'There's no help coming before the election': Indiana's RV capital faces its worst coronavirus outbr

[douglas9]

The worst of the pandemic is hitting Elkhart County, Ind., just days before the election. The number of new coronavirus cases is exploding. Positive test rates are three times the national average. Local hospitals are running low on beds, their doctors and nurses exhausted.

Yet Elkhart’s public health leaders and politicians know exactly what needs to be done — how to slow the virus and break the chains of transmission. They did it with success during a smaller outbreak this summer.

But they also know that’s not going to happen now.

“There’s no help coming before the election,” said Lydia Mertz, the county’s health officer, describing the delay — which might stretch on for weeks — as “extremely alarming.”

“I think right now some elected officials are just looking to get through the first weeks of November before they do anything unpopular,” said Dan Nafziger, chief medical officer at Goshen Hospital, referring to the restrictions seen in the state earlier this year that he believes are needed again.

“Without a doubt, the election is a factor,” said Mike Yoder, a Republican county commissioner.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/10/29/elkhart-indiana-covid-outbreak-election/?utm_source=reddit.com

[beachbumbob]

1. hard to feel ANY sympathy for Indiana and who controls their state govt

[PJMcK]

2. Indiana: Pence was their governor

That should tell us all we need to know about the Indiana electorate.

Thankfully, there are loyal and devoted Democrats in the state. They have my support.

[DBoon]

4. and he allowed an explosion in HIV cases

because to do anything would be to admit inter-venous drug use was a problem and medically accepted remedies should be used like needle exchanges.

[Blues Heron]

3. you would think death and disease would be unpopular

But not in 21st century dumfuqistan. Dah.

[Sylvarose]

5. Insight from a Hoosier.

I live in IN. I was born here. I grew up less than an hour away from Mishawaka which is in St. Joseph County and trends Democratic. It has voted for Democratic in four of the last 5 elections including 2016. and has voted Democratic. It's only 10 miles from Elkhart where Mayor Pete is from. My mother used to work up in that area in the 70s while I was growing up.

My best friend lives in Mishawaka. She's a hospice nurse and has worked since the beginning of this pandemic. She has treated COVID patients and there hasn't been a day since March that I haven't worried about her. In fact, there have been more than a few days where I've had to listen to her fears and frustrations.

My Dad is a 76-year-old blue-collar retiree and is NOT a Trumper. He can't stand Trump and hasn't really had much respect for the GOP since Kerry. He cast his absentee ballot weeks ago to make sure it got in on time. Early on in the pandemic, he could not find a mask anywhere so I went to Amazon and bought him several.

Yes, IN is a red state, but that's not the whole story. We are not all right-wingers. I live in a very blue part of the state where the electorate fights very hard to get the state to move to the left.

However, politics aside, there are good people who believe in science and they deserve to be written off because of politicians' indifference anymore than they deserve to get sick because their neighbors won't wear a mask.

There are those here who are doing their very best to fight the spread of this virus despite the lack of leadership at the state and national levels. I'm lucky enough to have an employer who has is mandating me to work from home since March and is committed that will be the way until the experts say it safe to do so otherwise. Currently, that may not be well into next year.

I won't be seeing my Dad, my family, or friends for the holidays unless it's by Facetime or Zoom.

Anyway...IN, like so many states, is getting hit hard and its sad politics has to come into play.

[Missn-Hitch]

6. Who cares? And that is my birthplace and I have family there - tRumpers they are.

They'll be fine. They will pray about it.

I had a "friend" from the Elkhart area post something like, "It's amazing how atheists won't believe in a God they cannot see but will believe in a virus they cannot see." Of course, I sent her an electron microscope image of the virus.

DUMB people have taken over the state. So be it.