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Coronavirus Update – Today, May 7, 2020
Photo, WSLS TV, Florida: The Grim Reaper, or Florida lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder, walking the Florida beaches with a strong message.. see story below…
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Humana is waiving co-pays and deductibles for Medicare Advantage members who visit their in-network primary care doctor or see a behavioral health specialist.
Tectonix analyzed the travel paths of phones used at the Tyson plant and showed in a video that the mobile devices from the plant had been carried by their users throughout the continent. Devices active at the plant during March traveled to and from nearly every state in the U.S. and some of the provinces of Canada.
20 million children who camp should find out in the next few weeks on the future of their summer experience.
Six Flags is putting their plans together to open, with restrictions and reservations required.
Michigan Gov. Whitmer wants to ban guns from Capitol after armed anti-lockdown protests
51 workers at Tyson plant in Maine test positive for COVID-19
Nursing group says at least 90,000 healthcare workers have been infected
Pedro Martinez launches initiative for COVID-19 relief in Dominican Republic
Number of kids in New York with rare COVID-19 complication rises to 64 and the American Heart Association is warning cardiologists and pediatricians about this.
Early findings on the virus research is showing that the virus will die quickly on most surfaces in sunlight – and will live for hours if not days on plastic, cardboard and metal. This could drastically alter our summertime behavior, if verified into behavior.
2021 Australian Open canceled due to concerns about travel arrangements
The national Coronavirus Task Force will stay in place – others will be added with expertise on putting the economy back together again.
Wuhan students return to school for the first time since lockdown lifted
Disneyland in Shanghai set to reopen May 11
Covid Crisis #8: A Conversation with Governor Gina Raimondo – In the eighth episode of the ‘A Healthy Dose’ Covid Crisis miniseries, Trevor and Steve talk with Governor Gina Raimondo, the Governor of Rhode Island.
East Bay Family Health Services will open testing sites in Newport and East Providence. Newport site will be at CCRI parking lot; 100 Bullocks Point Ave for EP.
Wheaton College committed to opening this fall.
Malls to remain closed in phase 1 in Rhode Island
Brown University is making plans to open in the fall.
Tennis Hall of Fame will announce alternative plans
Mayor Elorza, before the governor’s address yesterday, announced that non-essential retail establishments will be reopened “safety” later this week – but this does not include gyms or hairdressers. Parks, green spaces, bike paths can reopen “with limitations”, such as no group gatherings. Providence Place Mall will be opened to street facing businesses only – not interior. City buildings will remain closed through June 5th.
New Bedford – new guidelines for industrial workers – barriers between employees or full PPE; 7 violators already charged.
Some skate parks in Massachusetts are spreading mulch on their courses to dissuade use.
Surviving Covid19 now requires medical clearance to enlist in the US military
Boston Globe cutting staff, mailing services and benefits, instructing staff to cut expenses.
RI Speaker of the House said he doesn’t support levying of fines for not wearing face coverings – “it’s inappropriate” – “I would caution (Gov) from doing so – the public doesn’t deserve that – you don’t impose sanctions on people – you are trying to bring people together”.
Governor’s Address:
RI Data 5-6-2020
15 new deaths. 1 in 50s, 2 in 60s, 4 in 70s, 6 in 80s, 2 in 90s.
RI is doing well as compared to other states. We have a stable picture, a good picture about how we are doing to protect Rhode Islanders.
Mother’s Day: Going to have to be different. Hearing about big plans to go visit moms. Even if we lift the stay at home order, we will still be very limited in how we go about things. 15-20 people in a house is exactly what we can NOT do. Plan now to do something different.
Testing: RI has the highest rate of testing in country. 1st to do drive-in center. 1st to partner with CVS. 1st to do rapid testing. 1st to do in highest-hit communities. Rapid testing is now in Central Falls with partnership with CVS. TY to them. We are now doing about 2,700 tests a day, with a dip on the weekends. 80,000 Rhode Islanders have been tested. National average is 2-3% of population. RI has tested over 7%. Would like to do 10,000 a day by July. Then to 20,000 a day – because we want colleges to open and schools to start. Need to have rapid, reliable, affordable testing to everyone who has symptoms – from the time you have a symptom, and 48 hours later, we want you to get a test and get results. We want to react quickly to an outbreak. Outbreak response team within 4 hours in places like congregate care settings. And then do contact tracing. Create early warning detection system by “sentinel” testing of asymptomatic people. Test high risk settings frequently. By Monday, we will have tested every nursing home and every worker in the state. However, they only show a moment in time. Continuous testing of high risk communities. Cyclical testing of high risk groups (first responders, schools, etc.). Serology testing: doing our first round. Four Stop & Shops – Prov, Cranston, No. Prov and Newport. Starting today we are mailing letters to 5,000 random citizens to go for serology and diagnostic test. You don’t have to do it, but please consider it. Adds to the database.
Contact Tracing: More than 100 team members working hard – working to be more tech enabled – Salesforce pilot testing. Working on a single, one-stop app. Might roll this out next week. This is opt in. Never forced to give information.
Phase I: Go to ReopeningRI.com for all regulations. Have to screen employees, send home if sick, have everyone wear face coverings, 6 ft. distancing, hand sanitizer, cleaning protocols. Recommended best practices go further – staggering work schedule, break room info, etc. Sector by sector guidance – retail will be posted tomorrow. Builders will be required to certify that they have met standards and how they will respond to situations. We will have a template provided. Link, here: https://www.reopeningri.com/resource_pdfs/COVID-19-Control-Template-Final-5.6.20.pdf
Will we be moving to having reporters back in the room? Work with communications staff – committed to doing anything that works, but will hold to 5.
20% of people tested in Rhode Island are healthcare workers.
In NYC, 66% of those entering the hospital came from “at home”, with no work or healthcare exposure.
National morbidity for people of color is higher – factor of economics, more disease, less access to good food, less ability to stay home if sick, etc.
Spanish translation of today’s press conference – 5/6/20:
The Grim Reaper – Florida lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder, feels so strongly about people exercising caution, especially in groups at the beach, that he spends a considerable amount of his time making appearances along the southern Florida coast beaches.
