"Free the Economy" by Ben Garrison. (Photo: grrrgraphics.com)
California’s Coronavirus By the Numbers
We’re really not ‘all in this together’
By Katy Grimes, April 7, 2020 3:47 pm
Only a few blocks away food service employees, bartenders, waiters, bakery workers, ice cream parlor employees, barbers and hair stylists, day spa workers and estheticians, boutique and retail clerks, seamstresses, Uber and Lyft drivers, manufacturing employees, and gym employees, aren’t getting paychecks, and aren’t getting Whole Foods deliveries.
Americans are recommended to shelter at home during the coronavirus crisis by President Donald Trump and his team of medical experts, and in California, ordered to do so by Gov. Gavin Newsom. They say, “We are all in this together.”
“I know this is a big sacrifice for so many,” public service announcements claim.
But we really aren’t all in this together. It is people who are still receiving a full paycheck telling those who have been furloughed, laid-off or terminated that “we’re all in this together.” They assure the unemployed they understand how tough this is, or that they understand the sacrifice, but “shelter at home.”
Throughout social media it’s pretty easy to tell who is receiving a paycheck, whose business is shut down, or who is furloughed, just by the comments posted. Some are preachy, and others are angry, frustrated, and feeling helpless.
My quasi-urban neighborhood, bordering downtown Sacramento, is home to many State Capitol staffers, city and state employees, teachers and professors, lawyers, lobbyists and political consultants, and government pensioners. Even if they are working from home, they are receiving paychecks or pension checks. For most of these folks, this is more of a paid staycation, even if it is home confinement. They are free to take walks, go jogging in the park, and ride bicycles with their kids. Many receive home grocery deliveries from Whole Foods, and Amazon deliveries are more frequent than ever.
Only a few blocks away food service employees, bartenders, waiters, bakery workers, ice cream parlor employees, barbers and hair stylists, day spa workers and estheticians, boutique and retail clerks, seamstresses, Uber and Lyft drivers, manufacturing employees, and gym employees aren’t getting paychecks, and aren’t getting Whole Foods deliveries.
Small business owners are trying to keep employees, but layoffs are inevitable with no business. Restaurants big and small are closed. Some have been able to transition to a take-out business, but many cannot. And even those I’ve spoken with doing take-out say business is slow.
Once thriving and packed gyms are silent.
Gun stores were closed until the Trump Department of Homeland Security ordered them opened again as they are considered “essential” businesses.
Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced they were looking to close sportfishing season in rural California, where fishermen and women go to be alone.
Gov. Newsom’s State Public Health Officer determined what “essential” and “non-essential” industries and jobs are. The obvious essential industries and jobs were named: health care industry, emergency services, energy industry, financial services industry, communications, food and agriculture, and the defense industrial base.
Many of the jobs and industries considered “essential” are public sector jobs. And the majority of the jobs considered “non-essential” are private sector jobs. Yet no one in authority of government suggested furloughing city, county and state workers considered “non-essential.”
Updated numbers of Coronavirus illness and deaths
Gov. Gavin Newsom reported Tuesday that California has 15,865 confirmed positive cases of coronavirus, with 2,611 of those cases in hospitals. Of those hospitalized, 1,108 of those are in the Intensive Care Units.
The California Department of Public Health reports 14,336 positive cases of coronavirus and 343 deaths in California. A Sacramento news organization reported 388 deaths Tuesday.
There are also more than 2 million unemployment claims, and unemployed persons now in California. That’s about 2.1 million who were employed last month.
The California Department of Public Health reports that as of March 14, there have been 658 statewide seasonal flu deaths since Sept. 29, 2019.
May 25, 2019, last year the California Department of Public Health reported 569 statewide seasonal flu deaths since Sept. 30, 2018.
According to the Center for Disease Control, the 2018-2019 flu season, lasting 21 weeks, was the longest in a decade; nationwide, 61,200 died, 647,000 people were hospitalized. The CDC says that is on par with a typical flu season.
In 2018, nearly 80,000 Americans died of nasty flu, the kind that more people end up in the hospital with. It caused more deaths, particularly among young children and the elderly.
Some County numbers
Sacramento County, with 1.5 million residents, reported As of April 6, there are 462 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 18 who have died of complications of COVID-19. The County notes, “Individuals who died from complications of COVID-19 were either age 65+ or had underlying health conditions.”
The ages of all Sacramento County confirmed cases:
- • 0-17: 4
- 18-49: 182
- 50-64: 115
- 65+: 161
Los Angeles County, with a population of more than 10 million residents, reported 6,910 cases across all areas of LA County, including 169 deaths. “As of today, 1,510 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (22% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. Testing capacity continues to increase in LA county, with over 35,000 individuals tested and 14% of people testing positive.”
San Bernardino County, with a population of more than 2,041,689 million residents (as of 2014), has a total of 530 confirmed cases, and 16 deaths.
San Francisco County, with a population of 805,825 residents, has a total of 622 positive cases and 9 deaths due to coronavirus.
Orange County, with a population of more than 3 million, has a total of 931 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 15 deaths. There are 129 hospitalized with 75 in the ICU. (Not all counties report hospitalizations and ICU stats)
As clever cartoonist Ben Garrison said Tuesday, “We have good reason to be angry. Our liberties are being stripped away in the name of ’safety,’ but there have always been diseases and death. It’s part of life. We have to get back to work. Free the economy and save our jobs.” (Garrison’s emphasis)
There are also more than 2 million unemployment claims, and unemployed persons now in California. That’s about 2.1 million who were employed last month.
California Globe received permission to use Ben Garrison’s cartoon.
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Katy Grimes has shown us, time and time again, that her job is definitely essential. 🙂
Great article Katy.
I was just thinking this same thing on Monday, about how unequal the shutdown is, while listening to Tom Sullivan on the radio tell everyone that we’ve got to continue our social distancing and remain at home. Very easy for him while he continues to collect his million dollar plus salary and continues to work. Haven’t heard of any government workers taking a pay cut while others are pushed into economic ruin by unconstitutional orders to shut down. Would love to read someone’s explanation of the legality of these “public health officers” “ordering” everyone to stay home. And bureaucrats in some counties telling out of towners to stay away (i.e. El Dorado County and Mammoth).
Proving that Kaly is a question mark as to why the deaths aren’t mounting in a state with 40 million people vs NY & NJ were they are dropping like fly’s. Wash State and few others are being hit hard while other aren’t. These questions can only be answered in time. The virus is popping up again in China and the fear is that there will be a 2nd wave like in 1918 that is even deadlier. At some point we have to go out and work to feed out families. The answer isn’t clear yet.
Proving that John Steele is a question mark! Why not take those most likely to catch this “cold” and protect them, those who have already have “COVID-19” and isolate them from the rest of society, and let the rest work? We should isolate the sick not the well and healthy. We have never quarantined the entire population to “solve” a health problem before. Maybe now we might realize why this should not be attempted. Katy Grimes is spot on!
The whining “someone else has it better than me” needs to stop. If you look at someone who has it better than you, you can put the time/effort/money in to getting in that same position. Of course, when you do get to that position, someone else will still have it better than you – and you can whine about that.
I don’t know, but the last time I checked, I earned my career through endless nights studying and paying my way through college. Moreover my parents taught me to save for a rainy day and to not depend on others especially credit cards. Therefore, I’m no different than a 30, 45 year old bartender, except that I was not born here in America. I was born in a third world country where we were dirt poor. Thus, because of this, now I can say that, that rainy day has come and because I saved my money when I needed to and didn’t spend it on a lavish vacations, drinks or an expensive purse, I can now stay home and care for my family. Thus, my recommendation for all those bartenders, Uber drivers, etc., that you speak of, need to reflect quickly and revisit their commitment to the uncertain future, that although sh$t may hit the fan once again, because they learned from this and quickly researched a new career or reconnected with their high school counselor to first apologize for ignoring him or her plee to go to college and, or pursue a career, this will never happen to them again. I sacrificed so much to now be able to reep of all those difficult nights where my barthender friends laughed at me because I refused to go out so that I could study. I’m sorry for those that are struggling, I get it. I really do, but please stop making it a terrible thing to be home and still getting paid. Those of us that are able to do this have worked and sacrificed really hard, especially pay many, many taxes for stay at home mothers that don’t work and get federal and state aid. Finally, I can actually do this.
Reevaluate your article to make sure you’re not shooting yourself in the foot.
Well said Luzu!!
Self-reliance has been lost as a skill in this country and needs to make a huge comeback!!
Kings, Dukes and Barons had delivery serfs shopping in grungy back alley markets. They slopped the pigs, picked the fruit and scrubbed the floors out of necessity, for it was unthinkable for any other stays or economic existence….
In turn, when Visigoths and Huns chanted and waived grisly arms outside the palace walls “Your Highness” stood on the ramparts yelling some sort of nationalism prattle rallying the terrified serfs to “save whatever we are…… …..IN THIS TOGETHER” now to the walls, bastions and boiling oil cauldrons”.
Don’t be naive….if your a California service worker, you’re a step just above mere necessity ….chattel and no more……
Great article Katy.
Your voice of reason and facts is definitely essential, especially given all the horrible reporting by other “news” sites.
Newome is planning on using this crisis for his progressive dream. No one else will expose that…and I know you will.
Denise.
Trending…
#KatyRocks
First, great job Katy. We need more reporters who investigate like you. Maybe I’m just plain clueless but two things have bothered me from day one of this Covid Crap:
1. Why hasn’t anyone brought up the Normal Monthly Death rate? For example, New York State NORMALLY has about 38,000 Total deaths for the 1st quarter (CDC stats for 2018 and 2019). Are NY’s death stats for 1st Qtr 2020 8,000+ higher due to Covid?
2. A lot of hype and angst has gone into telling the public how people many test positive- as if that alone is a death sentence. Since previous years did not initiate such a testing frenzy, why is THIS HUGE raw data number relevant to Joe Public? It just frightens people. Since only 10% of the positive cases are anticipated to be “serious” why not use THAT number? Most people will have either a mild case or no symptoms at all.
This whole situation is smelling fishy. I’m disgusted at how effectively we have been manipulated into total chaos and no one is doing the math to check out the relevance of the overblown numbers media is using to control us.
I am avoiding as much as possible “the (so-called) experts” and the main media right now and holding tight to news/opinion websites such as The Globe to follow what’s happening now and why. Don’t quite have the whole, bigger picture yet but you’re right, what is going on IS fishy and the scaremongering and hype is clearly purposeful this time because a minute-by-minute case and death toll didn’t happen during regular flu season (more deaths) and doesn’t happen every time somebody dies, whether from natural causes or otherwise. So clearly something is going on and whatever is going on is NOT GOOD.