24 APRIL 2020, NOTES
Greetings, blog reader, as we journey together on through our long, dark night of the pandemic. My constant wish is that you, indeed all of us, remain safe and well and do what we can to stop the disease and to care for those directly and indirectly affected by it.
We have been following the data from Worldometer by two-day increments to try to get some sense of the progress of COVID-19. The figures continue to be disturbing. From April 22 to 24, 172,466 new cases were reported, for an increasing rate of 7%, no change from the previous two days (Apr. 20-22). As for deaths, 13,233 were reported in the past two days, for a rise of 7%, down slightly from the 8% of the earlier two days. Nearly 200,000 people in the world have died of the plague.
Numbers of the United States continue to surge. In the past two days, there were 67,534 new cases reported for a total of 886,709. This is a rise of 8%, slightly higher than the 7% of the earlier two days. As for deaths, 4,900 Americans died of the virus in the last two days, a record. This was an 11% rise, down slightly from the 12% rate of the previous two days. As of now, 50,243 Americans have died of this disease, almost all of them within two months. The experts are now beginning to raise their projections for numbers of dead by the end of the summer.
Although there are places, as NYC, where numbers are declining, the overall figures for the U.S., and the world, continue to skyrocket. In view of the whole of the U.S., there is no indication of a leveling off. In fact, the disease is spreading rapidly around America.
In South Carolina, there were 309 new cases in the past two days, for a total of 4,917, and 15 more deaths for a total of 150. The rates are about the same. In Alabama, there is alarm at the rapid spread. In the past two days, 929 new cases were reported for a total of 5,832. This is a 19% spike, well over the earlier two-day 9%. In AL, 15 people died of the virus in the last two days, for a total of 201. Two months ago, there were no reported cases of COVID-19 in either SC or AL.
Bottom line for Apr. 24---the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in America, including SC and AL and is killing increasing numbers of people. It is highly contagious and deadly.
The dilemma we face now in the midst of this terrible pandemic is when and how to "re-open" the closed places and businesses. On the one hand, everyone wants to "get back to normal" and have people out of work return to their old jobs and ways of life. There are 26m people filing for unemployment now, a record since the Great Depression. This is bad on many levels. On the other hand, we do not want to accelerate the spread of this highly contagious virus and so must continue keeping people apart. The looming question is when and how to "re-open." Should we do it sooner rather than later or later rather than sooner? Here are two extreme examples of responses to this question:
1-
Yes, I did a double-take too. This was a protester a few days ago in Nashville TN. Assuming this sign is sincere, one has to admire the frankness of this poster even as one recoils at the appalling immorality of the message.
2-
In Denver, a few days ago, a health care worker risks his life to stand up against angry protesters demanding immediate re-opening. Shades of Tiananmen Square 1989.
So, I think we Christians must ask ourselves what should we do now with the awful dilemma facing us? What Would Jesus Do? Would He want to see more people die so that some could have their jobs back, or would he give up his life to save the lives of others? We all know the answer.
Finally, remember we are here for the living of this hour, as hard as it is. Peace
