Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Tuesday, June 2

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 Tuesday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 8,155 people have officially tested positive for COVID-19.  173 people have been reported positive in the last 24 hours.
  • 342 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus. This number includes the reported deaths of 11 people in the last 24 hours.

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

  • 5,501 people have official tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 208 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus.

As of 4:30 pm Tuesday, the State of California has confirmed:

  • 117,214 people have official tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 4,305 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus.

The numbers increase everyday.  They are more than just numbers.  They are people we have lost:

 

 

Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday that the Phase 3 trial of Moderna’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine will begin in July and include study of 30,000 patients, primarily in the US, but also some international sites. A phase 3 trial is considered the final stage before potential approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which would make it available for patients across the country.

On Monday, Fauci noted that he has not spoken with President Donald Trump since May 18:

A new poll found that 70% of Americans said they would get a vaccine for immunizations if they were free and available to everyone. When broken down by political party, slightly more than 8 in 10 Democrats said they would definitely or probably get vaccinated, compared with only slightly fewer than 6 in 10 Republicans. Independents fell in between.

A report analyzing 172 studies of coronavirus in 16 countries found that social distancing and face masks can limit the chance of catching coronavirus. Researchers also found that wearing eye protection lowers the risk.  Researchers do warn that even combining and properly using face masks, goggles and social distancing, that doesn’t provide complete protection from COVID-19.

Indio’s City Manager Mark Scott signed an order on Tuesday to match the requirements of Riverside County’s guidance on short therm rentals. Within 14 days of the order, each permit holder and property representative (if applicable) must both submit an acknowledgement form with the City stating they have read and will comply with Riverside County’s guidelines for short-term rentals.  In addition, authorized short-term rentals must leave a gap of at least 24 hours between rentals of a single property, as is already required by Riverside County guidelines.

A program for Riverside County renters in need of help to cover their rent due to the coronavirus was approved on Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors. The board voted unanimously to form the Riverside County Rental Relief Fund, which will make $30 million in federal CARES Act money available for distribution to qualifying renters and landlords. The board says residents of any unincorporated community and all cities within the county can apply for assistance. Renters can apply for up to three months of financial aid or receive $3,500, whichever is less.

While many cities struggle with budget deficits due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved Sheriff Chad Bianco’s request to hike the blanket rate charged to 17 cities and other contract entities for the use of patrol deputies and support services associated with operations. “We did everything possible to lower the rate,” Bianco told the board ahead of its unanimous vote. “It was originally estimated at over 5%, but we did everything we could to lower that, and we were able to keep it down. We want to lower (the cities’) costs for police services. Every day, it’s a work in progress.” Among local cities contracting with the sheriff’s department: Coachella, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Palm Desert.

The city of Palm Desert has a new date for its “Graduation Cruise Night.”  The event will not happen on June 10:

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino reopened on Tuesday. The casino is requiring employees and guests to wear masks, temperature screenings are being done at entrances, smoking is temporarily (bummer it’s not permanently) banned inside the casino, and there will also be no live entertainment for the time being.

La Quinta Brewing has reopened their Palm Desert location. Social distancing must be observed and you have to have some food in order to grab a beer:

That’s all for this evening. Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay home.

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.

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