Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Orange County, Florida issues "state of emergency" as Delta variant cases rise.
This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by JudyM (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).
Source: Business Insider
Orange County, FL is home to many theme parks such as Disney World, Universal, also the city of Orlando.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-variant-orange-county-florida-declares-state-of-emergency-2021-7
Time to mask up down there, folks.
19 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Especially when you have such pent up demand from people - particularly those who traditionally made places like Disney a "yearly" vacation spot.
The OP article indicated that about 52.6% of the residents of the county are vaccinated but that is irrelevant when you literally have tens of millions of tourists going there year round. 
but ONLY if the mitigation strategies get implemented (mask mandates - whether by governments and/or businesses), vaccinations, and other restrictions (event sizes, etc), and that hastens the drop in the level of spread. 
In this particular case, I wouldn't use the UK as an analogy because the UK also implemented NATIONAL LOCK DOWNS when Delta first hit and the U.S. has no plans to do any such thing.
UK Prime Minister imposes harsh lockdown as new Covid-19 variant spreads
By Tara John, Luke McGee and Nada Bashir, CNN
Updated 4:46 AM ET, Tue January 5, 2021
(CNN) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reimposed a lockdown in England on Monday as a more transmissible variant of Covid-19 fuels a surge in infections and hospitalizations in the country. It is clear that we need to do more to bring this new variant under control," Johnson said. "That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home."
During his televised address to the nation, Johnson reimposed measures seen during the first lockdown last spring, including closures of secondary and primary schools to all except the children of key workers and vulnerable children. He added that this means it will not be "possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal," and alternative arrangements are being put in place.
People will be allowed to leave their homes for limited reasons like shopping for essentials, exercise, and medical assistance. Johnson also said people could still leave home "to escape domestic abuse" -- an issue that arose earlier during the pandemic, as isolation and lockdown conditions exacerbated barriers to escape for victims of domestic violence. International departures are now limited to those who have "a legally permitted reason," such as work. Outdoor sports venues will have to close.
But unlike spring's lockdown, nurseries will not be shuttered, elite sports can go ahead, and places of worship will remain open on the basis that attendees adhere to social distancing rules. The lockdown is expected to remain in place at least through the middle of February. His announcement follows that of Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who announced a lockdown that will begin on midnight, Tuesday, local time. Wales and Northern Ireland -- the other nations of the UK -- are already in lockdown.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/04/uk/uk-lockdown-covid-19-boris-johnson-intl/index.html
By Tara John, Luke McGee and Nada Bashir, CNN
Updated 4:46 AM ET, Tue January 5, 2021
(CNN) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reimposed a lockdown in England on Monday as a more transmissible variant of Covid-19 fuels a surge in infections and hospitalizations in the country. It is clear that we need to do more to bring this new variant under control," Johnson said. "That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home."
During his televised address to the nation, Johnson reimposed measures seen during the first lockdown last spring, including closures of secondary and primary schools to all except the children of key workers and vulnerable children. He added that this means it will not be "possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal," and alternative arrangements are being put in place.
People will be allowed to leave their homes for limited reasons like shopping for essentials, exercise, and medical assistance. Johnson also said people could still leave home "to escape domestic abuse" -- an issue that arose earlier during the pandemic, as isolation and lockdown conditions exacerbated barriers to escape for victims of domestic violence. International departures are now limited to those who have "a legally permitted reason," such as work. Outdoor sports venues will have to close.
But unlike spring's lockdown, nurseries will not be shuttered, elite sports can go ahead, and places of worship will remain open on the basis that attendees adhere to social distancing rules. The lockdown is expected to remain in place at least through the middle of February. His announcement follows that of Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who announced a lockdown that will begin on midnight, Tuesday, local time. Wales and Northern Ireland -- the other nations of the UK -- are already in lockdown.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/04/uk/uk-lockdown-covid-19-boris-johnson-intl/index.html
And then he kept extending it and extending it. Initial attempt -
Boris Johnson lays out go-slow plan to take England out of lockdown by summer
Luke McGee
By Luke McGee, CNN
Updated 12:04 PM ET, Wed February 24, 2021
London (CNN) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a four-step roadmap to take England out of its Covid-19 lockdown, declaring Monday that the nation was on a "one-way road to freedom."
The country has been in full national lockdown since January 4, after a new, more transmissible variant of coronavirus was discovered in southeast England. All being well, Johnson's government is hopeful that most of the economy will be able to open before the end of June.
As he announced the plan on Monday, the Prime Minister stressed that the four steps would be decided by "data not dates," and emphasized that they would be subject to change. Downing Street officials were keen to explain that this caution was in order to avoid future restrictions that would further damage the economy.
"There is ... no credible route to a Zero Covid Britain or indeed a Zero Covid World and we cannot persist indefinitely with restrictions that debilitate our economy, our physical and mental well-being, and the life chances of our children," Johnson said. "This roadmap should be cautious but also irreversible."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/uk/boris-johnson-england-lockdown-cnn-intl-uk-vaccine-gbr/index.html
Luke McGee
By Luke McGee, CNN
Updated 12:04 PM ET, Wed February 24, 2021
London (CNN) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a four-step roadmap to take England out of its Covid-19 lockdown, declaring Monday that the nation was on a "one-way road to freedom."
The country has been in full national lockdown since January 4, after a new, more transmissible variant of coronavirus was discovered in southeast England. All being well, Johnson's government is hopeful that most of the economy will be able to open before the end of June.
As he announced the plan on Monday, the Prime Minister stressed that the four steps would be decided by "data not dates," and emphasized that they would be subject to change. Downing Street officials were keen to explain that this caution was in order to avoid future restrictions that would further damage the economy.
"There is ... no credible route to a Zero Covid Britain or indeed a Zero Covid World and we cannot persist indefinitely with restrictions that debilitate our economy, our physical and mental well-being, and the life chances of our children," Johnson said. "This roadmap should be cautious but also irreversible."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/uk/boris-johnson-england-lockdown-cnn-intl-uk-vaccine-gbr/index.html
And then when that didn't work out at the end of the time frame, another extension happened -
Boris Johnson extends current lockdown rules in England due to concerns over delta Covid variant
Published Mon, Jun 14 20212:51 AM EDT Updated Mon, Jun 14 20212:49 PM EDT
Elliot Smith
LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday announced a delay of four weeks to the next phase of England’s lockdown reopening, amid a surge in the delta variant of Covid-19 first discovered in India.
Rules on the use of face masks, limiting the number of people who can meet indoors and out, and shutting nightclubs and similar venues were due to be lifted June 21, but that has now been pushed back to July 19. At the moment, gatherings are limited to six people indoors and 30 outdoors.
Johnson said at a news conference Monday evening that he thought it was sensible to wait just a little longer. “As things stand, and on the evidence that I can see right now. I’m confident that we will not need more than four weeks,” he told reporters.
New figures from Public Health England indicate that 42,323 cases of the delta variant of the coronavirus have now been confirmed across the U.K., an increase of 240% from last week, while the country’s transmission rate is at its highest since January.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/14/uks-boris-johnson-to-extend-covid-19-restrictions-in-england-reports.html
Published Mon, Jun 14 20212:51 AM EDT Updated Mon, Jun 14 20212:49 PM EDT
Elliot Smith
LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday announced a delay of four weeks to the next phase of England’s lockdown reopening, amid a surge in the delta variant of Covid-19 first discovered in India.
Rules on the use of face masks, limiting the number of people who can meet indoors and out, and shutting nightclubs and similar venues were due to be lifted June 21, but that has now been pushed back to July 19. At the moment, gatherings are limited to six people indoors and 30 outdoors.
Johnson said at a news conference Monday evening that he thought it was sensible to wait just a little longer. “As things stand, and on the evidence that I can see right now. I’m confident that we will not need more than four weeks,” he told reporters.
New figures from Public Health England indicate that 42,323 cases of the delta variant of the coronavirus have now been confirmed across the U.K., an increase of 240% from last week, while the country’s transmission rate is at its highest since January.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/14/uks-boris-johnson-to-extend-covid-19-restrictions-in-england-reports.html
Those were all "national lockdowns". There is no such thing here in the U.S.
