Morning statistics – Republican jitters – Rats affected by shortage of garbage – Boris Johnson – Las Vegas – Loss of a recycling center – Economic policy in the coming months – Death of FP – Tony Spell – Brian Kemp – Easing of restrictions – Belarus – Iran – Obliviousness of Trump – China and South Korea – Evening statistics
Today’s statistics as of 11:00 AM — # of cases worldwide: 3,017,770; # of deaths worldwide: 208,016; # of cases U.S.: 989,838; # of deaths U.S.: 55,497. The incidence rate in Spain at this point is just under 0.05%, or one in two thousand per capita. Virginia has endured a new high point in number of hospitalizations, but the number of new deaths is declining. Governor Northam says that it will require 14 days of deceleration before beginning the first phase of re-opening businesses. Non-essential businesses are closed until May 8th at the earliest.
The Republicans are said to be apprehensive about the elections this coming November. They must be aware that Trump has not exactly covered himself with laurels during the crisis, and they are worried not only that he will defeated but that his defeat will pull many of them down with them, thereby breaking their control of the Senate and the House. They’ve been warned often enough about the dangers of associating themselves with Trump and never venturing to take a stand against his numerous follies, and they must bide the consequence of ignoring the warnings.
Rats are being affected by the coronavirus, indirectly at least. The shutting down of restaurants and the diminution of trash means that less food is available for them. The various colonies of rats are fighting amongst themselves and there has been a spike in the cases of rat infanticide as well. It is possible that they will start migrating to the vicinity of people’s homes as they follow the odor of food in kitchens.
Boris Johnson has recovered from the virus. He was inclined to dismiss warnings about the virus’s effects in earlier days, but he seems to have learned a few things from his experience. He is now urging the U.K. to endure the lockdown restrictions a bit longer. The British government is hoping to test 100,000 per day for the virus by April 30th. The U.K.’s death rate continues to be high and is currently at 13.5%.
Las Vegas is desperately trying to cling to its reputation as “Sin City.” I have always described the city in my own mind as Malebolge, after the eighth circle of Dante’s Inferno, since its so-called pleasures have always seemed like penances to me. Currently, however, it bears a closer resemblance to Limbo, with deserted streets and meager handfuls of pedestrians wandering about aimlessly. The slot machines (which at this point are all electronic) have been shut off, casinos are shuttered, and the famous fountains of the Bellagio are not running. Tourism, gambling, hospitality, and leisure account for one job of every three in Nevada, which means that the state’s economy is in even worse shape than that of its neighbors.
On my excursions today I passed by the Fairfax City recycling center and discovered that it has been closed permanently. The residents of the city may use one of the county facilities instead but this is a bit of an inconvenience. The closed-up facility is less than a ten-minute drive from my house; the county facility is considerably further away. However, it is a minor matter amidst the more pressing concerns about the virus and its aftermath.
I have signed up for a seminar on the Web that will discuss the financial situation at the current time and in the near future, when the stay-at-home restrictions will be lifted. My guess is that economic activity will resume at full speed once the restrictions are lifted and that stocks will rise again. Therefore the most prudent policy would appear to be to sit on one’s hands and not to sell out prematurely. Of course, many people do not have the resources to do this, since a large number are coping with a loss of income while many businesses remain inoperative. They will have to sell out when prices for their portfolio holdings are relatively small in order to keep their heads above water. Thus the ones who are financially able to wait out the storm will profit at the expense of those who are not. It all sounds a bit sordid, as so many economic scenarios do, and one hesitates to be in a position rather like profiteering, even by proxy. But:
He who sins aught Sins more than he ought. But he who sins nought Has much to be taught. Beat or be beaten, Eat or be eaten, Be killed or kill, Choose what you will.
CC’s husband passed away today. He had been ill for a long time and of course the restrictions imposed by the virus made the last days of his caretaking more difficult, both physically and emotionally. Many of us who would have attended the funeral will not be allowed to do so at this point; gatherings of more than ten people are still prohibited.
Tony Spell, as predicted, has ignored the restrictions of his house arrest and held a service packed with people, none of them wearing masks and none practicing social distancing – indeed, they could not have done so even if they had wished to, for there are hundreds of them packed together: infinite squalor in in a little room.
Brian Kemp has evidently decided that the lesser of two evils is to ignore the public disavowal he received from the President and to go ahead with the lifting of restrictions in the state of Georgia as originally planned rather than make a sorry spectacle of himself by canceling his schedule after Trump’s tantrum. I rather wonder that he did not retort on the President with a tu quoque and point out that it was not so very long ago that Trump was urging governors to accelerate the lifting of the stay-at-home orders and even cheering on protestors in other states. I suppose he wearily concluded that any self-justification would be so much wasted effort. Indeed, what effect would such an attempt have? No one’s opinion of Trump would be affected in the least. The followers of his personality cult will never be persuaded that this demigod of theirs can err and the rest of the nation cannot detest him more thoroughly than they do now.
In general the easement of restrictions is beginning, both in some of the states in the U.S. and in some of the European nations. Even in Spain children are able to play in the streets and the playgrounds. Spain now has over 23,000 deaths due to the virus officially, but real number is probably higher; their figure counts only those who have been tested. Many have died who may have caught the virus without being aware of it. Still, the hope there is that the worst is over. The situation is similar in Italy. About twenty U.S. states are entering the first phase of lifting the lockdown. Virginia is still holding fast to its June 10th date for the end of the stay-at-home order.
Belarus continues its policy of no lockdowns. The official tally at this point is 11,289 cases and 75 deaths, but observers say that the figures may be as much as four or five times that amount. The Ukraine, with four times as many people, has only 9,009 cases. Religious masses, soccer games, parades, boxing matches, etc., are all going on usual. But some of the people residing in that country, at least, do not seem to be placing much stock in their leader’s reassurances. The stadiums are no longer full, and many do not venture out in public without face masks. Nonetheless, Lukashenko insists that the virus is a “mass psychosis” and orders everything to go on as usual. One must say that the man practices what he preaches. On Sunday Orthodox believers attended Easter services, and he himself participated along with his 15-year old son.
In Iran over 700 people have died from ingesting methanol, erroneously believing that it could cure the virus. Mosques remain closed there and the iftar meals – the meals after sunset during Ramadan, which under normal circumstance involve large groups of friends and relatives – are limited to immediate family members. Shops have re-opened there, but many officials fear a fresh outbreak and believe that the lifting of the lockdown has been premature.
“There has been so much unnecessary death in this country. It could have been stopped and it could have been stopped short, but somebody a long time ago, it seems, decided not to do it that way. And the whole world is suffering because of it.” The spokesman is none other than – Donald Trump! And he seriously hasn’t a clue that the “somebody” he refers to might be himself.
China claims that the number of active cases is now 723. That would be good news if so; but as always, their data must be taken with caveats. South Korea seems to be controlling the virus outbreak by now. It has over 10,000 cases total and of these, at least 8,000 have recovered. The death count from the virus is only 243 – impressive for a nation with over 51 million in population. The death rate from the virus in the U.S is more than 34 times higher.
Today’s statistics as of 9:00 PM — # of cases worldwide: 3,064,142; # of deaths worldwide: 211,533; # of cases U.S.: 1,010,356; # of deaths U.S.: 56,797. Some sad milestones passed today: over three million cases total and over one million of them in the U.S.