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Your Coronavirus Update – Today, Dec. 6, 2020
Photo: Big Blue Bug replaced his red nose with a surgical mask. Wear yours, too.
From the Governor’s Press Conference, Spring of 2020
It is difficult to think back and remember the early warnings. Is this where we are heading? It is hard to imagine.
To review:
Wear a mask – Clean, at least 2 layers thick, placed over your mouth and nose – for all over 2 years of age. Don’t touch the cloth. Remove by holding ties.
Wash hands – frequently, with soap – or use hand sanitizer
Socially distant – 6 feet minimum
More tips: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
Rhode Island & Vicinity
Boston Globe reports that Massachusetts if filling up hospital beds but nowhere near being overwhelmed – unlike other states, such as “Rhode Island” – “The surge is definitely here,” said Steve Walsh, president of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association. “The real difference this time is that every hospital now has a plan in place. They know how to quickly scale up beds if necessary. They know how to keep COVID treatment separate from non-COVID treatment.
“Some rooms in the Massachusetts State House will undergo an environmental cleaning after a person affiliated with the Senate tested positive for COVID-19
“Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin is calling for a ‘national vaccination day’ once coronavirus vaccines on the cusp of approval in the United States become widely available to the public.”
Massachusetts is adding more than 1,300 temporary shelter beds to help individuals experiencing homelessness stay warm and distanced this winter.
Worcester officials advise residents to avoid in-person shopping, dining as new COVID cases surge to new highs.
The city of New Bedford has rescinded its 100-person limit on church gatherings — regardless of the size of the church — in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling barring New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo from severely limiting attendance at church services there.
Framingham MA Superintendent of Schools said the district has evidence of COVID-19 spreading within city schools. ‘What is different from a week ago is we’re starting to see in-school transmission’.
Massachusetts is looking for medical personnel to staff two new field hospitals in Worcester and Lowell, and a field hospital to handle an influx in Covid-19 patients could be coming to Boston soon.
Two-thirds of eligible restaurants and bars have not applied for RI state grants
Antibody responses to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, remained strong for almost 4 months following vaccination, data from a phase I trial indicated.
“Sharp increase in Mass. COVID-19 cases likely does not include expected Thanksgiving surge.”
COVID-19 cluster has been tied to a meeting at State Police headquarters in Framingham where people were not wearing masks.
Massachusetts lawmakers on Friday took the final votes on a $46.2 billion spending plan for the year that began July 1.
The Diocese of Providence has canceled Christmas Eve service at the Cathedral. There is a 5pm service on the 24th and Christmas services on the 25th at 10 and 1pm – with admission by ticket only – providencecathedral.org
RI Data – Today’s Data: Dec. 4, 2020
Deaths: 13 (Deaths in-hospital: 7)
Total tests: 14,478 – Total positives: 1,326 – 9.2% Positive
Hospitalized: 408 (New admissions: 43; discharges: 48)
ICU: 45 – Ventilated: 29
Governor Raimondo call for volunteers/healthcare workers: “If you are a retired healthcare worker, or a healthcare worker who is currently unemployed or working in a non-healthcare setting, and you’re willing to work the floors in our hospitals and nursing homes to help us manage this surge, we need you. This week, the Department of Health again began issuing temporary licenses to retirees, visiting healthcare workers, and others who are completing their training programs. You can learn more about immediately available positions at SkillsforRI.com, Lifespan.org or CareNewEngland.org to learn more about positions at field hospitals. If you have physical or mental healthcare experience but can’t commit to full-time work in our hospitals or nursing homes, or if you don’t have healthcare experience but want to volunteer to assist our statewide response in other ways, visit RIResponds.org.”
Diocese of Providence on vaccines:
From the Diocese of Providence – Numerous reports indicate that at least two COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available. This development in fighting this terrible disease is indeed very good news and should be for us a source of hope and gratitude. The development of these vaccines will also raise, and indeed already has raised, some questions about the moral permissibility of receiving these vaccines if they have been developed in any way that involves the use of cell lines from aborted babies. It is a complex and sensitive matter. Nonetheless, a careful evaluation of this situation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (the USCCB), includes the following: “Neither the Pfizer nor the Moderna vaccine involved the use of cell lines that originated in fetal tissue taken from the body of an aborted baby at any level of design, development, or production. They are not completely free from any connection to abortion, however, as both Pfizer and Moderna made use of a tainted cell line for one of the confirmatory lab tests of their products. There is thus a connection, but it is relatively remote.” In short the USCCB evaluation, backed-up by previous instructions from the Holy See, affirms that “at the level of the recipient, it is morally permissible to accept vaccination when there are no alternatives and there is a serious risk to health.” When the vaccines become available, individuals should be encouraged to receive the vaccine to promote their own health and safety and that of others. This is consistent with the Catholic commitment on promoting the common good. Nonetheless, if individuals have serious moral objections to, or health concerns about, receiving the vaccines, those concerns should be respected and the individuals should not be forced to be vaccinated if so doing is contrary to their conscience.”
Maxx Gym was ordered closed by a judge after an emergency hearing – owners have agreed to comply, while they appeal.
Christmas Tree Farms in RI, MA and CT say they have never sold so many trees so fast or so early in the season. RI reporting tree-seekers coming as far away as New York. People have also been decorating their homes earlier and more lavishly than all previous years. Here’s a link to find a tree farm in RI: https://www.richristmastrees.com/category/rhode_island/
A shelter home for the homeless with COVID in Smithfield was shut down due to an infestation of bugs, a broken sewer line, and other matters – and residents were transferred to the Wyndham Hotel in Warwick, which is also used for homeless people. Mixing of positive residents and those waiting for tests occurred. The facility is run by Fellowship Health Services. An EMT who volunteered his time there says his repeated attempts to get help from RIDOH went unanswered. (A Providence Journal report)
Richard Ferruccio, president of the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers union, puts the blame for the prison outbreak on the corrections administration, pointing to a training academy that went off in fits and starts as recruits and the officers instructing them tested positive. (A Providence Journal report)
The Eddy restaurant will close on Dec. 20th with revised weekend hours now, saying they will reopen.
Café Nuovo will close temporarily on Dec. 7th – and looks forward to opening in early 2021
What they are saying about Rhode Island
Daily new cases per 100k population
National & International
Robert Redfield, CDC director, predicted this week that December through February will “be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”
The New York Times is offering a calculator to see where you are “in line” for a vaccine: Go here: https://nyti.ms/3mLT2xG
Mac’s Public House on Statan Island opened briefly, after declaring itself an autonomous zone.
245,000 more jobs reported in US in November – less than anticipated – Unemployment rate fell to 6.7% – fell from 6.9% the month before.
60,000 tourism jobs in Portugual will be lost this year.
Speaker Pelosi says she is now willing to consider a large relief bill – because “we have a new President” – and we can move forward.
Radio Disney will be going off air to recover costs from coronavirus times.
California: restrictions on for 3 weeks in any community where ICU capacity falls below 15%. 3 weeks is past Christmas, and probably will go past New Year’s (no in/outdoor dining, hotels for medical/essential workers only, retail and grocery stores at 20% only, no barber shops, or nail salons, playgrounds, campgrounds, theaters, bars. Right now this could be northern CA, then LA, OC, etc – with Thanksgiving overflow yet to hit.
St. Louis Children’s hospitals have begun treating adults to relieve the strain on other hospitals with COVID patients in the state.
San Francisco Mayor criticized for attending an indoor birthday party after advising people to stay home as coronavirus surges.
Thousands of high risk and first responders sign up in Russia for the first vaccine.
Greek Orthodox officials have had large spread among them, often hiding their conditions from others.
Testing problems: “More than 6,700 individuals in Mecklenburg County in North Carolina were told in a text message sent from Mecklenburg County Health Department on Friday that they tested positive and over 500 people were told through a county email that they were also infected with the novel coronavirus. But the results were incorrect due to a technical error by Health Space, the company they use for contact tracing, according to a statement on the county’s website.
Here is RI’s interim draft vaccination plan: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/rhode-island-jurisdiction-executive-summary.pdf