WHAT YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING

     From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

          DAY  USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82

July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30       3880    14748       1224       299      465

Jan     14        4142    15512        1151         189      712

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

Mar      2       1989     9490        1726       110      194

April     6        906    11787         4211       631       37

May     4        853     13667        3025      3786     59 

June    1        287    10637         2346      3205      95

 July    7         251      8440        1595        817      411

Aug     4         656    10120        1118         532      423 

Sept   22      2228      9326          839       279     124

Oct      6       2102      8255          543       315       59

Nov    3        1436      7830         186        458       23

Dec     1       1633      8475          266        477       28

Jan     7        2025      6729         148         285     140

Feb     2        2990   12012          946        991      175

Mar     2        1778     7756          335         173       28 

Apr     1          439      4056         290          52       12

May    5          225      2404          151            ?       64 

         12          222      1995           136           9       21

         19          201      1801           115           20      31

         26          217      1528          136           14      49

June   2          216       1413         130          10       31

          9          195      1526         148           24       24 

        15          305      1382         289           11       26 

         23         266      1650        346            ?          7 

         29         326      1608        294           39       19 

         30         228      1517         274           23       29 

July    6          316      1627        335           35       12 

         13          407       1742        388          38       12 

         14          231       1721         292          47         8

        21          367       2063        351          45         4

Summary:

• Most new cases (per million population in parentheses):
• #1    Germany  136,624 (1620)
• #2    USA  113,588 (339)
• #3    France  89,982 (1372)
• #4    Italy  86,949 (1442)
• #5    Japan  81,362 (647)
• #6    South Korea  76,378 (1487)
• #7    Brazil  56,254 (261)
• #8    Australia  48,971 (1876)
• #9    Mexico  34,095 (259)
• #10  Taiwan  27,1566 (1137)
• #11  India  21,566 (15)
• #15  New Zealand  10,696 (2138)
• #16  Singapore 10,293 (1732)
• Analysis:
• While the U.S. continues to be at the top in new cases/day, we are at one-fifth the rate of Europe, worst of Asia and Oceania.
• Those countries that smugly seemed proud of their low case number in the early days are now being overwhelmed by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant.
• Most new deaths (per million population in parentheses):
• #1    Bermuda    1  (16)
• #2    Isle of Man  1 (12)
• #3    New Zealand  34  (7)
• #4    Hungary  (40 (4)
• #5    Italy  157  (3)
• #6    Australia  85  (3)
• #12  Taiwan  57  (2)
•         USA 367  (1.1)
• #28  Singapore  3  (0.5)
• #35  Japan  33  (0.3)
• #44  South Korea  12  (0.2)
• Analysis
• The deaths/million people/day rate for the World from the Flu is 0.17.
• The deaths/million people/day rate for the World from COVID-19 is 0.26
• Thus, the death rate of COVID is approaching that of the seasonal flu.
• This rate for Japan is 0.3.
• This rate for South Korea is 0.2
• Thus, yesterday, the deaths/million people/day rate of Japan and South Korea were just above the rate for the seasonal flu!
• Why is Japan not allowing visitors to enter the country?  Only tour groups are today permitted.
• During the past week the USA trend dropped, from 916,870 cases/week to 765,208 cases/week, a fall of 17%.
• Japan rose 83% and South Korea rose 99%.
• China seems not to be reporting to Worldometer but is continuing its COVID Zero Strategy.  Bloomberg provided the following information:
• China is now up to 1000 cases/day.  Note, however, that the U.S. yesterday had 113,588 new cases.
• The Chinese hotspots are the Guangxi region in the south.  The capital of Gansu, Lanzhou, has been locked down for almost a week.  Enlisted workers are going door to door to carry out PCR testing in higher risk areas.
• Shanghai (22 million population) also went through a testing blitz this week.  Testing positive were 23 on Monday and 15 on Tuesday.  These are equivalent one new/case per million. 
• The USA is now at 339 new cases/million, while New Zealand is at 2138 new cases/million.  However, it was just announced that New Zealand will begin allowing tourists into the country on August 1, 2022.
• Beijing recently banned the use of hotels for weddings, parties and conferences.  THE CITY RECORDED JUST ONE CASE ON TUESDAY, AND HAS BEEN IN SINGLE DIGITS FOR ALMOST FIVE WEEKS!
• Analysis:  With new Covid cases 100 times that of China, the USA has totally opened up the country, where mask-wearing is optional, and only with 22% of those eligible having taken a second booster shot.  China remains cautious about visitors.
• Final analysis:
• China is maintaining a Zero Covid Strategy, even though their infection numbers are the lowest of any major country.  There is something seriously paranoid going on.
• Most countries are coming to a conclusion that the Covid death rate is in the ballpark of the season flu death rate.  So, for them, this pandemic is essentially over, although they all underscore that everyone needs to be vaccinated and boosted, and still wear face masks at most opportunities.

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19.  Jill Biden and Kamala Harris were negative.

Watch the 8th House January 6 Committee hearing, beginning at 8PM EDT (2PM Hawaii).  The subject matter will be on the 187 minutes of inaction of then President Donald Trump.  From Newswire:

The primetime broadcast could include more testimony from former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, who was present for many of the key meetings on January 6.

AP reported today that two former white house aides, both of whom resigned immediately after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, will testify in the primetime session. They are Matthew Pottinger, former deputy national security adviser, and Sarah Matthews, a former press aide.

Also:

The January 6th Committee Streamlined Congressional Hearings Into Riveting Television -- But They Are A Rarity That May Not Be Repeated

What else should you be watching?  Well, today TCM is featuring octopus films.  Click here for the full schedule.  This photo is of one attacking San Francisco.  The film?  It Came from Beneath the Sea, touting 56%/39% ratings from Rotten Tomatoes.  Movie begins at 9PM EDT.  

And yikes, avoid the 11PM showing:  Tentacles, with Shelley Winters, John Huston, Henry Fonda and Bo Hopkins.  Why?  Rotten Tomatoes:  0%/10%.  Sometimes, truly bad films become campy.  So why not watch the entire 1 hour 42 minute movie.

Sunday begins shark week on  the Discovery Channel.  Can you believe this will be the 34th summer dedicated to sharks?  They promise 25 hours of new footage.  The host this week will be Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  One annual hit is Air Jaws, to begin at 8PM EDT on July 24.

Perhaps to prepare for Shark Week, I'll watch all four Jaws films I have recorded (reviewers scores from Rotten Tomatoes).

• Jaws (1975) (98%)
• Jaws 2 (1978) (60%)
• Jaws 3-D (1983) (10%)
• Jaws: The Revenge (1987)  (not rated)

Finally, watch Ocean Ramsey of Hawaii swim with a very large (largest?) Great White Shark.

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