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Coronavirus Update – Today, April 14, 2020
(photo: a rainbow over NY and NJ, last night, after the storms,posted by the Mayor of NJ. Don’t miss the Dolly Parton smiles at the very end)
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Disney furloughs 43,000 employees
Austria starting to open in stages – small shops, big stores, restaurants in May/June, hotels, schools, public events – but it is not dense like NY
Shift work and shift school times to space students in every other chair being discussed in NY
3,000 nursing home residents have had coronavirus – a new bill is being considered to require a nursing home to notify family members within 24 hours of diagnosis
International soccer games may not return till 2021
Social distancing may be necessary for up to year, Florida surgeon general warns
Scientists are looking at decades-old vaccines against other germs to see if they could provide a little stopgap protection until a more precise vaccine is found.
West Virginia to give $500 for neediest families
Census 2020 may be delayed until 2021
Spain has ‘reached the peak’ of the pandemic, health minister says
Ford to make reusable medical gowns from airbag material
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is back on the calendar for late Aug
Michigan governor banned people with 2 homes from traveling between them – then went on to ban purchasing paint, gardening items, furniture, etc. from big box stores.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said Monday the country might need to call in the army to help with the coronavirus epidemic. Russia’s death toll reached 148 on Monday, with the total number of cases now standing at 18,328.
Sanford Health in So. Dakota will begin a trial for treatment of coronavirus with anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine
Celebrity recoveries continue to identify treatment with hydroxychloroquine integral to their recovery
Ohio requires all nursing homes to notify families of outbreaks
First death in Wyoming means all 50 states now report coronavirus fatalities
80 million Americans will get coronavirus payments this week
House members not expected to return to D.C. until May 4
France extends lockdown until May 1
George Stephanopoulos revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19, but is showing no symptoms.
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo is joining a coalition of fellow East Coast Democratic governors to develop a regional plan to guide the opening of individual state economies. The group was brought together by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and includes Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island.
Bernie Ruben, co-founder of Bernie & Phyl’s has died of Covid-19 in Florida
Democratic governors of West Coast – California, Oregon and Washington also announced similar plans on Monday to form a West Coast coalition
FDA clears first saliva test to diagnose coronavirus
Colleges are planning for a fall with no students on campus
Canada opens to next level of businesses – mechanical garages, landscaping companies, mines, and residential construction.
Thundermist Health Center has opened two respiratory clinics in Woonsocket and West Warwick
Care New England has produced a series of videos of the coronavirus – https://carenewengland.org/coronavirus/
President’s Press Conference
President puts to rest any plans to fire Dr. Fauci
Dr. Fauci:
– talked about flattening of numbers.
– met with Black Caucus group – to plan what to do about the disparity in how Covid19 disproportionately attacked the group
– addresses hypothetical question that got him misunderstood in a media interview – responded that if mitigation had been done earlier it would have saved more lives. And yes, it would. Directed it clearly: the first time medical people addressed this with the president, the president listened and went to mitigation. The 2nd time he requested going to 30 days from 15, the president agreed. The interpretations were incorrect. The travel restrictions were done 3 times and all 3 times the president agreed and complied. One reporter asked him if he was “doing this voluntarily” and he responded aggressively, “don’t even imply that”.
Dr. Birx reviewed asymptomatic carrier issues and talked about sentinel testing. Going to call on HIV advocacy community to help explain to people about this situation – they are essentially virologists. Antibody tests seem to be coming for all Americans.
VP Pence talked about losing his dad 32 years ago – and he talked to the American people about their loss. Pence has an amazing ability to calm the media in the room down.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Gov. Raimondo talks about using technology screening before people can go to work, or into a business.
Gov. Raimondo clarified that if you live in RI and go over the line to MA for grocery shopping (i.e., Market Basket), you must quarantine for 14 days when you return.
NBC10’s Barbara Morse‘s father dies from coronavirus – he was in a nursing home, out of state
In Massachusetts more than 75% of over 120 people infected with coronavirus came from one Biogen conference.
RI Governor’s Press Conference:
10 deaths yesterday – total of 73; 311 new cases, 2976 total. 197 in hospital
Of the 10 – 2 in 50s; 1 in 70s; 5 in 80s; 1 in 90s. 8 were associated with nursing homes.
197 people in hospital ; 135 discharged home from hospital.
55 deaths associated with nursing homes now. 4 today were Oak Hill; 2 were Golden Crest; 1 with Elmhurst; 1 with Oakland Grove.
Total from Oak Hill: 16
Total from Golden Crest: 19
Total from Orchard View Manor: 6
Wingate Nursing Home: there are clusters of cases, not deaths – approx. 15 from all facilities
Working on more specific, sub-set numbers.
Close partnership with nursing homes continue. Nursing homes are in need of staffing support. Looking for CNAs, retired nurses, etc. – needed in nursing homes. Go to RIResponse.org
Reminder that we are testing more, which is why new cases are coming out.
Business owners – Gov. says she is faced with all bad options.
PPP – federal program to help business is open for applications – to keep workers on your payroll.
Goldman Sachs committing $10M for small business loans. With RI Commerce and Community Reinvestment Fund. Go on CommerceRI.com – for small business & nonprofits. Available immediately. NOTE: CommerceRI has announced that this money was depleted this morning and no applications are being accepted.
Testing: Mobil testing – congregate living settings to expand with the goal of being widely available. More inner city testing sites. Had to close sites due to weather today. If you test positive, you will hear from RIDOH, and they will activate the tracing process. Hospital test sites will notify RIDOH – these tend to be more healthcare workers. Healthcare provider ordered test – and done at drive-up testing site – your healthcare provider will call you. And you will hear from RIDOH.
CVS Rapid Test at casino – will get results before you leave the site
Mobile testing will also be done this way.
Other teams – PPE, Hospital Surge Programs, Stimulus Funding, Data, Modeling, Contact Tracing, Quarantine & Isolation, Tech Team and Testing. This week she will give update on each
Unemployment: More opportunities available. 144,000 people applied.
3 Tracks
1 – Standard unemployment insurance – laid off, part time or full time. File online. 7-14 day turnaround – will also get $600/week benefit added on through July.
2 – PUA – laid off because of coronavirus crisis – for people who are independent contractors, self-employed, small business owners, etc.
3 – Haven’t been laid off but so effected by virus they are also eligible – Will take the longest to receive your check. People who have been exposed or quarantined, etc.
Unemployment will not pay you if you are afraid to go to work.
Schools – 5th week starting today. WiFi access still not available to all, but working hard to do so. $100K to provide computers and hotspots via RIDE and RI Foundation.
Convening general assembly to raise wages of front line workers. Grocery store clerks, etc. Governor thinks best way is for the federal government to provide a wage subsidy, and she is working on that.
More specific data – race, ethnicity, sex, survivors, etc. – state is working on pulling out that data.
Tenant protection – who can you go to if landlord turns off hot water, etc. Courts are open for emergency matters.
What is not being documented? Being able to understand the root causes – and being able to understand the needs of our vulnerable populations.
Governor having a joint press conference today with other governors on thoughts about opening up the state.
Salesforce, Google and Apple apps being developed – incremental in RI – patching together off the shelf software
Rhode Island is partnering with Massachusetts use of Batelle sterilization trailers to sterilize RI masks.