BlackMask Breaking News

September 2, 2020 8:55 am

ADP National Employment Report

Private Sector Employment Increased by 428,000 Jobs in August.

ROSELAND, N.J., Sept. 2, 2020 The number of jobs in the United States’ private sector rose by 428,000 in August, missing analysts’ expectations, the Automatic Data Processing’s (ADP) National Employment Report showed on Wednesday. Large companies drove the climb with 298,000 jobs added in August. Small businesses had 52,000 jobs more compared to the previous month, while mid-sized businesses were up by 79,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the number of jobs within the services sector surged by 389,000 from the month prior and the good-producing sector strengthened by 40,000 jobs. “The August job postings demonstrate a slow recovery. “Job gains are minimal, and businesses across all sizes and sectors have yet to come close to their pre-COVID-19 employment levels,” Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute, commented on the results.

September 2, 2020 7:45 amSeptember 2, 2020 7:47 am

Face shield or face mask to stop the spread of COVID-19?

To increase public awareness about the effectiveness of face shields alone as well as face masks with exhalation valves, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science used qualitative visualizations to test how face shields and masks with valves perform in impeding the spread of aerosol-sized droplets. Widespread public use of these alternatives to regular masks could potentially have an adverse effect on mitigation efforts. For the study, just published in the journal Physics of Fluids, researchers employed flow visualization in a laboratory setting using a laser light sheet and a mixture of distilled water and glycerin to generate the synthetic fog that made up the content of a cough-jet. They visualized droplets expelled from a mannequin’s mouth while simulating coughing and sneezing. By placing a plastic face shield and an N95-rated face mask they were able to map out the paths of droplets and demonstrate how they performed. Results of the study show that although face shields block the initial forward motion of the jet, the expelled droplets move around the visor with relative ease and spread out over a large area depending on light ambient disturbances. “From this latest study, we were able to observe that face shields are able to block the initial forward motion of the exhaled jet, however, aerosolized droplets expelled with the jet are able to move around the visor with relative ease,” said Manhar Dhanak, Ph.D., department chair, professor, and director of SeaTech, who co-authored the paper with Siddhartha Verma, Ph.D., lead author and an assistant professor; and John Frankenfeld, a technical professional, all within FAU’s Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering. “Over time, these droplets can disperse over a wide area in both lateral and longitudinal directions, albeit with decreasing droplet concentration. The N95-rated face mask used in this study had a small amount of exhaled droplets that escaped from the gap between the top of the mask and the bridge of the nose. Face shields have noticeable gaps along the bottom and the sides, “The research conducted by professors Dhanak and Verma on the importance of proper face coverings to stop the spread of COVID-19 has literally illuminated the world,” said Stella Batalama, Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. “While broad acceptance regarding the need for face coverings has risen steadily, there is an increasing trend of people who are substituting regular cloth or surgical masks with clear plastic face shields. Nick Note: N95 masks and face shields are about as useless as a telescope for a blind man!

September 2, 2020 7:21 am

Vaccine could be released early if trials are positive – Fauci

Watch a honest man corrupted. Dr Fauci said a vaccine early part 2021. Trump says vaccine before election Fauci changes his tune….. SOLD OUT!

A COVID-19 vaccine could be available earlier than expected if ongoing clinical trials produce overwhelmingly positive results, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease official, in an interview Tuesday with KHN.

Although two ongoing clinical trials of 30,000 volunteers are expected to conclude by the end of the year, Fauci said an independent board has the authority to end the trials weeks early if interim results are overwhelmingly positive or negative.

The Data and Safety Monitoring Board could say, “‘The data is so good right now that you can say it’s safe and effective,’” Fauci said. In that case, researchers would have “a moral obligation” to end the trial early and make the active vaccine available to everyone in the study, including those who had been given placebos — and accelerate the process to give the vaccine to millions. Fauci’s comments come at a time of growing concern about whether political pressure from the Trump administration could influence federal regulators and scientists overseeing the nation’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, and erode shaky public confidence in vaccines. Prominent vaccine experts have said they fear Trump is pushing for an early vaccine approval to help win reelection. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he trusts the independent members of the DSMB — who are not government employees — to hold vaccines to high standards without being politically influenced. Members of the board are typically experts in vaccine science and biostatistics who teach at major medical schools.

“If you are making a decision about the vaccine, you’d better be sure you have very good evidence that it is both safe and effective,” Fauci said. “I’m not concerned about political pressure.”

In trials of this size, researchers will know if a vaccine is effective after as few as 150 to 175 infections, said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a call with reporters Friday.

Although the safety board can recommend stopping a trial, the ultimate decision to halt a study is made by the scientists running the trial, Topol said. A vaccine manufacturer could then apply to the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization, which can be granted quickly, or continue through the regular drug approval process, which requires more time and evidence. Topol and other scientists have sharply criticized the FDA in recent weeks, accusing Commissioner Stephen Hahn of bowing to political pressure from the Trump administration, which has pushed the agency to approve COVID treatments faster. Stopping trials early poses a number of risks, such as making a vaccine look more effective than it really is, Topol said. “If you stop something early, you can get an exaggerated benefit that isn’t real,” because less positive evidence only emerges later, Topol said. Ending vaccine trials early also carries safety risks, said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine developer who serves on an NIH advisory panel on COVID vaccines and treatments. A smaller, shorter trial could fail to detect important vaccine side effects, which could become apparent only after millions of people have been immunized, said Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Nick Note: 3 weeks ago Dr Fauci says their will be no vaccine until 2021 at the earliest. Because Phase III studies have to be completed. After Dr Atlas got done with Fauci he now says a vaccine could be available after 250 are studies….. In October just in time for the elections… MY MY what a surprise!!!

September 1, 2020 3:27 pmSeptember 1, 2020 3:31 pm

Mnuchin sees signs US economy is strengthening

Chairman Clyburn, Ranking Member Scalise, and members of the Subcommittee, I am pleased to join you today to discuss the Department of the Treasury’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the last five months, Treasury has been working hard to provide fast and direct economic assistance to American workers and their families. We remain committed to making sure that every American gets back to work as quickly as possible.

Effects of the CARES Act

The bipartisan CARES Act is the biggest economic relief package in American history. Economic relief, totaling nearly $3 trillion, which is approximately 15% of GDP, is having a tremendous impact on the economy, leading to increases in jobs, retail sales, business activity and home sales. I also want to thank the Federal Reserve for its substantial work executing 13 unique 13(3) lending facilities.

For the third month in a row, the jobs report exceeded forecasts, with a gain of 1.8 million jobs in July. This brings our three-month total gain to more than 9 million jobs, meaning that over 41 percent of jobs lost due to the pandemic have been recovered. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey suggest the job market has continued to strengthen, with the ratio of unemployed persons to job openings in the economy dropping by nearly one-fourth in June.

We also see signs of a strengthening economic recovery across industries. Retail sales increased in July for the third consecutive month, signaling that consumer spending on goods has recovered from the spring’s economic shutdowns. The ISM Manufacturing survey indicated growth for the second consecutive month, and ISM’s similar survey for service-sector firms also reported a growth of new orders, both signifying increased business activities. The housing market has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, fueled by strong housing starts and existing home sales in July. Leisure and hospitality firms, among the businesses hardest hit by the pandemic, hired 592,000 workers in July, indicating confidence in the economic re-opening.

Phase Four / Executive Orders

While we continue to see signs of a strong economic recovery, we are sensitive to the fact that there is more work to be done, and certain areas of the economy require additional relief. When it became clear that previous negotiations were not moving forward, the President took executive action to provide critical relief to Americans through lost wages assistance and other important items.

We will continue to try to work with the Senate and the House on a bipartisan Phase IV relief package. I believe a bipartisan agreement still should be reached and would provide substantial funds for schools, testing, vaccines, PPP for small businesses, continued enhanced unemployment benefits, child care, nutrition, agriculture, and the U.S. Postal Service, along with liability protection for universities, schools, and businesses.

Transparency

We have released a significant amount of information on our website Treasury.gov and are providing information on the government-wide reporting site USAspending.gov. We also have provided regular updates to Congress, with this marking my fifth appearance before Congress for a CARES Act hearing. Additionally, we are cooperating with various oversight bodies, including three inspectors general, the new Congressional Oversight Commission, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have made data and information regarding the millions of Economic Impact Payments available on their respective websites. The Department has disclosed all payroll support payments to airlines and other businesses on Treasury.gov.

Treasury has also posted extensive documentation related to Coronavirus Relief Fund payments to State, local, and tribal governments on its website. We also are pleased that the Federal Reserve has posted loan information on its website regarding its lending facilities.

We appreciate the Subcommittee’s interest in these issues and have devoted significant resources to responding to each of its inquiries. We remain committed to working with you to accommodate Congress’s legislative needs and to further our whole-of-government approach to defeating COVID-19.

Conclusion

I would like to thank the members of the Committee for working with us to provide vital economic relief to the American people. I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have. Nick Note: the only problem when they spread around joy gel is it gets everywhere

September 1, 2020 11:08 am

People Line Up In Record Numbers At Alameda Co. Food Bank In COVID-19 Economy

OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – The pandemic has pushed food insecurity to levels not see in decades and people are relying on food banks more than ever here in the Bay Area. Three times a week, hundreds of cars line up as thousands of pounds of food are all given away at the Alameda County Food Bank.“We’ve never seen anything like this in 35 years in business. Each one of these distribution is serving well over a thousand cars!” said the food bank’s Director Community Engagement Mike Altfest. It is one of four locations across Alameda County where folks are receiving much needed basic food for free. They are people who may have lost their jobs when their businesses were forced to shut down due to pandemic concerns. “They start lining up as early as seven in the morning and this will run for six straight hours” said Altfest. Hundreds of cars slowly snake their way through the parking lot across from the Acura dealership on Interstate 880. Folks from all walks of life driving everything from Toyota’s, BMW’s, to Mercedes, all coming to get food. Folks are grateful for the charity. “I really appreciate all the help! When we need it, they are there,” said one man in line. “Everybody needs it! It’s like, you know how it is in these COVID times, it’s like, we all need some help.” Onions, potatoes, vegetables, fresh fruit, bags and boxes loading up for families. Altfest says the amount of food being handed out is amazing. “Since the start of this pandemic, our food distribution has increased between 50 and 70 percent. So, while we were distributing 600 pounds of food a week before this, we’re now well over a millions pounds a week,” said Altfest. The Alameda County Food Bank is open to help folks find food for the table, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information, go to www.accfb.org. Nick Note: One of my reoccurring dreams beside the smoking runs in NY city of the investment bank buildings are the coming food riots. In this dream I am in Europe arranging food supplies to be sent to the starving people in America. And as we unload the cargo from the ships people are rioting for a bag of flour. Do you think the millennial’s will know how to bake bread by then? Oh my GOD gag me with a spoon!

August 31, 2020 11:37 am

New Trump pandemic adviser pushes controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy, worrying public health officials

One of President Trump’s top medical advisers is urging the White House to embrace a controversial “herd immunity” strategy to combat the pandemic, which would entail allowing the coronavirus to spread through most of the population to quickly build resistance to the virus, while taking steps to protect those in nursing homes and other vulnerable populations, according to five people familiar with the discussions. The administration has already begun to implement some policies along these lines, according to current and former officials as well as experts, particularly with regard to testing. The approach’s chief proponent is Scott Atlas, a neuroradiologist from Stanford’s conservative Hoover Institution, who joined the White House earlier this month as a pandemic adviser. He has advocated that the United States adopt the model Sweden has used to respond to the virus outbreak, according to these officials, which relies on lifting restrictions so the healthy can build up immunity to the disease rather than limiting social and business interactions to prevent the virus from spreading.

Sweden’s handling of the pandemic has been heavily criticized by public health officials and infectious-disease experts as reckless — the country has among the highest infection and death rates in the world. It also hasn’t escaped the deep economic problems resulting from the pandemic.

But Sweden’s approach has gained support among some conservatives who argue that social distancing restrictions are crushing the economy and infringing on people’s liberties.

That this approach is even being discussed inside the White House is drawing concern from experts inside and outside the government who note that a herd immunity strategy could lead to the country suffering hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lost lives. “The administration faces some pretty serious hurdles in making this argument. One is a lot of people will die, even if you can protect people in nursing homes,” said Paul Romer, a professor at New York University who won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2018. “Once it’s out in the community, we’ve seen over and over again, it ends up spreading everywhere.” Atlas, who does not have a background in infectious diseases or epidemiology, has expanded his influence inside the White House by advocating policies that appeal to Trump’s desire to move past the pandemic and get the economy going, distressing health officials on the White House coronavirus task force and throughout the administration who worry that their advice is being followed less and less. Atlas, who does not have a background in infectious diseases or epidemiology, has expanded his influence inside the White House by advocating policies that appeal to Trump’s desire to move past the pandemic and get the economy going, distressing health officials on the White House coronavirus task force and throughout the administration who worry that their advice is being followed less and less. Atlas declined several interview requests in recent days. After the publication of this story, he released a statement through the White House: “There is no policy of the President or this administration of achieving herd immunity. There never has been any such policy recommended to the President or to anyone else from me.” Atlas has fashioned himself as the “anti-Dr. Fauci,” one senior administration official said, referring to Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease official, who has repeatedly been at odds with the president over his public comments about the threat posed by the virus. He has clashed with Fauci as well as Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, over the administration’s pandemic response. Atlas has argued both internally and in public that an increased case count will move the nation more quickly to herd immunity and won’t lead to more deaths if the vulnerable are protected. But infectious-disease experts strongly dispute that, noting that more than 25,000 people younger than 65 have died of the virus in the United States. In addition, the United States has a higher number of vulnerable people of all ages because of high rates of heart and lung disease and obesity, and millions of vulnerable people live outside nursing homes — many in the same households with children, whom Atlas believes should return to school. The discussions come as at least 5.9 million infections have been reported and at least 179,000 have died from the virus this year and as public opinion polls show that Trump’s biggest liability with voters in his contest against Democratic nominee Joe Biden is his handling of the pandemic. The United States leads the world in coronavirus cases and deaths, with far more casualties and infections than any other developed nation. The nations that have most successfully managed the coronavirus outbreak imposed stringent lockdown measures that a vast majority of the country abided by, quickly ramped up testing and contact tracing, and imposed mask mandates. Atlas meets with Trump almost every day, far more than any other health official, and inside the White House is viewed as aligned with the president and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on how to handle the outbreak, according to three senior administration officials. Nick Note: No GOD NO! OH GOD NO! I cannot believe what i am reading. The first thing here is this will wipe out the baby boomers. Tens of millions of lives will be lost young and old. You are letting a virus that mutates faster then Paris Hilton drops her panties. Letting the disease run wild in the population will create a super strain as natural selection will allow the most virulent strain to survive. Donald what evil have you wrought!

August 30, 2020 2:24 pmAugust 30, 2020 2:26 pm

Coronavirus: Cases on Tui flight from Zante to Cardiff

All passengers who were on a flight to Wales from a Greek island have been told to self-isolate after some on board tested positive for coronavirus. Health officials say seven people from three different parties on Tui flight 6215 from Zante to Cardiff on Tuesday have tested positive for Covid-19. It comes as a group of people from Plymouth tested positive for the virus after returning from Zante on Monday. “Cardiff and Vale test, trace, protect and Public Health Wales have identified at least seven confirmed cases of Covid-19 from three different parties who were infectious on Tui flight 6215 from Zante to Cardiff on 25 August,” said Giri Shankar of PHW. “As a result, we are advising that all passengers on this flight are considered close contacts and must self-isolate.””These passengers will be contacted shortly, but meanwhile, they must self-isolate at home as they may become infectious, even without developing symptoms.”

Dr Shankar, PHW’s Covid-19 incident director, said the 187 passengers and six crew on board the three-and-a-half hour flight from Zakynthos to Cardiff Airport on Tuesday that has symptoms “should book a test without delay”.

There were 1,715 new coronavirus cases – and one death – reported in the UK on Sunday – the highest number since 4 June.While no new deaths with coronavirus were reported in Wales on Sunday, 56 cases have been confirmed by PHW. The seven cases on board the Tui flight are included in the 12 new cases reported in the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board area. Tui said all passengers comply with Covid protocols “for the duration of their flight” including wearing face masks. The travel operator added their aircraft have “state-of-the-art, hospital standard air filtering system”, BULLFUCKIGSHIT! are deep cleaned after every flight and “fully disinfected at least once every 24 hours” in accordance with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) guidelines. “The safety and well-being of passengers and crew is our highest priority and we operate in line with EASA guidelines,” said a Tui spokesperson. Cardiff Airport, which is owned by the Welsh Government, said it is working closely with airlines to “facilitate passenger travel throughout this challenging time for the industry”. “Tui is taking every necessary measure following today’s report, said Spencer Birns, Cardiff Airport’s interim chief executive.”Cardiff Airport is closely following guidelines set out by Public Health Wales, FCO and UK Government and has already taken a number of measures to ensure the safety and security of our team and customers, which is our number one priority.” Nick Note: Total bullssit! You fly you die!

August 30, 2020 2:13 pm

FDA authorization for Covid-19 vaccine before Phase 3 trials are complete,

(CNN)In an interview with the Financial Times, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said the agency could consider emergency use authorization or approval for a Covid-19 vaccine before Phase 3 trials are complete. “It is up to the sponsor [vaccine developer] to apply for authorisation or approval, and we make an adjudication of their application,” Hahn told the Financial Times. “If they do that before the end of Phase Three, we may find that appropriate. We may find that inappropriate, we will make a determination.” “Our emergency use authorisation is not the same as a full approval,” he said. “The legal, medical and scientific standard for that is that the benefit outweighs the risk in a public health emergency.” Hahn said the vaccine decision would be based on data, not politics. “We have a convergence of the Covid-19 pandemic with the political season, and we’re just going to have to get through that and stick to our core principles,” he told the Financial Times. “This is going to be a science, medicine, data decision. This is not going to be a political decision.” This isn’t the first time US officials have discussed authorization for a Covid-19 vaccine before large-scale trials are complete. During a July 30 meeting inside Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows raised the possibility of an emergency use authorization for a vaccine before Phase 3 trials were completed. The Financial Times first reported the details of the meeting. Two Covid-19 vaccines are currently in Phase 3 trials in the United States — those made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech — and two more are expected to begin Phase 3 trials by mid-September. Vaccine makers are seeking to enroll at least 30,000 volunteers so they can tell whether the vaccine is really safe and protects people from infection. Both already in advanced-stage trials in the United States have enrolled more than half the number of participants needed, US health officials said during a call with reporters on Friday about Operation Warp Speed. During the call, the health officials said there could be enough data even before 30,000 people are enrolled in a trial, but Operation Warp Speed officials aren’t able to see the data yet. “There is a thing called a Data Safety Monitoring Board, an independent body that is assigned to each clinical trial,” Paul Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at the US Department of Health Human Services, said during the briefing. “We have no insight into the data until the DSMB says we can look at it. They can come back and say, ‘This is not a good vaccine.’ They could come back before we even have 30,000 folks enrolled and say ‘We have enough. This looks great.’ ” Adverse reactions to the vaccine could also trigger the DSMB to stop the trial. “What we are really looking for is cases — the number of positive cases from both the placebo and the vaccine group,” Mango said. “Once we get to 150 or so, statistically that is significant regardless of how many enrollees we have in the trial,” he added. “That may be surprising to some, but really the number of events that have to occur … is relatively small,” US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield added during the call.

Concerns about an ‘October surprise’ vaccine

Earlier this month, President Trump said he was “optimistic” a vaccine would be ready around Election Day on November 3. “I believe we’ll have the vaccine before the end of the year, certainly, but around that date, yes. I think so,” Trump said. Doctors have worried that just before Election Day, President Trump might pressure the FDA to approve a coronavirus vaccine before it’s ready as an “October surprise” to gain votes. “This just cannot be allowed to happen,” Dr. Francis Collins told CNN this month.

He said if FDA’s Hahn approves a vaccine based on flimsy evidence, “he’s got a lot of people he’d have to answer to.” Collins said he’d be one of those people, and so would Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Collins said he, Fauci, and others would “certainly make a big noise about not supporting [the vaccine]” if the FDA were to approve it prematurely, adding that the vaccine cannot be approved “on the basis of anything other than science.” Nick Note: their will be a October Surprise.

August 30, 2020 6:10 am

Oil and Gasoline Dip With Refineries Spared From Worst of Laura

(Bloomberg) — Oil declined after Laura barreled into Louisiana, largely sparing the Texas Gulf Coast from widespread disruption to key energy infrastructure. Laura made landfall early Thursday near Cameron, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane and has now weakened to a tropical storm. While the storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people and impacted plants that produce chemicals and liquefied natural gas, southeast Texas ports and refineries — including the largest U.S. refinery — likely avoided the worst of it. Crude futures in New York fell less than 1% on Thursday, while gasoline futures dropped more than 5%. A stronger dollar also reduced the appeal for commodities priced in the greenback. “The damage is not as bad as anticipated, which is creating more sell pressure along the energy complex,” said Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at Price Futures Group. “The lower price of gasoline means worse refining margins potentially, meaning that there’s not going to be a lot of incentive to use a lot of crude quickly.” As the storm passes, traders are assessing the potential impact on both fuel production and consumption. Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Beaumont refinery in Texas will begin restarting Friday if an assessment shows no damage from Hurricane Laura, while its Baytown refinery on the Houston Ship Channel has already begun the restart process. Meanwhile, Magellan Midstream Partners LP’s East Houston terminal restored full operations at its refined products truck loading rack and the U.S. Coast Guard reopened the Port of Houston on Thursday. More than 80% of oil output in the Gulf of Mexico and almost 3 million barrels a day of refining capacity had been shut ahead of the storm, causing a spike in gasoline futures prices earlier this week. Since then, prices have retreated. Aside from the storm impact, a persistent inventory overhang as the coronavirus depresses demand continues to cloud the outlook for a sustained rebound in prices. “There’s still these competing inputs on the demand outlook,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC. Due to the hurricane, there is a “big region where there’s going to be a lack of demand as people shelter in place and business patterns get disrupted.” In physical markets, Gulf Coast crudes are showing mixed signals after Laura’s landfall. Mars Blend, a high-sulfur crude, dropped on Thursday to its narrowest premium against Nymex WTI futures since July, while Heavy and Light Louisiana Sweet crudes strengthened. Meanwhile, bookings for tankers to ship gasoline from Europe to the U.S. surged this week. So far, 13 tankers were booked to load gasoline in Europe with the U.S. listed as a destination, according to shipping fixtures compiled by Bloomberg. Nick Note: Biggest hurricane ever hits the gulf of Mexico and oil prices collapse. Oil is so over supplied. Remember this 80% of crude oil is turned into jet fuel. And if you have not noticed their are no Jets flying. And their will not be a reprieve. Oil prices must collapse and will. I do not give a shit how many stewardesses they show with masks and how many ads of workman spreading disinfectant they show in their promos. Reality is no matter how they want to deny it… A virus that spreads as an aerosol turns every fight into a roll of the coronavirus roll of the dice. That will come up snake eyes.

August 29, 2020 7:20 am

College towns growing alarmed over outbreaks among students

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — As waves of schools and businesses around the country are cleared to reopen, college towns are moving toward renewed shutdowns because of too many parties and too many COVID-19 infections among students. With more than 300 students at the University of Missouri testing positive for the coronavirus and an alarming 44% positivity rate for the surrounding county, the local health director Friday ordered bars to stop serving alcohol at 9 p.m. and close by 10 p.m. Nick Note: Missouri is a major tourist state in the Midwest. And the billion dollar operators have corrupted the health services in Taney and Stone county. With a positivity rate over 40% they should be shutting down the tourist attractions. And to think closing a bar at 10 PM will stop infections is a sick joke!

Iowa’s governor has ordered all bars shut down around The University of Iowa and Iowa State, while the mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, did the same in the hometown of the state’s flagship university. “What we’re seeing in our violations is they’re coming late at night,” said Stephanie Browning, head of the health department for Columbia, Missouri. “Big groups gathering. They’re not wearing their masks, they’re not social distancing.” In Utah, the city council in Provo overrode a mayoral veto to pass a mask mandate, which includes a $500 fine for organizing large mask-less gatherings, days before students return to Brigham Young University from around the country. But the council was nevertheless worried that college students sharing dorms, bathrooms and showers could become “super-spreaders” and bring the virus off campus, council chair George Handley said. “We’re already seeing what’s happened across the country at other universities,” he said. But a recent warehouse party organized by a BYU student’s promotional company called Young/Dumb also raised concern when pictures of hundreds of revelers without masks surfaced online. BYU, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has its own rules requiring masks on campus. Requirements for indoor public spaces in town will help people stay healthy and businesses stay open, Handley said.

“This is actually about preserving our way of life, it’s not about destroying it — contrary to what some people say,” Handley said.

The outbreaks since students began returning to campus in the past few weeks have heightened tensions between colleges and their towns and led to recriminations between local politicians and university officials. Meanwhile, California announced a four-tiered, color-coded plan Friday for gradually reopening businesses after abandoning a reopening attempt earlier this summer. It requires counties to meet certain benchmarks showing progress in controlling the virus. In Arizona, another deadly hot spot this summer, a drop in transmission numbers allowed the Phoenix and Tucson areas to reopen gyms and some bars. The U.S. has recorded over 180,000 deaths from the coronavirus and 5.9 million confirmed infections. Worldwide, the death toll is put at more than 830,000, with at least 24.5 million cases. Surging infection numbers around the U.S. have been blamed in part on young people ignoring mask and social distancing requirements. In Iowa’s Story County, home to Iowa State, 74% of new cases over the past seven days were among people ages 19 to 24, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday. In the same time period, 69% of new cases in Johnson County, the home of the University of Iowa, were in that age group. “It is increasing the virus activity in the community, and it’s spilling over to other segments of the population,” Reynolds said. Fueled in part by clusters where college students are returning to classes, Kansas has had its highest seven-day increase in coronavirus cases. Gov. Laura Kelly said outbreaks on college campuses and fraternities and sororities are at least a factor in the surge.“We cannot continue to go down this path,” she told reporters Friday.

The University of Alabama has recorded over 1,000 cases on campus since the fall semester began last week. In closing the town’s bars Monday for the next two weeks, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said that an unchecked spread of the virus threatens both the health care system and the local economy if students have to be sent home for the semester for remote learning.

Three of North Carolina’s largest public universities have abruptly halted in-person undergraduate instruction and directed students to move out of the dorms after hundreds tested positive following their return to campus. More than 800 have been infected at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and over 670 at North Carolina State.

Leaders at UNC-Chapel Hill, which has shifted to online classes, wrote an open letter Thursday to the mayor outlining steps the university is taking to curb off-campus parties. “We recognize the very real problems with the behaviors of some of our fraternities and sororities,” the letter said. The problems did not change the thinking of other schools around the country. The University of Virginia announced Friday that it is moving ahead with plans to offer in-person instruction for the fall semester, after delaying the start of classes for two weeks to assess the spread of COVID-19.

“We know some will be delighted to hear this news and others will be disappointed,” a university statement said. “To be frank, it was a very difficult decision, made in the face of much uncertainty, and with full awareness that future events may force us to change course.” Nick Note: It is incredible to me that higher institutes of learning are so stupid.