Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Wednesday evening, May 13

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 4 pm Wednesday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 5,343 people have officially tested positive for COVID-19.
    • 95 people have been reported to have tested positive in the last 24 hours
  • 228 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus.
    • 3 people have been reported dead in the last 24 hours.
  • There are currently 206 confirmed cases hospitalized.
    • 67 of those people in the ICU.
  • There have been 3,030 official recovered cases in the county.
  • The county has conducted 76,043 tests.
    • There have been 974 reported tests in the last 24 hours.

As of 4 pm Wednesday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 3,153 cases of COVID-19.  There have been 138 deaths in San Bernardino County, 18 of which were reported in the last 24 hours.

As of 10 pm Tuesday, there have been 72,753 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 2,956 confirmed deaths in the state.

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

A new report indicates that ordinary speech can emit small respiratory droplets that linger in the air for at least eight minutes and potentially much longer.  Researchers estimate that a single minute of loud speaking generates at least 1,000 virus-containing droplets and these droplets stay airborne for longer than eight minutes, and sometimes as long as 14 minutes.The results might help explain why infections of the coronavirus so often cluster in nursing homes, households, conferences, cruise ships ,and other confined spaces with limited air circulation.  You can check out the report here and a pretty good breakdown of it here.

The City of Coachella has enacted an emergency ordinance requiring the use of face coverings while in public settings, following Riverside County’s vote to rescind their own health officer’s health order. The measure includes anyone waiting for or using public transportation, taxis or rideshare vehicles, those picking up food or other items from restaurants or businesses that are open, people seeking healthcare, and any worker that interacts with the public. The ordinance also requires all businesses to require workers and customers to wear face coverings. “Unfortunately, Coachella and the rest of the eastern valley remains a hotspot for coronavirus cases,”  Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said in a press release. “Until we can get this virus under control, our city will continue to require these reasonable measures to protect the health and safety of people living and working in Coachella.”

Four youth probationers tested positive for COVID-19 while in a court-ordered program at a residential treatment facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan. For unspecified reasons, officials determined they should return to Riverside County. They are currently quarantined at the Alan M. Crogan Youth Treatment and Education Center in Riverside.

Yesterday, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned senators about the risks of sending children back to school during the coronavirus pandemic. He mentioned new cases of children contracting a deadly unknown inflammatory syndrome that’s similar to Kawasaki disease and linked to COVID-19.  “We don’t know everything about this virus, and we really better be very careful, particularly when it comes to children,” Fauci said.  Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he disagreed with Fauci, “I think they should open the schools,” he proclaimed:

The superintendent of California public schools is suggesting that the state stagger the reopening of schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also believes that both students and teachers will likely wear masks when schools do reopen. Other possibilities include “shift learning” (which would create smaller class sizes by having some students in for a morning shift and others for an afternoon shift) and a hybrid curriculum (using both in-class and virtual).

You may have noticed things are getting pricier these days at the grocery store.  As CNN reports, coronavirus has disrupted the supply chain, making many items pricier, including:

  • Eggs (up 16% in price from last month)
  • Doughnuts (5%)
  • Instant Coffee (2.5%)
  • Soup (2.6%)
  • Cookies (5.1%)
  • Apples (4.9%)
  • Oranges (5.6%)
  • Chicken (5.8%)
  • Fish (4.2%
  • Hot Dogs (5.7%)

A Palm Desert lunch joint, which had been serving up some delicious sandwiches for the last eight years, has closed:

?It saddens me to report that COVID19 has claimed the life of The Lunchbox?.From the bottom of my heavy heart, I THANK…

Posted by The Lunch Box Palm Desert on Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Hollywood Bowl has cancelled its 2020 season:

Palm Desert is quite the place these days:

Speaking of Palm Desert, it’s buried at the bottom of this Desert Sun story about the dive bar’s roof, but the city council will meet tomorrow to discuss a plan for helping small businesses in the city. it’s not clear why city leaders have waited so long to do so, when other cities are already in their second round of funding loans.

If you are looking to support small businesses in Palm Desert by ordering some takeout tonight (or soon), here are some local options:

 

Last 2 hours to order till 7PM close till Monday. Bistros production line. Drunken tots awesome for Saturday night…

Posted by Grindhouse Burgers on Saturday, April 25, 2020

OUR REGULAR MENU IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE. WE ARE TAKING A BREAK ON THE FAMILY MEALS THIS WEEK! WE WILL BEGIN THEMAGAIN ON MONDAY MAY 18TH. THANK YOU FOR THE ON GOING SUPPORT!

Posted by Koutouki Greek Estiatorio on Tuesday, May 12, 2020

View this post on Instagram

The best way to kick off your week, Fresh Agave style.

A post shared by Fresh Agave Bar & Grill ?? (@freshagave111) on

That’s all for this evening. 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.

The New York Times has an interactive map where you can track every coronavirus case in the United States.

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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