Biblical and Constitutional Politics

Coronavirus Trib Live News Articles Commentaries

May 2020

By Gary F. Zeolla

These Commentaries are continued from Coronavirus News Articles Commentaries: April 2020.

Fitzgerald ‘optimistic’ Allegheny County ‘close’ to having some restrictions lifted

Note: Pittsburgh is located in the center of Allegheny County. Rich Fitzgerald is the Country Executive. I live in Allegheny County, though outside of the city limits.

    I disagree with the business shutdowns in their entirety. But if there was to be shutdowns, rather than “essential” versus “non-essential” being the criteria as to which businesses stay open or must close, it should have been “safe” vs, “unsafe.”

    I explain what I believe would have been a better way of going about controlling the Coronavirus (CV) in very extended comments I just posted. Presenting my plan also enabled me to represent additional CV information I have not presented previously or to elaborate on or update previous points. It also gave me a chance to overview this whole CV crisis, from its start here in the States to the present. See My Multi-Group Plan for Overcoming the Coronavirus Crisis (Plus Additional Coronavirus Information and an Overview of the Crisis).

4/30/20

Report: China hid coronavirus’ severity to hoard supplies

    Yes, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is to blame. I go through point by point the mistakes they made in extended comments I made previously. See:

Don’t Blame God for the Coronavirus Outbreak; Blame the Chinese Communist Party for Disobeying God.

    Then in more recent extended comments, I make the same point others are making. Back in January to early February, no one was predicting things would get as bad as they have here in the States, and that includes Fauci. I quote him in that regard from 2/17. As such, don’t blame Trump, blame the CCP. For details here, see My Multi-Group Plan for Overcoming the Coronavirus Crisis (Plus Additional Coronavirus Information and an Overview of the Crisis).
5/4/20

Alexander’s Italian Bistro has closed its doors in Bloomfield

    Heartbreaking, but predictable. And sadly, just one of many permanent closures already and many more to come.
5/5/20

Here come covid-19 tracing apps – and privacy trade-offs

    Scary. Already turned off tracking on my phone and installed VPN on all of my devices.
5/5/20

Trump says U.S. must reopen even if more get sick, die

    Someone sarcastically commented on this article to the effect that the Bible says making money is more important than human lives. I responded:

      If you ever actually read the Bible, you would know it talks a whole lot about economic issues and the importance of work for the dignity of people. All of that is wrapped up in people’s lives. You are also ignoring the loss of life that is occurring due to suicides and other mental health problems caused by the lockdowns. Those lives matter just as much as those lost to the virus. My most recent extended comments talk about all of these points. These comments include Bible quotations relevant to this crisis. For those comments, see “My Multi-Group Plan for Overcoming the Coronavirus Crisis.

5/6/20

White House may dissolve its coronavirus task force this month

    Someone asked if anyone actually watched the task force briefings. I replied:

    I watched almost every minute all them. And they were informative initially. But they degenerated into a serious of “got ya” question by the press and Trump pushing back against them. I discuss this is a couple of my extended comments on this crisis. See especially my article Weekend Coronavirus Task Force Briefings Thoughts.
 

      But contrary to the way the media is reporting it, that does not mean the President will no longer be focusing on the health aspects of this crisis. As this article states, it will just revert to the relevant agencies to continue to deal with it.

      However, before I could post this comment, Trump walked back the idea of dissolving the task force. He said it was because he never knew how popular the task force was., but it was really do to the pushback he got for the suggestion. But still, I doubt he will ever go back to the daily task force briefings.
5/6/20

33 million have sought U.S. unemployment aid since coronavirus hit

      “That is the equivalent of one in five Americans who had been employed back in February, when the unemployment rate had reached a 50-year low of just 3.5%.”

      “My mental health has deteriorated to a point that I don’t recognize myself anymore,” she said. “My eyes are swollen and bloodshot all the time now from regular moments of weakness that leave me completely inconsolable.”

      This is all so tragic, and all so unnecessary, as Stay at Home Orders and Business Closures Do NOT Work. Not only do stay at home orders and business closures not save lives, they put people at greater risk of suffering and death. I have been saying this since day one of these idiotic orders, and now there is proof I was right. See my new article Stay at Home Orders and Business Closures Do NOT Work.
5/7/20

Was sand dumping at Pittsburgh City Hall in retaliation to shuttered skateboard park?

    Good. Good. Good. I was hoping something like this would happen. These teens just learned a little civil disobedience is perfectly appropriate for a such a ridiculous action on the part of Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto. He should be ashamed of himself.
5/9/20

New Pennsylvania dental guidelines spark confusion

    Still confused. I had my regular dental appointment on May 1 rescheduled for June 5. It’s “just” a cleaning and checkup. Will I be able to keep it or not? It’s not “essential.” But with the way tartar builds up on my teeth, if I go too long, it gets very difficult for the hygienist to remove it. And if it builds up too much, it could worsen my budding periodontal disease. If that worsens, and I start to lose my teeth. Needless to say, if that happens, I’ll be quite upset to say the least. But such problems never seem to figure into Gov. Wolf’s mandates.
5/9/20

Gov. Wolf announces most of Western Pa. moving to yellow phase May 15

      Oh, thank you Lord Wolf. We can now kind or sort of go back to our normal lives and freedoms. You know, the ones granted by God and protected by the Bill of Rights, that you have completely ignored. However:

      “gyms, theaters and salons will remain closed”

      So thankful I have a home gym. But I truly feel for those who do not. I shudder to think how much a setback in my physical and mental health I would have experienced in the past two months without my home gym. But Lord Wolf never thinks of such things. Gyms should never have closed and should be the first to reopen, not the last. I explain why in detail in my various extended comments. See Coronavirus Articles and Commentaries on Biblical and Constitutional Politics.
5/9/250

Court halts ban on mass gatherings at Kentucky churches

    YES! Someone finally read the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
5/10/20

Lawns are the new wedding venue in the age of coronavirus

    Love will find a way.
5/10/20

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: Pennsylvania deserves better

      “In mid-March, the governor issued an executive order — he has run virtually none of his decisions past the legislature — requiring nursing and personal care homes to accept covid-19 patients. His order was similar to orders in New Jersey and New York.”

      I knew this was the case in NY, but I didn’t realize it was the case here in PA as well. No wonder 68% of PA COVID deaths have been in nursing homes. This was truly an inexcusable act on the part of Gov. Wolf. If we had just protected the precious nursing home population, we could have cut PA COVID deaths by more than half. That much lower number would then have shown the draconian measures to be unnecessary. Protect the vulnerable and let the rest of us go about our business.

       I’ve been asked what should have been with COVID infected nursing home residents. Simple, put them up in hotels until they are fully recovered and no longer infectious. Hotels are mostly empty now, due to the stay at home orders. That would give them business, while protecting other nursing home residents. Hotels are being utilized in some states to house residents who are infected but don’t want to go home and infect the rest of their families. The same could be done with nursing home residents.
5/10/20

Poll: Majority of Americans disapprove of coronavirus protests

      This might surprise some people, but I actually agree with those who disapprove of the protests. The reason is with the way they were conducted, they sent the wrong message to the respective governors.

      The protestors should have been sending the message that we know how to open our businesses safely and conduct ourselves in a responsible manner. They could have done that by staying in their cars, or if getting out, wearing masks and practicing social distancing. But instead, they often got out of their cars, congregated close together, without masks. That sent the message that they do not know how to practice self-responsibility, so it gave the governors the excuses they needed to extend and even strengthen their draconian measures.
5/12/20

Cinemark at Pittsburgh Mills mall closing

      Another business bites the dust. More jobs lost permanently. Even after things begin opening up fully (whenever that might be), I doubt we will ever get anywhere near back down to the 3.5% unemployment rate we enjoyed back in February. That means millions will have lost their jobs permanently, with all of the economic and mental healthy problems that entails. So sad.
5/12/20

36 million have sought U.S. unemployment aid since coronavirus hit

        “Millions of other laid-off workers didn’t look for a new job in April, likely discouraged by their prospects in a mostly shuttered economy, and weren’t included, either. If all those people had been counted as unemployed, the jobless rate would have reached nearly 24%.”

      1 out of 4 formerly working Americans are now out of work. That is tens of millions of ruined lives. In addition, I heard on FNC 100,000 small businesses have closed their doors permanently. That is 100,000 destroyed dreams. Actually, the number of wrecked dreams is even more than that, as many of those small businesses were family-run. Just so sad and so heartbreaking.
5/14/20

Hindering the Economic Recovery

       Someone posted about the preceding economic numbers to the effect, “If Trump built the formerly bustling economy, and didn’t inherit it from Obama, then why is anyone worried? He can rebuild it again.”

       I responded:

      36 million Americans have lost their jobs. 100,000 small businesses have closed their doors permanently. That is a far worse economic situation than Obama inherited. Also, millions of Americans will be too frightened for some time to even leave their homes, and it will be a long time until everyone is comfortable with going to a restaurant, a theater, and especially a sports stadium or other large-scale event. All of this will hinder any economic recovery, and none of it has anything to do with President Trump. IOW, when the economy doesn’t come back, you cannot blame Trump. Blame the governors and their draconian measures and the fear-mongering media.
5/15/20 

Western Pa. liquor stores will reopen for in-person sales with some restrictions

       Let’s see, drinking alcohol weakens the immune system, making a person more likely to suffer serious consequences from a Coronavirus infection. Exercise strengthens the immune system, making a person less likely to suffer serious consequences from a Coronavirus infection. Gov. Wolf opens the liquor stores while keeping the gyms closed. Seems backwards to me.
5/14/20

Pittsburgh pediatricians say it’s too early to link Kawasaki-like disease to coronavirus

CDC alerts doctors to covid-19 linked condition in children

      “We have cared for kids with Kawasaki disease and conditions like Kawasaki disease for literally decades… But the Pittsburgh doctors say there is still no proof directly linking the new syndrome to covid-19. … It’s possible that covid-19 is not a cause for the syndrome, just a “tripwire,” Dermody said. It could easily be caused by any other severe virus the child is exposed to” (from the first article).

       I was skeptical from the first mention of this disease that it really was caused by COVID-19. It just seem too “convenient” that after months of being told the Coronavirus (CV) was little threat to children, leading many to question why schools were closed and should main closed even come fall, that now a syndrome was found in children that was caused by the CV.

      If I understand this correctly, it is not the CV per se that is causing this syndrome. It is the child’s immune system overreacting to the CV. But it could be any virus that would trigger such a reaction. It is just that in CV hotspots the child is more likely to be exposed to the CV than to another virus.

      However, note the article from the CDC. They are saying this syndrome is related to COVID-19.

      As I said before, since I am not a parent, I am reluctant to give recommendations in regard to children. I just want to make parents aware that there is debate over whether this new condition is in fact caused by the CV.

5/15/20

Kenny Chesney postpones Heinz Field concert, 2020 tour

      In one of my articles I mentioned that his concert was still on, though I was skeptical that would remain the case. And now it is official; this concern is “postponed.” As I said then, I just don’t see 60,000 Pittsburghers crowding into Heinz Field for a Steelers game or for a concert any time soon. There is just too much media-driven fear for that to happen for some time to come.
5/14/20

Wisconsin bars reopen after court ruling praised by Trump

I was correct about unconstitutionality of gathering bans

    In my very first comments about the Coronavirus I said it was unconstitutional for a governor to issue orders restricting the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of assembly on his or her own. At best, such restrictions could only come about by the legislature passing a bill that the governor then signs into law. And then, it would probably be challenged in court. Only if the court approved it could it be enforced as a law. That is what always happens with say gun control measures restricting Second Amendment rights. They only go into force after all of these steps. It is good to see that finally a court case has shown I was correct in those original observations.
5/14/20

Trump says he’s taking hydroxychloroquine in case he gets coronavirus

    Heart disease is known to increase the risk of to serious CV consequences. That is why hydroxychloroquine came up short in some controlled studies, as the drug was given to those who were already experiencing serious CV consequences. It is known that the drug can cause adverse heart side effects. Thus, giving the drug to those who possibly had heart problems is why the drug increased or at least did not alleviate the risk of death. If it had only been given to people who did not have preexisting heart disease, the results might have been different.

      That is the case with Trump. He does not have heart disease. That is why the White House doctor believed it was safe to prescribe it to the President. If it helps or not remains to be seen.
5/19/20

      I received a response to this post to the effect that studies that did not find a benefit from hydroxychloroquine did not also use azithromycin and zinc. But the most effective treatment is to use all three.
5/20/20

Another 2.4 million apply for unemployment benefits, 39 million in all since coronavirus hit

    With all 50 states now reopening to some degree, I can only hope and pray this is the last round of massive new unemployment numbers. But I fear it will not be. How can anyone think all of these lost jobs are not worst than the virus itself? If these jobs do not come back quickly, the suffering and death caused by the massive unemployment will far exceed that caused by the Coronavirus.
5/21/20

Gov. Wolf talking with sports leagues, says it could take until vaccine for Pennsylvania to reach ‘normal’

    I don’t know why Wolf or anything else thinks a vaccine will be the end all and cure all for the Coronavirus (CV). If it is like the flu vaccine, only 50% of Americans will get it, and it will only be 50% effective. That means, it will only reduce CV deaths by 25%. That will be a lot of saved lives (which is good), and it will push us closer to herd immunity (which is also good), but it will still be quite a while until we are over this crisis even with the vaccine. That is why a healthy America is our best defense, and we need to reopen the country now. I will be elaborating on these thoughts in extended comments I will be posting next week.

5/21/20

Gyms reopening in Ohio!

Latest Ohio reopenings include indoor dining, campgrounds

    “Gyms and fitness centers reopen May 26 following a March 22 order shutting them down as nonessential businesses. On Wednesday, a Lake County judge called that order by Health Director Dr. Amy Acton ‘arbitrary, unreasonable and oppressive.’”

    Good to read at least one Ohio judge realized the closing of gyms was idiotic. This concerns me, as my next powerlifting contest might be in Ohio. But I figure the meet directors cannot schedule meets until the gyms open and lifters have time to train. With gyms still closed here in PA until at least next month, I figure a contest in Ohio will be available before one here in PA.
5/21/20

Economic activity in Ohio rather than in PA

Pennsylvania’s jobless claims near 2 million

      I mentioned previously that my next powerlifting contest will probably be in Ohio rather than in my home state of PA due to gyms opening in Ohio but not here in PA.

      That means, I will be traveling from Pittsburgh to Ohio. Staying in a hotel in Ohio. Eating at restaurants in Ohio. Then filling up my gas tank in Ohio, before traveling back here to PA. Thus, as a result of Wolf delaying the opening of gyms here in PA, PA will lose out of the economic activity.

      Of course, I will not be alone in traveling to Ohio for economic activity. Lots of Pennsylvanians are already traveling to Ohio for haircuts, restaurants and the like. That means, the owners of all of these businesses are losing out on that income, and the Commonwealth of PA is losing out on tax revenues.

      Mark my words. The next thing we will hear from Wolf is that taxes will need to be raised or  government services will need to be cut due to this loss of tax revenue, but all of those out of work Pennsylvanians cannot afford more taxes and need those services. What a tangled web Wolf has weaved.
5/22/20

Penn Hills gym reopens despite Gov. Wolf’s orders

    “I opened because it’s essential. Your heath is essential,”

    I have been saying this since day one of this crisis. I just hope this gym doesn’t get into trouble now that the Trib had to go and broadcast this to Gov. Wolf. Watch out. He might send his thugs to close it down, just like Gov. Murphy did to a gym in NJ.
5/22/20

    Someone said about this article that people should just jog or walk trails outside. I replied:

    Running is boring. Trail walking is boring. I am a powerlifter. Powerlifters lift weights. If it weren’t for my home gym, my health, both physical and mental, would have taken a great downturn by now, and that would put me at greater risk of suffering serious consequences from a CV infection. And at my age of 59, if I were forced to stop lifting weights for several weeks, that could be the end of my powerlifting career. That would be a significant downturn in my quality of life, and again, hurt both my physical and mental health.

    If you want to job or trail walk, go right ahead. But let those of us who enjoy lifting weights do so.
5/24/20

Pools closed, rivers aren’t, deaths could result

A summer unlike any other: Events canceled across Western Pa., but options remain for warm-weather fun

      The public pool by my home is empty, no water, no people. It is so sad to see. It should be filled with water and packed with people. With the pools and spray parks closed, what I fear is kids will turn to swimming in our three rivers. We just had one tragic drowning from someone falling into a river. Wait until the kids start swimming en masse in the rivers. With hundreds of miles of riverbanks in Allegheny County, there is no way the police can patrol all of it. More such tragedies are going to happen if pools and spray parks don’t open.

Note: Pittsburgh is located in the center of Allegheny County. In the center of Pittsburgh is the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers to form the Ohio River, as seen in the picture of “The Point” accompanying this article. Those rivers then spread out over the whole county. The Allegheny flows just a couple of miles from my home.
5/24/20

‘Last responders’ seek to expand postmortem COVID-19 testing in unexplained deaths

    If I am reading this correctly, it could mean that if a body tests positive for COVID-19, it will be listed as a COVID-19 death, and a full autopsy will not be performed. But just because someone died with the CV, does not mean they died from the CV. This practice could then inflate CV deaths.
5/24/20

Huge crowds gather for Memorial Day weekend as coronavirus deaths near 100,000

    Though it does bother me that there is no “social distancing” at these beaches, the evidence now shows you are unlikely to get infected while outside, especially in the sunshine. That is why, when Florida and Georgia reopened their beaches, they did not see a spike in the number of CV cases. In fact, their cases have continued to trend downward, despite all of the dire warnings by the media and “experts.” As for not wearing masks, that would leave quite a weird tan line, which is probably why no one is wearing one.
5/25/20

Pandemic a boon for the bicycle as thousands snap them up

    “’Name a crisis and the bicycle is probably a good solution,’ he said, listing off the problems that a bike solves: climate change, obesity, expensive gas prices and crowded germ-filled public transport.”

    This is good news. Back in the day, I rode my bicycle everywhere. Next to powerlifting, it was my favorite form of exercise, and using it to commute saved a lot of gas money and wear and tear on my car, while keeping me in shape. But after a serious bicycle accident, I stopped riding on the streets and restricted myself to bike trails. But when I started powerlifting again, it was too much riding my bike for an hour one day then squatting then next, so I had to give it up. Now, with my allergies and sensitivities, it would not be an option. But for those who are able and have a safe place to ride, go for it.
5/25/2

Missouri governor not only allows graduation, but keynotes

    “Each graduating senior was allowed to invite up to 10 people, meaning the approximately 2,000-seat gym would be, at most, at around 25% capacity. Families sat together, but were spaced throughout the gym from others.”

    This is the way to do it. Have the ceremonies, but still practice social distancing. As I say in one of my extended comments, the business closures, stay at home orders, and gathering bands are all just means to the end of social distancing. As long as the that is done, the size of the crowd does not matter, and none of those draconian mitigation orders are necessary.
5/25/20

White House goal on testing nursing homes unmet

    “Nursing homes residents, who are typically older and often have underlying medical conditions, have been particularly hard hit by the virus. More than 36,000 residents and staff have died from outbreaks at the nation’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities, according to an AP tally. That is more than a third of all deaths in the U.S. that have been attributed to the virus.”

    This is what I have been saying all along. The CV mostly affects the elderly with underlying health conditions. It is these people who need protection. It was not and is not necessary to ruin the lives of the fit and healthy to protect this small part of the population. If we had focused on nursing homes from the start, we could have cut down our deaths by 1/3.
5/25/20

Missouri hair stylist exposed more than 90 people to coronavirus

    “A hair stylist in Missouri exposed 91 people to coronavirus by going into work for eight days despite showing symptoms for the illness.”

    This was irresponsible, pandemic or no pandemic. Anytime some is sick, they should not go to work, school, or wherever. Whether it is the CV, the flu, or just the common cold, self-isolate if you are sick. That’s just basic common sense and showing care for others. It is such irresponsibility that makes it hard to reopen and leads to draconian measures by the government, such as business shutdowns. Don’t complain about such then engage in such reckless behavior.
5/25/20

Ohio Gov. vs. PA Gov.

Ohio governor: Wearing masks shouldn’t be political issue

Pennsylvania adds 112 new covid-19 deaths, for statewide death toll of nearly 5,100

       Ohio Gov. DeWine has been much more sensible than Gov. Wolf here in PA. Gov. DeWine did not force COVID-19 positive patients back into nursing homes like Gov. Wolf did. Gov. DeWine recognizes gyms are important, so they are reopening tomorrow, unlike Gov. Wolf who still has them closed, with no one knowing when they will reopen. Gov. DeWine uses more “encouragement,” while Gov. Wolf is all about mandates. That is why Ohio has less than half the number of CV deaths than PA, 2,000 vs. 5,100, even though the populations are similar: 11,536,504 vs. 12,801,989. Of course, Gov. DeWine is a Republican, while Gov. Wolf is a Democrat.
5/25/20

First drowning already

Teen, 16, dies after jumping off cliff at Pennsylvania dam

    I predicted this would happen, and here it is. Teens swimming not in a river like I predicted but at a dam. But it had the same sad result. One dead teen. The case of death should be listed as Gov. Wolf’s stupidity in closing the pools.
5/27/20

Pennsylvania pools are allowed to open, but some may choose to stay closed

    Wow. It looks like Gov. Wolf listened to me and my warning that drownings could occur in our rivers and streams if the pools did not reopen. It also is not a coincidence this edict came down the day after the drowning in the dam. The pool near my home is preparing to reopen, though sadly, Allegheny County and Pittsburgh pools are not. “Can’t get enough lifeguards?” With now 41 million Americans out of work, I would think you could train a few dozen of them to work as lifeguards. Come one Rich and Bill, open the pools.

    Note: Rich is Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, and Bill is Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.

5/28/20

These commentaries are continued at: Coronavirus Trib Live News Articles Commentaries: June 2020

Coronavirus Trib Live News Article Commentaries: May 2020 . Copyright © 2020 by Gary F. Zeolla.

The above commentaries were posted in May 2020.

Coronavirus Articles and Commentaries

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