Milwaukee County: Corona Virus Not Abating
From the Milwaukee County COVID-19 Dashboard, the seven day running average of new cases in Milwaukee County.
Not good.
The total number of cases in Milwaukee County, as of this writing, is listed as 4,480. Given that the population of Milwaukee County is 945,726, we are far short of having any useful amount of herd immunity.
Of course, that calculus is complicated by the fact that there may be many undiagnosed cases of the virus in the county, and some people may have a sufficiently robust immune system to have fought off the virus without symptoms. Large scale testing has just begun, and will clarify the situation a bit.
In the first place, local officials can issue their own orders, which take into account local conditions. For example, two Wisconsin counties have zero cases (Langlade and Taylor), and an additional eighteen have five or fewer. Having the same rules for the entire state made no sense.
But in the second place, just because people can do risky things doesn’t mean they necessarily will. I and my wife will remain pretty isolated until the numbers have taken a sharp dive. (Although our wife can’t resist regular visits to garden centers.)
But in fact, they have served a very useful function in a democracy, by giving voice to legitimate concerns about the economic and social damage of the lock downs.
It’s not that they have gotten their way. It’s that they have forced a more nuanced set of policies, allowing the opening of economic activity were it could be engaged in safely (stores with social distancing rules in place), but not mass gatherings that expose thousands or tens of thousands of people (Major League Baseball).
Ultimately, American democracy has performed pretty well — but with the normal amount of messiness, partisan bickering, finger pointing and overheated rhetoric. Normal politics under abnormal conditions.
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The total number of cases in Milwaukee County, as of this writing, is listed as 4,480. Given that the population of Milwaukee County is 945,726, we are far short of having any useful amount of herd immunity.
Of course, that calculus is complicated by the fact that there may be many undiagnosed cases of the virus in the county, and some people may have a sufficiently robust immune system to have fought off the virus without symptoms. Large scale testing has just begun, and will clarify the situation a bit.
Governor’s Order Overruled
The State Supreme Court has overruled the “stay at home” order of one of Tony Evers’ bureaucrats. But in spite of hand wringing from the left (one of Evers’ lawyers fumed: “The court will have blood on their hands and the people of Wisconsin will not forget”) the decision, like Evers’ order, is increasingly moot.In the first place, local officials can issue their own orders, which take into account local conditions. For example, two Wisconsin counties have zero cases (Langlade and Taylor), and an additional eighteen have five or fewer. Having the same rules for the entire state made no sense.
But in the second place, just because people can do risky things doesn’t mean they necessarily will. I and my wife will remain pretty isolated until the numbers have taken a sharp dive. (Although our wife can’t resist regular visits to garden centers.)
The Resistance
Those who have resisted the lock down, demonstrating in places like Madison and Lansing, Michigan have been vilified by the mainstream media.But in fact, they have served a very useful function in a democracy, by giving voice to legitimate concerns about the economic and social damage of the lock downs.
It’s not that they have gotten their way. It’s that they have forced a more nuanced set of policies, allowing the opening of economic activity were it could be engaged in safely (stores with social distancing rules in place), but not mass gatherings that expose thousands or tens of thousands of people (Major League Baseball).
Ultimately, American democracy has performed pretty well — but with the normal amount of messiness, partisan bickering, finger pointing and overheated rhetoric. Normal politics under abnormal conditions.
Labels: Corona Virus, COVID-19, Lock down, Milwaukee County, Pandemic, Tony Evers
posted by John McAdams at 8:53 PM
2 Comments:
How that works: more tests, more positives. Since Milwaukee has begun mass testing, we can expect a bunch more positives, no?
Quibble: actually, Counties and Cities do NOT have the authority to impose their own Imprisonment Orders. See Kenosha county's retraction of 5/14 PM.
Had they the courage Milwaukee County officials should drill down on the stats. If they did they would have to notice that 2/3 of the deaths come from 1/3 of the population, non-white. Wouldn't stringent precautions make the most sense in the most highly infected precincts, or is it racist to suggest something so logical?
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