Don't reopen yet, governors tell Trump as coronavirus deaths cross 40,000

[webfact]

Don't reopen yet, governors tell Trump as coronavirus deaths cross 40,000

By Doina Chiacu and Barbara Goldberg

 

A person walks along the sand under flags of the United States of America at the Coney Island beach during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brooklyn, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., April 19, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

 

(Reuters) - Governors in U.S. states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies as more protests are planned over the extension of stay-at-home orders.

 

New York continued to see hospitalizations decline to 16,000 from a high of 18,000, and the number of patients being kept alive by ventilators also fell. There were 507 new deaths, down from a high of more than 700 a day.

 

"If the data holds and if this trend holds, we are past the high point and all indications at this point are that we are on a descent," Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a daily briefing, while urging residents to continue social distancing. "We showed you can control the beast. But it's only half time. We still have to make sure we keep the beast down."

 

To get a baseline of how many people were infected with the novel coronavirus, Cuomo said the state would do the most aggressive anti-body testing in the nation in the next week using a random sample.

 

New York will test 2,000 people a day or 14,000 per week out of the 19 million residents in the state.

 

The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 740,000 infections and over 40,000 deaths.

 

It took the United States 38 days after recording its first fatality on Feb. 29 to reach 10,000 deaths on April 6 but only five more days to reach 20,000 dead, according to a Reuters tally. The United States' toll rose to 40,000 from 30,000 in four days after including untested but probable COVID-19 deaths reported by New York City.

 

Cuomo, along with other governors, are clamoring for more tests to detect new infections as well as to test for immunity as part of their plans to reopen their states.

 

Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland during a CNN interview said claims by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that states have plenty of tests were "just absolutely false."

 

Democratic Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia told CNN the idea states have enough tests was "delusional."

 

The region of Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. is still seeing increasing cases. New Jersey reported on Sunday that its new cases rose by nearly 3,900, the most in more than two weeks. Boston and Chicago are also emerging hot spots with recent surges in cases and deaths.

 

Several states, including Ohio, Texas and Florida, have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies, perhaps by May 1 or even sooner. The governors of Michigan and Ohio on Sunday said they could double or triple their testing capacity if the federal government helped them acquire more swabs and reagents, chemicals needed as part of the testing process.

 

Trump's guidelines to reopen the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions. Yet the Republican president appeared to encourage protesters who want the measures removed sooner with a series of Twitter posts on Friday calling for them to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, all run by Democratic governors.

 

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington redoubled his attacks on Trump's call to "liberate" states, saying the president was encouraging people to violate state laws on self-isolating.

 

"These orders actually are the law of these states," he said. "To have an American president encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing."

 

Demonstrations to demand an end to stay-at-home measures that have pummelled the U.S. economy have erupted in a few spots in Texas, Wisconsin and the capitols of Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia. More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month.

 

Trump had touted a thriving economy as the best case for his re-election in November.

 

On Saturday, several dozen protesters gathered in the Texas capital of Austin chanting "USA! USA!" and "Let us work!"

 

In Brookfield, Wisconsin, hundreds of demonstrators cheered as they lined a main road and waved American flags to protest at the extension of that state's "safer at home" order.

 

The demonstrators mostly flouted the social-distancing rules and did not wear the face masks recommended by public health officials.

 

U.S. lawmakers are very close to an agreement on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and could seal a deal as early as Sunday, congressional and Trump administration officials said.

 

Congress established the program last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan, but it has already run out of money.

 

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Additional reporting by Gabriella Borter in New York; Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-20

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Crazy Alex]

Given the president has already told governors they can reopen when they want, why are these governors STILL whining???????

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-guidelines.html

[LomSak27]

1 hour ago, Crazy Alex said:

Given the president has already told governors they can reopen when they want, why are these governors STILL whining???????

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-guidelines.html

 

Senate, Guvs & C, spent an hour on the phone with Pence trying to get tests and or supplies for tests ... and NOTHING. If you go back to work and someone in your shop is infected, you just start it all over again. The President claims they can reopen but with no tests it is more like on a wing and a prayer. Germany of course is doing this by testing, they got their act together. The US is more like dysfunction central led by short tempered mean spirited liar. And an incompetent one too.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/17/senate-democrats-mike-pence-conference-call-192868

Edited April 19, 2020 by LomSak27

[Boon Mee]

1 hour ago, Crazy Alex said:

Given the president has already told governors they can reopen when they want, why are these governors STILL whining???????

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-guidelines.html

What's going to happen when the country does fully open up and traffic deaths on the road start to climb? 

Blame Trump? 

 

MAGA 

[LomSak27]

Just now, Boon Mee said:

What's going to happen when the country does fully open up and traffic deaths on the road start to climb? 

Blame Trump?

 If the Wuhan Virus infects the same number of AMericans as the common flu did in the 17/18 flu season you can  expect 2,571,000. Deaths. 

In that case no one will worry about car accident deaths   

 

 

Edited April 19, 2020 by LomSak27

[Crazy Alex]

 

4 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Senate, Guvs & C, spent an hour on the phone with Pence trying to get tests and or supplies for tests ... and NOTHING. If you go back to work and someone in your shop is infected, you just start it all over again. The President claims they can reopen but with no tests it is more like on a wing and a prayer. Germany of course is doing this by testing, they got their act together. The US is more like dysfunction central led by short tempered mean spirited liar. And an incompetent one too.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/17/senate-democrats-mike-pence-conference-call-192868

No tests? Link?

[Crazy Alex]

Yes,

1 minute ago, LomSak27 said:

 If the Wuhan Virus infects the same number of AMericans as the common flu did in the 17/18 flu season you can  expect 2,571,000. Deaths. 

In that case no one will worry about car accident deaths   

 

 

Yes, because the projections thus far have been so spot on, let's listen to one even more outrageous!

[Credo]

5 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

What's going to happen when the country does fully open up and traffic deaths on the road start to climb? 

Blame Trump? 

 

MAGA 

Traffic control is primarily the responsibility of the States.  It's not a major issue in the states and re-opening the economy will not be an overnight process, so traffic deaths will likely remain lower than normal.   Perhaps he can take credit for that.

 

[samran]

20 minutes ago, Crazy Alex said:

Yes,

Yes, because the projections thus far have been so spot on, let's listen to one even more outrageous!

I’m still waiting for the projection of it’s only 15 people and it was going to all go away magically really quickly. 
 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

22 minutes ago, Crazy Alex said:

 

No tests? Link?

Just look at real media and not facebook or fox. You will find lots of information about no tests and even more information about Trump which might confuse you.

[samran]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I hope they do that. And I hope they will get lots of new corona cases. Because maybe then, finally, will some of those Trump supporters understand that there is a reason for the closures.

But then again, these people shut their eyes for 3 years so there is not much hope they will wake up anytime soon.

When cases spike, they’ll just blame someone else. Probably Obama. 

[Monomial]

2 hours ago, Crazy Alex said:

Given the president has already told governors they can reopen when they want, why are these governors STILL whining???????

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/16/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-guidelines.html

Because they don't want the pressure from other states that do reopen.

 

These governors have spent a huge amount of political capital on these lockdowns, and if they simply give in now, there is gonna be "a lot of 'splainin' to do".  They are hoping if they can keep the fiction going a little bit longer, that statistics will turn in their favor and they can find a way out of the predicament they are in.

 

Expect to see tremendous spin doctoring of the death toll on any state that does actually open for business. It has become a political necessity at this point.

 

 

[PatOngo]

47 minutes ago, Crazy Alex said:

Yes,

Yes, because the projections thus far have been so spot on, let's listen to one even more outrageous!

To be expected, Trump blowing his bolt prematurely!

[LomSak27]

42 minutes ago, Crazy Alex said:

Yes, because the projections thus far have been so spot on, let's listen to one even more outrageous!

 

Projections ? huh what ---I ran the numbers with my calculator before I posted. It's simple, really. I think we did that in 5th grade math (?), probably 4th.  I do know that standards have fallen, but ... you can't do elementary school arithmetic ?  ????

 

I guess that explains a lot.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by LomSak27

[robblok]

37 minutes ago, meechai said:

Classic far left loony

 

"Kill people please I need to be right" (or loony left in this case) )

 

Talking about having blinders on, the way onemorechang describes is it the only way for Trump supporters to see that they are wrong. Only when it so bad that they can no longer ignore the figures will they accept how wrong they are. Kinda like Trump denying it at first and then doing a U turn. When you cant reason with people (Trump supporters) then the only alternative is for them to fall flat on their face and see that they were wrong. 

[rabas]

51 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

1 hour ago, Crazy Alex said:

No tests? Link?

Just look at real media and not facebook or fox. You will find lots of information about no tests and even more information about Trump which might confuse you.

'Real' media? Link?

[GalaxyMan]

Piers Morgan, one of Trumps 'friends', and a Boris supporter, I believe, just ripped them both a new a-hole in an interview about how they're handling this crisis (hint: they're not).

 

"All that is required from the president in those moments, and any world leader, frankly, they have to be calm, show authority, they have to be honest, they have to be accurate, entirely factual with what they’re telling the people, and they have to have an ability to show empathy... On almost every level of that, Donald Trump at the moment is failing the American people."

 

"He’s turning these briefings into a self-aggrandizing, self-justifying, overly defensive, politically partisan — almost like a rally to him. Trump’s ratings are falling, and the reason for that is — he needs to understand this — they’re falling because people don’t trust him."

 

"Please drop your angry, petty, disingenuous, blame-gaming, self-aggrandising daily briefing antics & start being a proper wartime president."

 

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/04/19/piers-morgan-advice-for-trump-rs-full-stelter-vpx.cnn

Edited April 20, 2020 by GalaxyMan

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, LomSak27 said:

 If the Wuhan Virus infects the same number of AMericans as the common flu did in the 17/18 flu season you can  expect 2,571,000. Deaths. 

In that case no one will worry about car accident deaths  

The problem with this analysis, is that every time we get more complete data on populations, we find out that FAR MORE people were infected, yet never had any symptoms. 

 

While the infection-rate is very high with this virus, the mortality-rate appears to be highly over-estimated, due to the "infected count" excluding most who do not show symptoms - which maybe the majority (possibly vast-majority) of those infected.

 

When the denominator of the equation explodes, following widespread anti-body tests, the mortality-rate will fall further.  At that point, it is the "shut it all down" people who will be scrambling for cover.  In fact, they already are - recently adding "probable covid deaths" to their numbers, to inflate the death-figures, in typical "C.Y.A." fashion.  These are added to, for example, hospice-deaths (people with terminal-cancer in their literal "last days") - already included in the "covid death" count.

 

That said - is this dangerous to those with serious underying health-conditions - Absolutely.  They need to "shelter in place" to avoid contact.  But the sooner the "rest of us" get it (the vast-majority w/o serious symptoms) and get immune, the sooner the virus will die-out, and the vulnerable populations can resume normal life.

[GalaxyMan]

9 minutes ago, robblok said:

Talking about having blinders on, the way onemorechang describes is it the only way for Trump supporters to see that they are wrong. Only when it so bad that they can no longer ignore the figures will they accept how wrong they are. Kinda like Trump denying it at first and then doing a U turn. When you cant reason with people (Trump supporters) then the only alternative is for them to fall flat on their face and see that they were wrong. 

Some people will never let reality get in the way of what they want to believe, no matter what. ????

[JackThompson]

2 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

Some people will never let reality get in the way of what they want to believe, no matter what. ????

The mainstream-media* will make sure "perceived reality" conforms to what those who Own The Media, and also Own Most Everything Else, want people to believe is real.

 

*(both "left-spin" and "right-spin" portions)

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

Some people will never let reality get in the way of what they want to believe, no matter what. ????

Yea.. religious fanatics are such a group, Trump supporters a close second.  Though it would be great if there were no deaths and they were right and lockdown could be lifted everywhere. But meanwhile in the real world that is not going to happen. 

 

Unless a lock-down excludes bars and cafe's and so on. 

[PatOngo]

14 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

"Please drop your angry, petty, disingenuous, blame-gaming, self-aggrandising daily briefing antics & start being a proper wartime president."

Is a dodgy property developer and a wannabe reality TV "star" capable of that? 

[Brickbat]

Hungry for RE- election...at any cost, including lives. Thanks to the dummies, the Trump base, who are so down the ladder that a slogan to be made great again can rev them up to even greater stupidity.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, samran said:

I’m still waiting for the projection of it’s only 15 people and it was going to all go away magically really quickly.

Yes - it is awful Trump EVER believed the WHO's lies*, and didn't shut down travel sooner.  The WHO strongly recommened against closing international travel. 

 

The "opposition" was on the wrong-side of everything Trump did.  Even when his moves were less than ideal, the "opposition" wanted an Even Worse policy at the time.

 

* (lies or, at best, being utterly mislead by China.  Take your pick.)

 

1 hour ago, LomSak27 said:

Senate, Guvs & C, spent an hour on the phone with Pence trying to get tests and or supplies for tests ... and NOTHING. 

Testing isn't near capacity - has been that way for weeks now.  The party-opposite govs are desperate to manufacture more lies, for political reasons.  There WERE enough ventellators, and hospital-beds, etc after all (even though NY sold many of their emergency-ventellators pre-covid). 

 

I can list many factually-valid criticisms of Trump (I'm not a "fan") but the "resistance" never mention those, because their policies are worse / less-popular on all those issues.

Edited April 20, 2020 by JackThompson

[rabas]

3 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Is a dodgy property developer and a wannabe reality TV "star" capable of that? 

Better than a peanut farmer. Way better than a community organizer with a fake Harvard accent.

[GalaxyMan]

12 minutes ago, robblok said:

Yea.. religious fanatics are such a group, Trump supporters a close second.  Though it would be great if there were no deaths and they were right and lockdown could be lifted everywhere. But meanwhile in the real world that is not going to happen. 

Sad but true. ????

[Radar501]

21 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

"Please drop your angry, petty, disingenuous, blame-gaming, self-aggrandising daily briefing antics & start being a proper wartime president."

 

[rabas]

3 minutes ago, Brickbat said:

Hungry for RE- election...at any cost, including lives. Thanks to the dummies, the Trump base, who are so down the ladder that a slogan to be made great again can rev them up to even greater stupidity.

Not as hungry as democrats who who were busy impeaching him well into February. Thar's your sign.

[RJRS1301]

Those who continuously are doing the red herring of seasonal flu, if USA follows   the current trend in many countries entering their flu season, the notifications of seasonal flu are trending downwards.  It is hypothosised this is due to  social distancing and social isolation to contain the covid19 virus. 

Be interesting to see what happens, if there is a sudden lifting of those measures in USA.

 

 

[brucec64]

13 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

The mainstream-media* will make sure "perceived reality" conforms to what those who Own The Media, and also Own Most Everything Else, want people to believe is real.

 

*(both "left-spin" and "right-spin" portions)

Damn that mainstream media. We both know infowars.com is where you go for the truth ????

 

Throw in a sheeple and a Big Pharma comment, and you win the Tin Foil Hat trifecta.