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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:15:26 GMT -7
Covid 19 News for Tuesday April 14th, 2020
New projection shows Montana with fewest COVID-19 deaths in country KBZK reports:
"An influential model cited by the White House was updated Monday and shows Montana with the lowest projected number of deaths from COVID-19 in the country.
Montana is now predicted to have 22 deaths, the same number that came up over a week ago before being ramped up . Alaska is next lowest with 25 projected deaths. The next three are North Dakota with 32, Wyoming, 34, and Vermont, 36.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington built the model. It has been used by experts in the White House but has come under skepticism from some scientists.
IHME predicts that coronavirus deaths will come to a halt this summer, with zero deaths projected in the United States after June 21."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:19:19 GMT -7
Montana FWP addresses COVID-19 restrictions and policies
Draconian policies result of Governor's Directives KBZK reports:
"When Governor Steve Bullock issued a stay-at-home order for the state of Montana at the end of March, he made a point to include leaving your home for outdoor activity as essential.
Despite that declaration, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks made several of their own policy changes in an effort to keep people safe, while doing their best to avoid limiting the public’s access to outdoor recreation areas as much as possible.
“We’ve done quite a few things. We’ve closed our offices and our visitors center to the public. We have closed down overnight camping on our sites, so that includes state parks, and we’ve closed our group-use facilities, so group-use pavilions at our day-use sites are closed,” said FWP Spokesman Greg Lemon. “And then we suspended nonresident turkey and bear hunting until at least April 24th to be in line with the Governor’s directives. We canceled the paddlefish season on the Yellowstone River. There’s only a few sites where folks take advantage of that fishing opportunity, and they can get very crowded, and so to be in line with the Governor’s directives, we canceled that season. We’ve suspended float and recreation on the Smith River Corridor that we manage through April 24th as well.”
Despite all of these cancellations and suspensions, officials are not worried about the potential ripple effects that they could have on the state’s economy or its ecosystem."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:23:14 GMT -7
Montana oil producers struggling with low prices KBZK reports:
"It's been tough times in the oil patch, as the industry has dealt with the double whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic and a collapse in the price of oil.
Monday brought news that some of the nation's biggest lenders will begin to seize the assets of struggling shale oil companies in the U.S.
Alan Olson, executive director of the Montana Petroeum Association, says you only need to look at today's oil prices to see why optimism is hard to come by.
"Southern Montana/ northern Wyoming crude this morning was $8.54/barrel," said Olson. "You get into the Shelby/Cut Bank area, $14/barrel this morning. One year ago in that same area, it was $54/ barrel."
Olson says the current downturn has already cost Montana hundreds of jobs. Producers are choosing to shut in their wells, meaning they are turning off the pumps, and that has Olson worried about small refineries."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:27:09 GMT -7
Bozeman Health says local COVID-19 forecast predict peak the week of April 27th KBZK reports:
"The Gallatin City-County Health Department held a press conference on Friday, and Health Officer Matt Kelley was joined by President and CEO of Bozeman Health, John Hill.
Hill told the media according to multiple forecasts, the peak within Bozeman Health’s service area will be the week of April 27th.
At that peak, they are anticipating over 100 COVID-19 patients to be under active care at Bozeman Health’s hospitals.
Hill says forecasts say 83 will be inpatient admissions, and 17 will be ICU admissions.
According to Hill, these forecasts have helped Bozeman Health prepare for weeks to come.
“Our health system is implementing a surge plan that allows for the accommodation of a 20% daily inpatient growth rate until we reach our peak with a full planning horizon that covers the next 8 weeks which is April 7th through June 2nd,” said Hill.
Hill says testing continues to remain limited across the state." |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:29:27 GMT -7
Montana reports 394 COVID-19 cases (Monday 4-13-2020)
7 new cases reported
KBZK reports:
"According to the Montana Response COVID-19 tracking map, Montana confirms 394 cases of COVID-19 as of Monday morning.
On Sunday, the state reported 387 cases.
Gallatin County reports 138 cases, more than any other county in the state, but reported no new cases overnight.
A seventh COVID-19 related death is being reported in Montana.
The Flathead City-County Health Department confirmed Monday the first death related to COVID-19 in Flathead County.
Gov. Steve Bullock issued the following statement regarding the death of a Montanan due to COVID-19, marking the seventh in the state:
“I am saddened to hear of another death due to COVID-19 in Montana and am thinking of the family and friends who are grieving the loss of this fellow Montanan. We must stay vigilant in our efforts to stay home and take all precautions to protect our family, friends, and Montana’s most vulnerable during this difficult time.”
There have been three deaths in Toole County, and one each in Lincoln County, Madison County, and Missoula County.
The official COVID-19 website for Montana is now being updated just once per day, rather than twice. Updates are scheduled to post at about 10 a.m. every day. Another change is that the website now includes the number of recovered COVID-19 patients in Montana.
The state reports that 171 people have recovered from Covid-19, with 8913 total tests being completed in the state."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:34:04 GMT -7
NOT OVER YET France extends coronavirus lockdown for a month as Macron apologises for government ‘not being prepared enough’ The U.S Sun re.ports:
"PRESIDENT Emmanuel Macron has extended France’s coronavirus lockdown for another month as he apologised for his government "not being prepared enough" for the crisis.
Macron said that restrictions that started on March 17 would continue to be enforced strictly until May 11 as the country's death toll rose to almost 15,000.
Addressing the nation this evening from the Elysée Palace in Paris, the French President said that after May 11 the lockdown could slowly be relaxed.
That will include the gradual reopening of schools, crèches, colleges and high schools.
Larger public events and restaurants, cafes and bars aren't expected to open "before mid-July".
However, he said this relaxing of the rules "will only be possible if we continue to be responsible civic respecting the rules and that the spread of the virus has actually continued to slow."
The President added that the epidemic was "beginning to steady" in France although the country has "several more months to live with virus".
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:37:04 GMT -7
No work, new debt: virus creates perfect storm for slavery in India Reuters reports:
"When the coronavirus outbreak brought India to a halt last month, Bhagwan Das lost his only income as a construction worker in Delhi and embarked on a three-day trek back to his village.
Then the loan shark came knocking.
Unable to maintain repayments on the 60,000 rupee ($787) loan he took out in 2017 for his daughter's wedding, Das had no choice but to offer his son's labour to service the rising debt.
"My son works on the money lender's farmland now. He gives him food, but no wages," the 55-year-old told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from central Madhya Pradesh state.
"We have to repay a loan and will do whatever work he gives us," added Das, who has yet to even clear the loan's interest.
A coronavirus lockdown - due to end on Tuesday but set to be extended - has left hundreds of millions of informal workers without cash or food, and fearful that lacking paperwork or a bank account will hinder their access to government assistance.
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:39:56 GMT -7
New signs suggest coronavirus was in California far earlier than anyone knew MSN and the LA Times reports:
"A man found dead in his house in early March. A woman who fell sick in mid-February and later died.
These early COVID-19 deaths in the San Francisco Bay Area suggest that the novel coronavirus had established itself in the community long before health officials started looking for it. The lag time has had dire consequences, allowing the virus to spread unchecked before social distancing rules went into effect.
“The virus was freewheeling in our community and probably has been here for quite some time,” Dr. Jeff Smith, a physician who is the chief executive of Santa Clara County government, told county leaders in a recent briefing.
How long? A study out of Stanford suggests a dramatic viral surge in February.
But Smith on Friday said data collected by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local health departments and others suggest it was “a lot longer than we first believed” — most likely since “back in December.”
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:42:17 GMT -7
Trump Says He Has Authority to ‘Open Up’ States, Not Governors Breitbart News reports:
"President Donald Trump said Monday that he and the federal government have the authority to “open up the states,” not the individual governors.
Over the weekend, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas announced that he would issue an executive order this week on re-opening business. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that he was working with Connecticut and New Jersey to plan a regional opening of the economy.
It was not clear which reports President Trump was responding too. Under the constitution, the federal government has extensive power to regulate interstate commerce. A number of Supreme Court decisions have interpreted this to mean the federal government has virtually unlimited powers over economic matters even if they have little to no direct impact on commerce between the states."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:44:51 GMT -7
Surgeon General: We’re Working with Real Coronavirus Data Now, Not Models Breitbart News reports:
"Surgeon General Jerome Adams emphasized in an interview on Monday with Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Daily host Alex Marlow that the Coronavirus Task Force is working with real data from the United States, instead of predictive models.
“What the American people need to know now is we actually have data, and so we’re tracking that data,” Adams said during the interview.
Previously, the task force was working with predictive models, frequently criticized because of their tendency to exaggerate the possible effect of the virus on the United States. Models predicting the deaths of millions and hundreds of thousands in America appear to be overblown, as the real-time data is showing the death count much lower."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:46:52 GMT -7
Church of England Sent Millions in Valuables to the Tower of London over Coronavirus Looting Fears Breitbart News reports:
"The Church of England has moved millions of pounds worth of valuables to the Tower of London in order to protect them should mass looting in London occur during the coronavirus lockdown.
Over the past few weeks, some 400 churches across London have secretly moved items referred to as the ‘church plate’ to the Tower of London and other secure locations. The items moved to the Tower include paintings, art, artefacts, and “rare and unusual” silver.
Churches throughout the country have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic, prompting officials to move the valuables to “ensure their safety, away from our churches, while church buildings remain closed”.
“The focus of the operation has about preserving and protecting heritage, as London’s priests and churches act as stewards of so much of the capital’s rich history,” a Diocese of London spokesman told The Telegraph.
“Not all of the items could be fully valued, because some are so rare and unusual. Even London’s priests do not know the exact locations where items from their churches are being housed for safe-keeping. The authorities, included the police, were informed about the operation and the Diocese ensured that the current social-distancing measures were maintained,” the spokesman added."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:49:35 GMT -7
U.S. Postmaster General: Postal Service Could ‘Collapse’ in Wake of Coronavirus Outbreak Breitbart News reports:
"U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan told the House Committee on Oversight and Reform late last week in a video that unless the U.S. Postal Service gets a federal bailout it will run out of money by the end of September.
Mail volume has fallen steeply in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and the federal agency is expecting the same downward turn in revenues.
Huffington Post Australia reported on the dilemma and what it means for consumers:
Postal workers remain on the front lines of the crisis, handling prescription drug shipments, lab test materials and medical supplies that are crucial to efforts to contain the virus. Mail-in voting has also allowed the democratic process to survive in the era of social distancing.
The Postal Service, which employs 650,000 people, is asking for $75 billion in aid from the government, and, according to the New York Times, another $14 billion to pay off debt related to a retirement benefits program ― a whopping $89 billion total.
“At a time when America needs the Postal Service more than ever, the reason we are so needed is having a devastating effect on our business,” Brennan said in the statement. “The Postal Service relies on the sale of postal products and services to fund our operations, and these sales are plummeting as a result of the pandemic. The sudden drop in mail volumes, our most profitable revenue stream, is steep and may never fully recover.”
“The USPS said the pandemic will increase its net operating loss by more than $22 billion over the next 18 months and by over $54 billion over the coming years,” Huffington Post reported.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who is on the oversight committee, tweeted about his talks with Brennan and criticized Trump, who Connolly claims does not want to help the Postal Service."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 8:53:43 GMT -7
The Coronavirus Class Divide: Space and Privacy DNYUZ reports:
"There are corners of America where social distancing is practiced with care, but the house in Robesonia, Pa., that Mark Stokes shares with 10 other people is not among them.
Housemates come and go to jobs in fast food and a chocolate factory, sharing a single shower. Dirty dishes crowd the kitchen that no one cleans. Lacking a bed, Mr. Stokes, a freshman at Kutztown University, sleeps on the floor in the room of a friend who took him in when the dorms closed.
No stranger to hardship, Mr. Stokes, who spent part of high school living in a car, worries that the crowded conditions will expose him to coronavirus. But like many poor Americans, he says the sanctioned solution — six feet of physical space — is a luxury he cannot afford.
“It’s just so many people in the house and there’s nothing I can do about it — it’s not my house,” he said, in a voice rising in distress. “You can’t be six feet apart when you have to rely on other people’s space.”
With the pandemic exposing and compounding inequality in matters large and small, access to private, controllable space has emerged as a new class divide — more valuable than ever to those who have it and potentially fatal to those who do not."
Read the full story here. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2020 9:23:56 GMT -7
What Day Is It? You’re Not the Only One Asking DNYUZ reports:
"A little over a week ago, a local news anchor in Cleveland, Todd Meany, got a call from his producer about an unusual problem created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Nobody could remember what day it was. What could a local newscast do?
Create a morning show segment, of course, with a dash of ’70s-style game show music: “What Day Is It?”
The segment quickly took off on social media, and Mr. Meany started receiving grateful messages from people in regions and countries very far from his station, Fox 8, in northeastern Ohio. But just like Clevelanders, his new fans were staying inside, working from kitchens and taking virtual classes — stripped of life’s usual rhythm by the coronavirus pandemic. They had lost track of the time, too.
“In this free-form, kind of weird world that we’re in right now, everybody’s internal clock is thrown,” Mr. Meany said in an interview. “There’s just no reference point anymore. Nobody has a calendar in their house. Everybody’s just on their phone.”
Read the full story here. |
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