Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Thursday, April 9

(?: Sheri Wahlstrom)

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, and thank you for your continued support of Cactus Hugs.

As of 1 pm Wednesday, Riverside County officials have confirmed 1,179 people have tested positive for COVID-19.  There have been 32 confirmed deaths in the county.

As of 8 am Thursday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 641 cases of COVID-19.  There has been 20 deaths in San Bernardino County.

As of 7:09 am Thursday, there have been 19,063 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 507 confirmed deaths in the state.

Here’s an animation of how far the virus can travel if someone with it were to cough in a grocery store:

“I am concerned this could rise to the level of the abandonment no matter how justified this could be,” Riverside County Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said Wednesday after patients of a Riverside nursing home were evacuated after workers failed to show for two days. “I’m not going to speak for our legal system in determining whether criminal charges are appropriate.”  Many of the patients were relocated to the Coachella Valley.

The California Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that 1,651 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been among the state’s health care workers, a figure that is just under 10 percent of the state’s confirmed coronavirus cases.

“Nobody left their cars as the casket of the 76-year-old nurse was transported by four funeral home workers from a white Cadillac hearse to the graveside. No sound, other than the humming of car engines and a distant lawnmower, could be heard as the coffin was lowered into the ground.” – The LA Times has a heartbreaking story on funerals during the coronavirus pandemic.

Desert AIDS Project CEO David Brinkman has tested positive for COVID-19.  He told the Desert Sun that he is continuing to work full days.

Kaiser Permanente announced the temporary closure of dozens of medical offices across Southern California as the region braced for an expected surge in coronavirus cases this week.  A list of offices closed can be found here.

Nearly 17 million Americans have applied for unemployment in the last three weeks.  Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell said Thursday the U.S. economy is in an emergency and is deteriorating “with alarming speed.”

A UC Public Health expert discussed what is ahead for California and says that we should all expect to stay home until at least June.

“When we write this history and look at the tens of thousands of lives in California that will have been spared, I think there will be lots of factors that went into it,” a UC Professor told CNN. “The most important was that leaders of all types — whether they were in government or in businesses — took it seriously, believed that this was a real risk, and did the right thing early.”

A local woman is sick of being separated.

As restaurants close, demand for crops like lettuce and tomatoes falls, causing local farmer’s to lower prices.

Elysian brewery and Rolling Stone magazine were set to debut a beer, Rolling Stone Lager, at Coachella.  The brew, “which features “hints of honey and orange,” was to be positioned as a beer inspired by “live shows and long nights.” They hope to offer the beer at Coachella in the fall, but are currently selling it anyway and are running some digital ads and social posts that encourage social get-togethers online.

Costco is giving priority access to public servants such as police officers, EMTs and firefighters.  First responders will be able to move to the front of the line by presenting a Costco membership card and official identification of their role.

You can’t go to Joshua Tree National Park, so the park is challenging you and your family to make a Joshua Tree at home:

Looking for a creative project you can do at home? Want something the whole family can help with? You might live far…

Posted by Joshua Tree National Park on Monday, April 6, 2020

Thinking about takeout today?  Here are some options:

Family Pack!!!!Fajitas and Margaritas Choice: Chicken, Beef, ShrimpIncludes: Rice and Beans, Soup, Tortillas, Chips…

Posted by Rincón Norteño 83011 Indio Blvd Indio Ca. 92201 on Thursday, March 26, 2020

 

Curbside takeout available TODAY, TOMORROW and SATURDAY 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Order online and schedule your pickup time….

Posted by Little Bar on Thursday, April 9, 2020

That’s all for this evening.  We will get through this.  Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay home. Thank you for continued your 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.