August 5
Overshadowing pandemic news today is the August 4 Beirut explosion of ammonium nitrate which was stored in a warehouse at the port. Massive destruction of the port area and numerous city buildings. 135 deaths and over 4000 injured. Heartwrenching.
Daryl and I have added tutoring sessions to our daily routines. Cayden and Shrayen, South African nephews who've been out of school since March, are falling behind in their math so we've been working with them via Skype. They seem to love it and are motivated and eager to please.
Covid numbers in South Africa are finally trending downward.
California is showing improvement too, with new daily cases finally below 10,000.
August 7
Due to computer glitches at the state level California's new daily case numbers this first week of August have been underreported, showing a 14 day average of 8436. Most frustrating. We are warned the number is higher. It's been over a week since the problem was noticed and amazingly it hasn't yet been fixed. Governor Newsom has been silent on the issue. We do know that the deaths are at a 14 day average of 130. Hospitalizations and ICU admissions have declined too after surging from June to the end of July. The new hotspot in the state is Kern County.
South Africa has leveled off at around 8,000 new daily cases and 300 daily deaths.
Everyday we hear about flare-ups in various parts of the world. It's clear that the Covid situation will continue to ebb and flow.
My morning runs at Stow Park have been a blissful way to start my day. I'm thrilled to have found a successful way to get my daily exercise. These signs are posted at the park:
August 11
Woke up to a foggy morning again. Most of July and this first third of August have started out with fog which lingers until midday to early afternoon. We welcome this. Reduces fire danger, keeps temps down. I'm able to go running on the beach, which I find immensely uplifting.
After breakfast I tutored Shrayen via Skype. I'm teaching him fractions, which is all new to him. My heart goes out to these kids who haven't been in a classroom since March. Though the school sends lesson assignments via email, it doesn't quite help them with absorbing new concepts.
Russia headlined today with their announcement of an approved vaccine. Their new "Sputnik" moment is how they want it perceived. But the rushed process with no Phase 3 clinical trials is greeted with condemnation in the US.
Worldometers shows more than 20 million identified cases in the world with a quarter of those in the USA. India, at 3rd place, had the most number of new cases yesterday, followed by Brazil. New case numbers for the USA and California now showing a downward trend. We may be making progress in California but a technical glitch with the state's recording data systems have been showing underreported totals for the past 2 weeks. However, deaths and hospitalizations have declined and that's good news. Nationwide, deaths are declining too.
In South Africa, the trends look good too, with declining new daily cases and deaths.
I predict the same messiness we've endured the past 5 months for the next 5 months. Even countries with strong, ethical leadership can't control random hotspots. New Zealand, after 102 successive days of no new local cases, reported a small cluster identified in Auckland. Jacinda Ardern took immediate action, issuing lockdown until the matter was resolved.
China continues to have success, snuffing out hotspots, and able to resume somewhat normal economic activity. On Worldometers 30 countries show more total Covid cases than China.
Despite Covid gloom I'm anticipating reasons for optimism. The elections may go well. Vaccines may show success. The nightmare will end.
August 12
Kamala Harris! The news flashed on my computer screen yesterday afternoon and though I'd been wishing for Susan Rice to be the VP pick, I teared up. A woman with my mother's name could be in the White House in 5 months! My Sydney brother sent me an excited message as soon as he heard the news - early morning as he was getting up.
Good to have this bit of excitement overshadow Covid news.
August 14
Awoke to a hot morning, but morning run in Stow Park went well thanks to the shade of the many towering trees. A sizzling spell is upon us through the weekend. Summer at its peak keeps my spirits. Balmy evenings, lots of daylight, bountiful produce, especially the tomatoes - heirlooms in our CSA box this week - welcome distractions from Covid. For dinner last night we started with slices of cantaloupe, which came in our produce box. Juicy, sweet, absolutely at its prime it reminded us of summer vacations in Europe. For mains we had plant based "turkey" cutlets and roasted carrots, zucchini and mini bell peppers. We opened up an Amarone to accompany this meal - and it matched splendidly.
The mood this week got a great big boost from Biden's VP pick, Kamala Harris. The more liberal left made some noises that their preference, Stacy Abrams, was ignored, but they're showing excitement too. I see now that Susan Rice - my preference - may not have generated the same excitement since she isn't as colorful and dynamic as Harris. In fact, everyone was sending links to each other of videos showing Kamala Harris showcasing her Tamil heritage. The Democrats have a strong ticket and if they don't get elected, this could only mean a deep dsyfunctionality that has to be addressed.
Covid News: Total identified cases in the USA has reached 5,400,000 with roughly 55,000 daily new cases. I'm not expecting this number to change since new states experience spikes as other states bring their numbers down. Daily deaths hover around 1,200. In California our 14 day average of new daily cases is now 7,700. Still too high. The past few weeks have been the deadliest since the outbreak. On 08/04 there were 202 deaths. Our 14 day average death toll is currently 136. In Santa Barbara County we had 75 new cases on 08/13.
This, I predict, is the new normal.
South Africa has bent the curve, reporting between 2,500 and 4,000 new daily cases. Daily deaths between 200 and 300 are higher than they've ever been. The country will lift most of its pandemic restrictions from August 17, 5 months after lockdown was imposed. Though this may result in a new wave of infections, the government is under pressure to balance harm to the economy versus Covid's impact. Same story all over the globe.
August 19
The Democratic National Convention which kicked off on August 17 dominates the news. A nice break from Covid coverage. The all virtual event is impressive in organization and creativity. The opening featured kids from every state singing the national anthem in the most heartwarming voices. Michelle Obama gave a stirring, impassioned speech on Day 1. Jill Biden assured us of her sincerity and compassion in a well delivered speech from an empty classroom at a school where she had taught. The convention has fueled hope and excitement. It looks likely that in November we'll be breathing sighs of relief.
In California an apocalyptic scenario from raging fires across the state, triggered by storm activity, has forced many people out of their homes. A ridge of high pressure moved into the state a week ago causing lighting, intense heat, and high humidity. We're wilting. Demand on energy has translated to rolling blackouts.
It's six months since California's lockdown. The partially opened economy keeps us going. Grocery stores are stocked, restaurants are operating with expanded outdoor seating, and busy roads and people out and about give the illusion of normalcy. The state's Covid numbers aren't good though. The 14 day average of new daily cases is 8,089 and daily deaths 132. We're slowly bending the curve. Santa Barbara county numbers are trending downward as well. I would breathe a sigh of relief except that I know as soon as our numbers are low enough to be removed from the Governor's watchlist, we're going to open up schools and higher risk businesses and this will inevitably put us at greater risk of increased infections.
Nationwide the numbers are declining - daily case numbers hover below 50,000 - but we're also learning that testing has decreased. So, again, we're robbed of optimism.
South Africa has fully opened its economy since Monday, August 17. Tutoring Cayden and Shrayen may end next week when they return to school. The message given to South Africans is that they have just past their peak. Warmer weather is on its way and may help keep new daily cases low. The government is taking its chances out of pressure to resuscitate their fragile economy. Perhaps they will reach a stable, manageable situation until therapeutics are available. Also, the country's death rate appears lower than western countries, but there are rumors of inaccuracy. The African continent as a whole is showing relatively low cases and deaths. Not sure what the explanation is.
Covid epicenter still in Latin America (staggering daily increases) and the USA.
Europe's numbers are creeping up. Australia is showing improvement. China and most of Asia have modeled how to deal with a highly transmissible lethal virus.
I yearn for the freedom of normal life.
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