7 Major Coronavirus Developments — Two Months Since RI's First Case — May 1, 2020
GoLocalProv News Team
7 Major Coronavirus Developments — Two Months Since RI's First Case — May 1, 2020
Rhode Island's economy has been devasted and the state is now suffering through record unemployment.
WATCH AT NOON: Former Director of Health Dr. Michael Fine on GoLocal LIVE
The state's economy is in tatters. Hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders have filed for state and federal jobs benefits. Never before in the state's history has so much economic damage been done in so little time.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn Rhode Island, the Department of Health just acknowledged it is "now using an updated COVID-19 reporting tool."
"The prior reporting system was developed in the first days of the pandemic in Rhode Island was very labor-intensive. It focused on reports and reviews of medical records for patients who are hospitalized because of COVID-19 like illness," said RIDOH.
"The new reporting system will bring consistency to hospitals’ reports. Rhode Island is continuing to develop its systems for tracking and responding to COVID-19, including its data systems, as the scope of the public health emergency has broadened."
SLIDES: See 7 Major Coronavirus Developments BELOW
7 Major Coronavirus Developments — May 1, 2020
Retailers Devastation
On Thursday, both CNBC and the Wall St. Journal reported that J.Crew is poised to file for bankruptcy.
Last week Neiman Marcus filed for bankruptcy.
"Lockdowns triggered by the pandemic have forced the temporary closures of 263,000 stores, according to GlobalData Retail, and analysts say it remains to be seen how many will be able to reopen.
A number of the nation’s most iconic brands are at risk of disappearing, as weeks-long lockdowns and deep economic unrest disrupts consumer spending. More than 100,000 stores could disappear by the end of 2025, according to UBS. There already are signs of distress: Retail sales plummeted 8.7 percent in March, their worst drop on record, and analysts say conditions will only worsen in the coming months," reports the Washington Post.
While Brick and Mortar Are Getting Hammered, Apple and Amazon Are Growing
Two of America's tech giants are putting big wins on the board.
Apple reported on Thursday that its revenue grew by nearly 1% in the first three months of the year even while much of its Chinese supply chain was in lockdown and it has closed all of their stores at one time or another.
Amazon reported its sales jumped to $75.5 billion in sales in the latest quarter, up 26% from a year earlier, surpassing analysts’ expectations. On the downside, its profit fell about 29%, to $2.5 billion, because of the additional cost of delivery due to the virus.
Relaxing Restrictions
31 states are beginning to relax restrictions as May begins.
In contrast, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has extended restrictions. She has used her emergency executive powers to extend a prohibition on events of 50 or more people for the entire summer.
Concerts, parades, and even weddings are impacted.
Clorox Profits
On Friday, Clorox reported that its fiscal-third quarter sales climbed 15% as consumer demand for its cleaning products soared in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Shares of the company rose 3% in premarket trading.
Net sales rose 15% to $1.78 billion.
New Hospital Guidelines Issued by Health Department
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) issued Crisis Standards of Care Guidelines for acute care hospitals on Thursday, which the Department says are intended to ensure an equitable and just allocation of patient-care resources, should a scarcity arise.
These Guidelines, which could be implemented during any public health emergency, are not currently in effect. Rhode Island hospitals are currently below capacity and are not experiencing any shortages that would trigger the implementation of these Guidelines. These Guidelines would only be implemented when all other surge strategies are exhausted and no other regional resources are available. The swift construction of temporary surge or “alternate hospital sites” in Rhode Island as a part of the State’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response provide another buffer from the need to implement these plans, should Rhode Island experience a surge in the near future. The Crisis Standards of Care Guidelines would only be implemented in a hospital in Rhode Island at the direction of RIDOH.
The Crisis Standards of Care Guidelines are supported by several key medical ethical principles, including duty to care, duty to steward resources, and distributive justice. Using these principles, clinical judgment, clinical information, and objective triage tools, facilities would be empowered to make patient care decisions based on medical status and likely outcome.
These Crisis Standards of Care Guidelines were developed in partnership with the acute care hospitals throughout the state, the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, and many other partners throughout the state and the region.
Numbers
8,621 Cases in Rhode Island
62,205 Cases in Massachusetts
266 Deaths in RI
3,562 Deaths in Massachusetts
1,095,304 Cases in the United States
63,871 Deaths in the United States
3,322,661 Global Cases
234,408 Global Deaths
1,050,408 Global Recoveries
GoLocal LIVE, May 1, Friday, Schedule
10:30 AM - Rebecca Couto da Silva, from Bolzano, Italy
11:00 AM - John Ghiorse, Legendary GoLocal Weatherman
12:00 PM - Dr. Michael Fine, former RI Director of Health
1:00 PM - Governor Gina Raimondo Briefing
2:00 PM - Scott Cordischi, Sports Analyst
