Coronavirus Quick Hits: Americans Have Basically Decided the Quarantine Is Over

Here are some of the major coronavirus developments that are making headlines right now . . .

1.  Well, the American people have basically decided the quarantine is over . . . whether it’s really time for that or not.

Apple’s data shows traffic in the U.S. has doubled in the past three weeks.

Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight found that the two variables that seem to predict how much people in a state are moving around are:  If it’s a red state . . . and if there’s nice weather.

It could be two years until we can safely leave our houses, and we’re really setting ourselves up for a second wave . . . but we’re going out now anyway. And honestly, how could you expect people to stay home for TWO YEARS?

2.  Our country’s lack of a single vision for dealing with the virus is catching up with us. Unfortunately, the half-hearted “some cities and states tell people to stay inside, some don’t” approach so far in the U.S. hasn’t really worked.

According to Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA Commissioner, quote, “While mitigation didn’t fail, I think it’s fair to say it didn’t work as well as we expected.  We expected we’d start seeing more significant declines in new cases and deaths . . . and we’re just not.”

As some areas around the country are lifting restrictions, the U.S. had its deadliest day yet on May 1st, with 2,909 deaths from the virus.  And cases are now growing faster in rural areas than urban areas.

3.  While the federal government is trying to get states to “re-open” and was painting 67,000 deaths and climbing as a “great success,” they also quietly ordered 100,000 new body bags.

And new data shows coronavirus deaths may be MUCH higher than expected.  An estimated 37,100 people above the normal rate died in March and April . . . that’s 13,500 more than are attributed to coronavirus for that period.

Another new study found coronavirus is killing people an average of at least a decade before their time.

4.  Two Arizona county sheriffs say they won’t enforce the governor’s stay-at-home order.  And a city in Oklahoma was bullied into dropping face mask requirements after people threatened employees at stores.

A guy in Texas was arrested for shoving a park ranger into the lake after the ranger came by to try to enforce social distancing regulations.

5.  The rallies against the stay-at-home orders just can’t seem to avoid dipping into Nazism.  At a rally in Illinois, a woman held up a sign saying “Arbeit macht frei,” which translates to “work makes you free” and was on the gates of Auschwitz.

She addressed it to “J.B.,” meaning Illinois’s Governor J.B. Pritzker, who is Jewish.

6.  Terrorist threats are on the rise worldwide as extremists are capitalizing on the pandemic.

7.  April’s employment report comes out on Friday and is expected to show the largest one-month jump in unemployment in U.S. history.

Something else to worry about with the economy:  Deflation, where prices fall and, ultimately, that leads to things like wage cuts and more debt.

8.  16% of Americans say they aren’t sure they’ll EVER be totally comfortable going out in public again.  And 58% will be more suspicious about their friends’ and family’s hygiene habits.

9.  Missouri released the names and addresses of approximately 900 people who reported people and businesses for breaking lockdown rules.  Now those people are worried about retribution.