Good evening,

October 27, 2020 -- France released stunning numbers of new daily cases two days ago, becoming the fourth country to pass the 50,000 single-day mark. Ranked 17th globally only two months ago, the country now ranks fifth behind Russia. Tomorrow, at noon (PDT), French president Emanuel Macron will address his nation and announce that the country will go into a second lockdown at midnight local time, for a month, to flatten its unbridled epidemiological curve. The details of the lockdown are still being worked out as I write this report: the country’s battered economy could be mortally crippled with no economic activity. Already in discussion is the closing of all universities, high schools, and middle schools for in-person learning. However, there is a chance that elementary schools will stay open to allow young parents and essential employees to keep going to work. The lockdown will be enforced with fines for offenders, and the country’s deserted streets and roads will allow for the swift movement of emergency vehicles, of which the heavy use is but a certainty. In Paris alone, 800 of the 1,700 available ICU beds were already in use on Friday. This evening, 1,200 patients are using them, a 50% hike in just 4 days. Government scientists warn of 100,000+ daily confirmations of new covid-19 cases within two weeks, and the spread is confirmed as a nationwide problem; this means that health workers are now fully engaged locally and cannot make themselves available for transfer to any other areas of the country. Czechia had managed to only feel a ripple of a first wave, as neighboring countries were battered last spring, by immediately imposing a wide use of masks, implementing strict distancing rules, and investing in aggressive testing protocols. Unfortunately, the population relaxed its vigilance at the end of summer, infections started to rise in September and exploded in October. Today the Czech Republic broke record numbers of new daily cases and of new daily covid-19 deaths.  

COVID-19 in the world today:

Tip: click on any of the graphs for larger and clearer images and click on READ MORE to view the complete articles. Also, please forgive the occasional typos.

An international group of scientists has written a response to a push for a "herd immunity" approach to managing the pandemic, which would involve letting the virus spread.

The WHO last week denounced the herd approach—a term used for vaccines—as "scientifically and ethically problematic," because it could greatly boost deaths and expose more people to a virus that may have long-term health consequences. However, a document, known as the Great Barrington declaration, with a list of supporters of the approach was reportedly embraced by the White House.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America has denounced the document, and pushback gained more steam today with the publication in The Lancet of the John Snow Memorandum, which includes scientific references and has now been signed by more than 2,000 scientists, researchers, and health professionals.

Although it is ranked 11th nationally, today's daily count of new cases in Wisconsin was the second highest after Texas. Also noteworthy, the death rate is growing at the Veterans Affairs, with a death rate of 5.27%, which is more than twice the national rate currently reported at 2.57%. As indicated on the map above, the mid west and northern states are reaching saturation and are reporting rapid increases of ICU needs, fearing possible saturation within the next two weeks. The logistical issues are similar to those of Europe's: the widespread demands can only be addressed locally because no one is available to come to the rescue from any of the other already overwhelmed locations.

COVID-19 in the USA

10/27/2020 COVID-19 UPDATE: Reporting 17 cases from the public bringing the total number of reported cases to 5,037. 

Of the 5,037:

Today, the seven local counties together confirmed 517 new infections and 7 new coronavirus deaths. In the combined 7 counties, COVID-19 has infected 106,013 and has killed 1,461 residents of our region since it claimed its first central valley victim, in Madera, on March 26, 2020. Our friends and neighbors are needlessly dying, many families are suffering. Science and the courage to follow its logic will solve this pandemic, any other discourse is inadequate.

COVID-19 in Madera + 6 local counties (+% is the positivity rate)

COVID-19 in the 7 counties together