Coronavirus

[FlatSix911]

We should be having a meaningful debate about the wisdom of the open border policy while fighting the Delta variant.
Let's talk about the hypocrisy of our immigration policy during a Pandemic... you may not like it but the crisis is very real.

Opinion | If Biden Is Serious About Covid, He’ll Protect the Border

The government releases migrants, untested, to live in tight spaces alongside scores of strangers.

www.wsj.com

"For all the devastation that Covid-19 has heaped on us, the pandemic provided a breather for border patrol. Apprehensions at the Mexican border are a proxy measure of illegal entries, and in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2020, there were about half as many apprehensions as there were a year earlier. After Mr. Biden took office, the initial rise in border arrests was thought to be no big deal. “What we’re seeing right now is a predictable seasonal shift,” the Washington Post reported confidently in March. “When the numbers drop again in June and July, policymakers may be tempted to claim that their deterrence policies succeeded. But that will just be the usual seasonal drop.”

Except that no serious deterrence policies emerged, and the numbers didn’t drop or even level off. They’ve increased every month of the Biden administration, even during the hottest part of the summer, when they normally come down. Customs and Border Protection announced in July that June apprehensions were not only higher than the previous month but significantly above the next-highest June in more than two decades. For the current fiscal year through June, CBP recorded more than 1.1 million apprehensions. The last time it reached even a million was 2006.

Don’t worry, it gets worse. As left-wing Pecksniffs like to remind us, the pandemic ain’t over, the Delta variant is spreading, and too few people are vaccinated. I don’t doubt that White House officials believe this and want to convey their concerns to as many vaccination-averse Americans as possible, but you’d never know it from their unserious approach to border enforcement."

DHS dropped 40,000 COVID-19-positive migrants in US cities: Ex-border chief

The nation’s former border chief reported today that the Biden administration has placed some 40,000 illegal immigrants infected with the coronavirus into American cities.

news.yahoo.com

"The nation’s former border chief reported today that the Biden administration has placed some 40,000 illegal immigrants infected with the coronavirus into American cities. “At least — that’s conservative,” former acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan told Secrets this afternoon."

Humane, orderly? Border photos show human disaster amid overflowing toilets

The crush of 210,000 illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in July (the second-highest in history) has led to a human disaster at multiple crossing points, according to photos provided by the former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

"The crush of 210,000 illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in July (the second-highest in history) has led to a human disaster at multiple crossing points, according to photos provided by the former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “This is crazy what’s happening,” said Mark Morgan. Morgan provided Secrets with photos of several crossing points that showed thousands of migrants shoved under bridges in 100-degree heat awaiting processing, cages full of illegal immigrants, and disgusting bathroom facilities."

 

[JRP3]

We should be having a meaningful debate about the wisdom of the open border policy while fighting the Delta variant.

We first need to discuss if there really is an "open border policy" right now.

The Biden administration will extend a Trump-era border policy that allows for the swift expulsion of migrants encountered at the US-Mexico border indefinitely, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday, as tens of thousands of migrants continue to cross into the United States monthly.
The public health authority, known as Title 42, was invoked at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and has been criticized by immigrant advocates, attorneys, and health experts who argue it has no health basis and puts migrants in harm's way.
Since its implementation, more than 940,000 migrants have been swiftly expelled at the US southern border, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

Biden to extend Trump-era expulsion policy as 'record numbers' of migrants cross border | CNN Politics

The Biden administration will extend a Trump-era border policy that allows for the swift expulsion of migrants encountered at the US-Mexico border indefinitely, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday, as tens of thousands of migrants continue to cross into the United...

www.cnn.com

 

[FlatSix911]

We first need to discuss if there really is an "open border policy" right now.

Biden to extend Trump-era expulsion policy as 'record numbers' of migrants cross border | CNN Politics

The Biden administration will extend a Trump-era border policy that allows for the swift expulsion of migrants encountered at the US-Mexico border indefinitely, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday, as tens of thousands of migrants continue to cross into the United...

www.cnn.com

Agreed... let's have an intelligent conversation about the policy and if it helps us contain the spread of Covid-19.
If we put politics aside... is the current policy the most effective in reducing our exposure to the Delta variant?

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1426257815409086466

Away from the world of journal papers, vaccines still seem to be working pretty well…we’ll see how they hold up…

Covid Updates: Oregon to Send National Guard Troops to Hospitals

Los Angeles and Chicago will require teachers to get vaccinated, the latest in a wave of vaccine mandates imposed across the country as the Delta variant has spread.

www.nytimes.com

Meanwhile, the NY Times continues to studiously avoid the topic of natural immunity - this article is awful (Oregon is about 60% vaccinated it looks like). So maybe just 2/3 of the population total with immunity.
Also the NY Times fails to research and publish the data on what percent of the Oregon hospital population with COVID is vaccinated…I would guess less than 5%.

Kind of dereliction of duty I think.

From May:

The most important thing acting against Oregon, and likely more significant, is that they have had very limited COVID, so immunity in the population is extremely low relative to California. Using a 3x multiplier, it’s ~13% in Oregon and ~28% in California. A huge difference and likely a big factor in the dynamics.

let's have an intelligent conversation about the policy and if it helps us contain the spread of Covid-19.

I have no idea what the status of the border is, and what is driving migration, but I would guess that Mexico and other Central American countries are not doing great with Delta either, and perhaps that is impacting border crossing pressure if it has changed. While these introductions are certainly not helpful, I don’t think introductions are going to have a huge impact right now, in case you haven’t seen the case numbers and current location of the focus of infections lately. People are enjoying their summer travel right now…

 

[wdolson]

Good reason to spend more time in your X and S with BioDefense mode on.

Last summer Portland got an inversion layer while a large fire was burning in Clakamas County (SE of Portland, basically Portland suburbs). We ended up with a week of the worst air in the world. It was thick enough to drop temperatures over 20 F. We were supposed to be having highs in the 80s, but they were in the 60s instead.

I taped the doors with painter's tape to keep the smoke out. I had to go out to pick something up from my partner's office and I ran the BioDefense mode all the way. It did work.

Agreed... let's have an intelligent conversation about the policy and if it helps us contain the spread of Covid-19.
If we put politics aside... is the current policy the most effective in reducing our exposure to the Delta variant?

2 of the 3 links you posted were from the WSJ opinions section and the Washington Examiner, both places where the right likes to post talking points to attack the Democrats.

Here is some real world COVID data as it pertains to the border:

Most of the counties along the US-Mexico border are relatively lox for COVID outbreaks and have mostly been lower than other parts of the country since Delta appeared on the scene.

The southern tip of Texas is bad, but it's connected to the outbreak in the South and have been tracking closer to the growth of the South's outbreak than anything going on with the border.

The border is not open, that's bull pucky made up by the right to try and demonize the Biden administration. They did return to the more humanitarian norms of the Obama administration than what was practiced in the Trump administration. Against US and international law Trump was forcing migrants who wanted to apply for asylum to stay in Mexico indefinitely and it created massive refugee camps on that side of the border that were rife with crime.

Biden returned to the norm that people could approach the border and request asylum. With over a year's pent up demand, it caused chaos as too many people tried to claim asylum at once and more people who had been waiting to see what would happen with the 2020 election decided to make the journey too.

I say "more humane". Liberals are attacking Biden for not being humane enough. When Border Patrol has to deal with such a flood of refugees it becomes incredibly difficult to deal with everyone in a humane way and individual agents on the border who don't agree with Biden's policy might become bad actors too.

The right doesn't seem to realize that the nature of the border situation has changed over the last 40 years. Back in the day the bulk of people crossing the border illegally were doing so from Mexico for primarily economic reasons. There was little work in Mexico and there were a lot of jobs in the US white people wouldn't do.

Since NAFTA there is plenty of jobs available for Mexican labor and net migration of Mexican nationals has been southward out of the United States for many years. A vastly larger proportion of the immigrants today are migrating for personal safety and they are trying to claim asylum in the United States. Due to a quirk in the law if they manage to get across the border and then ask for asylum, their case must be heard. Because the immigration courts are backed up, this can sometimes take years. A very small percentage of those seeking asylum get it, but these are desperate people.

These migrants want to get caught so frequently they come across the border and seek out Border Patrol. There still are some economic migrants who are trying not to get caught, but the numbers are way down from the past.

The bulk of those seeking asylum are from Central America and a lot of them have been made asylum seekers because of the abject failure of the US War on Drugs which has fueled a very violent illegal drug culture in Central America. Other refugees are trying to get into the United States from other parts of the world. Some people have gotten out of Cuba to become political refugees on the US-Mexico border and there are also refugees from Africa who have managed to cross the Atlantic and make their way (mostly on foot) to the border.

It's a vastly complex problem with roots not only in geopolitics, but over population, and climate changes too. Developed countries that share a border with less developed countries or have a waterway that could be navigated by a small craft have refugee problems. Unfortunately I don't see it resolving itself any time soon.

BTW, looking at the daily deaths per county COVID map, it looks like Florida is cooking the books

0 deaths from COVID in the entire state with cases skyrocketing?

 

[jerry33]

The border problem is mostly made up by politicians wanting to play on people's fears to better control them.

 

[JRP3]

Texas Judge Says There Are No Kid ICU Beds: Have To ‘Wait For Another Child To Die'

"That means if your child's in a car wreck ... and needs an ICU bed ... we don't have one," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

news.yahoo.com

Texas currently has more than 11,200 COVID-19 patients in hospital, higher than during last summer’s spike in cases.

Statewide, there are only 323 ICU beds available — as the number of people requiring hospital treatment surges, fueled by the spread of the more contagious delta variant and the plateauing of the vaccination rate. The vast majority of people now being hospitalized with COVID-19 have not received the vaccine.

 

[jerry33]

Texas Judge Says There Are No Kid ICU Beds: Have To ‘Wait For Another Child To Die'

"That means if your child's in a car wreck ... and needs an ICU bed ... we don't have one," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

news.yahoo.com

I went to a Tesla event today and I was one of three or maybe four people who wore a mask (including the two Tesla people). Fortunately, it was outside and there was a breeze, but I didn't stay any longer than just to look at the Plaid. A number were my age or older and they still didn't wear a mask.

 

[scottf200]

Wondering if the Delta wave is really 8 to 9 weeks and what that means.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1426526161522368526

 

[Jeff N]

Texas Judge Says There Are No Kid ICU Beds: Have To ‘Wait For Another Child To Die'

"That means if your child's in a car wreck ... and needs an ICU bed ... we don't have one," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

news.yahoo.com

An interesting but perhaps (?) a little alarmist thread about childhood Covid happening now. Many of the basic facts seem about right….

https://twitter.com/x/status/1426318422808449029

Meanwhile around San Francisco:
Source: SF Chronicle

“About 95% of 12-to-17-year-olds in San Francisco have gotten at least one dose of vaccine, according to city data — a remarkably high rate compared to other Bay Area counties, the state and the nation. Other Bay Area counties that post vaccination rates by age group report having 47% to 86% of adolescents and teens with at least one dose. Statewide, 54% of people aged 12 to 17 have gotten at least one shot.”

Of course, essentially no kids under 12 are vaccinated for Covid virus.

Also, good article here covering California’s situation:

Child COVID-19 hospitalization rates hit record in U.S. — but not in California. Here's why

A boom in COVID-19 hospitalizations for children has been driven by states like Florida, Texas and Georgia, but the numbers in California have been less dire.

www.latimes.com

 

[scottf200]

...
Meanwhile around San Francisco:
Source: SF Chronic

“About 95% of 12-to-17-year-olds in San Francisco have gotten at least one dose of vaccine, according to city data — a remarkably high rate compared to other Bay Area counties, the state and the nation. Other Bay Area counties that post vaccination rates by age group report having 47% to 86% of adolescents and teens with at least one dose. Statewide, 54% of people aged 12 to 17 have gotten at least one shot.”

By contrast a rural MT county that I've been too.

 

[Doggydogworld]

Texas Judge Says There Are No Kid ICU Beds: Have To ‘Wait For Another Child To Die'

"That means if your child's in a car wreck ... and needs an ICU bed ... we don't have one," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

news.yahoo.com

“Your child will wait for another child to die,” .... or another child to recover and leave the ICU. Geez.

We should be having a meaningful debate about the wisdom of the open border policy ....

Customs and Border Protection announced in July that June apprehensions were not only higher than the previous month but significantly above the next-highest June in more than two decades.

You're contradicting yourself.

For the current fiscal year through June, CBP recorded more than 1.1 million apprehensions. The last time it reached even a million was 2006.

Remind me again who was president 7 of those 12 months (and claims to still be president)?

 

[Dave EV]

I went to a Tesla event today and I was one of three or maybe four people who wore a mask (including the two Tesla people). Fortunately, it was outside and there was a breeze, but I didn't stay any longer than just to look at the Plaid. A number were my age or older and they still didn't wear a mask.

At an outdoor event where it's not crowded and you're not spending a lot of time close to people out of your household, I don't think you have much to worry about, even with delta.

Now if you get into a packed environment where there's barely standing room (crowded fairs, concerts, etc), I would reconsider.

Happy to change my mind if the data says otherwise, but so far outdoors seems to be safe in general unless it's very crowded, especially if you're vaxxed. There's just not enough time for the virus to accumulate.

The saying "Dilution is the solution to pollution" applies here.

 

[JRP3]

I went to a Tesla event today and I was one of three or maybe four people who wore a mask (including the two Tesla people). Fortunately, it was outside and there was a breeze, but I didn't stay any longer than just to look at the Plaid. A number were my age or older and they still didn't wear a mask.

I don't mask outside, seems little evidence for outdoor transmission. I even went to "indoor" bars and restaurants which had open sides and front and good air flow.

 

[jerry33]

At an outdoor event where it's not crowded and you're not spending a lot of time close to people out of your household, I don't think you have much to worry about, even with delta.

Now if you get into a packed environment where there's barely standing room (crowded fairs, concerts, etc), I would reconsider.

Happy to change my mind if the data says otherwise, but so far outdoors seems to be safe in general unless it's very crowded, especially if you're vaxxed. There's just not enough time for the virus to accumulate.

The saying "Dilution is the solution to pollution" applies here.

It was more crowded than I felt comfortable with. Especially with the increase in Texas cases.

 

[wdolson]

The border problem is mostly made up by politicians wanting to play on people's fears to better control them.

There really is a problem with too many asylum seekers at the border. However, I do agree that there are politicians playing political games with the situation trying to score points. Compared to other problems we're dealing with, it's not at the top of the pile. And real world evidence suggests that COVID is not coming in across the border in large numbers. The core of the problem for COVID in the US are those who refuse to get vaccinated, which is a number of groups, but the most adamant are those who are convinced COVID is a hoax, by the same people who are hyping he "crisis" at the border.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

It was more crowded than I felt comfortable with. Especially with the increase in Texas cases.

While the risk of uncrowded outdoor events causing spread at a population level may be nearly non-existent, the personal risk probably does exist at a very low level, so it doesn't hurt to wear a good mask, and an N95 likely brings personal risk to near zero in such a situation. If there's no downside to you personally, you may as well. I guess that sounds slightly selfish, though it’s not meant to be. Also we don’t 100% know how well outdoor transmission works with Delta (I would guess not well at all still).

Anyway, lest anyone say we did not know what might happen this school year, there are of course preliminary hints of what is to come with Delta in children. Oh well. Hopefully masks help a bit.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1426319248591261700

 

[evdude69]

I'm vaccinated. Personally I'm done with this thing

 

[evdude69]

I don't mask outside, seems little evidence for outdoor transmission. I even went to "indoor" bars and restaurants which had open sides and front and good air flow.

No point in using a mask outdoors. They make sense in crowded places like a bus but no need outdoors

 

[TespaceX]

While the risk of uncrowded outdoor events causing spread at a population level may be nearly non-existent, the personal risk probably does exist at a very low level, so it doesn't hurt to wear a good mask, and an N95 likely brings personal risk to near zero in such a situation. If there's no downside to you personally, you may as well. I guess that sounds slightly selfish, though it’s not meant to be. Also we don’t 100% know how well outdoor transmission works with Delta (I would guess not well at all still).

Anyway, lest anyone say we did not know what might happen this school year, there are of course preliminary hints of what is to come with Delta in children. Oh well. Hopefully masks help a bit.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1426319248591261700

I wish the public school district that my home falls in would be more proactive with contact tracing and quarantines.
There were almost a dozen cases in the first week of back to campus, and not a single student or staff member was quarantined.
Why? The district deemed that all close contacts, even the kids that share a desk, are safe since they wore masks indoors. (No masks outside of the classroom).
They seem to have taken things more lightly than in 2020.