Your Coronavirus Update – Today, July 22, 2020

Photo: Jimmy & Roslyn Carter – wear your mask!

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Testing Problems: 90 out of 144 people – many of them nursing home residents – recently receiving a false positive test in Connecticut

Rawanda is using procedures, equipment, and testing and isolation protocols it used during its HIV crisis to address coronavirus.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management closed part of its facilities after 12 employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

NFL canceled all pre-season games – 56 players test positive.

Grey’s Anatomy television series will deal with coronavirus when the season opens.

Indy 500 will run with 25% admission – a 100 page health booklet has been prepared.

China accused of trying to steal research findings.

The CDC says the true number of people infected with COVID-19 in 10 regions could be 6–24x higher than the reported rates https://bit.ly/3jDv7zA

Boston opens two public pools.

Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association fall sports will start no earlier than Sept. 14.

Rent assistance: Louisiana suspended an emergency rent assistance program after more than 40,000 people started filling out applications in less than four days.

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will no longer require shoppers to wear masks inside their stores but will instead “request” they do so.

New Hampshire has launched a social media campaign urging residents to wear masks and take other safety measures

New Jersey shore towns takes steps to limit the numbers of people on their beaches.

In Vermont, 33 of 63 people in the Manchester area who tested positive have been retested and only two were confirmed positive cases.

More than 138,600 people have signed up to take part in testing of vaccines as of this week in the US

Miami shut down all summer camp programs.

17,000 Southwest employees have opted for a buyout

Florida teachers sue to block reopening of public schools.

President’s Press Conference:

Median age of deaths – 78 years old – ½ of all from nursing homes or long term care; most with underlying conditions. Young adults will have mild or no symptoms.

Asking all Americans to wear a mask if they cannot distance.

99.96% of fatalities are in adults.

Several treatments available – remdesivir, etc. Learning best practices and sharing all over the world.  Oxygen treatment, steroid treatment, ventilator use, what drugs given during what course of treatment – fatalities fallen 75% over the months. Supplies are high. US fatalities lower than anywhere else in the world. The world is suffering badly. US is helping, most don’t know what we are doing around the world. Sharing ventilators, etc.

In April average age of positive test 50 years old – today significantly younger. Hospital stays in half. Mortality ½ of what it was. Medical folks have learned a lot.

South and Western parts of US rising. 18-35 years old. Mexico hit hard.

US doing 50% more tests than Europe. Over 50 million tests, allowing us to isolate those infected, even those without symptoms.

US has staff in 9 states with outbreaks, helping. 7,000 National Guard deployed in highest states; monitoring hospital capacities in those states.  All hospitals are open for elective surgeries.

Permanent shutdown was only in the beginning – never a permanent solution. Saved millions of lives, we understand it, we know how to be cautious, and therapeutics and vaccines are in production.

Imploring young Americans to stay out of packed bars, etc.

Very vigilant to nursing homes. Protection of elderly.

Goal is to end the pandemic, not to manage it.

Two vaccines are in end-stage trials. Four others are about to.

Logistically, the military are ready to go with the vaccine distribution.

Questions:

More money for testing in states with long test waits – emphasizing more of the 5 and 15 minute tests that take less time to test.  Working more on rapid tests to decrease time.

Will you be judged in the campaign by how you handled the virus? President details all the accomplishments he is proud of.

Virus is going to get worse before it gets better, and will then disappear.  Many more treatments coming soon, and eventually a vaccine.

Unemployment extra – how much below $600 extra a week do you support?  Want people to go back to work – against it originally – thinking of doing a percentage – 70% of salaries – to encourage people to go back to work.

Mask wearing? He said he wears it when he needs it. Wears it in an elevator, etc. Anything that can potentially help. Think about patriotism. Maybe it helps. If they changed their mind, that’s good enough for me.

We have embers and little fires, and big fires with this virus. Governors can handle it.

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

It is possible that Rhode Island will exceed 1,000 deaths this week from coronavirus. This is also the week that RI may see “0” deaths in one day.

RI Data

Deaths: 1 – 3 day average hospitalized – 65

The FDA is sending rapid testing equipment to every nursing home in the country. Hotspots are being sent first – RI will wait until next month.

The coronavirus pandemic has reached the smallest and one of the most isolated towns in Massachusetts – Cuttyhunk Island – where one person tested positive for COVID- 19.

Discover Newport has closed the Newport Visitors Center.

Newport public playgrounds to reopen.

34% of RI’s labor force has filed for unemployment at some point since mid-March of 2020 – over 100,000 people still remain on unemployment.

Governor Raimondo says she wants to see all students back in school, in person.

Teachers & Parents in RI participating in a ZOOM conference call on returning to school had many comments of fear and refusal of returning to school. The plan and decisions will be made public by July 31st – then the RIDOH will made decisions based on that.

No fall sports for Johnson & Wales students.

PawSox to resume Dining on the Diamond this weekend.

Pastiche has reopened for takeout service after a four-month closure.

Governor’s address – 1pm today

A smile?

Utah’s JK! Studios parodies “Some Things Never Change” from “Frozen 2,” singing about how the coronavirus has changed a lot, but some things stay the same.