Your Coronavirus Update – Today, Dec. 7, 2020

RHODE ISLAND &  VICINITY

The RI Veterans Home has had 9 staff and 4 residents test positive. Residents and family were notified on December 4th. The “bad news” was tempered with “good news” that the cavalry is on the way – the vaccine. This letter was obtained by RINewsToday and notes a vaccination day has been set for “around the 21st of December”, and they will be provided by CVS/Omnicare. The vaccine can’t come soon enough – and God bless our heroes at the Veterans Home.

Dr. Jha from Brown University tweeted on Saturday: “Massachusetts has more new COVID cases per capita than Georgia, Florida, or Texas Our wastewater data … shows more infections in the community than we had in April Our hospitalizations, deaths are up 100% in last 3 weeks But our casinos and tanning salons are still open – For many months, I defended Gov. Baker against critics, saying our governor has done a good job over past 6 weeks, I’ve gone from uncomfortable to aghast at lack of action Its incomprehensible They must see different data because no rational explanation for lack of action

Rhode Island has more new coronavirus cases per capita than any other state in the US (daily new cases) (110 per 100,000K per day). Connecticut is #30 and Massachusetts is #32.

Massachusetts has opened the first of its field hospitals – 2nd to open this week.

Washington Trust moves to appointment only.

Black Lives Matter RI will hold a protest today at the ACI regarding the virus outbreak – 316 in max tested positive and are isolated. Conditions at ACI are similar to other prison facilities throughout the country. The situation with the prison typifies what is happening around the country in its prisons. Early release for maximum prisoners is out of the question.

Rhode Island’s DRAFT Vaccination Plan can be found, here: https://health.ri.gov/publications/plans/RI-COVID-19-Vaccination-Plan-Interim-Draft.pdf

___

Message from Governor Raimondo: Pause Week Two

“We’re entering the second week of our pause. It hasn’t been easy, but Rhode Islanders once again showed that we are up to the challenge. It’s clear that people have followed our guidance. Over Thanksgiving week, our COVID enforcement unit did not receive any credible calls about parties or large gatherings. In about 700 business inspections over the past week, we saw excellent compliance with the new regulations. And in the past seven days, we have seen a significant drop in traffic, which means that many people heeded the message to stay home unless necessary.

Thank you, Rhode Island, for the sacrifices you’ve made to help us reduce the demand on our hospitals and our healthcare workers. We still have a ways to go, but your actions have helped to protect the lives of all Rhode Islanders. Keep it up and continue to stay home as much as possible through the end of the pause.

Vaccine: There has been a lot of good news on the COVID-19 vaccine front over the last few weeks.When we have a vaccine that the doctors, researchers, and scientists tell us is safe, we’ll be ready to distribute it as quickly as is safely possible. 

I want to be very clear: the vaccine is going to come into Rhode Island over the course of months, not weeks. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. From our planning conversations with our federal partners and the manufacturers, we anticipate receiving 29,000 doses total in December. 

That’s not going to flip the switch on COVID-19 in Rhode Island overnight, but if we stay serious about following the rules now, we can all look forward to a time next year when COVID-19 is in the rear-view mirror.
To hear more about our vaccine planning, you can watch this quick eight-minute video.

I hope you find this recap helpful. Please, remember your three W’s: wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance. Together, we can stop the rising case numbers and save lives if we just band together now and follow the rules.

I’ll be back on TV with more updates Thursday at 1 p.m.”

___

NATIONAL &  INTERNATIONAL

RI was listed in the New York Times COVID19 data as the #1 state for where cases were higher and staying high in the U.S.

According to multiple reports, the US CDC plans to issue vaccination cards so that individuals can verify their vaccination status, much like cards used for other vaccinations, such as the ICVP “yellow card” that was isued for yellow fever. Additionally, the CDC is reportedly designing templates for buttons and stickers that health departments and providers can provide to vaccinated individuals, similar to the “I Voted” stickers handed out to many voters on election day. These templates will be included in the CDC’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccination toolkit to “educate and promote vaccination.”

Late Sunday it was announced that Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney, has tested positive for coronavirus. His son had tested positive about a month ago. Giuliana is at Georgetown University Medical Center.

New Hampshire GOP caucus meeting that resulted in at least four legislators testing positive for the coronavirus was “horribly managed,” and lawmakers, not public health officials, should have alerted Democrats, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said.

A New Jersey restaurant that hosted a gala for the New York Republican Club was ordered temporarily closed Friday over potential violations of coronavirus guidelines.

In Austin, Texas, nursing home residents were moved to the front of the line for coronavirus vaccines after initially deciding only health care workers would have access to the first round of doses.

The Navajo Nation is seeking disaster declaration – with outdated medical facilities, equipment, etc. and surging numbers of those with coronavirus.

In England, they have rec’d their first vaccines, which have gone to hospitals because of their cold storage requirements. They are expecting problems getting the patients who are most in need to the hospitals to receive their vaccine, so are prioritizing patients who already have appointments this week in the hospital.

Each vaccine freezer costs between $10-15,000

Black Panther star, Letitia Wright has created an anti-vax video and stands behind her critics

1st vaccines will be administered this week in the U.K.

The Hartford Courant, oldest US newspaper, to close its offices –  the paper will continue to publish, but with reporters and staff working from home, the necessity of an office is yet to be determined going forward.

NYC schools set to reopen – parents must submit consent forms for children to get tested as a random sample.