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Your Coronavirus Update – Today, Sept. 28, 2020
Photo: The closure of Scialo Brothers, 110 year old company. With original intentions to close only temporarily, after the recent death of one of the owners, the building and business have been sold to Bill DiStephano Jr., the Omni Group, developers who own 11 acres on Federal Hill.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
The American Ballet Theater estimates it will lose $20 million in revenue after canceling six tours and two full seasons.
Neiman Marcus Holding Co said on Friday it has completed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection process, emerging from one of the highest-profile retail collapses during the COVID-19 pandemic.Its restructuring plan eliminated more than $4 billion of debt and $200 million of annual interest expense.
Florida Governor has released restrictions on businesses and they can open fully.
The NYC Principals Assoc has taken a vote of no confidence in Mayor DeBlasio.
The Metropolitan Opera says it could lose $155 million in revenue after canceling shows until September 2021.
A few Broadway shows, like “The Minutes,” “American Buffalo,” and “MJ: the Musical,” have already announced spring dates. “The Music Man,” starring Hugh Jackman, hopes to commence in May.
Lincoln Center will open a 400-seat socially distant outdoor venue for dance and musical performances next year.
The Pac-12 will play football starting later this year, after officials today reversed a decision to postpone the season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision by the conference, which includes colleges in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington
PM Trudeau of Canada said, We’re on the brink of a fall that could be much worse than the spring,” Trudeau said. “It’s all too likely we won’t be gathering for Thanksgiving [on Oct. 12], but we still have a shot at Christmas.”
UMassAmherst has 13 cases on campus.
Massachusetts emergency day care centers have had almost no spread of coronavirus.
NY Governor Cuomo says “he will review vaccines”.
Military suicides are open 20% since COVID19
New Hampshire moving to open all retail stores, with no restrictions.
Boston Mayor Mary Walsh said the city will not participate in all of the state’s modifications for restaurant rules.
Quinnipiac University has sent home, suspended 23 students for violating school’s COVID-19 policies
New York’s Greenwich Village Halloween Parade was canceled. It usually has about 50,000 marchers and an even bigger crowd.
Health inspectors found safety shortcomings at 77 New York nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic, including basic infection-control violations like failing to have staff wear masks or wash their hands.
While the vaccine has not yet passed the phase 3 clinical trials, a globally accepted standard, SinoVac has already injected thousands of people in China under an emergency use provision, with full vaccines expected in January.
President Trump has promised to send $200 drug discount cards to 33 million seniors enrolled in Medicare, as part of his administration’s effort to address high prescription drug costs.
Novavax, the Gaithersburg, Md., based vaccine maker is vastly expanding its workforce after receiving $1.6 billion from Operation Warp Speed, going from about 160 employees to over 1,000.
Five key strategies that have set apart countries that have successfully eased national lockdowns for Covid-19 from those that are still struggling to control the virus. The strategies were compiled based on the experiences of nine high-income countries including New Zealand and Japan. They range from seemingly obvious necessities like having a good surveillance system to gauge exactly how many people are infected to more challenging needs including a health system that can handle surges in infections. The other successful strategies include strict border control measures and quarantine requirements for any visitors; a robust public health system that has the capacity to do large-scale testing; and engagement from local communities to do their part to fend off the virus.
Pharmacies are bracing for a surge in demand for flu shots amid the Covid-19 pandemic
Vermont is adjusting to the influx of people moving there – calling them “COVID refugees”.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Scialo Bakery on Federal Hill has closed.
Providence College now has approximately 220 positive cases with 420 in quarantine. Two faculty/staff members are positive. Rate of infection approximately 2.33%
URI now has approximately 41 positive cases with 520 in isolation/quarantine. 1,258 have been tested so far.
Roger Williams University now has approximately 17 positive cases with 5,200 tested so far and a 0.01% positivity rate.
Rhode Island College has 1 positive case with 1 student in quarantine. (9/18)
Salve Regina has 2 student positive cases, with no faculty/staff, approx.. 3,000 tests administered, and a 0% positivity rate.
RISD has 2 on-campus students, 1 off-campus student, and 1 employee test positive. They have done over 3,400 tests with a 0.00% positivity rate.
Brown University has had (since 8.24) 16 total cases with nearly 7,000 tested. 7 day positivity rate approx.. 1.3%.
Bryant University lists a .06% positivity rate
Johnson & Wales University reports 5 new cases in the last week at the Providence campus.
Two former leaders at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home were indicted Friday on criminal charges in connection with the COVID-19 deaths of nearly a dozen veterans.
One in 7 nursing home residents, over 6,000, have died in Massachusetts of coronavirus. This is the highest rate in the US.
Boston public school parents/teachers are asking for an official walk-through out of concern for building safety.
Covid ActNow – a national tracking site – has upgraded Rhode Island’s risk level to “At Risk of Outbreak”, one of 23 states to hit this level of designation.
Gov. Raimondo has extended her EO – Executive Order – until the end of October, with all restrictions to stay in place.
56,000 Stop and Shop employees with get a lump sum for retroactive pay as “essential workers” – which they did not get before.
URI has canceled spring break.
Indoor, in-person visits at long-term care facilities have resumed in MA.
Worcester will not adopt the expanded restaurant options that MA is recommending.
The Central Falls federal correction facility donates $50K to renovate Macomber Stadium in Central Falls, to help the community recover from its devastating toll of coronavirus.
Rhode Island disciplines three businesses – Jalapeno’s Kitchen, Providence; Copperfield’s Burger & Beer House, Smithfield; and Kennedy Fried Chicken in Providence.
Bank of America will donate PPE to local schools and nonprofits in RI
Providence College extends remote learning to October 3rd.
From the Boston Globe…nursing home death rates – RI is 4th highest in the country…
Coronavirus-sniffing dogs can detect coronavirus before a person even has symptoms…here, at work in Finland’s airport: