6/12/20

Today I took Penny for a run and went to look at an office to use as a studio. One has to wonder how much the recent protests have to do with four law enforcement officers being shot in the county along with the murder of an individual and death of the assailant. Also, how much of the jump of COVID-19 cases are due the large groups, close contact, and lack of many people wearing masks during the protests. I have mixed emotions about the situation in Seattle one part of me thinks that law and order needs to be restored since the protesters are breaking the law and violating other people’s rights yet on the other hand part of me thinks let these liberal leaders that are allowing this lawlessness to go on suffer the consequences of their choices and actions.

Today 7 new cases of COVID-19 were reported by County Health bring the total of cases in the county to 324. There are currently three people in the hospital, two of which are in the ICU, 35 are recovering at home, and 285 people have recovered. There has been one death in the county due to the virus. Since last Friday there have been 33 new cases.

The number of cases by age group are under 18 years old 32 cases, between the ages of 18 and 49 155 cases, 50 to 64 years old 83 cases, and over 65 54 cases. Means of transmission show that 55 people contracted the virus through travel, 151 with close personal contact with someone known to have the virus, 115 contracted the virus in the community, and three cases of unknown origin.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that states may need to again take up strict social distancing measures if coronavirus cases begin to go up.

CDC deputy director for infectious diseases, Jay Butler, told reporters Friday mitigation efforts as strict as those taken in March may be needed if cases go up “dramatically.”

“Right now, communities are experiencing different levels of transmission occurring, as they gradually ease up onto the community mitigation efforts and gradually reopen,” Butler said.

“If cases begin to go up again, particularly if they go up dramatically, it’s important to recognize that more mitigation efforts such as what were implemented back in March may be needed again,” he added.

Butler said that the decision to reenter lockdown would have to be made locally, based on “what is happening within the community regarding disease transmission.”

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpassed 2 million this week as deaths reached over 116,000.

The U.S. has seen a 36.5 percent increase in daily cases in recent days amid street protests and states’ reversals of shutdown policies, a striking difference compared to the top 10 other countries with the most COVID-19 infections to date.

Part of the increase could also be due to more testing, which hit a daily record of 545,690 tests last Friday, according to Reuters.

In the U.S., nine states – Texas, Arkansas, South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Oregon, Florida, and Utah – all set new highs Wednesday based on seven-day rolling-case averages, according to The Washington Post.

Five states – Montana, Arkansas, Utah, Arizona, and Texas – have seen coronavirus hospitalizations rise by at least 35 percent.

On Thursday, the Florida Department of Health confirmed 1,698 additional cases of COVID-19 within the preceding 24 hours, nearly a 20 percent increase from the state’s previous high of 1,419 reported last Thursday.

While South Carolina has also seen its highest number of daily cases this week, Gov. Henry McMaster relayed that the Palmetto State would not impose any new restrictions on the public. But he stressed the importance of taking voluntary measures to stay safe.

“Shutting down is not the answer,” he said, according to the Post. “People have to be able to go and work for a living.”

Health officials have said they fear nationwide protests which drew tens of thousands in some cases following the death of George Floyd could contribute to the spread of coronavirus, even as many protesters wore masks.

“Masks can help, but it’s masks plus physical separation,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview on “Good Morning America” Wednesday. “And when you get congregations like we saw with the demonstrations … that’s taking a risk.”

CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a House hearing last week that the protests could serve as a “seeding event for COVID-19.

“I do think there is a potential, unfortunately, for this to be a seeding event,” Redfield told Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla. Redfield suggested that protesters get tested to prevent spreading the virus.

At another point in the hearing, in response to a question from Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., Redfield addressed the protests and people crowding on beaches without face masks by saying that the CDC is “very concerned that our public health message isn’t resonating.”