What Point?

Posted on by Thor

The 1,107 graduating Cadets at West Point have been studying remotely since March 19, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The spring break was extended indefinitely due to the spread of the virus across America. By studying at home, cadets helped stop the spread of the disease. Despite these successful safety measures, President Donald Trump insisted that he wanted to give a commencement speech in front of all the cadets at West Point.

Every cadet had to return to West Point two weeks weeks early to self isolate so that the POTUS who never wears a mask in public and often does not social distance might be kept safe. “Trump’s reckless decision to gather 1,000 Cadets at West Point for a speech puts our future military leaders at increased risk – all to stroke his own ego,” Army veteran Senator Tammy Duckworth wrote in April.

“Because travel increases your chances of getting infected and spreading Covid-19, staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote on it’s website. On top of this, New York State has had the highest number of cases of Covid-19 in America. West Point is just a 90 minute drive north of New York City which has been the epicenter of the outbreak of the virus.

Prior to the ceremony every cadet had to take Covid-19 tests to keep the POTUS safe. The ceremony flouted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s social distancing directives for graduations in the state to be limited to 150 people. Sixteen of the graduating class tested positive for the Covid-19 upon their return to campus. The 16 cadets are receiving treatment but are not showing symptoms of the disease, Lieutenant. General Darryl Williams, West Point’s superintendent, told USA Today. Other than the 16 cadets, 71 of the more than 5,000 faculty, staff and civilians at West Point have also tested positive for COVID-19 since March, USA Today reported. I am sure that Trumps SS would kept anyone who was infected far from the president.

A rift has become evident between the executive branch and the military. The government’s highest ranking military official, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley apologized for his role in Trump’s now infamous photo op in front of Saint John’s Church last Monday June 8, 2020, saying “I should not have been there.” Hundreds of West Point alumni, two days before Trump’s address, also called out the top Pentagon leaders, for failing to uphold the Constitution in their responses to nationwide protests.

Top Army leaders and Defense Secretary Mark Esper were “open” to the discussion about re-naming military bases that are named after Confederate generals who lost the civil war. The  GOP-led Senate Armed Services Committee approved a new amendment that would require military bases named after Confederate soldiers to change their names – setting senators on a collision course with the president. Trump tweeted that he “will not even consider” renaming military bases. The bases are located in  southern states that helped Trump secure his 2016 victory, and as Election Day approaches, he needs their support.

The class of 2020 West Point graduates entered their commencement ceremony on the Plain Parade Field wearing white face masks. Once they got to their socially distanced folding chairs they could remove their masks. There was no family of friends allowed. I imagined that if I was a graduate I would probably make a scarecrow to wear my hat. The POTUS probably wouldn’t notice the difference. The scarecrow could easily stand in for the military salute photo op.

The presidents speech was sleepy and insipid. I read his speech, but don’t pay attention to what he says anymore, I just watch what he does. He hobbled  off the stage after the cadets all threw their caps in the air. 16 0f those caps might have been carrying the Covid-19 virus.

Pre-Pandemic: Significant Trees

Posted on by Thor

On March 19, 2020, I did this last sketch for the Orlando Significant Trees series before settling in and isolating for the Covid-19 pandemic. This tree in Big Tree Park, (930 Thornton Avenue Orlando FL) is likely 350 to 400 years old. It is the oldest tree in Orlando. Live Oaks can live for centuries.

While doing this sketch a woman walking her dog approached to see what the sketch looked like. Because she got closer than 6 feet from me, I decided it was no longer a good idea to be doing drawings on location. The Covid-19 Pandemic had been announced on March 13, 2020 so it was rather foolish of me to have been thinking I could still sketch on location safely. Several other trees need to be sketched But I decided to wait to do these until after the new cases of Covid-19 infection level off for 14 days. That has yet to happen as new cases rise each day here in Florida.

On March 19, 2020 more than 14,200 people had tested positive in the U.S. and at least 187 had died. These numbers seem so small looking back. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a statewide order for residents to stay at home. Floridians would not be asked to stay at home until April 3, 2020. The State Department told citizens who traveled abroad they should come home immediately or prepare to remain overseas. This rush back into the United States would result in a huge spike in cases in New York City as people who went untested upon return, poured into the city airports.

Projections models at the time predicted a possible 1.1 million deaths in America assuming there was little to no social distancing. A better scenario envisioned Americans embracing drastic restrictions and school closures, which would reduce the  death toll closer to the thousands as the country prepares for a grueling but surmountable road ahead. We are today somewhere between these very different scenarios with almost 2 million cases and 111,390 dead and rising.

 

Second Wave

Posted on by Thor

There were 3 different waves of illness during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, starting in March 1918 and subsiding by summer of 1919. The pandemic peaked in the U.S. during the second wave, in the fall of 1918. This highly fatal second wave was responsible for most of the U.S. deaths attributed to the pandemic. The virus infected 500 million people worldwide and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims.

President Donald Trump claimed the danger of a second wave  was “fake news” and said “Covid-19 virus might not come back at all.” CDC Director Robert Redfield told The Washington Post that there could be a second wave of the coronavirus this winter, combined with flu season, ‘will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went
through.’ Trump pulled Redfield up to the podium during a press briefing to dispute the report but after splitting hairs between “worse” and “more difficult or more complicated” he confirmed that he was quoted correctly by the Post. Dr. Anthony Fauci, referenced the possibility of a “second wave” of the Covid-19
pandemic in the fall, following expected slower growth rates of COVID-19 cases during the summer. He said, “By then, the country will be better equipped to fight the illness.

On March 31, 2020 Captain Brett Crozier of the USS Roosevelt Aircraft Carrier, sent an emotional letter, pleading for a more decisive response to his ship’s COVID-19 outbreak. He had asked for permission to let all but 10 percent of crew get off in Guam for their protection.That letter leaked to the news media. 

On April 2, 2020 he was removed as the ship’s skipper by then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly. Video of the crew when he had to leave the ship was brimming with the respect they had for their captain. The Navy secretary then flew to Guam where the the war ship was docked in the midst of a pandemic and delivered in person a petty, obscenity-laced speech denigrated the captain and his crew. Modly said, “If he didn’t think the information was going to get out into the public, in this information age, then he was either -A too naive or too stupid to the commander of a ship like this.” The crew could be heard literally shouting “What the F#ck?!” The acting Navy Secretary’s comments were widely criticized. Clearly he was too naive or too stupid to realize that his comments would have consequences.  He resigned.

 At least 840 sailors on the war ship have since tested positive for the virus. The number could climb as a “small number” of results are still pending. The Navy has tested the entire 5,000-member crew of the Nimitz class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Of the positive cases, 88 sailors have since recovered, the Navy
said. Four sailors remain in the hospital, down from six Wednesday, with
none in intensive care. One sailor from the Roosevelt died last week.

Admiral Michael Gilday, who is the Navy’s highest-ranking officer, is
reported by the Associated Press to have met with Joint Chiefs Chairman
General Mark Milley on Tuesday and with Defense Secretary Mark Esper Friday
to recommend the fired captain’s reinstatement. On April 20, 2020 the recommendation was made that Captain Brett Crozier be put back
in command of the Covid-19 plagued aircraft carrier USS Theodore
Roosevelt. Crozier’s reinstatement is likely to be the first time that a
ship’s commanding officer who had been relieved of command for a loss of
confidence has been restored to command.

The heroes in this crisis are those that seek to protect those around them, while government leadership looks for ways to cover up or ignore the crisis exists. Captain Brett Crozier is one such hero.

Counter Protest

Posted on by Thor

2804 Americans died yesterday April 21, 2020, making it the highest death toll since the Covid-19 pandemic began. America continues to surpasses every other country in the number of daily deaths. Despite this, Americans across the country felt it was prudent to stage crowded protests against state wide stay at home orders. They gathered in large groups sometimes sporting assault weapons. What may kill those gathered is the virus rather than the guns.

As a counter protest in Colorado a health care worker silently stood in the middle of the street to block a huge SUV. A woman wearing an American flag T-shirt and holding a
sign that read “land of the free” shouted, “Go to China if you want
communism.” She also dropped the F bomb many times. The health care worker was one of a few who tried to counteract the
protest yesterday that hundreds attended in Colorado, where over 400 people have died from Covid-19.

The protest was part of a wave of demonstrations against the lock down orders across the country, encouraged by President Donald Trump’s “LIBERATE” tweets over the weekend. He tweeted “LIBERATE MINNESOTA,” and then, “LIBERATE
MICHIGAN” and “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It
is under siege!” He wants division and if people are angry enough they might ignore of forget how he has denied science and been a roadblock to resolving the pandemic. Healthcare workers have to fight an uphill battle without sufficient protective equipment against his ignorance. He now only has his eyes on the election and is willing to sacrifice thousands more unnecessary deaths.

Colorado-based photographer Alyson McClaran took photos of the healthcare worker’s counter protest. A video shot from perhaps an apartment window several stories high of a healthcare worker blocking a huge SUV reminded me of a photo of the 1989 protest in Tienanmen Square. A single man blocked the advance of the tanks.  Estimates of the death toll in Tienanmen square vary from several hundred to several thousand, with thousands more wounded. The stakes are even higher today with far more deaths daily. The frustration of health care workers is palpable in a Facebook post by Nurse Eric.

I spoke with an actress named Mikaela A. Duffy who went from Orlando to NYC to attend an acting school. She suddenly found herself at ground zero of the pandemic. I asked her for advice on what to paint, and she said “Oh man have you seen pictures of Times Square? It’s absolutely desolate. I bet you could make something super powerful with that image.

Governor Andrew Cuomo pointed out that thanking health care workers is nice but it would be even better if the federal government provided hazard pay for essential
public workers on the front lines, proposing a 50 percent bonus for
these workers for risking their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.  “They are the true heroes in this crisis.” he said. It is hard to imagine Trump rewarding anyone for their sacrifice during a crisis. He just fires his entire staff at his infamous Mar-a-Lago estate.

“When the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility,
then [they] ceased to be free.”  – Edith Hamilton, Edward Gibbon, The
History and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Pre-Pandemic Significant Trees of Orlando

Posted on by Thor

Before the Pandemic, I was doing a series of sketches of the significant trees of Orlando. The City of Orlando Parks department published a map of 7 locations in Orlando with Significant Trees. These live oak trees line the south side of Lake Eola on Central Avenue. The huge lower branches reach out an some touch the ground before reaching back up to the sky. These huge trees provide plenty of shade for people walking around the park.

It was rush hour while I sketched. Someone wanted to park in the spot next to where I was sitting. He asked it the meters were running after pm and I told him I think the meters are off after 6pm. I can;t be quoted on that however. I tend to park out in the suburbs and walk into downtown when needed for a sketch.

This series of sketches of Orlando trees were the final outdoor sketching project I was working on as the looming pandemic squeezed in on Orlando. As of today April 11, 2020 there were 923 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Orange County and 12 deaths. Central Florida has 2,300 cases. The number of cases in Florida has topped 18,400. I had to stop sketching trees on location when people started coming up to me to see what I was sketching. Adulation is fine, unless it might cause death. The latest projections show Florida may see 1,218 to 10,293 fatalities
by June 21, with the median projection at 3,999 deaths, according to the
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation out of the University of
Washington.The lower numbers of the projection assume everyone honors the stay at home at home order. Publix Supermarket, across the street from these live oak trees I sketched has made all of it’s aisles one way to be sure people shopping can maintain a six foot distance from each other.

Orlando area patients at Orlando Health are starting to get treated for COVID-19 with the blood of patients who have recovered. Convalescent plasma has shown promise as an early treatment for SARS, MERS and EBOLA before a vaccine could be developed.

#Stay Home, #Stay Safe, #Save a Life.

Police Find 17 Bodies in a Small Retirement Home Morgue

Posted on by Thor

Nursing homes are being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of deaths in long term care health facilities has doubled since last week. Nation wide so far 35,000 seniors and staff have tested positive for Civid-19 and 5700 have died. Nursing homes have been closed to visitors for over a month now because of the pandemic.

After an anonymous tip by a staff member, reporting that a body had been stored in a shed, police found 17 bodies in the morgue for New Jersey’s largest nursing home,  Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation I and II Long-term Care Facility. The small morgue was meant to handle four bodies at a time. I probably depicted the morgue too large imagining it able to handle 3 autopsies.  68 people from the nursing home as well as 2 staff members have died in recent weeks. 26 tested positive for Covid-19. This is a 700 bed facility and privately owned. Owners of the private facility were not answering calls.

Local Mayor Michael Lensak said on April 16, 2020, “According to the county there were only 10 dead in the home, but that was updated to 22 deaths in the morning, and now reports are of 68. It is very disconcerting to not have the proper information coming out of a facility.” Families who lost loved ones say they received form letters telling them
their loved ones were sick, and in at least one case, the letter
arrived after the patient died. The outbreak, and problems with how bodies are handled, prompted the New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to order an investigation.

More than 180 other residents and staff are showing respiratory or flu-like symptoms. Andover Subacute has only a one-star rating on Medicare.gov – or “much below average” – with deficiencies found in health inspections and staff assessments.

There have been rumors that FEMA and the National Guard might be called in to lend medical assistance. Arrangements are being made to try and get personal protective equipment to staff. Officials arranged for a refrigerated truck to be brought to the nursing facility to be used as an overflow morgue. It is a fluid hanging situation that is a hint at what is happening across the country.

New Jersey now has more than 75,000 Covid-19 cases with 3518 total deaths and on April 16, 2020 362 new deaths were reported; of that number, 54
people had been living in long-term care facilities.

Covid-19 Pandemic Funerals

Posted on by Thor

The  United States is now the epicenter of the Covid-19 Pandemic and New York City is being hit the hardest. In New York City, funeral homes are having trouble keeping up with the demands of collecting bodies from the hospital morgues or truck refrigeration units and burying them. In the past funeral directors would go straight to the morgue to pick up the body, but now each hospital had multiple layers of security to be sure the funeral staff are not carrying the virus. A funeral director in Brooklyn had 15 Covid-19 victims to bury less than a month ago but by April 6, there were 300 victims to bury. No funeral home is able to handle such volumes.

Many death certificates listed Pneumonia as the cause of death but the medical examiner has to update the death certificate if the cause of death is in question. While this is being done the bodies sit in cold storage. Death certificates can take up to 3 days to be fixed. Now a person dies in New York City about every 10 minutes, so the morgues are overcrowded. Make shift morgues are being set up with white tents and refrigerated tractor trailers.

If a funeral is held, then the body must be embalmed. Only 10 people are allowed people gather at the funeral home and people must stand 6 feet apart. If someone were to cough, then the virus is airborne and can infect beyond the 6 foot perimeters. After any wake in the funeral home, every surface must be disinfected and the city has stated that only 3 funerals can be allowed on any given day. With such a high case load that means other options are needed for burials. Cremation is the most common funeral service but even they can not keep up with the demands. Cemeteries or crematories because they can only handle a certain number each day.

In California mourners could drive to the cemetery but they had to remain in their cars while the body was lowered into the ground. Grieving families can not hug each other or cry on each others shoulders. If you die from Covid-19 you will likely die alone.

Funeral home staff also are out of personal protective gear like face masks and gloves. Hospital staff get the first pick of protective gear and funeral staff must risk their lives by reusing what gear they have on hand.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo mourned the 799 lives that ere lost in just 1 day in NYC. He wants to bring into New York funeral directors and staff from out of state to help with burring all the bodies. 9-11 he the Twin Towers were attacked, was supposed to be the darkest day in New York City with 2753 lives lost. To date New York City has lost 7067 live to the Covid-19 virus.

Stay Home. Stop the Spread. Save Lives.

Nature Art Show opening in a Pandemic

Posted on by Thor

This sketch may seem innocuous. It is the usual art show opening scene I might depict on any given day. I had two pieces accepted into this art show and the opening was slated for March 14, 2020 which also happened to be Saint Patrick’s day. Since my art was in the show there was an expectation that I would show up to the opening. One drink was on the house at the paid bar. The two paintings I submitted were, I thought, Pandemic appropriate. The theme of the show was “Nature”. Rather that submit beautiful landscapes I submitted two painting of mean and dying gnarly and decomposing trees.

The day before the opening, the Covid-19 Pandemic was officially announced by the World Health Organization. The situation was fluid with new announcements every few yours. On March 14, 2020, there were 156,000 cases of Covid-19 in America with 5,819 deaths. Despite these facts the art opening was still scheduled to happen. Pam Schwartz joined me and together we quickly looked at the art on the wall and then I settled in to self isolate on a couch and sketch.

People at the opening definitely did not stand six feet apart. People hugged and kissed and sipped drinks while telling stories just inches apart. It was terrifying. I listened for every cough and watched as someone touched their face and then shook hands. The second my sketch was done, Pam and I made a quick exit. On March 21, 2020, The Barefoot Spa closed in the best interest of everyone’s health. All the art work is still hanging, but the space is empty so the work will not be seen. Artists were told they might be able to pick up their work at the end of April but that might change depending on the state of the pandemic at that time. This is the last sketch I did at a public event. After this opening, I committed myself to self isolation in the studio. My work has become darker and more focused on the short-sighted politics that allowed the virus to spread so rapidly in America, though it could have been stopped in its tracks.

Beached: NO Weekend Top 6 Picks

Posted on by Thor

 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday 3/17/2020 that he will NOT be ordering the beaches in his state
to close, despite growing concerns over the international COVID-19
outbreak, NBC News reported.

DeSantis
said that beaches in the state must adhere to guidelines issued by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has advised the
public to practice social distancing and avoid gatherings with more than
10 people. “What we’re going to be doing for the statewide floor
for beaches, we’re going to be applying the CDC guidance of no group on a
beach more than 10 and you have to have distance apart if you’re going
to be out there. So that applies statewide,” DeSantis reportedly said at
a press conference.

The result during the height of spring break was that the beaches became insanely crowded, making them the perfect breeding ground for the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Local officials took it upon themselves to shut down their own beaches.

Beaches Closed:

Tampa and Naples, Brevard, Walton, Collier counties, Fort Meyers, Port Charlotte, Englewood and all Sarasota beaches.

Thursday 3/19/2020, all public beaches in Miami-Dade
County, and Lee County closed.

Friday 3/20/2020, Santa Rosa County closed Navarre Beach and the pier. Pinellas County and Duval County closed their beaches as did Florida State Park beaches due to overcrowding.

Saturday 3/21/2020, Fernandina Beach closed.

Sunday 3/22/2020, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale, and Nassau County closed their beaches.

Monday 3/23/2020, Clearwater closed its beach. Flagler County closed its beaches, parks, community
centers, pavilions, camping areas, and associated facilities, like
parking lots and restrooms.

Beaches that ignored the pandemic:

Monday 3/16/2020 Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham said he does not expect the city
to close beaches to the public, and the situation is under control.

On Tuesday 3/17/2020 Pompano Beach was packed with Spring Break revelers. The cases of Covid-19 in Florida had surpasses 800 with 13 dead as of this writing. Collier County beaches also remained open.

Saturday 3/21/2020, although vehicles were not currently permitted on St. Johns County
beaches, all 42 miles of its beaches were open to pedestrians . Flagler County beaches also remained open.

College students and younger people in general have been criticized for
not taking the virus seriously and for seeming to disregard that they
could carry it to higher-risk people, like the elderly. “If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not going to
let it stop me from partying,” spring break goer Brady Sluder told Reuters in Miami. Younger people can still face serious complications. People ages 20 to
44 accounted for about 20% of U.S. cases that resulted in known
hospitalizations, according to the CDC’s preliminary data on the health
outcomes of patients with COVID-19. The CDC said the data were limited
and did not account for underlying medical conditions.

In Germany young adults hold “corona parties” and cough toward older people. “Some consider they’re little heroes when they break the rules,” said
French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. “Well, no. You’re an
imbecile, and especially a threat to yourself.”

After images of
rowdy spring break college crowds appeared on TV for days, Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis told Fox and Friends Thursday
3/19/2020 that the state’s beaches have either closed or if open, must abide by
the CDC guidelines on crowds and
distancing for the Covid-19 pandemic. So, he did not close the beaches himself, he passed the buck, expecting each beach township to decide for itself. He said, “The message I think for spring breakers is that the party is over in
Florida. You’re not going to be able to congregate on any beach in the
state. Many of the hot spots that people like to go to, whether it’s
Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, or Clearwater Beach, are closed entirely
for the time being.”

  

As of 3/22/2020, Florida had 830 cases of Covid-19 with 13 dead. In the US there were over 27,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Stay home, stay safe, self isolate. 

Leu Gardens Crowds: Business as Usual

Posted on by Thor

In 2017, Hurricane Irma blew through Central Florida blowing down a tree that damaged the roof of this historic Leu Garden Museum. The upper floors were water damaged. The historic museum has been closed for the past three years for restoration and repairs. At this time, there is no reopen date. The gardens however are open for business as usual.

While restaurants, bars, beaches, and Florida State Parks have been shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Orlando has for some reason left Harry P. Leu Gardens open. The city said it will close all city-owned and operated
playgrounds and the swan boats at Lake Eola Park at 5 p.m. Monday 3/23/2020 until
further notice, but Leu Gardens continues to draw big crowds. Last weekend 400 to 500 people crushed into the gardens each day to escape cabin fever. The gardens have replaced Orlando’s sports stadiums for people to crowd together.

Leu Gardens volunteers and staff are working hard to wipe down the surfaces in the gift shop and entry hall but it is hard to keep up. It seems extreme to expect Garden staff to risk their lives in the face of a pandemic for the City of Orlando. Things might not be so bad if people were practicing social distancing, but they are not. As one expert said, “If it were possible to wave a magic wand and make all Americans
freeze in place for 14 days while sitting six feet apart,
epidemiologists say, the whole epidemic would sputter to a halt.” It is human nature to want to hug and shake hands to greet friends, or to hold each other tight when grieving a loss.

“Our outdoor facilities, such as our city parks, Leu Gardens and
Dubsdread Golf Course are open to the public, but residents must follow
necessary social distancing measures while there,” said Karyn Barber, a
city spokeswoman. “We encourage residents to use these facilities
responsibly to get fresh air and exercise, which are important for
physical and mental health always, but especially during this uncertain
time.” I am left wondering, who enforces responsible social distancing? Does this responsibility fall on Leu Gardens staff?

Florida State Governor Ron DeSantis wants to avoid a state-wide lock down leaving local governments to decide what should close and what should remain open. DeSantis still believes targeting the counties hardest hit by the Covid-19 for the most extreme measures is the preferable path.

The Florida Department of Health said Monday 3/23/2020 that there are now 1,171 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Florida with 14 deaths. I put 14 caskets in my sketch in their honor. Stay home, Stay safe.