Your Coronavirus Update – Today, Feb. 9, 2021

Photo: New England Patriots Team Plane

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

State update will be Thursday at 1pm – we will carry it live on our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/RINewsTodaydotcom

Note: The CVS and Walgreens locations are for ANY Rhode Islander who is eligible, no city residency required (Johnson CVS takes all Rhode Islanders, not restricted to Johnston residents).

Unemployment in the last month dropped by 6.3% with 49,000 jobs added in January

A Massachusetts new mom, and computer coder, developed a website to help people get through the maze of sign-ups for vaccinations in the state. The site is VaccinateMA.com. She is offering the site to other states, if it proves useful. You can take a look at: http://vaccinatema.com/.

In RI, visitors from New York, Indiana and Wisconsin are no longer subject to travel restrictions.

In Vermont, a popup clinic will be set up to vaccinate refugees and immigrants 75 and up.

In Hartford, Connecticut, sign-ups for vaccinations for those 65 and up will start on Thursday.

The Boston Globe’s front page lists state’s progress in administering vaccines per 100K population. RI ranks 39th out of 50 and last of all New England states.

A COVID-19 conference call with Cape Cod officials hosted Wednesday night drew more than 13,000 participants, helping to connect thousands of older residents with information about vaccines and offering a glimpse into hundreds who need additional aid to book appointments.

In Pawtucket, parents and children have demonstrated about wanting to return to school. Tonight, a vote will take place by the School Committee about how the rest of the year will continue. 62% of teachers say they would not be comfortable returning without being vaccinated.

Massachusetts will open a call center next week to supplement the online sign-up to assist those residents who have difficulty using a computer sign-up, particularly for those who are seniors. People can just call 211.

The University of New Hampshire has canceled overseas programs for this summer and fall

110 high-risk Smithfield residents received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination at Smithfield High School with more than 600 residents aged 75 years and older on the waiting list.

In Connecticut, they are expanding the state’s COVID-19 vaccine appointment hotline to 12 hours a day, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for residents 75 and older

CVS and Walgreens vaccinations soft rollout on Sunday uncovered problems with the website registration.

Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg has tested positive for COVID-19

The COVID-19 risk level on the University of Massachusetts, Amherst campus has been raised from “elevated” to “high” due to a continuing surge in coronavirus cases.

The RI ACLU has filed suit to support a media outlet’s attempt to get the “revised COVID-19 vaccination plan” for RI from the RI Dept. of Health.

Vaccinations continue to ramp up in the MA, and Fall River is no exception. Bristol Community College began its vaccine program this week, inoculating 300 people on Wednesday. Daily inoculations will increase as the program progresses.

The Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19 in RI has been extended to the end of March, 2021.

RI’s COVID Task Force is concerned about duplicate registrations for vaccines, as people were told to register on all the different sites.

RI COVID Task Force is saying that equity will go first, at the cost of speed of delivering vaccines.

Dunkin’ Donuts Center is closing after Friday and transitioning to a vaccination site.

Vaccinations for the Homeless will start next week in RI.

New regulations for funerals: Outdoor burial restrictions now 25. Wakes up to 15 people at a time. Funeral services at 25% capacity. Funeral home staff will be getting their vaccine this week.

RI Elder Info, an incredible resource for vaccinations in RI has done research and posted all you need to know – for now – about vaccine availability – complete with the # of seniors over 65 in each and every city and town – check it out, here: https://rielderinfo.com/covid-vaccination-information/?utm_source=RI+Elder+Info&utm_campaign=92916797f2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_12_04_08_33_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_02730972c3-92916797f2-80203711

RI Data – Feb. 5, 2021

Deaths: 3

Tests – 15,073 – Positives – 450 – Percent positive – 3%

Hospitalized – 288 – In ICU – 41 – Ventilated – 20

Deaths in hospital – 5 – New Admissions – 42 – New Discharges – 43

First vaccines: 82,078 Total fully vaccinated – 2 shots: 31,578

Today’s Data – Feb. 8, 2021

Deaths: 14 (24 over 3 days)

Tests – 5,088 (one day) – Positives – 211 – Percent positive – 4..1%

Hospitalized – 241 – In ICU – 42 – Ventilated – 20

Deaths in hospital – 3 – New Admissions – 15 – New Discharges – 26

First vaccines: 86,750 Total fully vaccinated – 2 shots: 35,997

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

COVID19 has killed 1 in 475 Native Americans more than twice that of white Americans.

All bars in New Orleans to close during Mardi Gras celebration weekend.

NFL writes to Biden offering all stadiums as vaccine sites – President says ‘yes’

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is planning a rapid review process for quick turnaround of new COVID-19 booster shots

The Supreme Court is telling California that it can’t bar indoor church services because of the coronavirus pandemic, but it can keep for now a ban on singing and chanting indoors.

Despite the disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities, many workers at the Delaware state veterans home are refusing to get the vaccine. About 60% of staff have received at least one dose, compared with 98% of residents who have received both doses.

LVMH Tells Tiffany Staff to Return to Office Two Days a Week

Vermont is letting school and recreational youth sports teams start playing games again Friday, but spectators won’t be allowed

Oregon is activating 30 additional National Guard members to help field calls and texts from seniors over 80 signing up and seeking information on vaccinations – there are an estimated 167,000 who will be eligible this week.

Hungary may start inoculating people with Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine next week after it granted the shot emergency use approval, making it the first European Union country to do so

Seniors were among the first to be eligible for vaccines, but enormous demand, lack of access to the internet, and inconsistent scheduling systems have left the elderly competing for shots on unstable technology and relying upon the help of younger family members and friends. – according to NPR which is looking into the circumstances.

Weekly testing could reduce school infections by 50 percent, while less frequent screenings only add limited value. But most schools lack the resources to overcome the barriers to setting up successful testing programs, including costly tests, additional staff needed for test administration and contact tracing, and necessary safety waivers from parents.

While the coronavirus has surged, the flu and other respiratory viruses have flickered out. This time last year, close to 100 times as many flu cases had been identified from nearly the same number of tests.

60 million test kits are being promised to Americans by the summer.

Pope Francis continued his theme of calling for the world to use the pandemic as a chance to re-imagine a global economy that values people and the planet over profits, and one where fraternity and solidarity guide human relationships rather than conflict and division.

Hasbro reports that during the pandemic, board game sales were up 21% with Monopoly, Magic, The Gathering, and Dungeons and Dragons the leading sellers.

Faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill can teach remotely until Feb. 17 in light of a crowded, largely maskless celebration of a men’s basketball victory over Duke University on Saturday, officials said. Hundreds of students rushed Franklin Street downtown to celebrate despite the pandemic.

In Philadelphia, A mediator will decide if teachers must return to classrooms despite safety concerns as the city’s school district plans to resume some in-person instruction this month.

Testing at the border for migrants trying to enter the country –

Portugal now has both the highest infection and death rates per million in the world, according to the Oxford University’s data crunching website, Our World in Data. The country is airlifting some patients to Madeira for treatment there.

Mayor in Tampa is saying they will invstigate attendees at the SuperBowl who did not wear a mask and prosecute them for violating the order.

Portugal’s health ministry said on Monday the AstraZeneca vaccine should preferably be used on under-65s, the latest European country to express reservations about its efficacy on older people.

New York courts rule on release of data about COVID-19 in nursing homes.

1100 National Guard troops are being dispatched for vaccine delivery nationwide.

The best defense against widespread variants is to vaccinate as many people as possible.

Rep. Ron Wright dies after battle with COVID-19 – Reelected in November, the Republican lawmaker had been fighting cancer.