Tag: COVID-19
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Percent of Positive COVID-19 Tests on Upward Trend
Ask and ye shall receive. In the comments section of a recent post, Don Rippert makes an interesting observation: “The cue for a serious outbreak seems to be a rise in percent positive for those being tested. That’s why Michigan and Indiana are being watched closely right now. As I recall from the article I…
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COVID-19 Update: Hospitalizations, Deaths Mount
Today’s data update from the Virginia Department of Health shows an an accelerating increase in confirmed new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths yesterday. Total COVID-19 cases: 2,012, up 306 over the previous day. The previously highest daily increase was 239. Total hospitalizations: 312, up 66 from the previous day. The previously highest daily increase was…
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Virginia Shortchanged by National Stockpile? Don’t Complain, Do Something
by James A. Bacon Virginia has received only a fraction of the medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile it needs to fight the COVID-19 virus, according to documents released by the House Committee on Oversight and reform. “The new documents we are releasing today confirm the urgent warnings we have been hearing from our…
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Latest COVID-19 Job Toll: 112,000 in Virginia Last Week
by James A. Bacon The latest unemployment claims are in, and they’re brutal — more than twice the level in Virginia (and across the country) of last week, which was, by far, the worst week in the history of the United States. For the week ending March 28, the number of seasonably unadjusted initial claims…
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Is Aubrey Layne Serious about a $2B “Hit” to Virginia’s Biennial General Fund from COVID-19?
By DJ Rippert Penny Layne. Aubrey Layne is Virginia’s Secretary of Finance under the Northam Administration. Previously, Layne served as Secretary of Transportation under the McAuliffe regime. Prior to his time in government Layne held a number of executive positions in private enterprise including the presidency of Great Atlantic Properties. Layne is listed by Wikipedia…
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Help Is Available, Governor
by James C. Sherlock The issues I spotlighted yesterday in Governor Northam’s news conference are not a Democrat or a Republican thing. They just need to be fixed. If you or I were elected Governor, we would consider our new responsibilities. We would find that we have basically four: Appoint competent and hard-working cabinet and sub-cabinet…
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More COVID-19 Innovators and Heroes
From Taiwan with love. Dr. Scott Hickey, president of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians, is contracting with two Powhatan County companies to produce boxes designed to protect emergency health care workers while they intubate patients with COVID-19. Designed by a doctor in Taiwan, the protective box is being replicated in the U.S. to shield…
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COVID-19 Update: Mounting Toll
Here’s the latest COVID-19 data from the Virginia Department of Health based on yesterday’s developments. Total cases: 1,706, up 222 yesterday. Total hospitalizations: 246, up 38 yesterday. Total deaths: 41, up 7 yesterday. Total tests: 17,589, up 2,245 yesterday. And here, straight from Cranky’s Excel spreadsheet to you, the updated “doubling” time for key metrics:…
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Expanding an Ineffective Government Solves Nothing
By DJ Rippert The failure of American government at all levels is on display with COVID-19. Is our ever expanding government working? The percentage of U.S. Gross Domestic Product spent on government has been increasing for the past 50 years. While the percentage rises during recessions and falls during good economic times the trend-line is…
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“We Are All Keynesians Now”
By Peter Galuszka John Maynard Keynes, the British economist, advocated government spending and monetary intervention as suitable for modern economies. When I was a student at a liberal college in New England in the early 1970s, we were taught that Keynes very much had the right idea. As evidence, we had the Great Society programs…
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Twin Tragedies: COVID-19 and the Northam Administration
by James C. Sherlock Communication in this time of crisis has not been a notable strength of either Governor Ralph Northam or his cabinet. I discovered the reason why in the Governor’s press conference today: They are clueless. The Northam administration’s online communications The state’s official website as of today has no information about the…
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Localities Are Re-Writing Budgets. So Should the State.
by James A. Bacon It is obvious to some people that COVID-19’s body blow to the economy will have a devastating impact on state/local government finances. Old Dominion University professors Ron Carlee and Robert McNab have estimated that local governments in Hampton Roads are losing at least $16 million a month in local taxes, while…
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Bacon Bits: Mobilizing Against COVID-19
NoVa field hospital sites identified. State officials have begun identifying sites to use for field hospitals in the event that an influx of COVID-19 patients overwhelm the capacity of Northern Virginia’s hospitals. The first phases of plans call for adding beds in existing hospitals or on hospital campuses. A third phase would establish new treatment…
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Federal and State Responses to COVID-19
by James C. Sherlock The federal government’s relationships with state and local governments is defined by the U.S. Constitution. Presidential management of internal national crises is constrained by lack of command authority over the states. No governor works for the President. He cannot order them to do anything, even in wartime. He can take control…
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COVID-19 Update: Hospitalizations Surge
The Virginia Department of Health has updated its statistics to reflect yesterday’s numbers. The big movers: hospitalizations and deaths, both of which surged 26%. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases: 1,484, up 234 Total hospitalizations: 208, up 43 Total deaths: 34, up 7 Total tests: 15,344, up 1,943 Here are John Butcher’s latest calculations for the “doubling”…