The world’s known coronavirus death toll passed four million on Thursday, a loss roughly equivalent to the population of Los Angeles, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
It took nine months for the virus to claim one million lives, and the pace has quickened since then. The second million were lost in three and a half months, the third in three months, and the fourth in about two and a half months. The number of daily reported deaths has declined recently.
Those are officially reported figures, which are widely believed to undercount pandemic-related deaths.
Dr. Anthony Fauci (screen capture) During an interview on NBC’s Meet The Press, Dr. Anthony Fauci said about 99.2% of recent COVID-19 deaths in the United States involved unvaccinated people. “It’s really sad and tragic that most all of these are avoidable and preventable,” he added. Fauci shared that it is frustrating when “you have a formidable enemy” in the coronavirus and “yet we do have a countermeasure that’s highly, highly effective. And that’s the reason why it’s all the more sad and all the more tragic why it isn’t being completely implemented in this country.” The United States has registered over 605,000 deaths in the pandemic, the highest national toll in the world. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 157 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, representing 47.4% of the country’s total population. But vaccination rates remain low in many parts of the South and Midwest.
Wishing everyone a fun and frolicsome 4th of July as the country recognizes the birth of our nation. We’ve come a ways from last July 4th, when travel was way down and gatherings were – at least supposed to be – kept within our pandemic bubbles. This year, thanks to COVID vaccines, holiday celebrations can be safer and larger. Here’s some stats on how far we’ve come: • According to the CDC, 67% of U.S. adults have gotten at least one vaccine dose. Among Americans 12 and older, 64% have gotten at least one shot. • According to the results of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index a year ago versus today in regard to how folks feel about returning to pre-coronavirus lives:
June 26-29, 2020: Large to moderate risk – 70%, Small to no risk – 29%
June 25-28, 2021: Large to moderate risk – 28%, Small to no risk – 72%
• AAA projected holiday travel this weekend will be almost back to pre-pandemic levels — just 2.5% lower than in 2019. • An expected 43.6 million Americans will drive to their destinations, the highest on record for this holiday and 5% more than the previous record set in 2019. • And air travel is definitely bouncing back – TSA reports it screened more people on July 1 and 2 than it did on those dates in 2019! Have an awesome holiday and make sure you tune in for PBS’ A Capitol Fourth tonight! I’ll be holding down the fort at my backyard today 🙂
My home state of Nevada is not doing great in the COVID vaccination department. From Jennifer Solis at the Nevada Current:
Nevada has continued to report a slow rise in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks as the positivity rate — or percentage of tests that came back positive — increased to 4.0%, from 3.9%.
The Department of Health and Human Services reported 447 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday — the highest daily number of cases in over a month.
Confirmed and suspected COVID-19 hospitalization cases rose to 281 on Wednesday, after falling as low as 178 on June 12.
Vaccination rates for Clark County are at about 42% — lower than the national average of 45% and significantly lower than Washoe County’s 54% vaccination rate.
By comparison, Los Angeles County in California, with a population five times as large as Clark County, boasts a 7-day average positivity rate of 0.8% and reported only 260 new cases and 230 hospitalizations on Wednesday. Los Angeles County also has a significantly higher vaccination rate of 58%, according to California data.
The state, meanwhile, is offering financial motivation to encourage people to get vaccinated. Nevada will distribute $5 million in cash prizes to residents who have been vaccinated at least once.
With 70 percent of adults in New York having received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Tuesday that effective immediately the state was ready to “return to life as we know it.” Nearly all restrictions on businesses and social gatherings have been eliminated, he announced at a news conference.
The changes, which will take effect immediately, mark yet another milestone in the economic recovery of a state that was once an epicenter of the pandemic, and are expected to bring back the type of scenes familiar to most New Yorkers in pre-pandemic times.
With the order, the state, in most cases, will end capacity limits and no longer require social distancing, disinfection protocols and health screenings, instead making it optional for businesses to impose such health precautions on their premises.
Today New York State reached our goal of 70% adult vaccination. That means we can return to life as we know it. Effective immediately, state-mandated COVID restrictions are lifted across commercial and social settings. pic.twitter.com/sMdqkSJ6h5
States with higher vaccination rates now have markedly fewer coronavirus cases, as infections are dropping in places where most residents have been immunized and are rising in many places people have not, a Washington Post analysis has found.
States with lower vaccination also have significantly higher hospitalization rates, The Post found. Poorly vaccinated communities have not been reporting catastrophic conditions. Instead, they are usually seeing new infections holding steady or increasing without overwhelming local hospitals.
As recently as 10 days ago, vaccination rates did not predict a difference in coronavirus cases, but immunization rates have diverged, and case counts in the highly vaccinated states are dropping quickly.
Coronavirus infections are dropping where people are vaccinated, rising where they are not, Post analysis finds https://t.co/670wqxqoxh
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 14, 2021
States are getting more and more creative in coming up with new incentives for folks to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
The Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board has its new promotion, “Joints for Jabs,” which will allow state-licensed cannabis retailers to give one free pre-rolled joint to customers 21 or older when they receive either a first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. ABC News reports the promotion will run through July 12.
Talk about going gangsta…
The board had previously authorized businesses with liquor licenses to offer a free wine, beer or cocktail to customers who could prove they’d been vaccinated through June 30.
Adults can claim a complimentary joint of marijuana in Washington state this week when they receive a COVID-19 vaccine shot. https://t.co/WsvrHIBNu7
But Washington isn’t the only state offering ‘puffs for pokes.’
An Arizona cannabis dispensary recently announced a similar program where you could get your free shot and receive a free pre-rolled joint and an edible cannabis gummy. The dispensary calls the program “Snax for Vaxx.”
Many states and businesses began incentivizing vaccinations when the demand began to slow in April.
That was when Krispy Kreme started giving out free donuts to those who got their shot.
Los Angeles County offered free Lakers season tickets, and the Hustler Club in Las Vegas ‘put some skin in the game’ by serving up free lap dances and bottle service.
West Virginia’s governor announced young folks between the ages of 16 to 35 would receive a $100 savings bond if they got vaccinated.
Ohio really upped the stakes when Gov. Mike DeWine announced a new lottery giving away $1 million each week for five weeks for those who received at least one dose of COVID vaccine. For winners under 18, the prize is a four year scholarship to an Ohio public university.
Jonathan Carlyle, an Amazon delivery driver from Toledo, is the second person to win $1 million in Ohio’s vaccine lottery. https://t.co/vGuoC1BYjO
Colorado is doing a similar program called “Colorado Comeback Cash” where one vaccinated resident will be chosen to win $1 million each week for five weeks.
Between May 25 and July 3, Maryland is giving away $2 million in daily $40,000 drawings.
In May, New York State launched the “Vax & Scratch” lottery program which offered $20 scratch-off lottery tickets with a chance to win a $5 million prize if they received a COVID vaccination.
Lottery officials in Kentucky gave away 225,000 free lottery tickets in May to residents who stepped up to get vaccinated.
On June 28 Oregon will give away $1 million to one lucky vaccinated winner plus one person from each of the state’s 36 counties will win $10,000.
If you get a vaccine you could soon be eligible for • free flights on United Airlines • free doughnuts at Krispy Kreme • a $1 million lottery prize in Ohio • $1.5 million in California • a fishing license in Maine • and hunting rifles in West Virginia
California is giving 10 lucky winners $1.5 million each on June 15, plus 30 more Californians could score $50,000 prizes.
Previously mentioned Washington state also has a $2 million lottery going on throughout June.
And don’t worry if you got your shot early. In most states, vaccinated residents are being entered automatically from states’ immunization databases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 64% of adults in the U.S. have received at least one dose of an approved vaccine. President Biden set a goal in early May to reach 70% by July 4.
Joints for Jabs, shots for shots, donuts for vaccine cards … Meet people where they're at, get ppl what they want and need, minimize the moralizing and applaud ppl getting protection from this very deadly and often debilitating COVID virus. https://t.co/9AHIWLwUPX
(image via Instagram/Silverjow) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: From my favorite illustrator on the Gram of Insta, Silverjow (above) offers his ‘hunks of the week’ celebrating Pride Month. Make sure you follow him on Instagram here. • The Hill: Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters today the defense department will continue the existing policy from July of 2020 regarding the display or depiction of unofficial flags. “There won’t be an exception made this month for the Pride flag.” • Kenneth-in-the-212: Click over to Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications like the 14th anniversary issue of Southern California’s RAGE Magazine (below). (image via Rage Magazine) • NY1 News: Forging a vaccination card or providing fraudulent proof of immunity could soon be a felony in New York based on a measure approved Thursday by the Democratic-led Assembly. • Right Wing Watch: Far-right wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos says that as soon as he became “ex-gay,” dogs stopped barking at him, which he believes is a sign from God.
Milo Yiannopoulos says that as soon as he became “ex-gay,” dogs stopped barking at him, which he believes is a sign from God. pic.twitter.com/AgDrmFka2h
• Out Music: Todrick Hall celebrates Pride with the release of his new single – “Boys In The Ocean” – an irresistible funk jam that rides along an infectious bass line and guitar licks, primed for summer escapism. Last year, Billboard wrote of Hall, “He’s part old-school theatre showman, part new-school internet personality, part drag queen… he’s also pushing the boundaries of LGBTQ representation in a business that has historically been unwelcoming to queer people of color.”
Brazil has experienced devastating effects from the coronavirus pandemic, including over 460,000 deaths, due in part to a lack of vaccine doses. The producer of China’s CoronaVac vaccine in Brazil, the Instituto Butantan, took on an interesting experiment involving nearly the entire population of the town of Serrano in São Paulo state. Statista reports that 95 percent of Serrano’s 45,000 inhabitants were fully vaccinated with CoronaVac between the months of February and April. When that process was completed:
Ricardo Palacios, research director at Butantan, said that 75 percent was the crucial figure in the study. Once three quarters of Serrano’s population was fully vaccinated, all three of the above metrics tumbled, suggesting 75 percent is the threshold required to contain and control the pandemic. In other words – vaccines work.
Deputy Sheriff Daniel ‘Duke’ Trujillo (image via Sheriff’s Department) Deputy Daniel “Duke” Trujillo, a 33-year-old former Marine, enjoyed posting videos and pictures on social media mocking those who chose to get their COVID-19 shot. Trujillo died Wednesday night of COVID-19 according to a news release from the sheriff’s department. He leaves behind a wife and young son. The Denver Postreports he’s the 2nd Denver Sheriff to die in 2 weeks. Deputy James Herrera, 51, died of COVID-19 on May 16. Both deputies worked at the Downtown Detention Center, which has had an active COVID-19 outbreak since April 2020. The Denver Sheriff Department website reported 11 active cases at the detention center as of Thursday. Although the two worked in a location with a high risk of COVID infection, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department told the Post that “vaccinations were a choice.” At one point, Trujillo changed his social media profile photo to an image which read, “I have an immune system.” Folks, COVID disinformation kills. Sadly, Trujillo bought into the false information that the coronavirus wasn’t that serious.
It is with great sadness that we share 33-year-old Denver Sheriff Deputy Daniel “Duke” Trujillo passed away last evening from COVID-19 complications. We ask that you keep his family in your thoughts and prayers and respect their privacy during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/FACuhzgy9d
