Covid : this second wave that is sweeping over the southern States in the united States-The Point

What's going on there in Florida ? For a long time reluctant to take action to address the epidemic of Covid, the "Sunshine State" has suddenly made a radica

Covid : this second wave that is sweeping over the southern States in the united States-The Point

What's going on there in Florida ? For a long time reluctant to take action to address the epidemic of Covid, the "Sunshine State" has suddenly made a radical decision : the prohibition to sell alcohol in bars. Note the subtle distinction : the governor has not closed the schools, he just put the dry in the hope of deterring consumers. Three days later, the mayor of Jacksonville, conservative good complexion, has imposed the wearing of the mask in enclosed public places. A dramatic turnaround. A few weeks earlier, the republicans had chosen to transfer their national convention in that city because the mayor, unlike that of Charlotte, which was to take place the large-mass end of August, had promised not to impose social distance and other restrictions. But the authorities in Florida don't really have a choice. The number of cases daily over the last 14 days has seen an increase astronomical, going from 1 700 to 15 June to 8 530 last Sunday...

Read also Covid : in the United States, the war of figures

Florida is not alone. A dozen States – mostly in the south of the country – have announced a "pause" in the re-opening of their economy. Texas, which has very little confined its inhabitants, is also experiencing an explosion of cases of Covid. Here, too, the bars are now closed and the restaurants need to limit their ability to 50 % instead of 75 %. Measures in total opposition to what was decided a few weeks ago the governor to conservative. In Arizona, the governor has halted the reopening of cocktail bars, sports halls and cinemas for thirty days, and banned public events.

The curve goes up out of arrow

infections in the United States had reached a peak in late April – 24 April, there were 36 738 cases – to reduce by half mid-may. But, this last week, the Covid has experienced a disturbing resurgence in 32 States, particularly in the South and the West, exceeding the peak of mid-April. On Sunday, there were 38 700 new cases, bringing to 2.6 million the number of Americans tested positive. On the last 14 days, the number of cases has more than doubled in Texas, Florida and Arizona.

This is not surprising, squeak the specialists : the majority of Southern States are run by conservatives who have ignored the advice of health experts and have déconfiné a very early stage, without imposing the wearing of the mask, distancing physical or prohibition of gatherings. Florida is a perfect example. Ron DeSantis, the governor, a trumpiste pure juice, followed to the letter the position of the chairman. As Donald Trump since the beginning of the pandemic, it has downplayed the risks of the virus, accused the media of exaggerating the facts, refused to impose the wearing of the mask and re-opened very soon, its beaches, its restaurants, hairdressers, claiming that the economic damages were far more serious than the health crisis, which, it is true, remained limited at the start in his home State. This has earned him the praise of Donald Trump. But, since then, the number of cases exploded, with over 8,000 positive individuals per day this weekend.

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The governor of Florida invokes the increase in the number of screening tests to explain the bad numbers. As well as the behaviour of young people, who do not comply with the gestures barriers. It is indeed among 25-35 year olds that has the highest number of positive individuals. Ron DeSantis has recognized, however, that the resurgence of the Covid coincided with the déconfinement. But it does always not require the wearing of the mask. Ditto in Arizona. Governor Doug Ducey is simply curbing re-opening without blocking, for example, some youth sports. "We want to leave a bit of flexibility, he said. The personal responsibility and responsible behavior can help a lot. "

"At the beginning, the pandemic has been aggravated by the neglect and indifference of Trump," says David Frum, a former writer of speeches for George Bush become a political commentator. He dismantled the unit of management of pandemics, has multiplied the errors, never ceased to claim that it was a common flu and it would go away very quickly. "

Number of republicans followed him like a single man in this way. They have ridiculed, for example, wearing a mask, " the Covid burqa ", a symbol of a lack of manhood, of a scared irrational, from the oppression of the State... According to a poll by Reuters-Ipsos in may, only a third of republicans were "very concerned" about the virus, compared with 50% of democrats.

also Read United States : the dangerous politicization of the mask

the Entire campaign anti-mask comes from the fact that the conservatives were counting on the economy – that is wore like a charm before the health crisis – to ensure their victory at the White House and Congress. So they pushed on, under the constant pressure of the president, the restart in the hope that the situation would return very quickly to normal. Georgia has put an end to the confinement on 23 April, followed by Texas on the 1st of may and Florida the 4.

But even the governors republicans have the wrong today to ignore the health crisis, and to continue the policy of the ostrich. Result, they are more likely to extol the virtues of the mask. Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the republicans in the House, said that all the world should cover her face...

All is going very well, Mrs. the Marquise

At the White House, on the other hand, we continue to go on as if the virus had vanished. Mike Pence held last week, for the first time in almost two months, a briefing televised surreal that resembled the song, " Everything is going very well, Mme la marquise ". "We have made progress really remarkable ", is autocongratulé the vice-president, while acknowledging the increase "staggering" in the South. "We are in a much better position ", he added, that two months ago, as the number of deaths declines. It is true that the pace of death has slowed down. But is this because they do not occur immediately or because patients today, more young people are experimenting with symptoms less severe ?

Donald Trump, always very hard to present things to his advantage, has tweeted : "The deaths related to the coronavirus are in sharp decline. The mortality rate is one of the lowest in the world. Our economy is coming back at a gallop, and we do close not. "

Paul Krugman, the Nobel Prize in economics, very marked on the left, is obviously, to him, is less optimistic : "At the beginning of the year, the majority of America has plunged into hell while the nation was struggling to manage the Covid-19. More than 120,000 Americans have died today, more than 20 million have lost their jobs. But it seems that all these sacrifices have been in vain. "

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United States : the dangerous politicization of the mask

Date Of Update: 30 June 2020, 10:33
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