They continue to drop , but it seems that the big drops the past week and half may have been due to weather and other situations….
The vaccination rate has accelerated….
Almost 10% of Americans have received both shots….
The Johnson & Johnson single single shot vaccine is now coming out to the public….
President Biden says that by May….
There should be a vaccine shot available for every American….
Several Governor’s are relaxing virus restrictions around the country….
Washington Post…
In the past week in the U.S….
Among reported tests, the positivity rate was 4.2%.
The number of tests reported rose 12.4% from the previous week.Read more
Since Dec. 14, more than 78,631,000 doses of a covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.S.
More than 26,162,000 people have completed vaccination, or about 7.88% of the population. Read more in our vaccination tracker…
Wash Post ….Link…
NY Times….
The State of the Virus
Update for March 1
- The country is averaging about 68,000 cases a day, a figure that has held mostly steady for about a week. Though the pace of progress seems to have slowed, there has not yet been any rebound in case numbers.
- Fewer than 50,000 coronavirus patients are hospitalized nationwide, according to the Covid Tracking Project, down from a peak of more than 130,000 in January.
- Though deaths have also declined, about 2,000 deaths continue to be reported across the country each day. In some places, health departments have said many of the newly reported deaths occurred weeks ago.
- New York and New Jersey have added cases at the highest rates in the country over the last week. Cases are persistently high around New York City.
- Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri are among several Midwestern states that have seen case numbers plunge to their lowest levels since summer 2020.
- The vaccination campaign continues to pick up speed, with about 1.74 million doses being administered each day. The rollout of a third vaccine, developed by Johnson & Johnson, could further hasten that pace.
NY Times ...Link...
This might be REAL dumb and dangerous….
As Texas and Mississippi move to open ‘100%’ and lift mask mandates, health officials warn: ‘It’s still too early’…
More…
Straight politics.
These two Trumpites want to show the cult that they ain’t takin’ orders from them damn “libruls.”
Eat, drink, be merry and if things start going downhill be sure to divert attention by calling Fauci some names!
That gets these Right wing kooks going all the time!
And then it’s always safe to blame China
(which has indeed done so much to deserve it; early in her congressional career, Nancy Pelosi, with a large Chinese-American constituency in San Francisco, joined a lot of folks well to her right in standing up for religious freedom in China.)
It appears that Texas and Mississippi, with two stellar Governors who are trying to out Trump everyone else, are busy trying to take that lead in Covid deaths. They just might succeed.
If Abbott couldn’t freeze everyone to death he can always give them a deadly virus.
Got to go, big work day here. My firm has taken off since January and I need to hire another grant writer. I am accepting resumes. Have a great day everyone.
Biden already knockd the two knuckleheads
As I wrote last night, Texas and Mississippi together account for a tenth of the nation’s population. (30+3 million out of 330).
Very hard for me to see how the more prudent 90% of America, no matter how cautious, could protect itself.
Unless the Texas Republic de-annexes and comes under international quarantine rules.
At least these companies will ‘try’…..
Several national chain retailers will keep their mask mandates in place despite governors in Mississippi and Texas lifting the states’ requirements, CBS News reported.
Kroger, Target and Walgreens all announced they will keep their mask requirements, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
“There is no change at this time to the company mask mandate policy or any current safety protocols that are in place in our stores or any work locations to protect our customers and team members. We are following current CDC and [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] guidelines regarding safety protocols,” a spokesperson for Walgreens told CBS….
More…
What’s funny is that these Trump Party Governors usually claim that they are taking these measures to help “business.”
How requiring potential virus spreaders to wear masks is hurting “business” is never explained.
Yeah I’ve heard pro virus Republicans claim mask mandates help Wal Mart and big box stores over mom and pop businesses. I don’t see how as they all have the same mask requirements and in the last year I’ve shopped at my neighborhood stores far more often as I am not commuting to the office nearly as much and I can walk to my locally owned neighborhood markets. Of course these same Republicans had no issue with decades of policy that favored large businesses like Wal Mart and now Amazon. And if they are really so opposed to these mega corporations they can always pass Warren’s wealth tax–which would result in Jeff Bezos paying $5 billion a year in taxes. C’mon Republicans! Show us how you really wanna stick it to these mega businesses who you think profited unfairly from Covid
Update…
Add Montana, Iowa and Alabama to states dropping mask mandate’s….
All good Trump Party states.
Here in the Trump Party State of S.C. pro virus Gov. Henry McMaster dropped all restrictions the other day.
SC never had a statewide mask mandate ;however, many municipalities and counties adopted their own .The Governor has no power under state law to abrogate a local ordinance although I’m sure ol” freedom loving” Henry was eager to.
The City of Charleston has vigorously enforced their ordinance citing 800 or so for its violation .
It now appears that Texas Trump Party Gov. Abbott didn’t consult his own Science advisors before his pro virus moves f the other day.
They’ve all said that they would not have advised him to take the action he did .There being a strong anti science component in the Trump Party ,Abbot probably feels on sage political ground.
Governor Kay Ivey
@GovernorKayIvey
Replying to
@GovernorKayIvey
Our new, modified order will include several changes that’ll ease up on some of our current restrictions, while keeping our mask order in place for another 5 weeks, until April 9. After April 9th, I will NOT keep the mask order in effect. https://governor.alabama.gov/newsroom/2021/03/governor-ivey-extends-safer-at-home-order-3/… #alpolitics 3/8
…
Governor Kay Ivey
@GovernorKayIvey
Replying to
@GovernorKayIvey
The bottom line is we have kept the mask mandate in place for more than a generous period of time because it has helped. And as a result of the people of our state doing their part, we have seen dramatic results & real progress being made. #alpolitics 5/8
She better hope her fellow Trump Party Governoship actions don’t help a new surge of cases.
Her self imposed deadline of April 9 might then not look like a good idea.
Then again despite her alledged “final word” here ,she actually leaves herself some wiggle room to change course depending on then existing circumstances.
She ain’t stupid….
Keith, I have a friend who has substantial experience as a grant writer and he might be interested in a part time job. I know he is not interested in full time work as he has already delayed his retirement. If you send me the job description, I can forward it to him.
Biden said he would ask people to wear masks for 100 days once he was sworn in, which would make the date 4/30.
Somehow I think though that we will be told that it needs to be extended.
Probably will….
U.S. Bishop Chairmen for Doctrine and for Pro-Life Address the Use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine
March 2, 2021 By Public Affairs Office [U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops[
WASHINGTON– On March 2, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine recently approved for use in the United States.
“The approval of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in the United States again raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines.
“Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged that ‘when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available … it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.’[1] However, if one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.
“While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good.”
https://www.usccb.org/news/2021/us-bishop-chairmen-doctrine-and-pro-life-address-use-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine
So they’re ok with the J & J?
So again….
They’re ok with them all for the better good….
Dave responded accurately below. If you tell your grandson that it is okay to break a window to get out of the house during a fire, the clear implication is that it is not okay if there is no fire.
I thought that the article that Dave initially posted was well written, and I am not sure why you still find it confusing – even after Dave explained it. The article requires no more than a 8th grade reading capability, if that.
Never hurts to read, James.
The Bishops (following Vatican guidance) consider Pfizer, Moderna and other vaccines preferable to J&J (because fewer ties to aborted embryos), but say that when these others are not readily available, it’s acceptable for Catholics to take it without incurring moral sin.