Home News Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Thursday, July 9

Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Thursday, July 9

Casey Dolan
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Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Thursday, July 9
(📸: 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 Thursday, Riverside County officials have confirmed:

  • 23,334 people have officially tested positive for COVID-19.  1,377 1,377people have been reported positive in the last 24 hours. Yes, you read that right.  It’s a staggeringly high number, and a record for cases reported in a 24-hour period in the county. 
  • 533 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus. This number includes 18 people reported dead in the last 24 hours.

Here’s the latest from the Coachella Valley:

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

  • 17,414 people have officially tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 304 people are confirmed to have died in the county from the coronavirus.

As of 4 pm Thursday, the State of California has confirmed:

  • 298,380 people have official tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 6,825 people are confirmed to have died in the state of CA from the coronavirus.

A bit more on that record number of cases in Riverside County.  As the Desert Sun notes, the most the county has ever had in a single day before Thursday’s number was 856. That’s a whopping 521 more cases than the previous high – which, by the way, was set just 24 hours ago. Last Thursday, the county reported 679 new cases; the Thursday before that, it reported just 237.

The coronavirus may linger in the air in crowded indoor spaces and spread from one person to the next, the World Health Organization acknowledged on Thursday. The organization had earlier said this type of transmission was rare, but this week over 200 scientists urged them to revisit research and update that position. The agency also stated that “Infected people can transmit the virus both when they have symptoms and when they don’t have symptoms.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said on Thursday that partisanship is hurting the response to COVID-19 in the United States.  “I mean, it’s just unfortunate, but it is what it is,” Fauci said on “Podcast-19,” FiveThirtyEight’s podcast on Covid-19. “And you know, from experience historically, that when you don’t have unanimity in an approach to something, you’re not as effective in how you handle it. So I think you’d have to make the assumption that if there wasn’t such divisiveness, that we would have a more coordinated approach.”  He later added that some parts of the US are handling the virus well, “but as a country, when you compare us to other countries, I don’t think you can say we’re doing great. I mean, we’re just not.”

Matt Dempsey, a data editor with the Houston Chronicle newspaper, took to Twitter on Thursday to express what it’s like to cover the facts and data during the coronavirus pandemic in the United States:

Neurologists are now warning that doctors may be missing signs of serious and potentially fatal brain disorders triggered by coronavirus, as they emerge in mildly affected or recovering patients. A report published Wednesday provides details of more than 40 coronavirus patients in the UK whose complications ranged from brain inflammation and delirium to nerve damage and stroke. In some cases, the neurological problem was the patient’s first and main symptom.

Cases are spiking and intensive care units are filling up quickly. But the news isn’t all bad. The death rate among hospitalized patients is falling. But how? An IE doctor told ABC 7 it’s due to healthcare workers learning better ways to treat patients including using the appropriate oxygen saturation levels and using blood thinners to lesson blood clots.  “If you roll back the clock and look at March and early April on the way we managed these patients in the hospital, we are now managing them differently,” said Dr. Troy Pennington at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. “There’s a lot of things that we’ve learned.”

The Desert Sun reports on how Coachella Valley cities are enforcing mask requirements at local businesses – which seems to be little more than handing out signs and just hoping for the best.

Cathedral City has directed the fire department to place a reserve ambulance into service to handle COVID-19 backlogs:

https://www.facebook.com/CathedralCityMunicipal/photos/a.196409870491557/1989659834499876/?type=3&theater

Riverside County’s Public Health Officer attempted to clear up some confusion over a text/email some may have received:

The Washington Post reports on a June 28 email in which the Trump Administration  accused the CDC of “undermining the President” by putting out a report about the potential risks of the coronavirus to pregnant women. The letter, written by a top Health and Human Services Department official, says the report “reads in a way to frighten women . . . as if the President and his administration can’t fix this and it is getting worse.”

President Donald Trump on Thursday showed that his knowledge of how fractions work is lacking.  More importantly, he also either doesn’t seem to understand or, more likely, is lying about the current state of testing in America and the surge in coronavirus cases under his watch:

In a speech delivered in Pennsylvania on Thursday, Joe Biden accused Trump of giving up on leading during the pandemic:

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday that the Trump administration is discussing the possibility of another round of stimulus checks. “We do support another round of economic impact payments,” he said. “We’re discussing the criteria with the Senate, and had a productive talk with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.” Mnuchin added that the administration will work “on a bipartisan basis with Republicans and Democrats,” and said it is a “priority” to have legislation passed by July 20.

The Alibi Palm Springs has announced plans to reopen again in a new form, which they wil be previewing this weekend, July 9-11.  Since they can’t open their doors, they are serving up cocktails, produce, and pantry items curbside, plus a Modern Mexican menu by Hoja Blanca. You can check out the menu and place an order here.

Finally…

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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