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Your Coronavirus Update – Feb. 19, 2022
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
3 free N95 Masks are NOW available in local pharmacies – 3 per person as long as supplies last
Rhode Island is the #1 vaccinated state in the US – 37% of RI is boosted.
Providence schools will continue wearing masks past March 2nd deadline and will stagger return to school after the school vacation week.
Coachella Music Festival in MA will open without masks or vaccination requirements.
The RI Rebounds Small Business Grant Program provides direct financial assistance to our state’s small businesses that have suffered financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants are available for either $2,500 or $5,000.
Baker administration will ‘strongly encourage all higher education institutions’ to consider relaxing mask requirements on campus.”
Thundermist Health Center, 450 Clinton St., in Woonsocket, is encouraging local residents to turn to them for COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
The Governor has issued Executive Order 22-20 extending virtual and hybrid meetings until March 19, 2022. https://governor.ri.gov/executive-orders/executive-order-22-20 Note that the text of the EO has changed. Each board can determine how they want to hold their meeting, in person, hybrid or virtual. The new order says that while the groups MAY offer options to in-person, they are not required to do so – some groups have criticized this change.
RWU mask wearing for fully vaccinated students is now optional if they are inside the fitness center on campus. Masks are also optional inside residence halls, but they will still be required in other indoor settings at RWU. Student cafeteria will open fully.
At Bryant, masks will only be required to be worn inside classrooms, meeting rooms and shared offices where a 6-foot distance cannot be maintained.
The Providence Performing Arts Center will build a rehearsal on top of its building. It will allow for performers and production crew members to spend weeks in the downtown Providence location preparing new touring shows when they come here, two or three times each year.
The City of Pawtucket will be providing 9100 take-home COVID-19 rapid tests for each student, faculty member, and staff member of the Pawtucket School Department in an effort to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases within Pawtucket Schools. Pawtucket’s 16 schools will receive their allocations and will distribute this week starting on Wednesday, February 16th and running until all testing is distributed.
Governor Dan McKee and RIHousing to launched a new pilot program, FirstGenHomeRI, aimed at helping to open the doors to homeownership for first-generation homebuyers.
Mayor Wu of Boston removed the required proof of vaccination for public places – restaurants, gyms, etc – due to the falling numbers.
Some Walgreens stores in Massachusetts will now be able to fill prescriptions for COVID antiviral pills
From the Diocese of Providence: in accordance with the state’s updated policy, Catholic churches and other indoor venues in the Diocese of Providence will not require masks or vaccination proof for attendance at Mass and any other events or gatherings—with the exception of schools which are governed by different requirements. Catholic schools in the diocese will continue to observe their current policies and precautions until further guidance is received. Individuals may choose to continue to wear masks at church.
Newport has lifted its mask mandate for city buildings.
The RI Air Show has been canceled for the 4th year, after attempts to pull it off this year with a for-profit company stalled.
Portsmouth Schools: “Until further notice, all students, employees, and visitors are required to wear a mask or cloth face-covering that covers his or her mouth and nose at all times while in the school or on a school bus.”
Middletown: Masks or face coverings are currently required in all school buildings, regardless of vaccination status
Newport: “If Middletown and Portsmouth do away (with their policies), it will be hard for Newport to justify keeping it.”
Tiverton: The current policy on masks in Tiverton schools requires a face covering to be worn when “entering a district facility or attending schools.” Masks also must be worn on school district buses.
Little Compton: “All students at Wilbur McMahon School shall be required to wear a mask or face covering that covers mouth and nose at all times while present in any school building, facility, and anywhere on school property/grounds.”
Professors at Rhode Island’s public colleges say it’s time to solve a long-standing problem with the pipeline of health care professionals: a shortage of nursing faculty, which keeps scores of prospective students on waiting lists.
AARP RI’s Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard, covering the four-week period ending January 23, paints a grim picture of the devastation caused by the surge of the Omicron variant in America’s nursing homes and underscores the need for booster shots to protect both residents and staff.
RI Nursing Homes – case increases in the last 7 days
Check your nursing home of interest, here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c2QrNMz8pIbYEKzMJL7Uh2dtThOJa2j1sSMwiDo5Gz4/edit#gid=500394186
Alpine, Coventry – 5 to 9
Cherry Hill, Johnston – 5 to 9
Crystal Lake, Burrillville – 15 to 19
Grand Islander, Middletown – 5 to 9
Greenwood, Warwick – 10 to 14
John Clarke, Middletown – 5 to 9
Kent Regency, Warwick – 5 to 9
Royal of Westerly, Westerly – 10 to 14
Steere House, Providence – 5 to 9
Four Seasons, No. Scituate – 5 to 9
Community Based COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics for Saturday – February 19:
| 11:am-12:00pm, Calcutt Middle School, 112 Washington Street, Central Falls, Moderna, Pfizer (12+) 10:00am-11:30am, CCRI – Lincoln, 1762 Old Louisquisset Pike, J&J, Moderna, Pfizer (12+) 1:00pm-2:30pm, CCRI – Newport, 1 John H. Chafee Boulevard, J&J, Moderna, Pfizer (12+) 12:00pm-1:30pm, CCRI – Warwick, 400 East Avenue, J&J, Moderna, Pfizer (12+), Flu 10:00am-12:00pm, Cumberland Public Library, 1464 Diamond Hill Road, Pfizer (12+), Pfizer (5-11) 1:30pm-3:00pm, East Smithfield Public Library, 50 Esmond St, Moderna, Pfizer (12+), Pfizer (5-11) 10:00am-12:00pm, Knight Memorial Library, 275 Elmwood Avenue, Pfizer (12+), Pfizer (5-11) 9:00am-11:00am, South Road Elementary, 1157 South Rd, South Kingstown, J&J, Moderna, Pfizer (12+), Pfizer (5-11), Flu 9:00am-10:45am, St. Peter’s & St. Andrew’s Church, 70 Pemberton Street, ProvidenceJ&J, Moderna, Pfizer (12+), Pfizer (5-11) 12:30pm-2:30pm, Liberian Community Assoc of RI, 70 Jefferson St, Providence, Moderna, Pfizer (12+) 9:00am-11:00am, Ponaganset High School, 137 Anan Wade Road, North Scituate, Moderna, Pfizer (12+) |
Last data for Feb. 18, 2022:
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Every state but Hawaii is releasing its mask mandates.
Free N95 masks – 400 million masks will be available through retail chain CVS (CVS.N), which has nearly 10,000 U.S. pharmacy locations including within Target (TGT.N) stores, and Walgreens (WBA.O), which has over 9,000 stores, plan to distribute free masks – they are now available at most locations – until supplies last.
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and his immediate family are positive for COVID – Murthy said it was difficult to be distant when his children were sick and needed to be cared for. His children are 4 and 5, the 5 year old, his wife, and he have been vaccinated and boosted.
“We Are Not There Yet”: As States Drop Mask Rules, the C.D.C. Stands Firm
In any public places in France where entry is subject to the COVID-19 vaccine pass people will no longer have to wear masks indoors, the health ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Fully vaccinated workers at Amazon may go maskless, unless in states where indoor masking is still required.
Iceland’s PM has COVID
BioNTech to ship mRNA vaccine factory kits to Africa
After Covid, risks of heart problems remain elevated for up to a year
Forbes says that Walmart’s growing presence in healthcare is incredibly promising and they may soon be the largest primary care provider in the US.
There is a severe shortage of local epidemiologists across the country – they are the disease detectives that play a key role in battling outbreaks.
There have been reported cases of Botox complications when given too close to a COVID vaccine.
Hong Kong reports record # of cases and they are moving to lockdowns.
Walmart and Sam’s Club has ended mask mandate and daily testing for employees (except states that require it) – unvaccinated employees must continue wearing a mask
A new portable test that detects coronavirus infection within a four-minute window has been developed by scientists in Shanghai.
Gilead says COVID drug remdesivir shows antiviral activity against Omicron, other variants
U.S. FDA authorizes Eli Lilly’s COVID-19 antibody drug
Israel is moving to a 4th vaccine – US is beginning to talk about that, and does advise it now for those with extremely high risk of a bad outcome if they get COVID.
At six months of age, babies born to mothers vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to have antibodies against the virus in their blood than babies born to unvaccinated mothers who were infected while pregnant
Americans fleeing Ukraine may now enter Poland but must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
Mask mandate in Disney has been removed – except on transportation – monorails, etc.
Camilla Bowles now has COVID (Prince Charles already tested positive)
NYC city workers – 1,400 have been fired for refusal to get vaccinated. Most work for Education Dept.
Zimbabwe will no longer allow unvaccinated workers to be paid.
Indonesia setting records as Omicron spreads
Tyson Foods removes some mask requirements at plants.
Belgium is moving to a 4-day work week.
HHS gives $55M to community health centers for virtual care access
BioNTech plans modular vaccine factories in Africa
COVID patients in Hong Kong are being treated outside due to a surge in cases caused by the Omicron variant. Hong Kong’s zero-COVID strategy means all infected patients are hospitalised, putting immense pressure on services