black death

[Mortblanc]

Closer to 6,000 miles away from you BP, unless you really live in New York City and are just posing as a Brit!

There are cases of plague reported every year on our west coast, usually farther north in Oregon or Washington State. We get a steady supply of Chinese rats off the container ships that dock on that side of our nation.

No one pays much attention any more due to the plague being treatable with antibiotics and it has been a long time since a death occurred.

This one resulted in closing two huge parks (thousands of sq miles) over a dead squirrel, but they are not going to shut down a major harbor facility over the rats they know are coming in constantly.

I would say there is something else happening and they need an excuse to keep the parks empty for a couple of years with a threat that will keep trespassers out, armed guards at the gates and the ability to "quarantine" any trespassers and explain their demise.