Morning statistics – Canadian website about COVID-19 – Rodney Howard Browne – Trump’s belated prudence – Spring break and aftermath – Laissez-faire attitude of Sweden and Belarus – An unexpected recovery – Liberty University – Field hospital in Manhattan – Evening statistics – Travel plans unravel
Today’s statistics as of 7:00 AM — # of cases worldwide: 732,153; # of deaths worldwide: 34,686; # of cases U.S.: 143,055; # of deaths U.S.: 2,513. Almost half of the American cases are in New York (both city and state). In China the number of cases still active is actually under 3000 now, so that is one bright spot. South Korea, similarly, has flattered its curve, to use a phrase that had been making the rounds for the past several weeks. There are hopes that both Italy and Spain have now reached the peak, but that is far from certain.
Canada has a website about the virus that is a model of clarity and even-handedness. Essentially its message is: not all Canadians will contract the disease; of those who do, a relatively small number will die; but it is essential to contain the epidemic as much as possible to minimize the strain on the national health care system, hence the guidelines on social distancing.
Rodney Howard-Browne has conducted a service in a Tampa church yesterday, with 2000 people packed inside like sardines. Why he hasn’t been arrested is something of a mystery. Other states have not hesitated to indict people who violated their injunctions on this matter for organizing gatherings on a much less extensive scale than this one.
In fairness the majority of the church priests and pastors are behaving more sensibly, many of them relying on virtual services rather than telling their congregations to be physically present.
Trump is showing a measure of prudence at last; instead of expecting everything to be back to normal by Easter he is extending social distance guidelines to April 30th. This, though slight and late and ungracious, is better than nothing. He expects, however, everything to be normal by June.
One father has actually banned his son from entering the family home. Against his advice the son spent the spring break in San Padre Island, a popular partying place, and sent the family photos of him sitting with friends on the porch and listening to music. His return was somewhat less festive; his flight was repeatedly rerouted, lasting about twice as long as he had anticipated, and when he got to the house he found his car full of groceries and a note explaining that he was not welcome until the risk of contagion had passed. He took refuge in his off-campus apartment close to his college (which has closed); but as his lease expires in June, it is uncertain where he will be able to reside afterwards.
Sweden is adopting a more laissez-faire approach than other countries. Restaurants remain open, public transportation is running normally, schools remain open. It has been criticized by experts in other countries, but the government maintains that there is no need for extreme measures now. To be sure, it is doing relatively well – 3,700 cases and 110 deaths – and the Swedes are being fairly conscientious about keeping clean. Still, they are meeting in large groups from time to time, and it remains to be seen whether more stringent measures will be needed. In Belarus caution has been flung to the winds; soccer games are going on as usual, and their president has urged everyone to drink vodka and take saunas to stay in good health. The World Health Organization begs to disagree with this recommendation.
Several other entertainers have come with the virus, including Placido Domingo, one of the greatest of tenors. He is 79, so his chances of recovery are not good. However, age alone does not necessarily mean a fatality. In Italy a man who was born and spent his first years during the Spanish flu epidemic has proven his mettle again by contracting the virus and recovering. He is 101 years old.
Other than that, the news in Italy is still grim; the number of cases passed 100,000 today and the mortality rate is well over 10%.
Liberty University, in Lynchburg, VA, re-opened last week and is already paying the price for ignoring the clearest of warnings. At least a dozen students have fallen ill with symptoms consistent with the virus and several hundred have already fled the campus while they were still able to leave. Its president, Jerry Falwell, has suddenly changed his tune and has professed to feel anxious about the ones who still remain. State and local officials were furious that Falwell so brazenly defied their injunctions to keep his university closed; what I don’t understand is why the parents are not resentful as well, or why they allowed their sons and daughters to return after spring break in the first place. They must be absolute sheep!
In New York Central Park has been turned into a field hospital in order to alleviate the shortage of beds in the regular hospitals. New York and its environs remain the greatest sufferers so far, accounting for at least 40% of the cases and of the deaths. My aunt says that the city is almost silent and has been so for days.
Today’s statistics as of 6:00 PM — # of cases worldwide: 775,306; # of deaths worldwide: 37,073; # of cases U.S.: 159,184; # of deaths U.S.: 2,945. In China the number of cases still active continues to decline, albeit slowly. South Korea, once one of the forerunners in the total number of cases, is now 13th on the list, but there are still some increases.
My April visit to the Midwest has been canceled; under the circumstances, it’s too risky. In any case, my friends tell me that everything in Chicago is pretty much shut down, making it not very worthwhile for a casual tourist. Besides, it appears that road trips are not feasible at this point. Virginia, Maryland, and DC have all issued a stay-at-home order. In the case of Virginia this order extends to June 10th. It is somewhat less restrictive than Maryland’s order, in that it doesn’t prohibit people from crossing state borders.