#AloneTogether
* “Each of these (European) countries has had nadirs like we are having now, and each took an upward trend after they disregarded known mitigation strategies. They simply took their eye off the ball.”–Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director.
* U.S.: 4.25 percent of the world population. U.S.: 20 percent of the global COVID deaths.
* Approximately 20 percent of Americans have had at least one vaccine dose.
* Context: approximately 1,300 deaths per day currently. Two months ago: approximately 3,400.
* Context: approximately 55,000 new cases per day. Early January: approximately 250,000 per day. Not out of the woods, but clearing ahead.
* The most popular hospitality perk of 2021 is the coronavirus test.
* The CDC has announced that schools can allow social distancing of three feet—rather than the six-foot standard.
* The coronavirus vaccine eligibility-age in Florida was lowered to 50 this week. According to Gov. Ron DeSantis, shots will likely be expanded to all Floridians 16 and older before May 1.
* Publix has passed the 1 million mark in vaccine doses administered.
* Miami Beach has imposed an 8 p.m. curfew in the South Beach entertainment district through the end of spring break. “We are quite simply overwhelmed,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.
* AMC Theatres has now opened 98 percent of its U.S. movie theaters.
* “South Dakota is the only state in America that never ordered a single business or church to close. South Dakota never instituted shelter in place, never mandated people wear masks. South Dakota never even defined what an essential business is.” That was South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem. What she said is true—but so also is data from Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems and Science that lists South Dakota as having the second-highest number of COVID cases per 100,000 residents in the country.
* Those scenes of Florida beaches of unmasked hordes are all too familiar pandemic optics. But party-on proximity is not the biggest spring-breaking issue. Where else do partygoers go? Restaurants, bars, restrooms, hotels, motels, airports. That’s the bigger issue. “Outside is safer than inside,” underscores Dr. Jay Wolfson, a health policy expert at USF. “The beaches are pretty safe.”
* USF will hold its spring graduation ceremony in person—with modifications—at Tropicana Field May 7-9.
* Speaking of USF, it is now the Southeast Regional Headquarters of the Global Virus Network, which includes virologists in 34 countries.