Tag: COVID-19
-
Act Now to Bring State Budget in Line with Reality
by James A. Bacon About 18 months ago Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne conducted an analysis of state government finances to see how they would hold up under the stress of another recession of the magnitude of the Great Recession. Hardly anyone thought that a downturn was in the cards; the economy was chugging along…
-
Northam Last in COVID Crisis Management? Based on What Evidence?
by James A. Bacon This morning I was intending to compose a post critical of Governor Ralph Northam’s approach to the COVID-19 crisis. But then I read this article in the Washington Post: “Grading the region’s coronavirus response: Hogan 1st, Northam last, and Bowser in the middle.” Much against my nature, I feel compelled to…
-
Is Northam Up to the COVID-19 Challenge?
By Peter Galuszka Governor Ralph Northam has approached the COVID-19 pandemic with a light touch that has drawn criticism for doing too little too late. He has declared a state of emergency, banned gatherings of more than 100 people and closed schools until well into April. But he’s also not closed restaurants and businesses or…
-
COVID-19 Update: Exponential Rate of Increase Getting More Exponential
Forgive me for the mathematically nonsensical headline, but it drives home the point: Not only is COVID-19 spreading more rapidly, the rate of increase in infected patients is increasing. The Virginia Department of Health dashboard shows that 67 new cases were confirmed, and seven more coronavirus patients were admitted to hospitals. The number of fatalities…
-
Which Will Kill More People: COVID-19 or a Sharp Recession?
by James A. Bacon Having done everything I can to raise the alarm about COVID-19 in Virginia, I’m having second thoughts. Clearly, forceful government action is needed to cope with the most dire public health challenge of recent years. But it’s possible to do too much. We need to think about the trade-offs. At least…
-
Politicians and COVID-19: First, Do No Harm. Second, Do No Harm
by James C. Sherlock Do Not Regulate Surgical Decisions There are things the state should not do during an emergency. Regulating elective procedures is one of them. I agree with the statement of the hospitals[1]. If we had more hospitals and far more physician-owned ambulatory surgical centers, the problem would have an alternative solution. But…
-
Hospitals in Quandary
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Washington Post has reported that hospitals are struggling with their cash flow due to the coronoavirus crisis. As a result, they are asking Congress for emergency aid. The American Hospital Association is calling for $100 billion and the Federation of American Hospitals, the trade group for for-profit hospitals asked for $225…
-
Dare County, N.C., closes its borders
By DJ Rippert From Outer Banks to Outer Mongolia. Dare County, N.C. issued orders last week closing its borders to non-residents. Dare is a coastal county just south of Currituck County, N.C., which borders Virginia. Many Virginians know Dare County from Outer Banks vacations in towns such as Duck or fishing trips launched from Manteo.…
-
Everyday Heroes in the COVID-19 Battle
There will be plenty of time later for pointing fingers of blame regarding who should have done what in the battle against the COVID-19 virus. In the meantime, many Virginians are doing remarkable things in a time of crisis. Entrepreneurial creativity, community spirit, and a can-do attitude will help get us through. Some heartening stories:…
-
Virginians, Look to State/Local Government for COVID-19 Response
by James C. Sherlock Our schools generally don’t do as good a job teaching civics education as they used to — that’s an old man talking! — which leaves a lot of people confused as to where to look in a crisis. The conversations we see on Bacon’s Rebellion reflect that confusion even among the…
-
The New Normal: Social Zoom and Quarantinis
by James A. Bacon We’ve been in self-isolation for only a week, and already we’re getting cabin fever. Laura and I were especially disappointed by the cancellation of our bi-monthly book club meeting, which would have entailed gathering more than ten people in one place. Fortunately, thanks to the miracles of technology — broadband and…
-
Shortage of Personal Protection Equipment Looming
by James C. Sherlock Virginia physicians and health professionals in the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 virus are suffering from a lack of protective clothing and equipment that could put them at risk and hinder the treatment of sick patients. In Virginia, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources oversees the sharing…
-
COVID-19 Update: March 20
The latest count reported by the Virginia Department of Health at noon: 114 confirmed cases of the coronavirus — up 20 from the day before. The number of new cases is increasing each day. Is that evidence that the viral spread is gong exponential? Are Virginia’s social-distancing measures working? On the other hand, consider this. Due…
-
Who’s Worse, Price Gougers or Hoarders?
by James A. Bacon My wife and I were slow to stock up on CoronApocalypse survival supplies — hand sanitizers, masks, rubber gloves… toilet paper. Big mistake. Now we’re running low on toilet paper, and we’re getting nervous. The shelves are empty of paper-supply products at every store we’ve visited. Except paper napkins. You can…
-
COVID-19 Emergency Actions for Consideration
by James C. Sherlock I was asked yesterday by Christian Braunlich, president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy in Alexandria, to prepare a list of recommended state actions to cope with the emergency. I produced the attached list. The recommendations are offered here as requested with no attempt to prioritize. No attempt has…