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Your Coronavirus Update – Today, May 29, 2020
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Many Covid-19 survivors will be left with debilitating lung injuries, specialists are saying
Grand Canyon to fully open South Rim entrance in June
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson delayed rolling out the second of phase of the state’s reopening plan as cases and deaths continue to rise.
At least 44 meatpacking workers in the U.S. have died from the new coronavirus and another 3,000 have tested positive
San Francisco will begin requiring nearly everyone to wear a mask when they’re not at home — including runners, people on bicycles and in general anyone who is within 30 feet of another person not in their household.
Tuesday Morning files for Chapter 11
MLB Baseball players want more regular-season games this year while holding to their demand for full prorated salaries,
Walt Disney World plans to reopen July 11, with many restrictions
Wynn to reopen Vegas hotel-casinos June 4
CT Gov. Ned Lamont said he hopes tribal casinos will agree to delay their planned, partial reopenings on June 1, reiterating his concerns Tuesday about possibly spreading the new cononavirus, especially among older people.
Boston Marathon will move to virtual as event is canceled for September.
Walmart announced that 10,000 tech workers will now work from home.
40% of layoffs are expected to become permanent
Maine shifts to virtual emergency operations center after 7 workers exhibit COVID-19 symptoms
Wisconsin reports record number of new coronavirus cases, deaths
People are accidentally throwing out their stimulus check — because it looks like junk mail
New York governor will allow businesses to deny entry to people not wearing face covering
1 in 4 American workers have filed for unemployment
Lack of COVID-19 immunity no reason to vote by mail, Texas court rules.
Iraq virus cases pass 5,000 mostly in Baghdad
A Siberian zoo that closed its doors to visitors for over two months due to the coronavirus, says the lockdown has encouraged a baby boom among its animals. Among the zoo’s new arrivals are rare Egyptian goslings, reindeer calves, llama crias and a baby brown weeper capuchin monkey.
South Korea taking a step back again in large venues and recommending churches start to close again as cases soar. In two weeks they will review for more steps.
India has millions with no jobs or food as outbreak increases.
Governor Andrew Couomo – “I wouldn’t put my own mother in one of these nursing homes.”
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Roger Williams Park Zoo opens Monday
Pawtucket & Central Falls announces new, full time role for Dr. Michael Fine regarding coronavirus response.
Brown University has eliminated some Varsity sports, dropping to club status are men’s and women’s fencing, men’s and women’s golf, women’s skiing, men’s and women’s squash, women’s equestrian and men’s indoor and outdoor track and cross country. Coed sailing and women’s sailing will be elevated from club to varsity status. This impacts 150 student-athletes and seven coaches.
Newport holds off on mandatory mask requirement resolution, out of concern about enforcement and putting this on a small police dept.
Brewed Awakenings opens at new 100 Westminster St. location in Providence.
Lifespan reporting another large loss – over $43M in April
“Know your rights. The [RI] Student Loan Protection Center... to help student loan borrowers understand their rights and provide access to resources to protect those rights.” – https://studentloanrightsri.com/
7 Organizations Call on RI Governor to repeal Executive Order delaying access to public records – calling this “unwarranted and extremely damaging to the public interest”:
ACLU of Rhode Island Common Cause Rhode Island Access Rhode Island New England First Amendment Coalition League of Women Voters of Rhode Island Rhode Island Press Association Rhode Island Broadcasters Association
RI Data
Deaths: 22. 18 were from long term care facilities – 1 in 40s, 2 in 50s, 5 in 70s, 8 in 80s, 6 in 90s.
RI Governor’s Address
Continues to be a good news day as numbers level. Regrettably we have another 22 deaths. We are not seeing virus spread from the time, so far, where we have reopened softly. On Monday, “it is my intention to open on June 1st”.
Crush Covid RI App: 38,000 people have downloaded in past week.
ReopeningRI.com – site will have a lot of new information.
Retail, gyms, hairdressers, indoor dining, etc. will all start to reopen – so if you are an owner, go to the site to see the guidelines. Phase 2 – month of June.
In Phase II, the following services are not allowed: •Services where a client or a professional removes their mask when they are not easily, continuously, and measurably 6 feet from others. Examples of personal services that are not permitted in phase II include facials, hot towel facials, and facial hair services (e.g. beard, mustache, upper lip shaving, trimming/waxing), lip piercings, and certain face tattoos. But: Wax/epilatory,depilatory, threading or electrolysis hair removal;and-Lash services(lash tinting, lash lifting, eyelash extensions are allowed. Blow-drying has restrictions, or is not allowed.
Dining: Indoor dining, 50% capacity, reservations taking name and phone #. No self-service (buffets, etc.). No standing service. No bars that don’t serve food. Why? No congregation, small groups, lots of space.
Personal Services: Capacity restrictions, reservation, no waiting areas and no magazines, cleaning to increase, masks on,
Youth Sports: Details on reopeningRI.com – groups of 15 or less; same people; no league or tournament sports. No traveling for games. Own food, water bottle. Wash equipment. Mask-wearing. RIDEM coordinating, using CDC guidelines.
Evictions & Rental problems: for thosein tough economic situations, hang on, help is on the way. Rental assistance fund was depleted quickly. Additional $5M into the fund – availability tomorrow. Up to $5K for past due rents/fees. Housinghelpri.com for more info. Or call 211. Need a bigger, more thoughtful solution. Courts open June 1st. Will not process any covid related evictions until July 1st. June court calendar will deal with before 3/17 initiated evictions. Working on long term mediation plan/settlement.
Testing: RI has been a leader in testing, with over 14% of population tested. Want to be doing 10,000-20,000 a day by summer. Going to look different. CVS has 10 new sites opening in RI tomorrow (appt only, same day testing, self-swab in car drop it in secure bin, where it will go to a lab – takes 2-3 days for results). Testing in Pawt, CF, Woon. Testing in nursing homes. Testing if you have symptoms.
Elections: Primary next week. Predominantly mail ballot – should have received ballots – 147,000 – 20% of all registered voters. Send ballot back asap, rec’d by 6/2. Each community will have a drop box at city/town hall – to drop it off on Tuesday. Select city/town in-person voting locations.
Dr. McDonald – discussed resilience to deal with changes and disappointments at this time. Life isn’t cupcakes and roses. Process these times and grow as an adult.
Questions:
Eviction money – doesn’t seem enough to make a difference. Gov. agrees, and looking to mediated settlement approach – planned payments. Need longer term solution. To be successful, need right to have lawyer, judiciary at table, uniformity – no landlords or tenants represented at work group. Homeless hotels run out on Sunday. Have extended to June 30th. Advocates working to transition, as this is not a long term solution. They will need to activate a plan so people won’t go back into shelter.
Youth Sports: What changed? “I do listen”. CDC guidelines and talking to coaches, parents, and athletic directors helped change plans. Adults will be the same.
Open testing – waive physician referral – why don’t we have it: open testing is coming soon; symptomatic, outbreak, screening is a 3-step approach. Strategic approach right now.
Nursing Home issue: Vast majority of deaths are in nursing home. This virus is brutal on the older and frail. Staff who work on more than one home. Having right level of staffing, infection control, etc. is a hard puzzle. 52 missions into nursing homes to help – wage bonuses – volunteer staff – PPE – cohorting – it’s a challenge – wish I had a better solution. Florida doing better? Gov: “I’ll get back to you”. Dr. McDonald – why do people die from covid19? Many people had heart, kidney disorder, other issues – people take a long time to get better or take a turn for the worst. “It’s tragic when someone passes away from this disease”. Gov: “we just haven’t figured it out”. We are over-dependent on nursing homes. Inherent dangers to these type of communal environments. “We have a robust response – long term, is this the healthiest way to care for our seniors? Or is it more important to invest in home care?
Federal money: $1.25Billion – how have we spent it? Next week a transparency portal will go alive. Could be flexibility to fill the deficit hole. Or can it be spent now to help businesses not go out of business, like small restaurants, etc. If at the end of June the money runs out, it will be good to have held money back. If we get more money, then we can right away spend more money. It is absolutely my intention to get more money into this economy – to help small business, to help people who need to be retrained – I’m just waiting weeks, not months, to see what congress is going to do. The only way to close a massive deficit will be massive layoffs – but we are hopeful we can get more federal money.
Casinos: CT opening this weekend – she will discuss casinos tomorrow – either 6/8 or 6/15 to open Twin River. Concerned with operational readiness. Rhode Islanders can go to CT and not worry about self-quarantining.
Flu: Compare covid19 to flu – we don’t have 22 deaths in a day from the flu. I’m humble. I don’t know we are going to have a vaccine. Let science be the science. If we get a vaccine I look forward to talking about who gets it.
Humor eases life’s burdens…
US Representative Sam Johnson, of Texas, died this week at the age of 89. Here, he engaged in a friendly race of scooters after Majority Whip Steve Scalise returned to work after surviving being shot at the congressional baseball game.