Tuesday, November 17, 2020

CoViD-19: State & County Announce Emergency Pandemic Protocols | 41 California Counties Are Purple | Dr. Wooten Visibly Pissed At Noncompliance | Supervisor Roberts to Desmond: Do Your Job

Billie Eilish played SOMA on 11.17.2018


Out of college until a decade ago, I worked in advertising. For a long time, I was an assistant to media buyer before becoming a buyer when I took a job at Poe Advertising. The agency was owned by Rick Haux, who was also the owner and president of Mor Furniture. We were the ones who placed all those incessant ads you see all the time in addition to a few other clients. We desperately need a new couch, so over the weekend I was Googling Rick, joking that I should reach out and ask for a discount. Joking because I was fired and didn't leave on very good terms, so I hadn't kept in touch with him, and also because he sold Mor last year. I had heard that he had expressed that he was proud of me and would watch me on SoundDiego, but I never really reached out. Today, I got a text from my friend and former Poe coworker, Melanie, that he passed away. I don't know the circumstances or when he died. I don't really remember how old he was but I think he was younger than my parents. He was funny and kind and a sharp businessman and leaves quite a legacy. It was because of him that I got to go to Vancouver for a week with my transportation and hotel covered for me and a guest and when we'd travel on market trips- Portland, Seattle, Phoenix--he would spoil us and clients with uber-fancy dinners, having no problem dropping $1500 on a dinner for 6. He would always make me laugh because if we'd have a good-looking server, he would shoot his arm out to check the time, making sure they'd see his gold Rolex. He was definitely a character and will be missed by many. 

Today was a pretty big news day with a media briefing from Governor Newsom and an emergency briefing from the County of San Diego. Tuesday will be a big news day, too, with a meeting with the County Board of Supervisor and City Council meetings. The county one will be especially interesting with the super awkward tension of of Gaspar and Desmond vs the rest of the supes. Darren and I hung out in the speakeasy on Sunday night, so Monday was mostly chill just watching the briefings, though we did do a Costco run after dropping Nova off at her final derby for the month. They were out of toilet paper and paper towels, so I guess that's where we are again. Good luck and stock up.  


  • California Governor Newsom COVID-19 Emergency Press Briefing:
    • Daily cases have doubled in the last 10 days
    • The fastest increase in the pandemic
    • The governor still calls a "graph" a "graft"
    • 51.3% increase 11/1-11/7
    • California is "pulling an emergency brake" due to this emergency
      • Counties will move back after 1 week, not 2
      • Some counties will move back multiple tiers
      • Counties moving back must make industry changes urgently (no 3-day grace period) with phased-in enforcement
      • California will assess tiers again mid-week
      • Considering a state curfew. Studying France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Portugal who have curfews and studies on their efficacy.
    • Last week 13 counties in purple /22 in red/17 orange/6 yellow. This week 41 in purple/11 in red/4 orange/2 yellow.
    • California has prepared for this moment:
      • 11 surge facilities throughout the state. Ability to stand up more in 24-96 hours. 1,872 total bed capacity. 
      • State has PPE inventory
    • Healthcare is under stress 
      • Approx. 12% of cases end up in hospitals
      • Blueprint goal is to keep transmission low, prevents flooding the systems
    • MASKING:
      • Wear a mask whenever in public
      • Wear a mask when gathering with non-household people including friends and family who live elsewhere
    • MIXING/GATHERINGS:
      • Keep gatherings short
      • Purple/Red: do no gather indoors with other households
      • Orange/Yellow: keep windows and doors open, wear a mask, distance
      • High-risk individuals should avoid mixing/gathering altogether
    • MOVEMENT: 
      • State has a travel advisory to discourage non-essential out of state travel
      • 14-day self quarantine state to state
      • Stay local
    • California's COVID-19 Approach
      • Prevention
        • First state to stay at home
        • Mask Mandate
        • 600m+ masks distributed
        • Blueprint for Safer Economy
      • Testing
        • Increased testing 
        • 21m+ tests
        • 24-48 hour test results
        • 164k avg daily tests
      • Isolation 
        • Job-protected paid sick leave
        • Housing for at-risk homeless and exposed agricultural & farm workers
        • Up to 95% contact tracing
      • Vaccine
        • Planning for safe, equitable and transparent distribution
        • Preparing for unknowns
        • Expert committees on safety and distribution
    • COVID-19 Stats
      • 9,890 New Cases/1029,235 Total Cases (1% increase)/8,198 7-day Average
      • 10 New Deaths/18,263 Total Deaths (.1% increase)
      • 4.6% 14-day test positivity rate/5% 7-day test positivity rate
      • 9.8% 7-day test positivity rate across the US
      • 48% Increase in Hospitalizations (14-day) [5% of hospital capacity of total beds are total patients]
      • 38.8% Increase in ICU Admits (14-day) [13% of ICUs are COVID-19]
      • 16.5 new cases per 100k as of 11/10
      • 5.2% positivity as of 11/10
    • Governor addressed his dinner party in Napa. County was orange tier and dinner was outside, but the group was larger than anticipated and instead of sitting down, "I should have stood up" and left. It was a mistake. The party was outside the spirit of the guidance and he is owning his mistake. "I shouldn't have been there...Gotta practice what I preach...I expect more from myself... Covid fatigue is exhausting...I'm empathetic beyond words."   
    • Media Questions:
      • State guidelines have mitigated the spread, rules will be enforced for individuals and businesses. Businesses need to comply with guidance and rules. Increase in spread is not just households, but businesses, restaurants, health care settings, too. Data supports state's guidance that basically any indoor space where you'll be for longer periods of time are where the virus spreads. 
      • State revenue $11.4billion more than expected. Small businesses will be top priority in January budget. Will work on a robust new stimulus. 
      • We know that people are moving indoors as temperatures cool into fall and winter which is main driver of increases.
      • Reporters are really annoying, browbeating Governor for his dinner party.
      • Californian advisors are working with Biden administration for vaccine safety, efficacy, COVID-19 relief, and distribution.
      • Community Advisory Committee has been created to advise on protocol and procedures for distribution.
      • High school sports guidance has been established but with current cases and widespread community spread, it won't be issued at this time. 
  • San Diego County Emergency Media Briefing:
    • Supervisor Roberts sent a letter to all mayors in the county to step up enforcement. Compliance Team is investigating complaints and will use law enforcement when needed. 
    • Fletch emphasizes that case counts and hospitalizations are increasing everywhere. Pace of the rise is concerning. 
    • Daily Hospitalizations increased by 27% from Oct 25 to Nov 7 
    • Actions are necessary to control more damage to economy
    • County is issuing cease-and-desist orders. Issued 10 today. 
    • People should report non-compliance: (858) 694-2900 or emailing at SafeReopeningComplianceTeam@sdcounty.ca.gov
    • County Thanksgiving/Winter Holiday Guidance
    • Dr. Wooten is pissed. "Quite obvious" that people didn't comply when county sounded the alarm on October 16. County was averaging 300 cases, now nearly 3 times that. 
    • County earns the tier placement. When we relax personal standards and drop our guard, cases go up. Crowded places and dinner/house parties have definitely been a driver of the spread. 
    • County supports action taken by the state, will not be filing adjudication to state.
    • Media Questions:
      • If businesses/churches say in advance they're going to defy health orders, why aren't they stopping the events from happening in East County and beyond? County is moving faster to get out for enforcement, county will move quickly and swiftly. Inconsistent enforcement is negatively affecting community but County is limited in what they're allowed to do. 
      • County is now publishing non-compliant businesses who've received cease-and-desist orders. 
      • County has not heard responses from any mayors.  
      • County can issue cease-and-desist and if that is disobeyed, they can go in with a closure order. For residences, law enforcement can issue citations. 
      • Stay-at-home order was technically never lifted in the State. County does not intend to be more restrictive than the state. 
      • Supervisor Roberts has no patience for Supervisor Desmond and El Cajon Mayors downplaying virus and urging noncompliance. Supervisors have a responsibility for health and safety of citizens. "We hope that elected officials would abide by the things they were sworn in to uphold." The pandemic is a bigger issue. 
    • State Data:
      • 1,055 New Cases/64,770 Total Cases
      • 0 Deaths/926 Total Deaths
      • 12.1 cases/100k population (Assessed on 11/10. Unadjusted Case Rate Using Linear Adjustment)
      • 4.3% Test Positivity (Assessed on 11/10)
      • 6.5% Health Equity Positivity (Based on week ending 10/31, Assessed on 10/27)
    • County Data:
      • COVID-19 Fatigue Causing Cases to Skyrocket - County News Center
      • Monthly Communicable Disease Report
      • 833 New Cases/65,601 Total Cases 
      • 0 New Daily Deaths/926 Total Deaths
      • 6% Daily Test Positivity/4.3% (7-day avg after 7-day lag)/4.3% Test Positivity (14-day average)
      • 10.7 cases/100k population (Assessed on 11/10. Adjusted case rate per 100,000 excluding prisons) 
      • Case Investigation is 94%
      • 7 New/49 Community Outbreaks (7-day)
        • restaurant/bar 10
        • business 13
        • restaurant 3
        • grocery 2
        • food processing 3
        • tk-12 school 2
        • gym 1
        • daycare 1
        • healthcare 2
        • government 1
        • retail 9
        • warehouse/distribution 1
        • Emergency Services 1
  • Universities:
  • COVID-19:
  • Politics/Other News:

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