News blues…
A Tweet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC - finds that state-issued mask requirements are associated with the slowing of COVID-19 cases and deaths. “Wearing a well-fitting mask consistently and correctly is one of the best ways we can protect ourselves and each other. “
On the heels of Texas and Mississippi lifting their statewide mask mandates and ditching other coronavirus safety measures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report suggesting states should be doing the complete opposite to Texas and Mississippi.
The study closely examined COVID-19 cases, as well as hospitalization and death rates across the country, and – surprise! - found that mask mandates were associated with reductions in those figures, while on-site dining was associated with increases.
From March 1 to Dec. 31 of last year public mask mandates were associated with a 0.5 percentage point decrease in the daily growth rate of cases up to 20 days after the rule was put into place, the study found. Those reductions increased over time, shooting up to 1.8 percentage points 100 days after implementing the mask mandate.
Rules allowing for restaurant dining, meanwhile, were associated with a 0.9 percentage point increase after 60 days of greenlighting that activity. That figure jumped to 1.2 percentage points after 80 days. The study, however, did not differentiate between indoor or outdoor dining, the latter of which infectious disease experts say is much safer than the former.
- CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a recent press briefing, “I am really worried about reports that more states are rolling back the exact public health measures we have recommended to protect people from COVID-19.”
- Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said that it is a mistake to relax coronavirus restrictions when more contagious and possibly more dangerous virus variants are circulating in the US. He warned, “We're walking into the mouth of the monster.“
- Dr. Anthony Fauci said the US shouldn't ease restrictions in place to prevent Covid-19 before the number of new coronavirus cases falls below 10,000 daily, "and maybe even considerably less than that…." He added that the country should pull restrictions gradually, after a substantial portion of Americans are vaccinated.
The last time the US saw fewer than 10,000 new daily cases was almost a year ago, on March 22, 2020. The number hasn't fallen below 50,000 daily cases since mid-October, and the seven-day average on Wednesday was more than 64,000.
Some will. Some will not.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is listening. He signed an executive order once again extending the requirement that most people in Colorado “wear a medical or non-medical face covering” … for another 30 days.
The following US states and territories have mask mandates:
Alabama | American Samoa | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Guam | Hawaii | Illinois | Indiana | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | Ohio |Oregon | Pennsylvania | Puerto Rico | Rhode Island | Texas | U.S. Virgin Islands | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming The following US states and territories do not have mask mandates:
Alaska | Arizona | Florida | Georgia | Idaho | Iowa | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | North Dakota | Northern Mariana Islands | Oklahoma | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee
Details on each state’s mandate >>
Choose your summer vacation spot with care and an eye toward health.
Floodlight’s debut story investigates how the gas industry is fighting to weaken the climate ambitions of two Texas cities: Austin and San Antonio.
Cyclone Winston devastated vital coral colonies off Fiji, but four years on, the reefs are alive again, teeming with fish and colour
I’m concerned about her swollen and painful right hand. She’d complained last week that her hand was sore and, as I massaged tight tendons in her palm near both pinky fingers, I’d encouraged her to flex her hands frequently. That hasn’t helped.
No red spots on her hand indicate insect bites or infection and she has no discernable bruising; puzzling.
Yesterday, I showed them around the property. I discerned references to yet another suspensive sale. This relies on the seller assuming the loan while the buyer pays it off over an agreed period.
I’d refused a suspensive sale last week (the buyer tried a classic bait and switch) and informed real estate agents, “no more offers for suspensive sales – I’m not interested.”
Turns out this is likely the neighbor’s tack, too. I’ll refuse his offer, too - albeit with reluctance.
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Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide Healthy planet, anyone?
To address and inform the public about how corporate and ideological interests spread disinformation across the US, and use their influence to try to stop climate action, the Guardian is partnering with Floodlight , a nonprofit environmental news collaborative partnering with local journalists.Floodlight’s debut story investigates how the gas industry is fighting to weaken the climate ambitions of two Texas cities: Austin and San Antonio.
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Cyclone Winston devastated vital coral colonies off Fiji, but four years on, the reefs are alive again, teeming with fish and colour
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Photo essay: the week in wildlife Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
Yesterday’s cooler weather allowed me to wheel my mother on a long-awaited trip outside the Care Center. We didn’t go far and, hunched as she is now, I’m not sure how much of the local flora she saw, but it made a welcome change for her. I’ll do it again today, but this time I’ll pad her with cushions to prop her up and prevent her slumping in the wheelchair.I’m concerned about her swollen and painful right hand. She’d complained last week that her hand was sore and, as I massaged tight tendons in her palm near both pinky fingers, I’d encouraged her to flex her hands frequently. That hasn’t helped.
No red spots on her hand indicate insect bites or infection and she has no discernable bruising; puzzling.
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House sale, ongoing: neighbors who have lived on this street for 30 years, indicated interest in viewing the house after the end of the sole mandate period. They prefer to make an offer free of an agent’s commission. Yesterday, I showed them around the property. I discerned references to yet another suspensive sale. This relies on the seller assuming the loan while the buyer pays it off over an agreed period.
I’d refused a suspensive sale last week (the buyer tried a classic bait and switch) and informed real estate agents, “no more offers for suspensive sales – I’m not interested.”
Turns out this is likely the neighbor’s tack, too. I’ll refuse his offer, too - albeit with reluctance.
After more than a year living here, I’ve learned a thing or two about this country.
For one thing, I despair of what I call the country’s “reverse development” mentality: very little effort put toward educating workers about the benefits of high-quality work product. Planning is an alien concept as it what defines quality and/or a job well done. This means people work without a plan, or supervision, or quality controls, and or consequences for failing to perform adequately.
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Days getting shorter, nightfall happening earlier:Feb 26: sunrise 5:47am; sunset 6:33pm.
March 2: sunrise 5:50am; sunset 6:29pm.
March 6: sunrise 5:53am; sunset 6:25pm.
March 7: sunrise 5:54am; sunset 6:24pm.
