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Your Coronavirus Update – Nov. 21, 2020
Photo: Food Bank in San Antonio, TX – cars line up before dawn.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Catholic schools stay open in NYC as others close.
Dr. Fauci has come out strongly about the need to keep schools open.
Pfizer and BioNewTech go to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today – Pfizer said “they would be ready within hours to distribute the vaccine”.
Home sales are surging in vacation towns: -Lake Tahoe +80% -Bridgeport, CT +80% -Bend, OR +54% -Cape Cod +51% -Jersey Shore +36%
Gov. Cuomo says law enforcement is wrong to selectively decide on what laws to enforce – specifically referring to how the police say they won’t enforce the 10 or less law for gatherings.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott tests positive
Public health experts like Dr. Deborah Birx have been warning students for weeks not to risk taking Covid-19 home for Thanksgiving. With no national guidance for colleges, some fear students are hitting the road as ticking time bombs. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/20/us/colleges-coronavirus-thanksgiving-break-wellness/index.html?utm_source=twCNN&utm_medium=social&utm_term=link&utm_content=2020-11-20T14%3A30%3A15
The World Health Organization now recommends against using remdesivir in hospitalized Covid-19 patients, saying there’s no evidence that the drug improves mortality. Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody for Covid-19 was seen as offering clinicians an urgently needed tool to help patients.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin wants to funnel unspent stimulus money into the American economy, he said on Thursday evening.
IRS has 1 million unprocessed returns and 3 million pieces of unopened mail after COVID-19 wreaked havoc on tax season
A mask mandate for New Hampshire takes effect Friday
Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy Giuliani is positive for COVID19, and experiencing symptoms. Rudy Giuliani is quarantining.
Donald Trump, Jr. is positive for coronavirus.
California begins its 10pm to 5am curfew.
Gov. Cuomo will receive an Emmy for “masterful use of television” for delivering information during the pandemic
More than 150 coronavirus vaccines are in development across the world – see a few of those on the horizon: https://on.natgeo.com/393DsJO
The head of Sanford Health, a large regional health system in the Midwest has told his employees that he has recovered from COVID19 and is back in the office — without a mask, saying he believes he’s now immune to the disease for “at least seven months and perhaps years to come” and that he isn’t a threat to transmit it to anyone, so wearing a mask would be merely for show.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
No plunge this year at Easton’s Beach on Jan. 1st.
The ACI is now reporting approx. 170 cases.
People traveling to RI from Puerto Rico will now have to quarantine for 14 days
New Bedford’s bar seating areas will be closed starting Wednesday.
District Hall Providence will be closed November 23 – December 13. The state is entering a two-week pause to help reduce COVID transmission.
Congress has adjourned for the holiday with no action on a stimulus.
The Breakers Mansion will have no events inside, but the outside will be decorated as well as the inside. 40,000 outdoor lights.
Chris Christie said his son had COVID19 – he is a student at Providence College
Allie’s Doughnuts is closed during the “pause”
Woonsocket School system will all go to distance learning on Nov. 30th, returning in January.
Providence will go to distance learning on Nov. 30th. Middle school will continue in-person.
Tiverton Casino will close for at least two weeks on Nov. 29th.
Governor’s Message:
Over the last two months, we’ve tried to be as targeted as possible in our restrictions, so that we could keep our economy open and keep Rhode Islanders safe. Unfortunately, what we’ve done to date hasn’t been effective enough. I’ve done everything I could to avoid more severe restrictions because I know how hard it is for both people and businesses. But people aren’t following the rules and we’re left with no other options. So today, we announced both immediate changes to the current guidance and our plan for a two-week pause starting after Thanksgiving.
We’re extending our current guidance — including early closing times for bars and restaurants and capacity restrictions in venues and big box stores — another week, through Sunday, November 29.
And for the next 10 days, we’re making two additional changes:
- Effective immediately, we’re lowering the social gathering limit to a single household. This means you should not be spending time socially with anyone you don’t live within the next 10-days, including on Thanksgiving.
- In addition to the stricter capacity limits on stores over 30,000 sq. ft., we’re also requiring box stores to develop a plan for handling the increased volume of shoppers this season, including for Black Friday, and post that plan in the store.
Just after Thanksgiving, we’ll be entering a two-week pause. This is the crux of our winter strategy. In just a two-week period, we have the ability to prevent overwhelming our hospital system without the need for a total lockdown. We’re all in this together.
-Gina Raimondo, Governor
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The heads of Lifespan and Care New England spoke on WPRO about the status of their hospitals. They both expect the overflow hospitals to be open by December 1st. Three levels of care – 1) conventional – 2) contingency – and 3) crisis.
Rachel Maddow talks about her wife being positive with COVID19
Lot to read this morning ! Governor says merry Christmas to air port workers box store workers malls! Then puts coal in stockings of all casino workers they all get laid off 29th! The casinos are better prepared then all the rest! Shame on Gina!