Hawaii Gov. David Ige extended the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arriving travelers on Wednesday in a bid to keep coronavirus cases in the islands low.
Ige said the rule is being extended to the end of July as the state works to solidify a screening process that could soon allow travelers to return in some capacity.
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem outlined some of the lessons that South Dakota has learned from our fight against COVID-19. Key quotes from Gov. Noem’s remarks include:
“Perhaps the most significant takeaway so far is that more freedom, not more government, is the answer… Freedom is a better friend of true science than government-centered and government-controlled science. Freedom, not government, is the best friend of innovation. Freedom focuses our politics on persuasion and the intellectual strength of our positions, not on control, coercion or the heavy hand of government. And if someone is interested in the common good in all its iterations and complexities, freedom is the one and only choice.”
“My approach to this virus was to provide South Dakotans with all the information I could and then trust them to exercise their freedom to make the best decision for themselves and their families. We took a unique path – we haven’t locked people up, forced businesses or churches to close, or ordered a statewide shelter in place.”
“The mainstream media attack those who push for freedom and for people to be able to make the best decisions for their families. But politicians who take away people’s freedoms and enforce lockdowns are praised – and shielded from real scrutiny.”
“Some think COVID-19 will accelerate the move of people out of cities. That story is still being written, but one of the few things we know about this virus is that density is one of the key factors contributing to its spread. Because of that, New York and Silicon Valley may look very different in the future.”
“Not all Governors trusted their people, but I did. Different paths mean people have different choices, and South Dakota chose common sense solutions. If you want freedom, personal responsibility, and a government that works for you rather than dictates to you, South Dakota is the place to get it.”
“Our new normal may be very different from the past, but don’t ever forget this one fundamental truth – the windshield is so much bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason. In South Dakota, we always confront adversity and emerge into even greater prosperity. The future – our future – is bright. Hope is in front of us. We will come out stronger than ever before. And to those concerned about what the future might hold for you if you stay where you are right now, come to South Dakota – the air is fresh, the people are free, and the possibilities are endless.”
You can see the full video of Governor Noem’s remarks here and download them here.
“In light of evolving evidence, WHO advises that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments,” he said.
State governors and public health officials should follow this example in light of recent CDC data showing that Covid-19 is much less deadly than originally thought. The CDC recently revised its death rate estimate down to just 0.4 percent. And for many demographics, it is far less than that.
The current coronavirus pandemic appears more comparable in terms of overall mortality to the influenza epidemics of 1957 and 1968, or the British flu epidemics of the late 1990s. Of course, the United States and United Kingdom did not only not shut down for any of those epidemics, they received little attention outside the health care system.
Why is the media no longer concerned, and often almost gleeful, about all the mass gatherings that would have been so deadly due to COVID 19 just a few days ago?
I guess these people magically aren’t “killing their grandmas” by going outside anymore?!? 🙄
Department of Justice Files Statement of Interest Challenging the Constitutionality of Maine Governor’s COVID-19 Orders that Economically Harm Maine Campgrounds.
In its statement of interest, the United States explains that Maine’s quarantine requirement discriminates between Maine residents and out-of-state residents. This discrimination appears to be inadequately tailored to further public safety and therefore does not comply with the Constitution. Maine’s Executive Orders are imposing devastating economic costs on the plaintiff campgrounds with a requirement that is both overinclusive and underinclusive to meet its objective and for which Maine could use less restrictive means to advance its interest in protecting public safety.
The World Health Organization is recommending healthy people, including those who don’t exhibit COVID-19 symptoms, only wear masks when taking care of someone infected with the contagion, a sharp contrast from the advice given by American public health officials who recommend everyone wear a mask in public.
“If you do not have any repository symptoms such as fever, cough or runny nose, you do not need to wear a mask,” Dr. April Baller, a public health specialist for the WHO, says in a video on the world health body’s website posted in March. “Masks should only be used by health care workers, caretakers or by people who are sick with symptoms of fever and cough.”
Soon after Gov. Abbott lifted Texas’s stay-at-home order, the state experienced an increase in the sheer number of new cases and deaths reported each day.
On May 14, Texas recorded its second-deadliest day (51) since the first COVID-19 fatality in the state on March 16, data from the state’s health department showed. The following day, Texas documented the highest single-day tally of new cases (1,818) since it recorded its first case on March 4.
In the weeks that followed, however, the seven-day average of new cases and deaths has been steadily going down, the state data revealed, echoing assessments by mainstream media outlets. The seven-day average number of hospitalizations and test positivity rates have also seen a steady, but modest decrease.
Resistance grows in New York as thousands turn out to protest #lockdown orders from self appointed dictator @NYGovCuomo! Several hundred assembled in Rochester for #RestartROC!
On Saturday, Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) announced that churches and other houses of worship would finally be allowed to host services with more than ten people. His announcement came after Catholic and Lutheran churches warned the governor that they would reopen their churches to more than ten people before May 31, Pentecost Sunday, with or without his permission.