Covid infections are beginning to skyrocket again here in the Lehigh Valley. Yesterday, there were 73 new cases in Northampton and another 50 in Lehigh County. There were two deaths in Lehigh.
Before the Delta variant reared its ugly head,we nearly had it beat, but a third wave is clearly coming.
Inviting everyone to a superspreader seems like the dumbest thing local government could do. We all know many people who refuse to wear masks or get vaccines. I see no reason why they suddenly will become courteous. They have a constitutional right to get drunk and puke and piss while spreading the virus. We should all know by now what's going to happen. Social distancing will be a joke. If patrons were masks,they will be nothing more than chin diapers. Bethlehem, the Christmas City, is going to be a petri dish of Covid virus.
People are going to get sick.
Some will die.
So far as I know, no local leader has dared say a word against this. The same people who supported a business lockdown are unwilling to stop the foo-foos from pretending to enjoy themselves.
Updated 8:30 am: Right now, nonprofits areapplying for grants for money lost as a result of the pandemic. Artsquest should receive no reward for irresponsibly convening a superspreader in the midst if what appears to be a new surge of the opandemic in this area.
I won't be attending Musikfest, either. Instead, I'll be on a Green Peace sailboat moored off Martha's Vineyard on Friday watching our betters arrive in their yachts and private jets for BOH's 60th birthday bash.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently in negotiations with my adult children, trying to dissuade them from going.
ReplyDeleteWe typically enjoy Musikfest but will be staying away this year as well even though we are vaxxed. Even though most things are outside, large crowds will not be distanced at all and masks will be haphazard. As you say, booze will lower inhibitions for a public already weary of this damn thing. This variant is much more contagious than the original. Northampton County is going to spike even more. BTW, thanks so much all you anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers. We could all have been enjoying A LOT more freedom now if you hadn't been just worried about yours.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently in negotiations with my adult children, trying to dissuade them from going.
ReplyDeleteBut O'[Bama will have a big party this weekend.
ReplyDelete12:26 BLAME the city of Bethlehem anyone in their right mind would not allow this...they will close city hall but invite thousands to attend this alcholic festival...good job Mayor Donchez ..you ass..you cant even make a good decision when peoples lives are at stake....
ReplyDeleteOMG. 2 deaths in Lehigh. Shut it all down. We're all going to die. We have everything to fear including fear itself. Cancel everything. It's for the children.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is relying on the masks to save you, forget that. They have been shown to be useless in this crisis. Best bet for YOU is to just stay home. I haven’t attended since the first few years and don’t plan to attend even if everyone there wore space suits.
ReplyDeleteFake blog will not print the truth
ReplyDeleteMoney may be the focus.
ReplyDeleteI've reached the point where I no longer give a shit about people who refuse to get vaccinated, or won't wear a mask in these gatherings. If Q-Anon sheeple are too stupid to understand the science, too suspicious to believe the government, or too brainwashed by ultra-right conservative politicians and fake news programs, then it's time for Darwinism to do its thing.
ReplyDeleteLet nature cull the fools. You can't fix "stupid."
You are most welcome, 12:26 AM
ReplyDeleteWith 80% of the state first shot vaccinated, per Gov. Wolf, why is this a problem? When does this end? Is it 85% vaccinated? 90? 100? I smell authoritarians stretching out the panic. This is their moment and their struggling to keep the panic alive. Seriously, 80% per Tom Wolf. WTF? Do vaccines not work? Were we duped?
ReplyDeleteSee Bern, you have a choice. Your choice should not inhibit others from having the same choice.
ReplyDeleteLive with knowing others don't do exactly what you want of them.
Remember. He did not have an opinion. This whole article seems based on his own opinion. People have the right to do what they wish. Do not attend. Do not go grocery shopping. Do not go for gas. Do not go for coffee. DO NOTHING!
Delete"With 80% of the state first shot vaccinated, per Gov. Wolf, why is this a problem? "
ReplyDelete1) Because 80% of the state is NOT vaccinated. It's 52.6%.Thius is why people like you are not published. You lie. https://www.google.com/search?q=vaccination+pa&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS880US880&oq=vaccination+pa+&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.7148j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
2) Because the Delta variant is as contagious as the chicken pox and can be spread by people who are vaccinated. https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/CDC-says-the-delta-variant-is-as-contagious-as-16356370.php
I refuse to post anti-mask comments from people who wear them like chin diapers. Of course they are not effective at all when people do not wear them properly.
ReplyDelete"See Bern, you have a choice. Your choice should not inhibit others from having the same choice.
ReplyDeleteLive with knowing others don't do exactly what you want of them."
When others kill people, there are consequences. The right to do as one wishes ends when it begins to interfere with the basic right to live.
Having said that, I would oppose shutting down Musikfest. I would encourage them to remain virtual or very strcly enforce social distancing, which I think will be impossible. Also, when Artsquest holds its handout for $, the government should answer with a resounding No.
6:30 true true true-this is a left wing blog will not report on the democratic cities, the border situation, inflation or how Biden is doing as our leader
ReplyDeleteI understand ArtsQuest needing Musikfest money in order to survive, it’s their biggest moneymaker, but this is reckless. I enjoy parts of Musikfest, but not this year. It will be a super spreader much like Lolipalusa in Chicago.
ReplyDeleteObama has drastically scaled back his 60th BD party.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-cancel-birthday-bash/2021/08/04/99a8b3c6-f50b-11eb-a49b-d96f2dac0942_story.html
I am interested to see how Musikfest controls its indoor events, and the large outdoor concerts sound like they could be a covid transmission hotbed in the making.
Still on the fence if we will go.
What everyone forgets is that they people who show up at the event without masks for Muskifest may be locals but the vast majority come from outside the county. So those people that get sick and die don't count against the county. So the chase of money is more important when the blame won't blast back on you.
ReplyDelete@6:08
ReplyDeleteWhere are you getting you facts about masks not working (NewsMAXX, Fox) or some other facebook posts that has no basis in fact? Hopefully you have the ability to post where you are getting your information because your thoughts and spew seem to be flawed.
What idiot can seriously argue that vaccines ever were promoted as being 100% effective? Then again, if you get vaccinated you have a 100% chance of improving your odds of staying healthy and, if not, alive.
ReplyDeleteThe same with masks. They are a lot less effective than vaccines, of course, but certainly help to stop the spread of infection.
As they say, none are so blind...
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI've reached the point where I no longer give a shit about people who refuse to get vaccinated, or won't wear a mask in these gatherings. If Q-Anon sheeple are too stupid to understand the science, too suspicious to believe the government, or too brainwashed by ultra-right conservative politicians and fake news programs, then it's time for Darwinism to do its thing.
Let nature cull the fools. You can't fix "stupid."
I AGREE 100% with you let Darwin prevail
What are you talking about if a person who is forced to work with the general public and not have the ability to stay away from that person it is perfectly ok. You walk around saying there is is no threat. There is no hazard. Oh I forgot that's only for the COs and other ppl in 24 hour operations. you can cry and say I'm not going out because of the hazard but other ppl go to work and want to be compensated with the funds given by the federal government. No give it to the ppl who sit at home. Like your gonna.
ReplyDeleteBernie:
ReplyDeleteThanks for continuing to post about this topic. As you can see from the comments there there is a lot of emotion and very little agreement on the actual facts. So I have a series of questions on that.
President Biden has said that if you are vaccinated that you will not get COVID - is this a true statement or not?
If it is then those are vaccinated should have no concern about coming into contact with someone who has not been vaccinated - is this a true statement or not?
You wrote that 52.6% of the population is vaccinated. And according to the link you provided (thanks)that means over 6.7 million Pennsylvanians are fully vaccinated.
The 52.6% is calculated based on the total population for PA and thus includes school aged kids.
According to a July 8th article in The Wall Street Journal, 99.995% of the 469,982 children in England who were infected during the year examined by researchers survived
Since the 47.4% of Pennsylvanians who have not been vaccinated includes school aged kids (who have not been approved for the vaccine and are way less impacted by COVID) shouldn't we account for that when assessing the actual vaccinate rate? Adjusting for the number of students listed by the PA Dept. of Education a more realistic number for those that are fully vaccinated is 61%.
https://www.education.pa.gov/DataAndReporting/Enrollment/Pages/PublicSchEnrReports.aspx
In other words, one could say that the vaccination rate among those that are at risk is actually higher than 52.6%? Is that a true statement or not?
The Delta variant is more contagious but it is not more virulent (i.e. deadly) - is this a true statement or not?
If this is true then that should be a reason for those who are elderly or at risk to get vaccinated but not necessarily a rational for making sure a 20 year old gets vaccinated.
Face it, you are all going to get it sooner or later. It is a virus, it will spread until everyone has had it.
ReplyDelete10:53, Your "questions," strewn as they are with misstatements, are designed to support the conclusion that the pandemic is nothing about which we should be concerned. I will nevertheless answer them tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteMichael Osterholm. Former covid advisor to president Biden...check it out. Says masks don't work except maybe curtail some cough particles. This isn't fiction you can read this. Just came out. I've said it a million times. I wear masks. But please be honest about what works and produce masks that are effective so we can go on with living!! Bernie this is true news. Will you post it?
ReplyDelete10:53 - You're a quick one!
ReplyDeleteI suspect Bernie did alright cash-wise during the pandemic and is just like every other sponge in wanting the fear to continue and be followed by mo money, mo money, mo money. Shiftless title searcher bought lots of fun stuff with our dough. His tale repeats and repeats while he and they pray for an ongoing state of emergency - and still more free cash. Our new country is a real piece of work.
ReplyDeleteI am SO fed up with everything Covid. The mask brigade, the anti-maskers, the vaccinated, the hold-outs, whiplash from the nearly daily policy changes, etc. With that said, never once have I heard that a vaccinated person (as I am) can’t get Covid. In fact, I have heard that the vaccinated can get Covid to a much lesser degree, therefore it offers (probable) life-saving protection. The flu shot doesn’t prevent the flu (I had the flu despite getting the shot), but it helps to make your case less severe. I have friends who are militant on both sides of this issue and they will do what they think is best for them. I didn’t want the vaccine, but I knew it was best for the community. Perhaps if we started thinking more about others, life would be better and Covid would be history.
ReplyDeleteStop flaming the fire of fear. It is demonic and speaks to a more inhumane approach to dealing with others under the guise of compassion
ReplyDeleteWhat all the naysayers ignore is that humans of all ages are capable of SPREADING the virus. But hey, Newsmax is run by people who only play MDs on TV.
ReplyDeletenOboma is having a super spreader too!
ReplyDeleteForget the Fest! Corporate money grab at the expense of the sheep's health and wallets. Just say NO! Go see a movie instead and visit a local restaurant. Bethlehem Cith should be ashamed to let this event proceed under the circumstances. Get ready to count the dead two weeks from now.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"nOboma is having a super spreader too!
August 4, 2021 at 5:16 PM"
Not the case- Keep up dude, you are way behind the news.
As long as Musikfest pays for all medical expenses and hospital stays for COVID victims.
ReplyDeleteIf everyone simply takes a knee at the start of the Fest, it should purchase a sufficient indulgence to carry forth.
ReplyDeleteToday, on the local TV news, it was stated that Musikfest was in close contact with the governmental public health agencies about the pandemic. It showed video of large crowds packed closely together and unmasked. I wonder what the Bethlehem Health Bureau thinks about this fiasco and whether the Mayor has censored the local health folks. What a joke. In this morning's "local" newspaper Associated Press bemoans the Sturgis Motorcycle as a spreader of the virus. I guess the folks attending Musikfest and Bethlehem think that only those "irresponsible" bikers spread the virus. Maybe the beer at Musikfest has some protective antiviral ingredient. I guess it has been decided that the virus is not a big deal in Bethlehem. It must be tough for the nurses and other health care folks in ICUs to see this going on.
ReplyDeleteI will be attending 3 days. I am vax'd. If you don't want to go, don't. It's pretty simple. Personal choice. If you're concerned stay home. If you are vax'd and still afraid, stay home.
ReplyDeleteCovidfest 2021 brought to you by Delta Airlines, Mucinex and St Luke's Hospital
ReplyDelete