Biden Urges States to Restore Mask Mandates
Source: New York Times
President Biden on Monday called on governors and mayors to maintain or reinstate mask-wearing orders, saying that because of reckless behavior, the coronavirus was again spreading fast, threatening the progress the nation has made so far against the pandemic.
People are letting up on precautions, which is a very bad thing, he said. We are giving up hard-fought, hard-won gains.
Mr. Biden asked the nation to persevere, saying that he had directed his coronavirus team to ensure that there was a vaccination site within five miles of 90 percent of Americans within three weeks.
He said doses are now plentiful enough that nine of 10 adults in the nation or more will be eligible for a shot by April 19. Previously, he had only called on states to broaden eligibility to all adults by May 1.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/biden-urges-states-to-restore-mask-mandates/ar-BB1f5EVQ?ocid=DELLDHP&li=BBnb7Kz
But the governors of Florida and Texas have Gawd on their side.
DBoon
(22,395 posts)to keep business happy and restriction-free
Response to DBoon (Reply #1)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
AZLD4Candidate
(5,747 posts)bluestarone
(17,025 posts)They can scream that masks don't work. LIES LIES LIES. That's who they are.
BigmanPigman
(51,625 posts)leads the country.
TomCADem
(17,390 posts)Mississippi is back up to 12 percent positivity. Florida is close to 9 percent. Texas is at 6.4 percent. Of course, it is still a little early to see what is the impact of the spring break crowds following their respective Governors removing COVID-19 restrictions.
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/tracker/overview
The CDC cases and deaths info for the past 7 days can be found here and remember that death is a lagging indicator:
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesper100klast7days
The crazy thing is that after waiting all this time, people just need to wait about two months to get the vaccine, but in order to impress the right, Republicans are willing to sacrifice the lives of their citizens.
IthinkThereforeIAM
(3,076 posts)... a local family pizza and fried chicken buffet chain. Besides most of the staff, I was the only one out of 30+ customers wearing a mask. I got lots of dirty looks, too, but then, this is South Dakota. Just 8 miles south of Sioux Falls, where nearly everyone at the chinese buffet wears masks to and from their tables. I go and wash up for every trip to the buffet.
There, I added my two cents. Sadly, I wish I could say, "two masks".
Deminpenn
(15,290 posts)and people are still complying from what I see in my "red" area. Further, Gov Wolf is not allowing bars, restaurants, venues to open up further until Easter. Even so, cases are ticking up. I think it's a function of more things being open and nice weather allowing people to get out more than anything else.
riversedge
(70,285 posts)Biden, CDC director warn of virus rebound if nation lets up
https://www.startribune.com/biden-cdc-director-warn-of-virus-rebound-if-nation-lets-up/600039907/
By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
March 29, 2021 5:00pm
?auto=compress&crop=faces&dpr=1&w=525
Susan , Getty Images/TNS
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on the federal coronavirus response on Capitol Hill on March 18, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON President Joe Biden and a top health official warned Monday that too many Americans are declaring virus victory too quickly, appealing for mask requirements and other restrictions to be maintained or restored to stave off a "fourth surge" of COVID-19. The head of the CDC said she had a feeling of "impending doom" if people keep easing off.
The double dose of warnings came even as Biden laid out hopeful new steps to expand coronavirus vaccinations, with all adults to become eligible over the next 5 weeks. Biden announced plans to expand the number of retail pharmacies that are administering vaccines, and investments to help Americans get to vaccination sites. But the optimism was tempered by stark warnings about the potential for another wave of cases.
"This is deadly serious," Biden said, urging governors to reinstate mask mandates and other restrictions that some states have been easing.
Hours earlier, during a virtual White House health briefing, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, grew emotional as she reflected on her experience treating COVID-19 patients who are alone at the end of their lives.
"We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope," she said. "But right now, I'm scared."
"I'm going to lose the script, and I'm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom."
Cases of the virus are up about 10% over the past week from the previous week, to about 60,000 cases per day, with both hospitalizations and deaths ticking up as well, Walensky said. She warned that without immediate action the U.S. could follow European countries into another spike in cases and suffer needless deaths.................
Akoto
(4,267 posts)maxsolomon
(33,384 posts)Can't shut the barn door after the horse has bolted.
GQP Nihilism and a heedless desperation to return to normalcy. It's what they need. The security of the familiar.
Polybius
(15,467 posts)Whatever happened to the national mask mandate?
Deminpenn
(15,290 posts)only applies on federal property and commerical travel.
Steelrolled
(2,022 posts)during the campaign. I think even Biden, while a candidate, admitted it was not possible.
Ford_Prefect
(7,917 posts)The whole process is roughly a month from 1st injection to full potency, depending on the vaccine formulation. That is for each person. We are a very long way from the point of enough people vaccinated.
Every time there is new transmission from one host to another the probability of a more dangerous mutation grows. Which is the urgent reason to mask up. Along with the potential for such evolution there is wide-spread potential for long term, if not life long, organ and brain damage to survivors.
The cultural disaster conjured up by Trump and his people as an excuse to cover their complete failure to respond is almost as damaging as the disease. The pressure put on our medical system and the people working so very hard to cope with the human costs of COVID is in danger of collapsing the healthcare system we rely on for ALL of the other equally urgent medical needs that system and those people would ordinarily be taking care of.
When DeSantis and the other governors and the legislators grand-stand on the so-called personal freedom infringement, and refuse to respond to their obligation to protect citizens they become an existential threat not only to Health Care workers and the Health Care system but to America as a whole.
Nikki28
(557 posts)only listen to their master-the former idol of theirs-or their cult leader.They act as if Biden runs nothing,which is why I want Biden to go rouge and act like he is working with the enemy because Trump did what he wanted and made it president to do as you please to get your agenda out.If we don't fight dirty,we may as well just give the government over to them because they don't care who they run over to get and stay in power.
machoneman
(4,007 posts)In a pig's eye!