There have now been over 30 million Covid-19 cases recorded around the world, and the number is still climbing by over a quarter a million a day – yesterday it was a high of 308,868, with 97,859 of those in India.
While the death rate (per case) has dropped, suggesting treatment is now more successful, the total deaths attributed to Covid is now 948,468 and rising by six thousand a day, so will likely pass a million before the end of the month.
Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
While three recent deaths have increased the New Zealand death count to 25 the recent outbreak seems to be under control, with no community cases detected for the last three days.
Deaths in the United States have now passed 200,000 (over 20% of world deaths), with cases nearing 7 million (22.67% of world cases).
President Donald Trump continues to make strange statements about Covid. From a recent interview:
During a town hall on ABC Tuesday night, moderator George Stephanopoulos asked President Donald Trump why he said that he liked to “downplay” the threat posed by Covid-19 to the American public. Here’s the exchange that followed:
Trump: I’m not looking to be dishonest. I don’t want people to panic. And we are going to be OK. We’re going to be OK, and it is going away. And it’s probably going to go away now a lot faster because of the vaccines.It would go away without the vaccine, George, but it’s going to go away a lot faster with it.
Stephanopoulos: It would go away without the vaccine?
Trump: Sure, over a period of time. Sure, with time it goes away.
If he keeps saying things like that he will eventually be sort of right, but he has been wrong for months. From 25 March:
President Donald Trump says he wants the nation “opened up and just raring to go by Easter” — a date just more than two weeks away that few health experts believe will be sufficient in containing the spread of coronavirus.
Speaking during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday, Trump reiterated he was eager to see the nation return to normal soon, even as doctors warn the nation will see a massive spike in cases if Americans return to crowded workplaces or events.
“I give it two weeks,” Trump said earlier in the town hall, suggesting he was ready to phase out his 15-day self-isolating guidelines when they expire. “I guess by Monday or Tuesday, it’s about two weeks. We will assess at that time and give it more time if we need a little more time. We have to open this country up.”
A number of vaccines are being tested but it could be some time before their use is widespread, but again in the US there are very mixed messages.
WHO calls for ‘consistent messaging’ after Trump and Meadows contradict CDC chief
President Trump reiterated a claim that a novel coronavirus vaccine will be ready this Fall, and said on Fox Sports Radio that Democrats are “petrified” that it will emerge before Election Day. Trump’s claim went against a prediction by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention head Robert Redfield that vaccines will not be widely available until the middle of next year. Many experts, including scientists leading the vaccine effort, have agreed with Redfield.
In an interview on Fox News, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said that attempted to discredit the head of the federal agency, saying he was “not sure where Dr. Redfield got his particular timetable, but it’s not based on those that are closest to the process.”
“It is important that we have consistent messaging from all levels” by top officials worldwide, World Health Organization emergencies chief Mike Ryan said at a news briefing on Thursday.
Asking for consistent messages from the Trump administration is futile.
And there is public concerns – 62% of Americans are worried that ‘political pressure’ from the Trump administration will rush a coronavirus vaccine, new poll shows
62% of adults in the US worry that “political pressure from the Trump administration lead the FDA to rush to approve a coronavirus vaccine without making sure that it is safe and effective,” according to a new poll from Kaiser Family Foundation.
Even if a vaccine did become available another poll suggests that many people would be reluctant to use one – from Majority of adults don’t trust Trump’s comments on Covid-19 vaccine
Adults are also more skeptical about whether they or their families would get a government-approved coronavirus vaccine if one became widely available.
The poll’s latest data show that just 39 percent of adults say they would, 23 percent say they wouldn’t and 36 percent say they aren’t sure.
Perhaps Trump can use the power of his presidency to encourage them to take a vaccine, but it’s likely some supporters will view a vaccine the same as they view lockdowns and wearing masks – with disdain and opposition.
Trump’s re-election campaign is running television ads touting that “in the race for a vaccine, the finish line is approaching.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the country’s foremost experts on infectious diseases, reiterated last week that he feels “cautiously optimistic” that a safe and effective vaccine would be found by the end of the year and that doing so by Nov. 3 was “unlikely.”
And Covid is far from over in Europe: ‘Very serious situation’ in Europe, WHO warns
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that coronavirus cases are surging alarmingly in Europe, as a “very serious situation” unfolds across the continent.
As Covid-19 infections spike to record numbers, European governments are imposing strict local measures and weighing up further lockdowns in a bid to halt a second wave of the pandemic.
But WHO regional director Hans Kluge said at a Thursday news conference that the increase in cases should serve as a warning of what is to come.”Weekly cases have now exceeded those reported when the pandemic first peaked in Europe in March,” Kluge said. “Last week, the region’s weekly tally exceeded 300,000 patients.”More than half of European nations have reported an increase of more than 10% in new cases in the past two weeks, Kluge added. “Of those, seven countries have seen newly reported cases increase more than two-fold in the same period,” he said.
There are some interesting charts of Covid data from Reuters: Covid-19 Global Tracker
Your NZ 
John J Harrison
/ 18th September 2020Pete, small point but I recall that the NZ deaths attributable to Covid were reduced from 22 to 17 some weeks back when the MOH acknowledged that the people died of other causes.
Whatever the correct figure, each cost multi $Billions and an economy that will take decades to revive – under Labour who have no plan whatsoever.
Unsaid , is the fact that 100’s , if not 1,000’s have, or will die prematurely as a result of not receiving timely medical attention due to hospitals being closed for the 88,000 Covid cases Ardern told us was a possibility if we did not destroy the economy.
Many , many thanks to Hendy and Ardern.
Politics trumped health.
Duker
/ 18th September 2020Thats you being wrong again .
No such change happened, last time you had your imaginary number as ’19’. This was pointed out at the time as a figment
Lo and behold you have invented a new number 17.
What sort of person does this ? And does it again?
John J Harrison
/ 18th September 2020Duker, many, many thanks to your “ positive “ contribution on such a pleasant day.
Clearly, you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
Now explain Labour’s detailed plan on how they are going to revive our stuffed economy.
Increasing benefits, printing money, raising taxes and enlarging the civil service don’t count.
Blazer
/ 18th September 2020The economy is like you….not working at full capacity ,yet still functioning .
I’m sure the economy will recover…as for you..2 caregivers is a good…start.
Fight4nz
/ 18th September 2020Bill English raised GST, printed money, increased benefits.
Why don’t they count now?
Pete George
/ 18th September 2020I never noticed NZ deaths being reduced, and they are still officially at 25:
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-current-situation/covid-19-current-cases
Kitty Catkin
/ 18th September 2020More than one person had tested negative but they were still classed as C19 deaths for some reason.
The 80,000+ possible deaths should have been obviously scaremongering to justify the scarifying lockdowns.
David
/ 18th September 2020The conflict seems to with the vaccine developers and the CDC and the more cautious public health officials and the administration is stuck in the middle. Pfizer CEO said October the CDC guy is 6 months away. The CDC boss said masks were more effective than a vaccine so there is an obvious fear that people will stop taking precautions ahead of a vaccine and officials dont want people getting slack, its messaging.
The fear of the vaccine is a natural one that is being exploited by the utter f..kwits in the media and some Democrats, not Biden thankfully, and its based on absolutely nothing more than TDS and is frankly very damaging. There is absolutely no way in the world that Trump could influence the FDA and if the Dems think that he could then it can only be based on them having done it because there is no evidence of it ever bowing to politics.
Trump is not an idiot, if he had a senior resignation from the FDA because of undue influence he would be utterly finished and he knows it.
Duker
/ 18th September 2020“There is absolutely no way in the world that Trump could influence the FDA and if the Dems think that he could then it can only be based on them having done it”
Not Dems , Gerald Ford did it previously as discussed about the previous time a rushed vaccine went wrong.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_swine_flu_outbreak
Pete George
/ 18th September 2020The Trump administration is not stuck in the middle. Trump is leading public promotion of a vaccine becoming available before the election.
I hope he can’t influence the FDA or anyone to rush a vaccine before it has been properly tested, but that seems to be what he’s trying to do.
David
/ 18th September 2020It would help if we stopped thinking of Trump as a politician or someone who had any of the natural cautiousness of anybody steeped in government.
He is very successful reality TV star and property developer who happens to have added President to his CV and he approaches everything with a positive approach which is not unusual in very successful people, its the key to success. Him spruiking a vaccine shouldnt come as a surprise and as one who is used to setbacks and dusting himself off and having another go is also quite natural to him. So if one doesnt work he will accept that and look for another one or fix the one that didnt work.
He sees himself as cheerleader in chief which is not too dissimilar to Ardern when you boil it down.
Blazer
/ 18th September 2020Yes every successful failure enriches themselves.After 4 bankruptcies Trump certainly qualifies….’ he approaches everything with a positive approach which is not unusual in very successful people, its the key to success. ‘.
David
/ 18th September 2020Thanks Blazer, glad we agree on something Trump related. I have been to a couple of his places and while not to everyones taste, mine included, he does build some incredible buildings and his hotels are first rate. They are not the accomplishment of someone who is an idiot.
Blazer
/ 18th September 2020‘Fat’ Tony made alot of money too=success.
Duker
/ 18th September 2020Trump on a building is mostly licensed branding only a few were his ‘builds’ …never a job for the faint hearted.
You left out the Trump airline, Trump Casinos, Trump University etc , businesses he did set and run. And you know why you left them out.
Blazer
/ 18th September 2020The success ..express…
Duker
/ 18th September 2020“help if we stopped thinking of Trump as a politician”
Hes President !.
It would help if you stopped making excuses for him
David
/ 18th September 2020Not making excuses but because I look at him as a real estate tycoon not a politician I just don’t get so excited about the outrageous things he does.
John J Harrison
/ 18th September 2020David, reading Disloyal by Michael Cohen at the moment.
Great read about Trump but regularly interrupted with keeping Duker and Blazer on the straight and narrow!
Kitty Catkin
/ 18th September 2020He may be president, but he wasn’t a politician. It’s beyond me why anyone would vote for a leader who’d never even been on the city council.
Duker
/ 18th September 20203rd time US has elected someone who has never held elected public office in last 100 years –
1) Herbert Hoover
2) Dwight Eisenhower
3) Trump
Guess what they all had in common !
duperez
/ 18th September 2020Eisenhower donned (pun intended) a uniform, so I guess ‘bonespurs’ isn’t the answer. 😊
Alan Wilkinson
/ 18th September 2020Lefties hated them?
Harry
/ 18th September 2020Considering the qualities of professional politicians, not being a politician has a great deal of appeal.
MaureenW
/ 18th September 2020I can think of many reasons why being on a council is not a qualifying attribute for President.
Corky
/ 18th September 2020The CDC can be one of the most obtuse organisations you ever deal with. I have first hand experience when I asked them to explain the anomaly of the Thompson case that found a link for African Americans and autism due to vaccination.
I dread to think what they would be like regarding Covid.
Duker
/ 18th September 2020Thats great news , they ignored you completely, as they should have. You are welcome to not be vaccinated and add to that all the other ‘injection treatments’ like antibiotics. See how long you last.
I imagine the Police have similar cold calls from people who say they have solved crimes- but no otherwise connection.
Corky
/ 18th September 2020Er, not so fast, Comrade. The problem was the reverse, I eventually wished they would have ignored me. We went from cordial to a very fractious relationship…and ended with very terse responses to emails. Whoever said a little knowledge is a dangerous thing wasn’t joking.
”You are welcome to not be vaccinated and add to that all the other ‘injection treatments’ like antibiotics. See how long you last.”
I respect the right of the individual to do what he pleases. My foot is only in the camp of the anti-vaxxers because the medical fraternity never release ( in my opinion) the full
implications of vaccinations to parents. Many doctors also refuse to accept vaccinations can have serious side affects.
”I imagine the Police have similar cold calls from people who say they have solved crimes- but no otherwise connection.”
Another waste-of-space comment.
Duker
/ 18th September 2020Not so fast Bhawna, thats just usual anti vaxxer nonsense.
There are risks but they are very small and outweighed by the benefits – which applies to any surgery or medicine taken.
Pete George
/ 18th September 2020Pete George
/ 18th September 2020Alan Foster
/ 18th September 2020I wonder if they’re doing more testing now than in the early days ie, more testing finds more cases
Corky
/ 18th September 2020See Open Forum.
Corky
/ 18th September 2020Duker.