Tag Archives: pandemic

The New York Times today published a lengthy accounting of the ways that Trump and his administration botched the COVID response. A couple of lowlights: For scientific affirmation, they turned to Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the sole public health professional in the Meadows group. A highly regarded infectious diseases expert, she was a constant source of upbeat news for the …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Florida reported 10,328 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, along with 90 new resident deaths, according to the state health department’s latest update. In total, 337,569 people have been infected, including 4,368 non-residents. 5,002 people have died since the pandemic began, including 107 non-residents. Statewide, the latest positivity rate made available by the Florida Department of Health, …

“Look, the whole thing is a shit show. Whether it’s testing or it’s the government, it’s too infinite of a well to go down. But in my humble opinion, it’s going to be ‘22. It’s going to take that long before what I call the ‘germaphobia economy’ to be slowly killed off and be replaced by what I call the …

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports: Florida added 11,466 new cases of coronavirus Friday and another 128 deaths, with the caseload soaring by 21% since the beginning of the week. The state now has reported 327,241 total cases and 4,805 deaths since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March. Congressional Democrats blistered Gov. Ron DeSantis’ refusal to enact a statewide mask mandate …

Newsweek reports: In a press conference on Thursday, Louisiana’s Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards called for three days of fasting and praying during lunchtime from July 20 to 22. “I know it’s a little bit unusual,” Edwards said. “This will be a spiritual diet and exercise that I, as a Catholic Christian, believe is very important anyway.” He said the …

The Christian Post reports: Andy Stanley, leader of the multi-campus North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, announced Tuesday that in-person services have been suspended until 2021 because he cannot guarantee the safety of members in the wake of increasing coronavirus infections. “Based on the uptick in COVID-19 cases, the results of our attendee surveys and the experiences of churches …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Top Senate Republicans are pushing to give federal courts jurisdiction over personal injury and medical liability claims stemming from the coronavirus pandemic as part of a temporary set of legal protections for businesses, schools and other organizations. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) crafted the measure ahead of …

CNN reports: For the first time, the numbers of coronavirus cases reported in the United States passed 77,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. There were 77,255 new cases reported Thursday, topping the previous high of 67,791 two days ago. Florida reported 13,965 of Thursday’s cases, the second most reported in a day in the state. As much …

ABC News reports: With COVID-19 cases soaring nationally, Americans by nearly a two to one margin distrust what President Donald Trump says about the pandemic, and six in 10 in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll disapprove of how he’s handling it, up steeply since the early days of the outbreak. Just 38% in the national survey now approve of …

The Washington Post reports: The coronavirus thrashing Florida has penetrated the state’s emergency operations center, a clearinghouse for disaster-related information and a command center of sorts for the pandemic response. A new set of cases caused the center, located in Tallahassee, to shut down Thursday as staff shifted to remote work. One official with knowledge of the events, who spoke …

ABC News reports: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued an order Thursday requiring people to wear face masks in public throughout the state, which has had a surge in coronavirus cases over the past several weeks. The Republican governor had resisted a statewide mask mandate and opposed issuing a stay-at-home order earlier in the pandemic, but he signed the order requiring …

Reuters reports: Bars and restaurants in New York City that receive three “strikes” for failing to enforce social distancing will be forced to close, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday. In addition, bars and restaurants across the state will be allowed to serve alcohol only to patrons also ordering food, and walk-up bar service will not be allowed. The governor …

The Miami Herald reports: Florida’s Department of Health on Thursday confirmed 13,965 new cases of COVID-19, the second highest single-day total recorded in the state since the pandemic began in March. The state now has a total of 315,775 confirmed cases. There were also 156 new Florida resident deaths announced, bringing the statewide resident death toll to 4,677. The 156 …

NBC News reports: The 2021 Rose Parade has been canceled because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on planning for the New Year’s Day tradition and the risk of spreading infections among its huge audience and participants, organizers said Wednesday. The Pasadena, California, Tournament of Roses Association said the decision was put off until organizers were certain that safety …

Columbus’s NBC News affiliate reports: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine encouraged action but mandated none during his Wednesday evening coronavirus address. The governor appealed to Ohioans on an emotional level to make “once-in-a-hundred year sacrifices” to protect their neighbors — whether or not the government requires them to do so. “Ohio has reached the most critical point in the battle against …

Deadline reports: Without fanfare — or one of Governor Gavin Newsom’s regular press conferences — California quietly posted the news that there were 11,126 new confirmed coronavirus cases reported on Wednesday. That’s the second-highest total of new cases since the pandemic began, eclipsed only by the 11,694 new cases reported last Tuesday. But last week’s record was padded by numbers …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas today reports 10,745 new cases of coronavirus, a record high, as number of people hospitalized surpasses 10,500. Under Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to revive the economy, businesses started reopening in May. But he paused further reopening plans and scaled back others in June. Recently, he told one TV station he regretted reopening bars too quickly. …

NPR reports: Broadcast ratings for nearly all of NPR’s radio shows took a steep dive in major markets this spring, as the coronavirus pandemic kept many Americans from commuting to work and school. The network’s shows lost roughly a quarter of their audience between the second quarter of 2019 and the same months in 2020. People who listened to NPR …

Knoxville’s ABC News affiliate reports: Anderson County will welcome their students back starting on August 10, but that will not be the same starting date for every school and grade. Ryan Sutton, Anderson County Schools communications/public relations coordinator says it will be a staggered start for various grade levels. Social distancing efforts will be in place for classrooms, hallways and …

Orlando’s NBC News affiliate reports: Florida has surpassed 300,000 cases of COVID-19 with 10,181 new cases reported on Wednesday. The state added another 112 deaths on Wednesday bringing the statewide death toll to 4,521. Florida’s rolling seven-day average for deaths is now 92 per day, triple the 31 posted a month ago just before the toll began creeping up and …