Politics of Covid-19

Kyle

ULTRA-F###ING-MAGA!
PREMO Member
148733
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Binette's temporary restraining order allowing Kalahari Resorts & Conventions to immediately reopen its water park in Sandusky is another legal blow against Acton's business closure order, which Lake County Court of Common Pleas Judge Eugene Lucci deemed "arbitrary, unreasonable, and oppressive" in a decision last month involving gyms. While Lucci's ruling focused on statutory interpretation, Binette concluded that Acton—who resigned from her job as head of the health department yesterday but continues to advise Gov. Mike DeWine on health issues—exercised unconstitutionally broad powers by purporting to make the operation of certain heretofore legal businesses a crime.
In issuing her orders, Acton relied on a statute that charges her department with "supervision of all matters relating to the preservation of the life and health of the people" and gives it "ultimate authority in matters of quarantine and isolation." She interpreted that to mean she had "the authority to make special orders for preventing the spread of contagious or infectious disease."

Binette questions that interpretation, saying "a literal reading" of the law "reveals that it does not state Defendant Acton has" the authority she claimed. But assuming Acton's understanding of the law is correct, he says, the statute unconstitutionally delegates legislative powers to a single executive branch official.

That transfer of authority "violates the separation of powers that exist in our Constitutional framework to protect our citizens from the consolidation of power in one person," Binette writes. "Laws and policy are to be made by our elected legislature, accountable to its citizens." Yet Acton claimed the power to "legislate by issuing an Order" and "then criminalize [violation of] the same policy she has made" by declaring it a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a $750 fine and up to 90 days in jail. Furthermore, "the criminalization of it is based on strict liability" with "no provision for defenses," although "Ohio criminal statutes require 'intent' to be set forth in concert with a particular crime."



https://reason.com/2020/06/12/another-judge-rules-that-ohios-covid-19-lockdown-is-illegal/
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Critical Race Theory as Pandemic Response? California Requires 'Equity' to Ease Lockdowns


“Our entire state has come together to redouble our efforts to reduce the devastating toll COVID-19 has had on our Latino, Black and Pacific Islander communities,” Acting State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan said in a statement. “This isn’t just a matter of higher cases in these communities – it is an issue of life and death that is hurting all Californians.”

“An all-community, cross-sector approach to work together to slow the transmission of COVID in all populations will help ensure we reopen our economy safely, protect our essential workers, and support our local partners,” Pan added.

What does “equity” in terms of race have to do with slowing the spread of a pandemic? Shouldn’t the government and public health agencies focus on the virus, rather than whether patients are black, white, or Asian? Shouldn’t counties be able to lift lockdown restrictions as quickly as it is safely possible in order to facilitate economic recovery?

Rather than moving California closer to reopening, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) has added even more red tape to the process.

According to the health department website, counties with a population greater than 106,000 must “Ensure that the test positivity rates in its most disadvantaged neighborhoods, as defined as being in the lowest quartile of the Healthy Places Index census tracts, do not significantly lag behind its overall county test positivity rate.”

The Equity Metric requires counties to “submit a plan that (1) defines its disproportionately impacted populations, (2) specifies the percent of its COVID-19 cases in these populations, and (3) shows that it plans to invest Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases… grant funds at least at that percentage to interrupt disease transmission in these populations.”
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Did a WHO Official Admit that COVID-19 Has a Death Rate Similar to the Flu?



While we can all agree that the deaths caused by the Chinese virus are terrible, some simple math can put this number into perspective—something the media seems to be missing.

Worldwide, the WHO estimates 1,040,000 (rounded) have died from COVID.

So, let’s do the math:

1.04 million deaths / 750 million infections = 0.1386 percent infection fatality rate.

According to the CDC, in the 2017-2018 flu season, the seasonal flu had a mortality rate ranging from 0.129 percent to 0.1355 percent.

Back in March, the WHO estimated a 3.4 percent fatality rate for COVID-19. The health experts advising various governments worldwide used dire predictions of incredibly high death rates to justify unprecedented lockdowns. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci estimated that the fatality rate of the coronavirus was about 2 percent. “If you look at the cases that have come to the attention of the medical authorities in China, and you just do the math, the math is about 2%.”
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Endless Coronavirus Lockdowns Are The Epitome Of 21st Century Privilege


It’s deeply ironic that the teachers union of one of the farthest-left school districts in the country can’t see that their intense concern over reopening schools isn’t driven by objective “science and health data,” but highly subjective risk assessments shaped by their privilege. According to data scientists at the technology company Qualtrics, evidence so far indicates schools only produce infection rates well under half of 1 percent out of students and staff, to say nothing of the much lower hospitalization rates in a cohort far younger than the general population.

The woke left, from which most of the lockdown zealotry comes, believes our understanding of race and “class” relations, even morality itself, is supposedly fundamentally shaped by people’s access to resources and power. Yet they are either oblivious or in denial about how the privilege of living in an age of advanced medicine and relative domestic tranquility has shaped their understanding of social responsibility since the disease emerged.

It’s well past time we scrutinize the fear of COVID-19 and fervor for pandemic restrictions as artifacts of 21st-century privilege, if we’re ever to regain the perspective necessary to finally get back to normal.
 

Kyle

ULTRA-F###ING-MAGA!
PREMO Member
Biden said: “This is no time for Donald Trump’s record of hysteria xenophobia, hysterical xenophobia, and fear-mongering to lead the way instead of science.”
Biden again used the word “xenophobic” in March — once at a press conference and once in response to a Trump tweet.
 

Kyle

ULTRA-F###ING-MAGA!
PREMO Member
After attacking Trump's coronavirus-related China travel ban as xenophobic, Dems and media have changed tune


 
Check out the lastest numbers coming from China:

China (mainland) cases
Updated Oct 28 at 9:24 AM local
Confirmed 85,868 (+42)
Deaths 4,634
Recovered 80,936

 

Kyle

ULTRA-F###ING-MAGA!
PREMO Member
Check out the lastest numbers coming from China:

China (mainland) cases
Updated Oct 28 at 9:24 AM local
Confirmed 85,868 (+42)
Deaths 4,634
Recovered 80,936


Yep. Those numbers look TOTALLY real. :jet:
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
‘Direct Violation’: Texas AG Slams Democratic Judge Attempting To Reinstate Lockdown Order



El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego on Thursday ordered a two-week shutdown of all non-essential businesses in order to contain a recent spike in coronavirus cases in the area.

“When we focus strictly on public health and try to minimize the economy, that in essence was the reason that we were able to begin to open the economy. And I don’t want anyone to forget that we took measures that slowed down the economy and allowed public health to intervene and that’s when the economy started to open, and so what I am doing now is not anything that has not been tried, but things that have worked not only for our community but other communities as well,” Samaniego said at a news conference announcing his order.

Paxton challenged Samaniego’s authority to reinstate such harsh mitigation efforts in violation of an order from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

“El Paso County Judge Samaniego has no authority to shut down businesses in El Paso County. This is a direct violation of [Gov. Abbott’s] executive order. My office is quickly exploring all legal actions,” Paxton’s office tweeted out on Thursday.

“El Paso County Judge Samaniego has no authority to shut down businesses in El Paso County. This is a direct violation of [Gov. Abbott’s] executive order. My office is quickly exploring all legal actions,” Paxton’s office tweeted out on Thursday.


 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Democrat West Coast Governors Impose COVID Travel 'Advisory' on Free Americans


Governors of California, Washington, and Oregon issued a “travel advisory” over the entire West Coast on Friday because of coronavirus case increases, even though the rate of the disease is lower per-hundred-thousand than in many other states. In California, cases aren’t even close to the heights they were in July. The “advisory” was timed to upset Thanksgiving and Christmas plans where, oddly, families spend time with each other.

Naturally, the phalanx of Democrats, in and out of the media, called governors Gavin Newsom, Washington’s Jay Inslee, and Kate Brown of Oregon racist and xenophobic for trying to stop people of color from roaming freely between states without a 14-day quarantine. No wait, that was what they called President Trump when he halted travel from China because that’s where the Wuhan coronavirus originated.

(For the record, “fact-checkers,” that’s called satire. You can quote me on that.)

The West Coast governors cartel cited increasing COVID cases as the reason why they don’t want you to visit your adult children or brother’s house in Encino, Mist, or Bothell.
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
63% of US Counties Still Have 5 or Fewer COVID-19 Deaths

As Heritage Foundation researchers have demonstrated throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. has been heavily concentrated in a small number of states—and among a small number of counties within states.

Even though the U.S. has seen a rapid rise in cases during the past month, the overall levels of concentration have remained fairly consistent.

As of July 28, for example, just 10 states account for 60% of all U.S. cases and 68% of all deaths (greater than their 50% share of the population).

The five states with the most cases—New York, California, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey—report 44% of all U.S. cases and 46% of all deaths.

In the past 30 days, the five states with the most reported COVID-19 deaths is very similar—Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, and New York (in descending order). Together, these five states reported 52% of all the COVID-19 deaths during the past 30 days, although they account for 36% of the U.S. population.
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
10 Counties With 21% of COVID-19 Deaths Have Just 11% of the Population

For instance, near the start of the pandemic, from March 1 to April 15, half of all the new cases were in just 22 counties (with just a 12% share of the population). Fifteen of those counties were in either New York or New Jersey, and all but 4 were in the Northeast corridor.


However, from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, half of the new cases spread among 182 counties, in 42 states. Moreover, these counties contain 49.4% of the U.S. population, roughly equal to the share of new cases.

Although 18 of these counties are in New York and New Jersey (including many in the New York City area), states outside the Northeast contributed significantly to the rise in new cases. For instance, 13 of these counties are in Wisconsin, 12 are in Texas, 10 are in California (including Los Angeles), nine are in Illinois, and four are in North Dakota.

New COVID-19 deaths from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12 are even more geographically dispersed: 50% of those fatalities are spread among 234 counties.

From the beginning of the pandemic, total COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. remain heavily concentrated in a small number of states and counties. Given these figures, there are no new “hot spots” comparable to those during the earliest stages of the pandemic.
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
It appears that many of the people who are testing positive to the Corona Virus are not even sick with it or their symptom are mild and much like the common cold.
Now I don't know if the Covid test is too sensitive or the flu's potency is going down, as I say I don't know.
But these governors and even our own beloved Fat Larry are closing things down again using the figures instead of using the figure of how many are actually hospitalized or are dying from it.
 
Maryland numbers in perspective: 165,930 total positives since we began counting.
124,409 is total for PG, Mont, Bal, and AA.
The remaining 18 counties total 41,521.
St. Mary's is 1,731 and Calvert is 1,365 of that number.
Total MD population: 6,083,120
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
Maryland numbers in perspective: 165,930 total positives since we began counting.
124,409 is total for PG, Mont, Bal, and AA.
The remaining 18 counties total 41,521.
St. Mary's is 1,731 and Calvert is 1,365 of that number.
Total MD population: 6,083,120

Gosh. Those figures indicate about the same thing as the Biden votes.

That blue line that runs up the center of Maryland and destroys the red views of the rest of the state.
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Brown made it very clear that she didn’t want to be a tyrant, but because people weren’t obeying her commands, she had no choice.

A spokesperson for the governor told the outlet that Oregon State Police “will be working with local law enforcement to enforce the Governor’s orders, in the same way local law enforcement officers respond to noise complaints for loud parties, for example, and issue citations.”
“For the last eight months, I have been asking Oregonians to follow the letter and the spirit of the law and we have not chosen to engage law enforcement. At this point in time, unfortunately, we have no other option,” the governor reportedly said over the weekend.
So when there’s no other option you threaten to bring the jackboot down on people’s necks? Governor Brown is auditioning for a role in Joe Biden’s cabinet. I’m sure most Democrats will look favorably on her whip-cracking.


But is it a “freeze” or a “lockdown”? You decide.

Under Brown’s temporary freeze, which is set to last until early December, restaurants and bars will be reducing their businesses to takeout and delivery options. Gyms, museums and skating rinks will also be required to close during the period.
The move comes as the state has reported a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.


 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Appeals Court Rules Governor Abbott’s Lockdown Orders Trump Those Of El Paso County Judge


The battle between El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and the orders issued by Governor Abbott to manage the coronavirus outbreak in Texas began when Samaniego issued a shutdown order on Oct. 29. The county judge was responding to an increase in cases and hospitalizations in the El Paso area. The number of total cases in El Paso has surpassed 70,000 as of Friday. Samaniego extended the original shutdown order past Thanksgiving. Responding to the extension, a group of restaurant owners and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit to stop the extended lockdown.

This is the problem with the lockdowns – they begin and then they are extended with no end in sight. Samaniego’s reasoning was that closing non-essential businesses would stop the spread of the virus in El Paso County. His initial lockdown order didn’t achieve that result, though, and hospitalizations are continuing to rise. The appeals court ruled that the county judge didn’t have the authority to make separate rules for the county. Just like all the other counties in Texas, El Paso County must follow the governor’s orders. Chief Justice Alley acknowledged the uptick in cases despite previous lockdown orders but said, “A servant cannot have two masters.” That means if the governor allows something, the county can’t prohibit it.
 
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