Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Sunday, April 19

By
Casey Dolan
-
(?: Monica Mazet)

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 1 pm Saturday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 2,602 people have tested positive for COVID-19.    
  • 74 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus.  Five people have died in the county in the last 24 hours.
  • There are currently 215 confirmed cases hospitalized, with 69 of them in the ICU.
  • There have been 610 official recovered cases in the county.

As of 2 pm Saturday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 1,219 cases of COVID-19.  There have been 57 deaths in San Bernardino County.

As of 9:20 am Sunday, there have been 30,831 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 1,148 confirmed deaths in the state.

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

The San Bernardino County sheriff and district attorney criticized a recent court decision to lower the cost of bail for some offenses to $0. “The effects of zero bail on the county could be devastating,” McMahon Sheriff John McMahon .  The bail-reduction order applies to those accused of all misdemeanors and some felonies, except for violent felonies, offenses involving domestic violence or stalking, driving under the influence and offenses requiring sex offender registration.  The order is intended to protect the health of, “inmates, jail staff, those who transport defendants to courts, and others as individuals leave jail and return to their communities.”

At least 19 nursing homes in Riverside County were found to have seen at least one COVID-19 infection, wether in a patient or healthcare worker.  A list of the facilities can be seen here.

A recovered coronavirus patient donated plasma at LifeStream on Saturday. “We’re excited about the fact that patients who have recovered from COVID-19 infection actually develop antibodies,” a LifeStream official told KESQ. “We can collect the plasma from those people and have that transfused to sick patients.”

A protest agains the stay-at-home orders took place in downtown San Diego on Saturday:

A healthcare worker gave his thoughts on similar protests happening around the country:

This week saw funds run out for the government’s Paycheck Protection Program (and a large amount of money went to large companies rather than small businesses), but the Treasury Security said on Sunday that the government is “making a lot of progress” on getting more funds approved:

The first day President Trump mentioned the coronavirus in public, only one American was known to be infected. “We have it totally under control,” Trump said on January 22. . “It’s going to be just fine.” Three months later, the United States leads the world in reported numbers of people infected and killed by the virus, with more than 39,000 dead. – The LA Times reports on “How Trump let the Country Fall Behind the Curve on Coronavirus Threat.”

Is it safe to open mail and packages during the pandemic?  As the AP reports, there is no evidence that COVID-19 is spreading through mail or parcels, according to the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  They do suggest washing your hands thoroughly and regularly and avoiding touching your face after handling deliveries.

Caltrans will allow food trucks to set up at rest stops to help feed truckers:

The LA Times has found “The best, comfiest lounge pants for never leaving your house ever again.”

Starting today, Sam’s Club will have special hours on Sundays just for first responders:

Suicide and help hotlines are seeing a surge of calls during the pandemic.  A Los Angeles center told the Press Enterprise that in February, staff  took 22 calls on the suicide and disaster helplines related to coronavirus. In March, that number soared to 1,800 calls.  “Suicidal thoughts stem from a sense of hopelessness, helplessness, or lack of plans or goals for the future,”the crisis line director for the facility said. “The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated those feelings in people. If things felt bad before, they can really feel hopeless in today’s environment.”

If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, here are some resources:

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
  • National Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
  • Teen Line: 1-800-852-8336 or text “TEEN” to 839863
  • The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
  • Riverside University Health System Behavioral Health: CARES Line (1-800-706-7500); Substance Use CARES Line (1-800-499-3008); dedicated crisis line for health-care workers, essential workers and first-responders (951-955-7015).

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.

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