COVID-19 News Briefs for Sunday, May 3, 2020

May 3, 2020

 More than 3.4 million cases of coronavirus and more than 244,000 deaths have been reported globally. In the US, there are at least 1,134,058 positive cases and roughly 66,430 confirmed deaths

 In a Department of Homeland Security report dated May 1, US officials claim that China covered up the extent of the coronavirus outbreak, along with how contagious the disease is, to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it

 In the past 6 weeks, dozens of existing medicines to treat Covid-19 have been waved through to clinical trials in record time. The federal government has 217 registered clinical trials for coronavirus treatment and an additional 916 trials have been started in other countries

 The Philippines is now pressuring nurses to stay by barring health workers with overseas new job contracts from leaving and launching an emergency hiring program to fight the coronavirus. Often hired to tap shortages in other countries, ethnic Philippine nurses comprise nearly one-fifth of registered nurses in California. Also, the government suspended all passenger and commercial flights today to prevent the spread of coronavirus where 8,928 cases and 604 deaths have been reported

 Nearly half of the US will reopen in some form beginning this week. At the same time, portions of the country, including much of the West Coast and the Northeast, remain shuttered, causing clashes over how, when and whether to reopen. Protesters gathered in the capitals of Kentucky, Oregon, and Florida, following other demonstrations in Illinois, California, and Michigan

 Four points are made by health officials of why coronavirus is more dangerous than flu: 1) Covid-19 is much more contagious (a person with flu infects an average of 1.28 other people and a person with coronavirus infects an average of 2-3 other people); 2) Covid-19 has killed at a much faster rate (739 people per day average versus 331 people a day for the flu); 3) Covid-19 can be spread for many days without symptoms (people with flu typically start to feel sick 1-4 days after infection with symptoms showing up within 2 days; with coronavirus, symptoms typically appear 4 or 5 days after exposure and incubation lasts up to 14 days); 4) There is no vaccine for Covid-19 and it will probably be months before a vaccine becomes publicly available

 The US Senate will be returning to Washington, D.C. this week even as the city reports record number of new coronavirus cases. The House of Representatives is not scheduled to be back until May 11. With leaders far apart and no serious negotiations underway, an additional Covid-19 relief bill is said to be weeks away

 The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted issues in the state’s nursing home industry, including corporate chains with complex ownership structures, overworked and underpaid employees, and a mixed record of complying with infection control requirements. In California, at least 663 residents and 11 staff at nursing homes have died from complications of Covid-19 — about 31% of all coronavirus deaths in the state, according to health officials. The state also reported that nearly 2,700 staff members and 4,700 residents have tested positive in skilled nursing facilities

 Across the country, reports are surfacing of long-term couples dying from Covid-19 in quick succession, compounding the burdens and anxieties of relatives who are either prevented from giving physical and emotional care or risk getting sick themselves to do so

 The White House announced today that at least 2.2 million loans, worth about $175 billion, have been paid out in the second round of federal emergency relief aid for small businesses. This second round included an additional $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program and distribution started on April 27. Officials said the average loan amount was $79,000 for the second round. During the first round, there was criticism over how some large corporations and other entities like private schools were given loans. Some of the small businesses that have received the PPP loans are reporting they are unsure of how to use the monies because of complicated rules — for example, business owners have 8 weeks from the day they receive the cash to spend it in order to have to loan forgiven which is difficult when many states are still under strict stay-at-home orders

 With about 60,000 homeless residents, LA County is falling behind on its stated goal of moving them into 15,000 hotel rooms to help slow the coronavirus spread. 2,200 rooms have been leased since last week, and it could take until October to meet the county’s goal. Homeless activists are putting more pressure on the county Board of Supervisors and LA Mayor Garcetti to use their emergency powers to seize hotels and motels that are empty because of fears over Covid-19

 LA County reports total coronavirus cases of 25,662 with 1,229 deaths. City breakouts: LA 12,300; Long Beach 745; Carson 252; El Segundo 28; Gardena 165; Hawthorne 204; Hermosa Beach 24; Inglewood 348; Lawndale 60; Lomita 35; Manhattan Beach 66; PV Estates 37; Rancho PV 61; Redondo Beach 110; Rolling Hills 2; Rolling Hills Estates 13; Torrance 279

Compiled by Charlene Nishimura

Media Sources: Los Angeles Times; New York Times; Washington Post; Forbes Magazine; Business Insider; CBS Morning News; CNN; KTLA; ABC World News Tonight; Spectrum News 1; The Hill.com; WebMD; AP, Politico, Newsweek, daily televised briefings from the White House, Governor Newsom, LA County Health Department, Mayor Garcetti; City of Torrance press releases; Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce press releases