COVID-19 CRISIS: Florida, Miami-Dade County “Gets Tough”

June 20, 2020 Leave a comment

The Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Mayor Carlos Gimenez, in a press conference, discussed COVID-19 incidence and mitigation measures. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2891&v=4bvCnGrn0Pg&feature=emb_logo].

Miami-Dade County is suffering from an increase in infections because of a prior light-touch approach to enforcement. People interpreted the opening as an invitation to return to the old normal.

Some notes from that press conference:

  • The theme was “GETTING TOUGH” by the police on businesses and people who don’t follow proper mitigation measures.
  • The mayor stated that the “Stay at Home” rules are still in force. The should be a surprise for most citizens.
  • Many people are observed not following mitigation measures, including no masks, masks with nose out, no social distancing, resistance to following rules in restaurants and other businesses, playing group sports…
  • It was urged that extended families being together on Fathers’ Day were urged to follow mitigation measures and be outdoors.
  • It was stated that there ware enough ICU beds available, but no criterion for “enough” was stated. What percent of the beds are occupied? More than 70 percent occupied is a measure of “shortage” for planning purpose. We don’t know and numbers are not published.
  • Infections are increasing in a younger population many of which are asymptomatic. This is danger for the whole community, young and old.

Filed under Coral Gables, COVID-19, Miami-Dade County

COVID-19 CRISIS: Florida Infections Exploding

June 20, 2020 Leave a comment

Enough said–rates have tripled in a few days.

Filed under Coral Gables

COVID-19 CRISIS: Florida Continues to Rise While Politicians Twiddle

June 19, 2020 Leave a comment

Florida’s Department of Health on Friday morning confirmed 3,822 additional cases of COVID-19, setting another daily total record high since the start of the pandemic. The state now has a total of 89,748 confirmed cases.

FL breaks another single-day record with 3,822 coronavirus cases | Miami Herald

The local politicians, especially Mayor Gimenez of Miami-Dade County and other local mayors, and Governor DeSantis, have failed citizens by not taking COVID-19 serious. They also seem to have taken more seriously the status of business and with indifference to workers seeking unemployment and other benefits.

Filed under Coral Gables, COVID-19, Florida

COVID-19 CRISIS: Forced Labor Politics

June 18, 2020 Leave a comment

The results of current GOP policies is to force workers prematurely back into the work place to the advantage of business, but not of labor.

  • The GOP Senate and POTUS has fought against further recovery benefits for the most needy American families and workers: cutting SNAP benefits, cutting medical insurance benefits, pushing cancellation of Obamacare,
  • Recovery spending has ended up in hands of the largest corporations;
  • Black and brown workers have a unfair share of infections and deaths;
  • State unemployment programs haven’t worked to meet all applicants. A seriously bad example is the state of Florida that has failed to approve many applications.
  • GOP reluctance to increase taxes for the wealthy to pay for the worker benefit programs under the false premise of alleged excessive borrowing by the Federal government;
  • GOP unwillingness to provide substantial funds for states to cover their costs for emergency response, paying for essential workers, implementing mitigation measuring, and making up for lost revenues;
  • Limiting health liability for some corporations forces their workers back to work in the face of the companies’ failure to implement even weak OSHA regulations.

Filed under Coral Gables

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