Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Saturday, May 2

By
Casey Dolan
-
(?: Sharon Calcagno)

Cactus Hugs has been tracking local stories about the coronavirus.   For a rundown of all of our updates, click here. Stay safe, stay at a good social distance.

Thank you for your continued support of Cactus Hugs. For ways to keep this website going (and free!), click here.

As of 1 pm Friday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 4.079 people have tested positive for COVID-19.  48 people have tested positive in the last 24 hours.  
  • 156 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus. There were 7 people reported dead in the last 24 hours.
  • There are currently 214 confirmed cases hospitalized, with 85 of them in the ICU.
  • There have been 1,693 official recovered cases in the county.
  • The county has conducted 51,228 tests.

As of 4 pm Friday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 2,113 cases of COVID-19.  There have been 94 deaths in San Bernardino County.

As of 10 pm Friday, there have been 52,237 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 2,134 confirmed deaths in the state.

The numbers are increasing everyday.  They are not just numbers.  They are people.  The individual stories are heartbreaking:

Desert Regional Medical Center nurses joined a nationwide protest Friday night in front of the hospital. More than 30 people showed up holding signs that read things like “Protect nurses + all workers” and “We need PPE.”

The Palm Desert City Council has sent a letter to the state asking for guidelines on a plan to reopen the Living Desert.  In a draft of a plan given to the Desert Sun by the Palm Desert mayor, the zoo would require staff and guests to wear face coverings and adhere to social distancing guidelines.  The mayor told the newspaper that the plan is “more than solid.”

The Desert Sun collected data from health departments around the state about the current  testing abilities for coronavirus at a time when some officials are clamoring to open the economy up.  Their findings: Every county in California is woefully unprepared to reopen in accordance with public health recommendations.

Orange County’s beaches will remain closed, as Friday night a judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order blocking Gov. Gavin Newsom’s closure orders.  The restraining orders were filed by the cities of Huntington Beach and Dana Point.

Three US National Parks will begin to reopen this week.  In California, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Death Valley national parks will remain closed.  As the LA Times notes, in hopes of reopening soon, the Oasis at Death Valley, a privately owned lodging inside that park, is taking reservations for June 15 and beyond.

Nearly 3 million self-employed Californians, gig workers and independent contractors became eligible for special unemployment benefits in the state this week.  Unfortunately, a clause is preventing many from not being able to claim them: If they were on an employer’s payroll and earned wages of $1,300 or more during any quarter in the previous 18 months, that so-called W-2 amount would become the basis for unemployment benefits — and disqualify them from claiming their self-employment income.

Ticketmaster, under pressure from fans, watchdogs, and even some congresspeople, updated its website early Friday, offering ticket buyers options for events that have been put off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Event organizers are making more events available for refund – and some have new credit options too,” Ticketmaster said in a blog post. “We have listened closely to your questions and concerns about events, refunds and more.”

Congressman Raul Ruiz shared a painting of the coronavirus made by his daughter, which was done as a way of learning about the virus:

Heading outside this weekend? The city of Indio has some guidelines:

Thinking about grabbing some takeout?

? Flamin’ Hot @cheetos #CheeseShellTacos .. Hungry yet? ?? @labonitasps#TacoShop#PalmSprings#MexicanFood#LaBonitas

Posted by La Bonita's Palm Springs on Friday, May 1, 2020

Hooray for Sunday BBQ! Our Memphis Style Ribs have been a huge hit and sold out twice. To ensure we cook enough and you…

Posted by Big Rock Pub on Thursday, April 30, 2020

Who’s ready for some delicious Posole this weekend? Saturday and Sunday!!!! Call 7603474754 ….

Posted by Rincón Norteño 83011 Indio Blvd Indio Ca. 92201 on Friday, May 1, 2020

That’s all for this morning. Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay home.

Thank you for your continued support of Cactus Hugs.

Important information:

Congressman Raul Ruiz has posted a list of local resources and information.

The Washington Post offers plenty of ways that you can help during the coronavirus pandemic.

If you see someone price gouging, there is now a number for that.

The New York Times has an interactive map where you can track every coronavirus case in the United States.

The Washington Post is out with a guide to what you should know about the coronavirus.

Here is a memo by the Department of Homeland security identifying critical infrastructure workers.

The United Way of the Desert has assembled a nice list of information and resources available during the coronavirus here.

These are scary and anxious times.  Be safe and kind to each other out there and, please, remember to wash your hands.

Anything we missed? Let us know about it.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR