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Your Coronavirus Update – Today, June 30, 2020
Photo: A Poland art gallery created a nice picnic area for its visitors – in an artistic way.
National and International
Microsoft announced on Friday that it will permanently close all of its retail locations. The company behind the ubiquitous Windows operating system announced this week that their 83 retail locations
Most overnight summer camps in NH unlikely to reopen
Kentucky Derby will run Sept. 5th
Notre Dame will cut is classes in half.
2.5 million coronavirus cases and 125,000 deaths (5%) have happened in US.
NBA practicing in Orlando – 16 test positive and have gone into quarantine.
NYC Theater goes dark until 2021.
Cirque du Soleil files for bankruptcy
Texas – bars closed and restaurants reduced in capacities (if he could do it over, Governor said he would not have opened bars so soon).
Miami beaches will be closed for the July 4th weekend. They could go in reverse, closing gyms, salons, etc., if this continues.
In Arizona, testing sites are lined up with record lines and record positive cases. Some people waiting days for tests. Governor says the state will remain open. Hospitals very concerned with 85% capacity.
President Trump has canceled campaign events in Florida and Arizona next week while VP Pence will go there for meetings.
Houston moves to a “severe” warning.
Parents in NY have been warned they could be fined if they do not send their children back to school in September.
Large malls that will open in New York we will make it mandatory that they have air filtration systems that can filter out the COVID-19 virus.
Concerned that even fewer people will wear masks in the summer heat because it will make them feel hotter, one doctor has made a recommendation that paper ones can keep you a little bit cooler. They do have electrostatic properties on the front so they can prevent the virus from entering, and then cloth would come in as second.”
Gilead sets pricing for its remdesivir treatment. In the United States, it will cost $520 per dose or about $3,120 for a typical course of treatment.
President Trump said he has no problem with people wearing masks – they should listen to their local governments for direction.
LA Restaurants battling with customers over mask-wearing – some restaurants are opting to close, even temporarily while they figure out what to do to keep their staff safe.
AMC Movie Theatres are delaying opening while key movies are delaying debuts.
Canada has slowed the virus but for a few hotspots in the country.
Rhode Island & Vicinity
RI enters Phase III today, with some changes – see below…
Ann & Hope closing all of its 8 discount stores, attributable to virus; impacting over 200 employees.
Table games return to Twin River.
Narragansett Town Council limits off-campus URI housing to 3 residents.
The Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Boston (TECO Boston), the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, the Pawtucket Central Falls Health Equity Zone, and the city of Pawtucket donated 20,000 masks and they were distributed over the past weekend to city residents.
The Big E will not be held this year – set for Sept. 2021
RI Data
6 Deaths (19 total, including the weekend, since Friday):
3 in 70s, 9 in 80s, 7 in 90s, 1 over 100
Only 2 states seeing declines, and RI is one. If we stop following rules, we’ll inch back up again and have to go backward.
Across the US, it’s a much different story – new high for cases in any one day – almost 45,000. TX, FL and LA all reopened and now they are closing after they opened their bars. Miami & Ft. Lauderdale opened and are now closing their beaches. TX and AZ have stopped elective surgeries out of fear of over-running hospitals – urging citizens to stay home.
Mask-wearing will be mandatory at the Republican convention in Florida.
RI can maintain our good standing if we follow the rules.
Youth: People in their 20s are getting the virus disproportionately – up 60 to 70%. You aren’t following the rules – need to do better. Chances are you can recover from the virus, unless you are obese, have diabetes or have an underlying disease – you can also spread the virus to others in their families and they could die.
Phase 3 – RI will be moving in that direction. Starting tomorrow. With few changes. Limit large group gatherings. Slide is different than last one. 25 people for social gatherings indoors. 50 people outdoors. Different than from a restaurant, etc. Weddings – with licensed caterer involved, with restaurant setting – up to 50 indoors – 100 people outdoors. If you already planned your wedding call the department to help you figure it out. 889-5550. These are for July events. For events open to public, you can have up to 125 indoors and up to 250 people outdoors – assuming you follow the rules – screening, mask wearing, social distancing, etc. Still have to submit plan ahead of time. Smaller is always better.
Church, synagogue, etc: want to go over 125 call RI DBR
Bars can stay open – using phase two rules
Domestic Travel – mobility is up, tourism is up. Mandatory 14-day quarantine from a state with a 5% positivity rate. Exception if you’ve had negative test within past 72 hours. Applies to 23 states in US. List published on Health Dept. and will be published weekly. Enforcement with signage – airport, train, highways, etc. If you are a RIslander and you go to one of the states, you should quarantine or sign up at [email protected] for a test and test negative. Encourage you to stay local.
Extending executive orders until Aug. 3rd – Face coverings; Telemedicine; Disaster Declaration; Firearm executive order; quarantining rules and regs.
Child with multi-inflammatory disease: released from hospital yesterday.
23 States with greater than 5% infection rate:
Puerto Rico 100.00%, Arizona 23.87%, Florida 15.49%, Nevada 15.28%, South Carolina 15.10%, Texas 14.91%, Alabama 13.03%, Mississippi 12.66%, Georgia 11.52%, Utah 11.35%, Idaho 9.82%, Oregon 9.50%, Arkansas 8.51%, Tennessee 8.06%, Louisiana7.57%, North Carolina 7.41%, Kansas 7.32%, South Dakota 6.55%, Iowa 6.52%, California 5.88%, Nebraska 5.76%, Oklahoma 5.69%, Missouri 5.59%, and Washington 5.27%.
The site will update weekly. Go here: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/testing-positivity
Case numbers in Rhode Island by community have been update. The top 10 communities and numbers are:
Providence: 5,735
Pawtucket: 1,583
Cranston: 974
Central Falls: 918
East Providence: 740
North Providence: 738
Woonsocket: 654
Warwick: 614
Johnston: 451
Cumberland: 291
West Warwick: 280
Smithfield: 264
Lincoln: 259
North Kingstown: 237
Coventry: 201
Bristol: 131
North Smithfield: 121
Burrillville: 103
South Kingstown: 92
Newport: 91
Tiverton: 90
East Greenwich: 84
Warren: 69
Westerly: 58
Barrington: 53
Middletown: 51
Portsmouth: 50
Glocester: 44
Scituate: 42
Narragansett: 42
Exeter: 39
Richmond: 26
Charlestown: 23
Foster: 20
West Greenwich: 20
Hopkinton: 15
Little Compton: 13
Jamestown: 13
New Shoreham: Fewer than 5
Rhode Island School of Design is planning to lay off full-time faculty after the faculty union rejected a proposal of cuts. RISD estimates losses of $50 million.
Rhode Island schools may relocate as many as 3,000 students to other schools than the ones they currently attend, with plans considering having children attend schools close to their homes, etc. Lack of enough buses and safe-seating, etc. may completely restructure how RI children go to school, and where.
Governor’s Press Release:
After announcing that Rhode Island will move into Phase 3 on Tuesday, June 30th, Governor Raimondo laid out the following guidance for Phase 3:
- Social gatherings: Social gatherings can be no larger than 25 people indoors or 50 people outdoors. For social gatherings like weddings where there is a licensed caterer involved (which makes the setting more like a restaurant) gatherings can be as large as 50 people indoors or up to 100 people outdoors.
- Public events: Public events can be up to 125 people indoors or up to 250 people outdoors. Any organizers planning to host a group of more than 100 people will need to submit plans to Commerce RI.
- Indoor settings: All indoor settings operating at a square footage capacity can increase up to one person per 100 square feet, provided that everyone maintains six feet of social distance. All indoor settings currently operating at a percent capacity cap can still increase up to 66% capacity provided that everyone maintains six feet of social distance. This includes places like offices and restaurants. Seated venues can open at up to 66% capacity, and free-flowing venues can open at 100 square feet per person, provided that everyone maintains six feet of social distance.
- Travel: Rhode Island will implement a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone coming to Rhode Island from any state with 5% or greater positivity rate. (Positivity rates are calculated using the average daily positivity rate for the last seven days.) As an exception, people will not have to quarantine if they have had a negative COVID-19 test within the past 72 hours. (If someone is tested after arriving in Rhode Island and gets a negative result, that person can stop quarantining.) The list of states with a percent positive rate of 5% or higher will be published today on RIDOH’s website and will be updated weekly.
The following executive orders will be extended to August 3rd:
- Face coverings: Face coverings must be worn in public—both indoors and outdoors—whenever six feet of social distance cannot be maintained. Exceptions are made for children under two years of age and anyone whose health would be negatively impacted by wearing a face covering.
- Telemedicine: Health insurers must cover telemedicine for primary care, specialty care, and mental and behavioral health care conducted over the phone or by videoconference. Reimbursement rates for providers must be the same as reimbursement rates for in-office visits.
- Disaster declaration: The state of emergency declaration ensures that Rhode Island has access to all the necessary resources to support our response to this pandemic.
- Firearms: In keeping with a request from the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association, the Governor has extended the time period that law enforcement has to complete a background for a gun permit from seven days to 30 days.
- Quarantine: People must follow the State’s quarantine and isolation guidance.