The Pandemic Could Get Much, Much Worse. We Must Act Now.

[Zorro]

A comprehensive shutdown may be required in much of the country.

When you mix science and politics, you get politics. With the coronavirus, the United States has proved politics hasn’t worked. If we are to fully reopen both the economy and schools safely — which can be done — we have to return to science.

To understand just how bad things are in the United States and, more important, what can be done about it requires comparison. At this writing, Italy, once the poster child of coronavirus devastation and with a population twice that of Texas, has recently averaged about 200 new cases a day when Texas has had over 9,000. Germany, with a population four times that of Florida, has had fewer than 400 new cases a day. On Sunday, Florida reported over 15,300, the highest single-day total of any state.

The White House says the country has to learn to live with the virus. That’s one thing if new cases occurred at the rates in Italy or Germany, not to mention South Korea or Australia or Vietnam (which so far has zero deaths). It’s another thing when the United States has the highest growth rate of new cases in the world, ahead even of Brazil.

Italy, Germany and dozens of other countries have reopened almost entirely, and they had every reason to do so. They all took the virus seriously and acted decisively, and they continue to: Australia just issued fines totaling $18,000 because too many people attended a birthday party in someone’s home.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/opinion/coronavirus-shutdown.html

[BigmanPigman]

1. We need to bite the bullet now...

it is an investment in our future. If we don't the economic recovery won't be coming for a loooooooong time. Why can't all these fiscally minded GOP reps see this? I know they don't give a shit about their constituents dying of Covid or getting sick and not having health insur but if they don't make money (even illegally) how will they live? "Money" is their middle name.