It Takes One

Covid-19 has made the world a smaller place. If a butterfly flaps its wings in China it could have global effects. Three months ago we were concerned about the threat of the virus spreading from China. While we had our eye on that threat, three million passengers traveled to New York City airports from Europe before the travel ban. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “We had people in the airports stopping people from China, testing people from China, the federal government did a lot of testing, a lot of screening, people getting off planes, from China,but meanwhile the people from Europe were walking right past them,.” Trump eventually banned travelers from Europe on March 16, 2020 but the measure was too late, citing how 3 million Europeans came through New York’s airports from December to March.

Anyone can mingle in a crowd or get in a plane and bring the virus to any state or any county in the world.  Since the world is so interconnected, a threat of the virus anywhere is a threat everywhere. A second wave of the virus has just broken out in Wuhan China where it began. Back on April 7, 2020 Wuhan had re-opened after being locked down for 76 days. The outbreak appeared to be largely under control, with no new cases or deaths reported. However the new strain of the virus is more virulent than ever. The city is mobilizing to conduct 10 million tests for all  its citizens in the next 10 days to help control the outbreak.

Meanwhile here in American you essentially need to be on your deathbed before you can get tested. White house  staff on the other hand get tested daily and anyone who gets close to the POTUS is tested. The consequences for states and communities that don’t follow reopening guidelines “could be really serious,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday.

Florida will reopened certain businesses through much of the state on May 4, 2020 except in the counties of Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, according to Governor Ron DeSantis. The governor was concerned that flights from New York City could spread the virus in the Sunshine State. Starting May 4, restaurants may offer outdoor seating with six-foot space between tables and indoor seating at 25% capacity. Retail can operate at 25% of indoor capacity, and bars, gyms and personal services such as hairdressers will remain closed. Churches remain on “voluntary social distancing,” and movie theaters remain closed. The state’s stay-at-home order ended on April 30, 2020. Orange County Florida lifted it night time curfew.DeSantis defended the decision made by local leaders to reopen the beaches as he awaits recommendations from Reopen Task Force. The reopening of the beaches in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, generated criticism and also generated the Twitter hashtag #FloridaMorons. Naples  beach re-opened but then had to immediately be shut down because of overcrowding. One official noted that cars parked by the beach had many love bugs splattered on their bumpers meaning that people were not local but had driven from far away, perhaps Miami. The speed limit near the beach is 10 miles per hour. Councilman Gary Price said. “It was packed. People were parking everywhere, blocks away.” The councilman said he took photos to show the crowds, mostly packed close together and not social distancing as required. Naples plans to re-open the beach with new restrictions after the abrupt closure. The Florida Keys will not reopen to visitors until at least June.

The City of Winter Park blocked off Park Avenue to car traffic while offering outdoor seating for Mothers day, May 10, 2020. It was marketed as a “weekend opportunity.” Twenty two of more than 400 eligible businesses within city limits offered seating and merchandise indoors and on sidewalks and the street. A reader sent me photos of people not social distancing. Although visitors are merely encouraged to bring and wear masks, workers were required to wear masks when within six feet of anyone. No one in the photos I was shown wore face masks. I did not paint this event but instead the Sidewalk At Festival that happened pre-pandemic.

Covid-19 has shut down the U.S. for two months, but the pandemic is just getting started, says Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Osterholm said only an effective vaccine can slow the virus before a large enough segment of the population becomes infected and develops some level of immunity. A CDC covid-19 Chicago case study showed that 1 person spread the virus to 15 other people in February, 2020 Three of those infected died. 

As of yesterday May 12, 2020, 1,385,834 people in America have been infected by Covid-19 with 81,795 dead. One single spark can create a flash fire that spreads fast.