# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2020 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758 "2020-02-11T01:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 155
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3089 "2020-05-11T22:19:10Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Do not count on anyone else taking precautions, because it’s clear that the general public is not taking this seriously. Assuming that other people will take appropriate precautions is giving people a false sense of security. At least here in CA the General Public is taking this seriously. Mostly. From a rather limited sample of my Facebook _groups_(not friends, GROUPS), it is along strict party lines. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3090 "2020-05-11T23:03:04Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > Basically the US has become a concealed-carry nation where we MUST assume all others are armed and if they make a suspicious move then we’d better shoot first; failure to do so is suicidal. **Moderator Warning** **RioRico** , you’ve been warned repeatedly about political commentary in inappropriate forums. Here’s another. Your posting privileges will be under review. Colibri QZ Moderator ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3091 "2020-05-12T01:22:44Z")
[CDC finds additional 5,000 NYC deaths possibly linked to coronavirus](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/11/cdc-finds-additional-5000-nyc-deaths-possibly-linked-to-coronavirus.html) ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3092 "2020-05-12T03:13:40Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > At least here in CA the General Public is taking this seriously. Mostly. > > From a rather limited sample of my Facebook _groups_(not friends, GROUPS), it is along strict party lines. My coworkers are hard-core right wing. It’s all overblown, anyone who has the virus and dies is labeled as a fatality, even if they died in a car crash, social distancing and the lockdown is a joke, etc. What’s contributing to it is one of them has a wife in health care, and they’re not seeing the patient loads. In fact, they’re seeing nurses sent home as there’s no work. They are very much in the “let everyone do what they want, and let the virus run its course” mentality. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3093 "2020-05-12T04:55:46Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > My coworkers are hard-core right wing. It’s all overblown, anyone who has the virus and dies is labeled as a fatality, even if they died in a car crash, social distancing and the lockdown is a joke, etc. What’s contributing to it is one of them has a wife in health care, and they’re not seeing the patient loads. In fact, they’re seeing nurses sent home as there’s no work. … Yes, well the hospitals arent getting all their usual non urgent stuff, and the lockdown is working so the hospitals arent full of covid patients. So it is doing what it is supposed to, working. We must be careful about anything political here, however. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3094 "2020-05-12T05:02:56Z")
> [@Snowboarder Bo on 11 February 2020](#): > > 45,115 confirmed infections > 1,115 deaths > 4,781 recovered > [@Snowboarder Bo on 11 March 2020](#): > > 126,367 confirmed infections > 4,633 dead > 68,304 recovered > > In the US: > > 1,327 confirmed infections > 38 dead > 15 recovered > [@Snowboarder Bo on 11 April 2020](#): > > 1,780,315 confirmed infections > 108,828 dead > 404,031 recovered > > In the US: > > 532,879 confirmed infections > 20,577 dead > 30,453 recovered Today: 4,256,024 total cases 287,332 dead 1,527,519 recovered In the US: 1,385,834 total cases 81,795 dead 262,225 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 4,181,007 total cases > 283,868 dead > 1,493,401 recovered > > In the US: > > 1,367,638 total cases > 80,787 dead > 256,336 recovered ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3095 "2020-05-12T09:49:07Z")
I have Worldometer on a tab that I refresh various times of the day along with some others. My pessimistic side tells me with fewer death and case numbers in the last few days, we’re just low on medical examiners. My optimistic side tells me, holy shit, are we actually getting fewer deaths? I know it’s only two or three days that it’s been lower than average, but come on, nature! Let this one go, already! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3097 "2020-05-12T10:26:25Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I have Worldometer on a tab that I refresh various times of the day along with some others. My pessimistic side tells me with fewer death and case numbers in the last few days, we’re just low on medical examiners. My optimistic side tells me, holy shit, are we actually getting fewer deaths? I know it’s only two or three days that it’s been lower than average, but come on, nature! Let this one go, already! Some of that is probably a tapering off of deaths, but some is a weekend effect. Go to the USA page at Worldometers and scroll down below the table of states. There’s several bar charts, one of which is for daily deaths. Note that for the past month, on two days out of every seven, the numbers are lower than the ones on either side. Those are weekend reports, but that has more to do with the days various people work, rather than an actual reduction in deaths on Saturday and Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3099 "2020-05-12T12:12:17Z")
Here’s the [Financial Times’ graph](https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=usa&areas=gbr&cumulative=0&logScale=1&perMillion=0&values=deaths) of the U.S.’ and other countries’ deaths on a 7-day rolling average. It’s on a log scale, so both the increases and decreases aren’t as vertical as they’d be on a normal scale. What it shows is that the U.S. coronavirus death rate has been decreasing for a few weeks now, but most of that was in the first week’s drop-off from the peak; the rate of decrease has tapered off since. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3100 "2020-05-12T18:07:25Z")
Broadway theaters closed until at least labor day ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3101 "2020-05-12T18:58:57Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Here’s the [Financial Times’ graph](https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=usa&areas=gbr&cumulative=0&logScale=1&perMillion=0&values=deaths) of the U.S.’ and other countries’ deaths on a 7-day rolling average. It’s on a log scale, so both the increases and decreases aren’t as vertical as they’d be on a normal scale. > > What it shows is that the U.S. coronavirus death rate has been decreasing for a few weeks now, but most of that was in the first week’s drop-off from the peak; the rate of decrease has tapered off since. The infection rates in the early hot spots seem to be declining; they’re going up elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3102 "2020-05-12T19:19:53Z")
Right, NY being so out of control has masked what’s happening in several other states. If the rate in NY drops 25% but climbs by 50% in a dozen other states, the overall trend will appear to be down. It might be several weeks before overall numbers go up, but things will be getting worse, not better, the entire time. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3103 "2020-05-12T20:19:55Z")
The restaurant chain [Steak and Shake](https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/steak-n-shake-permanently-closes-nearly-10-percent-of-its-restaurants-amid-coronavirus-crisis) is closing several restaurants due to the virus. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3104 "2020-05-12T20:26:01Z")
Cal State all campuses will be online only this fall with a few exceptions. That includes San Diego St, Fresno St. and San Jose St. UCLA and Cal-Berkeley are part of UCal system and are not included in this shutdown but they might be later. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3105 "2020-05-12T20:46:29Z")
Today in Austria: [ul] [li] **Unemployment figures** seem to be very slowly improving. As of yesterday, about 549,000 people were registered as unemployed, down from 588,205 in the middle of April. The number of new applications by businesses to furlough their employees has also gone down (though a staggering 1.3 million workers are currently furloughed).[/li][li] The Austrian Retail Association is calling on the government to issue **[helicopter money](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_money)** in the amount of €500 for every adult and child residing in Austria. (And if they really do mean just having the central bank print off a bunch of new bills, then this is a ridiculous plan that will do nothing but inflate the currency.)[/li][li] Austria and Germany have agreed on a **complete reopening of the Austria–Germany border** by 15 June. There are plans to gradually ease the border controls until then.[/li][li] Current statistics: 15,894 confirmed infections, 623 deaths, 14,148 recovered. The vast majority of Austria’s 94 districts (the second-level political divisions, under federal states) have reported no new infections for two weeks.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3106 "2020-05-12T21:20:14Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Today in Austria: > > [ul] > > [li] **Unemployment figures** seem to be very slowly improving. As of yesterday, about 549,000 people were registered as unemployed, down from 588,205 in the middle of April. The number of new applications by businesses to furlough their employees has also gone down (though a staggering 1.3 million workers are currently furloughed).[/li][li] The Austrian Retail Association is calling on the government to issue **[helicopter money](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_money)** in the amount of €500 for every adult and child residing in Austria. (And if they really do mean just having the central bank print off a bunch of new bills, then this is a ridiculous plan that will do nothing but inflate the currency.)[/li][li] Austria and Germany have agreed on a **complete reopening of the Austria–Germany border** by 15 June. There are plans to gradually ease the border controls until then.[/li][li] Current statistics: 15,894 confirmed infections, 623 deaths, 14,148 recovered. The vast majority of Austria’s 94 districts (the second-level political divisions, under federal states) have reported no new infections for two weeks.[/li][/ul] What is Austria doing right? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3107 "2020-05-12T21:27:00Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Right, NY being so out of control has masked what’s happening in several other states. If the rate in NY drops 25% but climbs by 50% in a dozen other states, the overall trend will appear to be down. It might be several weeks before overall numbers go up, but things will be getting worse, not better, the entire time. This is why I don’t think we’ve seen the last of COVID, and it’s very possible that the next wave might actually be worse – possibly much worse – than this one. I get the “The lock-down is killing us - we want to reopen” – believe me, I get it. My current job assignment expires in 2 weeks and I’m not completely sure I’ll get a new assignment for the summer. And I know once I’m out of work, it’ll be hustle time for God only knows how long. So even though between my wife and I, we’re okay, I get it. I also really feel for the restaurant workers, the bartenders, the retail employees. I’m basically a blue collar guy myself. I get that people are getting financially crushed by this. But the thing is, it doesn’t have to be a dichotomy. There are probably ways we can reopen. But we have to have discipline and we have to show some commitment to the cause. These morons who freaking flip out over not getting their ice cream for example :smack: > **[Reopened Massachusetts ice cream shop closes again after being mobbed by...](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/11/massachusetts-ice-cream-shop-cape-cod-closed-amid-harassment/3107162001/)** > > A Cape Cod ice cream shop reopened for a day amid the coronavirus pandemic. Staff faced harassment, the owner says, so he closed shop the next day. Idiots are going to make the rest of us suffer. And they’re just going to delay our ability to reopen. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3108 "2020-05-12T21:44:53Z")
Panama’s president announced yesterday that tomorrow sectors of the economy will begin opening up in phased stages. Right now it’s just grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, gas stations, hardware stores, and restaurant takeout/delivery. There are six “blocks” of categories of businesses. Included in the group permitted tomorrow are electronics shops, car mechanics, plumbers, electricians, other maintenance activities, and fishing and aquaculture. There are no set dates for opening other sectors. In the next block are public works construction, non-metallic mining, places of worship, recreation and sporting areas, and industry. However, they are apparently still maintaining general quarantine, which means people can leave the house only two hours a day every other day. So I don’t know how you are supposed to visit those other places if you need to buy groceries regularly. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3109 "2020-05-12T22:10:47Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > The Austrian Retail Association is calling on the government to issue **[helicopter money](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_money)** in the amount of €500 for every adult and child residing in Austria. (And if they really do mean just having the central bank print off a bunch of new bills, then this is a ridiculous plan that will do nothing but inflate the currency.) All stimulous payments are inherently inflationary. The US Congress has already voted over $3 Trillion[li] in various stimulous payments and no one’s going to pretend that that’s not inflationary. But the thing is, it’s the kind of thing you need to keep the economy from going into a Depression.[/li] [\*] and some congressperson want to vote a couple trillion more. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/3110 "2020-05-13T04:10:50Z")
4,342,355 total cases 292,893 dead 1,602,443 recovered In the US: 1,408,636 total cases 83,425 dead 296,746 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 4,256,024 total cases > 287,332 dead > 1,527,519 recovered > > In the US: > > 1,385,834 total cases > 81,795 dead > 262,225 recovered [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=154) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=156)