Tag: COVID-19
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Remember Petersburg!
by James A. Bacon Two weeks ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $3 trillion coronavirus-relief bill that would direct nearly $1 trillion to state, local and tribal governments. This massive bail-out would come on top of massive assistance to states and localities in previous legislation: $150 for a Coronavirus Relief Fund, $30 billion…
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About that Mask Mandate
by Kerry Dougherty Like everything else he’s done during the coronavirus crisis, Gov. Ralph Northam’s announcement that he was ordering masks for all Virginians over the age of 10 when they’re in brick and mortar establishments was onerous to businesses and fraught with contradictions. For instance, he warned about the mask mandate on Friday, May…
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You Don’t Have to Like the Decree, But Wear Face Masks Anyway
by James A. Bacon I’m still digesting Governor Ralph Northam’s face-mask mandate, but my initial reaction is that it could be worse. I dislike the coercive aspect of his executive order. But requiring Virginians to wear face masks in public buildings and places of commerce is less intrusive than compelling businesses and workplaces to shut…
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Hypothesis: Improving Treatments Are Making COVID-19 Less Deadly
by James A. Bacon The Wall Street Journal cited a revealing statistical measure of the COVID-19 virus that reflects upon the ability of different health systems to cope with the epidemic: the percentage of confirmed cases that result in fatalities. That number varies widely across countries and states. The focus of the article was Singapore…
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Parole Board Continues Freeing Frenzy
by Kerry Dougherty I watched most of Gov. Ralph Northam’s press conference yesterday, hoping that some bold member of the press would ask just one question: “If masks work why don’t you slap them on the face of every inmate in Virginia and keep them in their cells?” Alas, no one wants to remind the…
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Stay-at-Home Costs vs. Health Benefits
By Dick Hall-Sizemore There is a fierce debate going on in this country. One side is anxious to ease the restrictions imposed on the population in an effort to slow the spread the coronavirus and “open up the economy.” The other side, concerned about a resurgence of the disease and related deaths, wants to go…
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What Northam’s “Key Measures” Do and Don’t Tell Him
by James A. Bacon Later today Governor Ralph Northam will issue his mask-wearing mandate for Virginians. I’ll reserve comment about the details of the plan for when I see them. In the meantime, it is worth considering what data he might draw upon to justify his measures. The Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard highlights…
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Virginia’s Lockdown Violates Natural Law
by Deborah Hommer My favorite Greek tragedy play is Sophocles’ “Antigone.” The protagonist risks her life with civil disobedience by burying the body of her brother Polyneices according to the religious dictates (natural/higher law) of her God in defiance of King Creon’s edict (man-made or positive law). When confronted with the choice of whether to…
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A Servant Leader
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Bill Mims is one of the treasures of Virginia government. Currently, he is an associate justice of the Virginia Supreme Court. His prior service includes representing Loudoun County in the House of Delegates and the State Senate and serving as Attorney General (appointment). He is known widely throughout the state for his…
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COVID-19 Counter-Factuals and Trade-Offs
by James A. Bacon A recent Columbia University study generated headlines after concluding that 55% of deaths reported as of May 3 could have been avoided if stricter social-distancing controls had been implemented nationally just one week earlier. Responding to that story, President Trump created a mini-furor by engaging in his usual ad hominem attacks.…
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Two Faces of the Face-Mask Mandate
by Sidney Bostian Governor Ralph Northam will announce tomorrow the details of a statewide mandate to wear masks in public spaces and businesses. “We are working through the policy. Obviously it’s an equity issue,” Northam said at his Friday news conference, adding that all Virginia residents would need access to face coverings and that he…
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Ralph Northam’s Sovereign Immunity
by Kerry Dougherty Just as we were eagerly looking forward to a glorious Memorial Day weekend in Virginia Beach, Gov. Ralph Northam dropped a stink bomb. At his Friday press conference, in his cloying, paternalistic way, Northam said he had some homework for the commonwealth. He wanted everyone to get a mask. Details to come…
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The Emperor’s New Clothes — or the COVID That Didn’t Happen
by Carol J. Bova The May 22 UVA COVID-19 Model weekly report says the virus transmission rate dropped below 1.0 in the past week. It had averaged 2.2 prior to March 15. Here’s the explanation of what that means: Researchers use the transmission rate of a disease, often referred to as R-naught (R0), to measure…
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The Epidemic is Receding. Why Do We Need a Mask Mandate Now?
by James A. Bacon As Governor Ralph Northam ponders the details of a statewide order mandating Virginians to wear face masks, he might do well to consider the latest COVID-19 data in his deliberations. A record number of test results, 11,609, were incorporated into the Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 database yesterday and published on…
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The Nursing Home Industry Responds
Virginia’s long-term care facilities have come under close scrutiny during the COVID-19 epidemic, understandably so, considering that roughly 60% of all COVID-19 deaths in Virginia have afflicted patients living in long-term care facilities. The nursing home industry has remained remarkably quiet throughout the crisis. But yesterday I received a communication from Amy Hewett, vice president…