COVID Update November 13: Regrets, I’ve had a few....but I did it the wrong way....
I will introduce you to someone you must meet. @paulgazelka. 1/
A governor uttered the famous pandemic words today: “I wish I had _____ earlier.” 2/
The blank in this case was “a mask mandate.” But it could have been a lot of things— “closed the bars,” “taken this seriously,” “limited gatherings.”
Pandemics are full of regrets.
3/
No one is going to get it right every time. A pandemic is hard to best every time. But as March become May become July and September, it becomes increasingly difficult to pretend you didn’t know. 4/
You saw it in Wuhan, in Lombardi, in New York, in Detroit, in New Orleans , in Phoenix, in Houston...
What did you think?? Did you really think it couldn’t happen on Grand Forks or Duluth?? 5/
One regret is that governors have no support from Washington— no payments from McConnell for bar owners if they close, no help from the ex-Trump Administration (they quit May 1), no coordination from CDC. 6/
Governors— you have known these realities. But they’re not going to improve until noon on Jan 20. 7/
Jan 20– you know that’s the day Trump will declare he’s running for president in 2024 during the inauguration at a competing rally. He will run on a record of wrecking a perfectly good economy and allowing more people to die. Good times again. 8/
Lawmakers should be required to take a rudimentary class in high school math— particularly the part when you learn exponential math. Maybe also the part of high school science where they show delayed reactions. 9/
Paul, is the GOPAnon leader of the Minnesota Senate. Yesterday he told us he has ALWAYS said COVID was serious. Well Paul, sorry to take the gloves off, but you’ve been about the best friend COVID has ever had. 10/
Paul saw COVID. But Paul thought this was a problem restricted to the “blue parts of the state.” He thought it was outrageous that people in his rural part of the state wear masks. So he defied this frequently and publicly.
But then something happened. COVID came to his town.15/
Paul did it his way all right. But I started thinking. No one is this friendly to a virus unless something is going on. I wondered what it was. Who is this friendly to a virus. And then photos were slipped under my door...16/
Some compromising photos of Paul alone with the virus told me the whole story. Of course, I thought. Virus love. ❤️ 🦠
It never occurred to me. 17/
Some of the pictures were touching. (Some were just gross.)
This is a happy man. The virus always looks a little trapped TBH. 18/
I have a suggestion for a first dance. 19/
But I think I’ll pass on the wedding. I hear it’s indoors with lots of people and of course no masks. 20/
To @paulgazelka, we all have regrets. More than a few. /end
P.S. It turns out the prompting this tweet are facts we are discovering now. Members of the GOPAnon (@mnsrc) Qaucus have tested positive for COVID.
They have been coming to the Senate floor with masks. Did not notify Democrats or non-partisan staff.
COVID Update November 15: Yesterday we hit a milestone where the number of daily new cases will equate to the number of deaths on 9/11...potentially by Christmas.
On this day I want to address the topic of sacrifice. 1/
Sacrifice is what first responders did on 9/11 when they ran into the building and up stairs. 2/
Sacrifice is what EMTs are doing every day they give mouth to mouth to a dying COVID patient. 3/
COVID Update November 10: The next 3 months are essential in the COVID battle. 1/
The next 3 months will be the worst period of the virus. We are living in the horrible exponential phase of growth of the virus in the midst of a moment of the greatest promise. 2/
130,000 daily cases.
46 states have uncontrolled growth.
16 states have the potential ICU capacity concerns. 3/