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Coronavirus Update – Today, April 3, 2020
(New feature: scroll to bottom for some inspiration on this day in our world…this world that we share…)
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
White House team is expected to urge Americans who live in areas of high virus transmission to wear cloth masks or face coverings to help reduce the spread of infection
Funeral directors are overwhelmed, not only with the number of deaths all at once, but with transmission safeguards
Florida issues a stay at home for 30 days order
RI Dem National Convention moved to Aug. 17th
Fauci says “until there is not one new case, we cannot back off of social distancing”
Johns Hopkins says we have now crossed 50,000 death mark
San Francisco banned reusable bags because of their bacteria spreading risk
New York and New Jersey are at 35% positive testing.
President’s Press Conference
Veterans – extending benefits & suspending debt collections
100,000 tests a day
Nursing home regulations – shoring up safety regs
First antibody test certified for implementation
Ventilator production to allow about 6 companies to start production
3M face mask production
GM will soon start production on ventilators
FEMA delivering resources to NY – adding 48 ICU beds to Javits Center. Being converted to a covid 19 hospital and staffing it. Also doing this for Louisiana and Dallas.
USNS Comfort – non-covid hospital
4 million N95 face masks and 4 million gloves
Go to: NYC.gov/HelpNow – if you are a medical person and can volunteer
President reminds congress and others it’s not the time for politics – not the time for witch-hunts – time to save lives. Not time to waste time and resources.
President did the 13-minute Abbott test – and he tested negative
28 air flights oversees to pick up supply chain products – normally 37 days to get items here
Dangerously dependent on China for our medical supplies, and equipment. No matter how many treaties you make, you always run a risk of being out in the cold in a crisis.
RHODE ISLAND & REGION
RI DMV closes when staff member tests positive
Restrictions on use of the Cliff Walk
Massachusetts – estimates peak date between April 10 and April 20 – 1,228 new cases, 33 new related deaths
79 RI prisoners whose sentences expire within the next 90 days will be released early – they will have to identify a place to live and officials will stay in touch to make sure they are socially isolating.
Nearly 80 nursing, assisted living centers have reported coronavirus clusters, officials say
The Department of Homeland Security is halting efforts to bring more H-2B foreign visa workers to the United States to take nonagricultural jobs
IGT furloughs 320 employees – expected to last 8 weeks – will continue to receive health and welfare benefits.
Ocean State Job Lot adding 2% to all sales to benefits employees
New England Patriots retrieve 1million masks from China and give it to MA & NY
The Kraft Family and Gillette Stadium donated more than $100,000 in leftover food at Gillette to local Food Pantries and Homeless Shelters in Mass and RI.
Warwick’s Wyndham Hotel housing homeless, group home residents, etc.
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center has been designated as a field hospital for 500 beds for homeless adults, men and women, who have tested positive and need care but do not require full hospitalization
3 Newport firefighters test positive for coronavirus
33 new cases in Massachusetts
13% test positive in Rhode Island – mentioned as the 3rd tier of high percentage of positives from the White House task force
Testing – now open for anyone showing symptoms – still have to go through MD for an appt. Previously, only high priority people could be tested.
Kinder Industries in Bristol is now making mask shields
2nd correctional officer tests positive at RI ACI
Governor’s Press Conference replaced by chat with her husband, featuring questions from children
Governor’s Press Conference:
COVID-19 Testing Expanded to All Symptomatic Rhode Islanders
With Rhode Island’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing capacity now expanded, all Rhode Islanders who have symptoms of COVID-19 are encouraged to call a healthcare provider to get scheduled for a test. Currently, a person can only be tested for COVID-19 in Rhode Island if testing is ordered by a healthcare provider. If you do not have a primary care provider, call an urgent care center. Call first before going to a healthcare facility (unless it is an emergency).
The expanded approach of testing all people with symptoms represents a significant change. COVID-19 testing in Rhode Island had previously been limited to the members of certain priority populations who are more vulnerable to complications from COVID-19 (such as nursing home residents), or who are members of Rhode Island’s critical infrastructure workforce (such as healthcare workers).
COVID-19 Data Update
An additional 91 Rhode Islanders have tested positive for COVID-19. This brings Rhode Island’s total to 657. Rhode Island also has two additional COVID-19 associated fatalities, bringing Rhode Island’s fatality total to 12. Both individuals were females, one in her 80s and one in her 90s. A full data summary for Rhode Island is available online.
Kids Link is now available.
Dr. Scott will do a live Q&A on Monday.
Doctor Elvis Francois 8.52K subscribers Imagine all the people… —- In life, there are so many things that divide us. Religion, race, politics, social status and so much more….But today a global pandemic brings us all together as one. —- Over the next few months our health care system will be tested. Many lives will be lost. Health care providers will be under an incredible amount of stress to save thousands of people. But when times are as dark as they are today, nothing shines brighter than the human spirit. —- There is something beautiful about a collective struggle. And the beauty in what we are facing today is that the only way to overcome this pandemic is for us to all come together as one. —- Nurses, doctors, students, research scientists, politicians, Uber eats drivers, cashiers, factory workers etc…..Getting through this will be hard but one thing is certain…the only way we will get through it is together, as one —- — —- “You might say that I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one. I hope some day that you will join us…and the world will live as one….” —- Thankful for my brother Dr. William Robinson on the piano — — Much love to all 7.53 billion people out there, Doctor Elvis