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Coronavirus Update – Today, April 9, 2020
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
A coastal city in France has now forbidden sitting on benches for more than two minutes
Pulitzer Prize winners were supposed to be announced on April 20. Now, the awards for journalism, books, drama and music will be announced on Monday, May 4
Employees & customers at many non-medical essential businesses such as grocery stores will be required to wear face coverings to take care of those who are taking care of us
Dr. Birx praises ‘American people’s strength’ as social distancing measures appear to be working
Emergency hospital at Seattle Seahawks stadium shut down, to be sent to state with more need
New Jersey postpones primaries to July 7
Cuomo says all New Yorkers can vote absentee in June primary
Philadelphia & Pittsburgh may be the next “hotspots”
In Southern California, 80 elderly patients had to be evacuated when employees did not show up for work
Marriott pledged rooms for healthcare workers around the country
New CDC guidelines for essential workers:
— Do take your temperature before work.
— Do wear a face mask at all times.
— Do practice social distancing as work duties permit.
— Don’t stay at work if you become sick
— Don’t share headsets or objects used near face.
— Don’t congregate in the break room or other crowded places.
Broadway closed until June 7th
Hundreds of American, Southwest airlines employees test positive for COVID-19
Detroit providing 20,000 masks to bus riders after driver dies
A national landlord group has found that nearly 1/3 of U.S. renters didn’t pay any of their rent in the first week of April,l only 69% of households had paid their rent by April 5, down from 81% that had paid by March 5 and 82% that did so by April 5, 2019.
Talk of the virus has been banned in Turkmenistan in Russia – on the Iranian border
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Massachusetts Public Safety Secretary Thomas Turco has tested positive for the virus
Shaws and Dave’s joining Stop & Shop making aisles one way
Gov. Baker provides $400M to safety-net hospitals
Boston Pops cancels its season
Massachusetts to hire over 1,000 people to ramp up contact tracing of individuals utilizing mobile technology (our cell phones) as plans are made to return people to work
Kent Hospital sending delivering moms to Women & Infants Hospital – out of caution of more coronavirus patients at Kent. Expect to see your own doctor.
RI Nursing Home Association & RI Nursing Home situation: At least 13 coronavirus deaths have been linked to Golden Crest in North Providence. 8 deaths connected to Oak Hill, in Pawtucket, plus another at an undisclosed location. Other nursing homes with at least five positive cases include Oakland Grove, Mount St. Rita, Orchard View Manor, Scalabrini Villa, and Riverview Nursing Home. The association is calling for $1,000/week hazard pay for workers, and additional care provisions for nursing homes.
Governor’s press conference
5 new Deaths; total 35 deaths – 220 new cases for total of 1,450 cases. 143 people in the hospital – fatalities (of the 5 people, 3 were in 70s, 1 in 80s, 1 in 90s – 90 y.o. was a Golden Crest resident. 80 y.o. from Oak Hill, and 1 in their 70s also Oak Hill)
CVS testing – people going into CVS stores – can’t do that – have to go on CVS.com – and click on information there for a test appt in Lincoln. Only for adults; not children. Right now you can only make appt for the same day – next week that will change.
Other testing sites – results in 1-3 days – most accurate if you have symptoms.
Courts extendedly closed to May 17th, with only emergency cases being heard
Food and food delivery – new website – RIDelivers.com – but delivery seems to have stopped in most markets.
Contact Tracing – to open economy it has to be more scalable and more automated. Now partnering with SalesForce.com – better system. If positive, contacted by RIDOH and asked who you have been in contact with – in 2 weeks from now, Governor wants whole system automated – possibly tracking systems on your phone, all your contacts on your phone, state monitors your convalescence, etc. all through your phone. Again: please keep a contact notebook. Governor says can’t go back to work without keeping a notebook. Don’t go for a test without your book.
Jewish community – 1st night of Passover. Many creative virtual Passovers happening
Easter – virtual services, sitting in cars, with windows closed, etc.
Confusion as Governor says you CAN walk on a boulevard or in a park and Mayor doubles down saying no you can’t and fines at $1,000, etc.
Ocean State Job Lot – free fabric to make face masks – enough to make 1 million
Racial disparities discussion pointing out examples why we are seeing this.
Isolation – 7 days. Fever free for 3 days without fever reducing medication. No symptoms. Stay home, stay away from others.
Go to RIResponds.org to assist others or in need of help.
Hospitals – when will we set up alternative care sites? No data yet – will get.
College students living on their own, no jobs, can’t pay rent – go to RI DLT and file – Food Bank – call 211.
Question on recovered RI patients – take totals diagnosed minus deaths and hospitalization – that would be 1,450 positives – 35 deaths – 143 in-hospital = 1, 272
Wedding Season – cannot relax restrictions now – can’t have large gathering – 5 or fewer people is ok. Push off bigger celebration for later. Plan for party much later in the year or next year.
If Governor gets sick, she has a “chain of command” and a good team in place, if she couldn’t work or was hospitalized.
Food Delivery – No delivery services available – governor did not know – she will check on this
Tracking – mobile phone tracking and civil liberties needs to be worked out
Three sites for hospital overflow – discounted rates were negotiated
Domestic violence calls up 30%
Press Release:
- Courts: The courts have extended their closure for all non-essential business–including residential and commercial evictions–through May 17th.
- Contact tracing: The state has partnered with SalesForce, a global software company, to make the contact tracing process more efficient. SalesForce is creating a secure database that will allow RIDOH and the National Guard to do contact tracing more efficiently and effectively. SalesForce is also creating a platform for physicians to order tests for patients at the National Guard testing sites.
- Job Lot: Starting today, Job Lot is making free fabric available to all Rhode Island residents to make our own fabric face coverings. Every Job Lot has a display set up and they have enough free fabric for 1 million masks.
The Governor reiterated that everyone should wear a cloth face covering when in public. (These are different than medical grade masks, such as N95s, which should be reserved for healthcare workers.) A cloth face covering is a material that covers the nose and mouth. A cloth face cover could be sewn by hand or improvised from household items such as scarves or T-shirts. Cloth face covers are not substitutes for physical distancing, washing your hands, and staying home when ill.
COVID-19 Data Update
Dr. Alexander-Scott announced today that Rhode Island has 220 new cases of COVID-19. This brings Rhode Island’s count to 1,450. RIDOH also announced five additional COVID-19 associated fatalities. Three of these people were in their 70s. One person was in their 80s and one person was in their 90s. Rhode Island’s number of COVID-19 associated fatalities is now 35.
It‘s important to share the good news that most people recover without hospitalization, but here is one hospital’s sendoff to their “miracle patient”.