Prelude <> Nov/Dec 2019 <> January 2020 <> February <> March <> April <> May <> June<> July <> August <> September <> Source Data
August 2020
At this point, I’m tracking a number of story lines and trying desperately to make some sense of them. The main story-line is emerging as the staggering levels of corruption seeping out of every crack and pore in the Trump administration’s Covid-19 management. The corruption is not just the financial aspects, although that alone is almost incomprehensible.
The corruption now extends to the way the Trump administration is managing the reporting data. In mid-July the administration suddenly changed medical data reporting from an open system, managed by the
with fifteen years process experience; to a proprietary database and reporting process essentially built on-the-fly by a contractor with little-to-no prior database development experience, managed directly by the .Investigative reporting reveals evidence the sole-source contract was awarded as a gift to a big Trump supporter. Reports by a number of medical experts indicates data is being lost either because of new reporting requirements, or because hospitals simply don’t have the resources to change their data formats and process while simultaneously trying to keep patients alive. In addition, the data is now going into a proprietary database and the output reports provide no visibility into the source data, as the
‘s process did.The end result is that accuracy of all Covid-19 data reported from the United States must now be considered problematic.
Bad enough this data reporting change was made on several days notice. Worse is the change was made at a time when the US is seeing an average of greater than 60,000 new cases and more than 1,000 new deaths daily. The source “Covid Exit Strategy” reports thirty-one states have an uncontrolled spread of the virus. Only four states – New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Maine, have the virus relatively contained.
To add to the general chaos of an uncontrolled pandemic, a number of states (mostly those with Republican governors) have prostrated themselves to President Trump’s demand for in-person school re-openings. Schools will start re-opening the first week of August (Mississippi started re-opening the last week of July). Given recent studies that show children spread the virus more effectively than adults, we now potentially have the makings of events at thousands of schools across a nation that already leads the world in coronavirus cases and deaths.
The United States continues to be in serious trouble.
Coronavirus Daily New Cases
Rolling Three-Day Averages
Data Source: Our World in Data
Coronavirus Daily New Deaths
Rolling Three-Day Averages
Data Source: Our World in Data

August 1



Global Cases: 17,396,943 | Global Deaths: 675,060
August 2




Global Cases: 17,660,523 | Global Deaths: 680,894

August 3


“How? A thousand Americans are dying a day,” Swan interjected.
“They are dying, that’s true. And you ha— It is what it is,” Trump replied. “But that doesn’t mean we aren’t doing everything we can. It’s under control as much as you can control it. This is a horrible plague that beset us.”







Global Cases: 17,918,582 | Global Deaths: 686,703

August 4





Global Cases: 18,142,718 | Global Deaths: 691,013
August 5








Global Cases: 18,354,342 | Global Deaths: 696,147
August 6






Global Cases: 18,614,177 | Global Deaths: 702,642

August 7






Global Cases: 18,902,735 | Global Deaths: 709,511
August 8



Global Cases: 19,187,943 | Global Deaths: 716,075

August 9





Global Cases: 19,462,112 | Global Deaths: 722,285
August 10








Global Cases: 19,718,030 | Global Deaths: 728,013

August 11






Global Cases: 19,936,210 | Global Deaths: 732,499
August 12








Global Cases: 20,162,474 | Global Deaths: 737,417
August 13








Global Cases: 20,439,814 | Global Deaths: 744,385

August 14






Global Cases: 20,730,456 | Global Deaths: 751,154
August 15




Global Cases: 21,026,758 | Global Deaths: 755,786
August 16





Global Cases: 21,294,845 | Global Deaths: 761,779
August 17







August 18






August 19








August 20







August 21




August 22



Global Cases: 22,813,065 | Global Deaths: 795,134

August 23





Global Cases: 23,057,288 | Global Deaths: 800,906
August 24











August 25




August 26






August 27











Global Cases: 24,299,923 | Global Deaths: 827,730
August 29



August 30



August 31






Global Cumulative Cases: 24,854,140 | Global Cumulative Deaths: 838,924
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Meaning Of Icons
Meaning of icons used in the main timeline narrative. All icons are linked to their source reference: General Information
Continuation of previous information, with a different reference
State-of-Emergency or Stay-At-Home Declared or Rescinded
Provides a video clip
Provides a pop-up information window
– Move your mouse over a boldened acronym, name, or term, used in this timeline for an Link for a Downloadable File
Trump Twitter Tweets Defunct
This timeline cites a number of Twitter Tweets including those of then-President Trump. On January 8, 2021, Twitter deactivated President Trump’s Twitter account. This caused the citation links to become inactive.
Daily New Cases Data Change
I’ve been using the data provided by the WHO as my data source for daily global and US coronavirus cases (shown under the date blocks in the timeline). Starting August 17 the
has moved to a weekly Epidemiological update, vice the former daily situational report where my data came from. If this is a permanent change, the daily total and new cases updates will be spotty. If I can locate a different data source with daily updates and an archive (so I can update every several days) I will shift my data source.Impact Information on the COVID-19 Data-Reporting Change
On July 15, with five-days notice to the entire US medical system, the Federal Government changed the pandemic reporting system from a proven system managed by the CDC to a new, untested system created under contract for the HHS. I’ve assembled some source information in this pop-up window that discusses the ramifications and reporting impacts of this change-over.
Timeline Source Data File
I built this timeline from a set of working notes in spreadsheet format. At present, my working notes have 1247 news entries, in addition to other references that form my “Additional Reading” sidebar entries, and other source references. Not all these news items are published in this timeline, for various reasons. My notes are freely available under a Creative Commons license (BY SA) to any writer or researcher who finds this work useful.
Download File
Response Letter from TeleTracking CEO Michael Zamagias to Sen Schumer and Sen Murray
On July 22 Sen Schumer and Sen Murray wrote to TeleTracking CEO Michael Zamagias for details on his company’s award of a sole-source contract to manage Coronavirus data. This is Zamagais’ response, claiming an NDA prevented him from answering.
Download File
State-by-State Guide to Travel Restrictions
The United States, along with several other nations, are blocked from entry into the European Union members and other nations. Within the United States many states have instituted their own travel restrictions from out-of-state travelers. This download is a reprint from Travel and Leisure explaining travel restrictions as of August 8.
Download File
Data Source: Travel & Leisure (Includes Video)
State-by-State Guide For Wearing Masks
A number of states and cities have instituted some form of mandatory face mask wear. This download is a reprint from CNN explaining state-by-state requirements as of August 8.
Download File
Data Source: CNN
Public School Teachers As Critical Infrastructure Workers
On August 18 the Department of Homeland Security issued new standards classifying public school teachers as critical infrastructure workers. This move was seen by educators as a way of forcing teachers back into in-person classrooms.
Download File
CDC Testing Guidelines Change
US Post Office Documentation
On Aug. 21, 2020, the U.S. Postal Service released nearly 10,000 pages of records to American Oversight in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. On Sept. 17, 2020, after the documents had been posted publicly and had been discussed in multiple news reports, USPS requested that American Oversight remove the file from this website.
Following conversations with USPS, American Oversight has now reposted a copy of the file that includes redactions requested by the agency on a limited number of pages. Pages that relate to issues that were the subject of public reporting — such as the draft press release regarding the plan to mail face masks to every American household — remain un-redacted.
Link to the Searchable Files
International Events
Sweden: While most countries went into lockdown as Covid-19 spread rapidly across the world, Sweden took a different approach and allowed the controlled spread of coronavirus among the population in attempts to achieve . it’s still too early to tell which pandemic strategy will be best in the long-term, it appears that Sweden’s attempt at achieving has failed.
Additional Reading
This article, a follow-on article from Slate’s earlier timeline, lays out a detailed account of how President Trump mismanaged the pandemic response. This article argues the case for holding President Trump responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans.
The Trump Pandemic
As the economy cratered this spring, economists and poverty experts were mildly surprised to discover that government support — particularly the $600 a week in expanded unemployment benefits and one-time $1,200 stimulus checks — likely lowered the overall poverty rate. Now, those benefits have expired and people are “living on air.” An in-depth look at the financial impact of the pandemic.
Debt, eviction and hunger: Millions fall back into crisis as stimulus and safety nets vanish
This is a CBS News survey conducted by YouGov, using a nationally representative sample of 2,226 U.S. registered voters interviewed online between August 19-21, 2020. While the polling questions are oriented towards the upcoming national elections, many reflect the public’s thinking on issues related to the Coronavirus pandemic. Published August 23, 2020.
CBS News Battleground Tracker – August 19-21, 2020 Registered Voters
An in-depth article on how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been turned into a political tool for President Trump’s re-election campaign, and in the process undermining its credibility as it approaches one of the most important and fraught decisions in its history amid a divisive presidential election. Published August 30.
Inside Trump’s pressure campaign on federal scientists over a Covid-19 treatment
The concept of
A New Understanding of Herd Immunity
This is an in-depth review of the many lies told by President Trump about the Coronavirus pandemic. This article was initially published August 31, and the authors promise to update it as necessary. This article has special significance in the wake of investigative Report Bob Woodward’s publication of his book “Rage.” In the book, and accompanied by media articles, Woodward reveals recorded interviews with President Trump of Trump admitting the seriousness of the Coronavirus, but days later stating the exact opposite in his public speeches and press briefings.
All the President’s Lies About the Coronavirus An unfinished compendium of Trump’s overwhelming dishonesty during a national emergency
Prelude <> Nov/Dec 2019 <> January 2020 <> February <> March <> April <> May <> June<> July <> August <> September <> Source Data