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Your Coronavirus Update – Today, Sept. 24, 2020
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
The NFL has levied $700,000 in fines after Jon Gruden and Sean Payton failed to wear masks properly during Monday’s game between the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.
Ralph Lauren is trimming its workforce in a move to more permanent online sales.
UBS is moving to requiring 70% of their workforce to go back to in-person employment.
LA Fitness is weighing options including a capital raise to help it get through Covid-19 related gym shutdowns
Finland is using dogs at their airport who can sniff out the virus.
Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday kicked off a final 60,000-person trial of a single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that potentially would simplify distribution of millions of doses compared with leading rivals using two doses.
90% of Americans are still susceptible to the virus.
36 vaccines are in human trials – with 4 in final stages.
136 in trials all around the world
Coronavirus is now the 3rd leading cause of death.
More than ½ US states are reporting upticks.
NYC is warning about rising cases in Hasidic neighborhoods – perhaps because of the High Holy Days being celebrated.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Free COVID-19 testing has been extended through Oct. 31 in 18 Massachusetts communities
Massachusetts restaurants will be allowed to put up to 10 people at their bar areas to serve food.
Mayor Walsh warns Boston ‘very close’ to red category on COVID-19 map
BYO Blanket – RI restaurants are encouraging patrons to “bring your own blanket” – the Hot Club is selling blankets too saying “a lot of countries do this” and Hospitality Assoc says “this is a way to keep our favorite restaurants open.
Effective Thursday, people traveling north to Maine from Massachusetts no longer need to quarantine for 14 days or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test
Positive COVID-19 tests are starting to be reported in students and faculty at South Shore, MA schools.
Providence School Dept. is moving up the date for high school seniors to go back to their buildings – they will begin on Sept. 29th.
Providence College cases are now at 173 with 281 in quarantine. 2 staff/faculty test positive, with 1 more in quarantine.
Bristol police recently broke up an off-campus house party filled with maskless Roger Williams University seniors, the vast majority of whom were from out of state.
The Pawtucket plan to build a new soccer stadium – Tidewater Landings – has been completely revised – to exclude the Apex property – build taller, more densely located buildings.
RI Data
Deaths: 3; 121 new cases; percent positivity less than 2%, given high # of tests.
86 in hospital – 9 are in ICU – 5 are ventilators.
Deaths – 1 in 70s, 1 in 80s, 1 in 90s.
New cases are up – primarily because of URI and PC outbreaks Between those 2 schools, we saw approx…190 new positive cases; 150 from PC and 40 from PC. Without those cases, overall cases were stable, and even declining.
A new chart for going forward which will be updated each Tuesday was displayed:
Providence College: Most are living off campus on Eaton Street. Triple deckers rented to college students. Lots of congregating among students. There was NO big party. This was normal congregating in close quarters, not good mask wearing or social distancing. Not only keeping groups small, but limiting social networking to the same 15-20 people. RIDOH immediately started testing. Stay at home order issued on and off order. 120 students have been relocated locally. Mandatory testing program put in place. Still an active outbreak. PC is handling it well, aggressively. Asking PC students to obey stay at home order. “This isn’t right what is happening”. Impacting the entire state. PC says there will be consequences. Repeating full student body testing this week.
URI: 3 Greek houses with cases. Lots of testing going on – 40 cases last week. Not traced back to single big party – to small groups, not wearing masks, etc. Their cases are more isolated. Do not need stay at home order. URI has been excellent and aggressive. If they test positive, isolated housing, entire group is tested and quarantined. Urging these students NOT to go home. This would only spread the virus. Housing, massive testing, food delivery, care – “We are able to handle this”.
These cases can be a reminder to all of us about not following the rules and what can happen. And how we were back on the “travel restriction list” with travel to/from other states. Our own rate for restricting travel is above 5% – 28 states. “To all the people at PC who played a hand in this, this is a real consequence – if you think it’s fun to ‘have those parties’ that led to this outbreak and if there is more the administration could do…we’re hurting people because of our selfishness”.
Schools: Tested 250 people per day through separate K-12 testing system. We can do 1,000 a day if needed. 844-857-1814 if you need testing connected to schools. As of Monday, all tests showed 33 positive cases among students/staff who had been in school buildings. Another 44 who had not been in school buildings. Total of 77 cases. Majority didn’t happen in school bldg. – they were virtual learners. We are monitoring closely – we are not seeing spread in schools. 15% of RI is associated in some way with schools. Key is to contain the cases going forward. Looks like systems are working, but it’s only been one week.
Of the 33 cases, 19 were students – rest were teachers/staff (25 schools)
Of the 44 cases, 40 were students – rest were teachers/staff.
Schools w/multiple cases – identified common exposure outside of school (siblings, friends)
Carpooling: Please limit carpooling
Airflow: More than one way to address this – filters, open windows, etc. The expert group said the key metric is air changes per hour – how the air is circulating in and out of the room. Science indicates 4 air changes per hour or more – opening a single window a few inches – provides 5 air changes – add a box fan, increases to over 12 per hour. Some school committees say they don’t have money for new HVAC systems or special filters – she urges them to look at the science for the simple solution. There is a tool on the website – you put in the size of the classroom, and approach and it will tell you more – go to: health.ri.gov\airflow. Questions: Call the Education Operation Center – only one in America – command center.
Businesses: Inspections: Highest compliances we’ve seen in the 90th percentiles. Screenings were just below 90% – need to do better with that.
Restaurants – hope RestoreRI is helping – RI is ranked #2 in country for states in economic recovery.
Data Dashboard online for schools – students & staff and virtual learning – data will be posted every Wednesday
Case investigations: 9/8-9/14 Social gatherings continue to be an issue. Not only size, but also same groups. 24 people had attended, as opposed to just 3 the week before. Mask wearing also clearly an issue. Certain industries more effected: 26 cases in manufacturing; another 20 in retail. You can get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms. Portalri.gov to schedule.
Questions:
What is modeling showing you?
Our numbers are well-below any capacity concerns.
Short of vaccine, don’t see significant decline in cases/deaths?
Our goal IS to see declines
Why on the bad list for travel?
Bump up in cases is what did it.
Other factors for RI that had us above our neighbors beyond level of testing?
We are testing the most; densely populated state; no additional difference beyond college/universities.
Should we have acted proactively before kids came back to school? Pre-emptively?
Hindsight is 20/20. “Would have liked it if PC had done more – we knew this was going to be a problem”. We’re going to work with them. You must hold students accountable for their off-campus behavior. We chose not to do other things – like start school in October, etc. – but all the presidents said they could handle it – they all did but it wasn’t enough.
Are any of these kids sick?
No associated hospitalizations with colleges or K-12.
Do you think they should go all virtual – PC – for the rest of the year?
I’m not there yet. Not at this time.
K-12 – buses, windows open – kids are cold, etc. Update guidance?
We’ll deal with it when we get there. “We’ll probably keep them open though”.
Exeter kids have 45 mins travel – kids freezing – ??
Encourage members of the press to go to “airflow” tool to figure out how many windows should be open. We’re living in highly imperfect world. Kids will get cold, but it’s better than getting COVID. Hopeful by winter we may be in a better situation – vaccine treatments.
Anyone ridden on a school bus from RIDE or RIDOH?
Angelica Infante-Green – we have ridden on a bus – we’ve been in touch with other states, too, who have different bus procedures – Indiana is one.
Silent lunches/snacks – seems Draconian?
RI Health: It’s a lot – we tell people to put together the measures to increase compliance. Structured time to take mask off – if those breaks are built in the risks are decreased.
Adults who go to a restaurant can talk to each other – doesn’t make any sense.
Variety of schools approaches. It’s acceptable to get compliances.
$1 Million for outside equipment for restaurants – how is response?
Good – a lot of restaurants are interested – heat lamps, etc. More than 80. We’re open to doing more than $1 Million
If none of the college kids are sick, on respirators, etc. is there any reason the kids should not be in school in person?
I don’t see any reason – Warwick almost did the right thing – Pawtucket should be in school. Call the command center for help.
People under 30 – diagnosed positive, including children and college students – any increased risk because they don’t know they are sick? Has RIDOH measured that?
We track very closely asymptomatic vs. symptoms. More of the cases do not have symptoms. Further evidence why we need to be vigilant. You may not know you are a carrier.
Hospitals/Nursing Homes – still some without separate wing – some mix on the same floor – didn’t think that was going on – ?? – Any idea of using field hospitals? Mixing of staff in nursing homes…
PPE fulfills approach to separate patients on a floor. Isolation precautions for each individual patient. PPE in nursing homes co-hoarding are brought together into a particularly wing. Infection control practices are in place. Hospitals are ok with capacity.
Halloween – ?? – How much should state vs. cities/towns weigh in?
No answers yet. I want the kids to do some trick or treating. Have to figure out how to do it safely. Saw the CDC came out – let’s get creative. See what might be possible. RIDOH is working on detailed guidance. There is a need to support some activities in a different way.