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Coronavirus Update – Today, April 18, 2020
(Plexiglas cabins on the beach, the proposal of an Italian company to make the bathing establishments safe this season. – https://bit.ly/2KaucpE)
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Large gatherings at public events, such as sports, could remain banned in Los Angeles until at least 2021
Switzerland to open country end of April
Chicago has built 2 new hospitals for surge
Beaches, parks to reopen in Jacksonville, Florida on Friday
New York issuing Executive Order for all labs to work in cooperation with the RI Dept. of Health on testing
Hawaii’s governor orders beaches closed
‘COVID toes’ often appear in patients with no other symptoms
Minnesota people staged a protest similar to Michigan for the right to return to “their lives” – in an unprecedented step, Minnesota Governor Tin Walz put out changes to reopen some outdoor facilities, to include fishing, hunting and golfing – all with social distancing guidelines. To Reopen Some Outdoor Facilities
The Boston Book Festival will be held in late October.
Germany to open mid-May but will ban large events
Japan having biggest one day spike in cases, after having opened up much of their country
Serbia under full lockdown for Orthodox Easter weekend
By allowing hundreds of children to return to school, the Danish government has taken the boldest step toward something resembling normal life, in a measure that will be watched carefully around the world
UK – Masks must be worn after lockdown ends to prevent spread
“COVID toes” dubbed by the dermatology community, can look like “purple lesions” on feet or hands, starting to be noticed – https://www.today.com/health/skin-symptoms-related-coronavirus-doctors-discuss-covid-toes-t178991
San Diego Comic-Con 2020 canceled, returns July 2021
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, taped a tour of her kitchen, complete with the various types of chocolate ice cream in her freezer, while still refusing to go back to DC until May 8th.
San Francisco makes face masks mandatory for everyone outside
Iowa schools will remain closed for rest of academic year
4 Georgia poultry workers at Tyson Foods dead from coronavirus,
New Jersey to issue temporary licenses for foreign doctors
Wild boars are gathering in residential areas in Haifa, Israel
638 deaths in New York yesterday – overall hospitalizations have gone down
NYC mayor says hotel rooms will be available to help residents isolate, events canceled through May
Puerto Rico mayors work to fight coronavirus with few tests available – lowest testing per capita rate in the US
The National Institutes of Health is launching a public-private partnership aimed at developing a national strategy to coordinate COVID-19 drug and vaccine research – the ACTIV Partnership
President’s Press Conference
The team reviewed testing and the various kinds – front of nose swab for presence of bacteria and antibody test. Working on bench to clinic effectiveness for testing. Monthly testing per state should be about 1 million per month. (RI has approx. 1 million population).
Louisiana – 27 per 1,000. Italy – 20 per 1,000. Using 30 per 1,000, every state has capacity to do these. (RI is just past 30,000 done).
Looking at difference between antigen test, nucleic acid test, antibody test – and eventually doing some kind of combined testing (TB, HepC, etc.)
2 million HIV tests/year – we are now doing 4 million/month for coronavirus
By the end of April 5 million more media an swabs will be available
Unprecedented strategy – 1. Nursing home and long term care facilities – survey driven by CDC 15,000 locations. 2. 30,000 community health centers in US – (HEZ) – survey asymptomatic population. 3. workplace monitoring with high risk – agricultural facilities – 4 1/2 million tests a month for phase 1 – right now we’re doing 1-1.2 million a week.
The unknown is asymptomatic spread – we may find more than we know – then would have to increase testing.
In 2015, the US govt gave $3.5M to the Wuhan lab in China – these grants will now all be stopped.
Next stimulus package – waiting for Democrats to vote on so it can be disseminated to the nation’s small businesses.
Looking at payroll tax cut.
Reassuring American people that we will get our lives back but we have a temporary new normal.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Hope Valley – Tues & Thurs – Respiratory Clinic open for testing
RI DHS office in Pawtucket closes
Seven Stars Bakery (Cranston) have been delivering unsold breads & artisan breads to CCAP Food Bank, which has increasing numbers
Springfield, MA MassLive notified employees on Wednesday that many of them will be furloughed and have their wages cut.
3 member of the Amaral Supermarket family in the Fall River area have died from coronavirus – 2 of whom worked in the market which has been closed.
A Massachusetts nursing home, The Belmont Home, is facing heartbreaking loss after at least 30 residents died and nearly all the others have tested positive for COVID-19.
Steamship Authority may be forced to cease service to Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket if they do not receive some financial bailout.
Cumberland Farms in Fall River and Blount Seafood have shut down after employees test positive for the virus. – but have since reopened after cleaning.
AdviniaCare, in Wilmington, MA, was set up as a recovery post-virus. Now, 25 have died and 55 are ill.
In Chelsea, MA, a community experiment tested 200 for antibodies, and 1/3 tested positive.
9 test positive at Amos House and are moved to Wyndham Hotel in Warwick, which also houses other homeless, those medical workers who need a place to sleep to protect their families from being infected, etc.
New fines set by the R.I. Department of Health for violating a quarantine order range from up to $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense and $500 for a third. And each instance or day a person violates quarantine counts as a separate offense, according to a copy of the new rules, which means you could rack up $850 in fines for going out three days in a row
$24 Million in stimulus funds have come in to RI’s airports
Care New England – just received hundreds of thousands of masks which allows them to give them to patients, too.
CNE – Have 30-40 ventilators; 1/3 used.
Lifespan – They have 1,100 beds – 180 used; 200 ICUs – 40 used; 240+ ventilators – 30 used.
Massachusetts Data:
The state reported Thursday that the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts had risen by 137 cases to 1,245, up from 1,108 the day before.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases climbed by 2,263 to 32,181. The Department of Public Health also reported a total of 140,773 people in the state had been tested, up from 132,023 a day earlier.
RI Gov. Press Conference
Data:
13 new deaths – 118 total deaths
366 new positive cases – 4, 177 total positives
26,584 total negative cases
30,761 total tested
252 in hospital – 62 in ICU – 43 on ventilators – 196 hospital discharges
Of the 13: 1 in 50s, 2 in 60s, 7 in 70s, 1 in 80s, 1 in 90s, 1 over 100
10 of the 13 were in congregate settings. 9 occurred yesterday, 4 before yesterday
Governor says she feels strong and confidant about what lies ahead.
Cases are still in the upswing. Hopes by May 8th we will be on downside of numbers.
Probably won’t be as it was for about a year until we have vaccines – though we will have therapeutics.
Recognizes Beacon Mutual Insurance – workers comp company – front line healthcare workers can file for virus claims as part of doing his/her job
If RI hospitals becomes overwhelmed by a surge, we are ready. However, if we do have an equipment shortage, Health Dept. is issuing guidance around “crisis standards of care”, done with Brown University & others. This is not public – yet.
Number of responses from retired and not working doctors, nurses, etc., we have 3,300 healthcare professionals who have stepped forward. RIResponds.org to sign up.
PPE – Goal is to have a 30 day supply on hand at all times.
Battelle sterilization system will be up and running in RI in a few days.
Prisoners at ACI – 50 were released – Governor will not use Executive Authority to free more than that at this time – those with 90 days from release.
Theatre by the Sea has canceled its season
RIDLT is an “ancient technology system” not built to handle 140,000 claims a day – we are looking at what we can do
Spring high school sports – hard to engage in any sport that involves crowds
Grocery stores full of shoppers – by and large it’s not a significant problem, but call the office if you see this.
15 Abbott machines from federal government, but only a few “kits” of product to administer the test – have to wait for federal government to provide.
Governor’s Press Release
- Workers Compensation: Beacon Mutual Insurance Company, which insures 12,000 Rhode Island businesses, will be allowing frontline healthcare workers to file for workers compensation under the presumption that they contracted the virus in the course of doing their jobs – and will expedite those claims. This includes doctors, nurses, EMTs, home health aides and others.
- Testing for vulnerable populations: The state is implementing a cyclical testing program for all nursing homes to be tested every 7-10 days. This involves delivering swabs to nursing homes and picking up samples the next day. Mobile testing for outbreaks will be deployed to hot spots.
COVID-19 Data Update
Dr. Alexander-Scott announced today that Rhode Island has 372 new cases of COVID-19. This brings Rhode Island’s count to 4,177. There were 13 additional fatalities. One person was in their 50s, 2 people were in their 60s, 7 people were in their 70s, one person was in their 80s, one person was in their 90s and one was more than 100 years old.Rhode Island’s total number of COVID-19 associated fatalities is now 118. A full data summary for Rhode Island is posted online.
A moment!
Kruger National Park visitors that tourists do not normally see – This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see. This afternoon they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp. With so little traffic, the animals are braver about where they hang out.
