Welcome to 5 Things to Know – a daily rundown of things you might want to be aware of if you live in, visit, or just like being aware about what’s going on in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. As always, thank you for your continued support of Cactus Hugs.
Note: posts will resume on Tuesday. Have a nice weekend.
1) The Coronavirus
The big news continues to be what’s happening with the Trump Administration and campaign and it’s all so sad, predictable, and avoidable:
MN health officials are continuing to monitor Trump’s 9/30 events in the state for a possible coronavirus outbreak. On Fri, they said nine people who attended Trump’s 9/18 rally in Bemidji MN had tested positive for covid-19, including two people who were later hospitalized
— Holly Bailey (@hollybdc) October 9, 2020
This is the covid related disclaimer the Trump campaign requires of all rally attendees where the supporter assumes the health risks. pic.twitter.com/H3iPraO0Bw
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) October 9, 2020
Turning to news from our area, Riverside County reported 408 new cases and 8 new deaths in the last 24 hours. There have now been 1,256 reported deaths from coronavirus this year in Riverside County.
Here is the latest on what’s going on in the desert:
…as does the number of known active cases, since the number of recoveries reported continues to be lower than the number of new cases… (2/4) pic.twitter.com/7Jaaem8hqS
— Kevin Duncliffe (@kevinduncliffe) October 9, 2020
…and we’ve had the fewest deaths reported this week since the week ending May 1. (4/4) pic.twitter.com/pG3SgO9T5x
— Kevin Duncliffe (@kevinduncliffe) October 9, 2020
More:
- The county is asking for more residents to get tested for COVID-19. In a press release, officials state that more testing, “slows the spread of the disease by
identifying infected individuals who can then be isolated as well as their close
contacts” while also helping the county remain in the red tier, which allowed more
businesses as well as schools and places of worship to reopen indoors. - Cases are once again rising in parts of California, but health experts say it’s too early to know if it’s the beginning of a new surge of the coronavirus. “I think there’s probably bound to be a few more upticks when counties reopen because of the fact that you’re now going to be in situations where there is more opportunity for exposures,” a medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert told the LA Times.
- About 10,000 mink at fur farms in Utah and Wisconsin are dead after a series of coronavirus outbreaks. The virus first appeared in the creatures in August, shortly after farmworkers fell ill in July,
2) The Palm Springs Tramway is Reopening
Two pedestrians were injured after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run in Desert Hot Springs Friday morning. Police say a white Honda CRV heading northbound on Ocotillo Road struck the two female pedestrians and drove away from the scene, heading north on Ocotillo toward Pierson Boulevard.
Both women suffered major injuries and were taken by ambulance to a local hospital where they are listed in critical condition.
Anyone with info is asked to call police officer Greg Elias at (760) 329-2904 Ext. 373 or the watch commander at (760) 329-2904 Ext. 302.
3) Hiker Rescued on the Bump and Grind
A hiker on the Bump and Grind trail in Rancho Mirage was airlifted by helicopter from the hill and taken by ambulance to the hospital on Friday morning a little before 11 am. Officials announced that the hiker suffered a moderate injury, but didn’t disclose any further info.
#GrindINCIDENT [UPDATE] Firefighters loaded the hiker onto H60 who delivered the hiker to a waiting ground ambulance. The hiker suffered a moderate injury and was transported to an area hospital.
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) October 9, 2020
4) There’s Now a Drive-In Theater in Cathedral City
The Mary Pickford has opened up a drive-in on the property adjacent to their building in Cathedral City. The facility can fit 51 cars and charges about 10 bucks per person, with all tickets required to be purchased online (you can also buy snacks). On the schedule for Friday and Sunday night is Tenet and Saturday has the Robert De Niro grandpa movie thing.
You can get more info and tickets here.
5) Here’s Where to Drop Off Your Ballot
Yeah, yeah…I know, this was posted all darn week now. But, ballots are just arriving and I just want to make sure everyone has the info to make their vote count, since that seems pretty important this year.
Also, for anyone who wonders why they got a notification last week and why it’s taking so long, the county told KESQ that the state notified voters early (last week) and ballots were mailed on Monday.
Your mail-in ballot is on the way (or, maybe already in your mailbox) and you’re probably pretty motivated to vote this year. But, as you may have heard, Donald Trump has been trying to slow down the mail for months because he’s desperate and he knows he’s behind.
So, you may be thinking that you might prefer to drop off your ballot, rather than put it in the mail. If so, here’s a list of dates and places you can do that in Riverside County.
Important: Before you drop off or mail your ballot, make sure you sign the envelope and that your signature matches the one on your driver’s license, state ID or the signature you provided when registering. The county elections office will compare them to protect your vote.
Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay cool. Wear a mask.
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