After leaving his gig as lead singer for Kansas, John Elefante and his brother Dino composed a song which begins
“This world is goin’ crazy and I’m ready to scream”
Love Inhalation (1989).
Folks that about summarizes my view of the madness of Covid-19; especially, here in California.
Folks, nobody is listening to our Governor. No, I’ll get to the protesters in a minute. What Newsom actually says in his press conferences about a timeline is unreported by the media. Take this from the beginning of his remarks on April 27th.
The likelihood of having a virus-free world is not realistic in the next number of months. We’ll look forward to that day as herd immunity comes into effect and we have a vaccine that we can distribute and make available to hundreds of millions of people across this country, billions around the rest of the globe. Until then, we have to manage it. We have to manage risks. We have to manage and augment our behavior.
Gavin Newson Covid-19 Press Conference 04/27/2020
Folks, Governor Newsom keeps saying this each time Covid-19 comes up. Read the quote again carefully this time especially “We’ll look forward to that day as herd immunity comes into effect and we have a vaccine that we can distribute and make available to hundreds of millions of people across this country…”
Herd Immunity
Folks, Gavin is redefining terms here so let me explain. Herd Immunity is when enough people in a population have had a disease that it is no longer able to keep being passed to new hosts. Depending on what you read, this number is believed to be between 40 to 60 percent of the population. If enough people get an illness, it will die-out on its own. Please note that in many places, as we have reported previously, antibody testing for Covid-19 is showing that about 35 percent of people are positive for the antibodies. Can we say they are within a short span of claiming herd immunity in their communities?
Back when Barack Obama was President, H1N1 infected 60.8 million people (range per CDC: 43.3-89.3 million) before it died-out in 2009. Folks, the math is that about 20 percent of the population had H1N1 during this pandemic. Just to be sure it was stamped-out, the following flu season 2009-2010, people were encouraged to get the vaccine.
Oh, as I’m writing this, look at this nugget from Wikipedia.
By April 2010, it was apparent that most of the vaccine was not needed. The US government had bought 229 million doses of H1N1 vaccines of which 91 million doses were used; of the surplus, some of it was stored in bulk, some of it was sent to developing countries and 71 million doses were destroyed. The World Health Organization is planning to examine if it overreacted to the H1N1 outbreak.
2009 swine flu pandemic vaccine
When you read, “The World Health Organization is planning to examine if it overreacted to the H1N1 outbreak.” Does it ring any bells given the current overreaction?
No, I didn’t forget about Gavin. My point is that it takes an incredible amount of time and effort to come up with a vaccine. In the case of H1N1, which did see the successful development of a vaccine, mutations from the original strain were few and occurred in later years. Two mutations to H1N1 were found in a 2015 outbreak of H1N1 in India. These mutations decreased the effectiveness of the vaccine.
By contrast, as we documented here previously, in the relatively short period of time that Covid-19 has been outside the Wuhan laboratory (about 6 months), 30 mutations have thus far been documented. Again, here in the United States, the West Coast strain is different than the one ravaging New York. Oh, this may be an outlier, but a British newspaper is reporting that we may not have a vaccine for Covid-19 until 2036.
Three possible outcomes exist for the current pandemic: either the Covid-19 flu goes away by itself which makes it possible that it may reemerge in the fall, enough people get it that herd immunity develops on its own, or we shelter in place until a vaccine is created. Newsom is defining herd immunity as the point when a vaccine is able to be mass produced and deployed worldwide and advocating that we hide in our homes until then. Yep. This will go on for many more months if he has his way. Look at my original quote.
Until then, we have to manage it. We have to manage risks. We have to manage and augment our behavior.
The key phrase is “augment our behavior.” i.e. no business as usually until a vaccine.
Lest you think I’m overreacting look at this poorly publicized nugget from KOVR TV.
More than 50 days in, California is still in what’s considered phase one of the governor’s four-phase plan. That means if pacing continues, the shelter-in-place order won’t be lifted until October.
The Toll Of Reopening Timeline: No End In Sight For Area Businesses, Families
Do you believe that we will willingly shelter in place until October? Nonessential workers can you go 8 months without working and paying your bills? That is what you are expected to do. Once the November election is over and Donald Trump is voted out, California will them magically return to “normal.” Color me suspicious but welcome to the 2020 campaign.
I know that skeptics occasionally read the blog and give my staff trouble about what they think are our tin foil hat ideas, but these folks need to open their eyes. The cost benefit ratio does not justify the economic pain our ruling class is inflicting on their citizens in the name of safety. California has a reputation for lavishly giving out goodies to people on the fringes of society like free hotel rooms for the homeless and welfare to illegal aliens, but they have shutoff the tax money spigot to the State coffers and want to double down on this nonsense? California’s biggest tax revenue streams are personal income taxes and sale taxes. Both require economic activity that has been banned in our State.
Counties are Rising Up
Can you see why people are starting to protest and defy the Governor? Thank God for Modoc County.
One California county has had enough of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order.
Modoc County, a rural area that borders Oregon, announced that they will be reopening businesses and churches despite the Democratic governor’s orders. The county has had no cases of the coronavirus since the outbreak began, prompting the county health officer, sheriff-coroner, chair of the Board of Supervisors, and other county officials to announce that it would be reopening Friday.
California county with no coronavirus cases plans to reopen despite Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order
Following on the heals of Modoc, two other counties are doing likewise. The pioneer to take the lead in this region of California was the Upper Cut barber shop.
Despite county and state stay-at-home orders, Randy Mitchell decided to keep his Marysville barbershop Upper Cut open.
“I told them (police) take me to jail because that is the only way you are going to stop me from operating,” Mitchell said.
On Friday, there were no empty chairs inside his barbershop. Booked with customers, there wasn’t much room for social distancing. Mitchell recently received a $1,000 fine from Marysville police after being cited for not following orders.
“If another American chooses to do business with me that’s that American’s choice. I’m not going to tell somebody that they have to stay six feet apart from me, that they have to wear masks and gloves,” he said.
Mitchell feels he had no other choice but to stay open, fearing closing would shut his business down for good. Customers in the packed barbershop said they are happy to support him.
Yuba, Sutter Counties Set To Reopen Despite Governor’s Order; Some Businesses Already Open
Because this man was willing to endue the citation for $1,000, other businesses in the region are opening starting Monday May 4th.
More businesses in Yuba and Sutter Counties starting Monday could follow the shop’s lead. The Yuba-Sutter Heath Officer, Dr. Phuong Luu, announced Friday businesses like malls, salons, gyms and restaurants can reopen starting next week.
Businesses who are considered “low risk” by Dr. Luu can reopen if they follow social distancing recommendations. The new local order conflicts with Governor Newsom’s plan to wait to reopen similar businesses.
Yuba City Mayor Shon Harris told CNN Friday, reopening is essential for his city that is struggling to feed their families.
“We don’t want to defy anything but with the statewide order. The numbers are quite different here locally. We would just like to have some local control and make our decisions for our local folks here,” Harris said.
Folks, here’s the choice you have, wait to be taken care of by the government until at least October or man-up and get to work now. God gave you skills, will you use ‘em or lose ‘em?
Please note that last week, seven counties in northern California wanted to open. Modoc decided it was better to seek forgiveness than permission while the other six counties that asked the Governor for permission got no response. Of these two have decided to open.
Officials from six rural Northern California counties and 14 small cities have urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to let them reopen their economies, marking the most significant push-back yet from local leaders of a mandatory stay-at-home order in its second month that has left 3 million people out of work.
Of the 500,000 people who live in Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Colusa, Tehama and Glenn counties, only 69 have confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
Rural Northern California counties seek to reopen economy
Oh, for you political types out there, here’s my suggestion for a way to hit Newsom in a political ad.
One of the counties that Newsom has not allowed to reopen is Butte. You all know Butte County because guess what city is in that county? Paradise. Remember the one that burned to a crisp in a matter of hours? The one Governors Brown and Newsom promised to move heaven and earth to rebuild. Yep that Paradise is shutdown and not allowed to reopen. How’s them for optics? How can you proclaim, “Rebuild Paradise” and then tell a community without houses for their citizens to “shelter in place?”
Then there are the beach protests and others around the State. Gavin is losing his grip.
Closing Thoughts
Note to Gavin, we will put up with a lot of crap from you politicians but when you directly threaten our livelihoods and families, you better brace for pushback. Many of us are beyond the point to further enduring this nonsense. Dr. Fauci, W.H.O., et al., were wrong. It’s time to end this and get back to work. The at-risk folks know who they are and what to do so quit punishing the rest of us. Recess is over, everybody back to work.
Final and random thought: Isn’t wearing a mask now a days like wearing a ribbon on your lapel was 20 years ago? It doesn’t do anything except make you feel better because you care more than people without one. Symbolism over substance.