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Four Fox News Media Employees Test Positive for Coronavirus/COVID-19

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...-1285809?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

In a memo distributed to employees, the company noted that all of the affected employees' direct co-workers must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Fox News Media confirmed that a total of four employees have tested positive for the new coronavirus, confirmed Saturday afternoon in a companywide memo sent to employees and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

"We just learned in the last 90 minutes that two additional FOX News Media employees have tested positive for COVID-19," Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and Fox President Jay Wallace said in a memo obtained by Deadline on Saturday evening ET. "The total number of employees now affected stands at four, all based in our New York offices."

"On the advice of medical professionals, we have contacted all individuals who may have been affected and have instructed everyone who worked directly with these two employees to be quarantined for 14 days from last contact. We are continuing to take every necessary precaution and to follow every protocol which includes deep cleaning all surfaces these employees were in contact with, in addition to the daily sanitizing and disinfecting that has been performed multiple times a day throughout all areas of the building," the memo added.

So far there are reports that Fox News will advise staff members to get into quarantine for prevention measures. Note this move is similar to how NBC News and MSNBC had to deal with COVID-19 when the now deceased staff members was revealed to be tested positive for COVID-19 at their NYC offices.

For Fox News I say something similar the Washington D.C. and Los Angeles offices will have to be on standby just in case the NYC offices would have to be closed the same way CBS News had to close down their NYC offices due to the COVID-19 scares.
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/...lan-murdoch.html?referringSource=articleShare

The chief executive of Fox News, Suzanne Scott, reacted swiftly to the threat of the coronavirus in late February: She ordered the bright, open new offices disinfected, installed hand sanitizer stations around the office and boldly canceled the company’s major ad sales event.

But her influence doesn’t extend to the most important part of Fox News: its programming in prime time.

There, for two crucial weeks in late February and early March, powerful Fox hosts talked about the “real” story of the coronavirus: It was a Democratic- and media-led plot against President Donald J. Trump. Hosts and guests, speaking to Fox’s predominately elderly audience, repeatedly played down the threat of what would soon become a deadly pandemic.

The person who could have stopped the flow of misinformation was Ms. Scott’s boss, Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executive of the Fox Corporation. But he wasn’t paying much attention. The 48-year-old heir to his family’s media fortune was focused instead on buying a streaming company called Tubi for $440 million, a person who has spoken to him said. The acquisition would drive “long-term growth,” he proudly announced in a news release on March 17.


The problem here is that Suzanne Scott and Lachlan Murdoch are forced to deal with political pressure on how to handle Fox News.
 
One of the Fox News talent to have been tested positive for COVID-19 is Jedediah Bila of Fox and Friends.

Fox News host Jedediah Bila revealed Thursday she has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The “Fox & Friends” weekend anchor wrote on Instagram, “I know I’ve been a little MIA. I’m actually at home recovering from Covid-19. I’m very much on the mend, so please don’t worry. My husband is also recovering well at home and Hartley luckily did not get sick,” she wrote, referencing her baby son and adding a grateful emoji.

She continued, “This is a crazy time in the world, full of so much anxiety and fear. I’ve learned so much this past week and done so much thinking. Know that I’m sending love, peace, and good energy from my family to yours. I’ll be sharing more in coming weeks. Thank you for your messages. I love and miss you all.”
https://www.thewrap.com/fox-friends...diah-bila-says-shes-recovering-from-covid-19/
 
Fox hosts, particularly Laura Ingram and Toni Lathrem, are hell-bent on Trump re-opening the economy and sending everyone back to crowded workplaces immediately. Interesting.
 
State by state should be the way to go. The IHME models are my friend right now.
I think WA/CA/CO can gradually open things up beginning in May. But states like FL/VA/MA are in trouble through early June. I think Gov. Northam had it correct with extending the stay-home order to 6/10/20 in Virginia. Nationally I don't see the U.S 100% out of it before the vaccine comes out (winter-spring 2021??) but hopefully mostly open during the summer of this year. Then doctors/scientists/Fauci etc. should be using all of that time to come up with the next strategy if we have the dreaded '2nd wave'. What medicines will work, how many ventilators should they order, etc.
 
State by state should be the way to go.

The problem is having a national news network that is preaching something else. And they make it seem like to do otherwise is unpatriotic and wrong.

Which may be understandable if you're not sick. And most of these folks aren't sick.
 
State by state should be the way to go. The IHME models are my friend right now.
I think WA/CA/CO can gradually open things up beginning in May. But states like FL/VA/MA are in trouble through early June. I think Gov. Northam had it correct with extending the stay-home order to 6/10/20 in Virginia. Nationally I don't see the U.S 100% out of it before the vaccine comes out (winter-spring 2021??) but hopefully mostly open during the summer of this year. Then doctors/scientists/Fauci etc. should be using all of that time to come up with the next strategy if we have the dreaded '2nd wave'. What medicines will work, how many ventilators should they order, etc.

LA has extended the stay at home orders until at least May 15; they will reevaluate then to see if further extensions are needed. Other counties are likely to do the same.

Hopefully, there will be some treatments to reduce the impact of the virus while they are working on a vaccine. There are certainly enough doctors and scientists and chemists and biologists working on this around the world to allow some hope for those in the "at risk" categories in the meantime.
 
A discussion on how and when to open the economy is certainly to be had. I haven't seen any media personalty (Fox news or otherwise) suggest that it should be open tomorrow or that it is going to be 100% when it does open. You're not going see baseball or basketball stadiums full of people on the first day. Some places will be able to open sooner than others. This is not going to be so black and white as some try to make it out to be.
 
I have no doubt in my mind that national parks/city & county parks/hiking trails/etc. will come back first with (in some cases) massive social distancing control by rangers and police. Seattle SHUT DOWN most of the park system for Easter weekend because they are worried people are spreading COVID-19 with the warm-ish weather. Understandable...we are not out of it albeit passed the peak. That doesn't mean 'it's over, go back to work'.
Restaurants will probably follow a phase system too. Post-stay-home orders, fast food will eventually open half cap. Same with some sit-in restaurants like Applebee's, Red Lobster & Cracker Barrel, all at half cap to begin.
Even the amusement park corporations, who are far down the non-essential totem pole, are probably deciding which will likely open in late June and which will open in July-August. And who goes into the parks - what control is needed - what attractions need to be limited, etc. I can see Disneyland opening 2 or 3 weeks earlier than Disney World just because CA has done a better job with the stay-home orders. DeSantis has been criticized many times in FL.

So in terms of the economy, it will take some time (and maybe another wave of this virus) to even begin a recovery. Unemployment is bound to rise even more and as everyone goes to furloughs, unemployment requests will skyrocket even more later in the month. For example, Disneyland/WDW have a total of 92,000 employees. Many thousands are non-union going into furlough on the 19th and the requests for unemployment will skyrocket in CA and FL.
 
Hmmm. A couple days ago, Laura Ingraham has she wants the entire country open on May 1st:

https://thepoliticalinsider.com/laura-ingraham-trump-should-re-open-country-on-may-1st/

The president himself on Thursday wants it as an "explosion." Previously they all talked about Easter. That's tomorrow.

Laura Ingraham also tweeted out having the government experts give out the best guidance on protocols when opening up. Dr Facui said on CNN Friday that there will be a large number of antibody test available in about a week, if true this is a big deal. Using the models the experts can see what states can open first (mostly states in the west with low population) have the antibody test readily available and have treatments available without any local or state government bans, if all of this can happen in the next few weeks maybe some places can open by May 1st, that would be a very aggressive timeline.

In a Washington Post article today it said the president would largely leave it up to local and state governments when to open things up.
 
Not exactly...he called it "the biggest decision of my life."

This is OT, but between now and the end of the month the Federal government will have to decide if they are going to extend the current guidelines or loosen up/create new ones to allow some to go back to work, of course local and state order may override these guidelines. It would be a big decision for any president and for any local or state leader too.
 
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May 4th is the end of WA's stay-at-home order and Inslee could be restricting it further. As you know I use the IHME models. It shows 179 beds needed on May 4th, about as much as March 10th, a couple days before Inslee shut down schools. I am NOT calling for everything to be lifted because everyone including Inslee knows that deaths will climb by the 4th of July. But I think by May 4th at least open the hiking trails and state parks back up to solo visits and/or small parties of less than 5 family members. I know the closures are necessary right now, and I did see this controversial picture from Rattlesnake Ledge in North Bend prior to the shutdown of trails (this seriously CANNOT happen when the order is lifted. At least not until July-ish) https://i.redd.it/5bfuj9xgj4o41.jpg
but do allow for us to keep 6 feet distance on trails that aren't filled with snow. Blessing there's still a couple of local trails not maintained by WA state/USFS that are still open, and people are still doing the right socially-distanced thing.

I've also looked at the models for other states. Oregon's curve is longer yet the deaths will be much lower, but the final death will be a few weeks after WA's suspecting full distancing. New York recorded 783 deaths yesterday and I have a feeling 700+ will be the numbers for about 3-4 days before it drops down. The Northeast and Mid Atlantic keep getting hammered for another 7 or 8 weeks before things die off to a sustainable point.
The anti-body tests might work as well. Hopefully it will give us a better insight as to when some of the states might open.

I've also heard reports of a vaccine being tested at Oxford by Sarah Gilbert, which could be out by September if things work out. Bloomberg has that story:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...us-vaccine-could-be-ready-in-six-months-times
 
State by state should be the way to go. The IHME models are my friend right now.
I think WA/CA/CO can gradually open things up beginning in May. But states like FL/VA/MA are in trouble through early June. I think Gov. Northam had it correct with extending the stay-home order to 6/10/20 in Virginia. Nationally I don't see the U.S 100% out of it before the vaccine comes out (winter-spring 2021??) but hopefully mostly open during the summer of this year. Then doctors/scientists/Fauci etc. should be using all of that time to come up with the next strategy if we have the dreaded '2nd wave'. What medicines will work, how many ventilators should they order, etc.

area by area rather than state by state is the way to go, upstate NY and downstate IL haven't been hit hard
 
I have no doubt in my mind that national parks/city & county parks/hiking trails/etc. will come back first with (in some cases) massive social distancing control by rangers and police. Seattle SHUT DOWN most of the park system for Easter weekend because they are worried people are spreading COVID-19 with the warm-ish weather. Understandable...we are not out of it albeit passed the peak. That doesn't mean 'it's over, go back to work'.
Restaurants will probably follow a phase system too. Post-stay-home orders, fast food will eventually open half cap. Same with some sit-in restaurants like Applebee's, Red Lobster & Cracker Barrel, all at half cap to begin.
Even the amusement park corporations, who are far down the non-essential totem pole, are probably deciding which will likely open in late June and which will open in July-August. And who goes into the parks - what control is needed - what attractions need to be limited, etc. I can see Disneyland opening 2 or 3 weeks earlier than Disney World just because CA has done a better job with the stay-home orders. DeSantis has been criticized many times in FL.

So in terms of the economy, it will take some time (and maybe another wave of this virus) to even begin a recovery. Unemployment is bound to rise even more and as everyone goes to furloughs, unemployment requests will skyrocket even more later in the month. For example, Disneyland/WDW have a total of 92,000 employees. Many thousands are non-union going into furlough on the 19th and the requests for unemployment will skyrocket in CA and FL.

Six Flags and Cedar Fair plan mid-May openings for their parks, but they attract mostly local crowds unlike Disney and Universal
 
area by area rather than state by state is the way to go, upstate NY and downstate IL haven't been hit hard

The problem would be to keep people within their geographical area. We are a mobile society.

The other issue is undiagnosed people spreading the virus. Yesterday a musician reported on Twitter that he was diagnosed with the virus yet has no symptoms. Until more people are tested, we really don't know the full situation.
 
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