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Coronavirus Update – Today – July 4, 2020 – Breaking: Visitation at long-term care/assisted living facilities
BREAKING NEWS: Updates to Long-term Care and Assisted Living Facility Visitation Policy – Released late Friday afternoon:
Long-term care and assisted living facilities will be allowed to welcome visitors again next Wednesday, July 8th, provided that they abide by strict infection control measures to keep residents, staff, and family members safe, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is announcing today.
The late announcement on a Friday of a long weekend no doubt leaves nursing homes scrambling to consider what to do and how to do it.
Last month, the Health Dept. provided guidance to facilities on how to develop safe visitation plans. Roughly two weeks ago, as facilities continued to work on their plans, they allowed facilities to consider communal dining and communal activities again. Facilities that do not have visitation plans completed and approved by July 8th will be required to implement a standard Visitation Plan for Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Residences developed by RIDOH. Among other things, the standard plan states that:
- Visits will be limited to only those essential to the resident’s physical and emotional well-being and care.
- All visits must be scheduled in advance. Visits will be allowed for 30-minute increments.
- Facilities must actively screen everyone for fever and symptoms of COVID-19 before they enter.
- Facilities must keep a daily log with names and contact information for all visitors.
- Outdoor visits are preferred. If a visit must occur inside the facility, the visit shall be restricted to the resident’s room or other area specifically designated for visits. If a resident’s room is used for visitation, only one visitor per resident at a time is allowed in the resident’s room.
- Regardless of the location of the visit, visitors must maintain a six-foot distance from staff and residents.
- All visitors must wear a cloth face covering.
- All visitors shall perform hand hygiene upon entry to the facility or to the outside visitation area or before entering the resident’s room.
While RIDOH has provided general guidance to facilities, and has developed a standard visitation plan for facilities without their own plans, all facilities are different. Some facilities may take different approaches, based on the uniqueness of their layout or resident community.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Pfizer reported encouraging early results for the first of four vaccines, and said that if all goes well it could manufacture up to 100 million doses by year’s end.
Experts are saying that a smell test might be more diagnostic than a fever test
Pubs in England have reopened.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott now mandating masks in public spaces.
Test pooling may be an option to conserve test materials for small groups, such as individual classrooms, where a positive result would then indicate separate tests be given, but negative results would mean only the one test was used.
Usage of Hydroxychloroquine is being reported in a positive light again.
Connecticut plans to expand a year-round employment program for youth to include work as social distancing ambassadors and promoters of safer health practices.
United Airlines plans to lay off up to 36,000 U.S. employees.
New Hampshire will begin resuming jury trials in August
Atlantic City casinos have reopened
Savannah, Georgia will impose $500 fines for not wearing masks.
Grocery delivery services are now back on track, with no weeks of planning ahead of time for food delivery.
West Hollywood first offense for not wearing mask – $300
JC Penney has opened over 153 stores
The FDA says the US is on track to have a vaccine by 2021.
Vermont will begin a campaign to encourage people to wear masks
The CDC is reviewing American Airlines’ policy and added, “We don’t think it’s the right message.”
Masks required in all public places in Pennsylvania.
Former Presidential Candidate Herman Cain is hospitalized with Covid19
AirBNB – can’t rent a B&B “close to you”, or if you are under 25
8 million new jobs in US
Many Walmarts will start using their parking lots for movie nights complete with food car service by celebrities.
NASCAR’s elite Cup Series will share a venue with IndyCar this weekend for the first time, a doubleheader conveniently forced by the frantic rescheduling required by the coronavirus pandemic.
Toronto City Council Makes Masks Mandatory in Enclosed Public Places
Chicago issued an emergency ban for people coming from states with greater than 15% infection rates: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
New strain/clone of coronavirus developing in all places in the world – it is more efficiently transmitting.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Oprah Magazine features Gov. Gina Raimondo – “These Governors Are Helping Americans Survive a Global Pandemic” – Read, here: https://www.oprahmag.com/life/a32945090/visionary-governors-coronavirus/?utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=socialflowTWOPR
Massachusetts: Governor has announced that Phase 4 will only happen when a treatment or vaccine is developed. Until that time, these establishments will remain closed as the Governor said, “no one could find a safe way to open them”:
Some theatres/arenas
Amusement parks, theme parks, gaming arcades, indoor or outdoor water parks
Saunas, hot-tubs, steam rooms at health clubs, gyms, and other facilities
Large capacity venues used for group or spectator sports, entertainment, business, and cultural events (such as stadiums and arenas, dance floors, exhibition and convention halls)
Beer gardens / breweries / wineries / distilleries – if not providing seated food service under retail food permits issued by municipal authorities
Bars, dance clubs, and nightclubs
Fraternal Orders – if serving as a large capacity venue used for group or spectator events, of if serving as a bar
Summer overnight camps
Arcades and “Ball Pits”
Street festivals, parades and agricultural festivals
Road races and other large, outdoor organized amateur or professional group athletic events.
Some reports that it is taking longer and longer for test results – one nursing home saying as long as 10 days to wait for tests for nursing homes – and nursing home staff tested once a week. With these long lags, 3-5 days – some 6-10 days – the tests can be “virtually useless” – according to the RI Healthcare Association at a presentation at the Central Falls Mansion Nursing Home
While RI had early “cocktails or wine/beer to go” for curbside pickup, Massachusetts restaurants will not do that – even while keeping all bars closed.
Southern Airway Express is offering flights from T.F. Green Airport in Warwick to Nantucket. Daily service begins today and prices start at $79 each way. The flights take about 30 minutes.
Moderna, of Cambridge, MA, vaccine trial delayed but still set for July
Green Animals, Newport – Children’s Party event canceled
Boston Red Sox is planning to base its minor leaguers at McCoy as soon as late July, as the 30 players in its Summer Camp pool left off the Opening Day roster will report for workouts and attempt to remain sharp.
Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, Patriots and Revolution — may resume play without spectators following state and league COVID-19 regulations.
The Newport Art Museum has reopened.
The Greenwich Odeum is reopening their doors on July 10, operating at reduced capacity and with safety procedures in place, to bring some of your favorite films to the screen! Schedule here: http://www.greenwichodeum.com/calendar/?mc_cid=f3808974d0&mc_eid=55f7677107
Showcase Cinemas are now open
Several members of the Boston Red Sox testing positive for coronavirus
The Island Movie Theater has reopened in Newport.
RI Data –
July 2, 2020:
Deaths: 3
July 3, 2020
Deaths: 1
Deaths for the week: 33
Details on charts will be available on Tuesday – data will not be updated until then.
Next address by Gov. Raimondo will be Tuesday at 1pm
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