i was going to answer the first part, but the second part has me wonder.ing Before I do, can you show me where DeSantis ever - like ever ever - said "if you test positive, don't stay home"? If you just made it up, that's ok. Just say so and we'll go back to the "how do you get that out of it" question.
CDC Guidance: Over 90% of U.S. Population Can Drop Masks https://www.usnews.com/news/health-...ance-over-90-of-u-s-population-can-drop-masks While the pandemic is not over, experts say the US may be in for, at the very least, a "near normal" spring and summer, based on new US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. "I think the move from pandemic to endemic appears to be accelerating," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the division of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. According to the CDC's updated data on Covid-19 community levels, the number of counties with "high" Covid-19 levels dropped from about 1,200 on February 24 to 472 on March 3. The CDC recently switched how it measures community levels. The agency's old metrics looked mostly at infection levels. As the US has moved to more of a manageable phase, infection alone didn't capture the full impact of Covid-19 and the level of restrictions needed. Now, the CDC measures those levels by including rates of infection and hospital capacity. Using the new metrics, CDC data show more than 90% of US residents live in a location with low or medium Covid-19 community levels. A CNN analysis of the data finds only 7% of the US population is in a county with high Covid-19 community levels. "Rates of cases are not at a very low rate, but they are low enough and hospital capacity is good enough that it's appropriate to roll back many of the restrictions. Looking right now at these figures, for spring and summer, there's a lot of hope," said Amber D'Souza, an epidemiologist with Johns Hopkins University. "This would not have looked this good two or three months ago in the middle of the surge." In other words, in large swaths of the country, the metrics mean there's a significantly lower risk you'll get sick from Covid-19. The surge is ending...but? "This means that the current surge is abating, which is amazing news," said epidemiologist Syra Madad, senior director of the system-wide special pathogens program at NYC Health + Hospital. "But," and having lived through the pandemic the last couple of years, you knew there would be a "but." "I think it's really important to state that when people look at community transmission levels as being low, that does not mean that it's zero," Madad said. In areas considered to have high Covid-19 community levels, people need to take the usual pandemic precautions, she said. In areas at low or medium levels, masks and physical distance practices may be safely dropped. But only for some, not all people. "Obviously with low levels of the virus circulating in the community, there's a decreased chance of you coming into contact with somebody that might be infectious, but that doesn't mean that your risk is zero," Madad said. Masks and caution may still be necessary if a person is in a high-risk category for severe disease, or if they live with a young child who is still not eligible to be vaccinated or if they live with someone who is immunocompromised, and a vaccine doesn't protect them as well as a healthy individual. "We know an end of a surge does not mean an end of the pandemic," Madad said. Deaths from Covid-19 have dropped 11% from last week, but the US is still averaging 1,554 new deaths each day, according to Johns Hopkins University. It's much worse than a disease like the flu, the experts said "There are many people dying every day from coronavirus. It remains a very serious infectious disease. But we have made tremendous progress," D'Souza said. Some of the progress comes from the tools the country has developed to manage the pandemic. Tests and therapeutics have become easier to access and the Biden administration promises more are on the way. But, the experts caution, even as cases decline, people still need to watch for signs that they are sick with Covid-19. Therapeutics only really work if a person who is sick gets access to them fast. "You know whether it's monoclonal antibodies or medication, if you think you're sick, you still need to get tested right away," said Dr. Claudia Hoyen, the director of pediatric infection control at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. "It's also important to remember that there are still people who are vulnerable to severe disease." Still, 45% of the US population is unvaccinated, according to the CDC, and about 3% of the population -- around 9 million people -- are immunocompromised and vulnerable to severe disease, regardless of where they live. "Right now we're in a really great place and we should take advantage of that, but we should not forget those who are vulnerable and who should take the appropriate precautions," Hoyen said. Covid-19 is unlikely to be eradicated any time soon. People still need to be flexible and put on masks and practice physical distancing again if Covid-19 case levels get high in their area, the experts said. But, if another variant doesn't come along and evades existing vaccines and therapeutics, the new CDC numbers may mean the end of the pandemic stage of Covid-19 is near. "Clearly, it isn't over yet. There are still people we need to protect," Hoyen said. "But hopefully, maybe, just maybe this is the beginning of the end. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
US flying blind to potential COVID-19 resurgence, experts say, as states scale back on testing, data reporting Dozens of states have opted to scale back on regular data reporting. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/us-fl...covid-19-resurgence-experts/story?id=83587712
I think we got bigger issues now to deal with... Sweet Dog Abandoned At North Carolina Shelter After His Owners Complained That He's 'Gay'
As soon as airlines dropped the requirement for masks the value of requiring people to take a Covid test prior to flying became next to meaningless. Without masks anyone near someone sick on the plane was surely exposed to a Covid level high enough to get infected for hours while flying to the U.S. This is coupled with allowing inaccurate antigen tests to be used rather than requiring PCR tests. Usually a person must be sick for a couple of days already before an antigen test shows up as positive (PCR test are typically nearly immediate for detecting Covid illness but are not fast for results at 24 hours plus). US lifts COVID-19 test requirement for international travel https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/us...equirement-for-international-travel/20324264/ WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international air travelers to the U.S. take a COVID-19 test within a day before boarding their flights, easing one of the last remaining government mandates meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus. A senior administration official said the mandate expires Sunday at 12:01 a.m. EDT, saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that it's no longer necessary. The official, speaking Friday on the condition of anonymity to preview the formal announcement, said that the agency would reevaluate the need for the testing requirement every 90 days and that it could be reinstated if a troubling new variant emerges. The Biden administration put in place the testing requirement last year, as it moved away from restrictions that banned nonessential travel from several dozen countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and instead focuses on classifying individuals by the risk they pose to others. It came in conjunction with a requirement that foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions. The initial mandate allowed those who were fully vaccinated to show proof of a negative test within three days of travel, while unvaccinated people had to present a test taken within one day of travel. In November, as the highly transmissible omicron variant swept the world, the Biden administration toughened the requirement and required all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, to test within a day of travel to the U.S. Airline and tourism groups have been pressing the administration for months to eliminate the testing requirement, saying it is discouraging people from booking international trips. Many other countries have lifted their testing requirements for fully vaccinated and boosted travelers in a bit to increase tourism. In February, the groups argued the testing requirement was obsolete because of the high number of omicron cases already in every state, higher vaccinations rates and new treatments for the virus. “I’m glad CDC suspended the burdensome coronavirus testing requirement for international travelers, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support the strong recovery of our hospitality industry," Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said in a statement. The lifting of the requirement comes six weeks after a federal judge ended the CDC's mask requirement for mass transit, including trains, planes, buses and transit hubs, saying the agency exceeded its authority. The Biden administration is appealing that ruling, saying it aims to protect the CDC's ability to respond to future health emergencies. The official said the CDC will continue to recommend COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind as a safety precaution.
Well this was more of a push from the airlines then a Biden stroke of genius. Airlines were fed up with it I think as it might have reduced travel into U.S. where within the U.S. there are no testing requirements anymore. Europe still has some tough entry rules but glad the airlines pushed for this.