7 Major Coronavirus Developments — "You Would Pick America" — May 3, 2020

Rental Assistance Program  

Rhode Island has made $1.5 million in emergency rental assistance available to low-income renters who have been impacted by the COVID-19 emergency and are at immediate risk of homelessness.

Those who qualify can receive a grant of up to $5,000 to support past due rent payments and other fees.

Requirement information and details are available at HousingHelpRI.com or by calling 211.  

RI Data Shows Stability, But No Significant Decline

Week after week, Rhode Island's data continues to show stability, but little indication of any decline.

The number of deaths and new cases reported on Saturday were near records, but the number who are hospitalized and in the ICU continues to be underestimates and the state's modeling.

The Rhode Island Department of Health's most recent data shows 333 hospitalized and 80 in the ICU.

Rhode Island officials expected that thousands would be hospitalized by this date. 

Boris Johnson Nearly Died and Now Is a Dad

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson nearly died from the coronavirus and now, his fiancee has given birth.

The BBC reports:

Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds have named their baby boy Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson.

The names are a tribute to their grandfathers and two doctors who treated Mr Johnson while he was in hospital with coronavirus, Ms Symonds wrote in an Instagram post.

She posted a picture of herself with the baby, who was born on Wednesday.

And she thanked staff at University College London Hospital, adding: "I couldn't be happier. My heart is full."

The birth came just weeks after Mr Johnson was discharged from intensive care at another London hospital following treatment for coronavirus.

Ms Symonds wrote on Saturday that their son shares his first name with the prime minister's grandfather, and the first of his middle names, Lawrie, with her own.

Spain Sees Dramatic Decrease in Deaths

Spain has been one of the hardest-hit countries in the world recording the second most cases - 245,567 and the fourth most deaths - 25,100.

"Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Sunday that the number of new recorded deaths from COVID-19 was just 164 fatalities, the lowest one day increase figure since March 18. Spain went into lockdown on March 14 and is only just beginning to take steps to ease the strict limitations placed on citizens," reports the Washington Post.

Italy's Death Toll Jumps as Non-Hospital Deaths Are Disclosed

"The 474 fatalities reported by the civil protection service took the Mediterranean country's total since February to 28,710, second only to the United States.

But the toll included 282 uncounted deaths in April that Milan's Lombardy region said it had reported to the civil protection service on Saturday.

The northern region recorded most of Italy's initial deaths, and its toll now accounts for just under half of the country's total," reports Local.it

Numbers

9,289 Cases in Rhode Island

66,263 Cases in Massachusetts

296 Deaths in RI

3,846 Deaths in Massachusetts

1,160,840 Cases in the United States

67,448 Deaths in the United States

3,499,398 Global Cases

244,991 Global Deaths

1,127,223 Global Recoveries

GoLocal LIVE -- Sunday, May 3 Schedule

1:00 PM - Governor Gina Raimondo Briefing