Tag: pandemic

From distraction to disaster: How coronavirus crept up on Washington

Lawmakers have ripped the administration’s bungled handling of the outbreak. But some now wonder if there’s more they could have done when it might have made a difference.

It was just hours before the start of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial when Sen. Tom Cotton started to worry.

The Arkansas Republican had spent Martin Luther King Day weekend poring over news reports from Asia describing a new, highly infectious disease traced to a provincial city of 11 million inside China, hardening his already deeply held disdain for the Chinese Communist Party.

Cotton was struck by the way the Chinese government was putting a positive spin on its handling of the new virus, while taking increasingly drastic steps to try to contain it. “That’s when it really kind of crystalized for me,” he told POLITICO in an interview. “Those two things obviously do not match.” Continue reading.

How Much Should the Public Know About Who Has the Coronavirus?

New York Times logoAmid calls for more transparency, a debate is raging among public health experts over how much data on the spread of the virus should be released.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — When the first case of the coronavirus in Silicon Valley was discovered in late January, health officials were faced with a barrage of questions: What city did the patient live in? Whom had he come in contact with? Which health clinic had he visited before he knew he was infected?

Dr. Sara Cody, the chief health officer for Santa Clara County, which has a population of two million across 15 cities, declined to give details.

“I can’t give the city,” she said, adding “we are not going to be giving out information about where he sought health care.” Continue reading.

Coronavirus Slowdown in Seattle Suggests Restrictions Are Working

New York Times logoOfficials in Washington State worry that their gains are precarious, but they see evidence that containment strategies have lowered the rate of virus transmission.

SEATTLE — The Seattle area, home of the first known coronavirus case in the United States and the place where the virus claimed 37 of its first 50 victims, is now seeing evidence that strict containment strategies, imposed in the earliest days of the outbreak, are beginning to pay off — at least for now.

Deaths are not rising as fast as they are in other states. Dramatic declines in street traffic show that people are staying home. Hospitals have so far not been overwhelmed. And preliminary statistical models provided to public officials in Washington State suggest that the spread of the virus has slowed in the Seattle area in recent days.

While each infected person was spreading the virus to an average of 2.7 other people earlier in March, that number appears to have dropped, with one projection suggesting that it was now down to 1.4. Continue reading.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Says Federal Government Sent ‘170 Broken Ventilators’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that the federal government had sent the state “170 broken ventilators” amid national concerns about a shortage of the life-saving machines, which can be key to treating the respiratory distress caused by COVID-19.

Newsom said at a press conference that “170 ventilators that came from the national stockpile directly” to Los Angeles county were “not working.” But, he added, “rather than pointing fingers,” authorities in California transported the ventilators to a facility to get them fixed by San Jose-based Bloom Energy.

Newsom said the broken ventilators arrived at the facility on Saturday morning and he expects the ventilators will be functioning and back in Los Angeles on Monday. “That’s the spirit of California,” Newsom said. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz’s COVID-19 Update: March 30, 2020

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March 30, 2020

Below is an update on the COVID-19 pandemic as it pertains to Minnesota as of 5:00 PM on 3/30/2020.

Updates from the Governor

Governor Walz today announced Department of Administration Commissioner Alice Roberts-Davis will lead the Administration’s procurement operation for COVID-19, and direct the State’s efforts in procuring critical lifesaving care supplies. Commissioner Roberts-Davis will focus on managing inventories, securing needed supplies such as personal protective equipment and ventilators, and developing solutions to offset supply shortages for hospitals and emergency responders. Her strong background in procurement and public-private partnerships will serve Minnesota well in the weeks and months to come.

Governor Walz also thanked educators who started their first official day of distance learning today and reiterated that the Stay At Home order does not mean anyone should stay somewhere unsafe. There are places of sanctuary open for anyone facing abuse or violence. Minnesota’s statewide crisis hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1.866.223.1111 or by text at 612.399.9995.

w Continue reading “Gov. Walz’s COVID-19 Update: March 30, 2020”

Trump administration sent protective medical gear to China while he minimized the virus threat to US

CNN — Our doctors and nurses are in desperate need of masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves from contracting the coronavirus while treating those who are ill. Some of them are trying to find it on eBay while others are pleading for help on social media.

The situation is so dire one New Jersey doctor described it as “sending medical professionals like lambs to the slaughterhouse.”

Concerns about a dwindling supply of PPE are not new. Back on February 7, the World Health Organization sounded alarm bells about “the limited stock of PPE,” noting demand was 100 times higher than normal for this equipment. Continue reading.

Trump shifts, says distancing to go to April 30

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Sunday announced that the White House will keep its guidelines for social distancing in place through the end of April to try to blunt the spread of the coronavirus, a significant shift from less than a week ago, when he said he hoped the country could be “opened up” by Easter Sunday, April 12.

“Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won,” Trump said in his remarks on Sunday. “That would be the greatest loss of all.”

Trump encouraged Americans to follow the guidelines issued by his administration roughly two weeks ago urging them to avoid restaurants and bars, cancel nonessential travel, and limit in-person gatherings to 10 people or fewer. But with those guidelines set to expire on Tuesday, Trump faced pressure from health experts to extend them or risk seeing a heightened death toll. Continue reading.

As Death Toll Mounts, Trump Brags That His TV Ratings Are As Big As ‘The Bachelor’

Trump’s top health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the U.S. death toll could hit 200,000.

President Donald Trump continued to display an unnervingly tone-deaf perspective on the mounting coronavirus threat in the U.S. by bragging about his TV ratings in not one — but five — tweets Sunday.

The former star of reality program “The Apprentice” boasted that the “ratings” of his news conferences are as high as the finale of “The Bachelor” and “Monday Night Football.” That drives the “Lamestream Media … CRAZY,” he wrote. Then, like a commercial for an upcoming TV show, Trump added: “See you at 5:00 P.M.!” — referring to Sunday’s press briefing.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Because the “Ratings” of my News Conferences etc. are so high, “Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers” according to the @nytimes, the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY. “Trump is reaching too many people, we must stop him.” said one lunatic. See you at 5:00 P.M.!

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Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

“President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘The Bachelor.’ Numbers are continuing to rise…

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Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Replying to @realDonaldTrump

…On Monday, nearly 12.2 million people watched Mr. Trump’s briefing on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, according to Nielsen — ‘Monday Night Football’ numbers. Millions more are watching on ABC, CBS, NBC and online streaming sites, and the audience is expanding. On Monday, Fox News…

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Trump appeared to miss the key point of The New York Times article he quoted about the viewership ratings. The story Wednesday explored the increasing debate among networks about whether or not to cover the president’s briefings live because they’re peppered with falsehoods and misleading information about COVID-19. Continue reading.

Experts converge on plans for easing coronavirus restrictions safely

Washington Post logoThe Trump administration’s national social distancing guidelines expire early this week. So what’s the plan?

If there’s one thing people agree on, even as they debate the government’s coronavirusresponse, it is this: We can’t do this forever.

The nationwide shutdowns, the home quarantines, hospital shortages, layoffs, deaths and infections. All seemingly without end. So what exactly is our next step?

Concerned about the nation’s halting, uncoordinated response — which has featured a patchwork of state-by-state, competing and at times contradictory decisions — health experts are rushing to offer their own long-term strategies to combat the virus and edge America closer back to normal. Continue reading.

Capitol Police officer tests positive for coronavirus

The Hill logoA United States Capitol Police (USCP) employee has tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokesperson confirmed to The Hill.

The USCP employee has been self-quarantined since March 18.

“The USCP has contacted employees in order to identify individuals who may have been in close contact with the affected employee. The Department has taken, and will continue to take, all the necessary steps to ensure that any affected work areas or facilities were properly cleaned,” USCP spokeswoman Eva Malecki said in an e-mail Sunday to The Hill.  Continue reading.