Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Monday, May 11

(?: Carol Maldonado)

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 Sunday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 5,039 people have officially tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 205 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus.
  • There are currently 189 confirmed cases hospitalized, with 73 of them in the ICU.
  • There have been 2,619 official recovered cases in the county.
  • The county has conducted 71,903 tests.

As of 4 pm Sunday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 2,964 cases of COVID-19.  There have been 114 deaths in San Bernardino County.

As of 10 pm Sunday, there have been 67,936 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 2,718 confirmed deaths in the state.

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

https://twitter.com/ClaireZebra/status/1249886331548942338/

The Desert Sun checked in on data from the Coachella Valley’s three hospitals: Eisenhower Health, Desert Regional Medical Center, and John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio.  Their findings: New coronavirus-related hospitalizations and admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) rose at the end of March. Those numbers began declining in April, experienced a smaller rise at the end of April and have remained relatively stable since.  The hospitals had about 75% of their 81 ICU beds full as of May 5.

Doctors keep discovering new ways the coronavirus attacks the body.  The virus has shown to be far more unpredictable than a simple respiratory virus, damaging the kidneys, heart, brain, causing blood clots, and even leading to “covid toes.” “We don’t know why there are so many disease presentations,”  a virologist at Columbia University told the Washington Post.  “Bottom line, this is just so new that there’s a lot we don’t know.”

A new poll released on Monday finds that 42 percent of Americans are very concerned about someone in their family becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.  That number is down from 50 percent last month. Another 28 percent are somewhat concerned, down from 33 percent last month.  The poll finds 30 percent of people are not too concerned or not at all concerned, up from 16 percent a month ago.

The COVID-19 model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington has updated their forecast and new predict that more than 137,000 Americans will die by early August.  The number is up from last week’s forecast of 134,000 deaths. That rise is largely due to Americans moving around more, IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray said in a news release.

A birthday party in early April in Pasadena has led to at least five confirmed coronavirus infections and “many more ill individuals.”  Pasadena Public Health Department says that someone the first patient identified showed up to the party and was coughing.  Officials say it was a large party and no one there was wearing face coverings or practicing social distancing.

Palm Springs is once again allowing tennis and pickleball (singles matches only) beginning today. The city also voted last week to allow golf to be played again, with some courses reopening over the past weekend.

A doctor with the Desert Aids project, who has recovered from COVID-19, told KMIR that he wanted to donate his plasma, which is being used to treat coronavirus patients and is in high demand.  “I was turned away because of being a gay man and it was unfortunate because I was one of the lucky people who had a very relatively mild disease course and good donate my plasma, but wasn’t able to, he told the TV station. The federal government banned gay men from giving blood in 1983.

Sunday’s “60 Minutes,” reported on the Trump’s administration defunding — for political reasons — a nonprofit engaged in potentially lifesaving research about bat-borne coronaviruses, including the one causing the COVID-19 pandemic.  “There is zero evidence that this virus came out of a lab in China,” scientist Peter Daszak said of the origins of coronavirus.  President Donald Trump angrily tweeted about the segment on Sunday, saying that CBS News is “doing everything within their power … to defend China.”

The White House spent the weekend attempting to contact trace for Katie Miller, Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, who tested positive for coronavirus last week.  A person who spoke to the President told CNN that Donald Trump has expressed concern that aides contracting coronavirus would undercut his message that the outbreak is waning and states should begin reopening.

Have you found any Clorox Wipes in stores lately?  Most likely not.  They are in extremely hot demand during the pandemic.  Clorox told ABC News that they are seeing sales up 500 percent versus a year ago.  Demand is so high, they are not they now have production lines running 24.7.  The company believes that with an increased production and better supply lines, there should many more disinfectant wipes available in summer.

Los Angeles County beaches could be reopening by the middle of this week.  The county would open the beaches from sunrise to sunset, but would not allow people to set up umbrellas or congregate in groups.

LA’s Virgin Fest was set to take place the first weekend of June with Lizzo, A$AP Rocky and Anderson .Paak.  Organizers announced this weekend they are pulling the plug on 2020, with hopes to return in 2021:

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We are disappointed we cannot soon share our vision for the Festival of Tomorrow, today. The safety of our community, well-being of all and the healing of our planet are our underlying focus. So, as a result of the governmental restrictions and mandates resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, VIRGIN FEST in Los Angeles is prevented from proceeding as scheduled next month. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ However, LA, we look forward to reuniting, reconnecting and celebrating as a more inclusive and united community during the Summer of 2021, still at the Banc of California Stadium and Exposition Park. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you are holding a ticket for 2020, you have the option for an immediate full refund, or you may hold onto your ticket and receive additional upgrades for VIRGIN FEST next year. Expect an email shortly with instructions on how to move forward. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We will be back, and Everyone is Welcome. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Stay well!

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While Disneyland and Disneyworld remain closed, Shanghai Disneyland reopened today.  Measures put in place at the park may hint at what’s to come when the US theme parks reopen.  They include: attendance was limited to 30% of normal attendance, guests were screened for temperature (anyone above 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit was not admitted), all visitors and employees were required to wear masks, riders on attractions sat every other row, and parades and nighttime shows (that normally draw large crowds have been nixed.

Finally, without humans roaming zoos, many are letting other animals explore, including this group of adorable penguins:

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.