HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter In Opposition to COVID Shutdown Lynn Fielding, Attorney PLLC
116 Vista Way
Kennewick, WA 99336
509.528.6920
June 51h, 2020
Dear Mayors, County Commissioners and Council members,
As private citizens, we suggest that it is time for our locally elected officials in rural counties to take leadership
roles in an increasingly rapid re-opening. We are not northern Italy, nor New York and not even Seattle.
Three million Americans will not die from the Corona virus. New York did not need 40,000 respirators. And
based on what we knew by April 15t,we could have adopted a surgical response directed at protecting the 75+
age cohort and immune compromised, nearly two months ago, which would have eliminated the need for an
extended economic shutdown.
The coronavirus is a serious risk to the 7% of the population 75 and older, and a minimal risk to the other
93%. As the CDC based chart below shows, almost 30,000 of those over 85+ have died, which is 190 per
100,000, while 24,000 of those ages 75 to 84 have passed, (reduced down to 77 deaths per 100,000). We
should be taking extra-ordinary care of those in nursing homes and those who are aging with lower
respiratory and other problems. These are the populations that need screening, social separation, help
shopping, and need to avoid closed, unventilated areas and contact with known carriers.
National Covid-19 Deaths by Age heaths per Instead, we shut down our
100,000 national economy when the
85+years 190 average risk of fatality for
���i�tss eras s�tssss +
75_ ears p our working population, ages
y �� tiJt 77.--
65-74 years � sr I i i 44 18 to 64, is 1 in 11,700,
which is about 52 times
55-64 years
(
45-54 years tarty lower than the highest risk
10.--
population.'
35-44years tits ��
25-34 years iw
1.30 For the K-12 school age kids,
18-24 years'
0.34 the risk of fatality is 0.03 per
5-17years" 003 10 00
�w�� . �.��.�.w . _.off, � s.m, ,a„�, ,. �.m.� � a.� �R � mw
0,0 students see arrow
1-4years � (
0.02 on the chart), or 1 death per
years 0.10 3 million students. The risk
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 is so small, it's not even
visible when graphed.
Note that the risk of death decreases by about half for each decade age decreases.
1 There are 200,061,000 adults between ages 18 to 65 with 17,031 deaths or 1 death per 11,747 persons(200,061,000 divided by 17,031
deaths equals on death per 11,747 persons). There are 6,655,000 adults who are 85 years and older with 29,214 deaths as of June 3,
2020 reported on the CDC website or one death each per 29,214 persons(calculated by dividing the 6,655,000 adults by 29,214 deaths.
Death per 100,000 will increase over time but the relationship of risk between age groups will probably not.
And while you would think that the ways we count deaths would be immaculately scrubbed and nuanced-
they are not. These death numbers include all deaths in some way related to Covid-19 if the virus anti-body
or only symptoms were present, even if Covid-19 was not the sole, primary, or major contributor of death.
On a state level, what do we see? We see more of the same. As of May 25, WA State workforce,Death
according the CDC, Washington had 1,001 deaths, of which 90%(907)are from by county-Ages 20-59
those ages 60 to 85+. There were no deaths from age 1-19 age group which
0
includes our K-12 school population. We have only 94 deaths from our
workforce age population, ages 20 to 59. Most of them were in the urban teens county 1
counties. Of the 94 deaths, 71%were in Snohomish and King Counties. There Whatcorn county 1
are 26 "no deaths" counties, and 8 "three or less deaths" counties. Pacific County 1
Spokane County 1
So, working with inadequate information, our experts erred. It happens to all of Skagit County 1
us when we work with insufficient information unless we are very lucky. But, Okanogan County 2
since April 11t we have had much better information and we are still doing very 3enton County 3
little about it. Our hospitals are still shut down, (and laying off or in short census
mode,) our local, small businesses and most of our personal services industries oierce
n County 3
are still shut down, and our schools are not planning on re-opening. Olympia'sCounky 5primary focus seems to be on finding new ways to slow-roll re-opening. It
makes no sense to drag out the shutdown in 26 of our 39 counties with no
deaths when the shutdown is causing more deaths, and more economic damage
than it is saving. eaths ��MMy 94 .
HOW COULD YOU AS ELECTED OFFICIALS PROVIDE LEADERSHIP?
• A litigation fund to challenge the proposed Labor and Industry fines.
• A series of resolutions opposing slow re-openings.
• Investigation into local hospitals' ongoing revenue decline due to non-reopening.
• Your projected revenue loss and resulting budget and program cuts.
Thank you for your time and we thank you for your service.
CWAT will be emailing you about:
1. WHEN PLEXI-GLASS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING DOESN'T HELP.
�utumn �ief�'n� UNDERSTAND R-BORNE TRANSMISSION
2. K 12 EDUCATION
President, CWAT 3. THE UPCOMING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FUND CRISIS
4. EIGHT YEARS OF DEATH BY FLU"DATA
(Citizens Want Action Today) 5. THE VASTLY UNBALANCED COST TO RISK CALCULATION
6. INEVITABLE CALLS FOR HIGHER FEES AND TAXES
7. SUMMARY OF TESLA'S CAUSES OF ACTION IN CALIFORNIA