Moon rising

Full moon rises over the river. Gorgeous. 

Things houseboat - and Covid - have kept me so busy that I lost track of the days. It’s already Thursday. Amazing.

A year ago, Week 13, Day 91, Thursday, June 25, I posted “Mindboggling numbers.” 

This week’s numbers of infections and death around the world are rising so precipitously it feels appropriate to examine them, understand them, do our best not to contribute to further rise – and begin a new week fresh and hopeful….
Little did I know, back then, that coronavirus Covid-19 would still be with us one year later. Indeed, that it’s worse in many countries, including South Africa in its third wave of infections.

On the cusp of Week 66’s numbers compared to Week 13, one year ago
Worldwide (Map) 
June 24, 2021: 179,530,600 confirmed infections; 3,890,200 deaths
June 25, 2020: 9,409,000 confirmed infections; 482,190 deaths

US (Map)
June 24, 2021: 33,578,000 confirmed infections; 603,000 deaths
June 25, 2020: 2,381,540 infections; 121,980 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal) 
June 24, 2021: 1,861,100 confirmed infections; 59,260 deaths
June 25, 2020: 111,800 confirmed infections; 2,205 deaths

News blues

Urgent action needed as third wave sweeps Africa 

Covid-19 cases in Africa rose by more than a fifth week-on-week, pushing the total to more than five million. The number of new cases reported in the week has exceeded half the second-wave peak of 224,000 in January, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Namibia reporting the most weekly cases since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, seven African nations have used all the vaccine doses they received from Covax, the vaccine-sharing facility. Seven more have used more than 80% of theirs.

South Africa’s province of Gauteng is experiencing daily increase in Covid-19 infections that is 21% higher than the previous peak in January 2021.
‘An absolute catastrophe’: Covid-19 deals Gauteng a sucker punch as hospitals fill up 
On the other hand, South Africa has been chosen to host the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) first Covid-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology transfer hub to scale up production and access to vaccines.
This will be the first in a series of Covid mRNA vaccine technology transfer hubs that the WHO is launching around the world to boost Covid-19 vaccine supplies. Read more >> 

***

India's vaccinations hit record with free Covid shots 

India gave out a record five million vaccine doses on Monday under a federal campaign to inoculate all adults for free after weeks of criticism that a chaotic roll-out had worsened a second wave that killed hundreds of thousands. Over the past 30 days India has administered an average 2.7 million doses a day.

Brazil passes half a million Covid-19 deaths 

Brazil's death toll from Covid-19 has surpassed 500,000 as experts warn that the world's second-deadliest outbreak may worsen due to delayed vaccinations and the government's refusal to back physical distancing measures. Only 11% of Brazilians have been fully vaccinated. Thousands of Brazilians protested against President Jair Bolsonaro's management of the pandemic in nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, blaming the administration for the high death toll.

***

Expect the Unexpected From the Delta Variant. There’s no way of knowing how bad things will get in the U.S. In a way, that’s a luxury.

This much is clear: The coronavirus is becoming more transmissible. Ever since the virus emerged in China, it has been gaining mutations that help it spread more easily among humans. The Alpha variant, first detected in the United Kingdom last year, is 50 percent more transmissible than the original version, and now the Delta variant, first detected in India, is at least 40 percent more transmissible than Alpha.

Read more >> 

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In hunt for Covid’s origin, new studies point away from lab leak theory

***

The Lincoln Project: 

The Mission  (1:14 mins)
Juneteenth  (1:24 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Oceana: Amazon (AMZN) plastic problem set to skyrocket with Prime Day booming sales.

Anne Schroeer, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Oceana, issued the following statement calling on the major online retailer to reduce single-use plastic packaging and give customers a plastic-free packaging choice. “As Prime Day and Amazon continue to grow, so too does the company’s devastating impact on the environment. In December 2020, Oceana exposed Amazon’s massive plastic footprint, which amounted to an estimated 465 million pounds of plastic packaging in 2019. Our research estimates that, in 2019 alone, up to 22.44 million pounds of Amazon’s plastic packaging waste polluted the world’s freshwater and marine ecosystems where it can wreak havoc on marine life – that’s the equivalent of dumping a delivery van payload of plastic into the ocean every 70 minutes.

Read more >> 
Learn more about Oceana.org >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

I’ve completed my 2-part Pfizer vax program and, while I didn’t win the million dollar prize, California’s vaccine incentive program  will deliver me some sort of runner-up reward, perhaps $50 or a trip to Disneyland, or some other place.
(The million-dollar lotteries is having trouble lining people up.)
I expected my second Pfizer jab to hit me harder than the first, but other than the site of the second jab requiring an ice pack for several hours, it was easy peasy. 

If you haven’t already, and your country is vaccinating, I recommend it.

***

I avoided the Delta and houseboat living for the duration of last week’s soaring temperatures (up to 111 degrees Fahrenheit last Thursday). Temps have been in the balmy upper 80s and low 90s since then. (They start to rise again this weekend, into the high 90s and low 100s.)
I mentioned to a friend that I’m beginning to recognize the reality of climate refugeeism. She thought I was joking. Not so. Decisions I’ve made in my life have me opting for simple: simple living, modest income, creativity, and independence. The upside downside: living in a houseboat suits me, living on the San Joaquin River is a gift. Alas, climate change in California means increasing drought, increasing heat, increasing heat waves. Lack of environmental protections means increasingly foul, even toxic water, air, and land.
That’s the future.
Am I sorry I’m pursuing this "lifestyle”?
Alarmed, perhaps. Sorry? No. 

The moon, after all, is full and bright tonight. Canada geese have been visiting the river the last few days. 

Life is good.