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Saturday, April 18, 2020

Heartland hotspots: A sudden rise in coronavirus cases is hitting rural states without stay-at-home orders

Washington (CNN)The test results came back on Easter Sunday. Tammy had been feeling "kind of crappy" when she went to her doctor in rural southeastern Oklahoma last week. A sign of possible pneumonia prompted her to get a coronavirus test later that day at the McCurtain County Health Department in Idabel.

When it came back positive, Tammy, who spoke on the condition that CNN not use her last name to protect her privacy, had already quarantined herself. Isolated, she decided to write her governor, Kevin Stitt, the first-term Republican and one of just 8 governors in the US to resistissuing a statewide stay-at-home-order. Tammy had voted for Stitt but she didn't agree with his decision.

Her message to him was simple: "Shut this mess down."

Just as cases are starting to plateau in some big cities and along the coasts, the coronavirus is catching fire in rural states across the American heartland, where there has been a small but significant spike this week in cases. Playing out amid these outbreaks is a clash between a frontier culture that values individual freedom and personal responsibility, and the onerous but necessary restrictions to contain a novel biological threat.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wondering if there’s any correlation to meat processing plants or other sorts of factory work, maybe auctions or other large gatherings that serve as hot spots.

Anonymous said...

Why should someone in a political position have to tell you what to do! My god why are people so stupid and have to be led by the hand? Social distance and staying at home unless you need important things should be common sense. But here we are blaming everybody else when something happens like this woman. My god people use your brains and take responsibility for yourselves! The blame game is getting old.

Anonymous said...

Imagine that! Almost like the stay at home orders and various guidelines work. Let's see how this plays out.

Anonymous said...

It's hitting states "WITH" stay at home orders too.

Anonymous said...

Numbers, numbers and more numbers. Look at the numbers. The “numbers” show that areas that have not been closed down do not seem to be generating any cases per 100,000 that those that are “shut down”. Damn numbers!

Anonymous said...

Staying home and wearing mask when out is a joke. Using proper hygiene and keeping your hands out of your mouths is what needs to be preached. Open the country up for business as usual now.

Anonymous said...

Northwest Woodsman: From CNN! Entirely possible that they made the whole thing up. I wouldn’t put any validity toward anything originating with the Communist News Network.

Anonymous said...

3:12
Correct!

Everybody please read 3:12 again.

Anonymous said...

I have learned during this “crisis” to practice a higher level of hygiene that is for sure. For example, I do not pick my nose and butt at the same time now; I have learned to alternate. In addition, I thoroughly wash and use sanitizer when it comes to my hands, coupled with thinking about where my hands have been, with whom and what where they doing, before putting them to use again. It seems to be helping.

Anonymous said...

You're my hero 4:19

Anonymous said...

Love it!

Anonymous said...

People who don't trust science may pay the ultimate price.