First,
for your work in what's probably a shitty setting right now,
@Local Coyote. Given California's population, LA county's numbers aren't too surprising even if the per capita rate is significantly larger than other major cities.
You bring up a point I've touched on before. Governmental incompetence at the various levels (Federal, State, and Local), has probably done as much to fuel the spread as the lack of either basic hygiene or social distancing has. For months, we've seen different levels of government issue contradictory directives and adopt restrictions that make no sense or seemingly have nothing to do with COVID (such as Michigan banning people from buying spray paint earlier this Spring).
I think what we're seeing is the culmination of nine-plus months of built-up frustration over the both indefinite goalpost moving and the lack of a collaborative effort between the various layers of government when it comes to addressing COVID. People have started not giving a damn even if it means they put themselves more at risk for COVID in the process simply because they're sick and tired of the bullshit and they've stopped caring.
It really is clown world
. In my state, the minority lieutenant governor has consistently stated that the disproportionate frequency of COVID in the POC community is the result of "institutional racism" that needs to be addressed and eliminated. Meanwhile, Ithaca college is exempting anyone who
identifies as a minority from COVID vaccine requirements for reasons that boil down to lowered expectations for minorities. So much for working together to address inequalities whether real or perceived.
Landlords whose tenants can't or wont pay rent while eviction moratoriums are in place are really behind the 8 ball because they still have expenses to pay such as upkeep, taxes, insurance even if they're receiving zero rent money. I can easily see them raising rents for the next paying tenants in their property to make up for what they're currently not receiving to cover those expenses. The longer eviction moratoriums last, the more likely rents will increase in the short term once they're finally lifted.
===
On today's news, I heard something about a COVID passport. I'm not sure if this is a new idea or something that's been kicked around for awhile, but I don't trust the idea to be properly administered and balanced with privacy concerns.
