American Thinker:
By Jack Hellner
According to the State Journal Register of Illinois, after four months of restaurants and bars being open to indoor patrons, local health officials have not traced a single outbreak of COVID to bars and restaurants.
Yet, because of an arbitrary more than 8% positivity rate, the Illinois governor is again shutting down indoor patrons at bars and restaurants. Why is 7.9% OK and 8% a level that is used to destroy?
The governor and his health officials always say that they base all their decisions on scientific data, but if there are no outbreaks traced to bars and restaurants, that is clearly not true.
It is truly dangerous that powerful politicians can pick and choose which businesses to destroy and which individuals to put out of a job. It is sad that politicians decide who is essential and who is non-essential based on arbitrary feelings instead of facts. All jobs are essential to the people that have them and to the economy. Then these same politicians say they care, and the government will save and take care of you. Economic independence is good. Having more people dependent on government is very bad for the short or long term.
I have always found the positivity rate to be an odd benchmark. Supposedly, only people who believe they might have COVID get tested, yet a 92% negativity rate is considered bad. Think of all the tests and money being wasted. In our county, we have two major hospitals, and only 22 people are hospitalized. Not once have our health facilities been overwhelmed in eight months of the virus but we have suffered through major, disastrous government edicts. more here
‘Supposedly, only people who believe they might have COVID get tested…’ – very good point. Although some hypochondriacs get tested on their own, and some are required to get a test (as I was a couple of weeks ago prior to a medical procedure), one would expect the majority who get tested are people who have some sort of symptom, whether due to COVID or to something else.
RECALL this OINKER ! EFfing tax dodger got caught green handed , no charges . 2 tier legal system
The positivity rate is just something that was dreamed up to scare people when the basic fatality count dropped to low levels compared to spring.
Here’s how to beat it: if your kids’ school is closed due to positivity rate, organize parents to go to testing stations repeatedly. All those negative tests adding to the denominator will make this stupid metric drop.
Here in southern Illinois, the small town restaurants are just saying no to our dictator/governor. Our local sheriff also said he was not going to enforce the shut down, he said that’s not his job.
Man, do not comment on one of the main sites the state employees are active on that the chance of death from the pandemic in IL is only .08% as they will freak out. And then you will get banned from the site. One death is to many but we can not shut down the state for such low chances.
Why’s he doing it?
Because he can!
Gee. You don’t suppose the good governor would reconsider if he got a cut of your profits? Nobody in Illinois politics ever thought of that, did they?
If the great citizens of Illinois vote yes on the graduated tax plan, then J.B. will ease up on the business owners.