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Coronavirus Update, Today: April 29, 2020
Photo: Thunderbirds continue their flying missions to honor healthcare workers…
Making national news this morning: Rhode Island statistics show 1 in 5 patients labeled “discharged” from hospitals, actually died at the hospital. Of the 466 hospital discharges listed on the data sheets, 86 patients died at the hospital. Error attributed to a coding issue which will be corrected.
78% of all Rhode Island deaths from coronavirus are those over 70 with almost all living in nursing homes/congregate settings.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Total number of U.S. coronavirus cases hits 1 million
Quest Diagnostics announced its coronavirus antibody tests be will available without a visit to a doctor’s office first.
Argentina bans all commercial flights until September 1 in response to coronavirus pandemic
US House of Representatives say they won’t return to D.C. next week because of coronavirus threat
Oxford University is predicting a virus vaccine may be ready by year end.
The HaloFogger, which has been used against SARS and Ebola, and to clean rescue units, has been approved by the EPA for emergency use against COVID-19. It sprays a dry hydrogen peroxide mist that can clean without damaging electronics. Each machine costs $10,000, and the amount of mist needed to clean a room costs $10. Available for industrial use only presently – info at Halosil.com.
JetBlue becomes first U.S. airline to require passengers to wear masks
France set to loosen lockdown restrictions from May 11
Goya donates 300,000 pounds of food, 20,000 protective masks
Putin extends Russia‘s stay-at-home regime to May 12
Pennsylvania is taking shutdown fight to supreme court
White House Coronavirus Task Force directs FEMA to ship PPE to more than 15,000 nursing homes
Miami Beach parks and golf courses to open today – beaches remain closed.
California considering starting school early – late July, through the year
California will require beauty salons and barbers to go through hours of training in how to clean, etc.
Trump to order meat processing plants to stay open amid coronavirus pandemic
Tripadvisor, which had laid off 25% of its global workforce—900 people—and shuttered its Boston and San Francisco offices.
Roy Horn, of Siegfried and Roy, tests positive for coronavirus
NYC Mayor DeBlasio instructing law enforcement to fine large Jewish traditional funerals that are bringing out crowds of people.
Alabama, Wisconsin, Washington, Tennesseem and Ohio opening partially, with some restrictions.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work Monday
Cruises – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara, Tui Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Pullmanter are planning to resume operations on June 12 for most of their fleet, and July 1 for all Canadian sailings. They have also filed a patent for a special mask “Seaview”.
The 2nd North Caroline Re-Open protest was held on Tuesdsay.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Dr. Mitchell Levy of Lifespan and Brown University said that Rhode Island has passed the surge
Connecticut is expected to begin their opening in the next 7-10 days.
Cape Cod Baseball League has cancelled its 2020 season.
Nantucket orders all newcomers to the island to quarantine for 14 days
50,000 masks going to New Bedford from the Joseph Abood Co.
80 residents at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke have died from coronavirus – now called the deadliest nursing home incident in US, surpassing Washington state. Transferring patients from unit to unit and floating of staff as well as improper amount of PPEs are to blame.
Barbara Fenton Fung, candidate for office in Cranston, and wife of the mayor of Cranston, Allan Fung, has tested positive for coronavirus – she is a healthcare workers and is experiencing mild symptoms.
The RI state pension fund lost nearly $900 million in the first quarter of 2020, with a $600 million hit in March alone
ProJo reports that 2% of the stockpile of PPE equipment for Rhode Island, in a local warehouse was lost to a flood in November. The remaining 90% of the total 119 pallets – or 315,000 masks – was kept in storage, but in the process it was noticed that the entire stockpile had expired. Yet – no new order was placed. The stockpile was maintained for a last resort backup stock. Presently, “3 million surgical masks are in inventory and 9 million on order. For N95s, we have 374,000 in inventory and 5 million on order.” – well done, Kathy Gregg, ProJo reporter.
Rhode Island Data – 4-28-2020
6 new deaths – 239 total deaths
218 new positive cases – 7,926 total positives
49,767 total negative cases
1,808 total tested, prior day
57,693 total tested
266 in hospital, 84 in ICU, 55 on ventilators, 466 hospital discharges
Ranged in age from 50s to 90s. 5 lived in nursing homes; 1 lived in congregate care setting.
Note: 79% fatalities = men/women over 70
RI Governor’s Press Conference
Healthcare: Access to high quality healthcare – health insurance companies covering Telemedicine for all primary care and specialists, that is going well. We need to do more to support healthcare providers. Executive order until May 27th: out of pocket costs for prescriptions and medicine coverage will not change. Referrals for specialists not needed for telehealth. Pre-authorization rules lessened. Behavioral healthcare referrals not needed for in-network.
Technology: need to rely more on it for symptom monitoring, ordering of testing appointments, contact tracing, etc. Public private partnerships have been made. Survey Monkey is one. Salesforce is another. Now have state of the art software and national guard can have immediate access to that information. Survey Monkey will text several times a day to those who are positive – and sent to DOH – collecting hotspots, etc. This is OPT IN only. No one will force you to interact, but you are encouraged to do it. Name of the game is DATA.
RIDMV: 90 day extensions for registration expirations in April and May – now go to August. RIDMV in Cranston is open but by appointment only.
More info coming later this week about services from other departments.
PPE – Good News:
The Pixel individual home collection testing kit by LabCorp is being sold to increase testing all around the US for individuals to order – the test swab is collected and mailed to a lab – why is RI is one of four states banning the sales of the Pixel kit, and will that be changing?
Congregate/Nursing Home settings – we will need to be stringent in these settings. Covid19 interacts with other diseases, fragility, or immune system function declines in the body, which is why those in nursing home communities are at higher risk.
Many state department working groups working to reopen Rhode Island. Guiding principle is relationship between physical health and economic health.
Some medical offices offering antibody tests: State wants to advise on what tests people should be looking for.
Nursing home grant for hazard pay for front line nurses is a loan – but it is a forgivable loan if the nursing home uses it all to pay employees.
Restaurant owners concerned about survivability if seating capacity is reduced. “My heart goes out to you” – a problem all across the US. We may need to give you additional support.
COBOL based IT system and technology upgrades – this crisis has given RI an opportunity to make some changes.
Refrigerator trucks at the medical examiner’s office – preparedness, not expected to be used. Also, we may still see more people get sick when the economy opens up – so preparedness is important. We will be living with all of this for the next year.
Status of RI Veterans Home – one patient due to symptoms, who has left that facility. Now tested all residents and all staff. 12 residents tested positive, 11 with no symptoms – initial one hospitalized. They are now in separate units. 11 direct care staff positive; 6 additional staff positive. Those 17 staff are home, isolating. Making sure all staff abide by prevention measures – masks, etc. Staff not rotating in different neighborhoods.
Testing numbers down – anticipate fewer people will be symptomatic. But sometimes numbers wane due to weather, etc.
The awe of the Blue Angel Thunderbirds…they did a four state flyover on behalf of the nation’s hospital and medical staff.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Argentina bans all commercial flights until September 1 in response to coronavirus pandemic
Pennsylvania is taking shutdown fight to supreme court
Alabama, Wisconsin, Washington, and Ohio to reopen partially on Friday.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work Monday
Cruises – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara, Tui Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Pullmanter are planning to resume operations on June 12 for most of their fleet, and July 1 for all Canadian sailings. They have also filed a patent for a special mask “Seaview”.
The 2nd North Caroline Re-Open protest was held on Tuesdsay.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Cape Cod Baseball League has cancelled its 2020 season.
Sixty-seven residents at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke have died from coronavirus
Barbara Fenton Fung, candidate for office in Cranston, and wife of the mayor of Cranston, Allan Fung, has tested positive for coronavirus – she is a healthcare workers and is experiencing mild symptoms.
Rhode Island Data – 4-28-2020
6 new deaths – 239 total deaths
218 new positive cases – 7,926 total positives
49,767 total negative cases
1,808 total tested, prior day
57,693 total tested
266 in hospital, 84 in ICU, 55 on ventilators, 466 hospital discharges
Ranged in age from 50s to 90s. 5 lived in nursing homes; 1 lived in congregate care setting.
RI Governor’s Press Conference
Healthcare: Access to high quality healthcare – health insurance companies covering Telemedicine for all primary care and specialists, that is going well. We need to do more to support healthcare providers. Executive order until May 27th: out of pocket costs for prescriptions and medicine coverage will not change. Referrals for specialists not needed for telehealth. Pre-authorization rules lessened. Behavioral healthcare referrals not needed for in-network.
Technology: need to rely more on it for symptom monitoring, ordering of testing appointments, contact tracing, etc. Public private partnerships have been made. Survey Monkey is one. Salesforce is another. Now have state of the art software and national guard can have immediate access to that information. Survey Monkey will text several times a day to those who are positive – and sent to DOH – collecting hotspots, etc. This is OPT IN only. No one will force you to interact, but you are encouraged to do it. Name of the game is DATA.
RIDMV: 90 day extensions for registration expirations in April and May – now go to August. RIDMV in Cranston is open but by appointment only.
More info coming later this week about services from other departments.
PPE – Good News:
The Pixel individual home collection testing kit by LabCorp is being sold to increase testing all around the US for individuals to order – the test swab is collected and mailed to a lab – why is RI is one of four states banning the sales of the Pixel kit, and will that be changing?
Congregate/Nursing Home settings – we will need to be stringent in these settings. Covid19 interacts with other diseases, fragility, or immune system function declines in the body, which is why those in nursing home communities are at higher risk.
Many state department working groups working to reopen Rhode Island. Guiding principle is relationship between physical health and economic health.
Some medical offices offering antibody tests: State wants to advise on what tests people should be looking for.
Nursing home grant for hazard pay for front line nurses is a loan – but it is a forgivable loan if the nursing home uses it all to pay employees.
Restaurant owners concerned about survivability if seating capacity is reduced. “My heart goes out to you” – a problem all across the US. We may need to give you additional support.
COBOL based IT system and technology upgrades – this crisis has given RI an opportunity to make some changes.
Refrigerator trucks at the medical examiner’s office – preparedness, not expected to be used. Also, we may still see more people get sick when the economy opens up – so preparedness is important. We will be living with all of this for the next year.
Status of RI Veterans Home – one patient due to symptoms, who has left that facility. Now tested all residents and all staff. 12 residents tested positive, 11 with no symptoms – initial one hospitalized. They are now in separate units. 11 direct care staff positive; 6 additional staff positive. Those 17 staff are home, isolating. Making sure all staff abide by prevention measures – masks, etc. Staff not rotating in different neighborhoods.
Testing numbers down – anticipate fewer people will be symptomatic. But sometimes numbers wane due to weather, etc.
The awe of the Blue Angel Thunderbirds…they did a four state flyover on behalf of the nation’s hospital and medical staff.
