With America "open" again and Americans on the move.

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Update: May 22, 2020, 02:18 GMT
USA
1,645,094 confirmed cases of COVID-19
97,647 American Deaths

NOTE: "The coronavirus is still spreading at epidemic rates in 24 states, particularly in the South and Midwest. According to new research, that highlights the risk of a second wave of infections in places that reopen too quickly or without sufficient precautions." Nevertheless, Donald Trump reiterated yesterday that - if there is a future outbreak of the novel coronavirus - he'd prevent states from going back to widespread shutdowns. No matter what happens in the future, he insisted, “We’re not going to close the country". The Trump camp has repeatedly insisted that keeping the economy going is worth lost American lives. "It's a sacrifice that some will have to make."

Today, Trump then demanded that governors reopen all churches, synagogues and mosques 'right now'. FYI, our governor had never closed houses of worship - not even during the state's 28 day "Stay-at-Home" order. So that is a moot point here. Still, most local religious leaders chose to independently stop in-person services to protect their congregations during the pandemic. At the same time, some cluster outbreaks of COVID have been directly associated to those in-person religious gatherings that did continue. IMO, politics have no place in a pandemic. To save human lives, we all need to respect the advice of the scientists.

Human life means more than anything else.
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The above statistics are becoming almost too painful for me to continue to report them. Researchers estimate: "About 83% of US coronavirus deaths could have been avoided if lockdowns were imposed March 1."

As much as I desperately want life to be back normal again, we're spending both the holiday weekend and this coming Sunday "safely" at home. We personally don't need a formal building nor others with us to continue to practice our faith. Fortunately, live-streaming religious services, during coronavirus pandemic, continue to be available. Nevertheless, the connection to God is personal & is always within each believer no matter where you are or who you are or aren't with. Politics has nothing to do with this. We are in the middle of a pandemic where the virus doesn't respect any larger gathering where it can find new victims; even if that in-person gathering is a house of worship.

Despite all that has been happening in recent days, we continue to stay at home because we value our lives more than the current American president seems to value anyone's life. I am very sad for the country I love.