October 2, 2020 - The Day the Bubble Burst
The Day the Bubble Burst
October 2, 2020
It is impossible to do justice to the drama of the day, so I won’t even try. Everything about Alabama’s data today is average and thoroughly undramatic. 954 new daily cases (incl. 127 probables) are just below yesterday’s 7-day average of 1,076, while 6,936 tests are just above our 7-day average of 6,870. Thankfully, there were just 2 deaths. And finally, there are 752 inpatients in Alabama’s hospitals, 7 fewer than yesterday. Not a great day … but no worse than yesterday.
Of course, today will be remembered as the day the bubble burst. Alex Azar, the HHS Secretary, actually had the nerve to defend the President and first family’s refusal to wear masks in testimony last Friday before a special House Committee overseeing coronavirus response. According to Azar, they are entitled to behave differently from the rest of us because they live in a “protective bubble”.
This is the same President who prepped for the debate for hours in a windowless room with 6 persons and 0 masks. The same President whose closest personal aide is Hope Hicks, a woman who is now battling severe COVID symptoms. A President who has continuously put Secret Service agents at risk in maskless political rallies, causing a severe outbreak with 11 infected agents at the agency’s main training facility in rural Maryland. A President who exposes 100 wealthy donors to the deadly virus at his NJ golf club, while symptomatic, after being informed that Ms. Hicks had tested positive.
I was reminded of this “protective bubble” again this morning while watching the President’s chief of staff, Treasury Secretary and press secretary hold separate maskless briefings before the White House press corps. On the morning after the President tested positive. Really, what does that say about the reckless culture that surrounds this President.
The President and his closest aides have demonstrated time and time again their belief that the rules apply to everyone but them. Yes, today will be remembered as the day the bubble burst. And we are left to pray for 7.5 million infected Americans and the souls of over 213,000 dead ones. The totals:
9/19 - 1,301
9/20 - 798
9/21 - 818
9/22 - 804
9/23 - 569
9/24 - 1,053
9/25 - 2,452
9/26 - 933
9/27 - 730
9/28 - 662
9/29 - 571
9/30 - 1,147
10/1 - 1,043
10/2 - 954
Jefferson County led the way with 134 new cases. 32 counties saw their positivity rates decline and 35 counties saw them increase.