Your Coronavirus Update – Today, March 10, 2021

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

50 and over only Providence residents who live in 02905, 02907, 02908, 02909 can be vaccinated.

All Veterans can now be vaccinated – contact the VA.

URI, PC, Bryant and Brown have canceled spring break.

Vermont’s number of new coronavirus cases in the state is increasing, but cases among older Vermonters and deaths continue to decline.

In Massachusetts, unions have proposed having firefighters administer vaccines to educators, who become eligible to sign up for their shots later this week, to make the process faster and more convenient.

“The state’s Department of Unemployment Assistance can’t halt unemployment insurance payments or demand repayment of benefits that have already been paid out without granting claimants a chance to present their case, a Worcester Superior Court judge ruled in a preliminary injunction last week.”

Only 65% of Cranston school children returned to school this week – though 80% expressed interest in going back.

Maria’s Cucina on Broadway in Providence reopens March 11^th.

Vaccinations for Newport and Providence residents who are 65 or older are available by Lifespan – request an appointment by calling (401) 475-SHOT, from 8am to 5pm, weekdays, or on Lifespan’s website at lifespan.org/covid.

Massachusetts education officials are requiring both elementary school and middle school students to return to classrooms full-time next month, taking hybrid and remote learning options off the table for districts as meeting the required student learning time hours as of April 5, meaning districts and schools must shift their learning model for elementary school grade levels to full-time, in-person instruction five days per week by that date. For middle schools, the date is April 28.

Giusto, the restaurant in Hammett’s Hotel, Newport, reopened this week.

Pawtucket is preparing to open up coronavirus vaccine appointments to all city residents 50 and older. The vaccines are expected to be made available starting the week of March 15. Priority will still be given to residents 65 and older.

Governor’s Press Conference on students/school staff vaccinations:

With over 30 cities/towns cooperation and leadership, by the end of March, statewide, they will vaccinate all teachers & staff, K-12. 18,500 are expected to be vaccinated with their first shots in March; 2^nd in April. Providence will do the same using alternate cooperative means.

This initiative agrees with President Biden’s initiative to do the same nationwide.

This effort is separate from, but in addition to, CVS & Walgreens initiative to vaccinate teachers/staff.

Childcare – all personnel who are involved in any way with regular service to public, private and parochial childcare

Initiative to start as early as this weekend.

Do not call cities/towns – you will be contacted by city/town where you WORK, not where you LIVE.

Dr. Scott – great momentum in vaccination campaign in RI – we are remaining on schedule to next groups in timeline – next are 60-64 and people 16-64 with underlying health conditions. Target is mid-March for these groups. 

Federal govt overallocated vaccine for pharmacies and RI has been able to take that back for this program.

Commissioner Infante-Green – Providence vaccination program: Clinics will be run by Partnership for RI – Lifespan – 2 days/week for 2 weeks – designated just for school staff.

Q&A:

Q: Goal to accomplish by end of March?

A: Yes, first shot by end of March.

Q:  State sites vs. local sites

A:  Just as important – we can be site specific in cities/towns

Q:  Over 60 and those who have underlying conditions – will this slow that down?

A:  Teachers are our priority – end of story.

Q:  What about other sectors – front line workers, etc.

A:  We are getting so much more vaccine, so fast – we will build on that capacity.

Q:  What about people who are sick – have cancer, etc. – and can’t get their vaccine?

A:  Make your appointments as they open up.

Q:  Hesitancy among teachers to get vaccinated?

A:  Hopefully not, but all communities have some people who hesitate. Most teachers seem to be clamoring for the shot.

From Statement of Governor:

Rhode Island is partnering with cities and towns to get first doses of COVID-19 vaccine to all K-12 teachers, school staff, and child care workers by the end of the month.

“Getting our teachers, school staff, and child care workers vaccinated is one of the best things we can do right now to support students, families, schools, and our economy,” said Governor McKee. “Here in Rhode Island, we’ve heard President Biden’s directive, and his goal is our goal. Child care and in-person learning are essential services, and we should treat them that way. I want to thank the leadership of our cities and towns for stepping up to help us meet this moment and get these workers vaccinated quickly, efficiently, and safely.” 

Teachers, school staff, and child care workers at centers and family child care sites licensed by the Rhode Island (DHS) will be vaccinated at the existing 30 city- and town-operated clinics throughout Rhode Island. Some clinics are serving more than one community. School staff includes administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, clerical staff, custodial or maintenance staff, bus drivers and bus monitors.

Clinics will be open to teachers and staff from public, private, parochial, and independent schools. Many will start vaccinating on Friday and Saturday. This week, municipal Emergency Management Agency Directors will reach out to school leaders (district superintendents, charter school leaders, non-public school leaders) and DHS licensees for child care centers to share information about how they can get vaccinated. People will be vaccinated based on the community where they work, not where they live. After doing first doses in March, these clinics will start administering second doses in April.

Given the high volume of staff and the large number of child care workers in Providence, the city of Providence will use an alternate approach. Through support from the Partnership for Rhode Island and Lifespan, a designated clinic for Providence teachers, school staff and licensed child care workers has been established for three weeks at 335R Prairie Ave., Providence, RI 02905. Beginning Wednesday, March 10, eligible individuals can call (401) 444-8139 to schedule an appointment. 

“Our teachers and school staff are and always have been, a top priority. We know that our classrooms are spaces that should be protected in any way we can in order to provide the best possible educational experiences for our students, especially in these challenging times,” said Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green.

In addition to getting vaccinated at city- and town-run clinics, teachers are also able to make appointments at select CVS and Walgreens locations. Teachers, school staff, and child care workers are not currently eligible to get vaccinated at one of the State-run sites. 

Rhode Island will remain on schedule for the next groups in its vaccination timeline because 14,040 doses of surplus vaccine from the long-term care facility pharmacy partnership are being reintegrated into Rhode Island’s general inventory. In mid-March, RIDOH anticipates opening eligibility to the next groups in the timeline: people who are 60 to 64 years old and people who are 16 to 64 with specific underlying health conditions.

Clarification on age prioritization in vaccinations from Governor:

“As the Governor said during the briefing  today, the schedule for vaccination eligibility has not changed. The plan has always been to open eligibility for people 60 to 64 and people 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions in mid-March. We expect to have additional information on that in a few days. We encourage Rhode Islanders to make an appointment when they become eligible based on the timeline established by the Rhode Island Department of Health.” 

Providence residents, 50+, specific zip code residents-only:

Vaccine clinics managed by the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) will continue to be accessible to all eligible Providence residents ages 65 and older as well as those who are 50 and older in the hard-hit zip codes of 02904, 02905, 02907, 02908 and 02909.  “I am glad to see the expansion of the vaccines to include 02904 and 02905 zip codes. We must do everything we can to get as many people 50+ vaccinated, especially those in multi-generational households, and that are part of our historically marginalized communities,” said Providence City Council President Sabina Matos. “I now hope that we can also work to address the issues of vaccinating residents with co-morbidities and underlying health conditions. I also want to thank all the community partners and volunteers who are working day in and day out to ensure that shots get in arms.”  Providence residents ages 65 and older or 50 and older living in zip codes 02904, 02905, 02907, 02908, and 02909 are encouraged to register for vaccine clinics through the City’s online portal VaccinatePVD.com. They can also call 3-1-1 or (401) 421-2489. Representatives are available to help fill out the registration form on the constituents’ behalf in English or Spanish.

From City of Warwick regarding water and sewer accounts with overdue balances:

Customers with delinquent water and sewer accounts have been given a warning about shutting off services with long overdue balances. In the past, customers could enter a payment plan to avoid shut off if they put 50% of what they owed down. The Mayor has since reduced that number to 25% down. To assist residents with outstanding bills, Westbay Community Action is offering to help. To find out if they qualify, residents can call 401-732-4660. “We have a number of ways the city can work with customers to get their accounts in good standing. I know how tough it’s been during this pandemic and we are here to help. We will not be shutting off service to those who make a payment arrangement. “said Mayor Frank Picozzi.

Data – March 9, 2021

Deaths: 7

Tests – 11,764 – Positives – 284  –  Percent positive – 2.4%

Hospitalized – 145 – In ICU – 21 – Ventilated – 16

Deaths in hospital – 0 – New Admissions – 13 – New Discharges – 6

Vaccinated – 236,425; Both shots – 94,197

RI Businesses in compliance violation:

Nova Churrasqueira Restaurant	434 Broadway, Pawtucket	Compliance Order	3/5/2021
Sky’s the Limit Barber Shop	6865 Post Rd., North Kingstown	Compliance Order	3/1/2021
Chuck’s Barber Shop	1075 Chalkstone Ave., Providence	Compliance Order	3/1/2021
CJ’s Pub	568 Park Ave., Portsmouth	Notice of Compliance with CO Compliance Order	3/3/2021 2/22/2021
Sprigs Flowers	533 Main St., East Greenwich	Notice of Compliance with CO Compliance Order	3/5/2021 2/22/2021

NATIONALLY & INTERNATIONALLY

Urgent cautions being issued to spring breakers in hopes of preventing a surge.

Hospitals are reporting the “third wave” of COVID-19 is over.

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are being discouraged.

More than two-thirds of Americans 75 and older have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine

Vaccines are expected to be plentiful by April.

New York will lower the vaccine eligibility threshold from age 65 to 60 this week

Many summer camps will make a return this summer – after 80% of overnight camps shuttered.

About 78% of people who were hospitalized, placed on a ventilator or died from COVID were overweight or obese

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that about 55,000 high schoolers who signed up for in-person classes last fall will be able to return to school buildings starting March 22.

60.1 percent of respondents consumed more alcohol than they did before the pandemic, according to an NIH study.

Since 2011, Comcast’s Internet Essentials program has connected over four million students from low income families to low-cost, high speed internet

Amtrak’s Northeast Regional trains will now include private rooms for select trains traveling overnight between Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York, officials said. The rooms will be available on trains beginning April 5.

Johnson & Johnson has told the European Union it is facing supply issues that may complicate plans to deliver 55 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the bloc in the second quarter of the year,

VBI Vaccines Announces Initiation of Enrollment in Adaptive Phase 1/2 Study of Prophylactic COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, VBI-2902

Italy’s state-run railways will operate “Covid-free” high-speed trains on the Rome-Milan route starting next month

Promising preclinical experiments show that, under specific and monitored conditions, ultraviolet-A (UVA) exposure reduces certain bacteria, fungi, and viruses including coronavirus-229E without harming mammalian columnar epithelial cells. We aimed to evaluate the safety and effects of UVA therapy administered by a novel device via endotracheal tube in critically ill subjects with SARS-CoV-2 infection. (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.05.21252997v1)

Up to four people from two households can meet outside in Scotland from Friday. it includes social and recreational purposes and can be in private gardens.

An Israeli study of “first glimpse of shot effectiveness” has been published: https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2021/03/09/israeli-study-offers-first-real-world-glimpse-of-covid-19-vaccines-in-action/

California rolled out a statewide COVID vaccination website this week aiming to streamline the appointment process after months of criticism, but the site is riddled with its own snags, preventing many from signing up for shots.

No lockdown planned for Paris as severe COVID-19 cases hit three-month high

Moderna taps Baxter to support fill and finish of 60-90 million COVID-19 vaccine doses

At least 21 journalists have died from COVID-19 in the past month throughout the world.

10% of the village of Corzano, Italy has the #B117 variant—10% of all residents! 60% of cases are kids from kindergarten and primary school, other 40% are their parents, says the mayor. Schools in the village now closed.

Treatment: A five-day course of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 may reduce the duration of illness: https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(20)32506-6/fulltext

Italian President Sergio Mattarella waited until all those in his generation (born in 1941) were receiving the anti-COVID vaccine to get his.

Russia has signed a deal to produce its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in Italy, the first contract in the European Union. Production is set to start in July and produce 10 million doses this year.

School closure for more than 5 million kids in Italy starting tomorrow due to the pandemic situation worsening.

Public health message in France to encourage seniors and everyone to get their vaccination:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1369181396934230017