Coachella Valley coronavirus news and info | Wednesday evening, April 15

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

As of 1 pm Wednesday, Riverside County officials have confirmed 2,105 people have tested positive for COVID-19.    There have been 55 confirmed deaths in the county.  County health officials also reported that 235 of the confirmed cases are currently hospitalized with 64 of them in the ICU.

Riverside County posted additional information on Wednesday about county residents who have died from coronavirus.  Of the 50 who have died, 41 of the 50 are men (over 80%). A majority who died – 28 – were between 65 and 84 years old.  Nine deaths were people over 85 and eight people between 45 and 64 have died due to coronavirus complications:

As of 8 am Tuesday, San Bernardino County has confirmed 977 cases of COVID-19.  There have been 31 deaths in San Bernardino County. **San Bernardino County is delayed in reporting their numbers due to technical issues**

As of 4 pm Wednesday, there have been 26,836 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California.  There have been 864 confirmed deaths in the state.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will begin counting “probable” cases of coronavirus among its tabulations, according to the agency’s website. The inclusion of such cases will add thousands to the total number of patients and deaths by including people who didn’t have a positive test but showed signs of having the virus.  The CDC count is 605,390 cases of novel coronavirus in the United States and 24,582 deaths.

People who have recovered from COVID-19 are being asked to consider making blood donations with LifeStream blood bank that clinicians can use to develop enhanced screening methods, and possibly vaccines.

Governor Newsom announced a $125 million in disaster relief assistance for working Californians that will provide financial support to undocumented immigrants impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. “California is the most diverse state in the nation,” Newsom said in a written statement. “Our diversity makes us stronger and more resilient. Every Californian, including our undocumented neighbors and friends, should know that California is here to support them during this crisis. We are all in this together.”

California’s Economic Development Department will now be open 7 days a week. The agency also announced 1,300 state employees have been reassigned to the department to assist those who have lost wages or jobs:

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office warns of potential scams regarding your stimulus check:

It’s normally Tax Day today…but not this year:

Donald Trump used his press conference on Wednesday to complain about congress not confirming judges, while also boasting about how many judges have been confirmed by congress:

While publicly discouraging mask use for public in March, The Washington Post reports that White House officials raced to secure face coverings from Taiwan for senior staff members.

Two Democratic lawmakers have proposed a bill that would give Americans $2,000 in every month until the U.S. unemployment rate bounces back from the coronavirus emergency.
The plan calls for Americans 16 or older who make less than $130,000 per year ($260,000 for married couples) and would give an additional $500 per child for up to three children per family.

It is looking less and less likely that concerts, festivals, or sporting events with crowds will be happening in 2020. “Nothing I’ve heard would indicate that we’ll be having thousands of people gathering anytime soon and probably not for the rest of this year,” LA Mayor Eric Garcetti told CNN on Wednesday…

…but, that doesn’t meant there won’t be sports.  “The NFL is planning for everything from playing without fans to playing in full stadiums,” an insider told the Washington Post on Wednesday. “We know there will be a push from the [federal] government to open things up.”

Modernism Week has announced dates for October and February in Palm Springs.

A home version of the SAT college entrance exam is being prepared by College Board officials in case schools remain closed into the fall.  The home version would be digital, rather than a paper-and-pencil test, and rely on “remote proctoring.”

Riverside County has modified its app to report health violations.  “We received several complaints that were not about businesses, but people in the community,” county spokeswoman Brooke Federico texted the Press Enterprise. The app can now only be used to report violations by non-essential businesses.

Palm Springs Police remind about policies currently in place in the city:

They also ask that you use the violations hotline if you see large gatherings or violations regarding essential businesses and not to call 9-1-1 for anything other than emergencies:

Palm Springs resident Suzanne Somers shared some sex tips for couples in isolation.

A lot of people are posting their senior photos on Facebook.  Here’s a warning of why that’s not a good idea.

You can use this time at home to try to get on Jeopardy.  The TV show is looking for contestants for the Palm Springs area.

Thinking about take out tonight?

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.

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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