Florida Shudders as Zika Spread Forces Miami Shops to Close

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

Cafes and art galleries in Miami’s Wynwood Art District would normally be bustling this week, even during some of the hottest days of the year, but with Zika virus spreading in the area, businesses like Wynwood Yard and Gallery 212 are keeping their doors shut.

There were 16 cases of mosquito-transmitted Zika reported in the mainland U.S. as of Friday, and health officials have traced most to a square-mile area north of downtown Miami. Empty streets there reminded Gallery 212 owner Michael Perez of when he had to temporarily close a store in New York in 2001, after the Sept. 11 attacks.

“I’m just like living my life all over again, with this Zika thing,” he said in a telephone interview. “It’s crazy, the streets are bare right now.”

The vast majority of the 1,825 Zika cases in the U.S. have involved travelers to more severely affected countries. With the Florida outbreak, business executives are hoping the Zika-caused slowdown in other regions won’t come to the U.S. as well. SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., with theme parks Tampa and Orlando, tried on Thursday to reassure investors that the Miami transmissions will be contained.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-05/florida-shudders-as-zika-spreads-forcing-miami-shops-to-close

[Moonwalk]

1. During Obama's latest News Conference he berated Congress for remaining on vacation and not...

...coming into session to deal with this. But all you see being reported is the $400 million dollars "scandal." I mean, you can find some reports on this, but the media is running after the money/hostages thing instead. Obama was really mad; the money to contain this virus is running out, and congress, who holds the purse strings, is still on vacation. The longer they wait, the more (1) It will spread, infect and endanger people (babies most especially), and (2) the more it will end up costing us to deal with it.

See here for more: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/04/obama-says-us-funding-to-fight-zika-is-rapidly-running-out.html

It seems the republicans really want to lose everything this year, don't they? Congress included, because the moment the media does pay attention to this, when some pregnant women become infected, and congress scrambles, too late, to fund containment...it's going to be all their heads on the chopping block.

[Hortensis]

2. Global warming means tropical diseases moving north.

Global travel and urbanization will mean frequent pandemics. We'll have to deal with them. This is only one for which we have no vaccine. Others will be much more serious because they'll kill the mothers and others too and merely supportive treatment won't be nearly enough.

Just one more huge reason to vote Democrat.

[Auggie]

3. Just as these GOP fuckers planned IMO ...

Repubs will blame Obama & Democrats in an effort to sway the election, knowing the spineless media will make no effort to report the truth.

Even if they cede the POTUS election to Clinton, they're still fighting for senate, congressional and gubernatorial seats.

[Cryptoad]

4. Reckon the GOP Congress will do anything after,,,

the CDC issues a travel advisory for teh whole state of FL. ?

[No Vested Interest]

5. What was the position of Florida's Repub Congresspersons re

Zika funding?
Were any in favor of increased spending for research on the Zika virus?
It's my understanding that Repubs wanted to take funding from other areas to pay for treating Zka and funding research.

[tavernier]

6. The party of NO

just wants much less government interference.

I think they advised us Floridians to wrap our arms and legs in newspaper. and start neighborhood smudge fires to keep the mosquitos at bay. All that science nonsense to find a vaccine or a cure will just cost gubmint too much money.

[No Vested Interest]

7. That attitude should make them very vulnerable on Election Day,

now that the virus is at their back (and in some cases front) door.
Florida is so dependent on tourists and their dollars.
Large cities may have the resources to proactively fight off the mosquitos, but what happens in less populated areas, and rural areas?

[Quantess]

8. Horrible!

K & R