Thirty-second Entry

(Click photo for detail of reflection)

Saturday, April 18th, 2020

Light rain.
Out for a late morning run, I noticed that more of the non-boarded storefronts are being papered over from inside. I poked around online to see if I could find any reports of looting—nothing other than an $800,000 heist at Piaget; most of the value was a single necklace and two watches, each valued at more than $100,000. That was on February 24, a few miles away at the new Hudson Yards.

It is illegal to go jogging in South Africa, and there are many places “under lockdown” around the world where people are not allowed out. I am very grateful that is not the case here.

Governor Wolf of Pennsylvania said, “We are getting there” when talking about testing. He explained that people who are sick can get tested—or will be able to at some time. Regarding the idea that someone who simply wants to get tested could go and get tested, he said, “We are nowhere near that.” He also mentioned companies which have reopened, and some of their employees do not want to come to work.

Across the county, young children are seeing doctors for checkups 20 – 30% less than the old normal. This means that they are not getting vaccines for common diseases. In addition to measles, which has been on the rise, whooping cough and meningitis are concerning health authorities. They did not mention polio, which 91-year-old Noam Chomsky recalls from his youth. He also remembers the fear that surrounded the disease. Chomsky points out that the famous Salk vaccine was developed by the US government. There was no patent issued on the vaccine. Imagine that.
Incredible
Incredible