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.

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As of 4 pm Tuesday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

• 4,454 people have tested positive for COVID-19.  100 people have tested positive in the last 24 hours.  
• 184 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus. There were 3 new people reported dead in the last 24 hours.
• There are currently 215 confirmed cases hospitalized, with 75 of them in the ICU.
• There have been 1,997 official recovered cases in the county.
• The county has conducted 58,878 tests.

As of 3 pm Tuesday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 2,329 cases of COVID-19.  There have been 101 deaths in San Bernardino County.

As of 1 pm Tuesday, there have been 58,303 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 2,364 confirmed deaths in the state.

CNN: 71,000 people in the United States have died from coronavirus.

— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) May 6, 2020

The United States passed 71,000 deaths on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Vice President Pence told reporters that the coronavirus task force created to manage the federal government’s response to the pandemic could be disbanded within a month because “of the tremendous progress we’ve made as a country.”

Proclaiming victory against the coronavirus is a bit premature, don't you think? pic.twitter.com/IWQsXxuIb8

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2020

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

Bana Abdalla Ali championed basketball in Somalia, investing his time and his own money to ensure the country’s players had their chance on the international stage. He died on April 28 from the coronavirus. He was  54. https://t.co/tLTzRkDZTs

— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 5, 2020

CNN’s @jaketapper pays tribute to three New York hospital workers who died of coronavirus. "May their memories be a blessing." pic.twitter.com/zkR2ekbKWd

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) May 5, 2020

Riverside County will add eight additional locations, with each testing an additional 1,000 people and processing up to 132 tests daily beginning Wednesday. The new testing sites will be in Perris, Beaumont, Norco, Hemet, Mecca, Riverside and Desert Hot Springs. Appointments can be made online by going to lhi.care/covidtesting or calling 1-888-634-1123.

Gov. Gavin Newsom called out the northern counties who have ignored the state’s health orders and are allowing some businesses to reopen on Tuesday. “They are putting our progress at risk,” Newsom said. “We believe in ‘ready, aim fire,’ not ‘ready, fire, aim.’”

Newsom plans to relax measures for some retailers in the state beginning Friday, with curbside pickup available for clothing stores, bookstores, and, just in time for Mother’s Day, florists.

Starting FRIDAY lower risk workplaces in Stage 2 such as:
– bookstores
– clothing stores
– florists
– sporting goods

Can begin to re-open with modifications and adaptations like curbside pickup. pic.twitter.com/e5L3AXxzuh

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 5, 2020

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors held a day-long session on Tuesday about possibly rescinding health orders from the county’s own health department (update: they voted on doing nothing for a few more days). Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco spoke during the meeting and said his department wouldn’t enforce health orders because he knows every single one of the residents of the county can be completely trusted:

“The fact is, everyone doesn’t have to be afraid of this virus,” Bianco said.

He said he wouldn’t enforce stay-at-home order b/c he knew county residents could be trusted.

— Jeff Horseman (@JeffHorseman) May 5, 2020

Riverside County’s top health official, Cameron Kaiser, spoke of the county’s health orders, noting that he realized the imposition on personal liberties, but that they orders served a purpose during an “unprecedented crisis”:

we don’t need them anymore much faster."

— Jeff Horseman (@JeffHorseman) May 6, 2020

Those opposed to staying at home, social distancing and wearing masks left their homes to protest outside of the Board of Supervisors meeting, with many not social distancing or wearing masks.

A couple hundred people protest coronavirus closures at Riverside County Admin building. Wanting to go to church, get haircuts, make money. But if there had been an early coordinated federal response we'd be closer to normality. Right?https://t.co/vzbOoDDu0l pic.twitter.com/IeyqhdejMC

— jay calderon (@jaymcalderon) May 5, 2020

This might be a good time to pause for a moment and point to this Atlantic article regarding masks.  While many may think that a mask is simply to protect themselves, it actually does more to protect others from you.  As the Atlantic points out, “masks can also be worn to prevent transmission to others, and this is their most important use for society. If we lower the likelihood of one person’s infecting another, the impact is exponential, so even a small reduction in those odds results in a huge decrease in deaths.”

Speaking of masks, President Trump flew to Arizona today to tour a factory where they are made:

The president is wearing safety goggles but no mask on his tour of Honeywell PPE manufacturing line pic.twitter.com/e6RD3BXu3n

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) May 5, 2020

As temperatures heat up around the country, health experts are warning that the coronavirus could make intense heat waves even deadlier – with the possibility of millions of people self-isolating in homes and apartments they can’t keep cool.

At a virtual town hall for businesses in Palm Springs on Tuesday, Mayor Geoff Kors said that the city of Palm Springs is in talks with Alcohol Beverage Control about expanding outdoor spaces for bars and restaurants – and even potentially closing streets and utilizing parking lots to allow for social distancing. “They allow it a certain number of times a year, but given these extraordinary circumstances, this could really help so many — in our valley, but also throughout the state,” he said.

Fieldworkers at the SeaFront Ranch in the North Shore community were treated to music and food on Tuesday. The workers were thankful. One of them told KMIR, “I can only be proud of myself and the work i have. I love working the fields, but it’s nice to feel appreciated too.”

Finally, It’s Cinco de Mayo!  We have a list of some takeout options from around the Coachella Valley to help you celebrate.  Just please, be responsible by enjoying those margs at home and then staying at home.

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.