****************
COVID US News One Year Ago Flashback
March 7, 2020
******************
There are 437 cases of coronavirus in the United States,
according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local governments.

The first presumptive positive case of coronavirus was identified in Kansas on Saturday, according to a press release from Gov. Laura Kelly’s office. The patient is a woman under the age of 50 from Johnson County in the Kansas City Metro.

Vice President Mike Pence announced a new plan to combat coronavirus on cruises. There will be enhanced entry and exit screening for cruise passengers, as well as on-board testing for coronavirus, Pence said.

In updated figures, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, as of Friday, 72 state and local public health labs in 48 states and Washington, D.C., are verified and are conducting coronavirus testing.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus in order to have “a more expedited purchasing and testing protocol,” according to a press conference held this afternoon.

Coronavirus cases in New York rise to 21

NBA advises teams to prepare to play without fans due to coronavirus concerns

Pope Francis cancels public events to avoid spread of coronavirus.

“US President Donald Trump is receiving a steady stream of sometimes-conflicting information about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak that some aides worry is dampening his ability to effectively communicate the realities and risks of the epidemic. Some of the information Trump is receiving is viewed by his team as qualified and some of it appears designed to downplay the global crisis, people familiar with the matter said. Like he has throughout his presidency, Trump is hearing from outside friends and allies who don't necessarily convey the same information he hears from government aides. The result, multiple officials said privately, is the appearance of disconnect between the President and top officials who are responsible for managing the crisis. Even concerted efforts to streamline and centralize the administration's messaging have sometimes been foiled by Trump's own statements.” CNN
***************************
Forward to the Present Time US COVID News
March 7, 2021
****************
28,998,833 Confirmed
US Cases of COVID

525,031 Confirmed
US Deaths from COVID

“Several states have loosened restrictions on businesses and gatherings imposed over the summer, even though infections continue at higher levels today than when those mandates were initially put in place.” The Hill

“After weeks of declines, new Covid-19 cases have basically plateaued at high levels each day. On average, more than 60,000 Americans were infected every day over the past week, according to Johns Hopkins University. That's slightly less than the peak of the summer surge, when 67,030 infections were reported on July 20.

“A least 100 people gathered in front of the Idaho state capitol on Saturday to burn masks, in a protest against measures to limit infections and deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Some groups, predominantly rightwing, say mask mandates are a restriction of their freedoms. Health experts say they help slow the spread of the disease.” The Guardian

The current rate of vaccinations might not be fast enough to fend off a major B.1.1.7 surge in the coming weeks. Health experts say it's critical to get as many people vaccinated as possible before highly contagious variants potentially overwhelm the country. About 30.6 million have received two doses of a vaccine. That's about 9.2% of the US population.” CNN

“We’ve just now recently experienced the worst surge,” Dr. Fauci said Friday during a White House coronavirus briefing, adding that the country had plateaued at between 60,000 and 70,000 new cases per day. “When you have that much of viral activity in a plateau, it almost invariably means that you are at risk for another spike.” New York Times

*********************
About the Photograph:

My dear husband made the above chocolate covered strawberries for me as a “just because” special surprise. He did it before I even got out of bed. Guess I have a keeper in him.

After many years of marriage (PLUS now a full year of spending 24/7 round-the-clock, day & night of constantly being together), it looks like our marriage is definitely a forever deal.

However, I’ve sadly heard that a lot of other marriages aren’t surviving the pandemic so well. Most everyone has had their lives changed & have had to adjust to some very unusual times. My husband and I have always been as different as day & night. Besides the "Men are from Mars..." thing, we think & react very differently. But for some reason, what we have together works. Even now; with no break from each other. And yes, the strawberries are good.