tales from a COVID-19 self-quarantine, part 4

(These reports quickly went from personal anecdotes to following the news because as the quarantine deepened we all settled down into our new and solitary routines. My days are all the same...work on the fence, household chores, work on drawings).

Monday...

16 positive cases now in my county.

We're getting more and more reluctant to venture out even to the grocery store.

Republicans continue to engage in voter suppression trying to purge another 240,000 voters. Michigan's republican legislature refused to delay the election tomorrow at the democratic governor's request in order to send out mail-in ballots to voters so they wouldn't have to possibly expose themselves while waiting in line to vote.

Trump continues to push the malaria drug for use with covid-19 because he is invested in it's manufacture, not because he thinks it will help people.

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Tuesday...

My county now has 18 positive cases of covid-19.

Seven big cats, lions and tigers, in the Bronx Zoo have developed covid-19 from an asymptomatic infected worker. While we can apparently pass it on to cats, scientists are pretty sure they can't pass it to us.

Trump has attacked the WHO and is thinking about halting US funding. During a pandemic. Cause that's just the kinda guy he is.

Trump is refusing to consider national vote by mail because he says 'they' cheat, 'they' gather up the mail in ballots and cheat. And then he walked out in the middle of his own presser because none of the questions from reporters were going well for him.

Trump fired the guy who was supposed to conduct oversight on the distribution of the $2T pandemic relief fund and is reportedly getting ready to fire all 7 of the rest of the Inspector Generals.

In a direct conflict of the separation of church and state in the constitution, Trump plans to send churches part of the relief money so that they can pay their pastors and utilities to buy their votes.

The silence from the Senate and House Republicans is deafening. I can only surmise that they hate democracy. I never thought I would witness the dismantling of our government and our democracy and yet here I am.

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Wednesday...

People still getting sick, states are still having their purchases of PPE etc. confiscated by the federal government, federal government still not sending states what they need, Trump still bragging about his ratings and what a great job he's doing, still using the pandemic as cover while he and McConnell continue to push through unqualified right wing judges. In other words just more of the same of the Trump shit show.

Bernie Sanders finally dropped out of the presidential campaign.

Pence refused to let Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, and other medical experts talk with reporters from CNN and MSNBC  because they stopped broadcasting all of Trump's ill-disguised rallies, only airing the pertinent parts about the pandemic, and Trump barred their reporters from the press briefings  because they ask the tough questions which he really doesn't like.

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Thursday...

My county now has 24 positive cases of covid-19 with 6 recovered.

That little trip the completely unqualified and now resigned acting Secretary of the Navy Modly took to harangue the shipmates of and insult the captain he fired for protecting his sailors cost us taxpayers over $243,000 and that was just the cost of the plane ride to Guam and back. Trump says he doesn't know the guy. Doesn't know the guy he appointed and was sitting next to at a football game. There's a picture.

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Friday...

Two more cases bringing the total to 26 with 7 recovered.

Trump has ended federal support for covid-19 testing and we haven't even reached the pandemic peak yet, says widespread testing isn't going to happen and isn't needed to open the economy. Why? Because he and his family and his toadies have all been tested. That's all he cares about as he continues to withhold lifesaving gear and equipment from those who need it unless they are suitably 'appreciative'. That and more testing increases the known number of cases and the more cases the worse he looks.

The post office is nearing crises level with many postal workers ill. They requested financial aid and Trump told his aides not to give it to them. Why? Because he wants to privatize the USPS. He wants it to go under. And also because Republicans don't want a national vote by mail because they know that if everyone gets to vote, they will lose.

Trump wants to lower farm worker pay to help farmers. So yeah, let's cut the pay of one of the lowest paid essential workers in the country.

2,000 people died from the virus today.

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Saturday...

Now that all us humans have been sent to our rooms for disrespecting the planet, the Himalayas are visible from India and whales are swimming in areas they have avoided.

Walking the dog, we stop and and chat with neighbors who are also out...standing six feet apart.

Some of the chatter on Twitter is about hair cuts. People are missing their monthly trims. Do I let it grow long or let a family member cut it or try it myself? I only get one haircut a year usually late spring when I start putting it up in a ponytail or bun. I like it short in the summer, out of my face and off my neck, and then let it grow for winter so I'm missing my annual haircut. Pretty soon I'll be able to braid it again.

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Sunday...

Trump continues to show why running the government like a business is a bad idea. He confiscates supplies ordered by the states, gives some to FEMA to distribute but most to the business sector which is allowed to sell to recipients, ventilators have nearly doubled in price, because Trump says they already have distribution lines set up except the most needy aren't necessarily getting the supplies while other places are getting supplies they don't need. Why? Because the business sector sells and distributes the supplies to their established customers.

Current US statistics as of today 4/12/20, 14:10 GMT (last three week's totals in parenthesis): cases – 534,494 (312,223, 123,958, 38,757); deaths – 20,637 (8,483, 2,231, 400); recoveries – 30,548 (14,828, 3,238, 178). Yay! Trump finally made us #1 in something...the most cases, the most deaths. MAGA!