March 18, 2020
By Ed Carson
Dow Jones futures rallied (click here)solidly late Wednesday, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures, after the European Central Bank announced its own big quantitative easing program, joining the Federal Reserve. On Wednesday, the coronavirus stock market crash tumbled to new lows. Covid-19 cases continue to soar in the U.S. and worldwide. Major automakers — but not Tesla (TSLA) — closed down their North American plants, as coronavirus recession fears intensify....
I think the financial markets are going to be fine. They might have to shop Walmart for shirts, but, I am NOT worried about them.
Dallas has extended its emergency declaration to April 29. The current timeline is two weeks nationally. At that point, the outbreak will have a better definition in the USA. I think two weeks is reasonable to reassess. Actually, the reassessment is occurring every day nationally so in two weeks it will be easy to know where the USA is headed.
March 18, 2020
By Eric Johnson
That is the top question (click here) my office has received after I issued emergency regulations that limited community gatherings and service in restaurants and temporarily shut down bars, gyms, theaters, nightclubs, entertainment venues and other types of businesses.
What I say in response is that these steps were necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of our people. But, of course, Dallas residents, businesses and workers alike are wondering when this will all be over.
Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer yet....
Missouri reported its first death. Wow, Washington State is reeling in reality faster than it ever expected.
March 18, 2020
By Josephine Peterson
The state Department of Health (click here) reported 175 new cases of coronavirus and 15 additional fatalities attributed to the disease it causes Wednesday.
The total number of cases reported by the Department of Health statewide now is 1,187 with 66 deaths. That number did not include Pierce County’s first reported death, that of a woman in her 50s with underlying health issues.
Pierce County has a total of 56 reported cases, which is the third highest in the state....
March 18, 2020
By James Drew
Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday (click here) announced a statewide moratorium on evictions of residential tenants for the next 30 days, along with several other measures to help businesses, workers, and residents who are facing the loss of income during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“These are unprecedented times. We must do everything we can to support the resiliency of Washington workers and employers,” the governor said.
Under Inslee’s order, law enforcement may not enforce eviction orders based solely on non-payment of rent. The step will protect state residents from losing their homes during the pandemic, said Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
In regard to PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), someone needs to investigate the sales trend of PPE and Medical Asceptic Supplies for hospitals. I am astounded at this point in the national emergency the medical sector is so short on supplies. Did HHS loosen regulations regarding insolation in the hospital and the supplies needed FOR MEDICAL STAFF? I am wondering if the PPE was shifted from the hospital's responsibility to the hospital personal's responsibility? Does the staff have to provide their own PPE? Ask the unions. All this doesn't make sense to me. There are millions of gloves used every day in the USA. Where did they go?
The other side of this mess is mismanagement by HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. One of the reasons the mergers of hospitals happened some time ago into hospital systems was that several hospitals in close proximity could SAVE MONEY by stockpiling supplies together. WHAT CAUSED THIS SHORTAGE? Whatever caused this shortage has to be ended. There are not SO MANY PATIENTS YET THAT THIS SHORTAGE SHOULD EXIST. I have great sympathy for New York and I am happy the USA Hospital ship is headed for that city, but, there are not so many patients yet that these supplies should be so short. There is something very wrong here and it has to do with profits.
I appreciate the media screaming about PPE, but, there has to be some underlying issue that has to be done away with. Denying this emergency nationally was a huge mistake, but, what happened with supplies? It doesn't make sense to me. I supposed there is a lot that doesn't make sense to me, but, then a lot of what Trump considers important doesn't make sense to me.
To be honest, trying to understand Trump is a waste of time for me and I was tuning him out. The last two days have been the best days of his presidency. He is finally making sense.
March 18, 2020
Reported cases of COVID-19 (click here) in Clark County have increased by 27, from 42 to 69, the Southern Nevada Health District announced on Wednesday.
It provided no information about the new cases, which bring the total in the state to 83.
There has been one death in Nevada attributed to the disease, that of an unidentified man in his 60s.
