Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Tuesday, May 5

By
Casey Dolan
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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 4 pm Monday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 4,354 people have tested positive for COVID-19.  174 people have tested positive in the last 24 hours.  
  • 181 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus. There were 20 new people reported dead in the last 24 hours.
  • There are currently 217 confirmed cases hospitalized, with 78 of them in the ICU.
  • There have been 1,982 official recovered cases in the county.
  • The county has conducted 56,251 tests.

As of 3 pm Saturday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 2,182 cases of COVID-19.  There have been 97 deaths in San Bernardino County.

As of 9 am Tuesday, there have been 56,306 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 2,294 confirmed deaths in the state.

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

Scientists have identified a new strain of the coronavirus that has become dominant around the world and appears to be more contagious than the versions of the virus that spread in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study led by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The new strain appeared in February in Europe, migrated quickly to the East Coast of the United States and has been the dominant strain across the world since mid-March, the scientists wrote.

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech have begun testing an experimental coronavirus vaccine on humans in the United States, according to an announcement from the companies on Tuesday.

A Southern California nurse on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis talked to ABC 7.  She had an emotional warning to those not taking the pandemic seriously after the death of her father-in-law to the virus.  “Our father was healthy, and he was the last person we ever thought would contract COVID, let alone succumb to COVID,” she told the TV station.  As for those protesting the stay-at-home orders she stated, “Until you watch somebody fall, completely fall helpless to this disease, you don’t need to be out there protesting. You don’t, you really, really should be in your homes loving on your family.”

Riverside County Supervisors will hold a vote Tuesday to end restrictions on schools, short-term lodging, golf courses, and face coverings.  “Because of the efforts that we’ve been able to accomplish over these past couple of months, we are in the position to align ourselves once again and be consistent with the governor’s orders” Manny Perez, a supervisor for Riverside County in the 4th district told KMIR.  Yesterday, saw 20 reported deaths of people in Riverside County.

Perez told KESQ Monday night that he has changed his opinion over the last couple of days after looking at data and now supports keeping mandatory face coverings.  “If we’re moving into phase 2, or opportunities to move into phase 2 in certain industries will have that opportunity, it only makes sense to me that we make it mandatory that we keep facial coverings because it not only keeps the customer feeling confident that they’re going to be safe as a customer, but also the worker.”  Perez said he spoke to business owners and workers and that changed his mind. “For the most part, I’ve heard from both ends saying that making mandatory facial coverings would actually be acceptable they would support that,” he said.

Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Christi Holstege and Coachella Councilmember Megan Beaman voiced their opposition to the Riverside County Supervisors rescinding the orders. “There are more deliberative, strategic, and community-focused ways to get our residents back to work and back to school and reopen local businesses, and in the process, we will be more likely to avoid further and potentially worse economic interruptions,” they write.  “We must take heed of the cautions and advice offered by public health officials and experts whose understanding of the pandemic will always be far beyond our own as elected officials. We must gather and value input from community residents who are all living through the crisis in their own ways – many putting their lives at risk to keep essential businesses afloat, while simultaneously surviving poverty, rent, and health burdens that existed even before the COVID19 crisis began. We must assemble resident-led recovery commissions or workgroups that are representative of our diverse valley, focusing on all elements of recovery and future (in contrast to the County’s overwhelmingly white and 70% male economic recovery taskforce).”

May 4, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Coachella Councilmember Megan Beaman Jacinto and Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem…

Posted by Christy Gilbert Holstege on Monday, May 4, 2020

As officials look to reopen the economy, a new poll shows many Americans have been making trips to grocery stores and 56 percent say they are comfortable doing so. 67 percent of people say they would be uncomfortable shopping at a retail clothing store, and 78 percent would be uncomfortable eating at a sit-down restaurant.  When asked what should remain closed during the pandemic, 82% of Americans said movie theaters, followed by gyms (78 percent opposed), and dine-in restaurants and nail salons (both with 74 percent opposed to reopening).

The Coachella Valley Economic Partnership projects the unemployment rate to be nearly 32% in May, more than four times the approximate 7.2% unemployment rate that existed in the Coachella Valley before the coronavirus:

In our new study, Employment Impact of COVID-19 Coachella Valley, we report that, due to the sudden economic downturn…

Posted by Coachella Valley Economic Partnership on Tuesday, May 5, 2020

In the last couple of months, Caterpillar has suspended operations at two plants and a foundry, Levi Strauss has closed stores and toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker is planning layoffs and furloughs. Steelcase, the office furniture manufacturer, and World Wrestling Entertainment have also both shed employees.  Those same companies also just rewarded their shareholders with more than $700 million in cash dividends. The Washington Post reports on big companies laying off workers while giving shareholders millions in cash during the pandemic.

Costco is now limiting meat purchases to three per purchase due to food shortage fears.  Kroger has also placed purchase limits on ground beef and fresh pork products in its stores.  CNN reports that 1 in 5 Wendy’s in the country are out of beef:

Samantha Johnson was living the nomadic “van life” prior to the coronavirus, only spending a couple of days in an area before driving to the next.  In mid-March, the pandemic grounded her and her cat had to find some sort of a refuge, so she parked her van in the desert scrub outside the closed Joshua Tree National Park.  “This month I’ve been hunkered down for COVID, this is the longest time I’ve stayed still,” Johnson told Reuters.

Vulture takes a look at how to get a refund for any concert, movie, or event tickets you may have, including Coachella.

Frontier Airlines will offer a “More Room” option on flights allowing passengers to buy (and keep empty) the middle seat for social distancing.  The price for that starts at $39 per passenger.

The Palm Springs Police Department reminds you to wash your hands:

Finally, It’s Cinco de Mayo!  We have a list of some takeout options from around the Coachella Valley to help you celebrate.

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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