Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Tuesday, May 12

By
Casey Dolan
-
(?: Eric Ornelas)

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 4 pm Monday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 5,189 people have officially tested positive for COVID-19.
    • 150 people have been reported to have tested positive in the last 24 hours
  • 217 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus.
    • 12 people have been reported dead in the last 24 hours.
  • There are currently 199 confirmed cases hospitalized.
    • 74 of those people in the ICU.
  • There have been 2,645official recovered cases in the county.
  • The county has conducted 73,149 tests.

As of 4 pm Monday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 3,015 cases of COVID-19.  There have been 115 deaths in San Bernardino County.

As of 10 pm Monday, there have been 69,346 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 2,779 confirmed deaths in the state.

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

The United States Senate is holding hearings (through Zoom) about the coronavirus today.  One of those providing testimony is Dr. Anthony Fauci.  Fauci, when asked about states pushing to reopen, he said that reopening early could have “really serious” consequences.

During the same hearing, Fauci was asked by Senator Bernie Sanders about the official  number of reported deaths from coronavirus.  According to Fauci, the actual numbers are likely higher than the ones being reported, though he doesn’t believe that number is as high as the 50% higher figure, that Sanders seem to suggest.

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll finds that overall, 71 percent of Americans approve of their governors’ performances in handling the coronavirus pandemic, with majority approval from people in both major parties. For California Governor Gavin Newsom, 79 percent of residents of the state said they approve – with 89 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of Republicans offering positive assessments. The poll found that only 43 percent of Americans approve of the Trump Administration’s efforts.

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom made the claim that state’s first coronavirus case came from a nail salon. He hasn’t commented about it since.  The San Francisco Chronicle called the claim “mystifying,” and suggested that Newsom might have gotten his facts mixed up. According to the Chronicle, the information known about the state’s first case “doesn’t appear to align with Newsom’s comments.”

On Monday, Newsom said salt and pepper shakers on tables inside restaurants could be replaced with bottles of hand sanitizer, and meals could arrive from food servers who are wearing face masks. Today, the governor is expected to announce further measures that could allow California’s restaurants to resume dine-in service. The California Restaurant Association has previously recommend guidelines that only family members or people who live together sit at the same table. Also buffets, salad bars and shared baskets of bread would not be available for service.

A local hair salon manager spoke with KMIR as to their plans to keep things safe after re-opening. “As far as the salon side, we’ll have longer sanitation time between clients,”  the manager of Salon M Salon and Spa told the TV station. “They’ll have to wait in their cars and we’ll call them or text them when we are ready for them. As far as the nail side and spa side, requiring all of our clients as soon as they walk in the door to wash their hands and when they’re in a pedicure bowl they’re being cleaned and sanitized before we even touch them.”

The city of Palm Springs is anticipating a budget deficit of $76.4 million between the fiscal year that ends in June and the one that begins in July.  The city — which has done little to diversify its economy to include more than just tourism over the past few decades — does not have sufficient unrestricted reserves to cover the anticipated shortfall.  With the tourism industry now facing many challenges ahead, the city will soon have to make some tough decisions on funding.

A Harvard Medical Professor writes in the Atlantic about stay-at-home fatigue.  He claims much like how public-health experts have known for decades that an abstinence-only message doesn’t work for sex, “asking Americans to abstain from nearly all in-person social contact will not hold the coronavirus at bay—at least not forever.”  He writes, “What Americans need now is a manual on how to have a life in a pandemic. If no one else provides the guidance that the CDC won’t, each of us will need to figure out our own.”

After a photo of one of its crowded flights went viral last week, United Airlines announced a new policy allowing customers to rebook flights if their flight is too crowded to maintain proper social distancing.  “Starting next week, customers on flights that are expected to be closer to full capacity can rebook on a different flight or receive a travel credit,” the company said. “We’ll do our best to reach out about 24 hours before departure and we’ll also provide options at the gate.”

Congressman Raul Ruiz is one of 47 representatives who submitted a letter last week asking congressional leaders dedicate emergency appropriation funds for the Indian Health Service, a federal health agency, and other tribal health care organizations. “Tribal health facilities are the primary source of health care for millions of Native American individuals, and many are struggling to keep their doors open during this crisis,” said Ruiz. “Native communities often have greater health disparities than other populations, and it is essential that Congress provides a significant emergency relief fund to support tribal health programs.”

Erin Cruz, who is running against Ruiz in the November election, demanded in a tweet (with the hashtag #FridayVibes) that California open up “the whole damn state by Friday or we will open anyway to help themselves.”  It’s not clear if Cruz has a business that she would be opening up at the end of the week:

For many in the Coachella Valley, today is an election day. No seriously. There will be a few polling places open, but you can also vote by mail.  The Desert Sun has the details.

CV Independent tries to uncover the mystery of Supervisor Manny Perez’s vote in favor of rescinding the county’s health officer’s order to wear masks.  Perez signaled he was in favor of the order, then voted against it – and has stayed pretty quiet since the vote.

Speaking of mysteries, Cactus Hugs needs your help to figure out what a new message scrawled on the Red Barn in Palm Desert means.

Reminder: Riverside County health officials are encouraging young people to get tested for  coronavirus.  According to health officials, reporting has been underrepresented in testing so far for people 25 and younger and they are asking them to get screened. “We would like to get a more complete picture of the illness as it has spread among young  people,” said Kim Saruwatari, director of public health for Riverside County in a press release. “This will helps us better understand who in the community has the disease and how it might be moving among children and families.” You can make an appointment here.

Thinking about getting some takeout?  Here are some local options to consider:

? Let us cater your lunch today … Available for parties of 4 or more! ? Call ahead (760)-318-8883 for #Takeout and if…

Posted by La Bonita's Palm Springs on Wednesday, May 6, 2020

That’s all for this evening. 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.

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

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.

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