On the Appalachian Trail – The pace of vaccination – Jubilant mood in California – Easing of restrictions in other states – The virus in India, Brazil, and Nepal – Effects of COVID in North Korea – An odd side effect of the virus – Evening statistics
There has been a delay in resuming the journal entries. I had little access to the Internet during the stay in Kings Canyon/Sequoia, and there is always much to do after returning from a trip. In addition, I went with the Vigorous Hikers yesterday along the Appalachian Trail from Panorama to Elkwallow and back, which is nearly 18 miles with about 3000 feet of elevation gain, so I was rather tired after driving back home again. The hike itself was very pleasant. The section of the AT has no especially outstanding features, but it goes through dense forest with many wildflowers at all seasons (at this time of year the columbines were especially numerous and various clusters of mountain laurel were still in bloom) and the temperature was pleasantly cool. I understand that the weather in the area had been extremely hot the week before, while I was traveling, but for the past few days it has been all that could be desired, not overly humid, and warm rather than hot.
The pace of vaccination is slowing down, but at this point nearly 65% of all American adults have received at least one dose and nearly 55% have been fully vaccinated. It is not a bad result, although of course one hopes that the figures will increase during the following weeks. I entered several stores today and each one posted a notice stating that non-vaccinated customers were the only ones who needed to wear masks. There is no attempt at enforcement, however. It is all done on the honor system, and my guess is that many non-vaccinated shoppers will not bother to comply.
The majority of states have eased restrictions or ended them altogether. Most notably, California has just lifted its mask mandate and its social distancing guidelines. More than 70% of the state’s adults have received at least one dose and its current infection rate has been under 1% for more than six weeks, one of the lowest in the country. Businesses and counties can still require masks and impose other restrictions, but most businesses said they would rely on the honor system when it comes to determining whether patrons are vaccinated. Museums, however, are still requiring its visitors to wear masks. Disneyland will admit out-of-state visitors for the first time since March, 2020; while in San Francisco the cable cars, which were halted at the start of the pandemic, will start running again in August and rides will be free all month.
New York also has seen at least 70% of its adults receive at least one dose, and restrictions there have been lifted as well. Not many states have restrictions in effect at this point and those that do plan to lift them soon. Washington is scheduled to lift all restrictions by June 30th, and Maryland and Michigan by July 1st. New Mexico will set to end its restrictions by July 1st if it reaches a 60% vaccination rate by then. Currently 59.5% of adults in the state have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. Hawaii will drop all restrictions once it reaches a 70% vaccination rate; it currently is at 68.5%
In other countries the pandemic is still creating much distress. It is waning in India, but the nation’s case count is now close to our own. Moreover, the five-week lockdown has ended and crowds are thronging again all over the country, prompting fears of yet another wave of the virus. Only 5% of the country’s population has been inoculated at this point. Similarly, Brazil’s death toll is nearly as large as ours; in proportion to its population, its mortality rate is 25% higher than that of the U.S. And that, of course, takes into account only the official statistics. The actual figures, as most Brazilian medical authorities agree, are probably much higher. Brazil’s rate of vaccination is higher than India’s, but even so, less than 12% of the population has been fully vaccinated. Bolsonaro continues to display the same insouciance that has characterized him throughout the crisis; on Saturday he led a motorcycle rally in which he and his supporters wore no masks. The city of Sao Paolo in response has fined him for violation of its mask mandate, which has been in place since May, 2020. In Nepal, about 40% of COVID tests are coming back positive. It can take up to two weeks to get test results and in the meantime an infected person can easily spread the virus to many community members. Again, the figures for vaccination are low; only about 3% of the country’s population has been inoculated.
Although North Korea officially has no reported COVID cases, Kim Jong Un warned about possible food shortages and urged the country to brace for extended COVID-19 restrictions. The economy at this point is in a shambles. Pandemic border closures have choked off trade with China, while devastating typhoons and floods during the previous summer has decimated crops. It must be said that Kim Jong Un, unlike several other dictators, has taken the COVID threat seriously. He has closed borders despite the economic hardships such a step entails, and he has enforced measures such as social distancing. The country has a surprisingly large number of doctors, even if they are less skilled and experienced than their Western counterparts, and the level of personal hygiene is superior to that of many Third World countries. The claim of the country’s having no instances of COVID is doubtful, but it seems likely that the virus has been contained more readily there for the same reason that it has been in Vietnam: the government rules with an iron fist and few of its citizens would attempt to flout any regulations it decides to impose.
It’s not exactly a crippling loss, but one of the odd effects of the coronavirus is a glut of unsold Girl Scout cookies. During the recent spring selling season, many troops decided not to set up the traditional cookie booths in order not to endanger the health of their members. The Girl Scouts organization forecasted lower sales for this year; but, even so, they were over-optimistic in placing their orders to the bakers. About 15 million extra boxes were left over as the season wore down. About 12 million of these remain with the two professional baking firms, Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers. An additional 3 million remain with the various Girl Scout Councils, who are struggling to sell them. They are pressed for time in this effort: the cookies have a 12-month shelf life.
Yesterday’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 177,362,048; # of deaths worldwide: 3,836,821; # of cases U.S.: 34,350,201; # of deaths; U.S.: 615,679.
Today’s statistics as of 9:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 177,787,170; # of deaths worldwide: 3,848,157; # of cases U.S.: 34,366,073; # of deaths; U.S.: 616,144.