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solarbirdAll of this is pretty well in line with my April 21 writeup of the Republican plan for COVID-19 through the election. They may have other plans in addition to the April 21 plan, but that one's still in effect just the same.
----- 1 -----
Most of Feds' Remdesivir to Be Distributed by End of Month
Jillian Mock
June 16, 2020
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/932448
[EDITOR: Distributed, as in, they won't have replacement supply and there will be a gap. This is the only drug so far demonstrated effective against severe COVID-19 cases so far.]
The federal government will distribute nearly all of its remaining supply of remdesivir to states by June 29, while holding back less than 2% of the original donation "in the event 'hotspots' emerge in the coming weeks," according to a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
----- 2 -----
Oregon sees record daily number of COVID-19 cases
June 17, 2020
By Caitlyn M. May
Albany Democrat-Herald, Ore.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/oregon-sees-record-daily-number-of-covid-19-cases/
On Tuesday, the Oregon Health Authority reported a record-breaking 278 cases of COVID-19 across the state.
The report shows the continuation of an upward trend, with more than 1,000 new cases being reported since last Wednesday, when the state’s total stood at 5,060.
Linn and Benton counties did not add to their totals.
The steady climb in cases, according to the agency, is being attributed to workplace outbreaks and community spread. The majority of Oregon counties entered Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan this month before Gov. Kate Brown paused such efforts, citing an increase in cases.
----- 3 -----
‘Getting sick has gotten political’: One Yakima woman’s struggle to say the coronavirus’ hurt is real
June 17, 2020
By Danny Westneat
Seattle Times columnist
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/westneat-17/
Leola Reeves is acutely aware of the absurdity.
“It’s bizarre — that’s the right word for it,” the mom of three says. “I’m trying to raise awareness about a pandemic, in the middle of a pandemic. I don’t know why this needs to be done. It’s baffling to me.”
Reeves, 37, lives in Yakima, which right now is one of the hottest zones for America’s patchwork coronavirus pandemic. How hot? At the current rate of disease spread, within about a week Yakima County is due to pass New York City for the percentage of its people known to have contracted COVID-19.
You’d think that’d be alarming enough, considering what happened to New York in the spring. Add to it that Yakima’s main hospital, Virginia Mason Memorial, has been sounding sirens that its intensive-care beds are overflowing from patients sick with COVID-19.
And yet.
“It’s like Yakima refuses to believe there’s an actual issue,” Reeves says.
----- 4 -----
Texas Governor Says 'No Reason Today To Be Alarmed' As Coronavirus Cases Set Record
June 16, 2020
Laurel Wamsley
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/16/878924556/as-texas-coronavirus-cases-reach-new-high-gov-abbott-plays-down-the-numbers
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday the state's highest-ever number of new COVID-19 cases: 2,622.
He also reported a second record high: 2,518 people hospitalized with the virus in Texas, up from 2,326 a day earlier.
Despite the concerning uptick in people sick with the virus, Abbott said that the reason for his news conference was to let Texans know about the "abundant" hospital capacity for treating people with COVID-19. He and other officials spent much of the briefing touting the state's hospital bed availability.
Disclosing the new record high number of hospitalizations related to COVID-19, Abbott emphasized that figure is "really a very small percentage of all the beds that are available."
...
Despite Abbott's emphasis on the importance of masks, he has barred Texas cities from implementing any rules that would require face coverings.
Abbott signed an executive order on April 27 that says while individuals are encouraged to wear face masks, "no jurisdiction can impose a civil or criminal penalty for failure to wear a face covering."
----- 5 ----
‘Of course not’: Fauci says he personally wouldn’t attend Trump’s Tulsa rally, citing coronavirus
By Allyson Chiu
June 17, 2020
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/of-course-not-fauci-says-he-personally-wouldnt-attend-trumps-tulsa-rally-citing-coronavirus/
Days before he is scheduled to take the stage in Tulsa at the first “Keep America Great” rally since the novel coronavirus pandemic altered everyday life, President Trump and his campaign are already expecting a roughly 19,000-seat arena to be packed with supporters. But one notable public figure won’t be in attendance on Saturday: Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert.
“No,” Fauci responded when the Daily Beast asked if he would be appearing at the rally.
“I’m in a high-risk category. Personally, I would not. Of course not,” Fauci, 79, said in an interview published Tuesday night. He added that in the case of Trump’s rallies “outside is better than inside, no crowd is better than crowd” and “crowd is better than big crowd.” It is unclear whether Fauci had been asked to attend or whether he ever planned to do so.
Saturday’s gathering, which is slated to be held indoors at the BOK Center, has alarmed health officials and local leaders in Tulsa. Some worry that it could not only further inflame racial tensions as protests over racism and police brutality continue nationwide in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing but also contribute to the spread of the virus as Oklahoma sees a surge of new cases.
----- 6 -----
Face masks will no longer be required for White House staff
Jacob Knutson
17 JUNE 2020
https://www.axios.com/white-house-face-masks-required-8f08f27b-ca76-4efb-9161-4b3af615fdad.html
White House staff will be recommended, but no longer required to wear a face mask while traveling through the West Wing, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a briefing on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The White House required masks for staff members in May after multiple people tested positive for the coronavirus, including Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, and Trump's personal valet.
The big picture: Some states' requirements that face masks be worn in public may have led to hundreds of thousands of fewer coronavirus cases than there would have been without the mandates, according to a study in Health Affairs.
----- 7 -----
COVID-19 is surging in Florida. Don’t deny why, Gov. DeSantis. Act responsibly
Editorial
BY THE MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD
JUNE 17, 2020
https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article243591327.html
On the same day that Florida posted the largest number ever of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in a single day, Gov. DeSantis stood firm declaring, “We’re not rolling back.” Meaning that, instead of letting the full picture of the spread of the virus in the state be his guide — along with medical experts’ advice, of course — Florida’s governor already has determined that everything is as it should be, now that businesses and public spaces have reopened.
We would have hoped that, in the face of a spike in cases, with too many Floridians still not taking safety measures seriously and with the possibility of a second wave of the disease, the governor would be open-minded and nimble should the number of COVID-19 cases continue to head in a worrisome direction.
This dubious stance should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. Ever since the pandemic started, DeSantis and his administration have been more dangerous hindrances than responsible leaders as the state responded to the disease and its deadly potential. He let Spring Break continue unimpeded; issued stay-at-home orders later than he should have; left the suddenly jobless stranded in securing their unemployment benefits through a broken-down website; sat silent on nursing-home case numbers; and took bad advice from President Trump.
----- 8 -----
Mike Pence's coronavirus claims go from bad to worse
Mike Pence wants his pronouncements on the public-health crisis to be taken seriously. That's quite a bit more difficult than he seems to realize.
June 17, 2020, 6:27 AM PDT
By Steve Benen
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/mike-pence-s-coronavirus-claims-go-bad-worse-n1231272?cid=sm_fb_maddow
Vice President Mike Pence made a bold forecast in late April, arguing that by early June the United States would be "largely past this epidemic." The Indiana Republican added that by Memorial Day weekend -- May 23 to 25 -- Americans "will have this coronavirus epidemic behind us."
This was tragically wrong. Even at the time, Pence's assessment was difficult to take seriously, but as May turned to June, it was clear that the head of the White House's coronavirus task force was making public pronouncements that didn't stand up well to scrutiny.
Complicating matters, Pence apparently didn't learn much of a lesson from this.
On Monday, the vice president said Donald Trump was headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a campaign rally because the state has "flattened the curve" when it comes to the coronavirus. He added that the number of infections in the state has "declined precipitously." As the Associated Press noted soon after, that's plainly not true.
----- 9 -----
Arizona Sheriff Who Refused to Enforce Lockdown Now Has COVID-19
Tracy Connor
Published Jun. 17, 2020
https://www.thedailybeast.com/pinal-county-sheriff-mark-lamb-who-refused-to-enforce-lockdown-now-has-covid-19
A month ago, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said he would not enforce Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order because he thought the lockdown had gone on long enough. Now, Lamb is revealing that he tested positive for COVID-19 after being tested ahead of a planned visit with President Trump, the Arizona Republic reported. “Unfortunately, as a law enforcement official and elected leader, we do not have the luxury of staying home,” Lamb wrote. “This line of work is inherently dangerous, and that is a risk we take when we sign up for the job. Today, that risk is the COVID-19 virus.” Lamb says he was likely infected during a campaign event over the weekend, and now authorities are trying to track down everyone who had contact with him.
----- 10 -----
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
twitter.com/drsanjaygupta
Jun 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/drsanjaygupta/status/1273090576255275010
[THREAD]
April 27 was the last time there was a White House coronavirus task force briefing, leaving us with more than a month without regular updates from the group Vice President Mike Pence was tapped to lead. (1/24)
[NEXT]
Today, Vice President Pence wrote an op-ed in the twitter.com/WSJ touting America’s success in fighting the coronavirus writing, “...we are winning the fight against the invisible enemy.” Let’s break down some of his claims this week. (2/24)
[THREAD CONTINUES AT LINK]
- Most of Feds' Remdesivir to Be Distributed by End of Month
- Oregon sees record daily number of COVID-19 cases
- ‘Getting sick has gotten political’: One Yakima woman’s struggle to say the coronavirus’ hurt is real
- Texas Governor Says 'No Reason Today To Be Alarmed' As Coronavirus Cases Set Record
- ‘Of course not’: Fauci says he personally wouldn’t attend Trump’s Tulsa rally, citing coronavirus
- Face masks will no longer be required for White House staff
- COVID-19 is surging in Florida. Don’t deny why, Gov. DeSantis. Act responsibly
- Mike Pence's coronavirus claims go from bad to worse
- Arizona Sheriff Who Refused to Enforce Lockdown Now Has COVID-19
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta fact-checks Vice-President Mike Pence's statements on COVID-19
----- 1 -----
Most of Feds' Remdesivir to Be Distributed by End of Month
Jillian Mock
June 16, 2020
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/932448
[EDITOR: Distributed, as in, they won't have replacement supply and there will be a gap. This is the only drug so far demonstrated effective against severe COVID-19 cases so far.]
The federal government will distribute nearly all of its remaining supply of remdesivir to states by June 29, while holding back less than 2% of the original donation "in the event 'hotspots' emerge in the coming weeks," according to a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
----- 2 -----
Oregon sees record daily number of COVID-19 cases
June 17, 2020
By Caitlyn M. May
Albany Democrat-Herald, Ore.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/oregon-sees-record-daily-number-of-covid-19-cases/
On Tuesday, the Oregon Health Authority reported a record-breaking 278 cases of COVID-19 across the state.
The report shows the continuation of an upward trend, with more than 1,000 new cases being reported since last Wednesday, when the state’s total stood at 5,060.
Linn and Benton counties did not add to their totals.
The steady climb in cases, according to the agency, is being attributed to workplace outbreaks and community spread. The majority of Oregon counties entered Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan this month before Gov. Kate Brown paused such efforts, citing an increase in cases.
----- 3 -----
‘Getting sick has gotten political’: One Yakima woman’s struggle to say the coronavirus’ hurt is real
June 17, 2020
By Danny Westneat
Seattle Times columnist
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/westneat-17/
Leola Reeves is acutely aware of the absurdity.
“It’s bizarre — that’s the right word for it,” the mom of three says. “I’m trying to raise awareness about a pandemic, in the middle of a pandemic. I don’t know why this needs to be done. It’s baffling to me.”
Reeves, 37, lives in Yakima, which right now is one of the hottest zones for America’s patchwork coronavirus pandemic. How hot? At the current rate of disease spread, within about a week Yakima County is due to pass New York City for the percentage of its people known to have contracted COVID-19.
You’d think that’d be alarming enough, considering what happened to New York in the spring. Add to it that Yakima’s main hospital, Virginia Mason Memorial, has been sounding sirens that its intensive-care beds are overflowing from patients sick with COVID-19.
And yet.
“It’s like Yakima refuses to believe there’s an actual issue,” Reeves says.
----- 4 -----
Texas Governor Says 'No Reason Today To Be Alarmed' As Coronavirus Cases Set Record
June 16, 2020
Laurel Wamsley
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/16/878924556/as-texas-coronavirus-cases-reach-new-high-gov-abbott-plays-down-the-numbers
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday the state's highest-ever number of new COVID-19 cases: 2,622.
He also reported a second record high: 2,518 people hospitalized with the virus in Texas, up from 2,326 a day earlier.
Despite the concerning uptick in people sick with the virus, Abbott said that the reason for his news conference was to let Texans know about the "abundant" hospital capacity for treating people with COVID-19. He and other officials spent much of the briefing touting the state's hospital bed availability.
Disclosing the new record high number of hospitalizations related to COVID-19, Abbott emphasized that figure is "really a very small percentage of all the beds that are available."
...
Despite Abbott's emphasis on the importance of masks, he has barred Texas cities from implementing any rules that would require face coverings.
Abbott signed an executive order on April 27 that says while individuals are encouraged to wear face masks, "no jurisdiction can impose a civil or criminal penalty for failure to wear a face covering."
----- 5 ----
‘Of course not’: Fauci says he personally wouldn’t attend Trump’s Tulsa rally, citing coronavirus
By Allyson Chiu
June 17, 2020
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/of-course-not-fauci-says-he-personally-wouldnt-attend-trumps-tulsa-rally-citing-coronavirus/
Days before he is scheduled to take the stage in Tulsa at the first “Keep America Great” rally since the novel coronavirus pandemic altered everyday life, President Trump and his campaign are already expecting a roughly 19,000-seat arena to be packed with supporters. But one notable public figure won’t be in attendance on Saturday: Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert.
“No,” Fauci responded when the Daily Beast asked if he would be appearing at the rally.
“I’m in a high-risk category. Personally, I would not. Of course not,” Fauci, 79, said in an interview published Tuesday night. He added that in the case of Trump’s rallies “outside is better than inside, no crowd is better than crowd” and “crowd is better than big crowd.” It is unclear whether Fauci had been asked to attend or whether he ever planned to do so.
Saturday’s gathering, which is slated to be held indoors at the BOK Center, has alarmed health officials and local leaders in Tulsa. Some worry that it could not only further inflame racial tensions as protests over racism and police brutality continue nationwide in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing but also contribute to the spread of the virus as Oklahoma sees a surge of new cases.
----- 6 -----
Face masks will no longer be required for White House staff
Jacob Knutson
17 JUNE 2020
https://www.axios.com/white-house-face-masks-required-8f08f27b-ca76-4efb-9161-4b3af615fdad.html
White House staff will be recommended, but no longer required to wear a face mask while traveling through the West Wing, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a briefing on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The White House required masks for staff members in May after multiple people tested positive for the coronavirus, including Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, and Trump's personal valet.
The big picture: Some states' requirements that face masks be worn in public may have led to hundreds of thousands of fewer coronavirus cases than there would have been without the mandates, according to a study in Health Affairs.
----- 7 -----
COVID-19 is surging in Florida. Don’t deny why, Gov. DeSantis. Act responsibly
Editorial
BY THE MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD
JUNE 17, 2020
https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article243591327.html
On the same day that Florida posted the largest number ever of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in a single day, Gov. DeSantis stood firm declaring, “We’re not rolling back.” Meaning that, instead of letting the full picture of the spread of the virus in the state be his guide — along with medical experts’ advice, of course — Florida’s governor already has determined that everything is as it should be, now that businesses and public spaces have reopened.
We would have hoped that, in the face of a spike in cases, with too many Floridians still not taking safety measures seriously and with the possibility of a second wave of the disease, the governor would be open-minded and nimble should the number of COVID-19 cases continue to head in a worrisome direction.
This dubious stance should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. Ever since the pandemic started, DeSantis and his administration have been more dangerous hindrances than responsible leaders as the state responded to the disease and its deadly potential. He let Spring Break continue unimpeded; issued stay-at-home orders later than he should have; left the suddenly jobless stranded in securing their unemployment benefits through a broken-down website; sat silent on nursing-home case numbers; and took bad advice from President Trump.
----- 8 -----
Mike Pence's coronavirus claims go from bad to worse
Mike Pence wants his pronouncements on the public-health crisis to be taken seriously. That's quite a bit more difficult than he seems to realize.
June 17, 2020, 6:27 AM PDT
By Steve Benen
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/mike-pence-s-coronavirus-claims-go-bad-worse-n1231272?cid=sm_fb_maddow
Vice President Mike Pence made a bold forecast in late April, arguing that by early June the United States would be "largely past this epidemic." The Indiana Republican added that by Memorial Day weekend -- May 23 to 25 -- Americans "will have this coronavirus epidemic behind us."
This was tragically wrong. Even at the time, Pence's assessment was difficult to take seriously, but as May turned to June, it was clear that the head of the White House's coronavirus task force was making public pronouncements that didn't stand up well to scrutiny.
Complicating matters, Pence apparently didn't learn much of a lesson from this.
On Monday, the vice president said Donald Trump was headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a campaign rally because the state has "flattened the curve" when it comes to the coronavirus. He added that the number of infections in the state has "declined precipitously." As the Associated Press noted soon after, that's plainly not true.
----- 9 -----
Arizona Sheriff Who Refused to Enforce Lockdown Now Has COVID-19
Tracy Connor
Published Jun. 17, 2020
https://www.thedailybeast.com/pinal-county-sheriff-mark-lamb-who-refused-to-enforce-lockdown-now-has-covid-19
A month ago, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said he would not enforce Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order because he thought the lockdown had gone on long enough. Now, Lamb is revealing that he tested positive for COVID-19 after being tested ahead of a planned visit with President Trump, the Arizona Republic reported. “Unfortunately, as a law enforcement official and elected leader, we do not have the luxury of staying home,” Lamb wrote. “This line of work is inherently dangerous, and that is a risk we take when we sign up for the job. Today, that risk is the COVID-19 virus.” Lamb says he was likely infected during a campaign event over the weekend, and now authorities are trying to track down everyone who had contact with him.
----- 10 -----
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
twitter.com/drsanjaygupta
Jun 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/drsanjaygupta/status/1273090576255275010
[THREAD]
April 27 was the last time there was a White House coronavirus task force briefing, leaving us with more than a month without regular updates from the group Vice President Mike Pence was tapped to lead. (1/24)
[NEXT]
Today, Vice President Pence wrote an op-ed in the twitter.com/WSJ touting America’s success in fighting the coronavirus writing, “...we are winning the fight against the invisible enemy.” Let’s break down some of his claims this week. (2/24)
[THREAD CONTINUES AT LINK]
