Will Governor Gavin Newsom Drag California Off The Same Corona Cliff That Bill Lee Is Dragging Tennessee Off?

Clueless Tennessee Trumpist, Governor Bill Lee, was eager for his state to lead the way... to mass graves. So just as his lax policies on social distancing started a steepening of the curve, he decided to... open up for business! Tennessee had 11,891 confirmed cases on Friday, up 1,156 new cases since Thursday. On Thursday there were 1,614 cases per million. One day later that had changed to 1,788. That is exactly what a steepening of the curve means. And it means that even if Tennessee's Republican Party wasn't forcing new infections by opening up too fast, it would mean an increasing number of deaths in June and July. Tennessee-- along with Florida, Georgia, Iowa, the Dakotas, Indiana, Mississippi and Nebraska will be the center of the contagion this summer.

Politico reported that, worse yet, "States like Georgia, Texas and Colorado have begun lifting stay-at-home orders without a robust army of public health workers to quickly identify people who’ve come into contact with coronavirus patients, worrying health experts that they could be at heightened risk for a new wave of infections." These moron governors are "erasing weeks of progress made in slowing the virus" because they're opening despite their states not having an extensive system for identifying patients and tracing their contacts. "The number of contact tracers states need depends on factors like infection rates, testing availability and population density. But those moving to relax restrictions have far fewer contact tracers per capita than many of those remaining locked down for at least a few more weeks... The governors in states with sparser contact tracing programs said dire unemployment numbers have left them little choice, but to begin gradually sending people back to work while case counts still grow, even if it means reopening before they can fully bolster public health measures. They say weeks of unprecedented shutdowns have ensured their health care systems won’t be overrun if coronavirus cases creep upward, and they can move swiftly to reimpose lockdown orders should new hot spots emerge."

That would be more true of states that had real-- or at least quasi-real-- lockdowns like New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey. The states we have to worry about are the ones like Tennessee. Fox News reported that the verifiably insane U.S. senator, Marsha Blackburn "says she thinks her state is 'doing very well with the reopening,' despite those who say businesses should remain closed. 'We have heard from so many people that say, We were ready for this. We wanted to go back to work. Our businesses are being incredibly careful,' Blackburn told Fox News. 'I have been very impressed with how the business owners are talking about having PPE [personal protective equipment] that is necessary for their employees.' Even with less than satisfactory COVID-19 numbers, the senator still believes that people will continue to do all that they can to ensure their own safety." She's a sociopath and an ignoramus. And many people will not do the right thing-- and will then spread it through the community.

Some medical experts are predicting a “second wave” of the coronavirus and say states that reopen too soon could possibly be the force behind that wave. When asked whether or not Tennessee would shut down again if new waves broke out, Blackburn said she believes her state will not have to.

“I think that my state is going to be one of those that does not have to revisit this. We have done a very good job of working through the quarantines. People have followed the CDC recommendations, they are taking so many precautions to reopen places of business,” Blackburn told Fox News.

To those who criticize Tennessee’s reopening, Blackburn had this to say:

“You've got a choice. You can bet on hope or you can get bet on fear. And I think this is one where the American people are willing to bet on hope and they are going to find a way to make this work. We overcome obstacles. We are innovators, and we are going to find a way to live and work and prosper and to deal with a coronavirus.”

To be honest, though, I'm more worried about California than I am about Tennessee. The governor, Gavin Newsom, is a full-on neoliberal corporate whore. He takes a lot of credit that he doesn't deserve for shutting down the state. Like Cuomo, Newsom resisted calls to shut down and, in fact, the 6 Bay Area counties told him to go fuck off and shut down before he acted. When he saw how much better they were doing that the rest of the state, he followed. Same with L.A.'s mayor, Eric Garcetti.

Friday, the neo-lib governor said state officials are "very, very close to making some announcements" that will be very meaningful to people in the retail and hospitality industries, including restaurants, although modifications will be in place. He said "it will be days, not weeks" before California joins Tennessee on the highway to hell. Newsom is buckling to pressure from corporate powers who want to economy up and running. He's all hot air and no guts/no brains.

California has come through this fairly well, although lately the worst indicator has been ticking up every day-- the number cases per million. A week or so ago it was less than a thousand; today it it rapidly approaching 1,400. This is no time to open up. All Californians' good work will be wasted. Newsom is playing dangerous game.