U.S. spends Easter Sunday on lockdown as COVID-19 death toll tops 21,300

[webfact]

U.S. spends Easter Sunday on lockdown as COVID-19 death toll tops 21,300

By Barbara Goldberg and Tom Polansek

 

A young couple pray at sunrise on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, where normally thousands of Christians would gather for worship at Easter sunrise, in Washington, U.S. April 12, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Americans spent Easter Sunday on lockdown as the U.S. toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic surpassed 21,300 deaths and more than half a million confirmed cases.

 

In the latest sign of the disruption wrought by the disease, one of the nation's largest pork processing plants was shuttered after workers fell ill, and its owner warned the country was moving "perilously close to the edge" in supplies for grocers.

 

"It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running," Ken Sullivan, chief executive of Smithfield Foods, said in a statement on Sunday.

 

With almost all Americans kept indoors under stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the disease, many turned to online church services to mark the holiest day in the Christian calendar.

 

The United States has recorded more fatalities from the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus than any other country in the world. Roughly 2,000 deaths a day were reported for the last four days in a row, the largest number in and around New York City. Even that is viewed as understated, as New York is still figuring out how best to include a surge in deaths at home in its official statistics.

 

(Graphic: Tracking the novel coronavirus in the U.S. - https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-USA/0100B5K8423/index.html)

 

As the death toll has mounted, President Donald Trump mulled over when the country might begin to see a return to normality.

 

The sweeping restrictions on non-essential movement that were imposed in recent weeks across 42 states have taken a huge toll on commerce and raised questions over how long business closures and travel curbs can be sustained.

 

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits in the last three weeks surpassed 16 million.

 

The Trump administration sees May 1 as a target date for relaxing the stay-at-home restrictions, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn, said on Sunday. But he cautioned that it was still too early to say whether that goal would be met.

 

"We see light at the end of the tunnel," Hahn told ABC's "This Week," adding, "Public safety and the welfare of the American people has to come first. That has to ultimately drive these decisions."

 

SUNDAY SERVICES

Most states have issued broad stay-at-home orders that prohibit any large gatherings. In some states, that has sparked legal battles over whether there should be exceptions to attend Easter services in person.

 

On Saturday, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld an executive order barring more than 10 people from gathering for religious and funeral services. The decision, a victory for Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, followed an attempt by a Republican-led legislative body to overturn the order.

 

Some religious leaders plan to defy coronavirus bans, saying their right to worship outweighed the warnings.

 

Reverend Tony Spell told Reuters he expected more than 2,000 to congregate for services on Sunday at his evangelical Life Tabernacle megachurch near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

U.S. Attorney General William Barr will be monitoring the regulation of religious services, Department of Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupac wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

 

"While social distancing policies are appropriate during this emergency, they must be applied evenhandedly & not single out religious orgs," Kupac wrote. "Expect action from DOJ next week!"

 

In recent days, U.S. public health experts and some governors have pointed to signs that the country is starting to see a turnaround in the fight against the outbreak.

 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top U.S. infectious disease expert, said he was cautiously optimistic and pointed to the New York metropolitan area, which had its highest daily death toll last week but also saw a decrease in hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and the need to intubate critically ill patients.

 

"Once you turn that corner, hopefully you'll see a very sharp decline and then you can start thinking about how we can keep it that way," Fauci said on CNN's "State of the Union."

 

"If all of a sudden we decide 'OK, it's May whatever,' and we just turn the switch on, that could be a real problem."

 

Fauci and other public health experts say widespread testing will be key to efforts to reopen the economy, including antibody tests to find out who has already had the disease and could be safe to return to work.

 

The FDA's Hahn said he was concerned that some antibody tests on the market that had not gone through the FDA scientific review process "may not be as accurate as we'd like them to be."

 

"I can assure the American people that what we're doing is using data and science to look at those tests to make sure that they're valid, they're accurate and they're reproducible," he said.

 

New government data shows a summer surge in infections if stay-at-home orders are lifted after only 30 days, according to projections first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security official.

 

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg, Tom Polansek, Katie Paul, Doina Chiacu, Ross Colvin, Noeleen Walder, Christopher Bing and Lisa Shumaker; Writing by Daniel Wallis; editing by Diane Craft)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-13

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[Tug]

I’m not a church goer but usually I deep fry 3 turkeys and do 2 Costco hams for friends and neighbors not this year though just the wife and I kinda sad but we are healthy that’s certainly something to celebrate happy Easter to all be safe blessings and good health to all

[nobodysfriend]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

New York is still figuring out how best to include a surge in deaths at home in its official statistics.

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Some religious leaders plan to defy coronavirus bans, saying their right to worship outweighed the warnings.

Go and pray , but at least wear a mask ...

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Fauci and other public health experts say widespread testing will be key to efforts to reopen the economy, including antibody tests to find out who has already had the disease and could be safe to return to work

 

Testing and isolating is important , but it needs to be done rapidly to prevent further , out of control , spread .

 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

New government data shows a summer surge in infections if stay-at-home orders are lifted after only 30 days, according to projections first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security official.

 

Without social distancing and sufficient testing , infections will surge , that is logical .

But without job , people will create ' social unrest ' and the american economy will be at risk of collapsing . Recession is guaranteed anyway .

So what ? Within one month people will need to go back to work , no matter if the Virus is still present or not .

 

[marko kok prong]

The leading photo say's they are praying? Looks more like a nazi salute.

[marko kok prong]

3 hours ago, Tug said:

I’m not a church goer but usually I deep fry 3 turkeys and do 2 Costco hams for friends and neighbors not this year though just the wife and I kinda sad but we are healthy that’s certainly something to celebrate happy Easter to all be safe blessings and good health to all

DEEP FRYING Turkeys,this must be a joke surely.

[Isaan sailor]

Unusual dual holidays today.  In the west, Christians celebrate Easter.  In Thailand, Songran/New Year.

Happy Easter, Happy Songran!

All the best, and may better days lay ahead...

Edited April 13, 2020 by Isaan sailor

[Tug]

28 minutes ago, marko kok prong said:

DEEP FRYING Turkeys,this must be a joke surely.

Nope peanut oil way way way better than baked try it some time if you have the opportunity moist not dry like when it’s baked and much much faster!

[phantomfiddler]

Just did a bit of back research into U.S. Govt. data files, and found that the AVERAGE number of deaths in U.S. (long before this virus appeared) was around 8,500 people per day under NORMAL winter conditions. The difference between winter and summer deaths, being around 1500, would be expected due to the fact that most people suffer from chest infections such as flu and pneumonia, bronchitis, all potential killers if untreated, during the winter months. To my mind this would make the total of 21,000 deaths over the last 3.5 months considerably less terrifying, knowing that over this period of time an average number dying in U.S. comes to around 850,000 under NON-PANDEMIC conditions. I sense a high degree of scaremongering and manipulation of facts leading the average person to come to a conclusion far removed from reality. They say the camera never lies, but it surely can deceive. Similarly stats can misinform by omission of relevant data.

[simple1]

21 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

Just did a bit of back research into U.S. Govt. data files, and found that the AVERAGE number of deaths in U.S. (long before this virus appeared) was around 8,500 people per day under NORMAL winter conditions. The difference between winter and summer deaths, being around 1500, would be expected due to the fact that most people suffer from chest infections such as flu and pneumonia, bronchitis, all potential killers if untreated, during the winter months. To my mind this would make the total of 21,000 deaths over the last 3.5 months considerably less terrifying, knowing that over this period of time an average number dying in U.S. comes to around 850,000 under NON-PANDEMIC conditions. I sense a high degree of scaremongering and manipulation of facts leading the average person to come to a conclusion far removed from reality. They say the camera never lies, but it surely can deceive. Similarly stats can misinform by omission of relevant data.

More to the point why not research how many deaths now & in the first year from Covid-19 there would be in the USA if no controls were put in place whilst a vaccine is being developed.

Edited April 13, 2020 by simple1

[stouricks]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

Nope peanut oil way way way better than baked try it some time if you have the opportunity moist not dry like when it’s baked and much much faster!

You must have a BIG fryer, or small turkeys.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"I can assure the American people that what we're doing is using data and science to look at those tests to make sure that they're valid, they're accurate and they're reproducible,"

Good luck with that when you don't have all the data.

As of April 10th coronavirus testing per one million of population by nation:

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-coronavirus-outbreak/worldwide-covid-19-testing-ratio-per-country-million/1800124

Germany       15,730

Italy              14,114

Australia        13,269

Canada           9,812

So. Korea        9,812

Spain             7,593

Russia            7,469

Belgium          7,269

USA                7,181

Netherland     5,926

France            5,114

Seems the more data you have the better the infection curve can be defined, predicted and flattened strategically. As an developed nation the USA is behind data collection. All it has now is Trump's intuition that is defined by nonmedical antidotal information.

[natway09]

Why cannot all these religions just accept facts & obey the guidelines like everybody else ?

[earlinclaifornia]

3 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

DEEP FRYING Turkeys,this must be a joke surely.

You do need to get more knowledgeable about the times as this has been going on ten years now!

[Bluespunk]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

 

As the death toll has mounted, President Donald Trump mulled over when the country might begin to see a return to normality.

Listen to this man, trump. 

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Once you turn that corner, hopefully you'll see a very sharp decline and then you can start thinking about how we can keep it that way," Fauci said on CNN's "State of the Union."

 

"If all of a sudden we decide 'OK, it's May whatever,' and we just turn the switch on, that could be a real problem."

 

[lannarebirth]

Fauci's going to come out of this looking better than he deserves to. Like Biden he's been there for the past four decades and whatever was missing from national stockpiles predates this administration. That in no way holds this administration harmless for it's reckless disregard for human life by cutting needed funds for agencies specically meant to deal with global pandemics and replenish stockpiles which the previous administration failed to do.

[Srikcir]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

With almost all Americans kept indoors under stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the disease

What is the US Navy doing to protect its fleets?

With USS Theodore Roosevelt Crew Member in Intensive Care, General Says Coronavirus Outbreaks Likely to Strike More Navy Ships   https://time.com/5818530/navy-ships-coronavirus/

Watching the video of the Captain of the Roosevelt leaving the ship there appears to be no social distancing, masks, etc. between the Captain, his crew and departure escorts. Later he was diagnosed with the virus, likely leaving a trail of infections beyond ship personnel.

Imagine a coronavirus outbreak aboard a nuclear submarine - isolate affected sailor in torpedo tubes?

 

[candide]

3 hours ago, stouricks said:

You must have a BIG fryer, or small turkeys.

Down South, they call it a Turkey fryer. ????

[stouricks]

1 minute ago, candide said:

Down South, they call it a Turkey fryer. ????

Bloody clever them Southerners eh?   PML

[Srikcir]

On 4/13/2020 at 5:13 AM, webfact said:

"Public safety and the welfare of the American people has to come first.

In part thanks to South Korea that has already taken care of its citizens:

https://nypost.com/2020/04/13/south-korea-to-send-600000-coronavirus-testing-kits-to-us/

South Korea to send 600,000 coronavirus testing kits to US

Following a request from POTUS Trump on March 25th when he couldn't deliver. Previously, South Korean companies have already shipped test kits to American cities. What US National Stockpile?

 

[metisdead]

A post containing unattributed content that was copy and pasted from some site has been removed.  Please include a valid link to the source of information when posting:

 

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[jvs]

22 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Just did a bit of back research into U.S. Govt. data files, and found that the AVERAGE number of deaths in U.S. (long before this virus appeared) was around 8,500 people per day under NORMAL winter conditions. The difference between winter and summer deaths, being around 1500, would be expected due to the fact that most people suffer from chest infections such as flu and pneumonia, bronchitis, all potential killers if untreated, during the winter months. To my mind this would make the total of 21,000 deaths over the last 3.5 months considerably less terrifying, knowing that over this period of time an average number dying in U.S. comes to around 850,000 under NON-PANDEMIC conditions. I sense a high degree of scaremongering and manipulation of facts leading the average person to come to a conclusion far removed from reality. They say the camera never lies, but it surely can deceive. Similarly stats can misinform by omission of relevant data.

You can probably get a job in New York at the moment,digging graves.

I just cant believe some people still dont want to see what is going on.

If you like to do research ,try and find how many doctors and nurses have died from being infected

by patients,still no problem?

Talk to the families who have just lost a loved one,stats are good and can give you a good perspective but

if you are closely involved you will know this is different.