Your Coronavirus Update – Today – June 25, 2020

Photo: see full interview, below, as RI Gov. Gina Raimondo appeared on Jim Cramer’s MAD MONEY show on CNBC last night.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Atlantic City’s casinos would be cleared to reopen on July 2 at 25% capacity.

North Dakota: Field hospitals set up for a spike in coronavirus cases have been disassembled.

Texas Governor Abbott urging residents to stay home as virus explodes in numbers once again.

State Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson, D-Warwick, has introduced legislation that would make Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings essential and allow them to be held in person during the coronavirus pandemic and other declared emergencies.

Virginia: Federal workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be going door to door in two northern Virginia cities to conduct a survey of needs related to the coronavirus pandemic.

A Seattle hospital said four staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19 work in or near the facility’s operating rooms.

Halts on certain work visas through the end of the year are intended to open up jobs for US citizens unemployed and perhaps with no jobs to go back to.

Utah gubernatorial candidate Jon Huntsman said Wednesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

The sale of canned meat has risen sharply with SPAM alone increasing by 70% in the US.

Luxury retailers in New York City’s iconic Fifth Avenue district will partly reopen.

Gilead will trial an inhaled version of remdesivir as a therapeutic agent for coronavirus.

In Florida, cases skyrocketed by 5,500 on Wednesday, a 25% jump from the previous record last week and triple the level of just two weeks ago.

Tom Brady is leading workouts for some members, including Rob Gronkowski, of the Buccaneers at a private school in Tampa despite a union recommendation that players not conduct any more group practices before training camp due to COVID19.

Trump Says Next Stimulus Check Will Be ‘Very Generous,’

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to use hand sanitizers made by Mexican firm Eskbiochem SA de CV

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday pushed back against pressure from airlines to reopen the nation’s borders, saying moving too quickly could spark a second wave

Saks in NY will reopen

Democrats will hold a largely virtual convention in August to nominate Joe Biden, who will give his acceptance speech in person in Milwaukee, the party said. Delegates have been told to conduct convention business remotely

New York Marathon has been canceled

Grocery prices spike once again as coronavirus puts pressure on supply chain

Record high cases in south and west.

Hawaii extended the state’s 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving from out of state through the end of July.

The Iowa State Fair has canceled.

Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals officially canceled

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

Baker said that 17,617 tests were conducted over the two-day period and that 2.5 percent came back positive

“Horrific and tragic:” Leaders at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke made “substantial errors” and “baffling decisions” in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, which claimed the lives of at least 76 residents, according to an independent investigation.

Governor Charlie Baker said Tuesday that 2.5 percent of Massachuetts people who took part in recent protests have tested positive for the coronavirus.

McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket will be used by MLB and Red Sox for season preparation. It’s unclear if or where they will live while in town.

The Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol will reopen Saturday.

Newport Vineyards wine and music is back

Burrillville, RI has voted to not follow first amendment rights of healthy people made by the Governor, and be a “sanctuary city” for personal rights around the coronavirus.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island will be issuing a medical premium credit to members due to a reduced demand for health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the insurer announced on Tuesday. The company has requested approval to issue a 10% premium credit for fully insured members for two months

The BEAT COVID-19 Initiative in Pawtucket and Central Falls has assisted more than 2700 residents with limited access to health care

Hallworth House in Providence will close.

The American Civil Liberties Union over the past three weeks has won the conditional release of 25 Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center due to the coronavirus risk.

Governor’s Address:

Sign up for daily emails at governor.ri.gov – daily and end of week recaps

Frequency of daily address will drop to 1 day a week.

Data:

Deaths: 6 – 1 in 70s, 2 in 80s, 1 in 90s, 2 over 100

Serious convo with Rhode Islanders: Complacency will put us back where we started. Other states having upticks, etc. RI is in a very good place, so we can open school and reopen the state – but if we break the rules we will have to backtrack.

Hospitalization rates are increasing as are cases in 7 new states – Arizona, Arkansas, California, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. All this happened in 2 weeks.

Visitation in Nursing Homes: state is working on a plan to move incrementally and slowly. They are starting communal dining for in-home residents. Trying it out for 14 days. Reviewing plans for more. They have 40 plans so far. Visitation is coming but it will look different.

Another push for people to download the Crush Covid RI app – and keep your notebook up to date.

Kids Sports: No limit on group size, but teams have to play the same teams – “stable groups” means same players and coaches together for the whole summer. See state website for more details… Mask wearing encouraged.

Beaches: Parking increased to 75% – 2,000 more cars. Buy beach passes online – season passes will be in-person only through this weekend – otherwise you have to buy them online.  Also new tool – an app – to see how full lots are. RIParks.com/beachpass by Saturday.

Testing: We will put testing into the community permanently – while we wean ourselves from use of the National Guard. CVS site will be leaving Twin River site this Saturday.

Questions:

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are looking at requiring quarantines for people coming from hotspot areas – Gov says she is thinking about that, too – and might take even more stringent steps.

Governor said the state will be doing a survey of state property to see if we can do some asset sales.

Governor Raimondo on Jim Cramer’s Mad Money show…