Latest in a series of posts on the coronavirus 
Good people:
My focus of concern is the public health aspect. I would guess you’d love questions that you could answer with a specific fact or a limited response, but please don’t fear to expand. I watch Cuomo, Levine, Maddow, etc., and try to sort things out but not always successfully.
1) Characterize the rate of case growth in Northampton County. Not just the number. But where are we on the curve? It looks like we are still ascending.
2) Characterize the growth in Bethlehem. At one meeting, the number was 325, a few days later 375 (big jump?), now 10-12 days later 576. Earlier 2 deaths, then 3, now 19. A big spike going on? Or nothing unusual.
3) Kristen is quoted in this morning’s paper as seeing an increase in long-term care facilities, and a concern about getting enough people tested. Expand.
4) 2/3’s of the cases statewide are in nursing homes and personal care facilities, how are we doing in that respect. How are we prioritizing attention to these hot spots? Troubling things at ManorCare reported in the paper a week or two ago.
5) I am not clear about our (City) relation to nursing homes and personal care facilities. Some are private. What role do we play? I heard the Mayor of Detroit last night talk about having everybody in facilities in his City tested. Sounded like he had power over such facilities and could go “in.” Do we? I think I heard Cuomo say that the state can go in if there’s a complaint. So I’m not sure about oversight here. A previous comment by you guys about facilitating contact with the state consultant sounded too hands-off. Is that true?
6) A lot of talk now about people carrying the virus before or without showing symptoms. What kind of testing is going on in nursing homes and personal care facilities. Waiting till they show symptoms?
7) I’ve been focusing so far on senior care places, but what about other congregant places? Our high rises? Our warehouses/our big work places?
8) On Maddow last night one of her points was that the Tyson meat-processing owners call the shots in the plants and do not have to follow any guidelines prescribed by the government, CDC, etc.? How about our Distribution Center? Who’s calling the shots there? Is worker safety being monitored?
Ha! 11:58. Noon deadline is on me!
Thanks, Ed
