U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams is touring South Dakota. He checked out Indian Health Services in Rapid City yesterday; today he visits a coronavirus mass testing site at the National Guard Armory in Pierre.
You’d think Governor Kristi Noem would be eager to jump in front of the cameras with any member of the Trump Administration, but today’s testing site visit is closed to the public. And Noem might feel a little awkward standing next to a medical professional whose recent Tweets have been all about the importance of wearing masks and taking other responsible actions to prevent the spread of covid-19:
That least tweet refers to a new study published by the CDC that finds that Delaware’s spring stay-at-home order, mask mandate, and contract tracing efforts likely had a huge impact on reducing coronavirus infections, hospitalizations, and deaths:
A stay-at-home order and case investigations instituted weeks before the peak in COVID-19 cases (week of April 13) in Delaware likely contributed to the subsequent decline observed in COVID-19 incidence and associated hospitalization and deaths. As expected, the impact on incidence was not immediate but occurred weeks after measures were implemented, as new cases represented exposure that occurred during previous weeks. Additional steep declines in reports of new cases occurred after a public mask use mandate was issued in late April. Masks are critical for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission from persons with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection (5). Wearing masks can prevent respiratory droplets containing SARS-CoV-2 from traveling into the air and being transmitted to other persons and thus can reduce exposures and infections (6,7).
…A combination of mitigation measures including stay-at-home orders, mandated mask use in public, and case investigations with contact tracing, can reduce COVID-19 incidence and associated deaths (9). No single mitigation strategy is likely to be effective alone. These strategies are effective in limiting potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and reducing community transmission when implemented as part of a multicomponent strategy (10). In Delaware, state-mandated community mitigation efforts, such as stay-at-home orders, coupled with mask use, likely contributed to the decline in new COVID-19 cases. SARS-CoV-2 community transmission, hospitalization, and mortality can be reduced with statewide mitigation strategies implemented in tandem with the routine public health interventions of case investigation with contact tracing, and immediate self-isolation of cases and self-quarantine of contacts [Florence A. Kanu, Erica E. Smith, Tabatha Offutt-Powell, et al., “Declines in SARS-CoV-2 Transmission, Hospitalizations, and Mortality After Implementation of Mitigation Measures—Delaware, March–June 2020,” CDC: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2020.11.06].
The Surgeon General is preaching and practicing pretty obvious public health strategy. It’s too bad our Governor will likely bury his visit under her preferred flood of fake news about anything but the practical things we can do to protect each other from the surging pandemic.
Following with interest the upcoming second reading of the Sioux Falls mask mandate today, particularly since Mayor TenHaken has paved the way with his negative comments such as “unenforceable” and “people are tired of wearing masks.” Such a mandate is enforceable elsewhere, people can complain about being tired of doing dishes, making the bed, carrying out the trash. ..Those of us who mask up get used to it, not tired of it.
I don’t understand how TenHaken can stand at the lectern and beg people to wear masks —- and then turn around and vote against them being mandated. I can understand wanting to eliminate the fine part of it and who will enforce it, but that could be stripped out of it I think. I have friends in Brookings where there is a mask mandate and they tell me many people are ignoring it also. Walmart has a nation wide mandate in their stores and although I have only been there 2 times in the last 6 months, many people were ignoring the mandate. Many stores I have been to don’t even ask people to wear a mask —- and I only go there as a last resort, and wear a mask.
There’s also Arizona, with one third of its population over 50, lots of them stick-in-the-mud conservatives, with, if I heard right, a mask mandate. They are peaking again (like so many states are), but they dramatically brought their “positive” numbers and death numbers down for a while there, after they had just as big an upturn in July as the red states of Florida and Texas. You know, and, even from a whiner’s point of view, what would be so damn bad about “recommending” masks, not encouraging large gatherings, not denying science. It most likely WILL come to the point eventually where stay-at-home orders need to happen, but in the meantime so much misery could have been avoided if we had a governor actually doing their job, greasing the machinery instead of throwing ever-larger wrenches into it.
The point of a mask mandate isn’t that you’re going to arrest or fine anyone who isn’t complying. The point is to say, “Everyone is supposed to wear a mask.” It’s basic peer pressure used for good public policy. Without a mandate, careful people wearing masks are just “nervous nellies,” because it’s not really necessary. With a mandate, the people *not* wearing masks are the scofflaw a**holes.
We can’t arrest or fine everyone ignoring seatbelt laws or “no texting and driving” laws, but we have them anyway. It tells people what’s expected of a citizen, and people not following the rules are the outliers, rather than the other way around.
Chris S., Great point and really well stated – thanks!
Speaking of health, the ACA/Obamacare rates are 2% down this year. Biden was correct, this is still a big ______ing deal! Booyah!!
WalMart abandoned their mask mandate over a month ago. Claimed there were too many contentious run-ins between angry customers and store employees.
https://tinyurl.com/y3t84ban
from Business Insider July
Here’s a Canadian telling it like it is. trumpian’s, don’t even think of going to Canada because it’s a socialist country, and they don’t want you. https://crooksandliars.com/cltv/2020/11/canadian-man-goes-viral-telling-trump
mfi, maskless patron’s are like slow Wildebeests’, they die. Watch Covid/crocodile catch unprotected (mask less) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfjSHtR1NHM The Wildebeest drowns and suffocates just like you do when you get the Covid.
Someone has got to support the undertakers, thanks to the maskless, they are pretty busy here in South Dakota. trumpian economic development.
Just compare New Zealand five million people, 25 deaths, shut down for two months been fully opened up for several months and South Dakota. Its obviously a constitutional right to transfer disease and kill people. Just live with it South Dakotans. Mask up? Thats a bridge too far.
Best get to mandating, then…..
drumpf’s body count includes over 10.5 million cases in America and 245K bodies.
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
10,554,141
Deaths:
245,746
Mike, I’m disappointed that Walmart let the bullies win.
1,020 some positive SD cases today.
I wonder if they are counting all the deaths due to a covid diagnosis? A local nursing home has had 7 deaths in Nov. by Nov. 7th. All covid? No idea. Some covid, yes. Incredibly sad to have so many dying in town. Not good for the local economy.
It’s incredible that it took the head coordinator for the COVID task force, Dr. Brix, and the US Surgeon General to visit the Dakota’s — to tell two moron governors, county commissioners, and mayors to mandate the public wearing of masks.. This is the height of a once-in-a-century pandemic. How willfully arrogant and ignorant can our non-leaders be?!
Media reports this morning were there are no available hospital beds in North Dakota and that the faux South Dakota Health Department counts infant ICU beds in the ‘available beds’ list – though very few infants succumb to COVID.
Dakotas – keep electing these morons, while your educated children flee this state of denial.
We had 1,000 positive infections today. How many days in a row? Look at how NYC looks at the same thing;
The New York Times
Nov 9
Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City was dealing with an “immense” challenge with more than 1,000 virus cases identified four days in a row this past week. “We have to stop a second wave from happening here,” he said. “It is getting dangerously close.”
One of every 1,500 South Dakotans is in the hospital with Covid.
One of every 54 South Dakotans is a an active Covid case.
https://twitter.com/StevenTDennis/status/1326383188223078406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1326383188223078406%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisqus.com%2Fembed%2Fcomments%2F%3Fbase%3Ddefaultf%3Dwonkettecomt_i%3D2648852519t_u%3Dhttps3A2F2Fwww.wonkette.com2Fpresident-elect-biden-not-surprised-trump-and-pompeo-being-low-rent-fascists-just-disappointedt_d%3D0A2020202020202020President-Elect20Biden20Not20Surprised20Trump20And20Pompeo20Being20Low-Rent20Fascists2C20Just20Disappointed0A20202020t_t%3D0A2020202020202020President-Elect20Biden20Not20Surprised20Trump20And20Pompeo20Being20Low-Rent20Fascists2C20Just20Disappointed0A20202020s_o%3Ddefaultversion%3D681124d0d5585bdd6083e3bc9c603692&fbclid=IwAR3u1Y_3GF4bIfSMVe5kC9HdDb8CkejLzuEVnj5sFHxggDUv19AYv4Piznw
Looks like drumpf body count will hit three high points today, alone….
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
10,568,714
Deaths:
245,943
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/10/27/21534480/north-dakota-south-dakota-covid-coronavirus-pandemic-third-wave
Good explanation of why covid hit the Duhkotas so hard.
drumpf done it good, this time…
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
10,689,679
Deaths:
247,219
Sailed through 246k deaths like they weren’t there and sailed past 247k for dessert. Plus he hit 10.6 million cases of hoax 19.