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Your Coronavirus Update – Today, May 7, 2021
Photo: Sesame Street doing commercials to encourage vaccination
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Dr. McDonald of RIDOH says RI will reach immunity before many parts of the country.
Maine’s state’s summer and fall agricultural fairs are planning for a full slate of 26 events this season.
Gaspee Day Parade is ‘on’ after funds were raised to support it once again.
Approx. 120 Cranston students took advantage of the high school vaccination clinic with a potential for over 1,000 – RIDOH said they will continue to go wherever small groups or large groups can be reached.
Hospitalized patients fell below 500 in Massachusetts.
The Yankees and Mets can increase capacity from 20% to 100% at their ballparks for home games starting May 19 – as long as fans are vaccinated against COVID-19. Both teams will be giving away free tickets along with shots.
All 48 Walmart pharmacies across Massachusetts will now administer COVID-19 vaccines to patients without requiring appointments.
Brookline and Salem, MA will keep the outdoor mask mandate in place, while other Massachusetts locations will not.
Moderna will double the Norwood, MA plants size.
Today’s Data – May 6, 2021
Deaths: 3
Tests – 18,977 – Positives – 200 – Percent positive – 1.1%
Hospitalized – 118 – In ICU – 23 – Ventilated – 16
Deaths in hospital – 2 – New Admissions – 8 – New Discharges – 12
Vaccinated – 581,506- Both shots – 428,823
Gov. Press Conferences
2 weeks press conferences will move back to the RI State House
National Teachers Week – thank you to all teachers for serving children throughout pandemic. 90% of teachers are vaccinated.
Sat/Sun – 2nd dose weekends for Equity Focus Clinics.
Mother’s Day – encourage people to dine safely at RI restaurants – 80% capacity as we lead up to Memorial Day weekemd.
Variants still a challenge. Much more contagious. Protocols and vaccinations still so important.
13,000 75+ have not been vaccinated, so we need to reach them – 50% would end up in the hospital if they got infected.
Business vaccinations clinics are underway. Almost all 39 cities and towns are doing high school vaccination programs.
One person put together a group of over 50 people all on his own – family, friends, and people he didn’t even know to get their vaccine.
HealthsourceRI – open enrollment through August 15th. More affordable than ever. $30M in financial assistance for the program. Tax credits to reduce costs, etc. – HealthSourceRI.com
Community conversation held at 2pm on Facebook:
Dr. Chan
Things continue to get better – remain cautiously optimistic.
Seeing a bump in cases with students – diminishing with vaccinations.
Ample supply of vaccines – moving to no appointment, smaller sites. We are fortunate as compared to the rest of the world – particularly India, etc., especially with more variants that are more contagious.
If you are 75+, not vaccinated, and you get COVID, you half 1 in 2 chance of ending up in the hospital.
Important to get vaccinated if you tested positive or have had COVID-19.
Next week – FDA will probably vote to authorize vaccine for children 12-15 years of age and younger in the fall.
Tom McCarthy
TY to hundreds who are working so hard on vaccination program.
RI goal to get 70% of Rhode Islanders vaccinated – we’re essentially there.
Being flexible now – targeting most vulnerable. Targeting 13,500 75+ year olds who have not been vaccinated – they will call to get a time to bring vaccine to their door.
Increase our messaging – more small pop-up clinics.
We need to make COVID-19 a manageable disease by the fall.
Q&A:
Q: Mother’s Day – RI restaurants – concerned about unemployment issue.
A: Legislation being considered. May 23rd is date to require work search in RI. We will use Washington’s money to help offset this issue. RI is leading the issue in the country. Not doing what Montana did and wipe out supplemental amount. See if we can provide this as an incentive. We will continue to do the research to do whatever we need. Hopeful and thankful GA will pass legislation. Stimulus money will be there for us, too.
Q: Childcare concerns and virus fear are two concerns for not going back to work?
A: Not in RI – our teachers are vaccinated, childcare is good. Work search requirement will encourage people to go out to work.
Q: How many people in RI are getting their 2nd shot?
A: 95-96%
Q: More people comfortable doing walk-ins?
A: 2,500 in walk-in clinics just last weekend.
Q: Concern about reduction in vaccine supply?
A: We are above our needs with vaccine.
Q: Incentives for vaccinations? Gift cards, etc?
A: We’re exploring that – you’ll see some promotions. Big determinant will be primary care docs, pediatricians. Gov. McKee suggests Del’s Lemonade.
Q: What % from new cases are from the variants?
A: Significant subset – 50% more infectious; 50% more serious with complications, possible.
Q: What numbers of people vaccinated are getting COVID?
A: 90% prevent infection, not 100%, which is why we need to get as many people vaccinated as possible.
Q: When will nursing home residents be allowed to leave facilities?
A: Moving target – being discussed. We want to be cautious. Maybe weeks away.
Q: Confusion of mask wearing outside.
A: I (Dr. Chan) wear a mask so as not to transmit to others – we don’t have data yet on this.
Q: Summer camps – mask wearing?
A: Dr. Chan – a lot we don’t know about this pandemic. We are looking at guidelines, we’re working on it – we’re almost there.
Q: High School clinics – data? Only 130 from each school got vaccinated. ??
A: We’re happy to get the 100 shots. Pawtucket will be doing an outdoor event to encourage the kids to get vaccinated.
Q: Manageable disease comment?
A: As we continue to learn we have lessons from international locations. Israel, for one. Going into next year we want to be able to effectively manage the disease. While we are successful in RI with vaccines, it differs across the country. Countries with huge outbreaks are ripe for new variants. We are confident we can handle this just like other infectious diseases.
Here is a policy sent out Thursday on Nursing Home Visitation
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Return Ready™ by CVS Health® will be offering on-site COVID-19 testing and vaccination solutions, helping employers and universities bring their populations safely back to work and campus.
New York State is extending its eviction moratorium through Aug. 31, along with a rent assistance program for tenants.
Moderna reports 90% efficacy in young people.
Sesame Street – A new video series by Sesame Workshop, the public education arm of Sesame Street, features the beloved Sesame characters celebrating widespread COVID-19 vaccinations and encouraging viewers to get their own shots. In one of the newly released videos, Elmo and his dad Louie share their excitement about getting vaccinated: They look forward to meeting up with old friends Abby and Cookie Monster. “Soon lots of us will be able to do our favorite things again,” Louie says in the minute-long spot. (see bottom of story for video)
San Francisco has reached 73% vaccination rate – close to herd immunity level.
Pfizer sales to exceed $26 Billion of their vaccine.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced a “Shot and Beer” program entitling New Jerseyans who get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine this month to a free beer at one of 13 craft breweries across the state.
Seven coronavirus- fighting robots are the Christina School District’s newest defense against the pandemic. The schools are now among the first in the country to use the disinfecting ADIBOTs, which use UV-C light to kill viruses.
SafeSource Direct, a company that makes personal protective equipment will open two factories near Lafayette, Louisiana, hiring more than 1,200 people.
The Indiana State Fair will return with some changes this summer,
Judge has stayed the ruling of a court that the government could not half evictions.
Pfizer-BioNTech will donate doses to athletes and officials involved in this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. Delivery of initial doses is expected
Unemployment aid fell last week to 498,000, the lowest point since the viral pandemic struck 14 months ago and a sign of the job market’s growing strength
A D.C. pediatrician is recruiting 100 children ages 12 to 17 for a Novavax COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.
Bavarian officials on Monday canceled Oktoberfest festivities for a second year in a row due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.
Gov. DeSantis has approved $1,000 bonuses for all Florida first responders.
The economy grew last quarter at a vigorous 6.4% annual rate, with expectations that the current quarter will be even better.
Siena Restaurants will close 2 days a week due to staffing shortages.
Children Now Account For 22% Of New U.S. COVID Cases.
Pfizer will have their vaccine approved for 12-15 year olds by next week.
Pres. Biden’s new goal is to have 70% of the US population vaccinated by July.
States will now be able to turn back supplies of vaccine if the need doesn’t meet the quantity.
Next generation of vaccine could be a nasal spray or a pill.
British headline: “Over-50s to get 3rd jab before winter”
2 cases of Indian variant are diagnosed at the G7 Summer – reports that some attendees are isolating
The number of births in the U.S. fell 4% in 2020, dropping to the lowest level since 1979 and continuing a multi-year trend of declining birth rates. The agency reported 3,605,201 births in 2020, down from 3,747,540 during the year prior.