Tuesday, April 28, 2020

The Covid-19 Panic

OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com
Whether you like it or not, the hysteria about the Corona Virus Disease is already a very big deal
In the absence of specific guidelines from federal authorities. states and major cities have begun to publish their own rules and directives to slow the spread of Clovid-19, the respiratory disease associated with the newly discovered. so-called “novel corona virus.”

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These new rules are likely to become more widespread in the next week and will almost certainly trigger unexpected and poorly reported-on results. The first is the continuance of jury trials and possibly other legal proceedings into the summer or later. The second if the almost certain cancellation of the following social events aimed at motorcycle enthusiasts: Arizona Bike Week scheduled to begin April 1; the Angel City Spring Motorcycle Rally scheduled for April 15; Laughlin River Run, April 23; the Leesburg BikeFest, April 24; the Spring Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally in Panama City, April 29; the Route 66 Biker Rally in Oklahoma, April 30; the Steel Horse Rally in Arkansas, May 1; and Myrtle Beach Bike Week scheduled to begin May 8.
Yesterday the Centers for Disease Control released a “Guidance” Statement that said: The “CDC, in accordance with its guidance for large events and mass gatherings, recommends that for the next 8 weeks, organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States.”
As of March 16, none of these events has officially cancelled and no legal proceedings anywhere have been continued because of Covid-19 fears.

California

However, events in California and Los Angeles illustrate where we are all headed.
Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, which as of Monday morning had 335 cases of Covid-19 resulting in six deaths. has ordered all bars, wineries and brew pubs to close. Virtually every school in the state is closed and will remain closed until at least April 15. All California restaurants have been ordered to halve their capacity. The governor has also ordered all citizens aged 65 or older to stay inside under virtual house arrest. Newsom has not said how he plans to enforce his directives which run into dozens of pages and can be found here.
Los Angeles has ordered even more draconian guidelines to attempt to minimize the spread of the virus including the closure of all restaurants and the postponement of all jury trials.
As of Monday morning, the United States has confirmed 1774 cases of Covid-10 resulting in 69 deaths. There are 169,387 confirned cases of Covid-19 infection worldwide which has resulted in 6.513 deaths. No one can say definitively how many people are infected with the virus that causes the disease, the mortality rate of the disease or how long a person with the disease remains infectious.
Most actions taken to prevent the spread of the disease are very speculative which explains why none of the motorcycle rallies listed above have yet been cancelled and refunds issued for rooms booked, tickets sold or vendor spaces reserved. But local and state officials are under significant public pressure to do something and the easiest thing for those officials to do is to make speeches, and shut everything down.