Well, Los Angeles County is giving up on containing the virus and testing due to the tests that never came. They will just assume people are positive and treat them accordingly.
The first U.S. home testing kit will be available March 23:
Which version, @alh? Like in real life, it all depends on who tells the story 
Hey guys
Could we take arguments to PM’s?
Some of us come here to find out information, not arguing over NY and FL
Pretty please?
“Again, so we are OK with the idea that the fastest, wealthiest, strongest states/people get and keep the scarce resources?”
@milee30 - that’s not what I’m hearing. It’s the states that have prioritized (via higher state tax, for one thing) investing in infrastructure, education, and public health - that are doing well as a result. All the states that mock such spending in peaceful times do not get to complain now that someone was grabby.
States with better/more services/infrastructure/education generally give a net payment to the federal government, while those with poorer choices (IMO) take a net handout. All the mockery about “high state taxes” is misplaced. This is the kind of thing it goes to.
It is pretty clear that the dominant opinion in the US is that medical care in general should be rationed by money. Obviously, not everyone agrees, but those who disagree have not ever had the power to change that situation generally (as opposed to bits and pieces around the edges).
I see your point if it’s going to reduce hoarding, but what if someone decided to return some of that stuff to help others in the current market after realizing s/he didn’t need so much (not after it all ends)?
I am pretty hopeful that things will not be too bad in Florida. Yes, the medical system is going to be overwhelmed for a time, but that will happen everywhere. It will be tough, but we will adjust. I am not hopeful, though, that we can draw the right lessons when this is over (or at least when it becomes manageable).
Reality check. No state is doing well, or they won’t be in another few days. We are all in this together, and the virus doesn’t stop at any state’s border.
New Orleans’ mayor issues “Stay Home” mandate
CNN
New Orleans will join other major US cities and states as its residents have been told to stay home by the city’s mayor.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued an order urging residents to stay at home Friday during an afternoon news conference.
She said the order is based on a guidance document from the health department.
Residents should stay home whenever possible and go out for critical needs only, Cantrell said. The city is moving toward limited functions and operations, she said.
At the same news conference, Jennifer Avengo, the director of the city’s health department, said the city would be testing a federal drive-through testing pilot program at three sites (two in Orleans Parish and another in Jefferson Parish).
The testing site would focus on symptomatic first responders and health care workers, Avengo said, and the intent is for the testing to expand to symptomatic high-risk residents.
CNN’s Kay Jones contributed to this report.
Italy bans jogging in stricter quarantine measures
From CNN’s Mia Alberti in Lisbon and Livia Borghese in Rome
Italy has imposed stricter quarantine measures across the country, according to a new order issued by the Italian Health Minister and obtained by CNN.
Access to parks, play areas, and public gardens will be prohibited starting Saturday.
The order also bans jogging and other “outdoor physical and leisure activities,” which will now only be allowed in the “vicinity of the people’s homes.” They must maintain a distance of one meter (3 feet) from each other.
People are also prohibited from moving from one residence to the other including holiday homes.
The new order lasts until at least March 25.
US official implies about 170,000 Americans have been tested for novel coronavirus
From CNN’s Michael Nedelman
The United States may have tested roughly 170,000 people so far, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force response coordinator, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Friday.
“I know that in general our positivity rate is between 9 and 11%,” Birx said. “If 90% are negative, you can do the calculation of how many tests we have done.”
There are currently more than 17,000 confirmed cases in the United States.
On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence told reporters that “tens of thousands of tests are being performed every day.”
On Friday, President Trump said, “We have now a great system. And it’s almost fully in gear, but it’s able to test millions of people.”
Currently, testing occurs through a variety of channels, including public health labs, hospitals and commercial labs. US health officials have said they are working on a system to share that data with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as required by law.
Birx said she expects numbers to rise sharply over the coming days as labs run through a backlog of tests, as well.
[ Still floors me that an official tally of testing isn’t being kept. How do you respond accurately with such limited data? Critical info is getting lost both for the here and now and for a historical picture that is necessary to learn from and adapt. ]
WA DOH new numbers released.
Total individuals tested: 21,719
Positive: 1,524 (6.55%)
( Go UW Virology!)
UAE announces first deaths
Two people have died in the United Arab Emirates, its health ministry has said. The country’s official news agency, WAM, reports that the two deaths are cases that suffered from previous health conditions.
TSA reports second officer at Orlando airport has coronavirus
From CNN’s Greg Wallace
A second Transportation Security Administration officer at the Orlando airport has tested positive for the coronavirus, the agency said Friday.
The officer last worked at the airport’s west security checkpoint on the afternoon of March 11, TSA said.
Earlier this week, the agency reported an officer who worked at the same checkpoint also tested positive. That officer’s last shift was a day earlier – March 10.
It is unclear if the two officers worked any shifts together or used the same equipment. The agency did not disclose further information about their work schedules or assignments.
The latest case is the 15th the TSA has reported.
Designer Christian Siriano is offering to make much-needed masks
CNN
Fashion designer Christian Siriano says his staff is standing by with sewing machines, ready to make masks.
Earlier today, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would pay a premium price for medical supplies like masks.
“If you are a business that doesn’t manufacture these exact items, but if you have equipment and personnel and you believe that you could manufacture these items … If you will make them, we will give you funding to do it,” Cuomo said.
Andrew Cuomo
@NYGovCuomo
We’re in contact with @CSiriano. Appreciate his help so much.
Who’s next?
Let’s do this together, NY!
Christian Siriano
@CSiriano
If @NYGovCuomo says we need masks my team will help make some. I have a full sewing team still on staff working from home that can help.
They should donate it.
You can sense the tension already, and this is before we really are in a triage situation anywhere in the US. Practically no one knows anyone who has had a serious complication or died from corona yet (a few thousand at most in a country of 330 million). No way extreme social distancing and destruction of the real economy lasts for more than 6 weeks. That’s my bet.
For WA residents! If you would like to help, donate to UW Virology. Every little bit helps!
https://online.gifts.washington.edu/peer2peer/Campaign/lab-medicine-covid19
FINALLY! What took so long? NY case number is the highest in the country, more than CA and WA combined. They didn’t close hair salons and tattoo parlor until yesterday when their case was moving up passing everyone else’s in less than two weeks. CA had shelter in place when their case was less than. 1,000. My state with only a fraction of NY’s closed restaurants bars hair salons more than a week ago when the case number was only 100. If NY acted sooner and took measures to slow down the infection, maybe they would have had left over swabs to send to FL.
Florida’s fate has been imbricated with the Northeast US for over a century. Edison and Ford had winter estates there. Florida is not a poor, insignificant state. It has a lot of electoral votes and it’s a tourist mecca for the entire world. I have a hard time seeing Florida as a poor, hard-done-by marginal flyover place. It does have low taxes and doesn’t invest much in its infrastructure, but that is the choice of the voters. The state deliberately constructed itself as a warm-weather low-tax haven for retired snowbirds. It chose that identity and it’s not the fault of New Yorkers or northerners in general.
My father has a place in the Naples area that he used to go to for 5 months out of the year (when his health was good). He pays taxes on his property to the Florida government and has supported local businesses. He is not the enemy.
Andy Cohen, television host and producer, says he’s tested positive for coronavirus
From CNN’s Megan Thomas
Andy Cohen, a television producer and host of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” announced in an Instagram post on Friday that he’s tested positive for coronavirus.
“After a few days of self-quarantine, and not feeling great, I have tested positive for coronavirus,” Cohen wrote. “As much as I felt like I could push through whatever I was feeling to do #WWHL from home, we’re putting a pin in that for now so I can focus on getting better. I want to thank all the medical professionals who are working tirelessly for all of us, and urge everybody to stay home and take care of themselves.”
In recent years, Cohen has also served as co-host of CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage with Anderson Cooper.
Ohio announces first coronavirus death
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
A 76-year-old Lucas County man is the first death due to Covid-19 in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine and Health Director Amy Acton announced Friday.
There are currently 169 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ohio.
DeWine ordered on Friday all of Ohio’s senior centers and adult day care services to stop providing care in settings, where more than 10 people, including staff and providers, are in a confined space.
The French Riviera city of Nice will be put under curfew from Saturday night, the local prefect has said, adding that it’s necessary to enforce strict confinement measures decided by France. Bernard Gonzalez has told BFM TV:
A curfew is going to be put in place. This decree is essentially aimed at those who find it funny to gather together and defy public authorities.
The curfew will start at 11pm local time (10pm GMT) and run until the early hours of the morning.
Any irresponsible failure to adopt social distancing must end, Ireland’s president has said. Michael D Higgins appealed to young people to respond to official advice on limiting the spread of Covid-19.
Another 126 cases were confirmed in Ireland on Friday, bringing the total to 683, and three people have died. Higgins signed into law emergency health legislation giving the power to impose detention and other measures.
These new health and social measures may be difficult for many but they affect us all and we are at a point now when a person’s actions have consequences not only for themselves but for all in society.
Irresponsible individual action puts all at risk. We must draw on our strengths now.
Large numbers of young people have been seen socialising in Dublin’s Temple Bar, despite a high-profile warning against gatherings a short time earlier from the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.
Guardian
Folks, Florida is going to be fine medium term. Every state is going to have a rough go of it for the next few months, especially if they have areas of high population density.
Medium term, I would be much more concerned about New York City and surrounding metro areas. A sustained decrease in globalism, which I believe is coming, will hit financial centers particularly hard. There are massive structural and demographic issues as well in New York State as a whole, some of which have been evident for a very long time in all but the downstate counties.
Time will tell.
We must focus available resources on the areas of most need. That’s basic crisis and logistics planning. It would be great to have ten million ventilators sitting around but that wouldn’t have been realistic or practical. Storage alone. Maintenance and viability. And the next pandemic may require ct scanners. Who knows. Should we build millions just in case. It’s not how it works. There’s not limitless quantities and resources.
There are some who believe there is a ventilator department in the federal beaucracy holding out on equipment. Hospitals buy ventilators. Govt has a strategic reserve. They are pulling out all stops on manufacturing. I think that the President’s realistic approach with the governors on procurement is real world and real life. They are all CEOs of an important taxing authority. We have the money at the federal level but let 50 ceos aka governors get on it too. Go get the supplies and screw the red tape. Why’s that so controversial?
They have existing suppliers and provisioning processes. Sooner is better. Now I also think they should move quickly to unchain resources and money which is what they are doing.
We didn’t have all the tanks and ships for ww2 day one. Even though war was raging in Europe and there where signs of problems in the pacific.
You don’t always build them until needed. Manufacturing turn around takes a bit but it’s a powerful force. And it’s happening at warp speed to meet this crisis. I wish it could be solved with a waive of the hand or a better press conference. It’s not reality. The whole world operates under the just in time inventory management theories.
Our drug supply is also a big mistake.
We don’t even have the ability to make one aspirin tablet in the USA right now.
Thank god the issue of manufacturing and offshoring as a problem had been brought to the forefront.
The AMA issuing a press release asking the federal government to pull out all the stops for protective gear and equipment presupposes that’s not occurring. Ignore the noise. There’s a lot of posturing for constituencies.
I just wish there was a criticism requirement to have a corresponding solution or idea attached. If there were ten thousand x sitting in a warehouse and the feds were not being helpful that would be a different matter.
We will catch up very quickly. The key is to ratchet down the panic and focus on what’s doable not what hasn’t been done.
With a new virus is more contagious than the deadly flu or cold, a lot of people will catch it.
I’m thinking we should be tracking bed capacity and needs. New cases will go from x to a big y. But the y can be crippling or it can managed. Even if managed from a big picture we will surely see very sensationalized and scary short term exceptions, I’m afraid.
I’m watching fatalities. Those numbers unfortunately do not need testing and didn’t suffer the same reporting lags If they stay low in the big picture that’s a big win.
Millions and millions will catch this and be no worse for it. The key is the sickest not the totals for me.
Simultaneously, the effort to curb the run on critical care by shutting down the country is causing an economic and financial crisis. Yes those two things are different and I’ll leave for another day. Both with as much potential to kill and harm as the virus or more. But we value life and will have to fight through this together. We need calm heads and focus.
There’s been a lot of hard work within the administration and with bipartisan effort on the hill to solve the economic and financial shocks. Unprecedented proposals that coming to us in a big way and really creatively.
This thread is very useful and informative.
In the end though we aren’t really solving any problems. The fighting amongst ourselves is a waste of energy. Worse it’s creating another level of anxiety for many. Please let’s be kind to each other. We really are going to need each other to dig out of this on the other side.