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 Tuesday, Riverside County officials have confirmed 1,016 people have tested positive for COVID-19. There have been 28 confirmed deaths in the county.
As of 5 pm Monday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 530 cases of COVID-19. There has been 16 deaths in San Bernardino County.
As of 3:35 pm Tuesday, there have been 17,321 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California. There have been 429 deaths in the state.
The United States on Tuesday reported more than 1,800 coronavirus-related fatalities…in one day…with not all data reported yet. It is a new one-day high.
A surge in COVID-19 cases could be happening in Riverside County’s skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, Dr. Cameron Kaiser told the Board of Supervisors at Tuesday’s meeting. Kaiser said he believes “that the surge will come from the skilled nursing facilities and long-term care facilities where our most vulnerable patients already reside…”
Doctors, firefighters and other people who risk exposure to COVID-19 are being taken to court by ex-spouses who want to keep them away from their children during the pandemic.
Desert AIDS Project is now doing drive-up testing. An appointment is needed and will only be scheduled after telephone screening:
https://www.facebook.com/DesertAIDSProject/posts/10158646778038623?__xts__[0]=68.ARCuyLCB-nUVJNkwtLtgc9Y1xs7r5GwjymE9Htb33Q5IxNM8S7dUZqj6pJP8Og5DkXPfeH0kDzVfJsiq7tR4cGp4USgG50kul5L80VJbfEMy2-_oU9c7V0D_Avyd79-1yYiWvnD-om-07PUp5BRj3vNZNPtugHhDd1YaxK8WtJGQ5WcHFkFb3X3M_E-WlB9lEUmB19-am5ZRAtqcymc0DGZp21HhIMa19GttV9IeKS0gjYctIcoOfhaPKFDyD2QjCLboRBcT1LroXPadclCk5rusxNX_1gE4LCH84KC1wAlWCVK09eX7EXRwIHvy4YIG1haf_UwQvYOHH-2_7d41&__tn__=-R
States and hospitals are scrambling to set guidelines that could prioritize pregnant women, health-care workers, and even some politicians to get access to ventilators and treatment, reports the Washington Post.
Meanwhile, in Washington DC:
Trump on February White House memo addressed directly to him that warned of potentially millions of coronavirus deaths in the US: "I didn't see it." pic.twitter.com/woGxfKJ24T
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 7, 2020
Oh, and there’s also this from the swamp:
An @AP analysis finds business is booming for lobbyists as companies, interest groups and entire industries seek a slice of the record $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package. https://t.co/I6rpi8QSL9
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 7, 2020
The City of Palm Springs reminds commercial and industrial tenants about how to qualify for eviction protection:
Commercial and industrial tenants, please see information below: pic.twitter.com/ojF3ddSptD
— City of Palm Springs (@CityofPS) April 7, 2020
Target says it is supplying non-surgical face masks and gloves to some 350,000 employees at stores and distribution centers. They are also implementing social distancing measures and Plexiglass partitions at our checkout lanes:
Target is introducing additional social distancing and safety measures to help our guests and team members stay healthy, including masks & gloves for our teams, monitoring store traffic and more. Get the details here: https://t.co/wXwlqgfahN pic.twitter.com/9m5B4xVo6k
— Target News (@TargetNews) April 2, 2020
For the first time in 103 years, worshippers will not be gathering for sunrise Easter service at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains at the O’donnell Golf Club in Palm Springs. Instead, Rob Goodwin, pastor at Our Savior’s Church in Palm Springs, will record the service alone at sunrise and later post it on Facebook.
Cactus Hugs posted that we are over the golfers complaining.
Of course, the golfers complained about it.
Despite “hundreds” of complaint calls, Riverside County officials are not reopening the golf courses:
County officials say they really do understand the frustration of golfers, but that closing golf courses is still the right thing to do in the coronoavirus pandemic . . . . https://t.co/toUA1B2ly8
— Larry Bohannan (@Larry_Bohannan) April 7, 2020
Despite signs posted announcing hiking trails were closed over the weekend, Palm Springs trails remain open. The city calls it a “miscommunication,” reports the Desert Sun. “Trails are still open. There’s just no parking,” city Communications Director Amy Blaisdell said. “We want to keep trails open if we can, but a lot of it depends on how residents respond to the guidelines.”
UCR, Palm Desert has a few stay-at-home activity suggestions and will be holding a free webinar to deal with stress and uncertainty of COVID-19 tomorrow (details on the webinar are also in the link).
La Quinta suggests an odd way to approximate 6 feet:
Please remember to stay at least 6 feet apart from other people when standing in line at the grocery store. If you're finding it hard to estimate what exactly 6 feet looks like, here is something to help judge the appropriate distance you should keep from other people. pic.twitter.com/oKR1zpkWH4
— cityoflaquinta (@CityofLaQuinta) April 7, 2020
Getting into Disneyland might be a little different once they reopen:
Disneyland Might Check Your Temperature Before Letting you in After Coronavirus Shutdown https://t.co/sjRAnAseEx pic.twitter.com/MPg3eP4Y1J
— Disneyland Scoop (@DisneylandScoop) April 7, 2020
Thinking about take-out? It’s Taco Tuesday!
https://www.facebook.com/lococharlies/photos/a.560896734013564/2270455276391026/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/LosArcosMex/posts/1928484230629391?__xts__[0]=68.ARCUXwqr3x06ETUda_FCfgn3abxXxnQ7SKpPu1QXDZ7uLgSJSdAAKtbb7e9AH9yNhr3VbMjDmBOZA1cXwFaVruLvKRY86yHZwEEk-f5RSMTQuD9JMgxBai24l0liP3uZxjqvprjMDjmPYenh_9qLxI3nwGxb9nDXPGCHvH65MPWaHFW70FEi1uzILfgrj3Mp_BZf3mPUKnW_T1aSlbuK8gt1UiCGiD7uMrinVoj-DAbN9VOqXChgP1glpP6pzvtwO98UKLu5kLGXIOFrnMMfFrkANAc8o5bTehjDE7V8TRoNeo3mDYiVrTydy4fY4p87ux5O1SvtsLW7SMPaG2wqdiwSvg&__tn__=-R
Don't know what day it is? That's okay, just know TODAY you can get a FREE Doritos® Locos Tacos from our drive-thru.
— Taco Bell (@tacobell) April 7, 2020
And finally…
It’s April and it’s snowing. #PSTram pic.twitter.com/hTgreJR0q6
— Kitty Alvarado (@HeyKitty) April 7, 2020
That’s all for this evening. We will get through this. Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay home. Thank you for continued your 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.
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.
— Eisenhower Health (@EisenhowerHeal) March 9, 2020
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.