Page 2 - aruba-today-20200926

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 26 September 2020
Continued from Front In Joplin, Missouri, a mask
The governor, who has re- ordinance was allowed to
sisted making mask-wear- expire in mid-August as virus
ing mandatory statewide, fatigue grew. Since then,
also said he will stop cities the number of positive cas-
and counties from collect- es there and in surrounding
ing fines from people who Jasper County — a deeply
don't cover their faces, vir- conservative county that
tually nullifying local mask Trump won by more than
ordinances. 50 percentage points over
Florida was a major hot Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has
spot over the summer, and risen about 80%.
the death toll there stands "I am getting sick and tired
at nearly 14,000. Deaths of telling people to wear
are running at over 100 a their masks, and I know they
day, and newly confirmed are sick and tired of me
infections at about 2,700 a saying it," said Tony Moehr,
day. chief of the Jasper County
Like Trump, DeSantis has Health Department. "And it
questioned the effective- just seems like people have
ness of closing down busi- heard it so many times, I'm
nesses, arguing that states not sure if they really even
that more aggressively shut hear it anymore when we
down, including California, say it."
have fared no better. At the home of the Univer-
"The state of Florida is prob- Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, left, is shown by a poll worker which way to go as he votes early at sity of Oklahoma, the Nor-
the Richmond general registrar's office in Richmond, Va., Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, on the first day of
ably the most open big Virginia's 45-day early voting period. man City Council voted 5-3
state in the country," he Associated Press this week to require that
boasted Friday. masks be worn indoors at
Florida Democrats have Northam announced he nearly 80 people died were ing social-distancing rules. house parties if more than
bemoaned the governor's and his wife have tested charged with neglect over Health officials said if virus 25 people are present. The
push to reopen. positive, though he said their handling of the out- cases in these neighbor- ordinance passed over ob-
"No one is advocating for he has no symptoms. break. They could go to hoods continue to build, jections from members of
a full-scale lockdown in Northam, a Democrat who prison if convicted. It is be- the city might roll back the the public.
Florida. But we have been is also a doctor and usually lieved to be the nation's reopening in some places "You can make any law
and continue to ask for wears a mask in public, has first criminal case brought and require businesses to that you want to. You
common-sense preven- been criticized by Repub- against nursing home offi- close back down. come into my house tell-
tion measures such as face licans who say his restric- cials for actions during the In the Midwest, the virus ing me that I got to wear
masks, which are essen- tions aimed at slowing the crisis. is now landing squarely this stupid thing and you're
tial to preventing further spread of the virus are too — In New York City, which in places where there is going to have a firefight on
spread," state Sen. Audrey stringent. beat back the virus after strong resistance to masks your hands," said Josh Dan-
Gibson said Thursday. — Two former administra- a disastrous spring, four and governors have been forth, holding a mask, who
In other developments: tors of a Massachusetts Orthodox Jewish schools reluctant to require face identified himself as an Iraq
— Virginia Gov. Ralph veterans home where were closed for violat- coverings. war veteran.q
Birx: Not considering leaving coronavirus task force

with what she saw as a di- coordinating the groups." to expire Oct. 2, should be
minished role and ques- Birx said she has been on extended.
tioned how long she could a heavy travel schedule, "Within two weeks of the
remain in the role. Birx said but said that is crucial to mask mandate, you can
she was not considering understanding the nation's see the dramatic decline
leaving. response. She said she had in cases here in Alabama,"
"Do I look like a person that been in about 28 states, in- Birx said.
is diminished? I'll tell you cluding more than 15 uni- She said it is important for
that is the first time those versities, in the last three people to maintain their
adjectives have ever been months. mitigation efforts in the fall.
used in describing my be- "Yes, I have been on the As Birx urged the extension
havior," Birx said. She also road. ... Why is that? That's of the mask order, a new
urged the state to extend because that dialogue al- lawsuit was filed challeng-
its mask mandate. lows you to understand ing it.
Dr. Deborah Birx, right, coordinator of the White House corona- "We are in the middle of a what polices are work- Former Alabama Chief Jus-
virus task force, speaks at a press conference along LSU interim pandemic that is affecting ing, what needs to be tice Roy Moore on Thurs-
President Tom Galligan, left, after one of several roundtable dis-
cussions with LSU officials and others, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 Americans. As an Ameri- changed, what is difficult day announced a new
in the LSU Foundation Training Room in Baton Rouge, La. can, I think I can do the for people," Birx said. federal lawsuit challenging
Associated Press best service to my country Birx has recently toured the constitutionality of the
right now by serving in this Southern universities that mask mandate and past
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — of the task force and was role, working across the are starting the fall semes- state health orders that
White House coronavirus considering leaving. agencies because that is ter. She met with Alabama closed businesses or direct-
response coordinator Dr. During a livestreamed news the experience that I have," Gov. Kay Ivey in the morn- ed people to stay home.
Deborah Birx on Thursday conference at Auburn Uni- Birx said. ing. Birx praised Ivey for The lawsuit was filed by
pushed back against a re- versity in Alabama, Birx was Birx said it would be "on me issuing a statewide mask Moore's Foundation for
port that said she was dis- asked about a CNN report if I was distressed, right? Be- mandate. She said she be- Moral Law on behalf of sev-
tressed over the direction that said she was frustrated cause I'm supposed to be lieves the order, which is set en plaintiffs.q