|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:03:52 GMT -7
Montana jumps to 45 COVID-19 cases, most still in Gallatin County KBZK reports:
"Updated, 5:10 p.m. MDT, March 23, 2020
As of Monday afternoon, Montana confirms 45 cases of COVID-19 in the state, up from 34 on Sunday.
Gallatin County continues to see the most cases, jumping from 10 to 16. The new cases are:
Male, aged 10 - 19 Female, aged 10 - 19 A man in his 30s A woman in her 40s A woman in her 50s A man in his 60s
Yellowstone County added one new case, bringing its total to 7. The new case is a man in his 80s.
Four cases are now confirmed in Flathead County, up from two. The two new cases are a woman in her 30s and a man in his 50s.
Missoula County stands at 6 cases, adding two from the last update. Missoula's two new cases are a man and woman, both in their 60s.
Other Montana counties with confirmed cases are as follows:
Cascade: 3 Lewis & Clark: 3 Silver Bow: 2 Madison: 1 Ravalli: 1 Broadwater: 1 Roosevelt: 1
As of Monday afternoon, the DPHHS public health lab in Helena has completed 1,688 tests for COVID-19.
Officials in Montana are keeping a list of confirmed cases in the Treasure State on an updated map and website.
There have not been any deaths in Montana attributed to COVID-19 at this point".
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:20:37 GMT -7
Governor Bullock announces measures to increase patient care capacity KBZK reports:
"Governor Steve Bullock on Monday announced measures to ensure the state can swiftly acquire the hospital space and medical supplies needed to rapidly respond to a potential surge in COVID-19 cases.
“While it’s paramount that Montanans stay vigilant with social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 and avoid burdening our health care system, we must also prepare for a potential surge in critically ill patients and ensure there is hospital space and supplies to respond,” Governor Bullock said. “Today’s actions ensure we can focus on providing urgently needed quality care without delay.”
Governor Bullock’s Directive on acquiring hospital space and medical supplies addresses recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advising state and local authorities to plan for a surge of critically ill patients, including identifying and securing additional space to care for patients and the procurement of medical supplies.
The Directive issued by Governor Bullock will temporarily waive the bidding process to quickly procure or distribute emergency supplies or contract for additional space to care for patients. Additionally, the Directive waives strict compliance with reporting requirements around the transfer of certain patients in order to connect patients with the medical care they require quickly and to discharge recovering patients back to their home communities without delay.
It will also streamline the process for releasing patients and discharging them back to their home communities without delay as they recover, which will free up beds and equipment for new patients. The Directive also reduces administrative the paperwork burden for health care providers".
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:23:33 GMT -7
Montana courts asked to release nonviolent jail inmates to curb COVID-19 spread KZBK reports:
"Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath is asking judges statewide to release nonviolent and other jail inmates to reduce crowding and protect against the spread of coronavirus.
In a Friday letter, McGrath asked judges to review jail rosters and release, without bond, as many prisoners as they can.
McGrath noted that no cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, have been reported in Montana's jails, but "it it only a matter of time.
"Due to the confines of these facilities, it will be virtually impossible to contain the spread of the virus," he wrote.
A jail worker in Yellowstone County has tested positive for coronavirus. Sheriff Mike Linder said the employee contracted the disease outside the state and had limited if any contact with inmates.
Read his full letter here .
Last week, McGrath issued additional guidelines to limit the size of jury pools, delay bench trials and increase video conferencing to limit gatherings of groups.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:25:41 GMT -7
Daines, Tester split on $2T coronavirus 'rescue' package before Senate KBZK reports:
"Montana’s two U.S. senators split their votes Monday on the massive economic-stimulus bill to address impacts from the coronavirus outbreak, reflecting the bitter partisan divide that doomed the measure for now.
Republican Sen. Steve Daines, who supported the bill, called it a “rescue package” that required both sides to come together for the good of the country.
“The health and livelihoods of the American people are at risk, they’re in danger,” he said in a floor speech. “We cannot afford to keep squabbling and arguing here in the U.S Senate".
Read the full story here.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:27:53 GMT -7
Trump announces REAL ID requirement to be delayed KBZK reports:
"President Donald Trump announced on Monday that an Oct. 1 deadline to implement a program that requires those using a state-issued ID to fly on commercial airplanes to have a "REAL ID" will be pushed back.
The recommendation to bolster the level of documentation in order to fly on on a domestic commercial flight was made in 2005 in the wake of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The IDs required enhanced documentation in order to obtain driver's licenses and IDs.
The deadline was pushed back as many states are closing their department of motor vehicles offices due to the spread of coronavirus".
Read the full story here.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:31:41 GMT -7
Kardoes: If needed, Livingston, Montana city borders shut The Livingston Enterprise reports:
"A letter sent out by Livingston City Manager Michael Kardoes Friday outlining Livingston’s Emergency Action Plan said if certain trigger points are reached, extreme measures such as essential travel only, curfew and shutting down the city’s border could be taken.
Park County has yet to see a confirmed case, but there are 10 cases in Gallatin County as of press time.
“While the situation is fluid and changes rapidly, we want you to know the range of actions that are possible and what situations would cause us to consider those actions,” Kardoes wrote. “As important as what the City is going to do is why the City is doing it. From that perspective, I wanted to share how we are analyzing the situation and what the decision making process looks like.”
The nature of the emergency has made it more difficult to balance curtailing individual liberties and protecting the public, Kardoes wrote.
“The balance between public need and individual rights is easier to find when an emergency is plain to see such as floods and fires,” Kardoes wrote. “Our current health crisis does not provide the same level of contrast and the balances will be harder to find and harder to agree upon.”
Read the full story here.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:36:35 GMT -7
Trump says he intends to reopen country in weeks, not months The Associated Press (AP) reports:
"As cases of coronavirus rise, President Donald Trump said that he wants to reopen the country for business in weeks, not months, and claimed, without evidence, that continued closures could result in more deaths than the pandemic itself.
“We can’t have the cure be worse than the problem,” Trump told reporters at a briefing Monday, echoing a midnight Sunday tweet. “We have to open our country because that causes problems that, in my opinion, could be far bigger problems.”
Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction — staying home from work and isolating themselves — the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, such as New York, experts warn that the highly infectious disease is certain to spread.
But with the economic impact now snapping into focus and millions of people out of work, businesses shuttered and the markets in free fall — all undermining Trump’s reelection message — the chorus of backlash is growing louder, with Trump appearing to side with them".
Read the full story here.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:41:00 GMT -7
World’s fastest supercomputer identifies 77 chemicals which could fight coronavirus The Daily News reports:
"A supercomputer has been deployed in the fight against coronavirus.
IBM’s Summit, the world’s fastest supercomputer, identified 77 drug compounds which might be used to stop the virus after running thousands of simulations, according to new research from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
The supercomputer was commissioned by the US Department of Energy in 2014 to use artificial intelligence to combat global issues, such as a pandemic.
The massive system can make 200 quadrillion calculations per second, making it 1 million times faster than the fastest laptop".
Read the full story here.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:49:34 GMT -7
Nancy Pelosi Proposes 1,400-Page Coronavirus Bill Stuffed with Special Interest Goodies Breitbart News reports:
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi debuted a 1,120-page coronavirus rescue bill after Democrats tanked the Senate proposal on Sunday night.
The bill includes a wish list of Democrats’ pet issues including:
Increased fuel emission standards for airlines receiving funds and carbon offsets:(1) IN GENERAL. Not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall require each air carrier receiving assistance under section 101, to fully offset the annual carbon emissions of such air carriers for domestic flights beginning in 2025. …. (1) IN GENERAL. The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall require each air carrier receiving assistance under section 101 to:(A) make and achieve a binding commitment to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the domestic flights of such air carrier in every calendar year, beginning with 2021, on a path consistent with a 25 percent reduction in the aviation sector’s emissions from 2005 levels by 2035, and a 50 percent reduction in the sector’s emissions from 2005 levels by 2050, applying the standards, recommended practices, and guidance agreed to by the United States pursuant to the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011 Payment for up to $10,000 in student loans:
(1) MINIMUM STUDENT LOAN RELIEF AS A RESULT OF THE COVID–19 NATIONAL EMERGENCY. Not later than 270 days after the last day of the COVID–19 emergency period, the Secretaries concerned shall jointly carry out a program under which a qualified borrower, with respect to the covered loans and private education of loans of such qualified borrower, shall receive in accordance with paragraph (3) an amount equal to the lesser of the following:(A) The total amount of each covered loan and each private education loan of the borrower; or (B) $10,000. Same-day voter registration, early voting, voting by mail, ballot harvesting
The bill includes several provisions on voting laws and regulations, as Democrats argue that the crisis should force the government to revisit voting regulations to make it easier to vote, allowing same-day voter registration and voting by mail, and mailing out ballots to absentee voters. Other voting fraud watchdogs raised flags about ballot harvesting and grants for conducting risk-limiting audits of election resultsSame-day registration:
‘‘SEC. 325. SAME DAY REGISTRATION.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— ‘‘(1) REGISTRATION.—Each State shall permit any eligible individual on the day of a Federal election and on any day when voting, including early voting, is permitted for a Federal election—
‘‘(A) to register to vote in such election at the polling place using a form that meets the requirements under section 9(b) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (or, if the individual is already registered to vote, to revise any of the individual’s voter registration information); and
‘‘(B) to cast a vote in such election.
Online voter registration:
(a) REQUIRING AVAILABILITY OF INTERNET FOR VOTER REGISTRATION.—
(1) REQUIRING AVAILABILITY OF INTERNET FOR REGISTRATION.—The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 6 the following new section:
Ballot harvesting:
(2) PERMITTING VOTERS TO DESIGNATE OTHER PERSON TO RETURN BALLOT.—
The State— (A) shall permit a voter to designate any person to return a voted and sealed absentee ballot to the post office, a ballot drop-off location, tribally designated building, or election office so long as the person designated to return the ballot does not receive any form of compensation based on the number of ballots that the person has returned and no individual, group, or organization provides compensation on this basis; and ‘(B) may not put any limit on how many voted and sealed absentee ballots any designated person can return to the post office, a ballot drop off location, tribally designated building, or election office.
Automatic mailing of absentee ballots:
‘(A) AUTOMATIC MAILING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO ALL VOTERS.—If the area in which an election is held is in an area in which an emergency or disaster which is described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 1135(g)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b- 5(g)(1)) is declared during the period described in subparagraph.
Grants for risk-limiting audits:
PART 8—GRANTS FOR CONDUCTING RISK- LIMITING AUDITS OF RESULTS OF ELECTIONS ‘‘SEC. 298. GRANTS FOR CONDUCTING RISK-LIMITING AUDITS OF RESULTS OF ELECTIONS.‘(a) AVAILABILITY OF GRANTS.—The Commission shall make a grant to each eligible State to conduct risk-limiting audits as described in subsection (b) with respect to the regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office held in November 2020 and each succeeding election for Federal office. Preserving collective bargaining powers for unionsSeveral provisions in the bill include carveouts for big labor, including labor protections, collective bargaining, and organizing, as well as overturning President Trump’s executive orders regarding federal employee unions. The expansion of wind and solar tax credits.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other lawmakers specifically called out Democrats for trying to negotiate the expansion of wind and solar tax credits in the bill. Requirements for federal and corporate gender and racial diversity data
The bill demands that corporate recipients of financial assistance are required to report racial and gender data regarding salaries, number of employees, supplier diversity, and membership on corporate boards. It also requires federal agencies to use businesses and financial institutions owned by minorities or women. Post Office Bailout
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE PAYMENT TO POSTAL SERVICE FUND
For payment to the ‘‘Postal Service Fund’’, for revenue forgone due to the coronavirus pandemic, $20,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022: Provided, That such amount is designated by the Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Automatic extension of nonimmigrant visas.
Rep. Paul Gosar flagged a provision regarding the automatic extension of nonimmigrant visas.(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, with respect to any alien whose nonimmigrant status, status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), or employment authorization has expired within the 30 days preceding the date of the enactment of this act, or will expire not later than one year after such date, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall automatically extend such status or work authorization for the same time period as the alien’s prior status or work authorization. Restricting colleges from providing information about citizenship status
(1) INFORMATION.—Only information requested
On the official 2020 decennial census of population form may be provided to the Bureau of the Census pursuant to this section. No institution of higher education may provide any information to the Bureau on the immigration or citizenship status of any individual. Money for Planned Parenthood
The Hill reported that Democrats want the bill to prop up Planned Parenthood, just another reason why bipartisan efforts have failed to reach a consensus".
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 10:51:19 GMT -7
No plans now to close Livingston, Montana businesses providing non-essential services The Livingston Enterprise reports:
"The Park County Health Department supports the state’s order closing food and beverage establishments in Montana, but has no plans at this time to close businesses providing non-essential services.
Dr. Laurel Desnick, who sent a letter to federal officials on Sunday seeking the closure of Yellowstone National Park, said a final decision on the park’s closure is expected soon.
Desnick’s request to close the park is an effort to prevent large groups from congregating and to reduce non-local travel, a Monday news release said.
“Please continue to follow social distancing, it remains our best strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Park County,” the release said.
Dr. Desnick also thanked Park County residents for taking precautions during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“The citizens of Park County have shown exceptional cooperation with social distancing recommendations,” she said in the release.. “Thank you, it protects us all.”
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 11:06:03 GMT -7
Montana governor, counties urge closure of Yellowstone The Bozeman Chronicle reports:
"County health officials and Montana’s governor have urged the federal government to close the world’s first national park in order to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.
Health officers in Park and Gallatin counties sent separate letters Sunday to the Secretary of the Interior urging a temporary closure of Yellowstone National Park.
And Montana Gov. Steve Bullock wrote a letter to Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly saying that keeping the park open promotes unnecessary travel and “undermines our efforts to reduce exposures and exacerbates risks for all Montanans.”
“While our public lands afford many Americans with the opportunity to embrace the health benefit connected to the outdoors, we must do everything we can to reduce exposures and curtail gatherings in order to keep Montanans safe and slow the spread of COVID-19,” Bullock said in a statement Monday. “I strongly encourage Montanans and visitors to refrain from visiting the park until the appropriate decisions are made to temporarily close.”
Read the full story here.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2020 11:35:51 GMT -7
The coronavirus did not escape from a lab: Here's how we know Fox News reports:
"As the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19 spreads across the globe, with cases surpassing 284,000 worldwide today (March 20), misinformation is spreading almost as fast.
One persistent myth is that this virus, called SARS-CoV-2, was made by scientists and escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began.
A new analysis of SARS-CoV-2 may finally put that latter idea to bed. A group of researchers compared the genome of this novel coronavirus with the seven other coronaviruses known to infect humans: SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2, which can cause severe disease; along with HKU1, NL63, OC43 and 229E, which typically cause just mild symptoms, the researchers wrote March 17 in the journal Nature Medicine.
"Our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus," they write in the journal article".
Read the full story here.
|
|