Ross: The virus is out of control, but how did we get here?
Jul 8, 2020, 8:49 AM | Updated: 10:58 am
A medical worker explains paperwork to a patient at a COVID-19 testing center on July 7, 2020 in Austin, Texas. Along with Florida and Arizona, coronavirus cases in Texas have spiked recently. (Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, July 7, the anchor opened with this story:
“We鈥檙e going to begin tonight with breaking news and that dire new projection showing that coronavirus could kill more than 200,000 Americans by November 1st.”
That sounds crazy, right? Compare that to the lead story for the Evening News back on March 7:
“Breaking news about the spreading coronavirus. There are now 420 cases across 29 states.”
NINETEEN deaths, and 420 cases? And that was breaking news!
Fast forward a month to April 7:
“We鈥檙e gonna begin with breaking news. The death toll has more than tripled in seven days to 12,000.”
12,000.
Jump ahead to May 7 鈥� the push to reopen:
“Nationwide, 46 states have loosened restrictions, even though the numbers still show COVID cases rising in 28 states.”
Jump ahead to June 7 鈥� the story was urban unrest:
“Crowds under control,” the report said.
And now it鈥檚 July, COVID is back on top, and we find that the original projections, far from being OVERSTATED were UNDERSTATED by 53%.
I don鈥檛 know whether to wear a mask or scuba gear.
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