Coronavirus in the US

Parent Cafe
9741

These are not the sticking points -this is ‘pork’ which is what politicians want to talk about, because it makes the other side look bad- instead of actually discussing the real sticking points. Pork is always awful, but all parties load up with pork so they can use it negotiate on both sides. The actual big thing they are stuck on is the 500 billion unallocated program that has little transparency on where it will go.

** Treasury’s power over $500 billion loan program becomes key sticking point in coronavirus aid bill **

"Their initial proposals called for the fund to be worth $208 billion. But after a flurry of lobbying over the weekend, Senate Republicans’ legislation now calls for a $500 billion program that would award loans to states and cities as well as businesses, according to a copy of the most recent GOP proposal. The provision has become one of the principal logjams in urgent congressional negotiations over emergency help for an American economy facing its worst calamity since the Great Recession, in part because the Treasury Department would have broad discretion over where the money would go. President Trump already has said he wants the money to be used to rescue the cruise ship and hotel industries, making his preferences clear, but at a press conference on Sunday refused to say whether his own hotel properties would apply for the funding.

“There’s too much money with no oversight,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) told reporters Sunday. Congressional Democrats have demanded the legislation include guardrails to prevent firms that receive the emergency aid from firing their workers or stripping them of their health care, among other asks by labor groups. They also are balking at giving Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin so much authority to determine which firms receive the assistance.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/22/treasury-coronavirus-senate-corporate-loan/

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City dwellers have a right to live in any home they pay for and pay taxes on. I have no problem with this as long as they practicing their social distancing.

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I live in a rural area with many second homes. Our county has a TON of cases, every single town has someone who’s tested positive. I am guessing it is because people came up to their second homes from NYC. I am not mad at them, I probably would have done the same. But I’m a little sad that this has happened. But then I think that everywhere else will catch up soon, we just got there a bit quicker than other places.

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Meanwhile, a local police dispatcher just died of COVID-19. 38 years old, no underlying medical conditions - fell ill on March 16th and died on the 23rd. Awful.

https://www.wilx.com/content/news/DPD-dispatcher-dies-after-having-the-coronavirus-569058721.html

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Denver Mayor Michael Hancock changed course drastically Monday evening after announcing earlier in the day that liquor stores and recreational marijuana dispensaries would close across the city in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.

His office made a new announcement around 5 p.m. via Twitter, saying that liquor and marijuana stores “with extreme physical distancing in place” will be exempt from the mandated citywide closure of non-essential businesses starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday and continuing through April 10.

The definition of extreme is six feet, or the normal amount of social distancing that’s now recommended, the city clarified.

Hancock’s shift came just hours after he had deemed liquor stores and recreational marijuana dispensaries non-essential businesses, as opposed to groceries, gas stations and healthcare operations.

“We do not have them listed as essential,” Hancock had said of liquor stores. “As much as I might think it’s essential for me, it’s not essential for everyone.” He suggested Denver residents buy their alcohol Monday night while they still could.

And Denverites did just that, swarming their neighborhood liquor stores Monday afternoon in response — and violating social distancing requirements while they were at it — with some stores reporting lines forming a block long just 15 minutes after the mayor’s press conference.
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/03/23/liquor-stores-dispensaries-closing-denver-shelter-in-place/

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of course, they run a risk that the local community hospital will be filled up should they need to access it.

9747

I agree but she’s damn stubborn!

She says now she hasn’t seen anyone in a week and my mom got her groceries at Costco this morning. (It was the first senior hours and my mom was the first group in - very relieved.) She wouldn’t tell my mom what she wanted so she just guessed and dropped it off on her porch.

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Specialists ARE planning safe triage areas, including stadiums if necessary.

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French government tightens rules on coronavirus confinement

Kim Willsher, Guardian

The French government has tightened the rules on coronavirus confinement but is resisting calls from doctors to impose a total lockdown to ease the strain on hospitals and health staff, reports my colleague Kim Willsher in France.

Prime Minister Édouard Philippe gave a national address to give details of the new rules and hefty fines for ignoring them. Open food markets, popular and economically vital in rural areas are banned except where the local authorities deem them necessary and ensure people follow the social distancing rules.

Those wanting to do some sport can go out for a walk, jog or run with their children but must go no more than 1km from their home, be out no more than one hour and do so only once a day. They must have their “justification” paper - signed, dated and with the time they have left home - to show if stopped by the police or gendarmes. Leaving home to see the doctor is now banned except for emergency medical appointments, and only close family - not friends or colleagues - can attend funerals.

The fines for ignoring these rules are €135 for the first offence, rising to €1,500 for repeat offenders.

On Tuesday, after one week of confinement, France entered a two-month “state of health emergency” after a vote approving the emergency measure by the two houses of parliament the Assemblée Nationale and the Sénat. This legalises the confinement and restrictive measures already introduced and allows the government to order further restrictions, including controlling the price of certain products and requisitioning people and property for the “war” effort. As Macron has said: “We are at war”.

Today, we are also expecting a report from the government’s advisory “scientific committee”. It was supposed to have met on Monday, but the meeting was postponed. The committee is expected to recommend that the period of confinement - initially declared for 15 days from last Tuesday - should be extended.

There are reports in the French press that the Cameroonian singer and saxophonist Manu Dibango has died of the coronavirus aged 86. The news came in a message from the musician’s family on social media. Dibango had been taken to hospital after showing symptoms of the virus.

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I feel for the new graduates. Are there going to be jobs for them when they get out? My friends’ kids had tough time getting a job after 2008. Took years. Finally, they could hold their head up feeling good about themselves in the last few years. We are starting that all over again, young people having to look for a job for years. They are not at fault.

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Brazil’s president accuses media and governors of “tricking” citizens on severity of coronavirus outbreak
CNN Brasil

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro defended the measures he’s been taking to fight the coronavirus in his country and claimed the mainstream media and some governors are trying to “trick” the population into believing the pandemic is worse.

During a Sunday interview with CNN affiliate Record TV, Bolsonaro said “the people will soon know they have been tricked by those governors and the mainstream media” and said extreme measures, like lockdowns, could lead to a rise in unemployment.

The comments came after Bolsonaro faced several nights of protests in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, where people banged pots and pans from their windows.

Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state and the most affected by the coronavirus, went into lockdown Tuesday, forcing nonessential businesses to shut down for 15 days and limiting restaurants to delivery service.

It could take 90 days to get through the coronavirus crisis in the US
From CNN’s Mike Conte and Ryan Browne

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff suggested that the models show the country would “get through” the coronavirus crisis “probably late May, June, something in that range. Maybe could be as late as July.”

“There are a variety of models. There’s best case, worst case, something in the middle. Based on what we’ve already said, you’re looking at somewhere around 90 days based on some of the other countries. That may or may not apply to the United States,” said Gen. Mark Milley during a broadcast town hall for US service members to discuss the coronavirus.

The UK government is texting stay at home rules to to people
The British government has texted the guidelines for the stay at home order issued last night by the Prime Minister over coronavirus.

The text emphasizes that people need to stay at home unless they are going out for the following reasons:

If they need food
For health reasons
For work, but only when they absolutely cannot work from home
The text also urges people to stay 2 meters (or 6 feet) away from other people and wash their hands as soon as you get home.

Anyone can spread the virus, the text warns.

Democratic leader: Outstanding issues on coronavirus bill can be overcome in “next few hours”
From CNN’s Clare Foran

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed what other negotiators are saying Tuesday morning, signaling that he expects a deal soon — later today.

He said that he had “just finished a very productive meeting" with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, White House congressional liaison Eric Ueland and President Trump’s acting chief of staff Mark Meadows.

“Last night I thought we were on the 5 yard line, right now we’re on the 2. As I also said last night, at this point, of the few outstanding issues, I don’t see any that can’t be overcome within the next few hours,” Schumer said.

He continued: “We are very, very pleased with what seems to be moving forward in the bill – in the bipartisan bill – that we hope will be brought to the floor."

Schumer also said that the legislation will have “unemployment insurance on steroids.”

“This is a great plan. What it says is if you lose your job in this crisis you can be furloughed by your employer. That means you stay on that employers work list, if you have health benefits with the employer you can keep getting them, but most importantly the federal government will pay your salary – your full salary – for now four months. We had asked for four months and four months looks like what we’re going to get when we come to this agreement,” he said.

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Trump and FEMA chief contradict each other on Defense Production Act
From CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Kristen Holmes

President Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator contradicted each other within minutes this morning on whether the Defense Production Act is being used in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Around 8 a.m. ET, Trump tweeted, “The Defense Production Act is in full force, but haven’t had to use it because no one has said NO! Millions of masks coming as back up to States.”

Minutes later, FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor told CNN the administration will start wielding the powers in the Defense Production Act for 60,000 tests kits and “use the allocation portion of the DPA” starting today.

“Just a little while ago my team came in and we’re actually going to use the DPA for first time today,” Gaynor said.
In addition, FEMA will “insert some language into these mask contracts we have of 500 million masks,” Gaynor said. “DPA language will be in that today.”

Gaynor’s comments caught top White House officials off guard. One said they did not know what Gaynor was referencing and was still trying to figure it out in the hours after he was on television.

More context: The Defense Production Act is a Korean War-era law that gives the government the authority to completely control the entire supply chain, from forcing companies to manufacture the critically needed items, to taking over distribution and allocation of those supplies.

States have said they need Trump to take over the distribution aspect because the current process forces the 50 states to compete with one another, the federal government and hospitals to obtain medical supplies.

Business leaders say there are too many unknowns and volunteered to do whatever is needed to steer clear of Trump using his powers.

On CNN today, Gaynor said the federal government wants to be “thoughtful about not upsetting the balance, making sure we that can get it out to the market and the federal government not consume it all.”

“My current focus has been and will continue be to make sure we get critical supplies to those places around the country that need it the most. New York, New York City, Washington state and Los Angeles and California – that is where we are focused. And we continue to focus on that throughout the day today and until we solve that supply problem,” Gaynor said.

Gaynor came under scrutiny days earlier after an interview where he flatly declared Trump wasn’t using the act, despite the president’s inaccurate claims that he was. The President was irked that Gaynor could not give CNN an exact number or even a rough estimate of how many masks the federal government had on hand.

9753

^^^ good grief ^^^^

9754

That sounds exactly right for DPA use. Millions of masks are in production, and there are millions of orders for them that were placed before this pandemic was recognized because millions are used every year. What is happening now is that the federal government is directing the output to the areas that are in most critical need.

Not trying to conjure manufacturing capacity out of thin air, but directing supply to critical needs. Working as designed.

If the communication to the top isn’t 100% clear and effective that’s something that can be improved, but this shows people are doing their jobs.

9755

I’ll admit to not understanding at first why liquor stores were deemed essential but then I read posts by doctors and nurses in my community facebook group. They stated that the last thing they needed was to deal with alcoholics needing hospitalization and respirators right now.

9756

Yes, you can escape to your condo in Mammoth Lakes for example. But they’ve reminded people that their hospital has only 17 beds and 1 ventilator. So if you are carrying the virus, and you go grocery shopping to stock up your condo, you are potentially infecting a town with no capacity.

9757

Japanese investment group donates 1.4 million respirator masks to New York
From CNN’s Business

Japanese investment group Softbank announced on Tuesday that it is donating 1.4 million N95 respirator masks to New York state.

In an internal memo obtained by CNN, Marcelo Claure, COO of SoftBank, said the masks were for “those on the front lines testing, preventing, and treating the spread of this virus in New York, the current epicenter of the pandemic in the US.”

The company will also ship an additional 100,000 masks to several cities in Latin America, where he said help is desperately needed.

DC closes nonessential businesses, joining growing list of states and cities tightening restrictions amid coronavirus outbreak
More businesses in Washington, D.C. are closing to help curb the coronavirus outbreak. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Tuesday that salons, barbershops and other services not related to emergency response will be shut down. The city previously closed schools, museums, libraries, fitness centers and other businesses.

More states are ordering residents to stay at home during the coronavirus crisis, as the COVID-19 outbreak worsens in the U.S.

A total of 13 states currently have orders to stay at home, including California, New York, Washington State and Illinois. Three states have advisories or instructions from their governors to remain at home. Four states have either cities or counties with stay-at-home orders. (CNBC)

You can now pause payments on your federal student loans for 2 months. Here’s what experts say to keep in mind
Borrowers with federal student loans now have two options for relief if they suffer financial hardship from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Education announced that all borrowers with federal loans will have their interest rates automatically set at 0% for at least 60 days, a measure first announced by President Donald Trump earlier this month. Now, borrowers with federal loans have the option to suspend payments completely for at least two months without accruing interest.

While the interest rate reduction is automatic, borrowers need to request the suspension of payment, called a forbearance, from their loan servicers online or by phone. This can help free up cash for other bills or financial obligations during the coronavirus crisis. (CNBC)

9758

I agree. But NY not doing well in those numbers. Morbidity and mortality seem high to me. I’m not as concerned with the number of positives. Too directly related to number of tests.

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Starbucks CEO: Our experience tracking coronavirus in China shows US on ‘very similar’ path

CNBC’s full interview with Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson on coronavirus impact
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said that the coffee chain believes the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. is following a comparable path to what happened in China.

“It may be that in the United States it’s a little bit longer, a week or two longer period to see the recovery. It may be the same recovery, but right now it’s tracking in a very similar way to China,” Johnson said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.”

Johnson said Starbucks built a model to follow the company’s business recovery in China, where the coronavirus pandemic began in late December. “It’s now like week three here in the U.S. and we look back at what happened in China and we sort of know what to expect,” Johnson said.

[ Except China took much different actions. ]

Ford partners with GE, 3M to begin manufacturing protective equipment, ventilators
GP: China Coronavirus Outbreak in USA

Ford announced it will partner with 3M and GE Healthcare to begin producing face masks and ventilators to help fill potential shortages caused by the coronavirus.

Ford will work with 3M to manufacture a newly designed respirator and boost production of 3M’s powered air-purifying respirator, which uses a blower instead of lung power to draw air through the filter. Ford said unionized employees will be able to manufacture the new respirators.

Ford and GE Healthcare will begin manufacturing a “simplified version of GE Healthcare’s existing ventilator design” to aid patients who may experience trouble breathing caused by COVID-19. (CNBC)

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It is well known that entering the labor force during an economic downturn has lasting negative effects on career and pay progression. Greater midlife mortality is another effect.

https://siepr.stanford.edu/research/publications/recession-graduates-effects-unlucky