COVID-19 Megathread 5: The Trumps catch COVID-19

[Badger]

Mask orders continue to spread across the country. Andy Beshear is now mandating all Kentuckians to wear masks in public by May 11: https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/WATCH-LIVE-Gov-Beshears-daily-COVID-19-update-569985941.html. Apparently, the general public will not be cited if they don't wear them, but they will be "asked" to put them on, and it will be mandatory for essential employees in businesses. The city of Birmingham, Alabama, is also making masks mandatory in public: https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/birmingham-eyes-requiring-masks-in-public.html. And in Colorado, Aspen is also requiring masks: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/04/28/face-masks-mandatory-in-aspen/. Both Birmingham and Aspen will fine residents if they don't wear masks. Aspen is the first place in my home state that I am aware of that is making it mandatory.

How long do these mandatory masks orders last for I've seen as soon as they can last a year

Honestly why would this be a big deal? Mandatory masks in public spaces are much less intrusive than various closure/lockdown/stay-at-home rules.

Because you're telling people what to do.

My own views aside, people -- especially Americans -- get very touchy about being told what to do (or when they sense that they're being told what to do).

This is certainly true. For example, as I'm sure you're aware, this has arisen in your home state of Texas. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued an order last week mandating that all residents there wear masks in public, or face a $1,000 fine for not doing so. Governor Abbott, however, in issuing his executive order today outlining Texas's gradual reopening process, explicitly overruled the fine requirement, stating that local jurisdictions in Texas cannot fine or penalize people who don't want to wear masks. In addition to Harris County, Bexar, Travis, and Dallas Counties, and the city of Laredo had also issued mandatory mask orders. Any penalties from those orders are overridden as well.

I've also seen a number of articles discussing the traditional hostility in this country to wearing masks, which have typically been associated with government intrusiveness and with criminality (i.e. black inner-city "thugs", the Ku Klux Klan). Nevertheless, it seems like the majority of Americans have accepted it, and there is of course the example of the Spanish Flu from a century ago, when mask-wearing became common in many cities.

Ah, part of the continuing Republican Saga of believing local government rules best, until they start doing things we don't like, then federalism and Community control be damned.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

Now they’re estimating that 36 ppl got COVID at the WI primaries

Given that the projections estimate about 42,000 people in Wisconsin have been infected in total, this seems awfully low.

Don't forget that not everybody is being tested and there could be new asymptomatic carriers.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Now they’re estimating that 36 ppl got COVID at the WI primaries

Given that the projections estimate about 42,000 people in Wisconsin have been infected in total, this seems awfully low.

Don't forget that not everybody is being tested and there could be new asymptomatic carriers.

It also conflicts with this story from a few days ago that reported 40 cases in Milwaukee County alone linked to the election: https://www.wuwm.com/post/40-coronavirus-cases-milwaukee-county-linked-wisconsin-election-health-official-says.

[Calthrina950]

Mask orders continue to spread across the country. Andy Beshear is now mandating all Kentuckians to wear masks in public by May 11: https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/WATCH-LIVE-Gov-Beshears-daily-COVID-19-update-569985941.html. Apparently, the general public will not be cited if they don't wear them, but they will be "asked" to put them on, and it will be mandatory for essential employees in businesses. The city of Birmingham, Alabama, is also making masks mandatory in public: https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/birmingham-eyes-requiring-masks-in-public.html. And in Colorado, Aspen is also requiring masks: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/04/28/face-masks-mandatory-in-aspen/. Both Birmingham and Aspen will fine residents if they don't wear masks. Aspen is the first place in my home state that I am aware of that is making it mandatory.

How long do these mandatory masks orders last for I've seen as soon as they can last a year

Honestly why would this be a big deal? Mandatory masks in public spaces are much less intrusive than various closure/lockdown/stay-at-home rules.

Because you're telling people what to do.

My own views aside, people -- especially Americans -- get very touchy about being told what to do (or when they sense that they're being told what to do).

This is certainly true. For example, as I'm sure you're aware, this has arisen in your home state of Texas. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued an order last week mandating that all residents there wear masks in public, or face a $1,000 fine for not doing so. Governor Abbott, however, in issuing his executive order today outlining Texas's gradual reopening process, explicitly overruled the fine requirement, stating that local jurisdictions in Texas cannot fine or penalize people who don't want to wear masks. In addition to Harris County, Bexar, Travis, and Dallas Counties, and the city of Laredo had also issued mandatory mask orders. Any penalties from those orders are overridden as well.

I've also seen a number of articles discussing the traditional hostility in this country to wearing masks, which have typically been associated with government intrusiveness and with criminality (i.e. black inner-city "thugs", the Ku Klux Klan). Nevertheless, it seems like the majority of Americans have accepted it, and there is of course the example of the Spanish Flu from a century ago, when mask-wearing became common in many cities.

Ah, part of the continuing Republican Saga of believing local government rules best, until they start doing things we don't like, then federalism and Community control be damned.

Say what you will about it, but the local Police Union in Harris County, in addition (of course) to the local GOP, protested vigorously when Hidalgo issued her order, as did many of that county's more conservative-leaning residents. Neighboring Montgomery County, to the north of Houston, which is a very Republican suburban county, explicitly announced around the same time that it would not mandate its residents to wear masks in public. And the vast majority of rural counties in Texas aren't doing so, either.

This all feeds back to a point I've made before: that wearing masks are more likely to be mandated in Democratic-controlled areas than in Republican-controlled ones. Democrats (and rightly so) see masks as a necessary measure to contain the pandemic, while Republicans are concerned about the inconveniences that they pose, as well as more legitimate concerns about personal freedom. One other thing. I saw an article that in your home state, Governor DeWine was originally going to mandate mask-wearing in public, but he walked back on that. Probably due to those same concerns I've noted.

[GeorgiaModerate]

I do not see how the Executive Branch can unilaterally immunize these companies from liability.  Would one of our resident lawyers comment?

Answer: the DPA has a broad immunity provision.

https://twitter.com/steve_vladeck/status/1255234701389856775

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

IHME model now revising the death toll up to 74k by August 1st and that most states should not begin to reopen until late June. I don't know what is going on with this model.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Mask orders continue to spread across the country. Andy Beshear is now mandating all Kentuckians to wear masks in public by May 11: https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/WATCH-LIVE-Gov-Beshears-daily-COVID-19-update-569985941.html. Apparently, the general public will not be cited if they don't wear them, but they will be "asked" to put them on, and it will be mandatory for essential employees in businesses. The city of Birmingham, Alabama, is also making masks mandatory in public: https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/birmingham-eyes-requiring-masks-in-public.html. And in Colorado, Aspen is also requiring masks: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/04/28/face-masks-mandatory-in-aspen/. Both Birmingham and Aspen will fine residents if they don't wear masks. Aspen is the first place in my home state that I am aware of that is making it mandatory.

How long do these mandatory masks orders last for I've seen as soon as they can last a year

Honestly why would this be a big deal? Mandatory masks in public spaces are much less intrusive than various closure/lockdown/stay-at-home rules.

Because you're telling people what to do.

My own views aside, people -- especially Americans -- get very touchy about being told what to do (or when they sense that they're being told what to do).

This is certainly true. For example, as I'm sure you're aware, this has arisen in your home state of Texas. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued an order last week mandating that all residents there wear masks in public, or face a $1,000 fine for not doing so. Governor Abbott, however, in issuing his executive order today outlining Texas's gradual reopening process, explicitly overruled the fine requirement, stating that local jurisdictions in Texas cannot fine or penalize people who don't want to wear masks. In addition to Harris County, Bexar, Travis, and Dallas Counties, and the city of Laredo had also issued mandatory mask orders. Any penalties from those orders are overridden as well.

I've also seen a number of articles discussing the traditional hostility in this country to wearing masks, which have typically been associated with government intrusiveness and with criminality (i.e. black inner-city "thugs", the Ku Klux Klan). Nevertheless, it seems like the majority of Americans have accepted it, and there is of course the example of the Spanish Flu from a century ago, when mask-wearing became common in many cities.

Regarding the last part, Georgia actually has a law that makes it a misdemeanor to wear a mask in public (with a few exceptions), dating from the Klan days.  Kemp suspended it during the state of emergency after concerns were raised that people could be prosecuted under it.

I recall reading that Virginia has a similar law, but the law provides exceptions for states of emergency and public health emergencies, and Governor Northam invoked those provisions when recommending all Virginians to wear masks in public.

You recalled correctly. This is probably the only time in a generation where adults in VA can wear masks in public. Even Halloween is limited to minors below a certain age.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

IHME model now revising the death toll up to 74k by August 1st and that most states should not begin to reopen until late June

The model is still projecting a rapid and symmetrical decline in deaths....starting now!  

We've already significantly exceeded it's projected deaths for today, and the experience of every country going through this now shows that the fundamental assumptions of the model are dead wrong.

Why is this something we still care about?

If we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to have 10,000 covid deaths every week for the next year.  We need to acknowledge that the failure of our models has led to the failure of our basic policy and move on from it.

[Tintrlvr]

IHME model now revising the death toll up to 74k by August 1st and that most states should not begin to reopen until late June. I don't know what is going on with this model.

It's strange as we have been undershooting their projected deaths by quite a bit (i.e., in the previous projection, they were forecasting about 55,000 deaths by yesterday, but we had only reached 50,000 deaths by then). I think a big part of the shifts are due to reopenings (i.e., there was a big bump in their projection for deaths in Georgia). But that doesn't seem to be taking into account the behavior of the public and assumes people are behaving exactly as they were in February.

Also, they are predicting deaths per day nationwide to be under 100 on May 27 and under 10 on June 17 so it's really a projection through mid-June. They're projecting a total of around 10 deaths in the entire month of July, e.g.

[Del Tachi]

https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/1255184301458669571

I do not see how the Executive Branch can unilaterally immunize these companies from liability.  Would one of our resident lawyers comment?

Frick if I know. Perhaps it is limiting liability for violation of FDA or other food and health/safety regulations enforced by the Department of Agriculture or Department of Commerce. Even those regulations would largely require proper administrative rule finding and the like,.

In all seriousness, the other alternative explanation is this is the equivalent of trump waving a stick he claims is a magic wand and proclaiming himself King of the Moon. He has been known issues such Fantasyland unenforceable orders multiple times in the past, being egged on by a combination of ever present sycophants and unitary executive theorists In The West Wing.

Food production facilities are pretty damn essential, and it seems to be the Federal government would be justified taking emergency measures to shield them from liability under a "Crisis Standard of Care" type framework. 

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

A dog has now tested positive for coronavirus

https://time.com/5828413/dog-coronavirus/

[GeorgiaModerate]

Among many interesting questions on the virus response in a new AJC/UGA poll:

To what extent do you approve or disapprove of Gov. Brian Kemp’s plans to reopen Georgia businesses in the next few days?

Strongly disapprove — 43%

Somewhat disapprove — 19%

Neutral — 14%

Somewhat approve — 14%

Strongly approve — 10%

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

Among many interesting questions on the virus response in a new AJC/UGA poll:

To what extent do you approve or disapprove of Gov. Brian Kemp’s plans to reopen Georgia businesses in the next few days?

Strongly disapprove — 43%

Somewhat disapprove — 19%

Neutral — 14%

Somewhat approve — 14%

Strongly approve — 10%

I’m not sure what your point is? You install leaders to make the difficult decisions - and the difficult decisions are mostly the unpopular ones.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Why did NY cut off a lot of its testing?

[Hammy]

Why did NY cut off a lot of its testing?

Like Trump and all New Yorker politicians it seems Cuomo is only concerned with optics and making things look like they're getting better, no matter how much it contradicts reality.

[emailking]

None of the supporters of the current blanket stay-at-home regime seem to be willing to acknowledge its consequences: at least a million people will die if we keep doing what we are doing.

We can get that fatality rate down much, much lower, but we need to radically rethink our strategy.  And this strategy will require young and healthy people to make some sacrifices to protect the most vulnerable.

I don't understand this post. You're saying we should keep lock down, lock down more, stop lock downs?

[Dr. Arch]

The updated numbers for COVID-19 in the U.S. are in for 4/28 per: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

I'm keeping track of these updates daily and updating at the end of the day, whenever all states finish reporting for that day.

Δ Change: Day-by-day Growth or Decline or COVID-19 Spread/Deaths.

• IE: Are we flattening the curve enough?

Σ Increase: A day's contribution to overall percentage growth of COVID-19 cases/deaths.

• IE: What's the overall change in the total?

<Last Numbers for 3/26-3/28 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 3/29-4/4 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 4/5-4/11 in this Post>

4/12: <Sunday>

• Cases: 560,323 (+27,444 | Δ Change: ↓10.20% | Σ Increase: ↑5.15%)
• Deaths: 22,108 (+1,531 | Δ Change: ↓17.33% | Σ Increase: ↑7.44%)

4/13:

• Cases: 586,941 (+26,618 | Δ Change: ↓3.01% | Σ Increase: ↑4.75%)
• Deaths: 23,640 (+1,532 | Δ Change: ↑0.07% | Σ Increase: ↑6.93%)

4/14:

• Cases: 613,886 (+26,945 | Δ Change: ↑1.23% | Σ Increase: ↑4.59%)
• Deaths: 26,047 (+2,407 | Δ Change: ↑57.11% | Σ Increase: ↑10.18%)

4/15:

• Cases: 644,089 (+30,203 | Δ Change: ↑12.09% | Σ Increase: ↑4.92%)
• Deaths: 28,529 (+2,482 | Δ Change: ↑3.12% | Σ Increase: ↑9.53%)

4/16: <Missing Older Cases & Deaths Added / Δ Change Calculations Misleading>

• Cases: 677,570 (+33,481 | Σ Increase: ↑5.20%)
• Deaths: 34,617 (+6,088 | Σ Increase: ↑21.34%)

4/17: <Δ Change Calculations Based on 4/15>

• Cases: 709,735 (+32,165 | Δ Change: ↑6.50% | Σ Increase: ↑4.09%)
• Deaths: 37,154 (+2,537 | Δ Change: ↑2.22% | Σ Increase: ↑7.33%)

4/18:

• Cases: 738,830 (+29,095 | Δ Change: ↓9.54% | Σ Increase: ↑4.75%)
• Deaths: 39,014 (+1,860 | Δ Change: ↓26.69% | Σ Increase: ↑5.01%)

4/19: <Sunday>

• Cases: 764,303 (+25,473 | Δ Change: ↓12.45% | Σ Increase: ↑3.45%)
• Deaths: 40,548 (+1,534 | Δ Change: ↓17.53% | Σ Increase: ↑3.93%)

4/20:

• Cases: 792,759 (+28,456 | Δ Change: ↑11.71% | Σ Increase: ↑3.28%)
• Deaths: 42,514 (+1,966 | Δ Change: ↑28.16% | Σ Increase: ↑4.85%)

4/21:

• Cases: 818,744 (+25,985 | Δ Change: ↓8.68% | Σ Increase: ↑3.72%)
• Deaths: 45,318 (+2,804 | Δ Change: ↑42.62% | Σ Increase: ↑6.60%)

4/22:

• Cases: 848,555 (+29,811 | Δ Change: ↑14.72% | Σ Increase: ↑3.64%)
• Deaths: 47,654 (+2,336 | Δ Change: ↓16.69% | Σ Increase: ↑5.15%)

4/23:

• Cases: 880,204 (+31,649 | Δ Change: ↑6.17% | Σ Increase: ↑3.73%)
• Deaths: 49,845 (+2,191 | Δ Change: ↓6.21% | Σ Increase: ↑4.60%)

4/24:

• Cases: 925,038 (+44,834 | Δ Change: ↑41.70% | Σ Increase: ↑5.09%)
• Deaths: 52,185 (+2,340 | Δ Change: ↑6.80% | Σ Increase: ↑4.69%)

4/25:

• Cases: 960,651 (+35,613 | Δ Change: ↓20.57% | Σ Increase: ↑3.85%)
• Deaths: 54,256 (+2,071 | Δ Change: ↓11.50% | Σ Increase: ↑3.97%)

4/26: <Sunday>

• Cases: 987,160 (+26,509 | Δ Change: ↓25.56% | Σ Increase: ↑2.76%)
• Deaths: 55,413 (+1,157 | Δ Change: ↓44.13% | Σ Increase: ↑2.13%)

4/27 (Yesterday):

• Cases: 1,010,299 (+23,139 | Δ Change: ↓12.71% | Σ Increase: ↑2.34%)
• Deaths: 56,797 (+1,384 | Δ Change: ↑19.62% | Σ Increase: ↑2.50%)

4/28 (Today):

• Cases: 1,035,454 (+25,155 | Δ Change: ↑8.71% | Σ Increase: ↑2.49%)
• Deaths: 59,252 (+2,455 | Δ Change: ↑77.38% | Σ Increase: ↑4.32%)

[Calthrina950]

The updated numbers for COVID-19 in the U.S. are in for 4/28 per: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

I'm keeping track of these updates daily and updating at the end of the day, whenever all states finish reporting for that day.

Δ Change: Day-by-day Growth or Decline or COVID-19 Spread/Deaths.

• IE: Are we flattening the curve enough?

Σ Increase: A day's contribution to overall percentage growth of COVID-19 cases/deaths.

• IE: What's the overall change in the total?

<Last Numbers for 3/26-3/28 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 3/29-4/4 in this Post>
<Last Numbers for 4/5-4/11 in this Post>

4/12: <Sunday>

• Cases: 560,323 (+27,444 | Δ Change: ↓10.20% | Σ Increase: ↑5.15%)
• Deaths: 22,108 (+1,531 | Δ Change: ↓17.33% | Σ Increase: ↑7.44%)

4/13:

• Cases: 586,941 (+26,618 | Δ Change: ↓3.01% | Σ Increase: ↑4.75%)
• Deaths: 23,640 (+1,532 | Δ Change: ↑0.07% | Σ Increase: ↑6.93%)

4/14:

• Cases: 613,886 (+26,945 | Δ Change: ↑1.23% | Σ Increase: ↑4.59%)
• Deaths: 26,047 (+2,407 | Δ Change: ↑57.11% | Σ Increase: ↑10.18%)

4/15:

• Cases: 644,089 (+30,203 | Δ Change: ↑12.09% | Σ Increase: ↑4.92%)
• Deaths: 28,529 (+2,482 | Δ Change: ↑3.12% | Σ Increase: ↑9.53%)

4/16: <Missing Older Cases & Deaths Added / Δ Change Calculations Misleading>

• Cases: 677,570 (+33,481 | Σ Increase: ↑5.20%)
• Deaths: 34,617 (+6,088 | Σ Increase: ↑21.34%)

4/17: <Δ Change Calculations Based on 4/15>

• Cases: 709,735 (+32,165 | Δ Change: ↑6.50% | Σ Increase: ↑4.09%)
• Deaths: 37,154 (+2,537 | Δ Change: ↑2.22% | Σ Increase: ↑7.33%)

4/18:

• Cases: 738,830 (+29,095 | Δ Change: ↓9.54% | Σ Increase: ↑4.75%)
• Deaths: 39,014 (+1,860 | Δ Change: ↓26.69% | Σ Increase: ↑5.01%)

4/19: <Sunday>

• Cases: 764,303 (+25,473 | Δ Change: ↓12.45% | Σ Increase: ↑3.45%)
• Deaths: 40,548 (+1,534 | Δ Change: ↓17.53% | Σ Increase: ↑3.93%)

4/20:

• Cases: 792,759 (+28,456 | Δ Change: ↑11.71% | Σ Increase: ↑3.28%)
• Deaths: 42,514 (+1,966 | Δ Change: ↑28.16% | Σ Increase: ↑4.85%)

4/21:

• Cases: 818,744 (+25,985 | Δ Change: ↓8.68% | Σ Increase: ↑3.72%)
• Deaths: 45,318 (+2,804 | Δ Change: ↑42.62% | Σ Increase: ↑6.60%)

4/22:

• Cases: 848,555 (+29,811 | Δ Change: ↑14.72% | Σ Increase: ↑3.64%)
• Deaths: 47,654 (+2,336 | Δ Change: ↓16.69% | Σ Increase: ↑5.15%)

4/23:

• Cases: 880,204 (+31,649 | Δ Change: ↑6.17% | Σ Increase: ↑3.73%)
• Deaths: 49,845 (+2,191 | Δ Change: ↓6.21% | Σ Increase: ↑4.60%)

4/24:

• Cases: 925,038 (+44,834 | Δ Change: ↑41.70% | Σ Increase: ↑5.09%)
• Deaths: 52,185 (+2,340 | Δ Change: ↑6.80% | Σ Increase: ↑4.69%)

4/25:

• Cases: 960,651 (+35,613 | Δ Change: ↓20.57% | Σ Increase: ↑3.85%)
• Deaths: 54,256 (+2,071 | Δ Change: ↓11.50% | Σ Increase: ↑3.97%)

4/26: <Sunday>

• Cases: 987,160 (+26,509 | Δ Change: ↓25.56% | Σ Increase: ↑2.76%)
• Deaths: 55,413 (+1,157 | Δ Change: ↓44.13% | Σ Increase: ↑2.13%)

4/27 (Yesterday):

• Cases: 1,010,299 (+23,139 | Δ Change: ↓12.71% | Σ Increase: ↑2.34%)
• Deaths: 56,797 (+1,384 | Δ Change: ↑19.62% | Σ Increase: ↑2.50%)

4/28 (Today):

• Cases: 1,035,454 (+25,155 | Δ Change: ↑8.71% | Σ Increase: ↑2.49%)
• Deaths: 59,252 (+2,455 | Δ Change: ↑77.38% | Σ Increase: ↑4.32%)

With today's update, more Americans have now (officially) died from coronavirus (59,252) than in the Vietnam War (58,220).

[GeorgiaModerate]

With today's update, more Americans have now (officially) died from coronavirus (59,252) than in the Vietnam War (58,220).

In two months, as opposed to a nearly 20-year war.

[GP270watch]

Why did NY cut off a lot of its testing?

Like Trump and all New Yorker politicians it seems Cuomo is only concerned with optics and making things look like they're getting better, no matter how much it contradicts reality.

In a recent conference Cuomo said they don't have enough resources for tests. He wanted to do more testing and said there was bottleneck with processing time and chemicals.

[jimrtex]

Now they’re estimating that 36 ppl got COVID at the WI primaries

Given that the projections estimate about 42,000 people in Wisconsin have been infected in total, this seems awfully low.

There was an increase in testing which coincided with the increase in detected cases.

One might as easily conclude that shoving a probe up one's nostril towards the crown of the head stimulates the corona gland causing release of coronavirus.

[Pericles]

Among many interesting questions on the virus response in a new AJC/UGA poll:

To what extent do you approve or disapprove of Gov. Brian Kemp’s plans to reopen Georgia businesses in the next few days?

Strongly disapprove — 43%

Somewhat disapprove — 19%

Neutral — 14%

Somewhat approve — 14%

Strongly approve — 10%

I’m not sure what your point is? You install leaders to make the difficult decisions - and the difficult decisions are mostly the unpopular ones.

You do need public support to successfully reopen the economy. Otherwise, if people don't think it's safe yet, most will stay at home and so the reopening won't work. However, the reopening will still be less safe than the lockdown and some people would not or cannot stay at home so there would be more cases and deaths. That would then of course mean you need to go back into lockdown. This causes more uncertainty and economic chaos, and means it is even longer before actual safe normal life where people are comfortable going out and engaging in economic activity can occur. So reopening too early is not a workable solution, it isn't even a tradeoff between the economy and saving lives, the economy is still bad and perhaps even worse, while there is a much higher loss of life (that loss of life also is a permanent subtraction of economic activity).

So the only solution is to wait until it is safe-that means flattening the curve until new cases are at much lower and manageable levels-, and having a South Korean style testing and contact tracing system so new cases can be contained rather than rapidly escalating into a second wave. The US is nowhere close to that, with President Trump's failed leadership having to take a big chunk of blame. Therefore, the US is most likely either going to see an unsafe reopening of the economy that causes a second wave and worsens the economic hit, or a really long and economically damaging lockdown (which won't be great socially either).

[Tintrlvr]

Why did NY cut off a lot of its testing?

It has popped back up more recently. There seems to be enormous variance day-to-day. Saturday had by far the most test results reported of any day so far in the entire pandemic (nearly 47,000), with Friday (34,000) and Sunday (27,000) also big days, though there's been a drop off Monday and today. I wonder if maybe some labs in NY are bundling results and only reporting on certain days of the week.

The tests:positives ratio is still way down, so the results are still quite good (and testing isn't down on net over, say, a week-long period - you just happen to be looking at a low cut-off day).

https://covid19tracker.health.ny.gov/views/NYS-COVID19-Tracker/NYSDOHCOVID-19Tracker-DailyTracker?%3Aembed=yes&%3Atoolbar=no&%3Atabs=n

[Koharu]

I'm absolutely livid about the meat processing plants bring forced back open. What protections will there be for the workers? Smithfield in Sioux Falls was already a major hotspot. Most people aren't willing to work meat processing plants, which is why many employee illegal immigrants as well. How are these places going to be staffed? There was no forethought or any real consideration put into this decision. Ugh.

[lfromnj]

I'm absolutely livid about the meat processing plants bring forced back open. What protections will there be for the workers? Smithfield in Sioux Falls was already a major hotspot. Most people aren't willing to work meat processing plants, which is why many employee illegal immigrants as well. How are these places going to be staffed? There was no forethought or any real consideration put into this decision. Ugh.

Meat packing plants are actually the valid argument to that people would work those dirty jobs for a higher wage because that is what people did from the 1950s to the 1980s. Increased supply of labor both illegal and legal crashed the average wages of meatpacking jobs, Im not arguing against immigration for this reason as this also had the effect of keeping meat cheap for millions of Americans. This is a freeer market which is a good thing but  its absurd to deny higher wages wouldn't encourage other Americans to work these jobs.

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_1677_1970.pdf

source: Meatpacking wages used to pay like $3.30 in 1970 or about 18 dollars per hour.