My morning paper yesterday brought this pointed juxtaposition of headlines showing that Kristi Noem can’t wish away the real problems facing our state:
Monument Health in Rapid City can’t ignore coronavirus. They have to treat the post-Sturgis, school-start-up surge in cases, and according to an all-staff alert sent out by chief medical officer Dr. Brad Archer yesterday, that surge is taking place among their own ranks of doctors and nurses:
Physicians and Caregivers –
COVID-19 Alert: We’re seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases in our communities and within our Monument Health physician and caregiver group. More than 60 physicians or caregivers have tested positive in August so far, including 44 in the past week, compared to 15 in June and 12 in July. Additionally, we have 167 caregivers being monitored following COVID-19 exposures.
Based on these increases, we must be prepared for a surge in cases in the coming weeks. We have the facilities to serve our communities; our challenge will be staffing based on the increase in physician or caregiver exposures or COVID-19 positives. I’m asking each of you to be extra diligent to protect your personal health.
- Follow our personal protective equipment guidelines.
- Limit your exposures outside of work.
- Continue to monitor your symptoms and absolutely STAY HOME if you do not feel well.
…Your health is important to us. We need you and our communities need you [Dr. Brad Archer, e-mail to all staff, Monument Health, 2020.08.28].
Monument Health calms our fears by pointing out that the 44 caregivers out with coronavirus represent “less than 1% of the workforce at Monument Health.”
The state’s coronavirus data page says covid-19 patients are taking up only 3% of hospital beds, 4% of intensive-care beds, and 5% of our hospital ventilators. Overall, patients are filling 54% of our hospital beds and 71% of our ICU beds. Maybe the state needs to add data on the percentage of doctors and nurses still available and not sidelined in coronavirus quarantine. having 29% of our ICU beds available won’t matter much if we don’t have doctors and nurses at those bedsides.
Kelo News article yesterday: “We’ve always known that positive cases would go up, we’ve been planning on that since the very beginning,” Noem said.
Planning on a deadly virus spreading instead of encouraging reasonable measures to contain it?
How does wearing a mask hurt our economy, Kristi? We are now seeing what NOT requiring masks does to Covid positive rates. We have a tripling of active cases just in time for school to start. And she thinks all is going to plan?
Out of control positive rates are a disaster for the economy, healthcare systems and schools. But she is hell-bent on finding that out the hard way.
I have a friend who has had lasting symptoms for two months after testing positive. Initially, she felt like she was going to die even though she is younger and in good health. People need to stop pretending like this is the flu.
With cases rising so fast, many parents are going to want to keep kids home from school and vulnerable people can’t venture out. The rest of us may be hesitant to go to the store. Employees will not want to work where Covid is present. It’s disastrous.
And it is going to take weeks for the numbers to stabilize after Noem finally does act to slow the spread.
Cynical Trials. Uncontrolled and double-blind. By Kristi Noem.
“Science says we can’t stop the virus from spreading,” Kristi Noem tweeted, as if it were true. “That’s why we do what we can to care for our vulnerable population.”
What science does say is that the virus can be largely stopped from spreading when aggressive testing is combined with basic precautions, which include masks and social distancing.
“As I’ve told you many times, together, we will get through this,” she said in another tweet. “Together, we’re proving that we can.”
Right. – which is why she’s never here.
Excellent description of Noem Nothing, James. She’s cynical. She is a trial to believe. Uncontrolled to be sure and at the very least, double blind.
first body count report for today shows new milestones reached….
Coronavirus Cases:
6,106,874
Deaths:
186,259
This morning’s RCJ has a pic of the crowd at a Douglas High football game. They’re playing football even though they’ve delayed school opening due to “staff shortage” due to the virus.
The spectators are crowded together and basically unmasked. One guy has his mask holding up his chin and is yelling over the heads of those in front of him.
What’s wrong with this picture on so many levels ???
We need to end all these events like sports, state fair, and other events where people gather. It is just stupid to be allowing events to go on during a pandemic.
The more this spreads and the higher the numbers go, the greater the chances for devastation to our communities.
But Right Wing Republicans live for the moment and could care less about the future.
How many times have we heard that the US has the “greatest healthcare system in the world”. Perhaps thru the gross incompetence of this country’s leadership, they are testing the theory that we way better than other countries. We have 4 percent of the world population and 25 percent of the world covid-19 cases, so as noem would reply,our plan is working.
And now this from Bloomberg, “Covid Gag Rules at U.S. Companies Are Putting Everyone at Risk
Employees say the biggest names in American business have banned them from alerting others to coronavirus outbreaks.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-08-27/covid-pandemic-u-s-businesses-issue-gag-rules-to-stop-workers-from-talking
So there you have what an authoritarian government imposes on its citizens. While we bitch and moan about China, we do worse. If we want a democracy back, we had better dump this trash to save ourselves or learn Mandarin.
South Dakota now has record cases of trump virus and also 79 people in the hospital for the trump virus. Does anyone have a clue as to how much the medical bills will be for those hospitalized? Not just the old guys and gals with Medicare, but the young’uns with or without health insurance. Now we know that just because you had it doesn’t mean you have “herd immunity”, you can still catch it again just like an STD.
About six weeks ago, South Dakota saw 40 to 60 cases a day for a total of about 800 active cases. Just guess what we had today…. alone…. for new cases?
…425…
If this trend continues, we will have by far the worst record for positive cases in the country. We may be there already.
If Kristi wanted attention, she’s about to get it.
Noem on Covid-19…
“We did, in fact, we according to the national experts, did everything wrong,” Noem said. “We did what the people on the ground saw. We aggressively addressed those situations, and came out better for it.” (Fox News – July 17, 2020)
You say you “did everything wrong”. Yes you did. And what did those experts tell you would happen if you did everything wrong, Kristi?
COVID Kristi and Donald Trump are not proving any fool can do the job. They’re proving if you elect a fool, the job won’t get done.
SD has its very own Sarah Palin. You betcha! How’s dat “freedom” thingy workin’ for ya? I’m surprised she didn’t mention the “Noem/Trump” ticket at the RNC. Aww, geez!
:-)
Looking pretty crappy for SD. You folks be extra careful out there.
Kristi blasts Seattle but the state of Washington, with its larger urban centers than SD, has among the slowest spread of COVID-19. Guess who is number one??
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/22-states-where-covid-19-is-spreading-fastest-slowest-july-6.html?fbclid=IwAR0rI8VQ71vrBq4C3xQi-bUzWukmhdCEO4sRHFKtw-WfoOBojY-IkyX5cgE
https://www.sdpb.org/blogs/politics-public-policy/noem-seattle-mayor-spar-on-different-national-networks/
Seattle Mayor quite upset with Noem’s rant.
Kristi mentored by Predident Trump to lie to the press. Wow.***
@steve_vladeck
·
Aug 28
Just like what happened in Minneapolis, Trump is taking credit for a Democratic Governor sending in his state’s National Guard to restore order in a situation in which Trump could have—but didn’t—federalize the response.
…realDonaldTrump
Success: Since the National Guard moved into Kenosha, Wisconsin, two days ago, there has been NO FURTHER VIOLENCE, not even a small problem. When legally asked to help by local authorities, the Federal Government will act and quickly succeed. Are you listening Portland?
11:01 AM · Aug 28, 2020·Twitter
Violent crime is down in Minneapolis and St. Paul, continuing a many years long trend. The same is true for every big city in this country.
Those are facts, so of course Kruel Kristi is unaware of them.
My sources are all converging on dubious testing/reporting, false multiplication of “probable cases” being included in the case load, false positives for non-infectious people. Chuck Woolery’s child tested positive, then he got a better test that was negative. 77 NFL cases were false positives (100% rate of false positives). Now, HI is collecting tests on their freeway system .. it’s obvious that the tests are being used to peddle fear. It’s probably the same people that came up with the terror alert system. As 5000 people stream into Portland to support Trump in 2000 trucks flying American and Trump flags, I can’t help but conclude that the riots have rocked support for the Democrat Party. Elements of Covid are a hoax (testing for sure), but I don’t rule-out the possibility that we launched it knowing it would weaken generationally. I’m keeping an open mind. You can triangulate more information on the issue at https://PlainsTribune.com although the server has been under a very heavy load, there was a hardware failure, and we’re upgrading at the moment so pardon our dust.
Best wishes to everyone .. do some sunbathing!
Tinker Belle GNOem speaks with a forked tongue, so just ignore her for the liar and hater she is. Meanwhile, here is something kinda cool, Redbone redone for 2020. Most excellent https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=BA4rSO-h9Io&feature=emb_title
There, some positive. Take care of yourselves, and those you love.
Far out maaaaaan. That was fun Jerry. Thanks.
Moar free advertising for the troll with an open mind? A conibear trap looks open even when it is shut tight.
Ms. Debbo, I thought you and Ms. leslie would appreciate that. One thing for certain, in these terrible economic and pandemic times, they remind folks like me of the Vietnam war years and why music and solidarity were so important.
Take something profound like what mfi wrote above about the conibear trap and his clear thinking of what the Nazi John Dale said. Dale sounds like the good little Nazi’s of Germany who denied the Holocaust as a hoax even when they could clearly smell it and see it.
You ladies and mfi’s clear thinking is what makes dealing with all of this tolerable. Don’t let up.
Arizona campus heads off COVID outbreak by monitoring wastewater.
Yet NOem, the regents, and university presidents sat and sit on their hands. They are reactionaries incapable of leading.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2020/08/27/university-arizona-covid-19-outbreak-prevented-dorm-wastewater-testing/5649579002/
Nice way to show appreciation for nurses by iowa farmers with technical help from Big Green….
https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/farmers-signal-their-appreciation-for-nurses-with-a-bean-field-message-near-odebolt/article_378ecf9f-5e31-58de-ba9c-649aae05d91b.html
That’s really wonderful. Mike, go give those guys a big kiss for me, okay? 😃