WA DOH numbers for today:
Number of individuals tested: 46,380 (not sure if this is correct)
Positive: 3,207
Deaths: 147
The website still says that they experience slowdown due to the number of results
(Doubling time seems to be about 6-7 days).
American Airlines calls economic stimulus bill “much-needed relief”
From CNN’s Kate Trafecante
American Airlines calls the new economic stimulus bill “much-needed relief” for the company as the airline deals with a drop in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter to employees obtained by CNN, CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom say the legislation “will provide additional stability for our team members ― the heart of our company — as we continue to weather this storm.”
The airline industry is seeking $50 billion in federal help as it fights for survival during a stunning decline in worldwide travel.
American says it’s cutting costs as demand dries up, and that includes pay cuts for executives. Starting in April, Isom and other senior officers will forgo 50% of their pay.
Parker, who is paid entirely in stock, has seen a nearly 50% pay cut, according to the company.
American Airline’s stock is down more than 44% this year.
Donald Trump said that the things there are likely hundreds of thousands of more cases, because many people have few or minor symptoms, even as he fixated on the idea of having Americans get back to work as soon as possible.
“Many people have it. I just spoke to two people that had it,” he said. “They never went to a doctor, they didn’t report it,” he added, but likely were infected. He used the idea that many cases are mild, and therefore undetected, to justify his wish to scale back distancing measures and reopen closed businesses.
“The people that actually die, that percentage is much lower than I actually thought,” he said.
So far, more than 1,000 Americans have died from Covid-19.
Fact check:
The Guardian’s Nina Lakhani reports.
Trump said that “the mortality rate, in my opinion, is way down”.
But globally, there are 521,086 confirmed cases worldwide, with 23,567 deaths, which is a mortality rate of 4.5% And while currently in the US, the mortality rate currently stands at 1.4% (79,708 confirmed cases and 1123 deaths) but, the country is several weeks behind Asia and Europe regarding infection rates, and there is widespread agreement among medical and public health experts that things (cases and deaths) are going to get much much worse in coming weeks.
Guardian
Bill Gates-funded UW IHME has some projections for US:
You can look your state projections here:
California healthcare workers protest lack of supplies
Julia Carrie Wong, Guardian
Frontline healthcare workers at Highland Hospital protested outside the emergency room on Thursday morning over what they described as a dangerous lack of supplies and staffing at the safety net hospital for Oakland, California.
Doctors, nurses and other hospital staff spoke of a facility without adequate personal protective equipment – or even hand sanitizer – and called on the county to take over management of the hospital. Inadequate staffing meant that the hospital was not being cleaned adequately and healthcare providers were working long shifts without breaks, they said. The rally was organized by the union that represents many of the staff, SEIU 1021.
Julia Carrie Wong
@juliacarriew
Frontline healthcare workers at Highland Hospital, Oakland’s safety net hospital, have come out to protest mismanagement and a lack of supplies
“ER providers – we’re kind of like MacGyver,” said Kennedy Fleischauer, a longtime emergency room nurse at the hospital. “We can make do. We’re good at that. But we can’t do that in this situation … I came to work the other day and there was no sanitizer. What is going to happen when we all start dropping? Who is going to take care of our community? It’s coming and we want to be prepared.”
Julia Carrie Wong
@juliacarriew
Replying to @juliacarriew
A longtime ER nurse wipes down the bullhorn after speaking. She Tearne’s up recalling a day this week when the ER had no sanitizer.
“What is going to happen when we all start dropping? Who is going to take care of this community”
Mawata Kamara, a nurse at another company run by the same organization, Alameda Health System, said that latex gloves are now being kept in a manager’s office, away from the floor of the emergency room. Each time she treats a patient, she said, she has to go to the manager’s office and sign a form to get the gloves.
“Walmart is taking better care of their employees,” Kamara said.
Julia Carrie Wong
@juliacarriew
Replying to @juliacarriew
A resident at Highland, Dr Gonsalves, says there was no sanitizer in the hospital for their shift on Saturday. “If we have one Covid patient, we’lol be okay. If we have more than one at a time, there’s not enough PPE to treat the patient and protect staff”
Alameda county (home to Oakland, Berkeley, and other San Francisco Bay area cities and suburbs) had reported 164 Covid-19 cases and four deaths, as of Thursday morning. (The county’s figures exclude the city of Berkeley, which reported 14 lab-confirmed cases.)
“We know it’s coming,” said Felix Thomson, a nurse at Highland since 2012. “There’s a wave coming. We’re healthcare workers. This is what we do. We just want to make sure we have the equipment and staffing to do our jobs.”
" I think they should adopt the “don’t rescuscitate any COVID patient” policy now. Look at the chance that the resuscitation works, versus the chance that it harms someone or a lot of people by either taking resources away from less sick people, or infecting a health worker. I am confident the analysis comes down on the side of not resuscitating. "
As much as I dislike saying this, after reading than some coronavirus patients in NY who are on ventilators, are staying on them for up to 30 DAYS [ in other words, the chances of them being able to breathe on their own again are virtually nil], I have to agree withe you.
"Some New York coronavirus patients are staying on ventilators as long as 30 days, dimming hopes for their recovery and hastening the expected shortage of the lifesaving machines in the state, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
An emerging problem is that patients with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, are remaining on ventilators far longer than is typical. Covid-19 patients who need ventilation usually use the machines to breathe for an average of 11 to 21 days, compared with three to four days for other ailments.
“That’s what we’re dealing with, the high number of Covid patients and the long period of time they need to be on one,” the governor said.
“The longer they’re on, the more likely they’re not going to come off,” he said. “That is what has happened. We do have people who have been on for quite a period of time, and those are the people we’re losing.”
On the same page, we have this:
and we have this:
Yeah, how about the part about number of patients on ventilators doubling every three days, Dr. Birx? How is that not evidence?
I’m sorry to say that Dr. Birx just does not understand numbers. She also uttered the following stupidity: “We have 19 of our 50 states that had early cases … have less than 200 cases… So that’s almost 40% of the country with extraordinarily low numbers…”
Words cannot express my fury at hearing that. Oh, great, both Dakotas! Alaska! Wyoming! Montana! Vermont! Each state on the list has lower population than my county, the sixth highest population county in California.
Thirty-ish million people are not 40% of 327 million people.
Donald Trump begins coronavirus briefing
At the briefing: Mike Pence, top health official Anthony Fauci, and health ambassador Debbie Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator.
Trump has begun by listing off all the world leaders he spoke with today at a virtual G20 meeting. It was a “terrific” meeting, he said. “We talked about the problem and hopefully it won’t be a problem for too much longer.”
Trump also reflected on his meeting with governors. There was a “wise guy” who “a little bit” raised his voice, and used to be a “big” wise guy… but for the most part it was a “great meeting”, he said.
People on the call have said the only contentious exchange was with Washington governor Jay Inslee. Inslee asked Trump to do more to assist the states hardest hit by the pandemic during a conference call with the president and governors on Thursday.
According to the Washington Post, Trump promised “backup” for the states.
“We don’t need a backup,” Inslee said. “We need a Tom Brady.” Brady is a legendary American football player who is friendly with Trump.
Asked about the number of shuttered restaurants, the president responded: “It may not be the same restaurant. It may not be the same ownership. But they’ll all be back.”
He also addressed why he’s backed off using the term “Chinese virus” to refer to the coronavirus.
“I think it was time,” he said. He said that the president of China didn’t ask him to stop, but said that Chinese official may have reached out to American officials. “I don’t have to say it if they feel so strongly about it,” Trump said, even as he doubled down on his right to use the term.
Fact check:
The Guardian’s Nina Lakhani reports
“Nobody would have ever thought a thing like this could have happened,” Trump said.
In fact, the US intelligence community, public health experts and officials in Trump’s own administration had warned for years that the country was at risk from a pandemic, including specific warnings about a coronavirus outbreak.
When this strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was identified in Wuhan, China in early January, health experts immediately cautioned that it could turn into a global health crisis.
“This was foreseeable and foreseen, weeks and months ago, and only now is the White House coming out of denial and heading straight into saying it could not have been foreseen,” Marc Lipsitch, director of Harvard’s Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, told CNN on Sunday.
[ plus there was that NSA “play book” that Politico had the article about]
Experts say economic relief package is a start - but not enough
Lois Beckett, Guardian
Advocates for American workers praised a “historic” increase in unemployment benefits included in an emergency $2tn relief package approved by the US Senate, which will offer special “pandemic unemployment” to gig workers, self-employed workers, and some people forced to leave their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis.
But although the unemployment payments will offer months of support to many vulnerable Americans, advocates said that the bill threatens to leave too many people out. Even $2tn in emergency aid, experts said, is probably too little for the size of the crisis.
As part of the unprecedented relief package approved by the Senate on Wednesday night, millions of Americans would get an individual, $1,200 check to help them weather the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. The bill would also create a $500bn lending program for businesses, cities and states and a $367bn fund for small businesses, which would focus on helping small businesses to pay their employees’ salaries through the next weeks of pandemic-related shutdowns, rather than laying them off.
The bill’s major benefit to American workers is not that single cash payment, but the sweeping expansion of unemployment benefits, labor experts said. The bill offers laid-off workers an additional $600 a week for four months and extends unemployment benefits to gig workers, independent contractors, and others who have not previously been eligible for unemployment, including people forced to leave their jobs to care for family members with coronavirus, or to care for children whose schools have closed.
Florida poll workers test positive for coronavirus
The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:
Two Florida poll workers tested positive for coronavirus after the state’s March 17 primary, the Broward County supervisor of elections announced Thursday.
The announcement came after Florida faced criticism for moving ahead in-person voting despite concerns over coronavirus. Around 20% of the state is age 65 or older, a demographic extremely vulnerable to the virus.
The two poll workers worked at separate locations in Hollywood, Florida. One was at the Martin Luther King Community Center and the other at the David Park Community Center. One of the poll workers also worked at a location in Weston during early voting.”
County staff as well as other poll workers at those locations have been notified of the situation and have been advised to take appropriate steps,” the Broward County supervisor of elections said in a statement. “Voters who voted in person on March 17th at either of those locations or who voted early at the Weston early voting location may wish to take appropriate steps and seek medical advice.”
@coralbrook - (“Regarding under the table workers”)
Self-employed / contract workers generally aren’t covered by unemployment insurance. This isn’t new – it’s pretty much the way it has always been. There are some states that have tried to protect gig economy workers (Uber/Lyft drivers, for example) — but in general, to get unemployment insurance a person has to be employed.
Keep in mind that employers do PAY for UI coverage – it’s a form of insurance which states collect as a payroll tax.
Doesn’t matter whether the person reports their income or not. I’m self-employed, report all my income and pay all my taxes – but still am not and never have been covered by unemployment, worker’s comp, state disability, etc. Those of us who do file taxes but don’t make too much money should be getting the $1200 check from the stimulus bill.
NYS daily update:
Here’s what else you need to know tonight:
- We are doing everything possible to slow the spread while adding hospital capacity. The state has identified four new sites for temporary hospitals, which I will tour tomorrow: the CUNY College of Staten Island, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Aqueduct Race Track in Queens and the New York Expo Center in the Bronx. These facilities, together with the temporary hospitals that are being built at the Javits Center and other locations, are aimed at building thousands of new beds to bolster existing hospital capacity. The state is also preparing hotels and college dormitories for emergency beds.
- As of this morning, we have lost 385 New Yorkers to Coronavirus-related illnesses. We mourn them and my thoughts are with their loved ones. Tragically, we expect the number to rise as many patients have been on ventilators for weeks. NY will keep fighting to save lives. Help us save lives by staying home.
- More than 52,000 volunteers signed up to work as part of the state's surge healthcare force. Just in the last day, an additional 12,000 healthcare workers, including retirees and students, have signed up to volunteer to join New York's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 8,600 mental health professionals, from New York and other states, have signed up to provide free online mental health services. For free emotional support, consultation and referral to a provider, call 1-844-863-9314.
- New York State's income tax filing deadline is delayed until July 15, 2020. Because New York State requires electronic filing, the date for filing state personal income taxes automatically travels with the federal filing date, which is now July 15. Further guidelines will be released soon.
- If you filed for unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, you do not need to prove you are searching for employment to make a claim. Department of Labor Commissioner Reardon has signed a new order that limits all work search activities for all unemployment claimants. No activities are required during the pandemic to receive unemployment benefits.
Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: JetBlue is donating free flights for incoming medical volunteers heading to New York State. I want to thank them for transporting the vital personnel we need. They are just one of dozens of businesses and organizations that have donated supplies and services to the state — for which we are deeply grateful.
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.
Ever Upward,
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
“You get the cash money/loan today (well, next week in the perfect world)”
@bluebayou - that is BS.
My boss applied for a SBA loan over 2 weeks ago, as did my husband, and NEITHER have since heard squat from their banks. Banks WILL receive the $$ from the government through the SBA program, which is currently swamped with applicants, and is NOT set up to receive a gigantic flood of even more applications from millions of small business across the country ALL AT ONCE. And in addition, banks would have to cut their layers of red tape as well to get the $$ into applicants hands quickly as well. Who knows how long THEY will hold onto the $$?
This was all talked about by the former head of the SBA program in an interview this morning on Bloomberg.
It would be nice to think that the $$ will get in the hands of small business owners soon , but I would not hold my breathe.
At least some are acknowledging the emotional aspect of this virus and verbalizing condolences to the families of those we have lost during this pandemic.
Got a prerecorded call tonight from the chief of police of a Westchester County town. Mostly to express anger at all the people out and about and not observing social distancing. He also said that the Westchester numbers of cases we see on the news are wrong/out-of-date and the real numbers, which he has, are much higher. He also mentioned that there are many cases in the town, including an 18-year-old boy who is in critical condition. The local hospital is already overwhelmed–they have set up tents in the parking lot for the overflow.
I imagine the people on the USNS Mercy are happy that no came to kiss their ship goodbye when it left San Diego for Los Angeles.
The mayor should send police. With flamethrowers.
The mayor should send police. With flamethrowers.
States where the risk was low have only risen at an exponential rate too. In Michigan and Louisiana, both have skyrocketed within the past week, altering the plan on getting the workforce going again.
[quote=“Cardinal_Fang, post:10469, topic:2080517”]
I read the link. Actually, the variation comes from the fact that the lower number includes all the ones diagnosed, even if their outcome is unknown ( e.g. lost for follow up or final outcome not recorded ) and the higher number includes only the positives whose outcome is clearly known, recorded. The wide variation indicates that the tracking process is not very good, so there are very early and inaccurate numbers.
^That’s one of the problems with how we’re handling this as a country. People in areas that haven’t shut down want to pretend their areas are low risk, when actually in most cases they’re just a week or two behind the areas currently showing a high infection rate.
NYC and the surroundings areas are vulnerable because there is such a density of population and a certain mind frame. For example, a close relative of mine who is over 80 , would not budge when we offered to come and shelter her in our parochial town . According to her, God created NYC and in his spare time, the rest of the world. She still goes out shopping to 3 different stores : one for veggies, one for meat and one for pastries. In the middle of a tsunami, she would still pick her cucumbers piece by piece.