Coronavirus Latest: Trump Calls To 'LIBERATE' States From Lockdowns
Saturday: Armed protests across U.S.; calls to end lockdowns in Aus; cute dogs
Morning! It’s Saturday April 18. Here’s today’s ‘5+5: coronavirus edition’.
Each day I’m bringing you 5 big things to know about the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The fire hose of news being blasted out every day is getting more intense and confusing. Let me try to help you get it under control.
I’m now devoting the second ‘5’ in ‘5+5’ to some non-corona news and nice/fun things, just to give a bit of breathing space for a while. I think we could all do with it.
If you haven’t already, please sign up above ^^ to get this every day in your emails.
You can email me at joshb2@protonmail.com if you have tips, feedback, ideas or just want to chat
You can also find me on Twitter at @joshbutler; on Facebook; or on Instagram
Wash your hands and sneeze into your elbow. Practise physical distancing - at least 1.5 metres of separation. “Stay the fuck at home”.
Latest Australian stats: as of 6am Saturday, Australia has 6533 reported cases of COVID-19 (that’s +36 since the day before); there have been 67 deaths; and more than 396,000 tests have been done, according to the latest federal Department of Health stats. Full global stats breakdown below
5 CORONAVIRUS THINGS
Trump encourages armed protesters
As most of the western world waits through lockdowns, naturally some people are getting antsy. In Australia, groups are calling for the economy to open back up, even though health experts say that’s the worst possible idea (more on that below); in America, gun-toting conservative protest groups are rallying outside state capitals in resistance of lockdowns.
Which is, you know, not a great thing considering we’re being told not to gather in crowds.
In the state of Michigan (story here), groups gathered for ‘Operation Gridlock’ to choke city streets, with others — some waving Trump flags — mobbing on foot outside the state’s capital building, in protest of the Democratic governor’s stay-home orders. In Minnesota (story here), the same story of protests against a Dem governor; and also in Virginia (story here), where three groups — ReOpen Virginia, End the Lockdown VA and Virginians Against Excessive Quarantine — gathered to protest.
“The reason why I’m not wearing a mask is that I’m not going to have someone tell me I have to,” a Virginia protester told NBC.
Did President Donald Trump, currently embroiled in controversy over criticisms he flubbed America’s response to the pandemic, urge calm or ask protesters to go home, to observe social distancing? Not on your life.
Yes, that’s the president seemingly egging on the protesters. When asked about the tweets and the protests at a press conference Friday, Trump replied “they seem to be protesters that like me… Nobody wants to stay shut, but they want to open safely. So do I. But we have large sections of the country right now that can start thinking about opening” (story here).
Spain to exit lockdowns
Staying on lockdowns, Spain — with the second-most cases and third-most deaths in the world — is looking at easing its restrictions after seeing a marked decline in spread. “We are going to follow a gradual process of reincorporation,” a Spanish official said this week, with “stages” of relaxation that will see workers back on the job within weeks, and other restrictions eventually eased in by the “end of the year”. The Spanish lockdowns will remain in current form until at least April 28.
Lockdown arguments are fail to grasp the brutal health reality
The strange argument pinballing around Australia this week is that because our COVID infection and death rates are low, the lockdowns were an “over-reaction”. This ignores the basic fact that our rates are low BECAUSE of the lockdowns. Respected public health officials are in agreement on this (more on that here). But it’s not slowing down those pushing for lockdowns to be lifted far, far earlier than anyone in the know says is safe.
I’ve written a column on this today (you can read it here) laying out why this argument is dangerous, runs counter to (and even ignores) basic health advice and science, and leaves out the brutal reality that people would die, very soon, if things changed.
My colleague at 10, Peter van Onselen, has also written a more measured piece, considering the political implications of raising lockdowns or not, here.
‘Massive discrepancies’ in COVID policing and fines
People are getting fined for doing all sorts of basic and seemingly benign things during the lockdowns, but Osman Faruqi at the Saturday Paper has shone a light on who, and where, these fines are mostly being handed out. Spoiler — it’s not really in the areas with the highest infection rates. The report, which you can read here, alleges “massive discrepancies across jurisdictions and raises concerns about racial bias”, with a number of fines “clustered in Sydney’s western suburbs and regional NSW”.
Today’s stats:
The latest stats from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering (as of 9.30am AEST Saturday) report 2,240,191 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide. There have been 153,822 deaths.
The United States has 699,706 confirmed cases, with Spain next but far behind on 190,839, then Italy (172,434). The U.S. has the most deaths (36,773), then Italy (22,745) and Spain third on 20,002.
In Australia, the latest federal stats (as of 6am Saturday) show 6533 cases, 67 deaths, and 396,000 tests.
The latest Australian graph:
5 NON-CORONAVIRUS THINGS
This is my favourite video of the week:
This is my second favourite video of the week:
Malcolm Turnbull (remember him???) is releasing a brick of a memoir on Monday. It is, unsurprisingly, full of some absolute top-grade gossip and juice on his time in politics, and the various people he hates. The Sydney Morning Herald has this very lengthy and revealing feature on him and the book. Give yourself half an hour to read this one, it’s worth it.
Conversely, this piece about the bizarre coffee habits of a New York art critic made me actually cry laughing.
And this is from two days ago, but it’s very cute
IMPORTANT EVERY DAY
You “must” stay home at all times unless to shop for essential supplies; get medical care; exercise alone or with one other person; or work and education (more info here).
be hygienic; wash your hands properly, at least 30 seconds with soap and water, multiple times a day (here’s how you need to do it, plus a handy Dr Karl video tutorial); sneeze and cough into your elbows.
Listen to only official information from the World Health Organisation and legitimate health bodies — Don’t share dodgy stuff on Facebook. If it looks too good (or bad) to be true, it often is.
World Health Organisation latest statistics here
Australian government latest statistics here
Signing off - stay safe, be healthy, look after yourself and others
Josh