When I started a Pandemic thread here I thought I'd just keep running it as things developed.
The "Yellow Jack" quarantine flag flown over vessels in quarantine. Yellow flags used to sometimes be attached to houses in quarantine as well.
Of course, that was naive as that would assume it wouldn't get so long it would be impossible to really read. It's reached that point. Therefore, we now have the Part Two edition of the Pandemic thread, unfortunately.
This actually is, however, a logical place to start it. The Northern Hemisphere has entered into a new stage of this, although the Southern Hemisphere has only started to deal with the Coronavirus Pandemic in some ways, New Zealand and Australia side. The first phase was dealing with the spread of the disease from Wuhan China around the globe and what societal reaction to that should be. Most nations, with some exceptions, opted for shutting things down. A long quarantine was imposed in the western world and in China which nations are now emerging from.
What that means, of course, we're about to see.
The big questions is how this pandemic ends. We don't know, but there are basically three ways. One way is that a vaccine is developed soon and we achieve "herd immunity" by vaccination. The second way is that vaccine is not developed soon and we achieve "herd immunity" through infection. The final way it ends is that we don't develop a vaccine at all and we simply acclimate to living with the disease, a theory that has been gaining ground recently in some quarters.
Related to that, the pandemic may in fact end, as a social feature, when people are just sick of quarantines and decide to push forward and acclimate to the risk as they'd rather do that than live forever in a state of quarantine.
Personally, I think we're pretty close to developing a vaccine. There's real reason to hope that we will have by next fall. I also think, however that we're at the point at which people would rather accept the deadly risk rather than live in quarantine forever, whether that development is a good or bad one, or we're really close to that point.
More accurately, a growing segment of society is at that point. There are those sounding the alarm that western nations are emerging from quarantine too soon, and from a medical standpoint they very well may be. Conversely, an event like this interesting creates all sort of social divides, something that's been frequently commented upon recently, but one that's not been noted is the divide between those who seemingly get paid no matter what and want everyone to keep staying home and those who can't do that indefinitely.
Indeed, it almost seems as if some who have well funded, often public, work don't grasp that a lot of people can't stay home indefinitely and the funds to do that on the government doll don't really exist. Already, the money used for relief is simply printed and the economy is sliding into a depression.
All of which is why it's a good time to start a new thread.
May 28, 2020
Governor Gordon issued a new series of modifications to his existing quarantine orders, with some of the modifications being quite extensive.
Outdoor gatherings up to 250 persons to be permitted under new health orders
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has announced that updated public health orders effective June 1 will ease restrictions on public gatherings, allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 250 people.
The updated orders allow for outdoor events to occur with social distancing and increased sanitization measures in place. Sporting events, rodeos and other events will be permitted to have up to 250 spectators in attendance, in addition to the event participants.
"It’s time we had the chance to enjoy summer,” Governor Gordon said. “The ability to gather outdoors in larger groups will be good for Wyoming citizens, businesses and our communities as we enter the season. We are not out of the woods yet though, so please use good judgement and don’t jeopardize yourself and others by acting recklessly. We want to keep moving forward.”
Hosts and organizers of these outdoor events are asked to screen staff for symptoms of COVID-19 and ensure adequate personal protective equipment is available. Food and beverage services at outdoor gatherings are required to follow the provision for restaurants outlined in Public Health Order No. 1.
Indoor events and gatherings, other than religious gatherings and other exemptions listed in the order, will continue to be restricted to groups of 25 or fewer. No significant changes are being made to the updated Public Health Orders 1 and 3.
Updated copies of all three Public Health Orders are attached and can be found on the Wyoming's COVID-19 website.
--END--
One of the significant changes, we'd note, is that churches are now allowed to reopen to groups larger than 25 in number, with certain social distancing provisions in place. Restrictions on Communion were lifted, with guidance.
Governor Gordon also expressed his disappointment on the cancellation of a variety of rodeos around the state.
Governor Gordon expresses disappointment that Wyoming's 6 largest rodeos are cancelled in 2020
Governor stands with event organizers to support their decision
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and representatives from the state’s largest rodeos announced today that six of Wyoming’s large rodeos and events will not take place in 2020. This decision factored in economics, health concerns and logistics.
The cancellation decision was made collectively and includes the Thermopolis Cowboy Rendezvous PRCA Rodeo in late June as well the Cody Stampede, Central Wyoming Fair & PRCA Rodeo in Casper, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and Breakaway Roping, Laramie Jubilee Days, and Cheyenne Frontier Days, all scheduled for July.
“This hurts. I grew up with rodeo and it is part of Wyoming’s fabric and our culture,” Governor Gordon said. “All the rodeos impacted today are fabulous events. It is with a heavy heart, and only after many long discussions with these fine folks on ways we could make large-venue rodeos work, did we realize that it just wasn’t going to be possible this year.”
The Governor and his staff met with rodeo committee members from Cody, Sheridan, Thermopolis, Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne over the past several weeks to consider potential social distancing measures, entrance and exit plans, and other possibilities to ensure safely staging rodeos, parades, carnivals and concerts.
Flanked by representatives of all six rodeos, the Governor said that after several weeks of evaluation, discussions, and considerations of every possible scenario, it was clear that there was no safe or economically viable path forward at this time for these events.
“The health and safety of our fans, volunteers, contestants and first responders is our primary concern.” the Governor emphasized. “I know what this means for rodeo, for our communities and to Wyoming’s summer. The financial and emotional impacts are immense. But it’s the right thing to do. We are committed to doing all we can to ensure smaller rodeos and events will still be able to occur."
While these six Western celebrations are not possible in 2020, there is a statewide commitment to returning stronger than ever in 2021. A video message from organizers of all six events can be found here.
Contact information for each of the rodeos follows below:
The lifting of some restrictions combined with the cancellations expresses the interesting dual approach to things that is currently occuring in the state. As the state lifts restrictions every couple of weeks, individual cities and entities are continuing to cancel events. Now nearly every significant rodeo in the state has been cancelled for the season, an event which followed the earlier cancellation of the college rodeo finals.
Thermopolis Cowboy Rendezvous
Contact: T.J. Owsley; thermopolisprca@gmail.com ; 307-921- 0534
Cody Stampede
Contact: Mike Darby; michaelsdarby@hotmail.com; 307 250 1259
Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo
Contact: Tom Jones; t_jones@centralwyomingfair.com; (307) 258-3886
Sheridan Wyo Rodeo
Contact: Billy Craft; bcraft@craftco.com; 307-751-1831
Laramie Jubilee Days
Contact: Guy Warpness; gwarp59@gmail.com; 307-760-8777
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Contact: Nicole Gamst; nicole@cfdrodeo.com; 307 778 7210
--END--
The cancellation of the rodeo finals resulted in the postponement of the AOPA fly in to 2021. Also postponed were the performances scheduled for this year's Natrona County Beartrap festival, as it was cancelled.
So while businesses and institutions are allowed to open up, annual events are largely being postponed.
There is of course a resulting economic impact from big events being cancelled. According to the Tribune, the county will lose $4,000,000 in lost revenues due to the fair and rodeo being cancelled. But a person has to wonder, as we will in a separate thread, what attendance would have been actually like this year. With restrictions lifted around the state some large gatherings are occurring nationally, while in other places people have been slow to return.
A nationwide poll that was conducted surprisingly indicates that only 50% of Americans would receive a vaccination, if one is developed. That would mean that with existing infections it'd still be questionable if the United States reached herd immunity.
That's really stunning under the circumstances. During this crisis there's been a fair amount of shaming of people who haven't worn masks or who failed to self isolate. Whether or not those things are justified or not, a public reaction against those who would not vaccinate, and who therefore are really voting to keep the pandemic going, would be legitimate.
May 29, 2020
Governor Gordon issues statement on cancellation of 6 Wyoming rodeos
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has issued the following statement following yesterday's announcement that six of Wyoming’s large rodeos and events will not take place in 2020:
"I would like to clarify some misconceptions surrounding yesterday’s announcement that six of Wyoming’s signature rodeo events will not be taking place this summer. As Governor, I support the choice made by these committees and stand with them in the enormously difficult decision that they had to make. Their courage is uncommon, and that in and of itself, is Wyoming.
Large rodeos are expensive undertakings that rely on attendance, sponsors, local support, and most of all, volunteers. As COVID-19 progressed early this year and many large rodeos closed, sponsorships dried up nationally; live music performances came to a halt; fans wavered, consumer sentiment dipped and volunteers were forced to weigh whether or not they would be able to help.
Rodeo committees take seriously their responsibility to provide an entertaining, unique, and safe experience to all of their guests and they look to the state and county health officers for advice. The group that I was honored to work with came with tough questions and a long list of unknowns that we all attempted to address. We discussed and considered at length how to manage the main gate, whether they needed to require masks and what attendance might be like. Would a beer garden be feasible? How do you manage crowds when the rodeo is over? How do you run a carnival in the current environment? In the end, the challenges and risks involved with implementing any approach were either too expensive, too complicated or simply not feasible.
As I stated at yesterday’s press conference, the State did not close these rodeos. I want to be very clear – rodeo as a whole is not “cancelled” in Wyoming. There are no public health orders issued by the state that would “shut down” rodeos or prevent them from taking place. In fact, we are continuing to work diligently to ensure that our Wyoming State Fair, county fairs, local rodeos and other smaller events can take place this summer. This decision was difficult for all of us, and I know how important these events are to our communities, our businesses and our citizens. We stand ready to work with any rodeo committee to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. I look forward to a full rodeo season in 2021."
We have two covers
this week. In most of our editions, as America
records 100,000 deaths from covid-19, we ask how it has coped.
Many Americans think their president has handled the epidemic disastrously,
that their country has been hit uniquely hard and that there is a simple
causal relationship between the two. This is not supported by the numbers.
Or, at least, not yet. The official death rate in America is about the same
as in the European Union. Overall, America has fared a bit worse than
Switzerland and a bit better than the Netherlands, neither of which is a
failed state. That is because America’s handling of the virus reflects its strengths,
as well as its weaknesses—and in particular its devolved system of government.
In our Asia edition we look at how
China’s decision to impose a security law on Hong Kong
threatens a broader reckoning with the world—and not just over Hong Kong’s
future as a global financial centre, but also over the South China Sea and Taiwan.
The new law, written in Beijing, will create still-to-be-defined crimes of
subversion and secession, terms used elsewhere in China to lock up
dissidents, including Uighurs and Tibetans. Hong Kong will have no say in
drafting the law, which will let China station its secret police there. The
message is clear. Rule by fear is about to begin. |
What the Economist takes note of (well both of the the things it takes note of) are important.
It's not just Americans that believe that the pandemic is being badly handled by the President or as a whole, the whole world does. The US is getting slammed in the press for its poor handling of the pandemic. And yet, as the Economist, no friend to Trump, points out, the US is doing about the same as the rest of the Western world.
And as it also noted, the US has a Federal system. Save for things that are really reserved for the Federal government, like war, emergencies are handled locally and always have been. Indeed, it wasn't until the Cold War that the opposite started to be true and it really wasn't until Hurricane Katrina that there was any concept that the Federal government really had an overarching role in addressing emergencies outside of a very narrow range.
Health crises have never been a Federal deal, save for the developments noted above. The Federal government didn't try to intervene state by state during the Spanish Flu Pandemic and it wasn't until the Great Depression that the Federal Government took much of a role in the health of Americans at all. Arguably the Federal Governments efforts in that quarter, while a big success in terms of combating smoking, have been mixed otherwise.
Anyhow, as we proceed along, we're getting to the point where there's now a fair amount of country by country data, all of which basically turns up the same thing. By and large, no matter what their approach, the infection rates and death rates in free societies have been about the same. Exceptions are New Zealand, an island nation which managed to pretty much shut the pandemic down early, and Italy, which has a really elderly tightly packed population and did poorly. Otherwise, a country's approach seems to impact things only marginally, if at all. Sweden, for example, is claimed to have a higher death rate than some other EU nations, but its infection rate is just about the same as the rest of them, which makes the higher death rate questionable as to cause.
June 8, 2020
New Zealand announced that in the view of its government, the pandemic is over there.
Meanwhile, it's clearly raging in Brazil which is the new hotspot for the outbreak.
June 11, 2020
The state issued a new set of orders regarding quarantines further loosening them.
Indoor gathering limits increased, parades permitted under updated health ordersOn the same day the State announced an additional death from the disease, bringing the total to 18. The victim of COVID 19 was a resident of the Wind River Indian Reservation where half of the state's deaths have occured.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Updated public health orders that take effect June 15 will continue to ease restrictions on public gatherings in Wyoming, Governor Mark Gordon announced today. The updated orders allow indoor gatherings of up to 250 people with restrictions, permit parades to occur (with appropriate social distancing), and allow K-12 schools, community colleges, the University, and other educational institutions to reopen facilities and resume in-person instruction for all students.
The new orders are in effect through June 30 and allow gatherings up to 50 persons in a confined space to occur without restrictions, and permit indoor events of up to 250 persons with social distancing and increased sanitization measures in place. Faith-based gatherings such as church services and funeral homes are exempted from the new orders and allowed to operate without restrictions, with appropriate social distancing encouraged.
“Wyoming has made outstanding progress to date,” Governor Gordon said. “Folks need to remember that it is important to remain vigilant, but because we have been so successful, I am confident we can continue lifting the very few remaining public health restrictions.”
Wyoming’s COVID-19 dashboard has been updated to reflect the improvement in the statewide metrics used to ease restrictions. The number of new cases has changed from “concerning” to “stabilizing” and the percent of all tests that are positive is now rated as “improving”.
Updates to Public Health Order No. 1 allow childcare facilities to resume normal operations without restrictions on class sizes, and expands the permitted size of group fitness classes to 50 participants. Public Health Order No. 3 no longer requires personal care services to operate by appointment only.
K-12 schools, colleges, the University, and trade schools may resume in-person instruction for all students in groups of up to 50 persons with spacing guidelines. Governor Gordon has continued to urge educational institutions to prepare fully developed reopening plans for the fall that incorporate public safety precautions and ensure smooth transitions to remote learning should new outbreaks occur.
As of June 10, Wyoming has recorded 768 lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, 212 probable cases and 18 deaths.
The COVID-19 dashboard and updated Public Health Orders are attached and can be found on Wyoming’s COVID-19 website.
--END--
Dr. Anthony Fausti also warned the nation in a speech that he regarded the pandemic as being "far from over" and that a vaccine is needed.
The University of Wyoming approved its plan to reopen in the fall, which has a host of restrictions concerning common activities on campus.
June 17, 2020
June 17, 2020
The City of Casper announced that it was reopening its Coronavirus closed recycle bins and three of its swimming pools.
Sturgis, South Dakota, announced that it was going ahead with its annual motorcycle rally, the largest traditional motorcycle rally in the United States, or the world for that matter. This year is its 80th anniversary.
In Cheyenne, the Governor gave a press conference and warned of ignoring the existence of the virus, noting that recent infections seemed tied to the same.
June 18, 2020
An outbreak in Uinta Count of 78 new cases has been traced back to a single bar in the county in which social distancing, etc., has not been observed.
In Florida sixteen new cases have all been tied to a single night's outing of a group of friends.
June 19, 2020
American Airlines banned passengers who refused to wear masks, and were accordingly removed from flights, from being future passengers.
A study suggested that blood type may play a role in how severe the disease is for those who acquire it.
They Wyoming State Fair announced that it was going ahead this year in spite of the closing of numerous rodeos around the state.
June 23, 2020
Saudi Arabia barred foreign pilgrims from this year's hajj due to the pandemic. The move is extraordinary given that the trip to Mecca is a major aspiration in many Muslim lives.
South Carolina protesters cancelled protests in that state due to the virus. The Governor of the state and his family also announced that they are infected with the disease.
Two of President Trump's campaign staffers came down with the disease following rallies in Oklahoma.
Wyoming repeated its single highest day total for new infections yesterday. All in all June is proving to be the month with the highest infection rate.
June 24, 2020
Charlie Blackmon, Phillip Diehl and Ryan Castellani of the Colorado Rockies have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Wyoming's state workers have started to return to their offices this week.
June has so far been the month with the highest infection rates for Wyoming.
June 25, 2020
The state surpassed 1,000 confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases of infection.
FWIW, while the actual number of infections that have occurred is no doubt considerably higher than that, this figure is far below 1% of the state's population, meaning that "herd immunity" is nowhere on the horizon through infection.
Nationwide, June 24, 2020, saw the highest infection rate for the nation as a whole, i.e., the largest number if spread across the entire country, in a single day.
June 26, 2020
Wyoming hit its highest single day infections of COVID-19 yesterday, June 25.
The Center for Disease Control reported that it suspects that the number of Americans who have had the disease is ten times higher than reported, which would make the actual number approximately 20,000,000. While that's a huge number, in order to achieve heard immunity the numbers would have to be around 180,000,000.
June 30, 2020
The Center for Disease Control has stated that the Coronavirus is spreading too rapidly for the United States to bring it under control and there will be no relief until there's a vaccine.
Dr. Anthony Fausti stated yesterday that even with a vaccine herd immunity will not be achieved unless everyone receives it.
The state's most recent guidelines continued the last restrictions without changes.
July 1, 2020
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned yesterday that the US could reach 100,000 infections per day, given current trends.
Infections at that rate would be catastrophic and overwhelm the health system's ability to handle them. FWIW, however, it still wouldn't amount to instant "herd immunity" instantly as that would translate into 60,000,000 infections per year, approximately (adding in a few in addition, which would be likely). In order to achieve herd immunity the US has to reach at least 180,000,000. Immunity would take three years, therefore, in that scenario, with grim prospects being a feature of achieving that number.
New York is restricting admittance from state's with high infection rates.
Colorado has closed its bars for a second time (will weed shops be closed this time. . . nah. . . ).
Texas reported a record number, 6,900, infections yesterday and extended a ban on elective surgeries.
Cody's rodeo starts this weekend in spite of a dramatic increase in infections in Park County.
There are reports that China has identified a Swine Flu variant that has the potential to breakout in a pandemic. For those with a grim interest in pandemics, the possibility of a 1918/19 type flu and a SARS pandemic was discussed some years ago by Ira Flatow and two epidemiologist on NPR's Science Friday. The epidemiologist regarded such an event as an inevitability.
Indeed, it's worth noting that while we believe that this will be the last pandemic in human history (assuming that the flu doesn't breakout during this pandemic), the event we're currently enduring was in fact an inevitability. That the human population was ill prepared for it, everywhere, says something about our poor planning in general.
July 9, 2020
Tokyo infections hit a daily high today of 224 new cases, 80% of which were people in their 20s and 30s.
This is a significant news item for several reasons, the first of which is that the oft repeated suggestion that this pandemic is limited to the United States, or maybe the US and Brazil, is flat out wrong. A week ago or so the daily death rate in Germany surpassed that of the United States, for example, even though the German population is much smaller than the US population. And now we see that there's a spike in Japan.
That's also significant in that Japan is basically germophobic to start with, with many people wearing masks routinely in public because they do, or perhaps more charitably because its a densely populated country where constant exposure to everything is the norm. In spite of that, infections are climbing in Japan.
Greece, for its part, is getting to reimpose travel and other restrictions.
Indian experienced 25,000 new infections yesterday, a record for that country so far.
In Scotland, support for Scottish independence is at a record level due to Scottish discontent with London's handling of the pandemic.
July 12, 2020
Wyoming's infection rate reached a new high yesterday, July 11, 2020.
Florida's infection rate dramatically climbed over the last few days.
Flag of the Okinawa Prefecture.
The United States Marine Corps has reported the disease is now present on its base in Okinawa.
France, which is the country with the third highest death toll from Coronavirus, finds its infection rate is once again climbing.
July 13, 1920
The government in Indian Punjab has banned public gatherings and limited the number of people who can be present at a wedding to 30.
Houston's mayor and the Harris County Judge have asked for the Governor of Texas to impose a stay at home order on Harris County.
July 14, 1920
The state continued its existing pandemic orders:
Current Public Health Orders Extended through July 31
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming’s current public health orders will be extended through July 31 as the state continues to see increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, Governor Mark Gordon announced today.
Over the past 14 days, Wyoming has averaged 27 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 per day, with 342 new cases confirmed since July 1. From June 15-30, there were 328 lab-confirmed cases reported. On July 13, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations reported by Wyoming hospitals was 17, the most hospitalizations reported since April 22. While the total numbers of tests completed has continued to grow in Wyoming, the percentage of tests that come back positive for COVID-19 has remained steady with a cumulative total average of 2.9%.
“I’m disappointed again that we continue to see case numbers rise,” Governor Gordon said. “Wyoming residents only need to look at what Texas, Florida and Arizona are experiencing to see how much damage being careless, not wearing a mask, and failing to social distance can cause to our state’s economy, our citizens' health and our healthcare system. I am encouraged to see many of our businesses taking this responsibility seriously and both requiring staff and urging customers to wear face coverings.”
The Wyoming Department of Health and the Governor continue to strongly recommend the use of face coverings in public settings where it is not possible or reasonable to stay physically apart. On Wyoming’s COVID-19 dashboard the number of new cases continues to be rated, “Concerning.”
The continuing orders that take effect July 16 allow gatherings up to 50 persons in a confined space to occur without restrictions and permit events of up to 250 persons with social distancing and increased sanitization measures in place. Faith-based gatherings such as church services and funeral homes will continue to be permitted to operate without restrictions, with appropriate social distancing encouraged. The section of Order No. 1 addressing restaurant operations has been simplified, with the removal of some specific provisions to provide business owners additional flexibility and maintain an emphasis on spacing and face coverings. The public health restrictions that apply to bars, gyms and performance spaces will remain in place.
As of July 13, Wyoming has recorded 1,545 lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, 359 probable cases and 21 deaths. Of these, there were 39 new lab-confirmed cases and 3 new probable cases announced today.
The updated public health orders are attached and can be found on Wyoming's COVID-19 website.
July 15, 2020
Casper College announced it was pushing its fall sports back to the spring.
Contrary to expectation, consumption of alcohol in the United States has declined during the pandemic, reflecting a decline in consumption in taverns and restaurants.
July 16, 2020
Governor Gordon delivered an emotional address for people to wear masks yesterday. Also included in the delivery was a veiled suggestion that if things get worse, the state will star to reimpose restrictions.
Local expressions of national stores have imposed orders now requiring masks.
Community colleges have pushed all of their fall sports to the spring.
A vaccine looks promising after initial tests and plans are now being made for its production.
France has mandated the wearing of masks in public.
July 21, 2020
Wyoming reported a new record number of new cases yesterday.
A vaccine developed by a British company reported good results in a test.
July 23, 2020
President Trump is now wearing a mask and declared yesterday that the pandemic will get worse before it gets better.
Sen. Rand Paul stated that Mayor Cuomo of New York should be impeached over his handling of the pandemic in New York State.
Ten individuals, both prisoners and employees, tested positive for COVID 19 at the Wyoming State Penitentiary.
Protests in Israel made their discontent with proposals to grant the government sweeping powers to combat the virus known.
July 25, 2020
A letter written and organized by a collection of consumer groups was signed by over 150 medical professionals this past week urging a second nationwide shut down. The letter read:
Dear decision makers,
Hit the reset button.
Of all the nations in the world, we’ve had the most deaths from COVID-19. At the same time, we’re in the midst of “reopening our economy,” exposing more and more people to coronavirus and watching numbers of cases -- and deaths -- skyrocket.
In March, people went home and stayed there for weeks, to keep themselves and their neighbors safe. You didn’t use the time to set us up to defeat the virus. And then you started to reopen anyway, and too quickly.
Right now we are on a path to lose more than 200,000 American lives by November 1st. Yet, in many states people can drink in bars, get a haircut, eat inside a restaurant, get a tattoo, get a massage, and do myriad other normal, pleasant, but non-essential activities.
Get our priorities straight.
More than 117,000 Americans had died of COVID-19 by mid-June. If our response had been as effective as Germany’s, estimates show that we would have had only 36,000 COVID-19 deaths in that period in the United States. If our response had been as effective as South Korea, Australia, or Singapore’s, fewer than 2,000 Americans would have died. We could have prevented 99% of those COVID-19 deaths. But we didn’t.
The best thing for the nation is not to reopen as quickly as possible, it’s to save as many lives as possible. And reopening before suppressing the virus isn’t going to help the economy. Economists have gone on record saying that the only way to “restore the economy is to address the pandemic itself,” pointing out that until we find a way to boost testing and develop and distribute a vaccine, open or not, people will not be in the mood to participate.
Listen to the experts.
Public health professionals have made clear that even after we’ve contained the virus by staying at home, in order to reopen American cities and towns safely, we will need:
-- Enough daily testing capacity to test everyone with flu-like symptoms plus anyone they have been in close contact with over the last 2 weeks (at least 10 additional tests per symptomatic person). We currently have only 35% of the testing capacity we need to meet that threshold. The more people get sick, the more testing is required.
-- A workforce of contact tracers large enough to trace all current cases. That’s 210,000 more contact tracers than we had in April, but the number keeps going up as infections rise. Most states are far short of the number of contact tracers they need.
In addition, we need more personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep essential workers like health professionals, emergency responders, and grocery store clerks safe.
Shut it down now, and start over.
Non-essential businesses should be closed. Restaurant service should be limited to take-out. People should stay home, going out only to get food and medicine or to exercise and get fresh air. Masks should be mandatory in all situations, indoors and outdoors, where we interact with others.
We need that protocol in place until case numbers recede to a level at which we have the capacity to effectively test and trace. Then, and only then, we can try a little more opening, one small step at a time.
You should bar non-essential interstate travel. When people travel freely between states, the good numbers in one state can go bad quickly.
If you don’t take these actions, the consequences will be measured in widespread suffering and death.
We need you to lead.
Tell the American people the truth about the virus, even when it’s hard. Take bold action to save lives -- even when it means shutting down again.
Unleash the resources needed to contain the virus: massively ramping up testing, building the necessary infrastructure for effective contact tracing, and providing a safety net for those who need it.
Many of the actions of our government thus far have fallen short of what the moment demands. Mr. Trump, federal administration, honorable governors: we remind you that history has its eyes on you.
Matthew Wellington
Public Health Campaigns Director, U.S. PIRG
Public Health Campaigns Director, U.S. PIRG
Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D.
Vice Provost of Global Initiatives
Chair, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
Levy University Professor
Co-Director, Healthcare Transformation Institute
Perelman School of Medicine and The Wharton School
University of Pennsylvania
Vice Provost of Global Initiatives
Chair, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
Levy University Professor
Co-Director, Healthcare Transformation Institute
Perelman School of Medicine and The Wharton School
University of Pennsylvania
Krutika Kuppalli, MD
Infectious Diseases Physician and Emerging Leader in Biosecurity Fellow at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Infectious Diseases Physician and Emerging Leader in Biosecurity Fellow at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
William Hanage, PhD
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Saskia Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC
University of Arizona
University of Arizona
David Sherman, PhD
University of Washington
University of Washington
Richard H. Ebright, Ph.D.
Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Angela Rasmussen, PhD
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Seth Trueger, MD, MPH
Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Megan Ranney, MD, MPH
Brown University & GetUsPPE
Brown University & GetUsPPE
Sanjat Kanjilal MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women's Hospital
Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women's Hospital
Joan Casey, PhD
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Karen Thickman, PhD
University of Washington, Department of Microbiology
University of Washington, Department of Microbiology
Valerie Bengal, MD, FAAFP former UCSF Associate Clinical Professor
UC Santa Cruz and Capacitar International
UC Santa Cruz and Capacitar International
Reshma Ramachandran, MD, MPP
National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale School of Medicine
National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale School of Medicine
Howard Forman, MD, MBA
Yale University
Yale University
Ryan Marino, MD
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Eric Goralnick, MD, MS
Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Wade Berrettini, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Janet Perlman, MD, MPH
UCSF
UCSF
David Rosen, MD, PhD
Washington University School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
Drew Schwartz, MD, PhD
Washington University School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
Krysia Lindan, MD, MS
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
Yaneer Bar-Yam, PhD
New England Complex Systems Institute
New England Complex Systems Institute
Margaret Handley, PhD, MPH
University of California San Francisco, Department of Epidemiology and Medicine
University of California San Francisco, Department of Epidemiology and Medicine
Thomas Lietman, MD
UCSF
UCSF
Travis Porco, PhD, MPH
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
Veronica Miller, PhD
UC Berkeley School of Public Health
UC Berkeley School of Public Health
Kenneth Rosenberg, MD, MPH
PHSU-PSU School of Public Health
PHSU-PSU School of Public Health
Jason Newland, MD
Washington University
Washington University
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona
Fern P. Nelson, M.D.
Veterans Administration Hospital
Veterans Administration Hospital
James Gaudino, MD, MS, MPH, FACPM
OHSU-PSU School of Public Health & Gaudino Consulting
OHSU-PSU School of Public Health & Gaudino Consulting
Bruce Agins, MD, MPH
UCSF
UCSF
Bonnica Zuckerman, MPH
UVM
UVM
Paul Song, MD
PNHP
PNHP
Katherine Villers, MUA
Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst
Bethany Letiecq, PhD
George Mason University
George Mason University
Vineet Arora, MD, MAPP
University of Chicago and IMPACT4HC
University of Chicago and IMPACT4HC
Pete DeBalli, MD
UCF School of Medicine
UCF School of Medicine
Carrie Beckman, PharmD
UC Health
UC Health
Krys Johnson, PhD, MPH
Temple University
Temple University
Aalim Weljie, Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania
Michael Kelly, PhD, MSW
Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work
Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work
Kevin Foskett, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
John Hansen-Flaschen, MD
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Garret FitzGerald, MD
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Amy Humrichouser, MD
University of Michigan
University of Michigan
Aurora Horstkamp, MD
Washington State University
Washington State University
Timothy Ellender, MD
Indiana University
Indiana University
Christine Brewer, MSW, MSN, RN
Villanova University
Villanova University
Pamela Norton, PhD
Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Diane McKay, Psy.D.
LECOM
LECOM
Kay Mattson, MSW, MPH
Independent international Public Health Consultant
Independent international Public Health Consultant
Dominique Ruggieri, PhD
School of Medicine and Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine and Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania
Eve Bloomgarden, MD
Northwestern University and IMPACT4HC
Northwestern University and IMPACT4HC
Nicole Theodoropoulos, MD
UMass Memorial Medical Center
UMass Memorial Medical Center
Catherine Marsh, B.A.
EndCoronavirus.org
EndCoronavirus.org
Patricia Harper, MA
San Bernardino Balley College
San Bernardino Balley College
Jamie Burke
Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Jessica Garfield-Blake, MEd
Knox Trail Middle School Teacher
Knox Trail Middle School Teacher
Jerry Soucy, RN, CHPN
Death Nurse, LLC
Death Nurse, LLC
Jonathan Moreno, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Lana Fishkin, MD
Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University
Jack Colford, MD, MPH, PhD
UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley
Rohini Haar, MD, MPH
UC Berkeley School of Public Health
UC Berkeley School of Public Health
Maimuna Majumder, PhD, MPH
Boston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical School
Boston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical School
Sangeeta Ahluwalia, PhD
RAND Corporation/UCLA
RAND Corporation/UCLA
Laura Whiteley, MD
Brown University
Brown University
Patience Afulani, PhD
UCSF
UCSF
Vernon Chinchilli, PhD
Penn State College of Medicine
Penn State College of Medicine
Pamina Gorbach, DrPH
Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA
Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA
Judith Hahn, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
Benjamin Lerman, MD
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
William Davidson, M.D.
PNHP
PNHP
E John Wherry, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Mary Sullivan, RN, DNP
University of Massachusetts Medical School
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Mark Cullen, MD
Stanford University
Stanford University
Nathan Wong, PhD
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
Resa M. Jones, PhD, MPH
Temple University
Temple University
Brandie Taylor, PhD
Temple University
Temple University
Ondine von Ehrenstein, PhD, MPH
Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA
Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA
James Fletcher, MD, FACEP
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Meenakshi Bewtra, MD, MPH, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
David Albright, MD
UPMC
UPMC
Michael Gough, MD
Catholic Health System of Buffalo and University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine
Catholic Health System of Buffalo and University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine
Dianne Friedman, Ph.D.
Retired university professor
Retired university professor
Karen Walter
University of Washington
University of Washington
Robin Taylor Wilson, PhD
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University
Janice Nash, RN, MSN, DNP
Carlow University College of Health and Wellness
Carlow University College of Health and Wellness
Marsha Ellias-Frankel, MSW
American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists
American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists
Mae Sakharov, Ed D
Bucks County Community College
Bucks County Community College
Mae Sakharov, MA, MED, EdD
Bucks County Community College
Bucks County Community College
Brenna Riethmiller, MLIS
EndCoronavirus.org
EndCoronavirus.org
Shakuntala Choudhury, PhD<
Statistical Research & Consulting LLC
Statistical Research & Consulting LLC
Simin Li
NIST, EndCoronavirus.org, University of Maryland
NIST, EndCoronavirus.org, University of Maryland
Jeremy Rossman, PhD
Research-Aid Networks
Research-Aid Networks
Judith B Clinco, RN
Catalina In Home Services
Catalina In Home Services
Kari-Ann Hunter Thompson, PhD Student
Walden University
Walden University
Aaron Green, PhD
Iridium Consulting
Iridium Consulting
Kate Sugarman, MD
Unity Health Care
Unity Health Care
Joaquín Beltrán BA
Speak Up America, EndCoronavirus.org
Speak Up America, EndCoronavirus.org
Susan Safford, Ph.D.
Lincoln University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Lincoln University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Graciela Jaschek, PhD, MPH
Temple University
Temple University
Betelihem Tobo, PhD
Temple University
Temple University
Michelle Davis, Phd
MSD Consulting
MSD Consulting
Maggie Baker, Ph.D.
Baker & Baker Associates
Baker & Baker Associates
David Tuller, DrPH
School of Public Health, UC Berkeley
School of Public Health, UC Berkeley
Ernest Wang, MD, FACEP
NorthShore University Health System
NorthShore University Health System
Ramzi Nahhas, PhD
Wright State University
Wright State University
Rhoda Pappert, MBA, MHA, FACHE, RN
Retired, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Retired, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Christine Severance, D.O.
Doc Moms
Doc Moms
Neil Sehgal, Ph.D, M.P.H.
University of Maryland School of Public Health
University of Maryland School of Public Health
Antonio Gutierrez, CPL
United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
Mary McWilliams, MA
College Community Schools, Retired
College Community Schools, Retired
Kristine Siefert, PhD, MPH
The University of Michigan
The University of Michigan
Deborah Cohan, MD, MPH
Professor, University of California San Francisco
Professor, University of California San Francisco
Sherry Bassi, EdD, PHCNS,BC
University of CT , Western NMU (retired )
University of CT , Western NMU (retired )
Anna Valdez, Ph.D., RN
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
Elizabeth Chamberlain, PhD
University of Colorado Anschutz SOM
University of Colorado Anschutz SOM
Cameron Mura, PhD
University of Virginia
University of Virginia
Elizabeth (Libby) Schaefer, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School/Kaiser Permanente
Harvard Medical School/Kaiser Permanente
Joyce Millen, PhD, MPH
Willamette University
Willamette University
Dina Ghosh, MD
Montefiore Medical Center
Montefiore Medical Center
Jacob Newcomb, MD
VEP Healthcare
VEP Healthcare
Sarah Friedland, LPC, LCMHC, ACS, DRCC
Volunteers of America
Volunteers of America
Neil Korman, MD, PhD
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Maura McLaughlin, MD
Blue Ridge Family Practice
Blue Ridge Family Practice
Lynn Ringenberg, MD
Physicians for Social Responsibility/Florida
Physicians for Social Responsibility/Florida
Krisztian Magori, PhD
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University
Timothy McLaughlin, MD
Blue Ridge Family Practice
Blue Ridge Family Practice
Brian Thorndyke, PhD
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Vee Martinez, Medical Assistant
Uci
Uci
Denise Somsak, MD
Pediatrician
Pediatrician
Jeannine Tennyson, BSN, RN
School Nurse
School Nurse
Mark Peifer, PhD
UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Biology
UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Biology
Marvin Brooke MD, MS
University of Washington
University of Washington
Michael Halasy, DHSc, MS, PA-C
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Kendal Maxwell, PhD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Richard Reeves, MD, FACP
RAR Consulting LLC (Clinical Pharmacologist)
RAR Consulting LLC (Clinical Pharmacologist)
Brenden La Faive, EMT
WI Licensed EMT EMS
WI Licensed EMT EMS
Gina Tartarelli, OT
Baystate
Baystate
John Holmes, PhD
University Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
University Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Ramnath Subbaraman MD, MSc
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Vi Tran, MSW
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Anne Rimoin, PhD, MPH
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Marcella Smithson, M.S., MPH, LMFT
CAMFT
CAMFT
Steven Pergam, MD, MPH
Linda Girgis, MD
Dipesh Patel MPH
Mariposa Mccall, MD
Timothy Sankary, MD, MPH
Anthony Orvedahl, MD, PhD
Stanley Weiss, MD, FACP, FACE, FRCP Edin.
Cathie Currie, PhD
Pamela Koehler, JD, MPH
Daisy Sherry, PhD, ACNP-BC
Joyce Garrison, PhD
Susan Walker, MS
Jeffrey Cohn, MD, MHCM
Jared Rubenstein, MD
Marian Betz, MD, MPH
Ann Batista, MD
Morgan Eutermoser, MD
Marc Futernick, MD
Farheen Qurashi, MD, FACS
Megan Whitman, MD
Iris Riggs, PhD
Catherine Cowley-Cooper, RN
Michael Core, MD
Jason Ayres, MD
Craig Norquist, MD
Vasilis Pozios, MD
Michael Becker, DO, MS
Alan Peterson, MD
Kay Vandenberg, MD, FACOG
Melissa Freeman, MD
Robin Aronow, MA
Syra Madad, DHSc, MSc, MCP
Reid Masters, MD
Keelin Garvey, MD
Laurence Carroll, MD
Constance Regan, Ed.D
Cynthia Baum-Baicker, Ph.D.
Ilene Tannenbaum, NP
Virginia Soules, MD
Jean Goodloe, DO
Lindsay Martin, PhD
Teresa Brandt, MD
Annamaria Murray, RN
Judith F. Rand, PhD
Victor Ilegbodu, MD, PhD, MPH
Rebecca Benson, MHA, PBT(ASCP)MLT CM, CHCO, QMBHC
Stanley Weiss, MD, FACP, FACE, FRCP Edin.
Carol Leslie, Chief Program Officer
Briggs Clinco, In-Home Care Client Coordinator
Baruch Blum, BS
Theo Allen, BS
Eunice Wong, BFA, E-RYT, CPT
Michael Hertz, MD, MPH
Patrick Keschl, LPN, NHA
Michael Hertz, MD, MPH
Constance Walker, MD, MA, MPH
Shauna Laughna, PhD
Jeremy Ogusky, MPH
Amparo Adkins, MSN, RN
Kate Shinberg, RN
Sally Rosenfeld, MD
Andrew Frank, MD
Lynn Santillo, RN
Regina Goetz, PharmD, PhD
Martha Christie, MA, Pharm.D
James Perez, MS
Martha Christie MA, Pharm.D
Lise Spiegel, PhD
David Hanson, MD
Jennifer Castro, M. Ed
Oleh Hnatiuk, MD, FACP, FCCP
Elizabeth Holder, JD
Maryanne Llave, RN
Jason Deutsch, MD
Monica Modi, MD
Eric Mueller, MD
Xuan Le, M.D
Tanya Wiseman, BSN,RN
Raul Easton-Carr, M.D.,M.P.H.
Brandon Crossley, CNA
Michelle Crossley, RN
Jacob Malone, RN
Kanika Blunt, RN
Luiza Davila, Healthcare specialist
Barbara McCoy, Teacher
G. J. Ledoux, PhD
Jane Corrarino, DNP, RN, C
Theresa DeLuca, RN
Allison Williams-Wroblewski, Pharm.D.
Macklin Guzman, DHSc, MPH
William David Wick, PhD
Joanna Harran, AGACNP-BC, MSN, APRN, RN
Michael Manning, BS, LMT (3rd year med student)
Karen Smith, DNP, FNP-BC
Monty Bradford, RN
Dominique Motta, RN, BSN, CPN
Russell Etheridge, BSN, RN, CNML
Ariana Ornelas, RN
Sherry Wells, AEMT
_________________________________________________________________________________
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