And so it continues; 130K new cases yesterday and schools in the south are starting to open next week.
There are only so many beds’: COVID-19 surge hits hospitals By KELLI KENNEDY and PHILIP MARCELO August 5, 2021 Wearing layers of protective gear, RN Taylor Perri prepares her equipment tray for the next patient as she works in the COVID-19 ward at UF Health's downtown in Jacksonville, Fla., campus Friday, July 30, 2021. The second surge of COVID-19 infections in Jacksonville is stretching the capacity of area medical facilities to care for patients. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida hospitals slammed with COVID-19 patients are suspending elective surgeries and putting beds in conference rooms, an auditorium and a cafeteria. As of midweek, Mississippi had just six open intensive care beds in the entire state.
Georgia medical centers are turning people away. And in Louisiana, an organ transplant had to be postponed along with other procedures.
“We are seeing a surge like we’ve not seen before in terms of the patients coming,” Dr. Marc Napp, chief medical officer for Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida, said Wednesday. “It’s the sheer number coming in at the same time. There are only so many beds, so many doctors, only so many nurses.”
Coronavirus hospitalizations are surging again as the more contagious delta variant rages across the country, forcing medical centers to return to a crisis footing just weeks after many closed their COVID-19 wards and field hospitals and dropped other emergency measures.
The number of people now in the hospital in the U.S. with COVID-19 has almost quadrupled over the past month to nearly 45,000, turning the clock back to early March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That’s still nowhere close to the nearly 124,000 people who were in the hospital at the very peak of the winter surge in January. But health experts say this wave is perhaps more worrying because it has risen more swiftly than prior ones. Also, a disturbingly large share of patients this time are young adults.
And to the frustration of public health experts and front-line medical workers, the vast majority of those now hospitalized are unvaccinated.
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi alone account for more than 40% of all hospitalizations in the country.
The variant has sent new U.S. cases surging to 94,000 a day on average, a level not seen since mid-February. Deaths per day have soared 75% in the past two weeks, climbing from an average of 244 to 426. The overall U.S. death toll stands at more than 614,000.
Across Florida, more than 12,500 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday, over 2,500 of them in intensive care. The state is averaging nearly 18,000 newly confirmed infections per day, up from fewer than 2,000 a month ago. In all, Florida has recorded more than 39,100 coronavirus deaths.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a hard line against mask rules and other compulsory measures, saying it is important to keep Florida’s economy moving.
“Florida is a free state, and we will empower our people. We will not allow Joe Biden and his bureaucratic flunkies to come in and commandeer the rights and freedoms of Floridians,” DeSantis, who has been exploring a possible bid for president in 2024, said in a fundraising email Wednesday.
The reversal in fortune at some hospitals has been stark.
In central Florida, AdventHealth hospitals had 1,350 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday, the most ever. The health care system has postponed non-emergency surgery and limited visitors to concentrate on treating coronavirus patients.
Less than two months ago, Miami’s Baptist Hospital had fewer than 20 COVID-19 patients and was closing down coronavirus units. By Monday, hospital officials were reopening some of those units to handle an influx of more than 200 new virus patients.
“As fast as we are opening up units, they’re being filled with COVID patients,” said Dr. Sergio Segarra, the hospital’s chief medical officer.
In Georgia, more than two dozen hospitals said this week that they have had to turn away patients as the number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 has risen to 2,600 statewide.
Mississippi reported that its hospitals were overwhelmed with nearly 1,200 COVID-19 patients as of Thursday. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said the delta variant is “sweeping across Mississippi like a tsunami” with no end in sight.
In Louisiana, with roughly 2,350 coronavirus patients in hospitals, any non-emergency surgery that might require an overnight stay is being delayed at the state’s largest hospital system. Dr. Robert Hart, chief medical officer at Ochsner Health, said an organ transplant involving a live donor was postponed.
“You can imagine the expectations both the recipient and the donor had leading up to the surgery, and then to have to put that off,” he said, declining to disclose the type of transplant.
The swift turn of events has been disheartening for health care workers who just weeks ago thought the battle was in its final stages. The crisis is also making it harder for hospitals to provide other crucial types of medical care.
“If you don’t get vaccinated, you are taking resources from people who have diseases or injuries or illnesses,” said Dr. Vincent Shaw, a family physician in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “COVID doesn’t call people who have had strokes, who have had heart attacks, who have had other horrific or traumatic things happen and say, ’Y’all take the week off. I am going to take over the ER and the ICU.’”
In Florida, Judi Custer said she and her husband did everything they were told to do to ward off the virus. The Fort Lauderdale retirees got vaccinated and wore masks, even when the rules were lifted. Still, they fell ill with COVID-19 a few weeks ago, and 80-year-old Doug Custer was hospitalized for five days.
Judy Custer said she still believes more people need to get vaccinated.
“We’ve had it long enough to know it is helping people, even if they get sick with it,” she said. “You’re less likely to be put on a ventilator. You’re less likely to be hospitalized.”
Throughout the pandemic, I have cared for kids admitted with covid-19 to the children's hospital in Houston where I am a pediatrician. These children have included newborns with fevers who require a sepsis evaluation, school-age kids whose bodies are ravaged with inflammation associated with covid-19 in children, and tweens and adolescents with covid pneumonia who need oxygen and other respiratory support. I've cared for children whose entire families have been devastated by covid - sometimes the child was sick enough to be admitted but had no parent at their bedside because the parents were critically ill at the adult hospital down the street or, worse, had recently died from covid.
All the while, as both a doctor and mother, I've wrestled with a certain dissonance: There is this popular notion that covid doesn't affect children - and my public health and epidemiologic training reminds me that on a population-level, it's true, the majority of children who contract covid-19 will be asymptomatic or have mild disease. But I contrast this with the reality of being a clinician at the bedside of children critically ill from covid and covid-related illnesses. These two perspectives battle in my brain as I make risk assessments for my own school-aged child. One thing that terrifies me as a parent is that we can't predict why some children get so incredibly sick from covid while others have mild disease; we don't know why some go on to have lingering debilitation and symptoms for months, and others make quick recoveries.
What I do know is that in this moment, as the highly contagious delta variant becomes the predominant strain circulating and we enter another covid surge, I am more worried for children than I have ever been.
First and foremost, this is because the high transmissibility of the delta variant will translate into a greater number of children being exposed than before, which will lead to a greater number of children infected. Even if the delta variant is no more virulent in children than the original virus was, the sheer numbers will translate into more children being admitted to the hospital with covid and covid-related illnesses. As school reopenings coincide with the growth of the delta variant, I worry we will see large outbreaks in school settings that we didn't see with less-contagious versions of the virus.
I wonder, if more people saw what I see at patient bedsides, would they do more to protect children? I talked with one mother who wondered whether she could have done something to prevent her child from ending up sick in the hospital with covid. I recall providing emotional support - in addition to oxygen, steroids and remdesivir - to a teenager admitted with covid pneumonia who was grappling with the recent deaths of multiple family members with covid. His life had turned upside down in a few short weeks.
Over the course of the pandemic, our hospital system has diagnosed more than 15,000 children and adolescents with covid - a number that is trending up. About 10 percent of them have required hospital admission. Up to one-third of children admitted to our hospital have required critical care - including oxygen delivered through high-flow nasal cannula, non-invasive ventilation and intubation with mechanical ventilation. When I discharge children from the hospital, I know that many of them have a long road to recovery, and many will require follow-up for cardiac clearance and long-term care in our hospital's long-covid clinic. More than 300 children across the United States have died from covid since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most children with covid will make a complete recovery, but up to 10 percent, including those with mild illness not requiring hospital admission, go on to develop months-long symptoms of long covid.
During previous covid surges, children's hospitals in the United States experienced very low patient volumes compared to prior years because people were not seeking routine medical care or elective procedures. We could easily handle the influx of children with covid because we also were not seeing much of the common viruses of childhood, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or influenza, which typically keep children's hospitals busy all winter. During previous surges, children's hospitals across the country were able to serve as pop-off valves for adult hospitals overwhelmed with covid admissions, in many instances stepping up to admit and provide direct clinical care to adult patients, or lending equipment to adult hospitals.
What's different this time is that children's hospitals are also dealing with an unusual summertime surge in respiratory viruses, including RSV, which causes acute illness in infants and toddlers. Our hospitals are seeing a huge, sustained influx of patients with RSV - who often need oxygen and respiratory support - and we are busier at our baseline than at other times during the pandemic. I worry how children's hospitals will handle a covid surge on top of the RSV surge, which will stress hospital systems and staff.
Adding to my concerns as a pediatrician is that our society is dealing with covid-fatigue. Children younger than 12 remain ineligible for vaccination, but people are tired of following mitigation measures and eager to get back to normal life. Too many eligible adults and adolescents over 12 years of age remain unvaccinated. One important step that families can take to protect their children of all ages is to ensure that all eligible household members over age 12 are vaccinated; it is heartbreaking to care for children hospitalized with covid when I know this could have been prevented.
I am often approached by friends, family members and neighbors facing the difficult decisions that I also face as a pandemic parent: How do we keep our children safe? I like to remind them that during the past 18 months, we've gained both experience and knowledge and developed tools and recommendations to help limit the spread of covid - all based on scientific evidence. Masking (including universal masking in schools), physical distancing, testing, contact tracing, quarantining and vaccinating do help. If we abandon these crucial tools now, we are putting our children in harm's way.
Kids wouldn’t be getting Covid right now if vaccine and mask mandates where in place and followed. We can thank, trump supporters, anti masker’s, and anti vaccer’s. They’re the killers among us.
A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives. – Jackie Robinson
Officials split on masking children in schools as pediatric hospitals fill up with Covid-19 patients By Aya Elamroussi, CNN
Updated 9:05 AM ET, Sat August 7, 2021 Doctor weighs in on how safe it is to get kids back in school JUST WATCHED
Source: CNN
Doctor weighs in on how safe it is to get kids back in school 02:16 (CNN)The polarization surrounding mask mandates is deepening as some state and local officials spar on how to approach face coverings protocols in schools, a debate unfolding as more children contract Covid-19.
In Florida, which has the second-highest rate of new cases per capita after Louisiana, children's hospitals and staff are "overwhelmed," said Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University. "The numbers of cases in our hospitals in children and our children's hospitals are completely overwhelmed," Marty told CNN's Jim Sciutto on Friday evening. "Our pediatricians, the nursing, the staff are exhausted, and the children are suffering. And it is absolutely devastating. ... Our children are very much affected. We've never seen numbers like this before," she said. Baby girl with Covid-19 airlifted 150 miles because of Houston hospital bed shortage Baby girl with Covid-19 airlifted 150 miles because of Houston hospital bed shortage Marty noted that Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami is at 116% occupancy for Covid-19 patients. A surge in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, fueled by the rapid spread of the Delta coronavirus variant, is happening in the US as millions of children are returning to schools. It is reigniting conversations on measures to lower transmission so students can safely be in the classroom. But officials on the state and local levels have not streamlined their back-to-school mask wearing strategy, prompting local districts to create their own rules. In Texas, the Houston Independent School District's superintendent said he would move to mandate masks upon students' return on August 23, despite GOP Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order prohibiting school districts and other local officials from requiring mask wearing. That would become effective should the school board approve it next week, HISD Superintendent Millard House said in a video posted on Twitter, adding that the move comes after local officials raised Covid-19's threat level to red. And that threat is so intense that an 11-month-old girl with Covid-19 had to be airlifted from Houston to a hospital 150 miles away because of a shortage in pediatric beds in the Houston area. The baby, Ava Amira Rivera, is stable and no longer intubated.
"We have not seen kids pile into pediatric ICUs across the South like we're seeing right now," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN on Friday. And as Covid-19 cases climb in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order last week, telling the state's health and education departments to create rules preventing the implementation of local school mask mandates. His order was in response to "several Florida school boards considering or implementing mask mandates," the governor's office said, and is intended to "protect parents' freedom to choose whether their children wear masks." Eight attorneys have filed a lawsuit against DeSantis. On Friday, Florida's Orange County Public Schools said it would require students to wear masks -- except pupils whose parents opt them out with a signed note. Employees, visitors, volunteers and parents also will be required to wear masks, the district said. Returning to schools safely is possible if mitigation efforts, including wearing masks, are implemented, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who heads the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Baby girl with Covid-19 airlifted 150 miles because of Houston hospital bed shortage Baby girl with Covid-19 airlifted 150 miles because of Houston hospital bed shortage "The places where you see kids in the hospital, the places where you see footage of kids in the hospital, are all places that are not taking mitigation strategies to keep our children safe," Walensky said Friday. The CDC recommends that everyone -- students, teachers, staff and visitors -- wear masks in schools. And while the CDC says 50% of the total population is fully vaccinated, children under 12 are still not cleared to be inoculated. In the meantime, health experts, including Hotez and Marty, say mitigation efforts in schools should be implemented regardless of students' vaccination status. "Yes, mask mandates. I think we absolutely need vaccination mandates for our schools if we're really gonna give kids our best," Hotez said.
US averages 100,000+ daily cases for first time since February With the highly contagious Delta variant having increased its grip in the US, the daily coronavirus case rate is at its highest level in months. The US averaged more than 107,140 new daily cases over a week as of Friday -- the first time that average was higher than 100,000 since February, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The figure has generally risen since the country hit a 2021 low average of 11,299 daily on June 22, according to Johns Hopkins. Hospitalizations and deaths have been rising, too. More than 63,250 Covid-19 patients were in US hospitals on Friday -- a number that has generally risen since a 2021 low of 16,152 on June 29, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. About 497 Covid-19 deaths per day have been in the US in the past week -- well below the country's pandemic peak of more than 3,400 daily in mid-January, but still a 40% increase over the average a week ago, according to Johns Hopkins.
Boosters for people with a weaker immune system could be on the horizon People who are immunocompromised could soon hear about a possible Covid-19 vaccine booster. A decision from the US Food and Drug Administration on the booster shot could come before early September, a Biden administration official told CNN. The Washington Post reported Friday that in the next week or two, FDA officials are expected to review data on additional vaccine doses for immunocompromised people from the CDC. If the data checks out, the FDA will amend the emergency use authorizations of at least two Covid-19 vaccines to allow the additional doses, The New York Times reported. The move could affect millions of people who may not have had an adequate response to the vaccine. That includes people taking immunosuppressant medications, some organ transplant patients and those with certain medical conditions. Research published in JAMA Network Open estimates that 6 million people in the US are taking immunosuppressants that could interfere with the vaccine -- a number the researchers say is likely an underestimate. FDA could lay out a national strategy for Covid-19 booster shots in early September FDA could lay out a national strategy for Covid-19 booster shots in early September The CDC warned last month that the vaccine may not have been effective for immunocompromised people. The agency said these people should continue to take precautions as if they were not vaccinated. Meanwhile for others, a booster shot might just be part of the completion process for immunization, not an annual requirement to revaccinate, said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA. "I don't think that we want to think that these vaccines have somehow failed us," Marks said at a discussion hosted by the Covid-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project. Marks distinguished between two ways of considering third doses: One to aid people without an effective immune response, and another to address continuing circulation of the virus. "There is the third dose of vaccine as part of the upfront series for people who don't make a good immune response -- that's one type of third dosing. And then there may be a third dose, or a booster, depending on how you look at it, that will be given to make sure we have good immunity against the circulating strains of Covid-19," Marks said. "I think we need to make sure we present this correctly." A student raises their hand in a classroom at Tussahaw Elementary School in McDonough, Georgia. Most states are leaving it up to local schools to decide whether to require masks. A student raises their hand in a classroom at Tussahaw Elementary School in McDonough, Georgia. Most states are leaving it up to local schools to decide whether to require masks. Hospitals are strained amid Delta surge As cases rise, hospitals and staff are facing dire situations day in and day out. In Louisiana, 2,421 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 on Friday, up by 71 patients from a day prior. "We broke the all-time record that we've had in Louisiana on Tuesday, and each day since then we have gone up. And I can tell you the indications are, we will go up by more than 100 more for tomorrow's report," Gov. John Bel Edwards said. Another 3,939 children have tested positive for Covid-19 in Louisiana since his last news conference Monday. Texas woman gives birth in same hospital system where her husband died of Covid-19 Texas woman gives birth in same hospital system where her husband died of Covid-19 "That means this week more than 6,000 children tested positive. So in light of that, and the CDC recommendations, the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the information that we've received here from the Office of Public Health and leading Louisiana pediatricians, and quite frankly, as a parent myself, I have to ask -- why wouldn't we send our kids to school with a mask on?" Edwards questioned. "Any holistic effort to slow the spread of the virus, which is absolutely paramount right now, in light of all the things we're seeing across the state of Louisiana, simply has to include these young people," Edwards added. Edwards said he does have hope, as over the last month those individuals choosing to receive their first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine is up by more than 300% in the state. And in Tennessee, the Covid-19 uptick is so high that Republican Gov. Bill Lee issued an executive order that allows hospitals to hire out-of-state health care providers as well as permit retired medical professionals to easily reenter the health care workforce. His order also increased bed capacity for Covid-19 patients.
a very good friend of ours posted a few days ago to pray for a friend of hers who now lives in North Carolina who has gotten Covid and is very ill. Her husband wrote back thanking everyone for prayers and with Gods help she will be back home soon.
My friend posted that her dear friend passed away last night. When I went on the friends who passed away FB page, other people remarked that now the husband has been admitted to the hospital with worsening conditions and their son and daughter in law are also quite sick with covid. From the pictures, she looked to be in her mid 50's.
Baby with COVID-19, in need of an ICU bed, was airlifted to a hospital 150 miles away
HOUSTON (KTRK) - In a sign that the delta variant is affecting more children on a daily basis, a baby in Texas has contracted COVID-19, and she had to be airlifted to a hospital 150 miles away because there were no ICU beds for her at the pediatric hospital in Houston.
In video provided by Harris Health, an 11-month-old little girl is put on a medical transport chopper Thursday morning and sent to a hospital in Temple, 150 miles away.
“We actually initiated a transfer request ... for a higher level of care, of pediatric patients, and we were unable to identify a facility in Houston,” said Patricia Darnauer of LBJ Hospital.
She said her staff called all five major pediatric hospital systems in the greater Houston area, and none would take a transfer patient.
While that doesn’t mean there are zero beds, it’s clear the COVID-19 surge is straining resources.
“I don’t have the details for each facility, I’m sure each have a different criteria for when they would accept or deny a patient,” Darnauer said.
There are the many factors that’s contributing to a pediatric bed shortage. First and foremost, the COVID-19 delta variant is putting more kids in hospitals.
In addition, there’s an increase, doctors said, of respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.
There’s also typical summer childhood injuries like falling off a bike and breaking an arm or a leg, as well as back to school health checks.
“Now we have many patients, many patients every day. We are back beyond our pre-pandemic volumes at LBJ,” Darnauer said.
So what can worried parents do? Get them vaccinated if they’re eligible.
Children not old enough to be vaccinated should wear masks when they are indoors or with groups of people.
When people refuse to inform themselves they often do not realize the current state of the situation. The Delta variant is much more infectious than any previous variant. It is far more efficient at infecting younger people, those with no mitigating health circumstances and those younger people are now a lot of those hospitalized and dying from Covid.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
That absolutely sucks. My kids are getting ready to go back to school and I have a daughter who has MCADD, so she needs to go to the ER if she gets a serious fever, has vomiting, etc.
We live in an area that has some radical conservatives too that were pretty much of the mantra “I’m not going to wear my mask to own the libs” mentality.
They’re just very entrenched in that contrarian mentality. I swear if Biden signed a law to ban punching yourself in the crotch, they would stand in their lawns and go full self-piñata.
They’ve already started spouting off about school mandates.
Worried about this fall.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
That absolutely sucks. My kids are getting ready to go back to school and I have a daughter who has MCADD, so she needs to go to the ER if she gets a serious fever, has vomiting, etc.
If it's helpful - Cincinnati is one of the places doing Children's trials for Pfizer:
I'm so very happy my kids are grown. I only have one grandchild still in high school and one in college. I pray that your daughter manages to get through school safely and healthy.
The only difference we really seem to have here is that my opinion is many of the radicals in and running the republican party right now aren't actually conservatives at all. Some certainly are but when you look at Trump, he was certainly no conservative.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Thanks man. I was actually talking to oober about that since he lives in my area. We were looking to get in the clinical trials at Children’s but we’re on the wait list which is about 100 miles long.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
Agree on the radical front. I left the Republicans before the craziness of 2016 happened, but now it’s devolving increasingly. The “vanilla” Republicans I already started departing with in ideals, but now you see them even looking at the radical side with a concerned raised eyebrow.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
That absolutely sucks. My kids are getting ready to go back to school and I have a daughter who has MCADD, so she needs to go to the ER if she gets a serious fever, has vomiting, etc.
We live in an area that has some radical conservatives too that were pretty much of the mantra “I’m not going to wear my mask to own the libs” mentality.
They’re just very entrenched in that contrarian mentality. I swear if Biden signed a law to ban punching yourself in the crotch, they would stand in their lawns and go full self-piñata.
They’ve already started spouting off about school mandates.
Worried about this fall.
If they do not mandate masks before school starts, I would not send them. They would homeschool if they were mine before I sent them to get sick. I bet schools are closed by the end of October.
Your feelings and opinions do not add up to facts.
I'm so very happy my kids are grown. I only have one grandchild still in high school and one in college. I pray that your daughter manages to get through school safely and healthy.
The only difference we really seem to have here is that my opinion is many of the radicals in and running the republican party right now aren't actually conservatives at all. Some certainly are but when you look at Trump, he was certainly no conservative.
Our kids are full grown too, but now it's hitting 30 somethings and kids so I get to worry about the adult kids and grandbabies. None of my grandkids have been vaccinated and my middle daughter and her husband (dems) are doing the wait and see BS excuse to not get it. I've been on her every day because they have 3 teens at home too. Son-in-law joined a motorcycle club about two years ago (6 months or so before covid). He and my daughter are both dems leaning progressive, but he has been listening to his Trumpian biker buddies and they are worried about the vaccine causing problems for the kids long term.
His MC is great for all the things they do for the community and most of them are salt of the earth types, but I don't like the crap he's starting to buy in to since they have become a big part of his life. He wouldn't ride in their Trump supporter rides, but he contemplated voting for him before he decided he just couldn't.
Last edited by OldColdDawg; 08/07/2104:49 PM.
Your feelings and opinions do not add up to facts.
damn man, COVID is about to ruin my wake and bake sessions again.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Erykah Badu and H.E.R post video and pictures of Obama letting loose at his 'scaled back' Martha's Vineyard 60th birthday bash attended by up to 400 people: Party is labeled 'hypocrisy at its finest' amid US Delta surge
God literally gave people the intelligence necessary to make life better, and yet they went "nah".
good luck explaining that one at the pearly gates.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
God literally gave people the intelligence necessary to make life better, and yet they went "nah".
good luck explaining that one at the pearly gates.
Interesting article. Seems from the article, it was certain parishioners that refused to heed the warnings and rules that were the issue.
Seems the Pastor believed in the vaccine and pushed for CDC recommended guidelines at their church, only to be confronted by his own parishioners.
"One spat back false information to the pastor. Others did not trust government and health officials. Davis said he tried to bridge the gap - enacting safety measures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
God literally gave people the intelligence necessary to make life better, and yet they went "nah".
good luck explaining that one at the pearly gates.
Well it must be God’s will… you know, like the extinction of the white rhino. It’s obviously in His plan that some that follow Him are too stupid to follow the advice of those He blessed with more intelligence.
And that's where we're at. People will not listen to the experts on viruses and health guidelines. They will not listen to some members of their own party. They will not listen to the very people they claim to follow for spiritual guidance and advice. And there's really not a lot we can do about it.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Someone in my neighborhood told me he didn't want the vaccine because he didn't trust the Government (who I work for, btw) and said he was waiting on FDA approval.
I just repeated to him "So you're waiting on the FDA approval because you don't trust the Government."
Him: "Yeah."
Me: "..."
Him: "..."
Me: "All right, see you later!"
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
It's a brain-washed, closed-mindedness I have never personally encountered before now. Only read about in history books.
I just can't fathom the rationale behind putting your eggs in the basket of risking COVID infection vs a vaccine that has now been given to tens of millions over the course of six months, and shown almost no risk of serious side effects.
I see people talk about Bells Palsy and "turning our bodies into machines of death" based on absolutely nothing.
I also see the justification "It's a personal decision." Cool, I'm going to run the next stop sign I see because it's a personal decision. It's my choice, and I don't care how it could endanger others.
I'm going to paint myself purple and run naked through the streets because it's a personal decision.
I'm going to cover myself in dog crap and sit in the middle of a crowded restaurant because it's a personal decision.
I'm obviously joking about the last few points, but in all honesty, at what point do we start putting actual laws in place to enforce public safety and well-being like the other examples?
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
that sounds exactly like the people who hated obamacare but liked the ACA.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Federal judge OK's Norwegian Cruise Line requiring proof that passengers have been vaccinated, temporarily blocking Florida law banning such requirements
Miami — A federal judge on Sunday night granted Norwegian Cruise Line's request to temporarily block a Florida law banning cruise companies from asking passengers for proof of coronavirus vaccination before they board a ship.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams granted the preliminary injunction in a lawsuit challenging the state's "vaccine passport" ban, which was signed into law in May by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
In a nearly 60-page ruling, the judge said Florida failed to "provide a valid evidentiary, factual, or legal predicate" for banning vaccination proof. Williams also said the cruise line company "has demonstrated that public health will be jeopardized if it is required to suspend its vaccination requirement."
Norwegian also contends that the law is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment's free speech guarantee.
Williams said Norwegian stands enough of a chance of winning its legal battle that she granted a preliminary injunction, CBS Tampa affiliate WTSP-TV reports.
Williams said Norwegian was likely to prevail on First Amendment grounds and also under the Dormant Commerce Clause, which limits the ability of states like Florida to enact laws that substantially burden interstate commerce, according to WTSP.
She determined the cruise line could suffer irreparable damage without an injunction and that the public health interest largely weighs in favor of Norwegian's arguments, WTSP added.
The lawsuit names state Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, who leads the Florida Department of Health. The state's attorney, Pete Patterson, previously said the law's aim is to prevent discrimination against passengers who don't get vaccinated.
A Norwegian cruise is set to depart from Miami on Aug. 15 - the company's first voyage from Florida since the pandemic halted its operations.
"We welcome today's ruling that allows us to sail with 100% fully vaccinated guests and crew which we believe is the safest and most prudent way to resume cruise operations amid this global pandemic," Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a statement Sunday.
Defense secretary to mandate COVID vaccine for US military by Sept. 15
It could be even sooner depending on when a vaccine gets FDA approval
The Pentagon is requiring members of the U.S. military to get vaccinated against coronavirus.
All military troops will have until September 15 to get vaccinated, according to a memo sent by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to all Department of Defense employees. It could be even sooner depending on developments regarding vaccine approval or the spread of COVID-19.
"I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon [FDA approval] whichever comes first," Austin said in the memo, which went out to troops on Monday.
"I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so," Austin added. "To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force."
The Pfizer vaccine is expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration in early September. Should that not happen, Austin could seek a presidential waiver to require troops to get the vaccine.
Austin encouraged all employees to get vaccinated right away, regardless of the requirement.
"To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force. I strongly encourage all DoD military and civilian personnel - as well as contractor personnel - to get vaccinated now and for military Service members to not wait for the mandate," he said.
President Biden endorsed the idea of a vaccine mandate in a statement issued Monday afternoon.
"I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September," Biden said. "Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible.:
According to The Associated Press, troops already have to receive as many as 17 vaccines, depending on where they are in the world.
So far, more than 74% of the Navy have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Other branches of the military lag behind, with 65% of active duty Air Force members and 60% of Air Force reserves having had at least one shot. In the Army, that number is closer to 50%, the AP reported.
Unvaccinated troops currently have to follow protocols that include wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and abiding by travel restrictions.
God literally gave people the intelligence necessary to make life better, and yet they went "nah".
good luck explaining that one at the pearly gates.
The Lord also gave everyone the intelligence to accept the free gift of salvation. But, many resist. I know where I will spend eternity. Do you? This world we are just passing thru. It has been appointed that all men will die. It is our choice where we spend eternity. That is the more important question. This life is fleeting and only for a moment. The next life is for all eternity.
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
based on your posting history, you need to be far more concerned about where you spend eternity than i do.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
based on your posting history, you need to be far more concerned about where you spend eternity than i do.
I am fine. I have accepted the free gift of salvation. No one is perfect and I never claim to be perfect.
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
based on your posting history, you need to be far more concerned about where you spend eternity than i do.
I am fine. I have accepted the free gift of salvation. No one is perfect and I never claim to be perfect.
the problem is that you use the excuse of "im not perfect" to not even try.
i see a lot of that in this country.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
based on your posting history, you need to be far more concerned about where you spend eternity than i do.
I am fine. I have accepted the free gift of salvation. No one is perfect and I never claim to be perfect.
the problem is that you use the excuse of "im not perfect" to not even try.
i see a lot of that in this country.
That is not true. I try. I try everyday to be like him. I read his word daily. I pray daily, I make sure to go to Church. I do fall short from time to time. So I am not perfect. I feel he would not partake in political bickering that I do from time to time. I agree. He loves Republicans and he loves Democrats. The free gift is for everyone not just one political party. I just agree with the political party that aligns best with his word in my opinion. Does not make me right and does not make me wrong. I have to stand in account for my beliefs and how I vote someday.
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
I just agree with the political party that aligns best with his word in my opinion.
I think the republicans are all talk about being Christ like but little action. So convince me that the Republicans align more with what Christ would do than Democrats.
Abortion, I think Christ would be against abortion. This one goes to republicans.
The border. Would Jesus embrace those in need and welcome them into our country or build a wall to keep them out? I'm pretty sure this one goes to the dems.
Covid relief bill. Again goes to the dems.
Healthcare for everyone. Dems
That is just off the top of my head. That is 3-1 for the dems
Don't blame the clown for acting like a clown. Ask yourself why you keep going to the circus.
So what would Jesus say about the poor living standards that the republicans leadership you voted for has gotten us to?
Would Jesus be ok with the culture of chasing profits in this country?
If you were to die today, and Jesus or god asked you if you actually practiced Christianity, or only the perception of it, what would you say?
Some of y’all won’t answer that question because you know the truth. A lot of you Bible thumpers in this country have a first row seat in hell.
Did you actually practice Christianity?
Or did you use the religion as a means to justify your bigotry….
Two different things.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/PortlandDawg/banner.jpg)
And then watch the "Yeah, well, uh, but...." Start flowing.