hotair--2020-03-30--With fewer cars on the road, police see an uptick in speeding (Update)

The coronavirus has resulted in stay-at-home restrictions in 27 states so far .
Of course people are still allowed to go out to work at an essential business or to go shopping for food , but overall the amount of traffic on the roads is down dramatically .
Some people seem to believe this means we ’ re now living in a Mad Max movie .
Police throughout California are reporting an increase in speeders .
And in New York , speeding tickets have barely budged despite a significant decrease in the number of drivers on the road .
Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement on Twitter : “ We are seeing a rise in motorists traveling at excessive speeds in the # bayarea .
We are still out in force and will continue to issue citations .
There is no faster way to get a suspended license than driving 100mph+ !
” As you can see in the image below , one of these tickets is for someone who was driving 117 in a 65 zone .
Officers in southern California are seeing the same thing : It ’ s not just California where this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same thing : With noticeably less traffic as people follow government orders to stay home , some drivers are exceeding speeds of 70 and 80 mph on major highways , leading police to issue twice as many citations for excessive speeding over the past week .
The higher speeds have been logged on highways including Maui Veterans , Piilani , Kuihelani and Honoapiilani , where posted speed limits range from 40 to 45 mph , said Lt. William Hankins , commander of the police Traffic Section .
And police in Toronto , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ stunt driving ” which is similar to reckless driving in the U.S .
It means the driver was going at least 50 kph ( 30 mph ) over the speed limit .
This report involves a car pulled 92 mph in a 30 mph zone .
I witnessed some actual stunt driving myself over the weekend .
I was about 2 miles from my house on a shopping run near a big indoor mall .
The mall itself is currently shut down which means the massive parking lot is empty .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the afternoon , some idiot started doing donuts in the parking lot .
There were several minutes of tire-screeching and smoke until he got tired and sped off .
He was driving an older model Toyota Supra or something similar .
I was too far away to see the driver but I suspect he was about nineteen .
Broken window theory says that if people sense disorder in a neighborhood they are more likely to feel the normal rules don ’ t apply .
I think this is some kind of variation on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed so many things so quickly , including traffic , some people think the normal rules have been abandoned .
They are going to be in for a rude awakening when they get pulled over .
Here ’ s a report from a Los Angeles station on the increase in speeders .
Update : The NY Daily News reported an 80 % increase in speeding .
In an analysis I did based on data from speed cameras there ’ s been an 80 % jump in the rate of speeding especially on residential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t speed but tell your friends who do that they are the new pariahs during this crisis .
The more speeding the more injuries and the fewer beds and services for coronavirus victims !
Slow Down Now !
And if you do get a ticket don ’ t come crying to me .
In fact , New York ’ s speed cameras are issuing nearly the same number of tickets now as they were before the pandemic despite their being only a fraction of the number of cars on the road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cameras spit out 83,478 violations in an eight-day period in March — only eight-percent fewer than during a similar eight-day period in January , when there were tens if not hundreds of thousands more cars on the road .
It ’ s the first hard evidence that city drivers are treating the mostly open roads as speedways — and it won ’ t come as a surprise to anyone who has been outdoors during the coronavirus crisis .

The coronavirus has resulted in stay-at-home restrictions in 27 states so far. Of course people are still allowed to go out to work at an essential business or to go shopping for food, but overall the amount of traffic on the roads is down dramatically. Some people seem to believe this means we’re now living in a Mad Max movie. Police throughout California are reporting an increase in speeders. And in New York, speeding tickets have barely budged despite a significant decrease in the number of drivers on the road.
Friday, the California Highway Patrol posted a statement on Twitter: “We are seeing a rise in motorists traveling at excessive speeds in the #bayarea. We are still out in force and will continue to issue citations. There is no faster way to get a suspended license than driving 100mph+!” As you can see in the image below, one of these tickets is for someone who was driving 117 in a 65 zone.
SPEEDING CITATIONS ON THE RISE 🏎🚓 We are seeing a rise in motorists traveling at excessive speeds in the #bayarea. We are still out in force and will continue to issue citations. There is no faster way to get a suspended license than driving 100mph+! pic.twitter.com/p4o2onjWWR — CHP Golden Gate (@CHP_GoldenGate) March 27, 2020
Officers in southern California are seeing the same thing:
It’s not just California where this is happening. Police in Hawaii are seeing the same thing:
With noticeably less traffic as people follow government orders to stay home, some drivers are exceeding speeds of 70 and 80 mph on major highways, leading police to issue twice as many citations for excessive speeding over the past week. The higher speeds have been logged on highways including Maui Veterans, Piilani, Kuihelani and Honoapiilani, where posted speed limits range from 40 to 45 mph, said Lt. William Hankins, commander of the police Traffic Section.
And police in Toronto, Canada have complained about an increase in “stunt driving” which is similar to reckless driving in the U.S. It means the driver was going at least 50 kph (30 mph) over the speed limit. This report involves a car pulled 92 mph in a 30 mph zone.
EMPTY ROADS=HIGH SPEEDS – This month we have investigated 32 incidents of stunt driving and last night we caught #33. This driver was clocked at 149km/h in a 50km/h zone.
Just because the roads are relatively empty, don't think you'll get away with speeding. #SpeedKills pic.twitter.com/Mks2lMGWZX — York Regional Police (@YRP) March 25, 2020
I witnessed some actual stunt driving myself over the weekend. I was about 2 miles from my house on a shopping run near a big indoor mall. The mall itself is currently shut down which means the massive parking lot is empty. While I was there in the middle of the afternoon, some idiot started doing donuts in the parking lot. There were several minutes of tire-screeching and smoke until he got tired and sped off. He was driving an older model Toyota Supra or something similar. I was too far away to see the driver but I suspect he was about nineteen.
Broken window theory says that if people sense disorder in a neighborhood they are more likely to feel the normal rules don’t apply. I think this is some kind of variation on that theme. Because the pandemic has changed so many things so quickly, including traffic, some people think the normal rules have been abandoned. They are going to be in for a rude awakening when they get pulled over.
Here’s a report from a Los Angeles station on the increase in speeders.
Update: The NY Daily News reported an 80% increase in speeding.
In an analysis I did based on data from speed cameras there’s been an 80% jump in the rate of speeding especially on residential streets. I know Gridlock Sam readers don’t speed but tell your friends who do that they are the new pariahs during this crisis. The more speeding the more injuries and the fewer beds and services for coronavirus victims! Slow Down Now! And if you do get a ticket don’t come crying to me.
In fact, New York’s speed cameras are issuing nearly the same number of tickets now as they were before the pandemic despite their being only a fraction of the number of cars on the road:
New York City’s speed cameras spit out 83,478 violations in an eight-day period in March — only eight-percent fewer than during a similar eight-day period in January, when there were tens if not hundreds of thousands more cars on the road. It’s the first hard evidence that city drivers are treating the mostly open roads as speedways — and it won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has been outdoors during the coronavirus crisis.
It’s happening in Denmark too.


hotair--2020-03-30--WaPo/ABC poll: Suddenly, Trump and Biden in virtual tie -- except in one key measure

Be careful what you wish for .
When Bernie Sanders jumped out to an initial delegate lead in this year ’ s Democratic primaries , the party establishment pushed hard to get everyone else out of the way so that Joe Biden could rebound .
After South Carolina , the strategy worked .
Biden rolled up victory after victory and has all but eclipsed Sanders from any chance at a delegate lead , let alone the first-ballot majority Sanders would need to get the nomination .
How ’ s that working out so far ?
While Democrats attack Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , Trump has suddenly gained significant ground in the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll .
The gap between them narrowed from seven points to two , and Biden doesn ’ t get any boost at all from the coronavirus crisis : Trump has moved from what was a seven-point deficit in February to a near tie with Biden today .
Among registered voters , Biden is favored by 49 percent and Trump by 47 percent .
When the poll measures preferences among all adults , Biden stands at 50 percent and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trusted to handle the economy , while Biden is more trusted to deal with health care .
When voters are asked whom they trust more to confront the coronavirus outbreak , the difference between the two is statistically insignificant .
Interestingly , Trump ’ s overall job approval rating has also jumped significantly over the past month .
In the February poll , Trump got a 46/52 rating ; today , it ’ s 48/46 , a change of eight points in the gap .
This is the highest approval rating Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away the previous best of 44/51 from January , a bounce from the collapse of impeachment .
In fact , this is the very first net-positive approval rating Trump has ever received from this series .
It ’ s not the only series showing new highs for Trump , either .
His RCP aggregate average gap between approval and disapproval is the narrowest since his inauguration .
Whether or not this is a rally effect or more permanent , the trend is definitely real — and remarkable for a president who faced impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That isn ’ t the most significant finding of this survey , however .
An enthusiasm gap has opened up that might be more accurately described as a chasm : Despite the rapid consolidation around Biden among a broader Democratic electorate , the former vice president suffers from an enthusiasm gap when contrasted with the incumbent president .
More than 8 in 10 ( 86 percent of ) registered voters who currently side with Trump say they are enthusiastic about their support .
That compares with 74 percent of Biden supporters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensity of that enthusiasm , which can translate into who turns out to vote and who might not .
Among registered voters who support Trump , 55 percent say they are very enthusiastic about backing him while 32 percent say they are somewhat enthusiastic .
Among Biden ’ s supporters , a far smaller 28 percent say they are very enthusiastic while 46 percent are somewhat enthusiastic .
That was always the risk with Biden , who generates a lot more nostalgia than enthusiasm .
Biden didn ’ t win the nomination so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by an intervention , assuming he wins it at all .
He ’ s not leading some national political movement , like Bernie Sanders is with progressives-cum-socialists .
Democrats are settling for Biden as the most electable against Trump and the least dangerous to their down-ballot prospects .
That enthusiasm number has to be prompting a re-evaluation of that issue , though .
If Trump ’ s peak enthusiasm remains twice as high as Biden ’ s , that will call into question whether Democrats can hold onto their House gains from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be as favorable as it should be .
The crosstabs show Trump winning the suburban voters 50/46 , but doing much better on high enthusiasm , 27/14 .
In rural areas , Trump leads 72/25 but enthusiasm is 50/7 .
That ’ s not a typo ; only seven percent of rural voter have a high degree of enthusiasm for Biden .
And note that while Biden wins urban voters by a 2:1 advantage ( 64/32 ) , he only barely edges Trump among the very enthusiastic in the cities , 15/14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominate , Trump gets an edge in enthusiasm .
Biden wins Northeast voters 59/38 , but Trump wins very enthusiastic voters 21/14 .
In the West , Biden leads 55/40 but trails among high-enthusiasm voters there too , 12/16 .
The Midwest is a virtual tie ( 48/47 Biden ) , but Trump more than doubles Biden among high-enthusiasm voters 26/12 .
Democrats fulfilled their wish in pushing Biden across the finish line , or at least pushing him a lot closer to it than Sanders .
They may well regret it by @ @

Be careful what you wish for. When Bernie Sanders jumped out to an initial delegate lead in this year’s Democratic primaries, the party establishment pushed hard to get everyone else out of the way so that Joe Biden could rebound. After South Carolina, the strategy worked. Biden rolled up victory after victory and has all but eclipsed Sanders from any chance at a delegate lead, let alone the first-ballot majority Sanders would need to get the nomination.
How’s that working out so far? While Democrats attack Donald Trump for his initial responses to the coronavirus outbreak, Trump has suddenly gained significant ground in the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll. The gap between them narrowed from seven points to two, and Biden doesn’t get any boost at all from the coronavirus crisis:
Trump has moved from what was a seven-point deficit in February to a near tie with Biden today. Among registered voters, Biden is favored by 49 percent and Trump by 47 percent. When the poll measures preferences among all adults, Biden stands at 50 percent and Trump at 44 percent. Trump is more trusted to handle the economy, while Biden is more trusted to deal with health care. When voters are asked whom they trust more to confront the coronavirus outbreak, the difference between the two is statistically insignificant.
Interestingly, Trump’s overall job approval rating has also jumped significantly over the past month. In the February poll, Trump got a 46/52 rating; today, it’s 48/46, a change of eight points in the gap. This is the highest approval rating Trump has in the entire WaPo/ABC series, blowing away the previous best of 44/51 from January, a bounce from the collapse of impeachment.
In fact, this is the very first net-positive approval rating Trump has ever received from this series. It’s not the only series showing new highs for Trump, either. His RCP aggregate average gap between approval and disapproval is the narrowest since his inauguration. Whether or not this is a rally effect or more permanent, the trend is definitely real — and remarkable for a president who faced impeachment and removal sixty days ago or so.
That isn’t the most significant finding of this survey, however. An enthusiasm gap has opened up that might be more accurately described as a chasm:
Despite the rapid consolidation around Biden among a broader Democratic electorate, the former vice president suffers from an enthusiasm gap when contrasted with the incumbent president. More than 8 in 10 (86 percent of) registered voters who currently side with Trump say they are enthusiastic about their support. That compares with 74 percent of Biden supporters. More telling is the gap in the intensity of that enthusiasm, which can translate into who turns out to vote and who might not. Among registered voters who support Trump, 55 percent say they are very enthusiastic about backing him while 32 percent say they are somewhat enthusiastic. Among Biden’s supporters, a far smaller 28 percent say they are very enthusiastic while 46 percent are somewhat enthusiastic.
That was always the risk with Biden, who generates a lot more nostalgia than enthusiasm. Biden didn’t win the nomination so much as having it handed to him by an intervention, assuming he wins it at all. He’s not leading some national political movement, like Bernie Sanders is with progressives-cum-socialists. Democrats are settling for Biden as the most electable against Trump and the least dangerous to their down-ballot prospects.
That enthusiasm number has to be prompting a re-evaluation of that issue, though. If Trump’s peak enthusiasm remains twice as high as Biden’s, that will call into question whether Democrats can hold onto their House gains from the midterms, and whether the Senate race will be as favorable as it should be. The crosstabs show Trump winning the suburban voters 50/46, but doing much better on high enthusiasm, 27/14. In rural areas, Trump leads 72/25 but enthusiasm is 50/7. That’s not a typo; only seven percent of rural voter have a high degree of enthusiasm for Biden. And note that while Biden wins urban voters by a 2:1 advantage (64/32), he only barely edges Trump among the very enthusiastic in the cities, 15/14.
Even in places where Biden should dominate, Trump gets an edge in enthusiasm. Biden wins Northeast voters 59/38, but Trump wins very enthusiastic voters 21/14. In the West, Biden leads 55/40 but trails among high-enthusiasm voters there too, 12/16. The Midwest is a virtual tie (48/47 Biden), but Trump more than doubles Biden among high-enthusiasm voters 26/12.
Democrats fulfilled their wish in pushing Biden across the finish line, or at least pushing him a lot closer to it than Sanders. They may well regret it by November.


hotair--2020-03-30--Signs emerging that Seattle has flattened the curve

I remember a researcher who ’ s tracking the genomes of strains in the Seattle area saying earlier this month , “ January 1 in Wuhan was March 1 in Seattle.
” Washington state could experience the same disaster that China did , he said — if nothing was done urgently to mitigate the disease ’ s spread .
But something was done .
Seattle was among the first places in the U.S. to encourage stringent social distancing .
Result : Wuhan had to be locked down on January 23 in an urgent attempt to stop the virus ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days removed from March 1 and the contagion has slowed , based on the available ( and incomplete ) evidence .
Hospitals there aren ’ t overrun .
There ’ s no Wuhan scenario brewing for the moment .
And there might not be one if people there continue to hunker down this month .
How easily can Seattle be replicated elsewhere , though ?
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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… With so many states now deep in crisis , the signs of provisional success in the Seattle area offer a lesson for other cities and regions that are just beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Early and aggressive action to contain the spread may help lower the trajectory of a virus that could otherwise overwhelm health systems .
Here ’ s what King County , Washington , looks like today on the Kinsa “ health weather ” map .
This evidence is circumstantial — it tracks all fevers , not coronavirus infections — but the trend is in the right direction : The key words in the excerpt above are “ early and aggressive.
” New York City is also trending downwards in fevers per the Kinsa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late there to avert a catastrophe .
It ’ s likely too late for Florida as well , where scientists are predicting “ a huge public health crisis ” thanks in part to Ron “ Spring Break ” DeSantis not acting early and aggressive enough .
Other states that momentarily find themselves at a fork in the road about whether it ’ s “ too soon ” to act — ahem — might profit from the contrast between Washington state ’ s trajectory and those in New York and Florida .
But again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily explained ?
The Times story points to quirks in the city ’ s culture that might make it more able to practice social distancing than other parts of the country .
It ’ s a tech hub , which means many workers there can easily work remotely from home .
By chance , it had a team of researchers already in place , the Seattle Flu Study , tasked with studying viral epidemics that was able to switch its efforts quickly to tracking coronavirus locally .
( The first solid circumstantial evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified by a Seattle researcher . )
And , weirdly enough , apparently Seattleites are known for being … not particularly social , especially with newcomers to their city .
I ’ d never heard of the “ Seattle Freeze ” before reading this story but it apparently is indeed “ a thing , ” as the kids like to say .
If it ’ s true that locals there are a little more socially distant even under normal circumstances than they are in most American cities then it stands to reason that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressively .
There ’ s another story of social-distancing success on the wires today but I don ’ t know how replicable that is either .
Remember that one-mile “ containment zone ” that Andrew Cuomo ordered for a hot spot in New Rochelle ?
Locals were able to go in and out , but teams of medical workers were sent in to test residents aggressively for coronavirus while the National Guard was tasked with deep cleaning spaces and handing out food .
Three weeks later , New Rochelle appears to have flattened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploding with infections .
Residents have become true believers in social distancing — and widespread testing : “ In the beginning , it felt like house arrest , ” said Samuel Heilman , a New Rochelle resident whose family was among those ordered to self-quarantine on March 3 .
The families had all attended the same synagogue , Young Israel of New Rochelle , as a lawyer who was the first person diagnosed with the coronavirus in the community .
“ In effect , it felt like we were being punished , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishment turned out to be a blessing in disguise .
This is really a case of perspective.
” … Westchester County has adopted an aggressive testing philosophy : More than 29,000 of the county ’ s less than one million residents have been tested , according to the county Department of Health , with 7,187 positive for Covid-19 as of Friday .
Statewide , about 138,000 people have been tested .
NYC has eight times the population of New Rochelle but has done only twice as many tests .
Over the past four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases in New Rochelle .
All we need to do now is set up a containment zone for every hot spot in America and test the hell out of them to determine who ’ s sick and needs to self-quarantine and who isn ’ t .
Piece of cake .
Or , alternately , we could be disciplined this month about social distancing .
Which not all of us are being : One more data point for you and everyone else who might be in a state right now , like Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to close down big gatherings : Click on the image in the tweet to enlarge it , and note the difference on when schools were asked to close .
It ’ s only a few days , but a few days is all it takes to make a difference with something that grows exponentially .
I ’ m curious to see down the road what sort of political consequences there are or aren ’ t for governors who moved quickly to shut down schools and businesses versus those who let life go on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping the economy moving .
Will the backlash or lack thereof depend entirely on how severe the outbreak in that state ends up being ?
Can someone like DeSantis escape accountability by blaming other states for his problem , e.g .
heavy travel from New York to Florida ?
There may be such a fog of recriminations in the aftermath that it becomes impossible for the average voters to know whether their own officials screwed up massively or whether there was nothing they could have done to prevent it thanks to irresponsible foreigners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whoever — seeding outbreaks everywhere they went .
Each side will be pointing fingers at the other .
Well , except in the case of Bill de Blasio , whom all right-thinking people agree is terrible .
Update : DeSantis must be all-in on the belief that there won ’ t be political consequences .
Otherwise this is inexplicable .

I remember a researcher who’s tracking the genomes of strains in the Seattle area saying earlier this month, “January 1 in Wuhan was March 1 in Seattle.” Washington state could experience the same disaster that China did, he said — if nothing was done urgently to mitigate the disease’s spread. But something was done. Seattle was among the first places in the U.S. to encourage stringent social distancing.
Result: Wuhan had to be locked down on January 23 in an urgent attempt to stop the virus’s spread. Whereas Seattle is now 29 days removed from March 1 and the contagion has slowed, based on the available (and incomplete) evidence. Hospitals there aren’t overrun. There’s no Wuhan scenario brewing for the moment. And there might not be one if people there continue to hunker down this month.
How easily can Seattle be replicated elsewhere, though?
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… With so many states now deep in crisis, the signs of provisional success in the Seattle area offer a lesson for other cities and regions that are just beginning to see the onset of the coronavirus: Early and aggressive action to contain the spread may help lower the trajectory of a virus that could otherwise overwhelm health systems.
Here’s what King County, Washington, looks like today on the Kinsa “health weather” map. This evidence is circumstantial — it tracks all fevers, not coronavirus infections — but the trend is in the right direction:
The key words in the excerpt above are “early and aggressive.” New York City is also trending downwards in fevers per the Kinsa data but it’s come too late there to avert a catastrophe. It’s likely too late for Florida as well, where scientists are predicting “a huge public health crisis” thanks in part to Ron “Spring Break” DeSantis not acting early and aggressive enough. Other states that momentarily find themselves at a fork in the road about whether it’s “too soon” to act — ahem — might profit from the contrast between Washington state’s trajectory and those in New York and Florida.
But again, are Seattle’s numbers so easily explained? The Times story points to quirks in the city’s culture that might make it more able to practice social distancing than other parts of the country. It’s a tech hub, which means many workers there can easily work remotely from home. By chance, it had a team of researchers already in place, the Seattle Flu Study, tasked with studying viral epidemics that was able to switch its efforts quickly to tracking coronavirus locally. (The first solid circumstantial evidence of community spread in the U.S. was identified by a Seattle researcher.) And, weirdly enough, apparently Seattleites are known for being … not particularly social, especially with newcomers to their city. I’d never heard of the “Seattle Freeze” before reading this story but it apparently is indeed “a thing,” as the kids like to say. If it’s true that locals there are a little more socially distant even under normal circumstances than they are in most American cities then it stands to reason that COVID-19 wouldn’t transmit quite as aggressively.
There’s another story of social-distancing success on the wires today but I don’t know how replicable that is either. Remember that one-mile “containment zone” that Andrew Cuomo ordered for a hot spot in New Rochelle? Locals were able to go in and out, but teams of medical workers were sent in to test residents aggressively for coronavirus while the National Guard was tasked with deep cleaning spaces and handing out food. Three weeks later, New Rochelle appears to have flattened the curve too as nearby NYC is exploding with infections. Residents have become true believers in social distancing — and widespread testing:
“In the beginning, it felt like house arrest,” said Samuel Heilman, a New Rochelle resident whose family was among those ordered to self-quarantine on March 3. The families had all attended the same synagogue, Young Israel of New Rochelle, as a lawyer who was the first person diagnosed with the coronavirus in the community. “In effect, it felt like we were being punished,” Mr. Heilman said. “But the punishment turned out to be a blessing in disguise. This is really a case of perspective.”… Westchester County has adopted an aggressive testing philosophy: More than 29,000 of the county’s less than one million residents have been tested, according to the county Department of Health, with 7,187 positive for Covid-19 as of Friday. Statewide, about 138,000 people have been tested.
NYC has eight times the population of New Rochelle but has done only twice as many tests. Over the past four days, there have been just 38 new cases in New Rochelle. All we need to do now is set up a containment zone for every hot spot in America and test the hell out of them to determine who’s sick and needs to self-quarantine and who isn’t. Piece of cake.
Or, alternately, we could be disciplined this month about social distancing. Which not all of us are being:
Of the 4800 flights we're currently tracking worldwide, two-thirds are seen in this image. Normally, we would be tracking about 13,000 flights right now. 📡 https://t.co/vw45r9vE0m pic.twitter.com/uedBKXlS64 — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 28, 2020
One more data point for you and everyone else who might be in a state right now, like Arizona, that’s taking its time to close down big gatherings:
As of March 27th. Governor @AndyBeshearKY announces KY residents should avoid traveling across the border unless essential. University testing continues in both states: KY reporting + only; TN reporting + and – High-res PDFs: https://t.co/dtxqKC2tXp #TogetherKy #TNStayApart pic.twitter.com/7y7xNdyOFP — Stephanie Jolly (@StephanieJolly) March 28, 2020
Click on the image in the tweet to enlarge it, and note the difference on when schools were asked to close. It’s only a few days, but a few days is all it takes to make a difference with something that grows exponentially.
I’m curious to see down the road what sort of political consequences there are or aren’t for governors who moved quickly to shut down schools and businesses versus those who let life go on a bit longer in the name of keeping the economy moving. Will the backlash or lack thereof depend entirely on how severe the outbreak in that state ends up being? Can someone like DeSantis escape accountability by blaming other states for his problem, e.g. heavy travel from New York to Florida? There may be such a fog of recriminations in the aftermath that it becomes impossible for the average voters to know whether their own officials screwed up massively or whether there was nothing they could have done to prevent it thanks to irresponsible foreigners — the Chinese, New Yorkers, whoever — seeding outbreaks everywhere they went. Each side will be pointing fingers at the other. Well, except in the case of Bill de Blasio, whom all right-thinking people agree is terrible.
Update: DeSantis must be all-in on the belief that there won’t be political consequences. Otherwise this is inexplicable.


hotair--2020-03-30--Delivery services threaten strikes over safety concerns

About 200 workers plan to strike at a Staten Island Amazon warehouse today .
They are demanding the warehouse be shut down in order for it to be cleaned after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus .
Amazon management planned to keep the warehouse open and for work to continue as normal .
The infected person last worked at the warehouse on March 11 and received medical care .
The worker is now quarantined .
200 employees intend to walk out at 12:30 p.m. and workers want more transparency from the company .
There is fear a more substantial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the business closed down and sanitized before we return , ” said Chris Smalls , a management assistant at the facility who is leading the walkout .
The online retail giant has been “ shady and secretive , ” about the outbreak , Smalls said — estimating that the real number of workers with the virus is close to seven , not one .
And staffers fear that , at a facility with more than 2,500 full-time employees , the disease will spread “ like wildfire.
” “ People are scared , supervisors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We ’ re unsafe .
There are thousands of employees at risk.
” The company advises any worker who came in contact with the infected person to stay home for 14 days .
They will be paid during their self-quarantine .
Amazon is well-aware of Mr. Smalls ’ s complaints .
He is on paid sick leave himself , self-quarantined at the request of his employer .
The company rejects his accusations and says it has tripled-down on cleaning facilities during this crisis and ordered people to stay home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caution when warranted .
“ We have heard a number of incorrect comments from Christian Smalls , the hourly associate claiming to be the spokesperson on this topic .
Mr. Smalls is alleging many misleading things in his statements but we believe it ’ s important to note that he is , in fact , on a 14-day self-quarantine requested by Amazon to stay home with full pay , ” the statement said .
It said it had recently instituted daily temperature screenings at the fulfillment center .
“ Our employees are heroes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get critical items they need in this crisis , ” the statement said .
“ Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable.
” Instacart , a San Francisco-based delivery app , is feeling pressure from an outside group that wants to lead a nationwide walk-out Monday .
Fortunately for many of us who use this service regularly , many workers are thrilled to have a job and do not plan to join in if a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective gear for workers and hazard pay .
Some workers say they plan to join in the walk-out but only for a day and many will simply continue to work , grateful to be working after a restaurant or other service-oriented business closed during this time of social distancing .
Summer Cooper , 39 , started working as an Instacart shopper in the Tampa Bay area recently after losing her position as a server at a hotel restaurant .
She was unaware of the possible strike .
“ I ’ m grateful to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cooper said .
Darrin Burdette , an Instacart shopper in Colorado Springs , said joining a strike would “ not help me in any way.
” An Uber driver , Burdette said he relies entirely on his Instacart gig since demand for ride-hailing services plunged .
He said he is earning about $ 30 an hour as Instacart orders rise .
On his app , he can see that many orders have come from people using the service for the first time .
Instacart is experiencing a boom of new customers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that so many of us are hunkering down at home .
I have used the app for more than a year on a regular basis and the convenience is priceless at times .
Like many others , I have bumped up my normal percentage when tipping and now the app remains at that level when I use it .
Normally , the tip default starts at 5 % , with the customer able to increase that percentage up to 20 % .
That is something the company did for the workers .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Walmart grocery delivery services saw at least a 65 % increase in sales during the week of March 2 from sales numbers during the same week last year .
Among their demands , the strike organizers want hazard pay of $ 5 an order and supplies of hand sanitizer , wipes and cleaning supplies free of charge .
On Sunday , the company said it had contracted with a third-party manufacturer to make a hand sanitizer spray that workers can request at no cost via a website starting Monday , with shipments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has started offering bonuses of between $ 25 and $ 200 for its hourly employees dependent on hours worked until April 15 .
Instacart also announced a month-long extension of a temporary policy giving 14 days of paid leave to workers who are diagnosed with coronavirus or have been ordered to isolate themselves .
The strike organizers that policy extended to workers with a doctor ’ s note verifying a pre-existing condition that could make them more vulnerable to the virus .
On Sunday , the Gig Workers Collective group posted their demands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it reads as an extension of complaints that have been lodged against Instacart in the past by some workers .
Those who are unhappy with the company are not thrilled that Instacart is one of the company ’ s that is getting good publicity for hiring workers in a time where millions of people are losing their jobs .
Instacart has already responded to some demands – for example , the increase in the tip default as I mentioned above , and extending the deadline for those workers applying for benefits when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The strike is still on , though .
These two companies and how they are dealing with worker demands during a time of national crisis which places additional stresses on businesses are likely not alone .
Overworked employees who feel unappreciated or fearful of being at risk themselves is probably a logical situation for employers to expect .
It seems that companies are stepping up as much as possible , though .
Employers need healthy workers to fulfill customer orders .
Those of us using their services are grateful for what they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike actually happens and how it goes .
So far , I haven ’ t seen any local updates on the website .

About 200 workers plan to strike at a Staten Island Amazon warehouse today. They are demanding the warehouse be shut down in order for it to be cleaned after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus. Amazon management planned to keep the warehouse open and for work to continue as normal. The infected person last worked at the warehouse on March 11 and received medical care. The worker is now quarantined.
200 employees intend to walk out at 12:30 p.m. and workers want more transparency from the company. There is fear a more substantial outbreak is imminent.
“We want the business closed down and sanitized before we return,” said Chris Smalls, a management assistant at the facility who is leading the walkout. The online retail giant has been “shady and secretive,” about the outbreak, Smalls said — estimating that the real number of workers with the virus is close to seven, not one. And staffers fear that, at a facility with more than 2,500 full-time employees, the disease will spread “like wildfire.” “People are scared, supervisors, managers.. all levels,” Smalls said. “We’re unsafe. There are thousands of employees at risk.”
The company advises any worker who came in contact with the infected person to stay home for 14 days. They will be paid during their self-quarantine.
Amazon is well-aware of Mr. Smalls’s complaints. He is on paid sick leave himself, self-quarantined at the request of his employer. The company rejects his accusations and says it has tripled-down on cleaning facilities during this crisis and ordered people to stay home, with pay, in an abundance of caution when warranted.
“We have heard a number of incorrect comments from Christian Smalls, the hourly associate claiming to be the spokesperson on this topic. Mr. Smalls is alleging many misleading things in his statements but we believe it’s important to note that he is, in fact, on a 14-day self-quarantine requested by Amazon to stay home with full pay,” the statement said. It said it had recently instituted daily temperature screenings at the fulfillment center. “Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis,” the statement said. “Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable.”
Instacart, a San Francisco-based delivery app, is feeling pressure from an outside group that wants to lead a nationwide walk-out Monday. Fortunately for many of us who use this service regularly, many workers are thrilled to have a job and do not plan to join in if a walkout occurs. Gig Workers Collective demands protective gear for workers and hazard pay. Some workers say they plan to join in the walk-out but only for a day and many will simply continue to work, grateful to be working after a restaurant or other service-oriented business closed during this time of social distancing.
Summer Cooper, 39, started working as an Instacart shopper in the Tampa Bay area recently after losing her position as a server at a hotel restaurant. She was unaware of the possible strike. “I’m grateful to have some way to make money,” Cooper said. Darrin Burdette, an Instacart shopper in Colorado Springs, said joining a strike would “not help me in any way.” An Uber driver, Burdette said he relies entirely on his Instacart gig since demand for ride-hailing services plunged. He said he is earning about $30 an hour as Instacart orders rise. On his app, he can see that many orders have come from people using the service for the first time.
Instacart is experiencing a boom of new customers, as is certainly logical given the fact that so many of us are hunkering down at home. I have used the app for more than a year on a regular basis and the convenience is priceless at times. Like many others, I have bumped up my normal percentage when tipping and now the app remains at that level when I use it. Normally, the tip default starts at 5%, with the customer able to increase that percentage up to 20%. That is something the company did for the workers. For comparison purposes, Instacart, Amazon, and Walmart grocery delivery services saw at least a 65% increase in sales during the week of March 2 from sales numbers during the same week last year.
Among their demands, the strike organizers want hazard pay of $5 an order and supplies of hand sanitizer, wipes and cleaning supplies free of charge. On Sunday, the company said it had contracted with a third-party manufacturer to make a hand sanitizer spray that workers can request at no cost via a website starting Monday, with shipments starting in a few days. Instacart has started offering bonuses of between $25 and $200 for its hourly employees dependent on hours worked until April 15. Instacart also announced a month-long extension of a temporary policy giving 14 days of paid leave to workers who are diagnosed with coronavirus or have been ordered to isolate themselves. The strike organizers that policy extended to workers with a doctor’s note verifying a pre-existing condition that could make them more vulnerable to the virus.
On Sunday, the Gig Workers Collective group posted their demands in a post on Medium. Mostly it reads as an extension of complaints that have been lodged against Instacart in the past by some workers. Those who are unhappy with the company are not thrilled that Instacart is one of the company’s that is getting good publicity for hiring workers in a time where millions of people are losing their jobs. Instacart has already responded to some demands – for example, the increase in the tip default as I mentioned above, and extending the deadline for those workers applying for benefits when they are diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. The strike is still on, though.
These two companies and how they are dealing with worker demands during a time of national crisis which places additional stresses on businesses are likely not alone. Overworked employees who feel unappreciated or fearful of being at risk themselves is probably a logical situation for employers to expect. It seems that companies are stepping up as much as possible, though. Employers need healthy workers to fulfill customer orders. Those of us using their services are grateful for what they do. We’ll see if the strike actually happens and how it goes. So far, I haven’t seen any local updates on the website.


hotair--2020-03-30--Those plastic bag bans aren't looking so good right now

Bans on single-use plastic bags were all the rage over the past few years , particularly on the west coast and in the northeast .
We were told that those bags were ruining the planet and we would stave off the end of the world if we outlawed them .
As a replacement , we were instructed to purchase reusable cloth bags and bring them with us to the stores .
But now that the coronavirus is stalking the streets , things have changed .
The cloth bags have porous surfaces that the virus can cling to and remain dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With that in mind , multiple states have now postponed their upcoming rules or canceled enforcement of bans that were already on the books .
( Route Fifty ) In Maine , lawmakers halted the implementation of a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags until 2021 , while officials in New York said they would not begin enforcing a planned moratorium on plastic bags until at least May .
New Hampshire Gov .
Chris Sununu halted the use of reusable bags in his state via an emergency health order , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission of the virus in New Hampshire .
“ It is important that shoppers keep their reusable bags at home given the potential risk to baggers , grocers and customers , ” Sununu said in a statement .
“ This emergency order directs all grocers and retail stores in the state to temporarily transition to only use new paper or plastic grocery bags provided by stores as soon as feasibly possible.
” It ’ s not just New Hampshire and New York doing this .
In Massachusetts , Governor Charlie Baker issued an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local bans on plastic ones .
He also forbade stores from charging an extra fee for plastic or paper bags .
Connecticut ’ s governor is lifting their tax on plastic bags .
If the original plastic bags were an overreaction in one direction , this sudden about-face may be a similar move in reverse .
We ’ re now pretty sure that the coronavirus can be easily destroyed with soap and water .
The reusable bags are washable .
If people just took the time to wash them after each shopping trip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grocery clerks or other shoppers .
Oh , who am I kidding ?
We can ’ t even stop people in New York City from clustering in crowded , unlicensed speakeasies .
Do we really think enough of them will bother tossing their reusable bags into the laundry every time they come back from the grocery store to make a difference ?
What we ’ re seeing here is probably a fairly compelling indictment of the nanny-state .
Liberal governments are more than happy to dictate every aspect of our lives down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They justify such things by lecturing us on the “ bigger picture ” and our responsibilities to save the planet or promote “ social justice.
” But when an actual crisis comes along and smacks them in the face , such lofty ideals quickly go out the window .
The “ urgent need ” for everyone to start bringing reusable bags to the store disappears when a deadly virus may be lurking in the fabric .
I don ’ t say this as a way to mock these decisions to reverse the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing to do , at least to stay on the safe side .
But is it too much to hope that this will serve as a teachable moment for liberal elected officials ?
When the pandemic is over , will they rethink their micromanaging ways or just go back to the old , liberal , business as usual agenda ?
Sadly , I suspect we already know the answer to that one .
But I ’ d love to be proven wrong for a change .

Bans on single-use plastic bags were all the rage over the past few years, particularly on the west coast and in the northeast. We were told that those bags were ruining the planet and we would stave off the end of the world if we outlawed them. As a replacement, we were instructed to purchase reusable cloth bags and bring them with us to the stores. But now that the coronavirus is stalking the streets, things have changed. The cloth bags have porous surfaces that the virus can cling to and remain dangerous for up to three to five days. With that in mind, multiple states have now postponed their upcoming rules or canceled enforcement of bans that were already on the books. (Route Fifty)
In Maine, lawmakers halted the implementation of a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags until 2021, while officials in New York said they would not begin enforcing a planned moratorium on plastic bags until at least May. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu halted the use of reusable bags in his state via an emergency health order, which he said was necessary due to confirmed community transmission of the virus in New Hampshire. “It is important that shoppers keep their reusable bags at home given the potential risk to baggers, grocers and customers,” Sununu said in a statement. “This emergency order directs all grocers and retail stores in the state to temporarily transition to only use new paper or plastic grocery bags provided by stores as soon as feasibly possible.”
It’s not just New Hampshire and New York doing this. In Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker issued an executive order banning reusable bags and lifting local bans on plastic ones. He also forbade stores from charging an extra fee for plastic or paper bags. Connecticut’s governor is lifting their tax on plastic bags.
If the original plastic bags were an overreaction in one direction, this sudden about-face may be a similar move in reverse. We’re now pretty sure that the coronavirus can be easily destroyed with soap and water. The reusable bags are washable. If people just took the time to wash them after each shopping trip, they shouldn’t be hazardous to grocery clerks or other shoppers.
Oh, who am I kidding? We can’t even stop people in New York City from clustering in crowded, unlicensed speakeasies. Do we really think enough of them will bother tossing their reusable bags into the laundry every time they come back from the grocery store to make a difference?
What we’re seeing here is probably a fairly compelling indictment of the nanny-state. Liberal governments are more than happy to dictate every aspect of our lives down to the most insignificant bits of minutia. They justify such things by lecturing us on the “bigger picture” and our responsibilities to save the planet or promote “social justice.” But when an actual crisis comes along and smacks them in the face, such lofty ideals quickly go out the window. The “urgent need” for everyone to start bringing reusable bags to the store disappears when a deadly virus may be lurking in the fabric.
I don’t say this as a way to mock these decisions to reverse the bans. It was probably the right thing to do, at least to stay on the safe side. But is it too much to hope that this will serve as a teachable moment for liberal elected officials? When the pandemic is over, will they rethink their micromanaging ways or just go back to the old, liberal, business as usual agenda?
Sadly, I suspect we already know the answer to that one. But I’d love to be proven wrong for a change.


hotair--2020-03-30--Trump "fiddles" while "people are dying," says ... Nancy Pelosi? <span class='red'>Update: Speaking

Trump "fiddles" while "people are dying," says ... Nancy Pelosi? Update: Speaking of fiddling...

Say what ?
Isn ’ t this the same woman who held up the coronavirus relief package for days to get Green New Deal funding as part of the rescue ?
Nancy Pelosi told Jake Tapper yesterday morning that Donald Trump still isn ’ t taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously enough , just a few days after Pelosi spent a week back home rather than in Washington dealing with the crisis , only to fly back and derail Senate negotiations for several days in providing a response to it .
Pelosi also threw in a hint of Watergate , telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would ask the question , “ What did he know and when did he know it ?
” TAPPER : Speaker Pelosi , thank you so much for joining us .
I hope you are well and safe .
I know your home district of San Francisco has been particularly hard- hit .
President Trump is considering relaxing federal guidelines for coronavirus for some of the less affected parts of the country .
Do you think he should ?
PELOSI : Well , first of all , let me just say how sad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president signing of the bill , the number of deaths reported has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 in our country .
This is such a very , very sad time for us .
So , we should be taking every precaution .
What the president — his denial at the beginning was deadly .
His delaying of getting equipment to where — it continues — his delay in getting equipment to where it ’ s needed is deadly .
And now I think the best thing would be to do is to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open things up , so that — because we just don ’ t know .
We have to have testing , testing , testing — that ’ s what we said from the start — before we can evaluate what the nature of it is in some of these other regions as well .
I don ’ t know what the purpose of that is .
I don ’ t know what the scientists are saying to him .
I don ’ t know what the scientists said to him .
When did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did he know ?
What did he know and when did he know it ?
That ’ s for an after-action review .
But as the president fiddles , people are dying .
And we have to — we just have to take every precaution .
So … we ’ re gon na get Impeachment II : COVID Boogaloo , right ?
Had Nancy Pelosi held her post this entire time , this criticism might be better taken .
Trump did downplay the risks earlier , perhaps in part because he relied on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our national media keeps relying now — China .
However , he wasn ’ t the only one downplaying the risks , and he caught on earlier than some , including former Democratic presidential contender Bill de Blasio .
This , however , is rich coming from someone who fled Washington just at the moment when Congress needed to act to rescue the economy .
Pelosi only returned at the last minute to scotch a deal carved out by Chuck Schumer for not having enough progressive-agenda pork in it .
Lindsey Graham blew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks from Maria Bartiromo yesterday , and reminded her audience of the uniquely obstructive role Pelosi played over the last two weeks : BARTIROMO : Take us behind the curtain and tell us how this all shook out , senator , because Nancy Pelosi says she did jiu-jitsu on this relief bill to get it where it needs to be .
And this morning , she is saying that the president is fiddling around while people are dying .
GRAHAM : No , she ’ s blaming the president of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s led the country .
That ’ s the most shameful , disgusting statement by any politician in modern history .
Let me tell you , we ’ ve seen the best of America from our citizens helping each other , delivering groceries , having special shopping hours for senior citizens .
She ’ s the first politician to blame another politician for people dying .
This is the same speaker of the House who held up the bill in the Senate for days because she wanted same-day voting .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She wanted $ 75 million for the endowment for the humanities and $ 25 million for the Kennedy Center .
She is the one who held up the package in the Senate for days to get the Green New Deal put in a recovery package .
So , it ’ s the most shameful , disgusting thing I ’ ve heard yet , and it needs to stop .
Indeed .
There ’ s room for criticism of Trump ’ s early response , but neither de Blasio nor Pelosi have any standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Andrew Cuomo .
Update : My good pal Gary Gross reminds me of the House ’ s response under Pelosi ’ s leadership .
Trump blocked travel to and from China in late January .
When did the House first take up the coronavirus crisis ?
She hasn ’ t done a thing to fix the health care system .
She ’ s pushed impeachment while the coronavirus pandemic broke out .
Then , she tried playing chicken with Mitch McConnell while the COVID-19 pandemic spread .
After the Senate acquitted President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the Democrats did nothing to prepare us for COVID-19 .
The first hearing Democrats held on the COVID-19 virus was on March 4 in the Homeland Security Committee … That ’ s over a month after President Trump issued his travel ban with China .
Pelosi ’ s Democrats have been asleep at the switch when it comes to protecting us from pandemics .
That ’ s because they ’ ve focused their time on frivolous impeachment hearings .
PS- The House Homeland Security Committee has held 3 hearings on COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s pathetic .

Say what? Isn’t this the same woman who held up the coronavirus relief package for days to get Green New Deal funding as part of the rescue? Nancy Pelosi told Jake Tapper yesterday morning that Donald Trump still isn’t taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously enough, just a few days after Pelosi spent a week back home rather than in Washington dealing with the crisis, only to fly back and derail Senate negotiations for several days in providing a response to it.
Pelosi also threw in a hint of Watergate, telling Tapper that her “after-action review” would ask the question, “What did he know and when did he know it?”
.@SpeakerPelosi says the President downplaying the severity of #coronavirus is “deadly." “As the President fiddles, people are dying. We just have to take every precaution.” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/y8bFNbaPJy — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 29, 2020
TAPPER: Speaker Pelosi, thank you so much for joining us. I hope you are well and safe. I know your home district of San Francisco has been particularly hard- hit. President Trump is considering relaxing federal guidelines for coronavirus for some of the less affected parts of the country. Do you think he should? PELOSI: Well, first of all, let me just say how sad it is that, even since the president signing of the bill, the number of deaths reported has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 in our country. This is such a very, very sad time for us. So, we should be taking every precaution. What the president — his denial at the beginning was deadly. His delaying of getting equipment to where — it continues — his delay in getting equipment to where it’s needed is deadly. And now I think the best thing would be to do is to prevent more loss of life, rather than open things up, so that — because we just don’t know. We have to have testing, testing, testing — that’s what we said from the start — before we can evaluate what the nature of it is in some of these other regions as well. I don’t know what the purpose of that is. I don’t know what the scientists are saying to him. I don’t know what the scientists said to him. When did this president know about this and what did he know? What did he know and when did he know it? That’s for an after-action review. But as the president fiddles, people are dying. And we have to — we just have to take every precaution.
So … we’re gonna get Impeachment II: COVID Boogaloo, right?
Had Nancy Pelosi held her post this entire time, this criticism might be better taken. Trump did downplay the risks earlier, perhaps in part because he relied on the same data source that on which our national media keeps relying now — China. However, he wasn’t the only one downplaying the risks, and he caught on earlier than some, including former Democratic presidential contender Bill de Blasio.
This, however, is rich coming from someone who fled Washington just at the moment when Congress needed to act to rescue the economy. Pelosi only returned at the last minute to scotch a deal carved out by Chuck Schumer for not having enough progressive-agenda pork in it. Lindsey Graham blew up when he heard Pelosi’s remarks from Maria Bartiromo yesterday, and reminded her audience of the uniquely obstructive role Pelosi played over the last two weeks:
BARTIROMO: Take us behind the curtain and tell us how this all shook out, senator, because Nancy Pelosi says she did jiu-jitsu on this relief bill to get it where it needs to be. And this morning, she is saying that the president is fiddling around while people are dying. GRAHAM: No, she’s blaming the president of the United States for people dying because of the way he’s led the country. That’s the most shameful, disgusting statement by any politician in modern history. Let me tell you, we’ve seen the best of America from our citizens helping each other, delivering groceries, having special shopping hours for senior citizens. She’s the first politician to blame another politician for people dying. This is the same speaker of the House who held up the bill in the Senate for days because she wanted same-day voting. She wanted carbon neurtrality for the airlines. She wanted $75 million for the endowment for the humanities and $25 million for the Kennedy Center. She is the one who held up the package in the Senate for days to get the Green New Deal put in a recovery package. So, it’s the most shameful, disgusting thing I’ve heard yet, and it needs to stop.
Indeed. There’s room for criticism of Trump’s early response, but neither de Blasio nor Pelosi have any standing to deliver it. Democrats should stick with Andrew Cuomo.
Update: My good pal Gary Gross reminds me of the House’s response under Pelosi’s leadership. Trump blocked travel to and from China in late January. When did the House first take up the coronavirus crisis?


hotair--2020-03-30--BoJo "furious" over China's lies about coronavirus deaths

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still on lockdown because he contracted the coronavirus , but he ’ s staying on top of his duties .
These include monitoring the spread of the disease in his own country and around the world .
The fly in the ointment on that front is the increasingly obvious likelihood that the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) has been lying to the entire world about the number of confirmed cases and deaths they suffered during the initial stages of the outbreak .
That may have impacted the estimates that health officials in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond .
And according to reports from across the pond , BoJo is simply “ furious ” over it .
( Business Insider ) Boris Johnson ’ s government is reportedly furious with China ’ s handling of the coronavirus , with UK officials quoted on Sunday warning that Beijing faces a “ reckoning ” once the COVID-19 crisis is over .
UK government officials believe China is spreading disinformation about the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in its country , the Mail on Sunday reports .
The newspaper says scientists have warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus “ by a factor of 15 to 40 times.
” China had reported 81,439 cases at the time of writing .
Just how angry is Johnson ?
He ’ s reportedly looking at canceling China ’ s invitation to help the Brits set up and expand their 5G network .
This would come as welcome news to the White House since they protested China ’ s involvement in that project in the first place .
So how badly did the CCP fudge the numbers on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that throw off everyone else ?
We still don ’ t know exactly because China ’ s government is so secretive and willing to mislead the rest of the world if it protects their image .
Thus far , China is still claiming that they saw 81,000 cases and 3,300 deaths , primarily in and around Wuhan .
But as more and more information leaks out , it ’ s looking like the real number of deaths could be in the tens of thousands .
If so , that means that while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our arms around this thing and prepare for the wave to hit us , we may have been working with bum data .
This would apply to the rate of the spread of the infection as well as the mortality rate .
If the Chinese had leveled with the rest of the world about just how bad this was , far more dramatic travel restrictions and containment measures could have been put in place earlier .
Would that have stopped the pandemic completely ?
Probably not , and we ’ ll likely never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly contain the threat anywhere around the world it would have been a blessing .
The real question here , and the one that the Brits are currently bringing up , is what we ’ re supposed to do about the Chinese once this is all over .
It ’ s not just Great Britain that ’ s looking at rethinking their relationship with Beijing going forward .
The United States and most of the west should be and likely will as well .
We ’ ve long known that China has amassed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much of the world ’ s debt , including ours .
But on top of that , they ’ ve taken over so much of the global supply chain that any disruption in their productivity can bring world markets to their knees overnight .
We saw that during the early stages of this outbreak .
Further , the Chinese have become increasingly aggressive toward the west and have proven themselves to not be reliable partners in either trade or diplomacy .
They prefer to foster relationships with Russia , Iran , North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States and our allies .
Their increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea are also highly worrisome in terms of trying to divine their future plans .
This crisis should open our eyes to the fact that much of the world – including the United States – has foolishly shopped out far too much power and influence to the Chinese .
And their secretive , authoritarian government has done nothing to demonstrate that they will wield that power in a responsible , cooperative fashion .
It ’ s time for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find a way to better keep our fate under our own control in the future .

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still on lockdown because he contracted the coronavirus, but he’s staying on top of his duties. These include monitoring the spread of the disease in his own country and around the world. The fly in the ointment on that front is the increasingly obvious likelihood that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been lying to the entire world about the number of confirmed cases and deaths they suffered during the initial stages of the outbreak. That may have impacted the estimates that health officials in other countries were using when determining how to respond. And according to reports from across the pond, BoJo is simply “furious” over it. (Business Insider)
Boris Johnson’s government is reportedly furious with China’s handling of the coronavirus, with UK officials quoted on Sunday warning that Beijing faces a “reckoning” once the COVID-19 crisis is over. UK government officials believe China is spreading disinformation about the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in its country, the Mail on Sunday reports. The newspaper says scientists have warned Johnson that China could have downplayed its number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus “by a factor of 15 to 40 times.” China had reported 81,439 cases at the time of writing.
Just how angry is Johnson? He’s reportedly looking at canceling China’s invitation to help the Brits set up and expand their 5G network. This would come as welcome news to the White House since they protested China’s involvement in that project in the first place.
So how badly did the CCP fudge the numbers on the impact of the pandemic and how did that throw off everyone else? We still don’t know exactly because China’s government is so secretive and willing to mislead the rest of the world if it protects their image. Thus far, China is still claiming that they saw 81,000 cases and 3,300 deaths, primarily in and around Wuhan. But as more and more information leaks out, it’s looking like the real number of deaths could be in the tens of thousands.
If so, that means that while the rest of us were trying to wrap our arms around this thing and prepare for the wave to hit us, we may have been working with bum data. This would apply to the rate of the spread of the infection as well as the mortality rate. If the Chinese had leveled with the rest of the world about just how bad this was, far more dramatic travel restrictions and containment measures could have been put in place earlier.
Would that have stopped the pandemic completely? Probably not, and we’ll likely never know. But if it helped to significantly contain the threat anywhere around the world it would have been a blessing.
The real question here, and the one that the Brits are currently bringing up, is what we’re supposed to do about the Chinese once this is all over. It’s not just Great Britain that’s looking at rethinking their relationship with Beijing going forward. The United States and most of the west should be and likely will as well. We’ve long known that China has amassed too much influence and power by holding so much of the world’s debt, including ours. But on top of that, they’ve taken over so much of the global supply chain that any disruption in their productivity can bring world markets to their knees overnight. We saw that during the early stages of this outbreak.
Further, the Chinese have become increasingly aggressive toward the west and have proven themselves to not be reliable partners in either trade or diplomacy. They prefer to foster relationships with Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela instead of working with the United States and our allies. Their increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea are also highly worrisome in terms of trying to divine their future plans.
This crisis should open our eyes to the fact that much of the world – including the United States – has foolishly shopped out far too much power and influence to the Chinese. And their secretive, authoritarian government has done nothing to demonstrate that they will wield that power in a responsible, cooperative fashion. It’s time for a fresh look at this relationship and to find a way to better keep our fate under our own control in the future.


hotair--2020-03-30--FDA, HHS: Green light for chloroquine on coronavirus patients

Can an anti-malarial drug touted by the White House fight the acute version of the coronavirus infection ?
Yesterday , HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced that the FDA had granted physicians in the US an emergency authorization to prescribe chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to certain patients with COVID-19 symptoms , based on initial successes with them in Europe .
HHS will begin accepting tens of millions of doses for distribution to the “ hot spots ” around the nation : The Food and Drug Administration on Sunday issued an emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine , decades-old malaria drugs championed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite scant evidence .
The agency allowed for the drugs to be “ donated to the Strategic National Stockpile to be distributed and prescribed by doctors to hospitalized teen and adult patients with COVID-19 , as appropriate , when a clinical trial is not available or feasible , ” HHS said in a statement , announcing that Sandoz donated 30 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to the stockpile and Bayer donated 1 million doses of chloroquine .
The move was supported by the White House , part of a larger Trump-backed effort to speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential therapy for a virus that has no proven treatment or cure .
FDA already has allowed New York state to test administering the medication to seriously ill patients , and some hospitals have added it to their treatment protocols .
Most other news outlets offer the same veneer of skepticism as Politico does here .
Just because Trump talks about it , however , does not make it less valuable nor this decision more political .
It ’ s a step toward allowing the science to dictate strategy rather than allowing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little skepticism is warranted , to be sure , but not about the decision to try this strategy .
It ’ s not a vaccine , nor is it likely a “ cure , ” in the normal sense .
It ’ s a treatment , and it ’ s still more aspirational than established .
French and Italian doctors have seen some significant success in prescribing the two forms of chloroquine in conjunction with azithromycin , an antibiotic which appears to help fight off respiratory complications .
Just how the two work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known , nor is it clear that it produces better results than other methods .
No normal effectiveness study has been done , Dr. Anthony Fauci noted earlier this month , but there ’ s also no time in which to do it : Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious disease expert , said during a press briefing earlier this month that much of what is known about the drug is based on “ anecdotal reports.
” “ It was not done in a controlled clinical trial , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitive statement about it , ” he said .
The two drugs have one big advantage in this situation , however .
They have both already been tested for lethality by the FDA and approved for other uses .
At the minimum , doctors know how to use both without killing their patients or introducing new complications , plus it appears that this need not replace other treatments for COVID-19 .
There ’ s simply not enough time to do the kind of double-blind longitudinal study normally required by the FDA , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or days .
In the midst of a pandemic , it ’ s also questionable in an ethical sense to withhold the medicine just to get a control sample for such a study .
In this case , we will know how well this works by deploying it to the sick and determining their rate of recovery in comparison to other treatments .
Is this the way we want to evaluate new medicines ?
Not normally , but these are not normal times , nor are they new medicines .
They are established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will at the very least do no additional harm .
We don ’ t have five years to test out new treatments in the midst of a pandemic .
It ’ s not an optimal method , but in an emergency it ’ s a low-risk decision , and kudos to HHS and FDA for recognizing that .

Can an anti-malarial drug touted by the White House fight the acute version of the coronavirus infection? Yesterday, HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced that the FDA had granted physicians in the US an emergency authorization to prescribe chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to certain patients with COVID-19 symptoms, based on initial successes with them in Europe. HHS will begin accepting tens of millions of doses for distribution to the “hot spots” around the nation:
Scientists in America and around the world have identified multiple potential therapeutics for #COVID19, including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. President Trump is taking every possible step to protect Americans from the coronavirus and provide them with hope. — Secretary Alex Azar (@SecAzar) March 30, 2020
The Food and Drug Administration on Sunday issued an emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, decades-old malaria drugs championed by President Donald Trump for coronavirus treatment despite scant evidence. The agency allowed for the drugs to be “donated to the Strategic National Stockpile to be distributed and prescribed by doctors to hospitalized teen and adult patients with COVID-19, as appropriate, when a clinical trial is not available or feasible,” HHS said in a statement, announcing that Sandoz donated 30 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to the stockpile and Bayer donated 1 million doses of chloroquine. The move was supported by the White House, part of a larger Trump-backed effort to speed the use of anti-malaria drugs as a potential therapy for a virus that has no proven treatment or cure. FDA already has allowed New York state to test administering the medication to seriously ill patients, and some hospitals have added it to their treatment protocols.
Most other news outlets offer the same veneer of skepticism as Politico does here. Just because Trump talks about it, however, does not make it less valuable nor this decision more political. It’s a step toward allowing the science to dictate strategy rather than allowing the red tape to hamstring both.
A little skepticism is warranted, to be sure, but not about the decision to try this strategy. It’s not a vaccine, nor is it likely a “cure,” in the normal sense. It’s a treatment, and it’s still more aspirational than established. French and Italian doctors have seen some significant success in prescribing the two forms of chloroquine in conjunction with azithromycin, an antibiotic which appears to help fight off respiratory complications. Just how the two work to fight COVID-19 is not yet well known, nor is it clear that it produces better results than other methods. No normal effectiveness study has been done, Dr. Anthony Fauci noted earlier this month, but there’s also no time in which to do it:
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said during a press briefing earlier this month that much of what is known about the drug is based on “anecdotal reports.” “It was not done in a controlled clinical trial, so you really can’t make any definitive statement about it,” he said.
The two drugs have one big advantage in this situation, however. They have both already been tested for lethality by the FDA and approved for other uses. At the minimum, doctors know how to use both without killing their patients or introducing new complications, plus it appears that this need not replace other treatments for COVID-19. There’s simply not enough time to do the kind of double-blind longitudinal study normally required by the FDA, a process which takes years rather than weeks or days. In the midst of a pandemic, it’s also questionable in an ethical sense to withhold the medicine just to get a control sample for such a study. In this case, we will know how well this works by deploying it to the sick and determining their rate of recovery in comparison to other treatments.
Is this the way we want to evaluate new medicines? Not normally, but these are not normal times, nor are they new medicines. They are established medicines with known parameters for use that will at the very least do no additional harm. We don’t have five years to test out new treatments in the midst of a pandemic. It’s not an optimal method, but in an emergency it’s a low-risk decision, and kudos to HHS and FDA for recognizing that.


hotair--2020-03-30--De Blasio: I may have to shut down your churches and synagogues “permanently”

Mayor Bill de Blasio still hasn ’ t shut down the public parks in New York City , despite multiple complaints from the health officials .
But he ’ s threatening to shut down some other facilities .
Those would be the churches and synagogues who continue to hold services during the ban on gatherings of more than ten people .
And if they continue to tend to their flocks in this fashion , he ’ s warning religious leaders that he may shutter the houses of worship “ permanently.
” ( Washington Examiner ) “ A small number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ synagogues , are unfortunately not paying attention to this guidance even though it ’ s so widespread , ” the New York Democrat said Friday at his daily press briefing .
“ I want to say to all those who are preparing for the potential of religious services this weekend : If you go to your synagogue , if you go to your church and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to , our enforcement agents will have no choice but to shut down those services , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued resistance of authorities to close religious services could mean a permanent shutdown .
In addition to threats of permanent closure , Hizzoner is also threatening to impose fines on the churches .
I ’ m sure that ’ s just what they need when attendance ( and likely tithing ) is already down massively and they ’ re attempting to feed and clothe those who have lost their jobs .
On the surface , de Blasio ’ s frustration is understandable .
While ensuring access to spiritual support is more important than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules are the rules .
And plenty of churches have taken their sermons online to remain in compliance .
While you ’ re always entitled to hope for a miracle , I ’ m afraid that the virus can be spread inside of a church just as easily as a warehouse .
But it ’ s still interesting to see how selective the Mayor is in the targets he picks for “ special treatment ” in terms of enforcing his social distancing decrees .
As I mentioned above , why threaten to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t closed the public parks ?
We ’ re seeing much larger crowds still clogging the parks than you ’ re likely to find in the average temple on any given Saturday .
If we really want to be obstinate about this , at least in terms of the limits of executive power during a state of emergency , one might also argue that there needs to be an exception carved out for houses of worship .
Freedom of religion is found right in the First Amendment .
Perhaps a strong but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out further in the pews would go over better with the faithful and their shepherds .
The last thing I ’ ll touch on here was de Blasio ’ s admonishment about potentially closing the buildings “ permanently.
” That ’ s hogwash .
Or perhaps malarkey , if you ’ re feeling more Bidenesque .
Sooner or later this virus will pass .
When it does , the rules about not gathering in large groups will go out the window .
And any elected official found trying to shutter churches and synagogues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the losing end of a massive court case , if not run out of town on a rail .

Mayor Bill de Blasio still hasn’t shut down the public parks in New York City, despite multiple complaints from the health officials. But he’s threatening to shut down some other facilities. Those would be the churches and synagogues who continue to hold services during the ban on gatherings of more than ten people. And if they continue to tend to their flocks in this fashion, he’s warning religious leaders that he may shutter the houses of worship “permanently.” (Washington Examiner)
“A small number of religious communities, specific churches and specific synagogues, are unfortunately not paying attention to this guidance even though it’s so widespread,” the New York Democrat said Friday at his daily press briefing. “I want to say to all those who are preparing for the potential of religious services this weekend: If you go to your synagogue, if you go to your church and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to, our enforcement agents will have no choice but to shut down those services,” he added. De Blasio said that continued resistance of authorities to close religious services could mean a permanent shutdown.
In addition to threats of permanent closure, Hizzoner is also threatening to impose fines on the churches. I’m sure that’s just what they need when attendance (and likely tithing) is already down massively and they’re attempting to feed and clothe those who have lost their jobs.
On the surface, de Blasio’s frustration is understandable. While ensuring access to spiritual support is more important than ever at a time like this, the rules are the rules. And plenty of churches have taken their sermons online to remain in compliance. While you’re always entitled to hope for a miracle, I’m afraid that the virus can be spread inside of a church just as easily as a warehouse.
But it’s still interesting to see how selective the Mayor is in the targets he picks for “special treatment” in terms of enforcing his social distancing decrees. As I mentioned above, why threaten to close the synagogues when he still hasn’t closed the public parks? We’re seeing much larger crowds still clogging the parks than you’re likely to find in the average temple on any given Saturday.
If we really want to be obstinate about this, at least in terms of the limits of executive power during a state of emergency, one might also argue that there needs to be an exception carved out for houses of worship. Freedom of religion is found right in the First Amendment. Perhaps a strong but politely stated suggestion to simply space people out further in the pews would go over better with the faithful and their shepherds.
The last thing I’ll touch on here was de Blasio’s admonishment about potentially closing the buildings “permanently.” That’s hogwash. Or perhaps malarkey, if you’re feeling more Bidenesque. Sooner or later this virus will pass. When it does, the rules about not gathering in large groups will go out the window. And any elected official found trying to shutter churches and synagogues at that point will quickly find themselves on the losing end of a massive court case, if not run out of town on a rail.


hotair--2020-03-29--NYC idiots attend "corona potluck parties"

When John Sexton wrote about New York City residents failing at social distancing , I don ’ t think he expected it to go this far .
Stopping New Yorkers from keeping the party going in the city that never sleeps is proving even harder than expected .
As John pointed out , the Mayor still hasn ’ t closed the parks , so people are out there jogging , congregating and taking in the spring weather together .
But that doesn ’ t hold a candle to Big Apple resident Lucian Wintrich , who you may remember as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to make the best of a bad situation and have some friends over for a party .
The theme ?
It was a “ corona potluck ” party .
Bring a dish and don ’ t wash your hands .
( NY Post ) Lucian Wintrich , a former White House reporter and advertisement hand , is one of them .
The 31-year-old contrarian recently hosted a “ corona potluck ” at his small but chic East Village apartment .
“ They can ’ t diagnose us all , ” reads the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the March 14 gathering .
“ Don ’ t wash your hands .
… Bring your fav dish !
” The tongue-in-cheek advert also included an image of a boy covered in chicken pox and a fork digging into a coronavirus spore .
“ The majority of folks I invited , if they got it , would recover fairly quickly and build up an immunity to the present form of COVID19 , ” he said unapologetically .
“ It was relatively inspired by the chickenpox parties that were all the rage in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invitation that Wintrich sent out to his friends .
It was clearly inspired by the Raid Area 51 madness .
It ’ s hard to even know where to begin with this one .
It ’ s bad enough that we have people simply ignoring the guidelines and getting together in large groups without knowing if one or more of them are contagious but asymptomatic .
But Wintrich was vocal about encouraging all of his friends to get infected with the coronavirus .
He ’ s just assuming that his younger and generally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then be immune .
What the host possibly hasn ’ t heard yet is that the virus is killing young , healthy people now , though not in the same numbers as the elderly and those with compromised immune systems .
I wonder if he would have any words of comfort to offer at the funeral for one of his friends after pulling this stunt ?
Interestingly , an epidemiologist from Rockefeller University Hospital , Dr. Knut M. Wittkowski , agreed with Wintrich .
“ All respiratory epidemics end when 80 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said “ Then if a new person gets infected , the person doesn ’ t find anybody else to infect .
The best strategy you can do is isolate the old and fragile people — make sure that nobody visits the nursing homes — then let the children go to school and let people go to work .
… They have a mild disease .
Then they become immune , and after two or three weeks the epidemic is over.
” I keep hearing that opinion from some doctors and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hear another set of doctors saying it won ’ t work that way in this case .
There ’ s so much conflicting information out there it can make your head spin .
The other thing the doctor told the Post was that there are other illicit gatherings taking place in Gotham .
He ’ s been a regular visitor to a couple of “ speakeasy ” operations , unlicensed restaurants and bars that have opened up in people ’ s private apartments in the city .
He said the last one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Considering that Dr. Wittkowski is of retirement age , he must be awfully confident of his medical opinions to be living such a devil-may-care lifestyle right now .
Ah , well .
New York , New York .
So nice they say it twice .
Best of luck , Doc .

When John Sexton wrote about New York City residents failing at social distancing, I don’t think he expected it to go this far. Stopping New Yorkers from keeping the party going in the city that never sleeps is proving even harder than expected. As John pointed out, the Mayor still hasn’t closed the parks, so people are out there jogging, congregating and taking in the spring weather together. But that doesn’t hold a candle to Big Apple resident Lucian Wintrich, who you may remember as a reporter for the Gateway Pundit.
Lucian decided to make the best of a bad situation and have some friends over for a party. The theme? It was a “corona potluck” party. Bring a dish and don’t wash your hands. (NY Post)
Lucian Wintrich, a former White House reporter and advertisement hand, is one of them. The 31-year-old contrarian recently hosted a “corona potluck” at his small but chic East Village apartment. “They can’t diagnose us all,” reads the invite Wintrich sent to a select group for the March 14 gathering. “Don’t wash your hands. … Bring your fav dish!” The tongue-in-cheek advert also included an image of a boy covered in chicken pox and a fork digging into a coronavirus spore. “The majority of folks I invited, if they got it, would recover fairly quickly and build up an immunity to the present form of COVID19,” he said unapologetically. “It was relatively inspired by the chickenpox parties that were all the rage in the 90s.”
Here’s the invitation that Wintrich sent out to his friends. It was clearly inspired by the Raid Area 51 madness.
It’s hard to even know where to begin with this one. It’s bad enough that we have people simply ignoring the guidelines and getting together in large groups without knowing if one or more of them are contagious but asymptomatic. But Wintrich was vocal about encouraging all of his friends to get infected with the coronavirus. He’s just assuming that his younger and generally healthy friends would quickly get over it and then be immune.
What the host possibly hasn’t heard yet is that the virus is killing young, healthy people now, though not in the same numbers as the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. I wonder if he would have any words of comfort to offer at the funeral for one of his friends after pulling this stunt?
Interestingly, an epidemiologist from Rockefeller University Hospital, Dr. Knut M. Wittkowski, agreed with Wintrich.
“All respiratory epidemics end when 80 percent of all people have become immune,” he said “Then if a new person gets infected, the person doesn’t find anybody else to infect. The best strategy you can do is isolate the old and fragile people — make sure that nobody visits the nursing homes — then let the children go to school and let people go to work. … They have a mild disease. Then they become immune, and after two or three weeks the epidemic is over.”
I keep hearing that opinion from some doctors and it makes sense to me. And then I hear another set of doctors saying it won’t work that way in this case. There’s so much conflicting information out there it can make your head spin.
The other thing the doctor told the Post was that there are other illicit gatherings taking place in Gotham. He’s been a regular visitor to a couple of “speakeasy” operations, unlicensed restaurants and bars that have opened up in people’s private apartments in the city. He said the last one he went to was fairly crowded. Considering that Dr. Wittkowski is of retirement age, he must be awfully confident of his medical opinions to be living such a devil-may-care lifestyle right now.
Ah, well. New York, New York. So nice they say it twice. Best of luck, Doc.