Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Self-isolation Day 77.

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, took maybe an hour to fall asleep, I got up twice during the night, lastly at 6:30, finally getting up at 7:30.

In the weeks since America began reopening on a large scale, the coronavirus has persisted on a stubborn but uneven path, with meaningful progress in some cities and alarming new outbreaks in others.

Around Chicago, Wednesday was one of the most lethal days of the pandemic, with more than 100 deaths. Among the dead: a woman in her 30s, and four men past their 90th birthdays.

In the Boston area, where an alarming crisis of a month ago has given way to cautious optimism, businesses were reopening that day and new cases numbered in the dozens, no longer the hundreds. 

Yesterday, after seven days of protests, President Trump addressed the nation. He emphasized the need for "law and order." And urged mayors and governors to call in the National Guard to help end the violence at some of the protests over George Floyd's death. It came just hours after he called on governors to "dominate" violent protesters. The president said he'd deploy the US military to "quickly solve the problem."

The protests continued overnight. And there was more violence. In St Louis, four police officers were struck by gunfire. An officer in Las Vegas was also shot. And at least nine people have reportedly been killed in violence related to the protests.

The country is in crisis. Many Americans have been waiting to hear how the president plans to lead us through it. Now that he's spoken, America remains divided. Some support Trump's message emphasizing a commitment to "law and order." Others are shaken by the potential for further violence as the president threatens to deploy the military against its own people.



Yesterday, a Minnesotta county medical examiner classified George Floyd's death as a homicide. Preliminary autopsy results said a combination of factors including Floyd's underlying health conditions contributed to his death. But the medical examiner said Floyd had a "cardiopulmonary arrest" while being restrained by police last week outside a grocery store.

Yesterday, dozens of Facebook employees held a virtual walkout in protest to the company's inaction against some of President Trump's posts. While Twitter has taken to fact-checking the president's tweets over mail-in voting and has blocked another for "glorifying violence" during protests sparked by George Floyd's death, employees say Facebook has done nothing over similar posts on its platform. The company said it's encouraging employees to "speak openly when they disagree with leadership."

I left the apt at 9:45. I walked past Parva which appeared to be open for takeout or deliveries as all the tables and chairs were piled up in a corner. Downtown Envigado I checked Bancolombia and found it open with a short line outside waiting to enter. I stopped across the street from my usual vitamin store but the gate was down. I was standing in front of another so I purchased a few things there. As I left my usual store across the street was now open. I walked to Envios Market where I purchased my medicine for the month. I stopped at the paper store to print out some test results for Teresa but I forgot my password. Sigh! Back at Bancolombia there was a long line in the sun so I walked to the mall. They checked my cedula, and asked why I was there. Then the security guy put some of my cedula information into an app on his cell phone. It looks like almost all the stores were open but there was very little mall traffic. Outside a couple more popular stores like H&M it appeared they were limiting the number of people who could enter. I went up to the 2^nd floor where I found a medium-sized line to enter Bancolombia. Twenty minutes later I entered and sat down on a 3-seat bench that had 2 of the seats closed off with signs. Fifteen minutes later I went to a cashier. I don’t think he’s done this type of transaction before because he kept asking me information that I already had given him on a slip of paper. He then informed me that we could speak English and the process soon went faster. When I left I noticed the escalators leading upstairs were on for the first time. I went up to the 3^rd floor where I found all the fast food restaurants open but the food court itself had no tables or chairs and they had the benches taped off in red tape. I returned to the apt at 12:15. Surprisingly, I didn’t see a police officer the entire time I was out.


Boy was I tired when I got back. I’m not used to so much walking. Teresa wanted to leave right away for the grocery but I waited 45 minutes to cool down then changed into shorts.


At 1pm we walked down to Mercado de Madrid. As we arrived Teresa realized that she forgot her cedula. I don’t know what she told the security guard but he let her in. we had to step into a pan of water then wipe our feet on a “welcome mat”, accept hand sanitizer then we could go inside. We filled our cart with groceries and at checkout they wouldn’t let me stand next to Teresa. I sat outside until it was time to pay then I went inside and paid with my debit card. We were back at the apt by 2:30.


Today I beat Teresa in parcheesi 4 games to 1.


Episcopal church leaders responded to President Donald Trump’s use of St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo-op Monday evening, after police forcibly cleared what was by all accounts a peaceful protest outside the White House with flash-bangs, tear gas, and brute force. “I am outraged,” Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, told the Washington Post, in the immediate aftermath of the staged spectacle. Budde told the Post that the church was unaware of Trump’s intention to use the place of worship for what was essentially a photo shoot with a Bible, and that the church does not condone the president’s conduct. “Everything he has said and done is to inflame violence,” Budde said. “We need moral leadership, and he’s done everything to divide us.” The head of the Episcopal church in the U.S., presiding Bishop Michael Curry, accused the president of using “a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes.”



The owner of Cup Foods, the Minneapolis store where a clerk called 911 on George Floyd, says his business will no longer involve the police in certain incidents until law enforcement stops “killing innocent people.”



News flash: I understand yesterday was Lenny’s birthday and today they went to the beach where he surprised Laura with a ring and proposed. She (finally) said yes!



A report from a top Italian doctor seemed to suggest that the virus was somehow “losing potency” and becoming less lethal, but health experts around the world are warning that the changes that nation is seeing don't have anything to do with the virus itself. The observations — that patients had only very small amounts of the virus in their nasal swab tests — is likely because the virus has passed its peak in Italy, there's less of it in circulation and people aren't very likely to be exposed to high amounts. Also, people who have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all are being tested now, whereas early in the outbreak, only the severely ill were able to be tested.



About 7 in 10 Americans say they would get a coronavirus vaccine if immunizations were free and available to everyone, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The U.S. Embassy has received reports of a planned demonstration tomorrow at 3 p.m. in front of the U.S. Embassy. Colombian National Police expect 50-100 demonstrators for a “Platon Por La Vida, La Paz, y Contra La Guerra” (Protest for Life, Peace, and Against War).   

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the size of the U.S. economy will shrink by $7.9 trillion over the next decade because of fallout from the pandemic. The estimate comes as lawmakers in Washington are facing a decision on whether to extend emergency unemployment benefits. If they don't, it could could create a “fiscal cliff” that could arrest or even reverse an economic rebound, experts say.



Carnival Cruise Line was sued in Los Angeles federal court Tuesday by more than 60 passengers on the Grand Princess vessel who allege the company failed to adequately protect them from the coronavirus. The lawsuit claims the cruise line didn't sanitize the ship between voyages and didn't screen new or existing passengers when they embarked.

Another Trump replay from March 3^rd: Vice President Pence is asked about legislation encouraging companies to produce more masks. He says the Trump administration is “looking at it.” (The concern about masks was raised publicly by high-profile former Trump appointees, on January 28.)

The US has 1,789,246 ð 1,817,454 ð 1,838,521 coronavirus cases with 104,105 ð 104,833 ð 106,101 deaths.

Per Medellin Guru, as of this afternoon Colombia has a total of 29,38  ð 30,493 ð 31,833 cases with 1,009 deaths.  Medellin has 533 ð 556 ð 578 cases, an increase of 22 from to June 1^st to June 2^nd.Looking at the 6-day average Colombia’s curve is now beginning to increase again.



Joke of the day

As A.J. and his platoon of recruits were marching, their sergeant slipped and tumbled down a ravine.  The irate sergeant scrambled back up amid guffaws and barked, “Those who laughed, get down and give me 10!”  A.J. and some others fell to the ground quickly and did their push-ups.  Meanwhile, the sergeant glared at the others, “As for the rest of you, get down and give me 20 for lying!”