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Your Coronavirus Update – Today, June 18, 2020
Photo: Twitter photo of Block Island Ferry passengers, many without masks
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Orlando: Some bars and restaurants in the state are temporarily closing their doors after being back open for just a few weeks because workers or patrons have tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The New York City 9/11 Memorial will reopen on July 4th weekend.
Many hotels on the Vegas strip have reopened.
Renting an RV from RVshare is becoming a popular way to get out of town with friends or family. They make it extremely easy to connect to someone who owns an RV (but might not be using it) to go on vacation.
The Oscars have been postponed from Feb 2021 to April 2021
Doctors behind a COVID-modeling study used by the president’s coronavirus task force are now warning that virus hot spots are beginning to converge and jump from county to county as people increase their travel for work and summer vacation.
According to doctors working on a study put together by PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the virus is moving along major highways and interstates—such I-10 in California, I-85 in the south and I-95 on the East Coast—as states continue to reopen their economies.
70 teachers died in NYC at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis because of failure to act quickly
Emmy Awards are still on for September
Beijing airports cancel 1,255 flights over virus fears
The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, which has drawn more than 100,000 visitors during the three-day event in September, won’t happen this year in New Hampshire.
The new best hope for treating seriously ill coronavirus patients may come from dexamethasone — a synthetic steroid that has been around for roughly 60 years, according to recent medical statements.
Florida and Texas reported as seeing spikes.16 bar goers all got Covid19 at a bar. 23 states with spikes in one week, but also more testing going on. 9 Texas mayors petition for mandatory mask wearing, Gov denies them. Same with FL. Nevada stops next phase of opening.
Connecticut is making plans for the 2nd wave of coronavirus in nursing homes. One nursing home put trailers on the property and moved in their staff – not one case of coronavirus in that home.
A bipartisan coalition of Connecticut female state lawmakers gave Gov. Ned Lamont a list of issues Tuesday to be reviewed in an upcoming, independent thirdparty investigation into the preparation and response to the coronavirus inside nursing homes and assisted living centers.
US orders probe of meat industry and coronavirus outbreaks.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health moved her own mother out of senior facility to a hotel while coronavirus swept through nursing homes
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
The Fourth of July Parade in Bristol will be smaller and go from 3 hours to – 30 minutes – with all participants riding in vehicles and the town is asking non-Bristolians to please not come, but if they do they must social distance and wear masks.
Peabody Essex Museum has permanently cut its staff by 15%.
Studios Without Walls opens on the Boston Riverway Park, offering an outdoor art installation
Several candidates for legislative office in the state filed a lawsuit with the RI ACLU Tuesday challenging the rule requiring the in-person collection of signatures to get on the ballot, saying it’s putting them at risk amid the pandemic.
Three strip clubs – Club Desire, The Foxy Lady, and The Cadillac Lounge are allowed to reopen with many restrictions, including no lap or side dances, wearing of masks, some petitioning and extensive cleaning.
Providence College will begin on-campus on August 31st, then end on Nov. 20th, with no class holidays during the semester. Classes will then shift to remote instruction from Nov. 30th through Dec. 11th. Final exams will be given remotely from Dec. 14 to 18.
Mass. state campgrounds will start taking reservations (for July 1 onward, at limited capacity) at 9am on June 22.
Massachusetts state officials have eased some of the guidelines for reopening child-care centers, in-home programs, and summer camps after fielding complaints that their regulations would be ruinous to small businesses and unworkable with small children.
The Lawn on D park in South Boston, which was previously an adult playground filled with light-up swings and giant Jenga blocks, has been converted into a 700-seat, reservation-only restaurant. There are tables for parties of six or fewer as far as the eye can see, all neatly spaced six or more feet apart.
Tiverton Farmers Market opens June 16th at Sandywoods Center for the Arts
Massachusetts officials say this past weekend had little mask wearing and cautions were absent in a majority of beach and outdoor restaurant locations.
Dr. John Murphy, president of Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s hospitals now are a “very safe place to come,” and he, like others, is urging people to get the medical care they need. “I feel much more comfortable rounding in the hospital than I do going to a grocery store,” he said.
RI Governor’s presentation:
Data: 6-17-2020
Deaths: 11. 6 in 70s, 2 in 80s, 3 in 90s.
49 new cases.
Picture of data looks good as hospitalizations decline; statewide positive rate just under 2%. We will be only state in US to test 20% of its population. National average is 7-8%.
Governor thanks citizens for following rules – other states are seeing surges, etc. TY to press who have played a more important role than ever in covering story.
Phase 3: Friday press conference will be dedicated to that and what it will look like. Want to preview even though we are weeks away so you can get prepared.
Status review – is this the new normal?: Gov says no, this isn’t the new normal, but we will rebuild a better, healthier, more resilient Rhode Island. A year from now we hope to have a vaccine. We’re never going back to where it was, though. Those days are gone. Will do everything we can to help the unemployed and housing challenged.
Distance Learning: we learned that this should be kept. End of snow day – just stay home and do your work in a distance fashion.
Telehealth: it really works. Improves access to healthcare at lower cost, just as good quality.
Work from Home: 90% say employees are just as productive. RI needs to enable that – child care to help home-workers. Includes state employees. Reduces real estate costs.
RIDMV: may not go back to the way it was. Working by appt. only may be incorporated into it.
Economy: Forever changed, especially to brick and mortar retail.
Hospitality: Forever changed.
High Density Communities: 2% statewide positive rate. Other states getting into trouble with pockets of outbreaks of nursing homes, certain geographies, where people work closely together, etc. We know in poorer, immigrant, and densely populated communities, the virus thrives. We offer testing more in these communities, have multi-lingual programs, culturally sensitive.
Testing: going into most affected communities at HEZs, etc.
Contact tracing: multi-lingual programs, people coming from the community. Particularly west side of Providence, Woonsocket, Central Falls, Pawtucket. No worries about transportation, money or immigration status. We’ve gone from 22 to 13%. Providence below 10% for a few days, down from 18-19%. We need all cities to be below 10%. Pawtucket, below 10%. Woonsocket, down from 15% to 6%. These #s are a point in time.
School: Dorms are a place for us to watch.
Asymptomatic testing: Adding 4 Stop & Shop locations: Cranston, Pawt, 2 in Providence. Can do 30 per day Thurs, Fri, Sat & Monday. This is for high contact workers and demonstration attenders. Portal.ri.gov for more info. Ideal every week or every 2 weeks if still in high contact positions.
HEZ Model (Health Equity Zones): Vision to be a central focus to community and to get info to community organizations to reach residents. They will continue to get involved in testing, contact tracing, overcome barriers, PPE distribution, etc. Want to continue this. Access intel at the community level.
Housing: working with HEZ, homeless groups, etc. Expanding safe and healthy housing initiatives.
Schools: communities have different needs; will be very attentive to high densities and all zip codes to support them.
The RI legislature spent $166,000 on their plexiglass dividers at the RI State House.
Nursing Homes: Percent positive rate declining; into 4th round of testing. Today 9 of 11 deaths were in nursing homes. Total deaths: 650, or 75% of overall fatalities. Testing being offered every 7-10 days for staff. Included residents in first 2 rounds. Now reserving for cluster of cases. Family members can request more additional testing of residents, if they want it. Infection control challenges have had to do with how infectious this virus is and how vulnerable the population is. RIDOH has inspectors, congregate care support time, etc. to help nursing homes, respond to phone calls, etc.
National Guard: After transition RI will continue same quality of care.
Entertainment facilities: Indoor Go Karting is open. They will be looked at for being in compliance. Businesses unsure go to 521-help and inquire.
Clergy: can also get tested if asymptomatic, as being close in contact “business”.
Rental Assistance: Gov. will look into hold-up on payments.
Large functions: Friday will be more guidance on social gatherings, weddings, etc. (may be higher limit for outside vs. inside events). CT private outdoor gatherings of 100 or less now. 200 in July.
End of July/beg. August: A lot of changes will happen then – loans disappearing – end of June, rental/mortgage, unemployment, extra $600 ends end of July, etc. Big state deficit. No extension to PPP deadline. UI may be continued. Hopeful for federal government stimulus. How is state preparing? 3 scenarios – very bad, no stimulus; some; new aid – one of the reasons holding back on distributing all federal $$ now in hand.
Juneteenth: Holiday in RI? Not that different from 4th of July? Swap VJ Day for Juneteenth? Excellent question. Not that different from taking the word “plantations” out of the official state name.