Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Springfield, New Bedford: home, costs, assess)

[yesmaybe]

Hospitalizations are down to 136. I believe that is a new low.

[htfdcolt]

Let me bring us back on topic!

33 new cases, 0 deaths. Man, I do hope we have turned the corner permanently!

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/...ations-sunday/

[BostonMike7]

Is this the first 0 death day since last March?

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

Is this the first 0 death day since last March?

No. There was a random zero death day in May.

https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/05...ly-vaccinated/

[yesmaybe]

Data is wrong. There was a death in Hampden county but Barnstable had -1 deaths. I guess they have the ability to revive people on the Cape.

[OutdoorLover]

Good news from Novavax - they report that a preliminary analysis of their Phase III Covid-19 vaccine data shows 90% efficacy. And of course it's been evaluated during a later time period than the Moderna and BioNTech/Pfizer vaccines were, and when troublesome variants are more common. So it may be performing as well or better than the latter.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...ine-effective/

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Left Boston at about 4:30 to head north for the weekend - traffic on 93 was the worst we’ve experienced since before the pandemic. Not quite pre-Covid Memorial Day weekend levels, but big backups until about the NH line.

I drove down to the Cape in the middle of last Thursday afternoon - it wasn't horrible traffic, but given the hour and the weekday, it was surprisingly bad. Lost at least half an hour due to the sluggishness on I-93 and the northern part of Rte 3.

[mdovell]

When it comes down to it we have the reopenings by the same point many of the international borders are not fully open. So as a result you got people that are staying more closer to home and that's jacking up prices and everything else. I still can't believe the Canadian border is an open and probably won't for at least the end of the summer. This of course also affects immigration going to Boston because if they can't come here they're not going to spend as much for money here.

Meanwhile the government is pumping in money and yet our interest rates really aren't that high so I'm betting we're going to have to have some form of inflation soon.

If the feds can pass an infrastructure bill that should help alleviate some of these concerns.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by mdovell

I still can't believe the Canadian border is an open and probably won't for at least the end of the summer.

It's not that surprising considering how far behind Canada is on their vaccination rates. Once they catch up, the border will be open.

Originally Posted by mdovell

Meanwhile the government is pumping in money and yet our interest rates really aren't that high so I'm betting we're going to have to have some form of inflation soon.

If the feds can pass an infrastructure bill that should help alleviate some of these concerns.

Don't look now but inflation is already here. It has been creeping up for a long time and now is surging. Anyone paying attention to their normal expenditures knows this. The government measures of inflation are manipulated and not reliable.

Our government spending trillions of additional dollars is certainly not the solution to this and will add more fuel to the fire. That is why members of both parties are putting the partisan politics on hold (a bit) and taking a hard look at infrastructure bills.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

It's not that surprising considering how far behind Canada is on their vaccination rates. Once they catch up, the border will be open.


Don't look now but inflation is already here. It has been creeping up for a long time and now is surging. Anyone paying attention to their normal expenditures knows this. The government measures of inflation are manipulated and not reliable.

Our government spending trillions of additional dollars is certainly not the solution to this and will add more fuel to the fire. That is why members of both parties are putting the partisan politics on hold (a bit) and taking a hard look at infrastructure bills.

Central banks keep claiming this is a temporary supply chain-driven issue and not a demand-driven issue ... and while they're obviously more qualified than I to cast that judgement, I can't help but feel a decade plus of cheap liquidity and rising COL laid the foundation for more permanent inflation.

I tend to agree with Campbell Harvey's assessment that some inflation is purely transitory (e.g., lumber/building materials), but the COL and wage increases being seen over the past 24 months are likely 'sticky' and will fuel elevated inflation numbers even as supply chain-driven inflation eases. He's not the sole respected economist beating this drum.