OMG! There are now 2,548,996 cases of the virus in the United States and 125,804 dead from it. It is exploding across the country as never before.
As the virus's reach is ever expanding again and hospitals are getting impacted once more, the president is urging the Supreme Court to end the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"). Maybe he's come up with another plan to help everyone survive the virus?
VIRUS NEWS:
At the first Coronavirus Task Force meeting in 2 months, Vice President Pence made a plea for citizens to social distance and wear masks. When questioned about Trump's two recent rallies that were not socially distant or masked, he referred to the freedoms listed in the Constitution. What a weenie. CNN points out that the president and vice president are flat out lying to the American public. Dr. Sanjay Gupta took a look at the vice president's remarks at the briefing and refuted his claims with evidence the vice president clearly ignored. Another doctor expressed his frustration with the latest Coronavirus Task Force news conference, saying "Stop screwing around."
Trump continues to do nothing about the virus situation but try to distract from it. Yet his Health and Human Services secretary says that our "window is closing" in regards to getting the virus under control. The president is never going to back down or wear a mask. He never admits he is wrong or apologizes about anything.
Vice President Mike Pence blames the surge in new cases on young people who disregard the guidelines his task force has established. Clearly he's ignoring the president's rallies (which don't follow the guidelines) or the blatant way both he and Trump refuse to wear face masks---empowering the legion of Republican Covidiots out there to not mask up and follow by their example. (Monkey see--monkey do.) (Although he did arrive in Texas yesterday wearing a mask... later that same day, he spoke at a church where more than 100 members of a choir performed for him sans masks and without proper social distancing.)
As coronavirus explodes across the country, only two states are seeing a decline in case numbers. Florida and Texas have reversed on some reopenings as it is getting so bad.
The CDC is now saying that for every infection that has been diagnosed, 10 have not been. YIKES! Mask it up, people! The CDC is also "highly concerned" about the virus this fall.
A former CDC director says that states opening up too quickly led to this new surge. Well, DUH!
News has surfaced that before Trump's rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma he had workers go in and remove social distancing stickers from seats.
New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo says that Trump is in denial about the virus.
A poll shows that a record number of Americans think the fight against the virus is going badly.
The Lincoln Project has posted another hard-hitting ad that attacks Trump during this crisis:
Joe Biden said that he would make masks mandatory.
I always thought former Vice President Dick Cheney was a vile, evil, corrupt man. However, his daughter photographed him wearing a mask with the hashtag #realmenwearmasks -- taking a jab at Trump and his administration.
A republican health committee leader says it would help if Trump wore a mask.
Pence and Nancy Pelosi disagree on requiring masks in public. Pence says the White House has left making masks mandatory to the states. She thinks it should be federally mandated.
Is making face masks required legal? For businesses and government officials, there is legal grounds in doing so.
The Department of Justice is warning about fake exemption cards for mask wearing. They simply do not really exist.
For those still questioning the use of masks, their value and the problems they may cause, scientists at Stanford University have answered those questions.
COVID 19 patients in Texas, Florida, and California shared some of their heartbreaking stories of dealing with the virus.
Scientists are now realizing that the virus is far more sinister than they thought. In addition to it's other horrifying capabilities, COVID 19 is now also thought to lead to brain function complications.
There is concern that if the pandemic continues, many common pharmaceutical drugs will become unavailable or be in short supply.
A doctor, who years earlier did some research and saved his own life, has been researching all of the drugs used to treat COVID 19 so far to come up with the best treatment method.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says that the task force is considering a new plan on testing.
Researchers say that the initial outbreak may have been 80 times higher than first suspected due to lack of testing at the time. Many experts believe this new surge in cases we are currently experiencing will be hard to contain.
Federal officials allowed for the release of an antibody test kit even though they knew it was flawed.
If and when a vaccine is available, Dr. Fauci warns that we will not gain "herd immunity" if enough people don't get vaccinated.
A vaccine is probably still months away. However, an antibody treatment may be coming sooner.
A pregnant woman in Texas survived COVID 19 after receiving an antibody treatment.
Another pregnant woman with COVID 19 gave birth while in a coma.
A woman who survived the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, as well as cancer, has also survived the coronavirus. Amazing!
A family in California has 28 members infected.
Some COVID-19 patients just do not seem to ever get better.
One article shared tales of the horror of infection in veteran facilities and nursing homes.
For those conspiracy theorists out there, a fact check of the FDA confirms they did not add in deaths from the flu and pneumonia in their COVID tallies.
The coronavirus, massive unemployment, plunging stock values, murder hornets...and now a Saharan dust cloud? Just when you thought 2020 couldn't get any worse...
The US Supreme Court has denied a request from democrats in Texas to expand mail-in voting during the coronavirus health crisis.
Coronavirus mortgage bailouts are on the rise as homeowners struggle.
Police departments are having a tough time with the Defund Police movement and the coronavirus all potentially affecting funding.
Immigrant detainees have faced deplorable conditions with the virus outbreak. A judge has ordered that migrant children must be released with their parents or to protected housing.
Summer travel is expected to decline by 15% due to the pandemic. (15%? That's all? GEEZ! I ain't goin' NO WHERE any time soon...)
International travel restrictions are playing havoc with US citizens' travel plans.
American Airlines plans to start booking flights to capacity again starting July 1. EEK!
Thinking about checking into a hotel? Things have changed during the pandemic.
Carnival Cruises has begun to demolish several of its ships during the pandemic.
The virus helped London's homeless population in unexpected way.
A Starbuck's barista received more than $80,000 in tips for refusing to serve a customer not wearing a mask.
A woman in San Jose intentionally coughed on a baby after quickly removing her mask.
The president did not do much, if anything, in regards to the pandemic this past weekend. Instead he signed orders to save statues (Outdated art over people?), tweeted a racist video (with someone chanting "White power" in it) and went golfing. Twice.
STATES:
Four states (Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and Nevada) all had record-breaking numbers of the virus on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, records were broken again in seven states. Texas and Florida have ordered bars to be re-closed because of the outbreaks.
Massachusetts saw 224 new cases and 19 deaths yesterday.
North Carolina is still pushing to reopen, despite the surge in cases there. The state has more than 60,000 cases with 1,700 of those added yesterday. Mandating masks there is difficult though. The state has been chosen for a Phase 3 human vaccine trial.
South Carolina had 1,366 new cases added on Sunday.
Georgia is seeing record numbers of cases, with more than 1,700 each day for the last five days (nearly 2,000 new cases on Saturday alone). Yet, protests still continue there.
On Friday, Florida had nearly 9,000 new cases. On Saturday, the number of new cases approached 10,000. GEEZ! As the virus explodes in the Sunshine State, the pressure is on Governor DeSantis to actually do something about it. Miami and Fort Lauderdale beaches will be closed for 4th of July weekend amid these skyrocketing cases. When the announcement about the beach closures was made, beachgoers heckled the speakers.
Michigan added an additional 252 cases on Sunday, for a grand total of 63,261 for the state.
Allegheny County in Pennsylvania has become the county with the biggest outbreak in the state. Bars and restaurants there have been banned from selling alcohol for consumption on the spot.
Kentucky added 67 new confirmed cases on Sunday.
Louisiana is freaking out about more spikes in cases as its hospitals are jam-packed.
South Dakota had 55 new cases yesterday.
Montana had 11 new cases on Sunday.
They say everything is big in Texas. On Saturday, the state added whopping 6,263 new confirmed cases of the virus. That is nothing to brag about. Yikes! The mayor of Houston has put up a wall of shame for those businesses that have violated the governor's virus guidelines. Young adults there contracted the disease at a much higher rate during the last month. Hospitals there are on the brink of maxing out. Despite the state's increasingly scary numbers, the Texas Republican Convention is still going ahead as planned July 16-18 in an indoor arena with no masks or social distancing required.
Utah added another 472 new cases on Sunday.
Washington state has halted further reopening stages as the virus numbers increase there. The state had its second highest one-day total of new cases on Saturday with 555.
Oregon had its second highest day ever of confirmed virus cases on Saturday. The state had 247 new cases on Sunday.
Hawaii said "aloha" to 27 new cases of the virus reported yesterday.
GLOBAL:
The global coronavirus numbers now exceed 10 million positive cases. Deaths have surpassed 500,000. According to the John Hopkins University tracker, there are now 10,145,947 cases and there have been 501,898 deaths worldwide.
India has opened one of the world's largest hospitals in an attempt to battle the virus.
Pakistan is producing its own ventilators as cases soar there.
Much like some beaches here, residents in England are flocking to the shores as if there were no COVID virus floating around. Another report stated that the risk of death in nursing homes in the UK is 13 times higher than the nursing homes of Germany.
Brazil has zoomed past 1.3 million cases of the virus and has had more than 57,000 deaths.
CALIFORNIA:
Because of increased case numbers, Governor Newsom re-instated stay-at-home orders for one county in Southern California.
Bars were ordered to be closed again in seven counties, including Los Angeles and Fresno.
Businesses in Sacramento have had to close after outbreaks in them.
LOCAL:
The Valley's hospital beds are full with virus patients...and there is talk of re-opening the field hospital in the convention center.
A local doctor contracted COVID 19 after a patient walked into his clinic without wearing a mask.
Fresno City Council says it might step up measures to ensure people are wearing masks. Might? UGH!
Fresno Pacific University is planning for mostly in-class classes this fall.
Less than 10% of Fresno State's population will be back when school resumes in August.
Many Fresno restaurants are open and offering "safer" patio dining, but the Valley's summer heat is making that option less than hospitable. However, because of the rising cases in Fresno County, bars and some restaurants are having to close again.
Nail salons and tattoo parlors reopened on Friday. Family entertainment places were also allowed to reopen. Movie theaters are planning to reopen, with the Maya set to open its doors on July 1.
Despite the surge in cases in Fresno County, Wild Water Adventures is sure it will soon get the green light to reopen.
Camp Edison at Shaver Lake is reopening to RVs starting July 1.
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are reopening some campgrounds July 6.
CREATIVITY:
This is cute..."When Coronavirus Won't Leave":
Not virus related, but a new parody created just days ago utilizing THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA song MUSIC OF THE NIGHT...very well done.
Here's a 2020 take on the REM song END OF THE WORLD:
Enjoy one last movie cast reunion (for the summer? Forever?) as REUNITED APART welcomes the cast of 80s classic FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF for charity:
MAIL:
I had a super quick note from my former co-worker friend, Jenny:
"I am fine," she said. "I'm just so tired of being at home. I can't believe it's not only not over, but even worse. I'm wondering if it will ever be over."
I heard from my friend Kim, the CNA in Wisconsin:
"Things so far here are going good," she said. "The cases of COVID are rising fast. My hospital is still good. I have been working a ton of hours because we are full. It's not because of COVID. It is a little of everything else. We send someone home and refill the bed. I did a 12 hour shift today.
"My other job at the nursing home/assisted living is doing well, so far. We are all being tested for COVID weekly. I have to go on Tuesday for my test. I am glad to be tested that much. At least I know I will not be passing it on to others.
"The bars and restaurants are packed in town. Very few people are wearing masks.
"My aunt in Milwaukee had to close one of her banks, because another one of her workers was positive. She canceled the big bridal shower that they were suppose to have and her son and fiance decided to put their wedding off until next June. They couldn't imagine having people get sick and thought it was just too risky.
"So far I have been lucky here and all my family and friends are well. I am really hoping on a vaccine by December or January, but am not holding my breath. I have a feeling we will be putting Hawaii off for a little longer. We will look and see by December how things look. I hear in some states they want to close down again. Scary!"
SHIRLEY:
Shirley has been camped out--not in her cardboard condo in the corner of the dining room, but in the kitchen corner next to the garbage can and my pantry cupboard on the other side of the refrigerator.
On Friday, the gardener was coming and so I just let her sleep. She woke up once and looked at her old food from the day before...but didn't touch it. I quickly made her new food. She ignored that, too...and proceeded to pee all over that corner of the floor, saturating the paper plate her food was on. Grr....
On Saturday, it was kind of the same story. It was so hot outside (It was supposed to have been 106...but actually went to 108), I wasn't going to make her go out. The irony of it being too hot for a desert tortoise does not escape me. She just has no burrow in the backyard that she can hide away in and cool off---nor can she dig one in the hardpan ground I have back there. I just let her hang out in that corner of the kitchen. I made her food and she did eventually eat.
On Sunday, we had a nice break from the triple-digit heat. Our high today was only 93. Around 10:30, I picked her up and put her by the sliding door. Did she want to go out? She thought about it a long time before finally going out. But she sat just outside of the door for the longest time. I gave her the option to come back in if she wanted, but she eventually wandered off to the flower bed by the patio. I do realize the importance of wild creatures, like Shirley, to be outside in a more natural environment. However, the bulk of the day she spent on the cement, behind the garbage cans. That wasn't so much better than life in the kitchen. Later, I found her trying to crawl underneath one of the cans to go to sleep. I had to stop her. If she'd wedged herself too far under, she might have caused the can to fall over and it could have hurt her. (They're heavy.) Oh well... She did eat today, though.
I put her back in the house, near her box (in case she wanted to go there instead of by the fridge). She went inside and started rustling around. She is so weird sometimes.
ME:
There really has not been much going on with me over the weekend. I did, however, make the decision to give myself an ill-advised haircut. ARGH! Accidental bald spots (Oops!) and general frustration ensued. It took me like an hour and a half. I should have stopped before I really got started, but once begun...there was no turning back. I filmed the whole thing and edited it down. The video is below if you care to see how it went (O' the horror!). I do look so old and haggard..and just plain tired. I'll blame the low camera angle (and just pretend that it is lying. The president is not the only one who can live in denial, ya know...). View at your own risk:
Amazingly, my dance card is empty this week; NO doctor appointments, NO labs, NO other plans at all (NOT even the drive in...it's just too hot and too far to go by myself).
Oh, my mom discovered something interesting. If you'll recall, I got a Father's Day postcard from my "long, lost daughter". It was postmarked Sacramento. I had mailed my mother something and when she received it, she realized it was also postmarked from Sacramento. A-ha! That means whoever sent it was probably from right here in town (the most logical place). I am still guessing my former co-worker Mike.
So, I guess that is it for now. Vye found this for me the other day. To any of my former Fresno Bee peeps (or longtime Valley friends/residents) out there that may be reading this, this sign off is for you:
Stay SAFE. Stay SHELTERED. Stay ALIVE.
CHEERS!
Continue to the next part HERE.
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