End of first winter snowstorm – Winter driving here and elsewhere – A less optimistic forecast for the end of the pandemic – Vaccinations in Virginia – Pace of vaccination nationwide – Evening statistics
The snowfall ended in mid-afternoon, having lasted for two days. But the temperatures during these days were in the 30s, which meant that much of it melted directly after hitting the ground. The total accumulation is therefore not very great: I don’t think I stepped into any place today whose snow level was more than two inches deep. Cities further to the north, such as New York, ended up with well over a foot of snow, so we certainly have gotten off very lightly here. I was glad that I had removed the ice from the walkways and driveway yesterday. The precipitation that fell overnight was genuine snow rather than the snow/ice/rain mixture we received during much of yesterday and clearing the ways today was easy. Even the patches of ice sheet that were too firmly attached to the ground for removal yesterday came off readily today on account of the melted water that had mixed into them.
I was reminded of a remark that I heard, years ago, from an acquaintance of mine who lived in the Midwest for several years before moving to the DC metro area. She said that driving during the winter months is more difficult here than in Chicago. She was not referring to the erratic behavior of the drivers in this area, as one might expect, but to a different sort of danger. In Chicago the snow levels tend to be higher and the temperatures during days of snowfall rarely rise above freezing, which means that the snow doesn’t melt on the ground and then freeze overnight, as it does here. She said that driving over patches of ice that were covered with snow (a frequent experience during the winters here) was some of the most nerve-wracking she had ever done.
As a result of a much saner administration now being in charge, one can concentrate on the matter of the COVID virus itself more intently, without being distracted by side issues. Dr. Clare Wenham, an assistant professor of global health policy at London School of Economics, has said that the return to life going on completely as normal will not occur until the appropriate vaccinations are globally distributed. This, according to the data she’s compiled, will not occur until about two years from now. The amount of travel that goes on among countries means that any country that has a high percentage of people vaccinated might still be risk if a variant of the COVID virus is brought in from another country that is less well-vaccinated.
With regard to vaccinations, several days have elapsed since I filled out the online questionnaire confirming that I fell into Category 1B and was thus eligible to receive one. So I contacted the county agency today to inquire about an approximate timeframe in which I might expect to be able to make an appointment to receive the first dose. The representative’s reply was admirable for its brevity: “Weeks or months.” So it appears that my original estimate of getting it in March is, if anything, too optimistic.
However, about a million doses of the vaccine nation-wide are going directly to pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, so it is just possible I might be able to get one through this alternate source. Biden has pledged to distributing 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days of his administration. That pace, of 1 million doses a day, is already being surpassed, and White House officials say that this goal is “a floor, not a ceiling.” So it will be seen this administration is being a great deal more responsive to the COVID threat than the previous one – but no more of that, it is so obvious that it is pointless to belabor the matter.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 104,374,337; # of deaths worldwide: 2,262,004; # of cases U.S.: 27,025,649; # of deaths; U.S.: 457,856.