Let’s move those goalposts, folks! Might as well, because we’re way past the time of “15 days to defeat COVID”
Gov. Cooper COVID-19 update coming as NC records highest case numbers yet
North Carolina reported its highest number of new coronavirus cases — 4,514 — on Sunday as more people get tested before Thanksgiving.
Gov. Roy Cooper will hold a press conference Monday afternoon. After limiting indoor gatherings from 25 to 10 people, the governor said last week that, if numbers don’t improve, some new restrictions might need to be enacted.
“We will do what we need to do in order to protect the health and safety of North Carolinians,” he said. “We have done that in the past. We will do that in the future.”
The concerning number is not only the state’s highest daily total to date but an unusually high number for a weekend day, when fewer people usually get tested. State-run and private testing sites alike have reported long lines and a surplus of people trying to get tested the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Many in North Carolina are concerned that lockdowns and such are coming. If we’re lucky, it will be the silly 10pm to 5am lockdowns like in other states. Restrictions will seemingly be different based on the county and how they are performing.
The NCDHHS also urged families to celebrate Thanksgiving differently by not traveling and by dining only with those you live with –Â advice also issued by the CDC. The state warned that, while getting a COVID-19 test before the holiday is a good idea, a negative test doesn’t mean you’re in the clear.
“If you test negative, that is not a definitive answer or a free pass,” the state said. “Act as if you could have COVID and could be contagious. Wear a face mask over your mouth and nose. Wait 6 feet apart. Wash your hands often.”
I most certainly agree with the social distancing, no touching, and washing your hands. Not so thrilled with masks, but, better safe than sorry, and I can get away with wearing silly things and my favorite sports teams, and no one can say boo. But, it’s that part about not having a free pass which seems to be the latest talking point, with the NY Times leading the way (you can also read it at Yahoo)
No, a Negative Coronavirus Test Does Not Mean You Can Safely Socialize
In the lead-up to Thanksgiving, Americans are no strangers to planning. But this year, as they prepare to let turkeys brine and pie crusts thaw, people across the country are waiting for something extra: a coronavirus test they hope can clear them to mingle with loved ones.
Many people consider a negative coronavirus test to be a ticket to freely socialize without precautions. But scientists and doctors say this is dangerously misguided. It is one precautionary measure but does not negate the need for others, like quarantining, masking and distancing.
The main reason is that a test gives information about the level of the virus at one point in time. A person could be infected but not have enough virus yet for it to register on a test. Or, a person may become infected in the hours or days after taking a test. Also, the tests do not have 100% accuracy. (snip)
The experts agreed that tests were very useful for one thing: If someone receives a positive test, that person knows to stay home and isolate.
But a negative test, while helpful, is not sufficient, said Dr. Esther Choo, an emergency medicine physician and a professor at Oregon Health and Science University. A test “filters out those who are positive and definitely shouldn’t be there,†she said. “Testing negative basically changes nothing about behavior. It still means wear a mask, distance, avoid indoors if you can.â€
On one hand, this makes sense, right? You aren’t positive right now, but, that doesn’t mean you won’t get it 30 minutes later when you fist bump someone. I’m good with social distancing and no touching. I have not had a cold or the flu yet this year (knock on wood). I prefer to minimize the chance of getting COVID. You never know if it will be asymptomatic, like having the cold, or put you in the ICU, right?
But, let’s be honest, this seems to be setting the stage now for more government control of your life. It’s building a narrative to get you to give up more of your freedom. Perhaps they’ll come up with Freedom Passes, eh?
BTW, so much of the article is about problems with the tests
Different tests for the coronavirus give different information.
So, if some tests work and some tests don’t, how is it that the media freaked out about the rising numbers who test positive, when there are problems? Oh, right, Orange Man Bad.
It is telling that all the public campaigns for COVID make no mention at all for the possibility of people with provable immunity. Why should immune people be forced to mask-distance-quarantine? As far as public policy is concerned, only the rich and politically connected get exemptions. Just like every other policy promoted by the neo-communist Left.
Our esteemed host wrote:
The USSR had its internal passport system, restricting travel, so Freedom Passes are along the same lines.
James Woods tweeted, “A friend on the east coast said her colleague tested positive for COVID. After she recovered, but less than 14 days from her test result, she took her dog for a walk. A notification popped up on her phone, telling her to go back home, as she wasn’t “allowed to leave her house.—
Was the government tracking her cell phone and using it like an ankle monitor? Of course, the story could be false, but there was serious discussion of doing just that last spring.
But with all of these restrictions, it sometimes seems as though the Democrats read 1984, and thought, “Hey, that sounds like a model for good government.”