Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Tuesday, June 16

By
Casey Dolan
-
(?: Sue Farris)

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 3 pm Tuesdat, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 11,694 people have officially tested positive for COVID-19.  409  people have been reported positive since Friday.
  • 395 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus. This number includes 11 reported death in since Friday.

As of 3 pm Tuesday, San Bernardino County has confirmed:

  • 7,796 people have officially tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 228 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus.

As of 4 pm Tuesday, the State of California has confirmed:

  • 156,516 people have official tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 5,139 people are confirmed to have died in the state of CA from the coronavirus.

The numbers increase everyday…

They are more than just numbers…

They are people we have lost:

 

The Palm Springs Police Department announced on Tuesday that one of its officers has tested positive for coronavirus.  The officer worked the graveyard shift and the department says it has reached out to everyone the deputy may have come in contact with.  Nine additional officers have been quarantined out of “an abundance of caution.”

A new analysis shows a large increase in coronavirus cases in people 34 or younger in California.  More than 44% of new diagnoses are in that group, up from 29% a month ago. In the meantime, cases among those 50 and over is down, from 46% to 30.5% in the past month. “It is striking that there is such a strong shift. Cases are much younger now than they were earlier in the pandemic,” an infectious disease epidemiologist told the OC Register. “It may reflect the opening up of California since mid-May, particularly among younger people who may have started to move away from the practices of social distancing and consistent mask use.”

Despite having the board of supervisors vote against his order requiring face coverings in Riverside County last month, the public health officer of the county is still out there, reminding people to help slow the spread of the deadly virus and offering tips on how to properly wear them:

Dexamethasone, a widely available steroid, may help treat the sickest COVID-19 patients who require ventilation or oxygen, according to researchers in the UK. Their findings, which are still being compiled and have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, show that a low-dose regimen of dexamethasone for 10 days was found to reduce the risk of death by a third among hospitalized patients requiring ventilation in the trial. “That’s a highly statistically significant result,” Martin Landray, deputy chief investigator of the trial and a professor at the University of Oxford, said on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday predicted a vaccine by the end of the year, similar to how, “they’ve come up with the AIDS vaccine.”  Note: As you already know, there is no AIDS vaccine. 

Vice President Mike Pence urged state leaders to take on the Trump administration’s explanation for rises in coronavirus cases — that more testing has led to more positive cases — during a phone call with governors Monday. The New York Times points out that testing data has shown that such a claim is misleading – and I know, you are shocked this administration might not be telling the truth…yet again.

In a move that was pretty much expected (but still sucks to hear), the city of Palm Springs announced on Monday that it is not having fireworks on the 4th of July this year.  The announcement comes as the city faces rather large budget issues and during a time when a pretty bad virus is spreading and public gatherings aren’t exactly ideal.

Faced with its own budget issues, Cathedral City is considering a plan that would eliminate 33 vacant and filled city positions, including five active-duty firefighters and one active-duty police officer.

The blood bank is still in need of donations.  A bonus these days: free antivirus testing with a successful donation:

The blood supply is CRITICALLY LOW. Will you help? Schedule your appointment to donate at LStream.org, 800-879-4484 or…

Posted by LifeStream on Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Finally…

Thank you for your continued support of Cactus Hugs.

These are stressful times for all of us. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and our desert community stronger. This link has some resources to help with coping and also numbers to call or text if you, or someone you know, feels overwhelmed.

Please, take care of yourself and each other. You are important. You are valued. You are loved. ??

Anything we missed? Let us know about it.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR