By Eric Schoen
Friends, need I tell you that to stop the spread of COVID-19 you need to wear a face mask? That you need to socially distance yourself at least 6 feet? That you should wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and hot water? That you should avoid large groups of people, particularly when the people are not wearing masks and not keeping socially distanced at least 6 feet?
Now tell me, were you truly shocked or surprised when it was announced that the President and many of those close to him had contracted the Coronavirus? Do you watch the same television I watch. Read the same newspapers I read? View the same internet that I do?
So were you surprised or shocked when you got the ‘tweet’ that the President, First Lady and many of their advisors had come down with the coronavirus? Let’s start out by wishing POTUS, FLOTUS and all Americans and those from around the world who have this virus a quick recovery and good health.
But just like baseball or our many other sports, you have to follow the rules or you will be called out. Coronavirus is complex. What you have to do to attempt to keep the virus away from your family, well not so complex.
For the purposes of this column, I’m not commenting on the merits of Judge Amy Coney Barrett or whether or not she should be appointed to the Supreme Court. But did you see the ceremony where her appointment was announced? Rows of people not wearing masks and sitting on top of one another. Then going into the White House and hugging and kissing and participating in a big reception to honor the judge.
And Margaret Brennan, host of Meet the Press asks one of her guests if he knows who the President got the virus from. Have you ever heard a dumber question asked by a reporter who reports and anchors for a living?
After the President heard one of his top aides had the virus, he had no business flying to Bedminster, New Jersey to hold a big money fundraiser. And taking photos with everyone there. Do our electeds feel they don’t have to practice what they preach. After several delays the White House turned over the names of the attendees to the fundraiser to the New Jersey Health Department. Why did it take so long?
Now we hear that the White House has not called on the Centers for Disease Control to help them contact trace those who attended the Judicial Ceremony. They are allowing the White House to do its own tracing. You have some of the finest health processionals in the country at CDC. What training do the folks at the White House have in this field. One is assuming you are a friend of the Trumps if you attend a White House ceremony. Isn’t that what friends are for, to let others in their social group know someone at the affair tested positive for Coronavirus!
Contract tracing. It’s been around a long time. But I have my doubts as to whether or not it really works. The numbers coming back from the local agencies have not been promising. In some cases for every infected person they call that person is coming up with an average 1.5 contacts. It’s the only system we have but unless you get substantial cooperation it’s not going to work.
Did the President really need to leave the hospital for a ‘ride around the block’ over the weekend, exposing his Secret Service detail to the virus. Could the President have just gone to the window of this room and waved? Have a pool helicopter to take photos of him to share with the world.
But the worst message the President sent out was upon returning to the White House, climbing the stairs and abruptly removing his mask. People see that and wonder why they are wearing their masks when they don’t even have Coronavirus. Children wonder why they have to mask up when they go to school or leave the house. Is the President so vain that he doesn’t want to be seen wearing a mask?
President Trump is the leader of our country. Don’t we have the right to know what’s going on with his health. Why is there inconsistency with what the President’s doctors are saying and his Chief of Staff is telling the press minutes later. All this does is confuse and upset the public and government leaders from around the world!
I heard on the Sunday morning talk shows that Congress did not have a system in place to test themselves for COVID-19 when they return to the Capitol from all points around the country. Congress was afraid that it would not look good to the American people if they had better testing than the public had. Can you believe this? People, mostly traveling on planes gathering together, many in their late 60’s, 70’s and 80’s with no special testing protocols in place.
And Congress afraid something would not look good to the public? Who are we kidding here!
Should the Presidential and Vice President debates be called off or delayed. Do we really need these silly debates. Let’s save that for another day.
Closer to home in parts of Rockland County and Queens and Brooklyn we see Coronavirus clusters timed exactly with the Jewish holidays and in mainly Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods. Were they not expecting outbreaks given people are not following the rules for social distancing and not wearing masks. All the governmental leaders are meeting with these communities now? And a very few in the Orthodox community feel the government is picking on them. The Governor and Mayor would not be meeting with these communities if they didn’t have evidence that people are not following the guidelines.
And Halloween is on as scheduled in New Jersey. Just don’t put the candy out in a basket where people grab in and touch multiple pieces. Line the candy up on a table where people can come buy and take a piece without touching other pieces. And over or under your Halloween mask you need to have the regular medical mask.
Candy on a table. Only in America! Please don’t suffocate your child with 2 masks. Maybe skip the door to door thing this year!
Yes, what were they expecting? What is yet to come?
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
