Not So Fast (Pandemic Part VIII)

As many feared, parts of the country (mostly the South) opened back up too quickly. Texas, Florida, and Arizona are noted hotspots now. Trump still refuses to take any responsibility or even discuss the problem. Although some in his administration are finally wearing masks in public; he is not. The country has surpassed three million cases and 130,000 deaths and seems to set a record for daily new cases regularly.

Mon., June 15

• Governor Baker announced anyone who's been at a protest can be tested free at 50 sites across the Commonwealth between June 17 and 18.
• Sarah's school released a production of her musical on YouTube. The wonderful teachers and volunteers guided students through recording their parts at home and edited the performances into a professional, entertaining show. Sarah did great; she was the most polished of the cast, and her singing voice was the best (and I'm not biased!). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvOi7qP8h1E&t=9s

Tues., June 16

• One model projects the country will reach 200,000 deaths by October.

Wed., June 17

• A study published by the National Academy of Sciences showed that masks make a big difference in reducing transmission of the virus.

Sat., June 20

• Despite calls to cancel, Trump held a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at which he said he told his staff to slow down testing to keep case numbers low. Masks were not required, and the stadium was not full. There were rumors that a liberal organization signed up for lots of tickets to keep attendance down. Right before the rally started, six staff members were diagnosed with the virus.

Mon., June 22

• Massachusetts had the lowest transmission rate (R=0.67) in the country. R is roughly the number of people one person spreads the virus to. Any number under one indicates spread is decreasing.

Tues., June 23

• Trump held a rally at a megachurch in Phoenix; no masks, lots of yelling. Cases in Arizona are climbing.

Wed., June 24

• The country had its highest one-day case total: more than 36,000.
• The governors of NY, NJ, CT issued 14-day quarantine requirement for anyone coming in from states with rising case numbers.
• The Dow-Jones fell again.

Thurs., June 25

• Forty-five million Americans have filed for unemployment during the pandemic.
• The Center for Disease Control director estimates that for every confirmed case there are 10 undiagnosed. 

Fri., June 26

• A study shows that 31% of black Americans, 17% of Hispanics, and only 9% of whites know someone who has had the virus.
• The President's Coronavirus Task Force met for the first time in two months, holding a press conference at the Dept. of Health and Human Services, not the White House.
• Highest one-day number of cases yet: 40,000 nationally. FL, GA ,UT, TN, SC set state records.
• We arrived at the cabin for our first full week there.

Mon., June 29

• There were 2.5 million cases and 143,000 deaths nationally.

Tues., June 30

• The Big E was canceled.
• Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert, warned lawmakers that there may be as many as 100,000 new cases per day, 2.5 times the present record rate of infections, if the United States continues on its current trajectory. 

Wed., July 1

• Europe opened its borders to international travelers, but not Americans, due to the high rate of COVID here.

Fri., July 3

• 50,000 new cases in one day

Sat., July 4

• Donald Trump, Jr.'s girlfriend and Trump campaign fundraiser, Kimberly Guilfoyle, tested positive for the virus.
• We held a tag sale at the cabin, requesting that people wear masks. Almost all did.

Mon., July 6

• Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, her husband, and one child were diagnosed with the virus.
• Trump Administration issued order that international students attending colleges that will be online-only in fall will have their visas revoked.

Tues., July 7

• A study has found that people with type A blood are 50 percent more likely to get serious symptoms from COVID. Those with type O seem to have some immunity from the virus.

Wed., July 8

• There were nearly three million cases and 132,000 deaths in the U.S. 
• There were 60,000 new cases.
• Trump threatens to withhold Federal funding if schools don't open in the fall. (Schools receive only about 10% of their budgets from the Federal government, and Congress is in charge of that.)
• I finally finished the jigsaw puzzle I've been working on since April, only to discover a piece missing, right in the middle. This was the hardest puzzle I've ever done.

Thurs., July 9

• I finally got a haircut for the first time since March 12, the day before everything shut down. I went in the evening, and it was just Barb and me. She took my temperature, and we wore masks. She just trimmed the back; no shampoo or blow dry.

Fri., July 10

• 63,900 new cases

Sat., July 11

• The Black Lives Matter protests and rallies following the killing of George Floyd by Officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis did not spread the virus.
• Trump wore a mask in public for the first time, during a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

At this point, it looks as though Dr. Fauci's estimate of 100,000 new cases a day may happen before October. With the rise in cases, shortages of test kits is a problem again. Some states, like Arizona, are running short of ICU beds.

Masks have become the center of a culture war, with some conservatives and Trump supporters refusing to wear them because it infringes on their rights. Trump continues to divide the country instead of uniting it to fight the virus.

We are waiting to see what Sarah's school plans to do in the fall. The state has mandated that each district come up with plans for three scenarios: all distance learning, all in-person learning, and a hybrid. Some schools are planning to have students come in on alternate days. Students will have to wear masks and socially distance at school. As if seventh grade wasn't going to be a big enough transition as it was....