Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Friday, April 3

By
Casey Dolan
-

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, and thank you for your continued support of Cactus Hugs.

As of 2:45 pm Wednesday, Riverside County officials have confirmed 493 people have tested positive for COVID-19.  There have been 14 confirmed deaths in the county.

As of 4 pm Thursday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 304 cases of COVID-19.  There has been 8 deaths in San Bernardino County.

As of 7 am Friday, there have been 11,207 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 246 deaths in the state.

Riverside County has announced the death of a second deputy, David Werksman, from complications of COVID-19:

Indian Wells Country Club sent an email to its members (who then sent along to to the Desert Sun) saying that five of its members have tested positive for the virus, while another person tested negative.

Riverside County heath officials have issued a message to young people urging them to take the pandemic seriously and stay home:

Test results in California are backlogged, with some waiting as many as 12 days for results.  Out about 93,000 tests administered around the state, almost 60,000 remained pending — far more than other states in the country.

The New York Times tracked recent travel and, while Californians were staying at home, Floridians and people throughout the south continued to move around. which could have consequences down the road, even for areas that acted aggressively. “Let’s assume that we flatten the curve, that we push transmission down in the Bay Area and we walk away with 1 percent immunity,” Dr. George Rutherford to the New York Times. “Then, people visit from regions that have not sheltered in place, and we have another run of cases. This is going to happen.”

While some in the industry predict not much change in home prices over the next year, one expert believes they could dip by 20 – 30%.

Local water agencies are seeing an influx of things other than toilet paper being flushed, causing plumbing issues.  “We’re sort of speculating that this is COVID-related– that because people went and started stockpiling toilet paper, toilet paper was in a shortage, more people are using wipes and that’s probably why this is happening,” Coachella Valley Water District Director of Communications and Conservation, Katie Evans told KESQ.

Disneyland has stopped automatic payments for season pass holders.

Corona beer production has come to a halt due to the coronavirus:

A grocery store worker emailed this link to Cactus Hugs about how to act around grocery store employees, asking that we please post.

The New York Times profiles California’s field workers during the pandemic who continue to work having been deemed by the federal government as “essential” to the country. “It’s like suddenly they realized we are here contributing,” said a 43-year-old immigrant from Mexico who has been working in the clementine groves south of Bakersfield.

It’s Girl Scout Cookie Season and, though they are not going door-to-door or selling them in front of grocery stores (for obvious reasons), you can still order them here.

Healthcare workers can get free donuts on Mondays at Krispy Kreme:

Stuft Pizza has reopened both locations for takeout and delivery:

Your favorite spot in the desert is back for Take-out & Delivery every day from 12pm-7pm at BOTH Locations! You can…

Posted by Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill on Wednesday, April 1, 2020

K9 Asko of the Indio Police Department is ready for work and has a good reminder:

That’s all for this morning.  As always, thank you for your support of Cactus Hugs.  Take care of yourself, your family, and your neighbors – and, please, be well.

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.

Schools are closed, but free student meals are available.  Here is the information on meal programs during this time for each Coachella Valley school district.

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.

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