Dear Reader:

Worldometer (Sept 23): Almost 32 million cases and close to 1 million deaths worldwide.

Over 7 million cases and over 205 thousand deaths in the US, with over 36 thousand new cases and 968 new deaths yesterday.

India, with over 5.7 million cases and over 96 thousand deaths, reported over 80 thousand new cases and 1056 new deaths yesterday. Brazil with over 4.6 million cases and over 138 thousand deaths reported over 35 thousand new cases and 809 new deaths yesterday.

Close to 11 thousand new cases (second record high following March 20) and 241 new deaths in Spain. Close to 5 thousand new cases (highest since May 2) and  37 new deaths yesterday.

AP: The latest: More restrictions in store for hard-hit Madrid (Sept 23):  “MADRID — Health authorities in Madrid may extend to more communities the restrictions on movement it imposed on areas of the Spanish capital with high coronavirus infection rates. About 860,000 Madrid residents already are required to justify trips out of 37 neighborhoods, mostly working-class areas. People have complained that the restrictions stigmatize the poor. The region’s deputy health chief, Antonio Zapatero, said Wednesday that a decision on additional measures, including possible customer limits in restaurants, would be announced on Friday, Zapatero said the outbreak situation in the Madrid region, which has a population of 6.6 million, was one of “sustained increase.”

“Madrid had a contagion rate of 772 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days, nearly three times Spain’s national average of 287 cases per 100,000. Other parts of the country are also seeing increases in new confirmed cases. Spain recorded 241 more virus-related deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total death toll to 30,904.”

CBS News: U.K. leader tightens up Covid restrictions as virus surges back (Sept 23):

“London— British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hit U.K. residents with some sobering numbers on Tuesday evening, and then tightened up coronavirus restrictions in a bid to avert grim worst case scenarios. ‘A month ago, on average, around 1,000 people across the U.K. were testing positive for coronavirus every day,’ Johnson said. ‘The latest figure has almost quadrupled to 3,929.’  Worrying officials even more was the fact that, as France and Spain have seen with their “second wave,” the rise in new infections has now started to translate into more hospitalizations in the U.K., and even a slight upturn in the number of deaths recorded every day.

“If nothing is done to stem the spread of the virus, Johnson warned that the current trajectory could mean hundreds of deaths per day by next month. So after encouraging people to return to their workplaces in July, on Tuesday the premier told people in England to revert to working from home if they can. In Scotland and Wales, the work-from-home advice from national leaders had never even been lifted… From this week masks will also be mandatory across England for retail staff and in taxis, with fines going up to about $250 for rule breakers. Businesses that fail to comply could be fined more than $12,000, or even shut down. Pubs and restaurants will be forced to close at 10 p.m. across the U.K., and soccer stadiums will be shut to the public. For now, schools across Britain will remain open. Johnson warned that the reinstated measures could last for six months, or at least until the rate of the disease’s spread is brought back under control.

“The key metric used by his government is the so-called “R” number, which measures how many others a single person infected with the virus is expected to pass it on to. If the R number is over 1, then one COVID-19 carrier would be expected, statistically, to infect more than one other person, reflecting a spreading epidemic. U.K. health officials put the R number at around 1.2-1.4 as of Tuesday, and until it comes back down to 1 or lower, the measures are unlikely to be eased — and they could be increased. Johnson’s administration has not ruled out imposing a second nationwide lockdown.

“‘Now is the time for us all to summon the discipline and resolve and spirit of togetherness that will carry us through,’ Johnson said.

Business Insider: Trump once defined success as keeping US Covid deaths below 200,000. When he failed, he said real failure would be 2.5 million , he said real failure would be 2.5 million dead (Sept 23):

“On Tuesday, the US’ Covid-19 death toll surpassed 200,000… In March, President Donald Trump said that if the US could keep the death toll between 100,000 and 200,000 that would be a ‘very good job.’ At the time, the figure was seen as a distant prospect, and a way to distract from the rate at which the virus was spreading.

“Months later, when 200,000 had indeed died, Trump instead switched to a new criterion. He claimed instead that because the US made the “right” decisions, a hypothetical 2.5 million deaths had been prevented. The United States hit a grim milestone on Tuesday, recording 200,000 coronavirus deaths and 6.8 million infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The figures are the worst in the world.

“Throughout the crisis, President Donald Trump’s criteria for what constitutes success in battling the pandemic has shifted as the number of infections and death toll has continued to mount. As the virus first began to spread through the US in February, the president said that it would just go away. And later, as the death toll reached 2,400, Trump said that he would have done a “very good job” if the US could keep its death toll between 100,000 and 200,000…

“On Tuesday when asked about the number of deaths having tipped 200,000, Trump said “it’s a shame” and “a horrible thing.” He went on to claim that because the US had not reached the 2 million or more deaths number he cited before, that his decisions had been correct. ‘I think if we didn’t do it properly and didn’t do it right, you’d have two and a half million deaths,’ he said.

“Under Trump’s new set of criteria, it would seem anything below 2.5 million deaths could be hailed as a success.

“After his comments to reporters Tuesday, he set off for a rally in Pennsylvania, where few supporters wore masks or observed social distancing. At the rally, he largely avoided the topic of the coronavirus death toll. Instead, he attacked his rival for the presidency, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, claiming Biden has received plastic surgery which his mask conceals. Biden has consistently advocated wearing masks. ‘What the hell did he spend all that money on the plastic surgery if he’s going to cover it up?’ said Trump.”

anita