The US is expected to surpass the 100,000 mark in deaths by June 1st, according to the CDC. Currently, we have had 89,562. I wouldn't be surprised if we make it there sooner. Remember the good old days when it was only supposed to be 50,000 to 64,000?
As more and more states re-open, experts are warning against large gatherings.
In New York, the number of new cases a day is down to 400...which is still a lot. Governor Guomo took a virus nasal swab test on live TV to show people it wasn't painful or scary.
New Jersey has had a rise in cases, but a drop in hospitalizations.
In Washington state, their death toll has hit 1,000 and they've had a new 2-week high in cases.
In Massachusetts, there is a tug of war of sorts going on. The governor of the state wants to open up today, but the mayor of Boston says there is no way the numbers show that his city is anywhere near ready to re-open.
Georgia has more than 37,000 cases. They have had 1,600 deaths. The state is now seeing a large uptick in the number of Kawasaki's Disease-like inflammations in children with COVID 19.
Wisconsin, which had its supreme court overturn the stay-at-home orders issued by the governor on Friday, saw it's biggest surge in coronavirus infections the following day. The mayor of Madison called the move to overturn the order "outrageous."
Minnesota logged another 699 cases yesterday...and opens for business today.
Colorado is reporting several outbreaks in grocery stores.
Texas reported its largest single-day jump in cases.
Most of Utah has been deemed low risk. The state has more than 7,000 cases and has had 78 deaths.
Michigan has more than 50,500 cases and has had nearly 5,000 deaths...and many more protests. A priest in Detroit was squirting holy water from a squirt gun at parishioners while social distancing. Amen!
The president is pushing for a vaccine by the end of the year, but even his own people cast doubt on that happening.
New research shows three biological markers in a simple blood test that can determine, with about 90% accuracy, which patients will develop severe COVID 19 symptoms.
A specially created antimicrobial surface can kill the coronavirus for 90 days a new study shows.
Science Magazine is reporting that T-cells found in COVID 19 patients could mean immunity.
Several sailors who were onboard the USS Roosevelt several weeks ago when it had an outbreak of the virus, have tested positive a second time for COVID 19.
The Republican Convention is going ahead as planned in North Carolina. 50,000 people are expected. All I can do is shake my head...
President Obama gave a virtual commencement speech to graduates at many universities urging them to become involved in the world while knocking the current administration for this mess we are in. He gave a second commencement speech a few days later.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is backing off from his baseless claim that the virus was created in a lab.
Homeland Security is warning that conspiracy theorists could act out on bogus rumors.
The president's son, Eric Trump, says the democrats are using the virus as a weapon to attack his father (even though it has infected nearly 1.5 Americans and has killed more than 89,000 here) and will magically disappear after the election on Nov. 3rd.
The House of Representatives have passed another stimulus package. It has been opposed by the president and still needs to go through the Senate. The bill would send money to struggling state governments, provide hazard pay to frontline workers, and give individuals another stimulus check. We will see what the republican-run Senate does with it.
There are reports that patients in nursing homes are having their stimulus checks stolen by care workers and/or facilities.
As things start to reopen, this article takes a look at how various businesses are likely to look and what new rules they'll have to follow.
Drive Ins are seeing a bump in business with the virus outbreak. There are only about 30 left across the country--but they are some of the few movie options available these days.
Caesar's Palace is eerily vacant, but is gearing up to re-open eventually.
Scam alert--beware online quarantine puppy scammers who are selling puppies that do not exist or that are never shipped.
GLOBAL:
A detailed and thorough anti-body study in Spain, the country with the highest mortality rate per capita since the outbreak began, showed a horrifying realization that only about 5% of its population had been infected with the virus, meaning that the other 95% are still vulnerable.
A 113 year old woman in Spain survived the virus.
Italy is slowly easing restrictions. Residents will be able to drive between regions starting June 3rd. Also, people within the European Union will be able to enter the country again then without going through a 2-week quarantine.
Researchers in the UK are looking to see if dogs can be trained to sniff out COVID 19.
In Russia, Moscow has apparently been devastated by the virus and it is quickly spreading across the rest of the country.
Brazil is rapidly becoming a hot spot for the virus and now has the 4th highest number of cases of any country.
Colombia tried to reactivate its economy and ended up reactivating the infection rate of the virus.
Singapore has been using "robot dogs" to warn people to social distance.
CALIFORNIA:
California had its second deadliest day with the virus on Friday and has also recorded more than 2,000 new cases. The state has had more than 3,156 deaths and has more than 76,845 cases.
A Northern California man survived the virus. He was hospitalized for 10 weeks, 4 of which were spent in a coma. He was given a 1% chance of surviving. He still has a way to go to recover, but he is one lucky man.
An infected man attended an (illegal) Mother's Day church service, potentially infecting 180 others in attendance.
A raging, jam-packed house party in the Hollywood Hills ended when a man accidentally shot himself in the groin.
LOCAL:
As businesses here in the Valley prepare to open up, many employees are reluctant to stop sheltering in place.
In Tulare County, many businesses are opening up before the state is allowing. In Merced County, the small town of Atwater has declared itself a "sanctuary city for businesses" and allowed re-opening. The sheriff of Merced County said that he will not enforce the governor's lockdown measure.
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo is looking for help in staying afloat during the lockdown.
Bass Lake has re-opened since the lockdown...and visitors are leaving trash all over.
There are 3,323 confirmed cases in the Central Valley with 1,102 of those having recovered. There have been 94 deaths.
CREATIVITY:
Here is a COVID 19 version of Petula Clark's classic DOWNTOWN.
Four different YouTubers (who are not neighbors...I'm not even sure they are all in the same state), got "together" to chat while social distancing from each other on their front porches.
A while back I found a reunion (done remotely) with the cast of THE GOONIES, all done for charity. The cast from BACK TO THE FUTURE did a similar thing, and for the Project Hope charity, to help people worldwide during this global crisis:
I still have not seen the show THE OFFICE (but it is in my piles of DVDs to watch. Really!). One of the stars of the show, John Krasinski, has a little vlog show he is doing during the pandemic. In one particular episode, he talked to some fans of the series who got engaged in a style that was similar to some of THE OFFICE's characters...and he surprises them with a remote wedding with their families, friends and another OFFICE co-star, Jenna Fischer.
Jimmy Kimmel is doing his show from home. Here is a recent opening monologue.
Okay...here is a bonus one:
A co-worker shared something that her children did over the weekend. It may not be virus-related, but at least they were being creative while in quarantine.
MAILBAG:
Art from Boston sent me a quick text.
"I just worked out my lease renewal today with some COVID escape clauses," he said. "The state placed a moratorium on evictions if people can't pay their rent. It was a frustrating day, a nightmare. This place doesn't allow you to stay month to month after completing a one-year lease. And should you want to break your lease, there's a 4-month rent penalty to break your new lease early. We were emailing back and forth, trying to negotiate and dealing with a new lease manager. Ugh."
Cathy from San Francisco sent a brief note:
"Travis and I go out for three hours per day, do our walk, and then we're back inside for the rest of the day," she said."
SHIRLEY:
I really don't have much to tell you about Shirley, but everyone always seems to ask about her. She has been a good girl. Between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., it is usually her bedtime. She either goes into her dog house igloo on the patio or comes inside and goes to her cardboard condo in the corner of the dining room. She hasn't tried to sneak out and sleep in the bushes or wherever (which I don't want her to do as the sprinklers will come on at night. I don't want her getting sick as she has in the past).
I still have not heard about rescheduling my muscle biopsy. However, on Friday, I had a telehealth consultation with a mental health nurse practitioner. She was very nice, but after talking with me, she realized I needed a therapist. Her role is more about managing medications and I flat out told her I didn't want or need anything. She really seemed to empathize with me about my situation and was going to try and persuade one of the two therapists there that take my insurance to accept me on as a client. (Both are currently closed to new patients.) If I do not hear back from them next week, I am supposed to call back. Fingers crossed for me.
I did get together with my friends for a Zoom call on Friday. Ricki and Erich were there. Vye was unable to join us. Shookie jumped on for a moment. She was with her co-worker Lisa.
On Sunday, Erich, Ricki and I Zoomed with our friends Ashley and Sai in Oakland. Ashley and Sai shared some shocking stories of video they captured with Ring over the last week. One was of a woman staggering up to their porch around 4 in the morning, taking off her clothes and then taking a dump on their stoop. The other involved a blatant Amazon package theft in which a woman in a car stopped, jumped out of her car, grabbed the box and took off again. GEEZ!
Even though it was done remotely, it was still good to see everyone again.
Finally, UGH! It became more "real". I received my handicapped license plates and my handicapped placard in the mail.
Sure, I'll get fabulous parking now (if I chose to take advantage of it), but I really wish I did not need them at all.
Damn...
Stay SAFE. Stay SHELTERED. Stay ALIVE.
Cheers!
Continue to the next part HERE.
Comments