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Coronavirus Update – Today, April 11, 2020
(Photo: Governor Raimondo showing by example – cover your nose and mouth with a cloth face mask)
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Two planes carrying Eastern European farmhands arrived Thursday in Germany as an ambitious government program to import thousands of seasonal agricultural workers got underway amid strict precautions to protect both the laborers and the country from the new coronavirus.
80% of Japanese companies aren’t set up for allowing employees to work from home – putting pressure on employees to work
French study published on use of hydroxychloroquine & Z-Pak – had 96% cure rate on over 1,500 patients – with no meaningful, long-standing side effects. Some cardiac monitoring may be required, but over 950,000 patients may be suitable for this treatment. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32205204)
Burning Man, always held in late summer, will go virtual this year
70 at San Francisco homeless shelter test positive
White House will not hold coronavirus briefing on Saturday
L.A. County extends stay-at-home order until May 15
24 at Indiana nursing home die in outbreak
Next week there will be a federal govt app – Get My Payment – where filers can enter bank account information & check the status of their payment to get their money fast! Some wonder about the data grab of private information of US citizens.
Experimental drug remdesivir shows potential for coronavirus
With 3,500 workers, the JBS beef processing plant is one of the largest employers in Nebraska. Employees make up 28 of the 105 people confirmed to have the virus.
Constitutional issue around parts of Kentucky where attending an Easter mass in a parking lot would have law enforcement capture license plate numbers, resulting in fines. Officials have said that if allowed this would have cars driving all over Kentucky and “the virus would love that”.
NYC mayor says easing of social distancing possible before summer
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
13 employees at Daniele, Inc. in Burrillville, have tested positive
39% adult group home residents with developmental disabilities hospitalized with coronavirus in RI
Sheahan Printing in Woonsocket is making 1,000 face shields a day and has orders for 20,000 from local hospitals – Landmark, Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, and Roger Williams Medical Center.
Aidance Scientific, a non-prescription topical medication company based on Burnside Avenue, started making alcohol-based hand sanitizer spray under the brand name Terrasil to help relieve the shortages associated with the coronavirus. The company is accepting orders from state and municipal government agencies and Rhode Island employers and hopes to fill orders of 200,000 units or more by next week.
15 cases confirmed at Woonsocket’s Oakland Grove Health Care Center
A half-mile line of cars, horns blaring, crawled bumper-to-bumper past the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls with signs saying “let my people go”, a Passover reference
All Cranston walking tracks, fields, playgrounds and recreation areas have been closed
Governor of RI did not impose requirement for store clerks, grocery workers, restaurant staff doing preparation and curbside delivery to wear masks.
In Massachusetts, deaths have risen by 96 cases to 599. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases climbed by 2,033 to 20,974. A total of 102,372 people in the state had been tested, up from 94,958 a day earlier.
1,500 cars a day are being stopped at the RI borders
RI officials say families cannot deliver items, gifts, etc. to nursing homes
Swan Point Cemetery in Providence closed for walking
Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island has waived prior authorizations for all inpatient medical and behavioral health services.
Providence Journal editorial calls on Rhode Island’s legislative leaders to remain opposed to mail-ballot elections for this year’s September primary and November general elections. We ask them to protect the state’s hard-won voter ID law.
R.I. Emergency Management Agency places purchase order for 1,000 oxygen treatment hoods Michael Lombardi helped design. Being manufactured by Quonset-based Subsalve USA. Lombardi and Subsalve working with doctors to refine product and establish use protocols.
Governor’s Press Conference
Announces no press conference at 1pm on Easter – she will do a video announcement
Data: 6 more deaths – total of 49; 288 new cases – 2,015 cases – 169 in hospital
Unemployment Insurance – many changes. 132,000 claims. For those unemployed, for self-employed/sole proprietors – and extension of benefits to those whose unemployment ran out. Some claims will take over a month to process. Signed Executive Order ensuring individual businesses won’t be penalized for workers accessing unemployment insurance. Also RIDLT and RI Revenue Dept will have access to each department’s records. Retirees from RIDLT can also rejoin the dept without jeopardizing retirement. On Monday, RIDLT will have more specific guidelines for all the different categories.
Domestic violence calls have increased – please reach out – services are still there.
RIPTA – thank you to drivers. Drivers need to be safe – limiting capacity to 15 passengers to allow for more space – all passengers need to wear cloth face coverings.
RIPTA is going to assist with Meals on Wheels deliveries
Group Homes are a concern, now, for the virus.
Governor has concerns about the weekend – people going out, etc. and implores people not to do that.
Employers who work with the public – please try to procure masks and gloves to wear when dealing with the public — such as drive up windows, etc.
Testing – why aren’t all nursing home staff and patients being tested? They are testing in very targeted settings. Tests work best on people with symptoms.
20 Executive branch members who tested positive – out of 8,000 – Staff are all screened before they come to work by RI National Guard.