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Your Coronavirus Update – Today – July 13, 2020
Photo: PPE Vending Machines showing up at airports, subways, train stations
NATIONAL & INTERNTIONAL
Israel is seeing a renewed coronavirus surge and people are calling Netanyahu responsible for the health – and economic – crisis.
British holidaymakers travelling to Ireland will continue to be subject to quarantine as the Dublin government seeks to avoid a second spike
NYC health officials reported zero deaths related to COVID-19 on July 11 — a first for the city since the start of the pandemic.
A pharmaceutical plant in South Carolina, Nephron Pharmaceuticals, has announced a $215 million expansion, that will create 380 new jobs over the next few years. They develop products to treat respiratory problems, some associated with COVID-19.
The FDA is warning about hand sanitizer products that are labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but that have tested positive for methanol contamination. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening when ingested. Complete list is here: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-methanol.
A Florida company, Whac-a-mole, has produced foot activated hand sanitizer units.
Louisiana is instituting a statewide mask mandate, putting tougher limits on group gatherings and shuttering bars.
In Korea, 1 in 3 patients are improving with remdesivir
Portland, Maine’s two casinos are partially open.
California has slowly started to allow nursing home visitations.
Testing facilities are being challenged by the numbers of people being tested, which is backing up tests throughout the country, including non-COVID19 tests. Many states process tests out of their states at centralized testing facilities, such as Quest Diagnostics.
NHL will be back on the ice in Canada on August 1st.
The MetroCenter Mall in Phoenix has permanently closed. Over 400 malls face closure as crowds stay away, movie theaters close, and people move to shopping online.
The lipstick industry is plummeting in sales as mask wearing increases.
24 countries have opened school for young children
Connecticut has announced its schools will open full time and in-person – with anecdotal evidence that NYC parents are trying to move to CT because Mayor DeBlasio does not support schools reopening.
2 Texas companies are using large drones normally used for spraying crops to spray large venues, athletic fields, etc. – some can be done in an hour or less
California may release as many as 18,000 prisoners due to the virus
Florida reports 15,300 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest single-day increase for any US state, and 44 new deaths.
A French bus driver was beaten to death after he asked four passengers to wear face masks aboard his vehicle. Face coverings are required on public transportation in France.
Adm. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services says there is no need to shut everything down if everyone did what we already know “really works – avoid bars because they really spread, restaurant capacity down 50 percent, hand hygiene and please wear a mask in public, that’s really, really, really important. We’ve got to have 90 or 95 percent adherence to that and we can achieve the same results.”
Pandemic leads 7-Eleven to forgo free Slurpees
University professors fear returning to campus – echoing feelings of many older teachers in America
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
RI Data – no data until Monday.
No Governor’s address until Wednesday, at 1pm.
Sommerville, MA decides to hold back one week before opening with the rest of the state
Boston Children’s Museum is open
Boston, MA enters Phase 3 today, opening movie theaters, museums and historical sites, gyms reopening with social distancing and mask-wearing, etc. Libraries will remain books picked up curbside only. Gatherings limited to 50 – rest of MA is 100.
Sturbridge Village is open
The Rhode Island Blood Center has put out a call for donors as public blood donation events are not being held.
Many reports that testing is delayed by days in RI, both in getting appointments for the test as well as long delays in getting test results.
Governor’s Message:
Starting next week, I’ll be moving to one press conference a week on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. I’ll still be sending out these emails every day, though, so that you can get the most recent info when you need it. If you know someone who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest measures Rhode Island is taking to stop the spread of COVID-19, send them this link: lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/eYMG9tf.
The better we stay informed, the better we’ll be able to keep ourselves, our families, and our friends safe from COVID-19.
HOUSING RELIEF
We are launching an eviction diversion effort called the Safe Harbor Housing Program. This program will serve as an alternative to the traditional eviction process and provide landlords and tenants an opportunity to work towards a solution outside of the court system. We’re going to be putting $7 million of CARES Act funding into this effort, which we expect will support between 1,000 and 2,000 Rhode Islanders to maintain stable housing.
Renters who meet income criteria and are behind on their rent because of the COVID-19 emergency will be able to qualify for assistance. Tenants can apply directly, or landlords can apply on behalf of tenants who need help getting back on their feet. Starting Monday, you can contact United Way and ask about the Safe Harbor program to start the application process.If both parties agree to participate, they’ll be contacted by a United Way housing specialist to finalize a payment agreement supported by CARES Act funding. Tenants who need legal advice will be able to access free legal services.
I want to thank the District Court and the United Way for their collaboration in this process. Starting Monday, you can go to the United Way website or call 211 to apply.
TRAVEL REGULATIONS
If you are coming to Rhode Island from outside the United States, you need to quarantine for two weeks after arriving in Rhode Island. That means no social visits, no trips to the beach, no outdoor dining at one of our fantastic restaurants. You can do all of that once your 14 days of quarantine are done.
If you are traveling from one of the 28 states with a 5% or greater test positive rate you need to quarantine for 14 days. The only exception is providing a negative COVID-19 test. You can do that in two ways: you can get tested in your home state in the 72 hours before you travel to Rhode Island or you can get tested once you’re here. If you get tested in Rhode Island, you will still need to quarantine until you receive a negative result. People from out of state can schedule a test in Rhode Island using this link.
CRUSH COVID
Yesterday we announced that Version 2 of the CRUSH COVID RI app is now available for download in the Apple App store and Google Play. The new version includes upgrades to the location and symptom diaries, a map of testing sites, and more resources and FAQs for Rhode Islanders.
What didn’t change is our strong commitment to privacy. This app does not collect any personally identifiable information, and your data is stored on your phone only and automatically deletes after 20 days. It is only available to you, unless you get coronavirus and give specific consent to share your data with the Rhode Island Department of Health. If you choose to share it, your data will be stored anonymously and the only person who will link it to you is your case investigator at the Department of Health.
I hope you find this recap helpful. It’s so important that everyone stay engaged and informed so that we can all stay safe and healthy. I’ll be back on TV with more updates this week Wednesday at 1 p.m. We’re all in this together.
-Gina Raimondo, Governor of RI