Day 238: Wantonly or Recklessly

On the international COVID scene, the news puts Spain at 700,000 cases after a week of about 10,000 cases a day (fueled by improved testing). Worldometers already has them at 735,000 cases (and at #7); #11 France is also experiencing record case counts, bringing them close to 500,000 cases total. Hospitalization and death rates there are also three to four times higher now than in August. Lower down on the list, #44 Poland is rapidly approaching the China mark.

In domestic news, Virginia Governor Dr. Ralph Northam and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus. He claims to be asymptomatic; they may have caught it from the hired help at the Executive Mansion.

In Michigan, 500,000 residents are petitioning to revoke the open-ended Emergency Powers of Governor Act, one of two Michigan laws permitting the Governor to declare a state of emergency. If they succeed (either by the legislature voting in favor of it or, failing that, by ballot initiative), the remaining law will require that a state of emergency be renewed by the legislature on a monthly basis. It seems the Republican legislature is expected to approve the petition, but it may take up to 100 days for the government to certify at least 340,047 of the signatures.

The New York Times reports the Massachusetts grand jury indictment of superintendent Bennett Walsh and medical director Dr. David Clinton, formerly of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.

Each man was indicted on five counts for two charges; the specific charges were for caretakers who “wantonly or recklessly” permit or cause bodily injury and abuse, neglect or mistreatment of an older or disabled person.

P.S. Massachusetts' cases were up three sevenths of a percentage point again today.