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COVID-19 roundup

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* Ugh…

The United States has recorded more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, the highest number of daily fatalities in three months, Johns Hopkins University’s real-time tally showed Thursday.

The country, which has seen a major resurgence in coronavirus since the end of June, added 2,060 deaths in one day as well as more than 58,000 new cases, the Baltimore-based university showed at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Friday).

The last time the US recorded more than 2,000 deaths in 24 hours was on May 7.

* Capitol News Illinois…

The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Thursday that 20 weeks of state extended benefits are available to those who exhaust the allotted 26 weeks of regular state unemployment and the additional 13 weeks of federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits.

IDES encouraged those with unemployment questions to visit IDES.Illinois.gov first before calling the unemployment hotlines, which continue to receive a high volume of calls.

* Jake Griffin…

The only tax revenue categories that experienced gains over July 2019 were those with tax rates that had increased since last year.

The motor fuel tax doubled since July 2019, but revenues from the tax in July 2020 were only 61.7% higher, according to revenue department figures.

Taxes from cigarettes, private vehicle sales and corporate income were the only other categories to see increases above July 2019. Cigarette and private vehicle sales tax rates were both increased in the last year. Corporate income tax filings were also delayed three months.

Sales tax revenues were down almost $100 million from the previous July, usually one of the state’s stronger months.

* The Southern…

A second inmate diagnosed with COVID-19 at the federal prison in Marion has died amid a coronavirus outbreak that has affected dozens of inmates and a handful of employees.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons said Taiwan Davis, 39, died Wednesday at a local hospital where he was receiving treatment for the disease.

Davis tested positive for COVID-19 on July 29, one week prior to his death. He was transported to a local hospital three days after receiving his diagnosis.

In a news release, the federal agency said that Davis had “pre-existing medical conditions, which the CDC lists as risk factors for developing more severe COVID-19 disease.”

Comments

Hopkins itself reversed its decision to have students on campus and is going remote this fall. https://www.chronicle.com/article/johns-hopkins-goes-fully-remote-for-fall-urges-students-not-to-come-to-campus

Comment by Keyrock Friday, Aug 7, 20 @ 1:16 pm
Part of the problem at the federal level is that we can never admit that we’re failing. Everything has to be the “best” regardless of the facts. Our testing process is an ineffective, inconsistent disaster. We’re simply reacting to the rising positive test rates with a slow and ineffective contract tracing process.

We keep hearing that rapid tests are coming but 5 months in there’s no sign of that. We’ve pinned our hopes on a vaccine that may or may not come or be effective. We need to overhaul the testing process to one which detects the virus at the earliest stage not one that only happens when a person believes they may be sick or exposed.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Aug 7, 20 @ 1:37 pm
===2,000 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours===

2,000 deaths from C-19 or 2,000 deaths with C-19?

I’m not being snarky here. One of the most prevalent problems with the pandemic is the complete and utter failure to present real, credible data. That failure includes federal, state, and county officials. I believe it’s the single most important reason that the pandemic has become more a political issue than a public health issue.

Most people gave up trusting packaged data a long, long time ago. They now go by how they interpret the raw data themselves or what they experience.

Elected. Leaders. Have. Failed.

Comment by OOO Friday, Aug 7, 20 @ 2:14 pm
hi

Comment by Trevor Beahm Monday, Aug 10, 20 @ 9:53 pm