April 20, 2022 - Dangerous Precedent

Dangerous Precedent

April 19, 2022

Since my last newsletter two weeks ago, Alabama’s Covid situation has remained stable. It was a good time to take a break.

To begin with, our 7-day average is currently 257 new cases per day, not materially different from 209 cases per day two weeks ago. The rise of at-home testing means that many minor cases likely go unreported, but I suspect that most severe cases do get reported. Only 162 Covid patients currently occupy Alabama’s hospitals and just 29 of them are in intensive care units. Two weeks ago, there were 195 patients of whom 27 were in ICU’s.

In the United States, daily cases increased 19% over the last week and 39% over the last two weeks, fueled by double digit increases in 34 states, including Alabama. Yesterday, there were close to 60,000 new cases reported in the U.S., the highest daily total since early March. Hospitalizations have plateaued at around 15,000 nationally.

The decision yesterday by a Florida federal judge to strike down a two-week extension of the mask mandate on airplanes and other public transportation is disturbing for one overriding reason. Reasonable minds may differ over whether or not the rate of infection in the United States has declined sufficiently to justify an end to the mask mandate. But, if there is one thing the deaths of nearly 1 million Americans have made clear, it is that the federal government must not be rendered defenseless whenever there is a global pandemic or an act of bioterrorism that threatens public safety. Congress has given the executive branch the authority to follow the science and take such necessary actions. This decision by a single judge is a dangerous precedent that must be appealed.

That’s all for now. If you are eligible, get your second booster and continue to wear a mask if you find yourself indoors in a large crowd or in a confined space. The coronavirus continues to simmer at a low boil and it is too early to declare mission accomplished. The totals:

4/6 - 219

4/7 - 210

4/8 - 172

4/9 - Not reporting

4/10 - Not reporting

4/11 - 361

4/12 - 214

4/13 - 156

4/14 - 188

4/15 - 220

4/16 - Not reporting

4/17 - Not reporting

4/18 - 968

4/19 - 270