I wouldn't either.
These numbers in Chattanooga are heading upwards as well. Way more than they were a few months ago.
But after two straight months of big "gathering"-based holidays from October 31 to December 31 (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve),
plus a major, record-setting theater-only movie release, malls and events fully open for business, airports/flights going...WTF do people actually expect at this point? I remember telling someone back in mid-December "the big news, come mid-January, will be 'we've experienced a significant surge in December...".
Well no shit.
It's January 14 (I consider that "mid-January"). And all that's on the news - local and national, print and broadcast - are COVID numbers, infections, hospital numbers and deaths.
I give up.
"News" would've been numbers going
down, with everything above in place. What's happening now is more "yeah, well...and your point?"
Again, we're either in the middle of some stuff, or we're not. But don't act like the latter and then feign shock/surprise when the "numbers are rising at an alarming rate".
Yeah, that's what happens when people needlessly gather/travel (movies, ballgames, New Years Eve parties, etc.) with strangers whose status/outlooks you know nothing about, and otherwise fuck around and roll the dice.
And the news will be even lousier, come the first week or so of February. How will it not? What's going to change in the coming weeks?