Coronavirus Update – Today, April 19, 2020

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Children 2 and older should wear cloth face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Italy beginning plans to open for summer season – restaurants reducing seating by 50% and moving tables apart. Concerns about local Mafia handing out food and helping community in hopes of future indebtedness.

Taylor Swift has canceled her tour dates for 2020

Air Force graduation happens today – with social distancing – VP Pence to speak

ESPN, NFL Network prepare for remote draft

West Point graduation to take place with President giving commencement address

Walmart to require all employees to wear masks

Florida, South Carolina reopen beaches as states begin to loosen restrictions

Florida schools to remain closed through summer

United Kingdom records nearly 900 deaths in one day

Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) is committing $10 million to help meet the immediate needs of warriors who are in urgent and significant financial crisis due to the loss of household income caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Grants are $1,000 each – go here for more info: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/covid-relief

DOD has extended its travel ban for military personnel to June 20^th.

Drones, donated by DJI, a Chinese company, have gone to 43 agencies in 22 states, to help enforce social distancing rules.

Navy reports 669 cases from USS Roosevelt

A federal judge on Saturday blocked Kansas from limiting attendance at in-person religious worship services or activities to 10 people or fewer

N.Y., N.J., Connecticut reopen marinas

Broadway actor Nick Cordero has leg amputated after COVID-19 complications

Residents in Florida, North Carolina and Santa Cruz, California, returned to beaches

Early peek at data on Gilead coronavirus drug suggests patients are responding to treatment

President’s Press Conference

Dr. Birx said many states do not know how to use the testing machines properly and they will have to work with them to get the most out of them in terms of quantities the machines are capable of doing.

Dr. Fauci talked about the problems with testing early-on in that CDC was resistant in embracing the technology and help of the private sector.

Three vaccines are now in human trials – with Gilead the most popular one talked about

Investigation into US funding of $3.7 million to the Wuhan lab in question 6 years ago.

President talked about how the federal government provided beds, ventilators, testing equipment to states and how it should not be partisan – “we started with garbage”.

US has done 4 million tests – twice that of any other country.

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

NEW: All big box stores are to restrict their shopping area dedicated to gardening supplies – they can now sell only by appt, and curbside pickup

7 trucks will start patrolling high risk areas in Massachusetts with loudspeaker public information messages for the community – translated into several different languages.

Homeless staying at discounted rates – still largely unaffordable. Governor says Wyndham Hotel is alternative – but that is only for people ordered into quarantine.

“Shutting down the economy – putting many of us at the mercy of questionable management by bureaucrats for several more months – is unacceptable. We were offered a glimmer of hope by northeast governors Monday. Now we want to see a plan.” – editorial by Tom Ward, Valley Breeze

Some MA restaurants are using connections with food suppliers to sell groceries.

East Providence has put a regulation – if you come into a store without wearing a face covering you can be turned away.

ACLU sues ICE for release of 3 prisoners at Wyatt due to risks from coronavirus

Bristol Community College to lay off 136 employees

St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester will be offering voluntary furloughs

RI Governor’s Press Conference:

Data:
19 new deaths – 137 total deaths
317 new positive cases – 4,491total positives
28,335 total negative cases
32,826 total tested

255 in hospital, 67 in ICU, 43 on ventilators, 217 hospital discharges

Of the 19: 1 in 30s, 2 in 50s, 3 in 60s, 4 in 70s, 7 in 80s, 2 in 90s.

10 were from congregate care settings.

17 died in the last 24 hours – 2 from day before

Numbers still increasing, but trajectory is not as steep due to our good work.

Testing about 2,000 a day – remember to do your contact tracing notebook.

$1.25 billion coming to RI – we received ½ yesterday

Today is implementation day for face coverings. Everyone who goes to work should wear a face covering; they need to remind customers to wear; doesn’t apply to children under 2.

Communities of color: 45% of cases in Latino population; we may have some of the high results because of efforts we’ve made within that community.  Materials are available in Spanish, and will expand to other languages. RIDOH goes on Spanish language radio with awareness. No barriers at testing sites – no immigration issues at sites. HEZ partners are involved.

Face mask covering wearing still means you need to be at least 6 feet apart from others.

Concern about crowded grocery stores.

Dr. Scott spoke about community resilience. Being strong for one another. Reach out to seniors and others.

DHS office in Pawtucket issue of positive testing…continuity of services plans are in place as part of crisis planning. RI has office closure plans in place for all emergencies. 2nd staff member tests positive.

There is an arts relief fund – more info coming on this…

Governor’s Press Release

• Garden centers: Starting tomorrow, big box stores that include garden centers are required to close open browsing and shopping options within their garden centers. Garden center sales will be temporarily limited to pickup, delivery, and appointment options – as is the case for free-standing garden centers. 
• Masks: Earlier this week, the Governor signed an executive order issuing clear direction about face coverings. The following directives take effect today:

• All employees of customer-facing businesses, office-based businesses, manufacturers, nonprofits and construction workers must wear cloth face coverings when they are at work.
• Additionally, all customer-facing businesses must take steps to remind customers to wear face coverings. 
• The only exceptions are for anyone whose health would be in jeopardy because of wearing a face covering or any children under 2 years old.
• The RI Artist Relief Fund: The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), in cooperation with the Rhode Island Foundation and the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, announced the Rhode Island Artist Relief Fund today. Created to provide grants to RI artists who are in financial distress as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, the fund has awarded $126,030 in grants to support 253 Rhode Island artists. The Governor encouraged anyone in a position to donate to the fund to visit https://www.artistcommunities.org/arf. For more information, visit https://risca.online/grants/artistrelieffund/.

A little bit of awe…

Thank-you messages to health care workers around the world are projected onto Brazil’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue as Cardinal Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro celebrates Easter during the global coronavirus pandemic.