super-spreader events. And all utterly political.

[47of74]

And of course #CovidKim didn't even talk to public health officials before making her decision;

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Gov. Kim Reynolds did not consult her public health department before lifting Iowa’s remaining COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including its partial face mask mandate, the agency’s director told Democratic state lawmakers Monday.

During Monday morning’s weekly briefing on the state’s pandemic response, Democratic lawmakers asked Iowa Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia whether Reynolds consulted the agency before the governor, on Friday, removed the state’s remaining pandemic mitigation strategies.

Garcia told the legislators the department was not consulted on the decision, that the governor made that decision on her own, the Democrats said.

“It took my breath away for a moment,” said Lindsay James, a Democratic state lawmaker from Dubuque, who was on Monday morning’s public health briefing. “It is absolutely mind-boggling to me that the governor didn’t consult her own public health experts when making such a major public health decision for our state. This is not a small decision; this is a major decision.”

Some Iowa cities and counties are keeping their mandates in place no matter what Kim Reaper says (here's the current list).

[47of74]

Awaiting the whining from #CovidKim about the Iowa City School District's move.

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Families in and out of the Iowa City Community School District will have a new option for enrollment during the 2021-2022 school year, following months of at least partially-virtual education.

The district announced that it would create a virtual school ICCSD Online and run it on a permanent basis, rather than the temporary online learning options created during the novel coronavirus pandemic. It will be open to any pre-kindergarten-through-12th grade child in Iowa.

Officials said that the offerings for high school students can be either full-time or part-time for students that live within the Iowa City district, allowing students to attend some classes in person. Registrants outside of the district would still be able to enroll in a fully-featured full-time online program, earning a high school diploma.

“We have learned so much this year about what works and what doesn’t work for online education. We took the best of what is working and included it in the new virtual program, Gregg Shoultz, the director of online programs for the district, said, in a statement.

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by 47of74

[47of74]

CovidKim will use any number to prop up her bullshit actions. 

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During her news conference this week, Reynolds defended her surprise move last week to dial back COVID-19 restrictions in the state. Things like mask-wearing and mandatory social distancing in restaurants were lifted. She also talked about how quickly COVID-19 cases grew. 

"Back in November, in the midst of the surge, the projected number of days that total cases would double was just 33 days. Today it's at 94 to double our cases," Reynolds said. "And this is one of those metrics that's best when it's higher. And 94 is as high as it's ever been going all the way back to the start of the pandemic."

"It's not a number that once you get there you stay there," said Dr. Rossana Rosa, with UnityPoint. 

She points out the COVID-19 doubling number was also lower just before November's COVID-19 surge in Iowa. She said it's a moving target. And like other health professionals, Rosa worries that Iowans who hear about the Governor dropping COVID-19 restrictions will assume we're back to normal.

 

[47of74]

A local high school student called out #CovidKim for making students go back to school five days a week in the middle of the pandemic.

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This virus is not going away, not yet. The vaccine is not widely available, and numbers of positive cases increase frequently. I simply ask Governor Reynolds why she feels now is the time to send kids back to school five days a week. I find it difficult to understand an elected official signing an action that would put their constituents at risk of illness.

Above all, I worry for the teachers, who are perhaps the greatest public servants at all, and who do not have a choice on which days they come to work. I worry for all those who have family members with pre-existing health conditions. I worry for the delay this action will cause in ending this detrimental virus.

I simply do not believe this is the right thing to do. I want the best education, but I want to stay safe in the process.

One of the local dumbass BTs replied with a comment that the kid should stay out of grocery stores and bars and presumed the kid had a fake ID.  God what a fucking tool.  Here's a kid in the middle of CovidKim's bad decision and the likely consequences and all this idiot BT can do is make stupid comments trying to defend his hero. 

[47of74]

CovidKim is a godawful person, and here's the latest example.

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Iowa’s Governor has rescinded COVID-19 allocations for Buchanan County and 4 other counties, creating uncertainty about planned vaccinations for next week.

Buchanan County Health officials confirmed it was one of five counties notified Thursday evening by the Iowa Governor’s Office that they had not met the state’s new 80% usage requirement in order to receive more doses. The Governor’s Office declined to identify the other four counties impacted.

Tai Burkhart, Buchanan County Public Health Director, told KCRG-TV9 the county will meet that 80% threshold with clinics it held Thursday night and Friday. It had planned those clinics before the 80% rule was announced. Burkhart said the Iowa Department of Public Health knew about those planned clinics and had said it would have a grace period on the 80% rule this week.

In an emergency call Friday morning, the Governor’s Office said it would “reconsider” rescinding those vaccine doses if the county could hit its 80% threshold by the end of the day Friday. But Amber Hunt, a Buchanan County Board of Health member, said the county has no assurances now that it will get doses for a clinic of 400 people planned for Tuesday that may now need to be cancelled.

 

[Audrey2]

14 hours ago, 47of74 said:

A local high school student called out #CovidKim for making students go back to school five days a week in the middle of the pandemic.

One of the local dumbass BTs replied with a comment that the kid should stay out of grocery stores and bars and presumed the kid had a fake ID.  God what a fucking tool.  Here's a kid in the middle of CovidKim's bad decision and the likely consequences and all this idiot BT can do is make stupid comments trying to defend his hero. 

I am so sick of hearing this false equivalency. I don't know how all of these knuckleheads grocery shop but I sure don't go and sit in the aisle hopefully 6 feet away from someone for about 6 hours a day. at church and sing in the grocery store.

[47of74]

10 hours ago, Audrey2 said:

I am so sick of hearing this false equivalency. I don't know how all of these knuckleheads grocery shop but I sure don't go and sit in the aisle hopefully 6 feet away from someone for about 6 hours a day. at church and sing in the grocery store.

Of course when these idiots shop it's without masks and getting in other people's personal space even if the store has a sign saying masks are required.  (Even before the pandemic these were the types of people who loved to get in other people's personal space). 

And here's an update on the counties being denied vaccines - the other four counties are Washington, Chickasaw, Poweshiek and Hancock Counties.  Most of the counties are in the eastern part of the state with Hancock County being the furthest west at about 30 miles west of Mason City. 

[Ozlsn]

23 hours ago, 47of74 said:

notified Thursday evening by the Iowa Governor’s Office that they had not met the state’s new 80% usage requirement in order to receive more doses.

I am reading this and just wondering why the hell the Governor's Office thinks that restricting further doses is going to help in any way. Deploying workers to run more clinics, yes that would help. This is just stupid.

Edited February 13, 2021 by Ozlsn
Typo

[47of74]

17 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

I am reading this and just wondering why the hell the Governor's Office thinks that restricting further doses is going to help in any way. Deploying workers to run more clinics, yes that would help. This is just stupid.

And the thing is the reason some of the counties couldn't get up to 80% used was because some of the counties had to cancel clinics due to bad weather last week.  So according to #CovidKim logic they were supposed to have the clinics anyways and have people put themselves at risk trying to make it in.

[47of74]

Sorry, Tim, but if #CovidKim doesn't listen to us what makes you think she'll listen to you?

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Minnesota's Democratic Gov. Tim Walz called out Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds during a press conference Friday for removing the state's mask mandate. 

Last week, Reynolds, a Republican, lifted the mask mandate and gathering restrictions for the entire state just days after three cases of the United Kingdom variant were confirmed to be in Iowa.

"I can't imagine being at 25% positivity rate like we're seeing in Iowa and that is the, you're going to overwhelm your hospitals," Gov. Walz said. "It's, it's inevitable. It's just math, it's math, it's not anything else. And that can all be alleviated by the situation we're in."

In Minnesota, businesses and restaurants are required to limit capacity to 50%. Walz is also mandating these establishments to close after 11 p.m. so the state can achieve a lower positivity rate.

For comparison right now Minnesota is under 4% positivity. 

[clueliss]

 

[47of74]

Another Iowa update

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Five Iowa counties that were told on Thursday night they wouldn’t receive their shipment of COVID-19 vaccines for this week said after a conversation with the Governor’s Office on Monday it expects to see their allocation come later this week.

The change to no longer rescind COVID-19 vaccines from Washington, Chickasaw, Buchanan, Poweshiek, and Hancock Counties comes after some of those health departments shared their anger and disappointment in the state’s decision.

Pat Garett, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office, said the decision to no longer rescind the vaccines is not a reversal of policy. But, rather an indication that the problems in the county are now fixed.

The 80% number is important because the state requires counties to use 80% of the doses they received in the prior week before they will be eligible to get their next weekly allocation of vaccines. This threshold went into effect Friday.

More like #CovidKim was getting a bit more blowback than she expected and changed course.

[47of74]

For fuck's sake

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After a more than hour-and-a-half-long debate Tuesday, an Iowa Senate subcommittee voted to advance a bill prohibiting employers from mandating vaccines for employees and creating a new exemption from required school immunizations.

Senate File 193, sponsored by five Senate Republicans, would also prohibit discrimination based on vaccine status. The Senate Human Resources subcommittee voted on a 2-1 party-line to move the bill to a full committee Thursday, as Iowa continues its COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

The subcommittee's two Republicans, Sen. Jim Carlin, R-Sioux City and Sen. Mark Costello, R-Imogene, voted in favor; its sole Democrat, Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, voted against advancing the bill to the full Human Resources committe

"I do understand legitimate concerns of safety on the part of the governmental medical representation here today and I also understand the legitimate interests of people who want freedom and autonomy over their own bodies, so we're going to continue this conversation," Carlin said.

 

[AmazonGrace]

Biden (or Clinton) states fared better (a thread with graphs) 

 

 

[47of74]

Fuck you Republicans.  Because of your fucked up response the local 2021 ? festival which would’ve been today had to be cancelled.  If you all had done your fucking  jobs last fucking year we might have been able to have the beer festival as scheduled.