Coachella Valley coronavirus update | News and info for Tuesday evening, 3/24

(?: Nadine W.)

Cactus Hugs has been tracking local stories about the coronavirus.  Some links might be behind that other website’s paywall…nothing we can do about that, sorry.  For a rundown of all of our updates, click here.

  • Riverside County confirmed eleven more positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.    The total number of infected is now 59. There have been six deaths in the county.
  • San Bernardino County confirmed  fourteen additional cases on Monday, bringing the total number of cases of COVID-19 to 31.  There have not been any reported deaths in San Bernardino County.
  • LA County officials announced four deaths on Tuesday, including a person under the age of 18 in Lancaster.  There have been 11 deaths in LA County.
  • The New York Times reports on three scenarios of the spread of COVID-19 from researchers from Columbia University, with each depending on the level of control measures.  The scenario with no control measures in place, seen below, sees the virus spread to nearly the entire country by June:

  • A lot of Palm Springs businesses are now boarded up:

  • Meanwhile, an employee who works at a Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft store in Southern California told the Press Enterprise that their store remains open, despite the order that nonessential businesses be closed. “Managers, myself included, are being forced to work while sick just because we are short-staffed to the point that we cannot run the store,” the employee said in an email to the newspaper in an email.
  • Many Southern California cities have now closed public spaces and beaches and, well…

  • A Federal Medical Station will be housed at County Fairgrounds in Indio.
  • Yucca Valley has announced #YuccaTogether and a page with local updates on COVID-19.

  • Lady Gaga was going to do a surprise performance at Coachella this Spring to promote her new album.  Obviously, the performance is off and the singer has now also postponed the release of the album.
  • The Palm Springs Police Department has a selfie challenge for you:

  • The Press Enterprise’s Editorial Board suggests that California learn from this situation, take corrective action, and prepare better for the future.
  • Donald Trump suggested early Tuesday that he would like to see everything open up again by Easter.  When asked why Americans should go back to work that day, he offered that he”just thought it was a beautiful timeline”:

  • Joe Biden had some suggestions for the President:

  • The Senate still has not passed a bill to help your family financially through all this.  But they say they are close.  We’ll see.
  • Congressman Raul Ruiz says he has introduced legislation that would require health care plans to fully cover treatment for COVID-19:

  • Desert Insurance Solutions, a local insurance company, posted some answers to frequently asked questions about healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • If you see someone price gouging, there is now a number for that:

  • A lot of people are adopting pets these days.
  • Toilet paper is out there. In some stores. No seriously:

  • Farmworkers are hard at work making sure the grocery stores have food:

  • Restaurants are encouraging people to participate in the #TheGreatAmericanTakeout today by ordering takeout meals from local restaurants or getting delivery.
  • Here’s a guide to take-out, curbside, and delivery specials being offered by Coachella Valley restaurants.

Important information:

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.