hotair--2020-03-19--People shocked to find that the rich and famous are getting virus testing faster

Sprinkled in among all of the coronavirus headlines recently have been some stories about celebrities , professional athletes and other wealthy , powerful individuals .
Brooklyn Nets all-star Kevin Durant recently tested positive , along with other members of his team .
A member of the Utah Jazz reported the same thing .
Hollywood actor Idris Elba similarly announced that he ’ d tested positive .
All of these people had a couple of things in common aside from their celebrity status .
They are all young , healthy and they weren ’ t showing any symptoms .
Given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines everyone is supposed to be following , how did these people get tested so easily ?
Tests are supposed to be first given to people who are either displaying symptoms or who have underlying medical issues leaving them more prone to risk if they contract COVID-19 .
The answer is relatively obvious .
If you are wealthy and influential , you have access to better medical care than the hoi polloi out in the streets .
( Associated Press ) Celebrities , politicians and professional athletes faced a backlash this week as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coronavirus , even when they didn ’ t have a fever or other tell-tale symptoms .
That ’ s fueling a perception that the wealthy and famous have been able to jump to the head of the line to get tested while others have been turned away or met with long delays .
The concerns over preferential treatment underscores a fundamental truth about inequalities baked into the American health care system — those with the financial means can often receive a different level of service .
This news has at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing red .
The Associated Press interviewed a 30-year-old New York woman named Robin Fraser who falls into that category .
She has fibromyalgia and an autoimmune disorder that places her at exceptional risk if she contracts the virus .
She ’ s also been exhibiting symptoms for a week , including a nagging cough and a fever .
Her doctor told her to go to the emergency room and get tested , but when she did , she was told there weren ’ t enough test kits and she was unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Why are they getting in front of the line ?
People like me , average Joes , we get pushed to the back of the line .
Why can Congress get it and we can ’ t ?
” While Ms. Fraser ’ s frustration is totally understandable , the answer to her question is obvious .
The rich and famous always get things sooner and more easily than the rest of us .
We might as well ask why Jay Leno has a collection of classic cars worth tens of millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s because Jay Leno can afford them .
The reason is that most of the laboratories and hospitals that are doing the testing are privately owned and funded , not government facilities .
If the test kits were all being paid for by taxpayer dollars and people were jumping to the head of the line contrary to CDC guidelines we would have every reason to be outraged .
But as the linked report reveals , the members of the NBA teams who were tested all went to a private clinic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ali Fedotowsky-Manno of The Bachelorette fame also recently got a test when she didn ’ t have a fever .
She went to an urgent care outlet called Mend , where they charge $ 195 for a home visit to collect swabs for COVID-19 testing .
Not all insurance plans cover that sort of treatment and if you ’ re working with a limited budget , that may be out of your reach .
Other examples abound .
While it may sound unsympathetic to say it , this is just the free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resentful if we wish , but those with the most resources will generally find a way to get what they need while those of more modest means wind up having to do without .
And sadly , that applies to certain aspects of medical care as well .

Sprinkled in among all of the coronavirus headlines recently have been some stories about celebrities, professional athletes and other wealthy, powerful individuals. Brooklyn Nets all-star Kevin Durant recently tested positive, along with other members of his team. A member of the Utah Jazz reported the same thing. Hollywood actor Idris Elba similarly announced that he’d tested positive. All of these people had a couple of things in common aside from their celebrity status. They are all young, healthy and they weren’t showing any symptoms.
Given the scarcity of test kits and the CDC guidelines everyone is supposed to be following, how did these people get tested so easily? Tests are supposed to be first given to people who are either displaying symptoms or who have underlying medical issues leaving them more prone to risk if they contract COVID-19. The answer is relatively obvious. If you are wealthy and influential, you have access to better medical care than the hoi polloi out in the streets. (Associated Press)
Celebrities, politicians and professional athletes faced a backlash this week as many revealed that they had been tested for the coronavirus, even when they didn’t have a fever or other tell-tale symptoms. That’s fueling a perception that the wealthy and famous have been able to jump to the head of the line to get tested while others have been turned away or met with long delays. The concerns over preferential treatment underscores a fundamental truth about inequalities baked into the American health care system — those with the financial means can often receive a different level of service.
This news has at least some of the “little people” seeing red. The Associated Press interviewed a 30-year-old New York woman named Robin Fraser who falls into that category. She has fibromyalgia and an autoimmune disorder that places her at exceptional risk if she contracts the virus. She’s also been exhibiting symptoms for a week, including a nagging cough and a fever. Her doctor told her to go to the emergency room and get tested, but when she did, she was told there weren’t enough test kits and she was unable to be tested.
Her question is, “Why are they getting in front of the line? People like me, average Joes, we get pushed to the back of the line. Why can Congress get it and we can’t?”
While Ms. Fraser’s frustration is totally understandable, the answer to her question is obvious. The rich and famous always get things sooner and more easily than the rest of us. We might as well ask why Jay Leno has a collection of classic cars worth tens of millions of dollars and I don’t. It’s because Jay Leno can afford them.
The reason is that most of the laboratories and hospitals that are doing the testing are privately owned and funded, not government facilities. If the test kits were all being paid for by taxpayer dollars and people were jumping to the head of the line contrary to CDC guidelines we would have every reason to be outraged. But as the linked report reveals, the members of the NBA teams who were tested all went to a private clinic. The same goes for Idris Elba.
Ali Fedotowsky-Manno of The Bachelorette fame also recently got a test when she didn’t have a fever. She went to an urgent care outlet called Mend, where they charge $195 for a home visit to collect swabs for COVID-19 testing. Not all insurance plans cover that sort of treatment and if you’re working with a limited budget, that may be out of your reach. Other examples abound.
While it may sound unsympathetic to say it, this is just the free market in action. We can be resentful if we wish, but those with the most resources will generally find a way to get what they need while those of more modest means wind up having to do without. And sadly, that applies to certain aspects of medical care as well.


hotair--2020-03-19--Good news? China reports no new cases in Wuhan epicenter; <span class='red'>Axios: Let's not forget

Good news? China reports no new cases in Wuhan epicenter; Axios: Let's not forget China's deceit

Good news ?
It ’ s great news — if we can trust the source .
The city of Wuhan , ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic , reported late yesterday that they have found no new cases in the city through community spread .
That gives some hope that the arc of spread has its limits , and that intervention can make a difference .
That is , if one relies on China ’ s honesty and transparency in the COVID-19 crisis they amplified through deceit and cover-ups : By the way , not all of the news this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readers see this , Italy ’ s death toll will pass China ’ s : Thursday was a day of contrasts on the front lines of the battle against the new coronavirus .
In a sign of hope , the Chinese city of Wuhan reported no new homegrown infections , but in a stark warning for the world , Italy appeared set to surpass China ’ s death toll from the virus .
The two milestones were a dramatic illustration of how much the global outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arc of contagion can vary in different nations , as Italy with 60 million people braces to see more carnage than China , a nation of 1.4 billion .
Italy registered 2,978 deaths on Wednesday after another 475 people died .
Given that Italy has been averaging more than 350 deaths a day since March 15 , it ’ s likely to overtake China ’ s 3,249 dead when Thursday ’ s figures are released at day ’ s end .
… Wuhan once was the place where thousands lay sick or dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in the world where medical facilities appeared overwhelmed .
But Chinese authorities said Thursday that all 34 new cases recorded over the previous day had been imported from abroad .
“ Today , we have seen the dawn after so many days of hard effort , ” said Jiao Yahui , a senior inspector at the National Health Commission .
Even the news from China might not be as bright as one would think .
Even if they ’ re being truthful , the path to success is going to be very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down Hubei province in January , cutting off the region and locking down residents in Wuhan particularly .
It took two months to stop community spread , if indeed it has stopped .
It might not stay stopped if they start letting people mingle again until they test everyone in the area and identity all asymptomatic carriers .
We ’ ll find out soon enough , although not directly in Wuhan : The Chinese city of Ezhou in Hubei province , the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic , has relaxed restrictions on outbound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but they will not be allowed to travel to Beijing , it said on Wednesday .
The city government said on its official website that people holding residence cards for regions outside Ezhou , excluding those returning to Beijing , would be permitted to drive out of the city once they have filled out a declaration .
It said the measures were aimed at helping people stranded in the city to return home or to work safely and in an orderly manner .
Ezhou has reported a total of 1,394 cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we won ’ t find out .
Let ’ s not forget how China got into this situation in the first place , too .
Beijing could have contained this outbreak with some quick action and transparency .
Instead , as Axios ’ Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian points out , they wasted three weeks on lies and cover-ups that launched disease vectors all over the globe : Axios has compiled a timeline of the earliest weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in China , highlighting when the cover-up started and ended — and showing how , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started spreading around the world , including to the United States .
Why it matters : A study published in March indicated that if Chinese authorities had acted three weeks earlier than they did , the number of coronavirus cases could have been reduced by 95 % and its geographic spread limited .
This timeline , compiled from information reported by the Wall Street Journal , the Washington Post , the South China Morning Post and other sources , shows that China ’ s cover-up and the delay in serious measures to contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why this really matters is that Xi Jinping has his government spreading ridiculous propaganda that the Wuhan virus originated in the US .
China also now wants everyone to believe that their handling of the crisis has somehow saved lives and provided a sterling example of containment to the US and the rest of the world .
“ China is now trying to create a narrative that it ’ s an example of how to handle this crisis , ” Allen-Ebrahimian concludes , “ when in fact its early actions led to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d certainly love to believe that China has finally shut down the Wuhan virus epicenter .
When that data comes from independent observers and not Xi ’ s flunkies , it ’ ll be much easier to celebrate .

Good news? It’s great news — if we can trust the source. The city of Wuhan, ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic, reported late yesterday that they have found no new cases in the city through community spread. That gives some hope that the arc of spread has its limits, and that intervention can make a difference.
That is, if one relies on China’s honesty and transparency in the COVID-19 crisis they amplified through deceit and cover-ups:
By the way, not all of the news this morning is good. By the time readers see this, Italy’s death toll will pass China’s:
Thursday was a day of contrasts on the front lines of the battle against the new coronavirus. In a sign of hope, the Chinese city of Wuhan reported no new homegrown infections, but in a stark warning for the world, Italy appeared set to surpass China’s death toll from the virus. The two milestones were a dramatic illustration of how much the global outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the United States. They also showed how the arc of contagion can vary in different nations, as Italy with 60 million people braces to see more carnage than China, a nation of 1.4 billion. Italy registered 2,978 deaths on Wednesday after another 475 people died. Given that Italy has been averaging more than 350 deaths a day since March 15, it’s likely to overtake China’s 3,249 dead when Thursday’s figures are released at day’s end. … Wuhan once was the place where thousands lay sick or dying in hurriedly constructed hospitals, the first place in the world where medical facilities appeared overwhelmed. But Chinese authorities said Thursday that all 34 new cases recorded over the previous day had been imported from abroad. “Today, we have seen the dawn after so many days of hard effort,” said Jiao Yahui, a senior inspector at the National Health Commission.
Even the news from China might not be as bright as one would think. Even if they’re being truthful, the path to success is going to be very long and very hard. Beijing shut down Hubei province in January, cutting off the region and locking down residents in Wuhan particularly. It took two months to stop community spread, if indeed it has stopped. It might not stay stopped if they start letting people mingle again until they test everyone in the area and identity all asymptomatic carriers.
We’ll find out soon enough, although not directly in Wuhan:
The Chinese city of Ezhou in Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, has relaxed restrictions on outbound travel for non-resident citizens within its borders, but they will not be allowed to travel to Beijing, it said on Wednesday. The city government said on its official website that people holding residence cards for regions outside Ezhou, excluding those returning to Beijing, would be permitted to drive out of the city once they have filled out a declaration. It said the measures were aimed at helping people stranded in the city to return home or to work safely and in an orderly manner. Ezhou has reported a total of 1,394 cases of infection and 57 deaths.
Or maybe we won’t find out. Let’s not forget how China got into this situation in the first place, too. Beijing could have contained this outbreak with some quick action and transparency. Instead, as Axios’ Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian points out, they wasted three weeks on lies and cover-ups that launched disease vectors all over the globe:
Axios has compiled a timeline of the earliest weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in China, highlighting when the cover-up started and ended — and showing how, during that time, the virus already started spreading around the world, including to the United States. Why it matters: A study published in March indicated that if Chinese authorities had acted three weeks earlier than they did, the number of coronavirus cases could have been reduced by 95% and its geographic spread limited. This timeline, compiled from information reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the South China Morning Post and other sources, shows that China’s cover-up and the delay in serious measures to contain the virus lasted about three weeks.
Why this really matters is that Xi Jinping has his government spreading ridiculous propaganda that the Wuhan virus originated in the US. China also now wants everyone to believe that their handling of the crisis has somehow saved lives and provided a sterling example of containment to the US and the rest of the world. “China is now trying to create a narrative that it’s an example of how to handle this crisis,” Allen-Ebrahimian concludes, “when in fact its early actions led to the virus spreading around the globe.”
I’d certainly love to believe that China has finally shut down the Wuhan virus epicenter. When that data comes from independent observers and not Xi’s flunkies, it’ll be much easier to celebrate.


hotair--2020-03-19--Have the Japanese come up with a coronavirus cure?

I ’ ll start by reminding everyone that I ’ m not a doctor and have no professional experience in the field of medicine .
With that out of the way , I ’ ll confess that I ’ ve always been under the impression that diseases caused by a virus can ’ t be “ cured ” the way we are able to treat bacterial infections .
The most you can generally do is develop a vaccine and try to prevent people from getting sick in the first place .
But maybe that isn ’ t always true .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug developed to treat the flu to eliminate the coronavirus in patients within four days .
If this is true , it ’ s huge .
And somebody needs to get that drug into mass production immediately .
( The Guardian ) Medical authorities in China have said a drug used in Japan to treat new strains of influenza appeared to be effective in coronavirus patients , Japanese media said on Wednesday .
Zhang Xinmin , an official at China ’ s science and technology ministry , said favipiravir , developed by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcomes in clinical trials in Wuhan and Shenzhen involving 340 patients .
“ It has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment , ” Zhang told reporters on Tuesday .
Patients who tested positive for the coronavirus tested negative after a median time of four days following administration of the drug .
And considering that we ’ re supposedly still 12 to 18 months away from an effective vaccine being generally available , we ’ re probably going to have a lot of sick people to deal with .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have a foolproof cure , there ’ s this .
Fox News reported that a peer-reviewed study showed that a medicine developed to treat malaria wiped out the coronavirus in 100 % of patients treated .
It ’ s only the second time that medicine has successfully treated a virus .
If that ’ s not enough good news for you on a Thursday morning , there ’ s something new cooking at Oxford University Medical Center .
They claim to have a test kit that people can use at home and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Telegraph ) A rapid test for coronavirus which could give a result in just 30 minutes for people at home , has been developed by Oxford University .
The super sensitive test , which can picks up the virus in its very early stages when it might otherwise have been missed , could be rolled out to testing centres within a fortnight and could soon be available for home use .
Previous viral RNA tests took 1.5 to 2 hours to give a result slowing down the ability to respond quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a medical center in China to run the test on samples from patients participating in the study .
The new test kits reportedly delivered 100 % accurate results for people who tested both positive and negative .
That ’ s also huge because false positive and negative results are a daunting concern when dealing a pandemic of this magnitude .
I ’ m not trying to peddle bottled sunshine here or blow smoke of everyone ’ s skirts , but we could really use some good news on the coronavirus front .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this disease and effective test kits are ready to be rolled out globally , we just might wind up slaying this dragon after all .

I’ll start by reminding everyone that I’m not a doctor and have no professional experience in the field of medicine. With that out of the way, I’ll confess that I’ve always been under the impression that diseases caused by a virus can’t be “cured” the way we are able to treat bacterial infections. The most you can generally do is develop a vaccine and try to prevent people from getting sick in the first place.
But maybe that isn’t always true. Doctors in Japan have reportedly used a drug developed to treat the flu to eliminate the coronavirus in patients within four days. If this is true, it’s huge. And somebody needs to get that drug into mass production immediately. (The Guardian)
Medical authorities in China have said a drug used in Japan to treat new strains of influenza appeared to be effective in coronavirus patients, Japanese media said on Wednesday. Zhang Xinmin, an official at China’s science and technology ministry, said favipiravir, developed by a subsidiary of Fujifilm, had produced encouraging outcomes in clinical trials in Wuhan and Shenzhen involving 340 patients. “It has a high degree of safety and is clearly effective in treatment,” Zhang told reporters on Tuesday.
Patients who tested positive for the coronavirus tested negative after a median time of four days following administration of the drug. And considering that we’re supposedly still 12 to 18 months away from an effective vaccine being generally available, we’re probably going to have a lot of sick people to deal with.
And even if the Japanese don’t have a foolproof cure, there’s this. Fox News reported that a peer-reviewed study showed that a medicine developed to treat malaria wiped out the coronavirus in 100% of patients treated. It’s only the second time that medicine has successfully treated a virus.
BREAKING: A peer-reviewed study shows that 100% of patients, after 6 days of taking a Malaria drug were "virologically" cured This is, reportedly, the 2nd 100% cure to a virus that has ever existed RT If President @realDonaldTrump should immediately move to make this available pic.twitter.com/D2bRTj2Rv9 — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 19, 2020
If that’s not enough good news for you on a Thursday morning, there’s something new cooking at Oxford University Medical Center. They claim to have a test kit that people can use at home and it delivers results in only 30 minutes. (Telegraph)
A rapid test for coronavirus which could give a result in just 30 minutes for people at home, has been developed by Oxford University. The super sensitive test, which can picks up the virus in its very early stages when it might otherwise have been missed, could be rolled out to testing centres within a fortnight and could soon be available for home use. Previous viral RNA tests took 1.5 to 2 hours to give a result slowing down the ability to respond quickly to the crisis.
They coordinated with a medical center in China to run the test on samples from patients participating in the study. The new test kits reportedly delivered 100% accurate results for people who tested both positive and negative. That’s also huge because false positive and negative results are a daunting concern when dealing a pandemic of this magnitude.
I’m not trying to peddle bottled sunshine here or blow smoke of everyone’s skirts, but we could really use some good news on the coronavirus front. And if labs are finding actual cures for this disease and effective test kits are ready to be rolled out globally, we just might wind up slaying this dragon after all.


hotair--2020-03-18--Nifty new tool to spot coronavirus outbreaks in U.S. communities early: Smart thermometers

“ New tool ” is the wrong phrase , I guess .
The tool isn ’ t new .
Its value as an early detection system in the spread of a heretofore unknown deadly pathogen is what ’ s new .
This is my favorite story of the day .
Ed wrote about using smart technology to track coronavirus this morning too , with the feds attempting to gather aggregated data from smartphones to fight COVID-19 .
That would involve tracking people ’ s daily movements , “ including tracking whether people are keeping one another at safe distances to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to model the spread of the disease .
Neat idea , said Ed , but maybe not something that can be effectively deployed in time to make a difference in this epidemic as opposed to the next one .
Besides , the utility of the data would be limited by the fact that we wouldn ’ t know which smartphone users are sick and which aren ’ t as they move about .
But what if there were a smart technology that did give us a better idea of who ’ s sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where those people might be ?
What if that technology was already in sufficiently wide use that the aggregate data might show us where a fever-causing disease is breaking out right now and where it isn ’ t ?
What if employees at the company responsible for that tech had a proven track record of catching outbreaks before the CDC does ?
At a moment when America is effectively flying blind on coronavirus thanks to the testing fiasco , information like that would be very helpful in anticipating where scarce resources should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That technology is already in place .
And soon the map of hot spots will be online for everyone to look at .
Kinsa Health has sold or given away more than a million smart thermometers to households in which two million people reside , and thus can record fevers almost as soon as consumers experience them .
For the last few years , Kinsa ’ s interactive maps have accurately predicted the spread of flu around the United States about two weeks before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FluView tracker… Company scientists are uniquely positioned to identify unusual clusters of fever because they have years of data for expected flu cases in each ZIP code .
A sudden spike that far exceeds estimates for flu for a given date may well indicate the coronavirus has arrived… “ This is very , very exciting , ” said Dr. William Schaffner , a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University .
“ This is 21st-century disease surveillance , and we ’ ve been rooted in the mid-20th century with something very labor intensive.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ because their thermometers relay temperature readings to the company instantly , where they ’ re automatically logged and aggregated geographically .
By contrast , the CDC assembles its info about local outbreaks by aggregating data supplied piecemeal by local doctors and hospitals .
According to the Times , Kinsa correctly detected the “ double peak ” of flu this year and has already apparently detected at least one cluster of coronavirus cases that was unknown at the time ( in South Florida ) but soon became evident to local authorities .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this time of year in certain spots in Florida , Michigan , Arizona and eastern Texas that aren ’ t — yet — known to be COVID-19 hotspots .
Much smaller communities are already using smart thermometers this way .
Here ’ s a story from a simpler , more innocent time ( one month ago ) about a school district that ’ s tracking Kinsa data to spot infections among kids in different grade levels .
In a way , the coronavirus project is just scaling that idea up massively .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ feds could deploy precious test kits to areas where the disease is just beginning to take root instead of distributing them blindly across the country in some random manner .
This is potentially the sort of thing that ’ ll return society to a semblance of normalcy , with early detection and targeted isolation of smaller populations while everyone else carries on with daily life with less draconian social distancing measures in place .
Kinsa says it ’ s going to put its data online , viewable to the public , 48 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audiences for the site are federal and local health officials , obviously , but there should be interest among ordinary people too , to see how close the virus might be to them at a given moment .
One potential wrinkle there : If the website catches on , how many people will check it and decide that they don ’ t need to take precautions if no fevers near them have been logged recently ?
If the evidence over the next few weeks proves that this tech really does start detecting hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchasing a bunch of thermometers and distributing them to widen the use of the technology .
The more data points there are , the better detection gets .
( And the more people who have thermometers , the sooner they ’ ll detect fevers in themselves and opt to self-quarantine . )
Oh — and before you ask , yes , of course China is also already using “ smart ” technology to detect and record fevers in individuals .
But as usual , their version of it is decidedly creepier than ours @

“New tool” is the wrong phrase, I guess. The tool isn’t new. Its value as an early detection system in the spread of a heretofore unknown deadly pathogen is what’s new.
This is my favorite story of the day. Ed wrote about using smart technology to track coronavirus this morning too, with the feds attempting to gather aggregated data from smartphones to fight COVID-19. That would involve tracking people’s daily movements, “including tracking whether people are keeping one another at safe distances to stem the outbreak,” to try to model the spread of the disease. Neat idea, said Ed, but maybe not something that can be effectively deployed in time to make a difference in this epidemic as opposed to the next one. Besides, the utility of the data would be limited by the fact that we wouldn’t know which smartphone users are sick and which aren’t as they move about.
But what if there were a smart technology that did give us a better idea of who’s sick and who isn’t, and where those people might be? What if that technology was already in sufficiently wide use that the aggregate data might show us where a fever-causing disease is breaking out right now and where it isn’t? What if employees at the company responsible for that tech had a proven track record of catching outbreaks before the CDC does? At a moment when America is effectively flying blind on coronavirus thanks to the testing fiasco, information like that would be very helpful in anticipating where scarce resources should be deployed as the disease gains traction locally.
That technology is already in place. And soon the map of hot spots will be online for everyone to look at.
Kinsa Health has sold or given away more than a million smart thermometers to households in which two million people reside, and thus can record fevers almost as soon as consumers experience them. For the last few years, Kinsa’s interactive maps have accurately predicted the spread of flu around the United States about two weeks before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s own surveillance tool, the weekly FluView tracker… Company scientists are uniquely positioned to identify unusual clusters of fever because they have years of data for expected flu cases in each ZIP code. A sudden spike that far exceeds estimates for flu for a given date may well indicate the coronavirus has arrived… “This is very, very exciting,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University. “This is 21st-century disease surveillance, and we’ve been rooted in the mid-20th century with something very labor intensive.”
Kinsa stays ahead of the CDC because their thermometers relay temperature readings to the company instantly, where they’re automatically logged and aggregated geographically. By contrast, the CDC assembles its info about local outbreaks by aggregating data supplied piecemeal by local doctors and hospitals. According to the Times, Kinsa correctly detected the “double peak” of flu this year and has already apparently detected at least one cluster of coronavirus cases that was unknown at the time (in South Florida) but soon became evident to local authorities. They’re now seeing unusual numbers of fevers for this time of year in certain spots in Florida, Michigan, Arizona and eastern Texas that aren’t — yet — known to be COVID-19 hotspots.
Much smaller communities are already using smart thermometers this way. Here’s a story from a simpler, more innocent time (one month ago) about a school district that’s tracking Kinsa data to spot infections among kids in different grade levels. In a way, the coronavirus project is just scaling that idea up massively. Imagine the increase in efficiency if the feds could deploy precious test kits to areas where the disease is just beginning to take root instead of distributing them blindly across the country in some random manner. This is potentially the sort of thing that’ll return society to a semblance of normalcy, with early detection and targeted isolation of smaller populations while everyone else carries on with daily life with less draconian social distancing measures in place.
Kinsa says it’s going to put its data online, viewable to the public, 48 hours from now at www.healthweather.us. The main audiences for the site are federal and local health officials, obviously, but there should be interest among ordinary people too, to see how close the virus might be to them at a given moment. One potential wrinkle there: If the website catches on, how many people will check it and decide that they don’t need to take precautions if no fevers near them have been logged recently?
If the evidence over the next few weeks proves that this tech really does start detecting hot spots early, the feds should consider purchasing a bunch of thermometers and distributing them to widen the use of the technology. The more data points there are, the better detection gets. (And the more people who have thermometers, the sooner they’ll detect fevers in themselves and opt to self-quarantine.) Oh — and before you ask, yes, of course China is also already using “smart” technology to detect and record fevers in individuals. But as usual, their version of it is decidedly creepier than ours.


hotair--2020-03-18--Texas National Guard activated, Abbott preps for "exponential increase" in cases

On Tuesday , Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated the state ’ s National Guard .
This is a part of the state ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic .
As of now , deployment of the National Guard is not yet necessary .
This means that members are being called to active duty but have not been given an assignment .
Exemptions to this are first responders and health professionals .
More than 20 other states have made this decision , according to the National Governors Association .
“ By activating the Texas National Guard , we are ensuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mitigate the spread of COVID-19 , ” Abbott said in a statement .
“ I am grateful to the men and women of the National Guard for their dedication to serving their fellow Texans , and want to assure the public that this is a precautionary measure to make sure the Texas National Guard has the capability to serve at a moment ’ s notice where they are needed most.
” In opening remarks during a teleconference with Texas hospitals Tuesday , Abbott also said the number of Texans tested so far has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of late Monday .
He added that Texas has confirmed 64 cases of COVID19 across 19 counties .
Abbott has increased updating Texans on efforts being done to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus , as well as updates with assurances that the state ’ s supply chain is not endangered .
He sees no problems with access to supplies and resources .
“ Along with our local and federal partners , we are aggressively working to expand our COVID-19 testing capabilities , protect the most vulnerable populations , and ensure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to the supplies and resources they need , ” Abbott said in a statement .
“ We are all in this together and this televised town hall is an opportunity to provide an update on the status of Texas ’ response.
” On Monday , the governor said that by the end of the week , all Texans who need a COVID-19 test because of symptoms and with a doctor ’ s orders will be able to get a test .
He estimates 10,000 people would be tested each week .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texans to be prepared for the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to exponentially increase .
The announcement of increased testing was in response to complaints lodged by those who reported that they were denied testing even with a doctor ’ s orders .
Commercial labs will mostly be used for testing because the state ’ s network of public health labs requires patients to meet stringent criteria for testing .
The state ’ s network of public health labs , that includes locations in Dallas County and Austin , does not charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its testing capacity this week and by automating equipment for a portion of the testing , should be able to test up to 500 people a day , said Chris Van Deusen , a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services .
Still , the government labs prioritize patients for testing who show symptoms and have come into contact with an infected person , traveled recently to an area with an outbreak or are at risk of a severe case of the disease .
“ Each circumstance is different , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Texas Department of State Health Services , told physicians during a conference call this week .
“ We do occasionally test outside of our testing criteria for those reasons.
” Officials could not say how many doctors ’ requests for patient testing have been declined or directed to private labs .
On Wednesday , Governor Abbott issued a proclamation that would allow local elections to be postponed until November 3 .
Abbott ’ s move allows local governments to move elections scheduled for May 2 to Nov. 3 , the date of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not mandated to follow the proclamation , but Abbott urged them to heed the advice .
“ I strongly encourage local election officials to take advantage of these waivers and postpone their elections until November , ” Abbott said in a statement .
“ Right now , the state ’ s focus is responding to COVID-19 — including social distancing and avoiding large gatherings .
By delaying this election , our local election officials can assist in that effort.
” The Secretary of State said that candidate filings and mail-in ballots sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply if voting locales make the decision to postpone a local election .
Governor Abbott already issued a disaster declaration in Texas so he is within his power to allow postponement of local elections .
The Texas primary was not affected , as the state voted on Super Tuesday .
“ We ’ ve dealt with SARS , N1H1 , and Ebola .
We ’ ll get through this ” , said Abbott Wednesday afternoon at a press conference in Arlington .
A second death from COVID-19 has been reported in Texas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , living in a senior citizens community .

On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated the state’s National Guard. This is a part of the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. As of now, deployment of the National Guard is not yet necessary. This means that members are being called to active duty but have not been given an assignment. Exemptions to this are first responders and health professionals.
More than 20 other states have made this decision, according to the National Governors Association.
“By activating the Texas National Guard, we are ensuring Texas is prepared as we continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Abbott said in a statement. “I am grateful to the men and women of the National Guard for their dedication to serving their fellow Texans, and want to assure the public that this is a precautionary measure to make sure the Texas National Guard has the capability to serve at a moment’s notice where they are needed most.” In opening remarks during a teleconference with Texas hospitals Tuesday, Abbott also said the number of Texans tested so far has risen to 1,264, up from 439 as of late Monday. He added that Texas has confirmed 64 cases of COVID19 across 19 counties.
Abbott has increased updating Texans on efforts being done to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, as well as updates with assurances that the state’s supply chain is not endangered. He sees no problems with access to supplies and resources.
“Along with our local and federal partners, we are aggressively working to expand our COVID-19 testing capabilities, protect the most vulnerable populations, and ensure that health care professionals and all Texans have access to the supplies and resources they need,” Abbott said in a statement. “We are all in this together and this televised town hall is an opportunity to provide an update on the status of Texas’ response.”
On Monday, the governor said that by the end of the week, all Texans who need a COVID-19 test because of symptoms and with a doctor’s orders will be able to get a test. He estimates 10,000 people would be tested each week. With the increase in testing, Abbott told Texans to be prepared for the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to exponentially increase. The announcement of increased testing was in response to complaints lodged by those who reported that they were denied testing even with a doctor’s orders. Commercial labs will mostly be used for testing because the state’s network of public health labs requires patients to meet stringent criteria for testing.
The state’s network of public health labs, that includes locations in Dallas County and Austin, does not charge for the tests. The network doubled its testing capacity this week and by automating equipment for a portion of the testing, should be able to test up to 500 people a day, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. Still, the government labs prioritize patients for testing who show symptoms and have come into contact with an infected person, traveled recently to an area with an outbreak or are at risk of a severe case of the disease. “Each circumstance is different,” Jennifer Shuford, Infectious Disease Medical Officer at Texas Department of State Health Services, told physicians during a conference call this week. “We do occasionally test outside of our testing criteria for those reasons.” Officials could not say how many doctors’ requests for patient testing have been declined or directed to private labs.
On Wednesday, Governor Abbott issued a proclamation that would allow local elections to be postponed until November 3.
Abbott’s move allows local governments to move elections scheduled for May 2 to Nov. 3, the date of the presidential general election. Local governments are not mandated to follow the proclamation, but Abbott urged them to heed the advice. “I strongly encourage local election officials to take advantage of these waivers and postpone their elections until November,” Abbott said in a statement. “Right now, the state’s focus is responding to COVID-19 — including social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. By delaying this election, our local election officials can assist in that effort.”
The Secretary of State said that candidate filings and mail-in ballots sent for the May 2 races will still apply if voting locales make the decision to postpone a local election. Governor Abbott already issued a disaster declaration in Texas so he is within his power to allow postponement of local elections. The Texas primary was not affected, as the state voted on Super Tuesday.
“We’ve dealt with SARS, N1H1, and Ebola. We’ll get through this”, said Abbott Wednesday afternoon at a press conference in Arlington. A second death from COVID-19 has been reported in Texas. The deceased man was 77 years old, living in a senior citizens community.


hotair--2020-03-19--Anti-Trump Republicans run ad comparing Trump to coronavirus

Last December a group of Never Trump Republicans announced the formation of the Lincoln Project .
The group has a single goal – to work for the defeat of President Trump in November .
The names of the people behind this effort will likely be familiar to you if you keep up with Republican politics or are active on Twitter .
These are blue check Never Trumpers .
Not all members are mentioned but these names and short descriptions are at the bottom of the front page of the website : All are between the ages of 50 – 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Republican politics .
Take a look : You can see them on CNN and MSNBC quite often .
These are the Republicans in demand by the anti-Trump cable news networks .
They align with the political views of the show hosts .
It is to their benefit to help oust President Trump , even though that means we will get President Joe Biden .
Trump broke a lot of people and that includes Republicans dependent on maintaining the status quo in Washington .
They are shut out of the loop during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Kellyanne Conway .
So , it is extremely cynical of these men to hold themselves out as the stand-bearers of the “ muh principles ” wing of the Republican Party .
What that means is that President Trump is a street fighter and they prefer an old school Republican president – one who goes along with Democrats to get along .
It is the uniparty approach to government that led us to the election of Trump .
Look , it took me a while to understand that .
Trump was my 17th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .
When he became the party nominee , however , I adapted .
It would have gone against everything I believed to vote for Hillary Clinton , that ’ s for sure .
Instead of # NeverTrump , I became # NeverHillary .
It ’ s been bumpy at times but it turns out that a businessman in the Oval Office gets results that run of the mill politicians don ’ t .
Credit where credit is due – judicial nominations , a booming economy , Americans held hostage in dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just today an American was released by Lebanon and is on his way home ) , convincing other countries to pony up and honor monetary commitments to NATO , loosening regulations on businesses , and tax cuts .
Does Trump talk pretty ?
No .
That ’ s the trade-off for success in other areas .
Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck .
The president is success-oriented .
He tried to keep Americans calm and he shouldn ’ t be faulted for that .
It is reasonable to criticize the slowness of some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly to close off air travel from China as the news grew worse out of China .
That happened while he was also dealing with being impeached .
To act as though everyone was focused on working to contain the pandemic while Trump ignored it is re-writing history .
The CDC dropped the ball on testing .
As Dr. Fauci explained on television , the CDC isn ’ t set up to distribute tests at an increased level overnight .
Plus , the tests available were not deemed effective .
The CDC had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that has taken time .
To blame Trump for that is not fair .
For those blaming him for dissolving the pandemic response panel , I point to this article in the Washington Post , not exactly a Trump-friendly newspaper .
The latest ad from the Lincoln Project compares Trump to the coronavirus .
How ’ s that for showing leadership as calls for unity abound ?
Country over party , right guys ?
Rick Wilson tweeted out some malicious-sounding snark Wednesday to the first lady .
What ’ s that again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others mention , Trump ’ s superpower is causing his critics to act exactly as they criticize him for doing .
If we get President Joe Biden in the November election , the Never Trumpers will have back their old status quo .
That includes a president who is a 40-year veteran lawmaker with no real accomplishments , a track record of wrong opinions on foreign policy , tasked with heading up the “ shovel-ready ” jobs of the Obama economic stimulus package which failed to produce all those jobs and let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s response to the H1N1 virus and Ebola , too .
No thanks .

Last December a group of Never Trump Republicans announced the formation of the Lincoln Project. The group has a single goal – to work for the defeat of President Trump in November. The names of the people behind this effort will likely be familiar to you if you keep up with Republican politics or are active on Twitter. These are blue check Never Trumpers.
Not all members are mentioned but these names and short descriptions are at the bottom of the front page of the website: All are between the ages of 50 – 60 years old and have a longtime involvement in Republican politics. Take a look:
George T. Conway III is an attorney in New York. Steve Schmidt is a Republican political strategist who worked for President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. John Weaver is a Republican strategist who worked for President George H.W. Bush, Senator John McCain and Gov. John Kasich. Rick Wilson is a Republican media consultant and author of “Everything Trump Touches Dies” and the forthcoming “Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America From Trump and Democrats From Themselves.”
You can see them on CNN and MSNBC quite often. These are the Republicans in demand by the anti-Trump cable news networks. They align with the political views of the show hosts. It is to their benefit to help oust President Trump, even though that means we will get President Joe Biden. Trump broke a lot of people and that includes Republicans dependent on maintaining the status quo in Washington. They are shut out of the loop during the Trump administration, though Conway is married to Kellyanne Conway.
So, it is extremely cynical of these men to hold themselves out as the stand-bearers of the “muh principles” wing of the Republican Party. What that means is that President Trump is a street fighter and they prefer an old school Republican president – one who goes along with Democrats to get along. It is the uniparty approach to government that led us to the election of Trump. Look, it took me a while to understand that. Trump was my 17th favorite choice in the Republican primary race in 2016. When he became the party nominee, however, I adapted. It would have gone against everything I believed to vote for Hillary Clinton, that’s for sure. Instead of #NeverTrump, I became #NeverHillary.
It’s been bumpy at times but it turns out that a businessman in the Oval Office gets results that run of the mill politicians don’t. Credit where credit is due – judicial nominations, a booming economy, Americans held hostage in dangerous parts of the world being released (just today an American was released by Lebanon and is on his way home), convincing other countries to pony up and honor monetary commitments to NATO, loosening regulations on businesses, and tax cuts. Does Trump talk pretty? No. That’s the trade-off for success in other areas.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The president is success-oriented. He tried to keep Americans calm and he shouldn’t be faulted for that. It is reasonable to criticize the slowness of some of the national response but he did act quickly to close off air travel from China as the news grew worse out of China. That happened while he was also dealing with being impeached. To act as though everyone was focused on working to contain the pandemic while Trump ignored it is re-writing history.
The CDC dropped the ball on testing. As Dr. Fauci explained on television, the CDC isn’t set up to distribute tests at an increased level overnight. Plus, the tests available were not deemed effective. The CDC had to scramble to get a proper test and that has taken time. To blame Trump for that is not fair. For those blaming him for dissolving the pandemic response panel, I point to this article in the Washington Post, not exactly a Trump-friendly newspaper.
The latest ad from the Lincoln Project compares Trump to the coronavirus. How’s that for showing leadership as calls for unity abound? Country over party, right guys?
Rick Wilson tweeted out some malicious-sounding snark Wednesday to the first lady. What’s that again about tone?
As I have heard others mention, Trump’s superpower is causing his critics to act exactly as they criticize him for doing.
If we get President Joe Biden in the November election, the Never Trumpers will have back their old status quo. That includes a president who is a 40-year veteran lawmaker with no real accomplishments, a track record of wrong opinions on foreign policy, tasked with heading up the “shovel-ready” jobs of the Obama economic stimulus package which failed to produce all those jobs and let’s not forget the Obama administration’s response to the H1N1 virus and Ebola, too. No thanks.


hotair--2020-03-19--Congress needs to allow itself to vote remotely -- right away

Can we not act quickly to avert a single bad development in this epidemic ?
Are we doomed to act too late in every last aspect of it , even when problems are perfectly foreseeable ?
The news last night that Mario Diaz-Balart and Ben McAdams are infected raised a predictable possibility , namely that we might soon be facing a situation in which too many members of Congress are sick or self-quarantining to form a quorum and conduct the people ’ s business .
That ’ s bad news under any circumstance .
It ’ s really bad news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bold actions every day to head off an economic catastrophe .
Basic , basic , basic good planning would be to let members vote remotely , at least until the crisis has passed .
With so many members of Congress in the at-risk group for COVID-19 , many of them will have to isolate themselves soon , if not immediately , if more infections are reported .
Imagine if just 10 more members of the body of 535 senators and representatives were to test positive ; collectively , those 10 might have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other 525 given how Congress operates .
Case in point : Look how many are already at risk : We can ’ t risk delaying the coming stimulus and other emergency measures because these people are too stupid , stubborn , or slow-footed to act now to enable remote voting .
There ’ s not a moment to waste .
Get on it .
I can ’ t fathom what the argument against it during a pandemic would be .
It ’ s not barred by any law as far as I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the message it sends to the country , ” never mind that the entire country is already locked down coast to coast in fear of the plague .
We ’ re already too spooked to be spooked by anything Congress does to protect itself .
On the contrary , given how many people are getting face time with others through FaceTime right now , they ’ re probably more agreeable at the moment than they ’ d usually be to have Congress switch to remote voting .
Mitch McConnell opposes the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I can tell .
It seems to be mostly a matter of tradition to him , with McConnell insisting that senators can enter the chamber to vote individually if need be .
Right — but they ’ re still inevitably going to have some face-to-face meetings with colleagues or constituents so long as they ’ re in D.C. , as that ’ s second nature to political creatures .
Better to let them get out of dodge , even if that means McConnell needs to corral his caucus on big votes via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where everyone can get everyone else infected .
If it ’ s a security issue , with the leadership wanting to make sure that votes being cast remotely really are being cast by elected reps and not hackers , there has to be a way of solving that .
The president has capabilities to chat securely with certain deputies remotely face to face .
If it ’ s too difficult or expensive to duplicate that for 535 people , there must be lower-tech workarounds .
You could require a member to cast a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secure phone line for members of Congress and then via basic video conference software so that you can see that the person who ’ s casting that vote really is the person who ’ s supposed to be casting it .
There ’ s no reason to tempt fate by not addressing this problem immediately , with contagion already spreading in the ranks .
And while we ’ re at it , there ’ s no reason why Congress shouldn ’ t do anything it can right now to facilitate voting by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s election , just in case we ’ re all forced inside again by the second wave of coronavirus .
That problem is perfectly foreseeable too .
Get on it now , so that the states can start thinking about the logistics before we end up in a democratic and constitutional nightmare .
Here ’ s Katie Porter , a Democrat in the House , making the case a few days ago that they should pass remote voting without delay .
This was before Diaz-Balart and McAdams were diagnosed .
Again , @ @ @

Can we not act quickly to avert a single bad development in this epidemic?
Are we doomed to act too late in every last aspect of it, even when problems are perfectly foreseeable?
The news last night that Mario Diaz-Balart and Ben McAdams are infected raised a predictable possibility, namely that we might soon be facing a situation in which too many members of Congress are sick or self-quarantining to form a quorum and conduct the people’s business. That’s bad news under any circumstance. It’s really bad news when the feds are taking big, bold actions every day to head off an economic catastrophe.
Basic, basic, basic good planning would be to let members vote remotely, at least until the crisis has passed. With so many members of Congress in the at-risk group for COVID-19, many of them will have to isolate themselves soon, if not immediately, if more infections are reported. Imagine if just 10 more members of the body of 535 senators and representatives were to test positive; collectively, those 10 might have had personal contact recently with most of the other 525 given how Congress operates. Case in point:
A Georgia state senator went to the doctor on Saturday for a cough and mild fever and got a coronavirus test. On Monday, he felt better and showed up to vote. Today, the test came back positive and the entire state legislature is now self isolating. https://t.co/zvlBXUTu9L — Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) March 19, 2020
Look how many are already at risk:
We can’t risk delaying the coming stimulus and other emergency measures because these people are too stupid, stubborn, or slow-footed to act now to enable remote voting. There’s not a moment to waste. Get on it.
I can’t fathom what the argument against it during a pandemic would be. It’s not barred by any law as far as I know. Some members are reportedly worried “about the message it sends to the country,” never mind that the entire country is already locked down coast to coast in fear of the plague. We’re already too spooked to be spooked by anything Congress does to protect itself. On the contrary, given how many people are getting face time with others through FaceTime right now, they’re probably more agreeable at the moment than they’d usually be to have Congress switch to remote voting.
Mitch McConnell opposes the idea but for no coherent reason as far as I can tell. It seems to be mostly a matter of tradition to him, with McConnell insisting that senators can enter the chamber to vote individually if need be. Right — but they’re still inevitably going to have some face-to-face meetings with colleagues or constituents so long as they’re in D.C., as that’s second nature to political creatures. Better to let them get out of dodge, even if that means McConnell needs to corral his caucus on big votes via phone instead of via large caucus meetings where everyone can get everyone else infected.
If it’s a security issue, with the leadership wanting to make sure that votes being cast remotely really are being cast by elected reps and not hackers, there has to be a way of solving that. The president has capabilities to chat securely with certain deputies remotely face to face. If it’s too difficult or expensive to duplicate that for 535 people, there must be lower-tech workarounds. You could require a member to cast a vote two ways, first via a secure phone line for members of Congress and then via basic video conference software so that you can see that the person who’s casting that vote really is the person who’s supposed to be casting it.
There’s no reason to tempt fate by not addressing this problem immediately, with contagion already spreading in the ranks. And while we’re at it, there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t do anything it can right now to facilitate voting by mail in all 50 states in this fall’s election, just in case we’re all forced inside again by the second wave of coronavirus. That problem is perfectly foreseeable too. Get on it now, so that the states can start thinking about the logistics before we end up in a democratic and constitutional nightmare.
Here’s Katie Porter, a Democrat in the House, making the case a few days ago that they should pass remote voting without delay. This was before Diaz-Balart and McAdams were diagnosed. Again, perfectly predictable.


hotair--2020-03-20--Are colleges offering room and board refunds to students? It depends

With colleges around the nation moving to distance learning and shutting down campus dorms and dining halls , you would expect the students ( or more likely the parents paying the bills ) would be due a refund .
But whether or not they will get one varies from college to college .
At many schools , students and parents have organized petitions to demand that schools prorate dorm and dining services many students can no longer use : Stanford University , which has moved all classes online , will eliminate housing and dining charges for the spring quarter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have left campus .
But it isn ’ t prorating the last few weeks of winter quarter , which were also affected… Some schools , including Harvard University , Ohio State University and the University of California , San Diego , have told students and their families that they will get back some portion of room and board fees for the weeks not spent on campus .
Others are asking parents to sit tight while they deliberate .
They may mail out checks , or credit accounts for the coming term—an inadequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the expense of having their children at home .
Students at the University of Vermont have started a petition to demand a refund after the school posted a message on its website saying students were out of luck : The university ’ s website for COVID-19 states that no refunds or prorations will be provided for housing or meals , consistent with the university policy and the housing and meals contract .
“ The coronavirus pandemic is beyond the control of the university , and we are currently putting all our efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students who need to remain on campus , and providing remote support to students not on-campus , ” the website states .
Boston University initially said it would not be offering refunds but reversed that position after a similar petition from students : BU said on its website as recently as Tuesday evening that , “ At this time , the university will not be refunding room and board charges for students who choose to stay off-campus.
” That response prompted some students and parents to sign a change.org petition calling on BU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Room and board for the current academic year ranges from approximately $ 16,160 to $ 20,360 depending on the type of housing and dining plan , according to the university ’ s website .
In Arizona , two schools have announced they will not offer refunds .
Those schools are also facing petitions : At Arizona State University , students who have left the dorms to return home will not be getting housing refunds , nor will students at Northern Arizona University .
But at University of Arizona , they will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At Grand Canyon University , students can get some money back for meals , but not housing .
Students at ASU and at Grand Canyon University have created separate online petitions to demand refunds for housing and meal plans now that most are not living in the dorms .
Some students pay thousands of dollars for housing and meal plans each semester… ASU President Michael Crow said in an interview with The Arizona Republic on Wednesday that talk of refunds was inappropriate at this time .
“ The funny thing is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re talking about bringing out martial law in California .
And then people ask us , are we going to give them a refund ?
Are you kidding me ?
I mean , that ’ s what you want to talk to us about is a refund ?
” Crow said .
Last week an expert on student finiancial aid stated the obvious .
Schools can ’ t charge for services they aren ’ t providing : I ’ ve been paying attention to this because we just went through the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school said campus and dining halls would remain open but classes would move online .
At that point there was no discussion of refunds .
Then the school announced that students who checked out of their dorms could get partial refunds .
Then a few days later they announced everything was closing and so everyone on campus would need to leave .
In short , it has been a mess , especially for those parents who are trying to respond to the constantly changing story from another state .
I understand that schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online learning in the middle of a semester , followed by the mandate to close dorms , etc .
It ’ s a mess and I don ’ t blame administrators for struggling to keep up .
That said , the idea that a school would keep money for food not served or rooms not open should be a no-brainer .

With colleges around the nation moving to distance learning and shutting down campus dorms and dining halls, you would expect the students (or more likely the parents paying the bills) would be due a refund. But whether or not they will get one varies from college to college. At many schools, students and parents have organized petitions to demand that schools prorate dorm and dining services many students can no longer use:
Stanford University, which has moved all classes online, will eliminate housing and dining charges for the spring quarter, which starts March 30, for students who have left campus. But it isn’t prorating the last few weeks of winter quarter, which were also affected… Some schools, including Harvard University, Ohio State University and the University of California, San Diego, have told students and their families that they will get back some portion of room and board fees for the weeks not spent on campus. Others are asking parents to sit tight while they deliberate. They may mail out checks, or credit accounts for the coming term—an inadequate response, say parents who also now have the expense of having their children at home.
Students at the University of Vermont have started a petition to demand a refund after the school posted a message on its website saying students were out of luck:
The university’s website for COVID-19 states that no refunds or prorations will be provided for housing or meals, consistent with the university policy and the housing and meals contract. “The coronavirus pandemic is beyond the control of the university, and we are currently putting all our efforts towards transitioning to remote instruction, supporting students who need to remain on campus, and providing remote support to students not on-campus,” the website states.
Boston University initially said it would not be offering refunds but reversed that position after a similar petition from students:
BU said on its website as recently as Tuesday evening that, “At this time, the university will not be refunding room and board charges for students who choose to stay off-campus.” That response prompted some students and parents to sign a change.org petition calling on BU to partially refund housing and dining costs. Room and board for the current academic year ranges from approximately $16,160 to $20,360 depending on the type of housing and dining plan, according to the university’s website.
In Arizona, two schools have announced they will not offer refunds. Those schools are also facing petitions:
At Arizona State University, students who have left the dorms to return home will not be getting housing refunds, nor will students at Northern Arizona University. But at University of Arizona, they will be getting some money back in their accounts. At Grand Canyon University, students can get some money back for meals, but not housing. Students at ASU and at Grand Canyon University have created separate online petitions to demand refunds for housing and meal plans now that most are not living in the dorms. Some students pay thousands of dollars for housing and meal plans each semester… ASU President Michael Crow said in an interview with The Arizona Republic on Wednesday that talk of refunds was inappropriate at this time. “The funny thing is that somebody declares a national emergency and they’re talking about bringing out martial law in California. And then people ask us, are we going to give them a refund? Are you kidding me? I mean, that’s what you want to talk to us about is a refund?” Crow said.
Last week an expert on student finiancial aid stated the obvious. Schools can’t charge for services they aren’t providing:
“You can’t charge for goods and services that you don’t provide,” said Mark Kantrowitz, a higher education expert. (Since most classes are being moved online, tuition refunds will be less of an issue.) “Some colleges do not mention refunds,” Kantrowitz said. “I would not be surprised if colleges that refuse to provide room and board refunds will face class action lawsuits.”
I’ve been paying attention to this because we just went through the same thing with my daughter. Initially her school said campus and dining halls would remain open but classes would move online. At that point there was no discussion of refunds. Then the school announced that students who checked out of their dorms could get partial refunds. Then a few days later they announced everything was closing and so everyone on campus would need to leave. In short, it has been a mess, especially for those parents who are trying to respond to the constantly changing story from another state.
I understand that schools are doing their best to transition to online learning in the middle of a semester, followed by the mandate to close dorms, etc. It’s a mess and I don’t blame administrators for struggling to keep up. That said, the idea that a school would keep money for food not served or rooms not open should be a no-brainer.


hotair--2020-03-20--Josh Hawley to Senate GOP: Poor people need the same stimulus checks as everyone else

To repeat a point I made last night : Does anyone outside the Senate GOP itself think $ 600 to poor people versus $ 1,200 to everyone else ( up to $ 75,000 in income ) is a good or fair idea ?
It ’ s terrible policy and terrible politics , especially while they ’ re weighing the precise number of billions to shower on airlines and maybe cruise lines .
This isn ’ t a farking tax rebate .
We ’ re not returning a little prosperity dividend from the federal coffers to taxpayers , a circumstance that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid more .
This is money to keep your family from starving while local governments choke off every last means of earning a living .
Poor people aren ’ t less likely to starve under those circumstances .
On the contrary .
How can their political instincts be this bad ?
Even apart from the coronavirus crisis , as a pure mechanism for economic stimulus it doesn ’ t make sense .
Odds are that the poor will spend this money instead of sitting on it .
( Realistically they won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want money circulating in the economy , they ’ re more likely to circulate it than a higher earner who doesn ’ t need to make purchases immediately and might pocket the check .
Hawley knows an obvious political opportunity when he sees one .
Bear in mind that Goldman Sachs is projecting a 24 percent contraction in GDP in the second quarter , nearly two and a half times the biggest contraction in modern U.S. history .
Next month ’ s unemployment numbers will shatter the current record several times over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay 80 percent of wages for workers , up to roughly $ 3,000 per month , if their employers will keep them on the payroll in the name of job continuity .
Everyone from progressives to Steve Mnuchin thinks the Senate GOP proposal is too meager .
So why did they even offer it ?
Without support from the White House for the plan , McConnell has little leverage with which to drive a hard bargain with Pelosi once she inevitably proposes a more robust stimulus .
They ’ re going to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the poor and get nothing meaningful for it in return .
And they ’ ll deserve that .
Do they not grasp the situation here , asks Ramesh Ponnuru ?
We should not be worrying about preserving the incentive to work ; in a lot of cases , we have sought to keep people from working for public-health reasons .
Nor should the current goal be reducing tax burdens that we think are too onerous .
It ’ s offering relief for hardship , some of it caused by a virus and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s justified response to that virus — and very little of it the fault of the tax code… Varying the rebate by income makes even less sense because of our time constraints…The reason the Senate Republicans are using income from two years ago to determine the size of the rebate is that it ’ s the most recent information that the Internal Revenue Service has , and they want to get the money moving before it has the 2019 tax returns , let alone the 2020 ones .
The price of opting rightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebate is that even more Americans won ’ t get the needed help .
According to one estimate , roughly 10 % of households go through a 50 % plunge in income over two years .
A lot of people who were doing well in 2018 might not be today .
I still like the idea of phasing out the check at the top of the income scale and fattening it up at the bottom , partly because it ’ s a more effective stimulus and partly because the people at the bottom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we just don ’ t have time to mess around with fine-tuned calculations is getting stronger .
Bloomberg reported today that it could take at least a month for the IRS to get all of this money out the door because “ there isn ’ t a centralized , up-to-date list of every household , number of children , income and address or direct deposit bank information.
” The last time Treasury cut checks to people , it took two months to work out the logistics ; Americans will have rent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does that problem get solved ?
Maybe some arrangement in which everyone who has an account at a bank somewhere immediately has $ 1,000 added to it , with the feds to reimburse the banks later ?
Is that even feasible ?
Just push the money out the door .
The near-term future of this country will be defined by death , the medium term by exploding social pathologies caused by economic decline , and the long term by a grueling fiscal crisis driven by accumulating too much debt for too long .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrendous on every level .
Might as well get people a little cash to prepare .

To repeat a point I made last night: Does anyone outside the Senate GOP itself think $600 to poor people versus $1,200 to everyone else (up to $75,000 in income) is a good or fair idea? It’s terrible policy and terrible politics, especially while they’re weighing the precise number of billions to shower on airlines and maybe cruise lines.
This isn’t a farking tax rebate. We’re not returning a little prosperity dividend from the federal coffers to taxpayers, a circumstance that would justify bigger sums for people who paid more. This is money to keep your family from starving while local governments choke off every last means of earning a living. Poor people aren’t less likely to starve under those circumstances. On the contrary.
How can their political instincts be this bad?
Even apart from the coronavirus crisis, as a pure mechanism for economic stimulus it doesn’t make sense. Odds are that the poor will spend this money instead of sitting on it. (Realistically they won’t have a choice.) If you want money circulating in the economy, they’re more likely to circulate it than a higher earner who doesn’t need to make purchases immediately and might pocket the check.
Hawley knows an obvious political opportunity when he sees one.
I’ve introduced an amendment to remove the exclusions on lower-income families and individuals for direct relief pic.twitter.com/gtxAsY60UP — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 20, 2020
Bear in mind that Goldman Sachs is projecting a 24 percent contraction in GDP in the second quarter, nearly two and a half times the biggest contraction in modern U.S. history. Next month’s unemployment numbers will shatter the current record several times over. The UK announced today that it would pay 80 percent of wages for workers, up to roughly $3,000 per month, if their employers will keep them on the payroll in the name of job continuity. Everyone from progressives to Steve Mnuchin thinks the Senate GOP proposal is too meager.
So why did they even offer it? Without support from the White House for the plan, McConnell has little leverage with which to drive a hard bargain with Pelosi once she inevitably proposes a more robust stimulus. They’re going to end up being attacked for not caring about the poor and get nothing meaningful for it in return. And they’ll deserve that.
Do they not grasp the situation here, asks Ramesh Ponnuru?
We should not be worrying about preserving the incentive to work; in a lot of cases, we have sought to keep people from working for public-health reasons. Nor should the current goal be reducing tax burdens that we think are too onerous. It’s offering relief for hardship, some of it caused by a virus and some of it caused by the government’s justified response to that virus — and very little of it the fault of the tax code… Varying the rebate by income makes even less sense because of our time constraints…The reason the Senate Republicans are using income from two years ago to determine the size of the rebate is that it’s the most recent information that the Internal Revenue Service has, and they want to get the money moving before it has the 2019 tax returns, let alone the 2020 ones. The price of opting rightly for speed and wrongly for an income-based rebate is that even more Americans won’t get the needed help. According to one estimate, roughly 10% of households go through a 50% plunge in income over two years. A lot of people who were doing well in 2018 might not be today.
I still like the idea of phasing out the check at the top of the income scale and fattening it up at the bottom, partly because it’s a more effective stimulus and partly because the people at the bottom need it more. But the argument that we just don’t have time to mess around with fine-tuned calculations is getting stronger. Bloomberg reported today that it could take at least a month for the IRS to get all of this money out the door because “there isn’t a centralized, up-to-date list of every household, number of children, income and address or direct deposit bank information.” The last time Treasury cut checks to people, it took two months to work out the logistics; Americans will have rent to pay 11 days from now. How does that problem get solved? Maybe some arrangement in which everyone who has an account at a bank somewhere immediately has $1,000 added to it, with the feds to reimburse the banks later? Is that even feasible?
Just push the money out the door. The near-term future of this country will be defined by death, the medium term by exploding social pathologies caused by economic decline, and the long term by a grueling fiscal crisis driven by accumulating too much debt for too long. The future’s going to be horrendous on every level. Might as well get people a little cash to prepare.


hotair--2020-03-20--Social distancing, international-style: White House cancels G-7 summit

The leaders of the G-7 countries can put away the outdoorsy pieces in their professional wardrobes .
The White House canceled the meeting that was to be held at Camp David .
The summit was scheduled for June .
It ’ s a reasonable move , what with most countries closing their borders and ratcheting up their actions to fight off the spread of the COVID-19 virus .
In this day and age , why not use teleconferencing instead of face to face meetings ?
That is exactly what will happen .
This international coalition has already met via teleconference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it turns out .
This week Trump spoke with the leaders , the first time the group has ever met virtually .
Necessity is the mother of invention and this decision is the latest way the administration utilized thinking outside the box .
In order to continue close coordination among the group of countries , they were told that Trump will convene them all together again in April and in May .
Just like everything else in life now , the coronavirus has taken over , even international summits .
The G-7 countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan , the United Kingdom , France , Italy , and Germany .
All find themselves faced with curtailing the spread of the virus and keeping its citizens safe .
Teleconferencing is already being used .
On Friday Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Secretary of State Pompeo spoke via telephone after the United States advised Americans to avoid all international travel and strongly suggested those who are currently abroad to return immediately .
The number of global cases continues to increase , with Italy the hardest hit .
The epicenter of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where it originated , to Europe .
“ To prevent the spread of the infection , it is necessary to implement appropriate border controls for a certain period of time , and it is important that Japan and the United States as well as related countries cooperate and share information on the issue , ” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a press release .
The two also agreed to share lessons learned through steps taken to contain the outbreak and to explore the possibility of jointly developing a vaccine or treatment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations are slated to hold a videoconference instead of an in-person meeting in the United States next week , Motegi and Pompeo agreed that there should be substantial discussion on the coronavirus issue and other challenges the world faces .
The wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for the illness .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel sounded the alarm earlier this month that up to 70 % of Germans could be infected .
All the drama over whether or not Trump National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t important anymore .
Now the American taxpayers are off the hook for the use of Camp David , too .
Trump is working with the other world leaders as they all work to battle the spread of the coronavirus .
The G-7 leaders issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to coordinating public health measures and restoring consumer confidence .
HHS Secretary Azar hosted a call with his G-7 counterparts Thursday on COVID-19 response .
On Thursday , March 19 , Secretary Azar hosted the latest in a series of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
The senior officials continued their sharing of information on measures being taken to combat COVID-19 , as cases increase in every G7 country .
They discussed some of the similar measures that are being taken , including social distancing , travel restrictions , plans for maintaining the availability of necessary medical supplies , optimizing testing procedures , and work on possible vaccines and treatments .
The senior officials expressed their hope that these measures and the sharing of outcomes will help slow the spread of the disease , while new capabilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease across all countries .
It can also be noted that the G20 summit , hosted by Saudi Arabia , will be held online next week at the suggestion of India ’ s Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
The summit wasn ’ t scheduled for another eight months but the coronavirus pandemic is setting that summit ’ s agenda , too .
The announcement about the G20 summit comes at a time of further measures being taken by Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region in recent weeks .
The Saudis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and universities ; congregational prayers are no longer being held in mosques ; and private sector employees have been ordered to take 15 days off in order to self-quarantine .
International travel around the world has also been banned .
So far , there have allegedly been no deaths in the Kingdom attributed to the virus , but there are currently 171 confirmed cases of people who are infected .
Around the world , there are close to 200,000 cases of infection .
The figure is increasing at an alarming rate , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond mid-2020 at the very least .
Just as with China and Iran , information coming out of Saudi Arabia should be taken with a nod to historical realism that the countries have been less than forthcoming with other countries in the past when it comes to internal information .
If China had stepped up and diligently responded in the early part of the pandemic , all of this might well have been avoided .
Its lack of transparency with the outside world and inaction , at least in the initial onset of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of COVID-19 now being tackled across the globe .

The leaders of the G-7 countries can put away the outdoorsy pieces in their professional wardrobes. The White House canceled the meeting that was to be held at Camp David. The summit was scheduled for June.
It’s a reasonable move, what with most countries closing their borders and ratcheting up their actions to fight off the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In this day and age, why not use teleconferencing instead of face to face meetings? That is exactly what will happen.
“In order for each country to focus all of its resources on responding to the health and economic challenges of COVID-19 and at President Trump’s direction,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement, “National Economic Council Director and U.S. Sherpa for the 2020 G7 Larry Kudlow has informed his Sherpa colleagues that the G7 Leaders’ Summit the U.S. was set to host in June at Camp David will now be done by video-teleconference.”
This international coalition has already met via teleconference, hosted by President Trump, as it turns out. This week Trump spoke with the leaders, the first time the group has ever met virtually. Necessity is the mother of invention and this decision is the latest way the administration utilized thinking outside the box. In order to continue close coordination among the group of countries, they were told that Trump will convene them all together again in April and in May. Just like everything else in life now, the coronavirus has taken over, even international summits.
The G-7 countries are the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany. All find themselves faced with curtailing the spread of the virus and keeping its citizens safe. Teleconferencing is already being used. On Friday Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Secretary of State Pompeo spoke via telephone after the United States advised Americans to avoid all international travel and strongly suggested those who are currently abroad to return immediately. The number of global cases continues to increase, with Italy the hardest hit. The epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted from China, where it originated, to Europe.
“To prevent the spread of the infection, it is necessary to implement appropriate border controls for a certain period of time, and it is important that Japan and the United States as well as related countries cooperate and share information on the issue,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a press release. The two also agreed to share lessons learned through steps taken to contain the outbreak and to explore the possibility of jointly developing a vaccine or treatment to fight the pneumonia-causing virus. As the foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations are slated to hold a videoconference instead of an in-person meeting in the United States next week, Motegi and Pompeo agreed that there should be substantial discussion on the coronavirus issue and other challenges the world faces.
The wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for the illness. German Chancellor Angela Merkel sounded the alarm earlier this month that up to 70% of Germans could be infected. All the drama over whether or not Trump National Doral resort in Miami should be used isn’t important anymore. Now the American taxpayers are off the hook for the use of Camp David, too. Trump is working with the other world leaders as they all work to battle the spread of the coronavirus.
Mr. Trump spoke on Thursday with President Emmanuel Macron of France, according to Mr. Deere, who said the “two leaders agreed to continue close cooperation on resolving the pandemic and minimizing its economic impact, in coordination with the G7 and other international partners.”
The G-7 leaders issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to coordinating public health measures and restoring consumer confidence.
“We, the leaders of the Group of 7, acknowledge that the Covid-19 pandemic is a human tragedy and a global health crisis, which also poses major risks for the world economy,” the group said in a joint statement issued afterward, referring to the illness caused by the virus. “We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure a strong global response through closer cooperation and enhanced coordination of our efforts.”
HHS Secretary Azar hosted a call with his G-7 counterparts Thursday on COVID-19 response.
On Thursday, March 19, Secretary Azar hosted the latest in a series of teleconferences with counterparts from the G7 core countries. The senior officials continued their sharing of information on measures being taken to combat COVID-19, as cases increase in every G7 country. They discussed some of the similar measures that are being taken, including social distancing, travel restrictions, plans for maintaining the availability of necessary medical supplies, optimizing testing procedures, and work on possible vaccines and treatments. The senior officials expressed their hope that these measures and the sharing of outcomes will help slow the spread of the disease, while new capabilities and tools become available to help manage the disease across all countries.
It can also be noted that the G20 summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia, will be held online next week at the suggestion of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit wasn’t scheduled for another eight months but the coronavirus pandemic is setting that summit’s agenda, too.
The announcement about the G20 summit comes at a time of further measures being taken by Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region in recent weeks. The Saudis, for example, have closed schools and universities; congregational prayers are no longer being held in mosques; and private sector employees have been ordered to take 15 days off in order to self-quarantine. International travel around the world has also been banned. So far, there have allegedly been no deaths in the Kingdom attributed to the virus, but there are currently 171 confirmed cases of people who are infected. Around the world, there are close to 200,000 cases of infection. The figure is increasing at an alarming rate, with many warning that the crisis will continue beyond mid-2020 at the very least.
Just as with China and Iran, information coming out of Saudi Arabia should be taken with a nod to historical realism that the countries have been less than forthcoming with other countries in the past when it comes to internal information. If China had stepped up and diligently responded in the early part of the pandemic, all of this might well have been avoided. Its lack of transparency with the outside world and inaction, at least in the initial onset of the outbreak, is responsible for the spread of COVID-19 now being tackled across the globe.


hotair--2020-03-20--Illinois governor Pritzker issues 'stay at home' order

Illinois Gov .
JB Pritzker announced a shelter in place order for the state Friday afternoon .
“ To avoid the loss of tens of thousands of lives , we must enact an immediate stay at home order for the state of Illinois , ” Pritzker said .
He went on to offer a stark statement about what the stae could be facing .
“ Left unchecked , cases in Illinois will rise rapidly .
Hospital systems will be overwhelmed .
Protective systems will become scarce and we will not have enough health care workers or hospital beds or ventilators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
The order will take effect Saturday and is scheduled to last until April 7 .
Similar to the shelter in place order that has been put in place in California , this order does not apply to many businesses which are considered essential : Banks , grocery stores , pharmacies , gas stations , hospitals , etc .
Lori Lightfoot , the mayor of Chicago , also spoke at the announcement : “ I want to say to be clear , this is not a lockdown , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said .
“ There ’ s absolutely no need to change your normal purchasing habits .
Please , the grocery stores will remain open and stocked .
So please be mindful of your neighbors and do not hoard .
Remember , this is the new normal , for now.
” As of today , Illinois has 585 known cases of coronavirus , up 139 since yesterday .
There have been five deaths including once the Governor announced today at the beginning of his press conference .
Later during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was asked about rumors circulating that Illinois would impose martial law .
“ There have been a lot of rumors circulating around that are completely inaccurate .
Rumors that there ’ s martial law that ’ s going to be imposed , that we ’ ve called out the Guard or the military somehow to impose their will upon the state of Illionois , ” he said .
Pritzker continued , “ Those are all false and I want people to take a deep breath…Remember , in addition to people who just like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Facebook there is also , I hate to tell you , an effort by the Chinese government and the Russian government to feed into that paranoia that people have about what ’ s going on.
” These claims are something that other governors have been dealing with , including Gov .
Newsom in California ( who actually suggested it was a possibility ) : On Tuesday , when announcing that he had put the National Guard on alert , Newsom said martial law could be used “ if we feel the necessity.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get to the point of being alarmist , but we are scaling all of our considerations , ” he said… On Wednesday , Brian Ferguson , spokesman for the Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services , said the governor doesn ’ t envision tanks and armed soldiers in the streets .
“ We don ’ t want this to be scary for people , ” he said .
“ This is a humanitarian mission to support health and safety.
” Just today the Gov .
or Michigan also tried to dispel @ @ @

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced a shelter in place order for the state Friday afternoon. “To avoid the loss of tens of thousands of lives, we must enact an immediate stay at home order for the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said. He went on to offer a stark statement about what the stae could be facing. “Left unchecked, cases in Illinois will rise rapidly. Hospital systems will be overwhelmed. Protective systems will become scarce and we will not have enough health care workers or hospital beds or ventilators for the overwhelming influx of sick patients,” he said.
The order will take effect Saturday and is scheduled to last until April 7. Similar to the shelter in place order that has been put in place in California, this order does not apply to many businesses which are considered essential: Banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, hospitals, etc.
Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago, also spoke at the announcement:
“I want to say to be clear, this is not a lockdown, it’s not martial law,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “There’s absolutely no need to change your normal purchasing habits. Please, the grocery stores will remain open and stocked. So please be mindful of your neighbors and do not hoard. Remember, this is the new normal, for now.”
As of today, Illinois has 585 known cases of coronavirus, up 139 since yesterday. There have been five deaths including once the Governor announced today at the beginning of his press conference.
Later during a Q&A, Gov. Pritzker was asked about rumors circulating that Illinois would impose martial law. “There have been a lot of rumors circulating around that are completely inaccurate. Rumors that there’s martial law that’s going to be imposed, that we’ve called out the Guard or the military somehow to impose their will upon the state of Illionois,” he said. Pritzker continued, “Those are all false and I want people to take a deep breath…Remember, in addition to people who just like to forward rumors around on Twitter or on Facebook there is also, I hate to tell you, an effort by the Chinese government and the Russian government to feed into that paranoia that people have about what’s going on.”
These claims are something that other governors have been dealing with, including Gov. Newsom in California (who actually suggested it was a possibility):
On Tuesday, when announcing that he had put the National Guard on alert, Newsom said martial law could be used “if we feel the necessity.” “I don’t want to get to the point of being alarmist, but we are scaling all of our considerations,” he said… On Wednesday, Brian Ferguson, spokesman for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said the governor doesn’t envision tanks and armed soldiers in the streets. “We don’t want this to be scary for people,” he said. “This is a humanitarian mission to support health and safety.”
Just today the Gov. or Michigan also tried to dispel similar rumors:
Governor Gretchen Whitmer provided an update on the state’s response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic. “I am not calling for martial law,” said Gov. Whitmer during the afternoon announcement.
Here’s the full press conference featuring Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot: