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Update: June 30, 2020, 09:00 GMT
USA
2,681,811 confirmed cases of COVID-19
128,783 American Deaths
Note: "The worst could be still to come in the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, six months on from when the outbreak began. WHO head said the virus would infect many more people if governments did not start to implement the right policies." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53227219
The USA, as a united country, has no "policies" because we have no leadership at the top & are not an united country. On the local level, Kansas City has put in a citywide "mask ordinance". Anyone going inside a public building is now required to wear a face covering. However since the city is in 3 different counties (that do not require masks) things become very confusing. On top of that, there is a strong political resistance among many individuals to NOT wear a mask. At the State level, the governor has said that masks are not required & that everyone has a right to make their own decision as to what they do or don't want to do. At the National level, the President refuses to wear a mask and is setting an example for the country. Masks may slow down the spread of coronavirus and save lives. However, many are refusing to social distance, wear a mask, or even wash their hands because "that is their right". Thus, the United States (and the world in general) is on an upward trend for COVID-19. The United States definitely leads with 25% of the planet's COVID cases but with only 4% of the population.
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Unable to "get out" to the garden store this Spring, I ordered this hibiscus in May over the Internet. Instead of a lush, filled out plant, I got a 18 inch twig with no branches. That was in the Online description; so I got what I paid $32 for. The description also said it would be 6 to 8 months until first blooming - which would mean next November to January at the earliest. So this bud is a pleasant surprise. During these trying times, we definitely need anything positive that we can get: even if it is just a flower budding.
Copyrighted Image. DO NOT DOWNLOAD, copy, reproduce, or use in any way without written permission from Elizabeth Bickel.