CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus updates Monday: 10 new Lane County cases, 2 more Oregon deaths

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10 new Lane County cases, 2 more Oregon deaths

Lane County Public Health reported 10 additional positive cases for COVID-19 on its website Monday.

There have been 528 confirmed and presumptive cases in Lane County. Four people are currently hospitalized and 45 are considered infectious. At least 41,994 people have been tested for the the novel coronavirus, according to the agency’s website.

Two more people died of the coronavirus in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 328, the Oregon Health Authority reported Monday in a news release.

Oregon’s 327th COVID-19 death is a 71-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on July 6 and died on Aug. 1. His place of death is being confirmed. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 328th COVID-19 death is a 50-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on July 20 and died on July 29 at Providence Portland Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

The agency announced 272 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 19,366.

The new cases reported Monday by the OHA are in the following other counties: Baker (3), Benton (2), Clackamas (21), Clatsop (2), Coos (1), Deschutes (3), Douglas (2), Jackson (9), Jefferson (1), Josephine (2), Klamath (2), Lincoln (4), Linn (6), Malheur (3), Marion (27), Morrow (1), Multnomah (49), Polk (7), Sherman (1), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (64), Wasco (9), Washington (19), and Yamhill (27).

— The Register-Guard

‘I don’t want any child to die’: Teachers speak out about push for reopening schools

For high school Advanced Placement teacher Jennifer Scurlock, the trauma of watching someone battle COVID-19 is not a distant possibility she can ignore — it’s a reality she’s experienced firsthand.

In April, she lost a cousin to the disease. Another cousin is still fighting for his life against COVID-19 in the ICU. Her former sister-in-law contracted COVID-19 during a visit to a sibling in Arizona, who also ended up getting the disease, and is still encountering long-term health issues as a result.

So when she thinks about returning to teach in person at Churchill High School in a few months, the pandemic’s realities weigh heavy as she considers what it could mean for her community.

“The thought of putting one child in harm’s way in the midst of this pandemic is heartbreaking,” Scurlock said. “I don’t want any child to die from COVID-19. I don’t want to put any family at risk by something we did in the classroom. I don’t want any family member to be impacted by that, because my students matter to me, and their families matter to me and my fellow educators matter to me.”

Educators like Scurlock across the U.S. are speaking out against calls from the Trump administration and many who don’t work in education to reopen schools in the fall, despite COVID-19 numbers being on a continual rise with no clear downturn in sight.

Read the full story here.

Democrats and Republicans have 'most productive' stimulus talk to date, but deal still 'not imminent.'

Congressional leaders and White House officials bickered over details of a proposed $1 trillion package Sunday, with stimulus checks, jobless benefits and relief for small businesses hanging in the balance.

All sides agree that progress was made in talks Saturday, but on Sunday no one spoke optimistically about a deal coming soon. Among the major sticking points: what will replace a $600 weekly unemployment benefit supplement that expired last week. That bonus more than doubled unemployment checks for tens of millions of Americans left jobless by months of the pandemic-driven recession.

"We have to balance,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "There’s obviously a need to support workers, support the economy. … On the other hand, we have to be careful about not piling on enormous amounts of debt."

MLB, NFL players opt out of season due to COVID-19

More pro baseball and football players have opted out of their 2020 seasons because of the pandemic. Sunday afternoon, New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes didn't show for a Sunday afternoon game. The team later announced he has dropped out for the season. "We will support him in that decision," New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen told reporters after the game. "It was surprising, without question."

Saturday, New England Patriots' veteran tight end Matt LaCosse became the eighth player on the team to pull out for the season. The Patriots have had the most opt-outs in the NFL.

In college football, a group of Pac-12 athletes released a statement Sunday threatening to opt out of the 2020 season. They said they're being asked to play without "enforced health and safety standards, and without transparency about COVID cases on our teams, the risks to ourselves, our families, and our communities."

Insulin or groceries: Jobless on edge while Washington debates stimulus

Millions of out-of-work Americans are in limbo without the now-expired $600 bump in weekly unemployment benefits provided by the federal government. While lawmakers negotiate the next stimulus package, jobless claims remain historically high and the checks have shrunk. Thomas Darnell, 48, of West Point, Mississippi, can collect a maximum of $235 per week from his state. He and his wife are diabetic and have no health insurance.

“If we lose that extra money, it’s going to be impossible to survive,” Darnell said. “Do we buy insulin or groceries? It’s a hard juggle."

– Jessica Menton

Pandemic? What pandemic? South Dakota ready to greet 250,000 bikers

South Dakota is bracing to host more than 250,000 bikers when the 80th edition of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally opens Friday. The 10-day event, which could be the biggest gathering anywhere in the U.S. since the pandemic began, will offer local businesses a chance to make up for losses caused by the coronavirus. In a survey of 7,000 Sturgis residents, more than 60% said the rally should be postponed. Businesses are being urged to encourage social distancing and other guidelines aimed at curbing the pandemic. Many residents say that isn't enough.

“This is a huge, foolish mistake to make to host the rally this year,” Sturgis resident Lynelle Chapman told city counselors in June. “The government of Sturgis needs to care most for its citizens.”

Restaurants devastated by pandemic struggling to survive

Paycheck Protection Program cash that has helped restaurants ride out the pandemic's initial surge has mostly run out, leaving many restaurants in the same precarious position they were in during the outbreak's early days. While Congress and the White House haggle over the latest proposed stimulus package, many restaurants are failing or on the brink. Before the outbreak, the Labor Department counted 12 million workers in restaurants and bars. In April, employment in restaurants and bars of all sizes had been cut by nearly half.

John Pepper used a PPP loan to pay employees at some of his Massachusetts restaurants. But the money is gone and his staff of 125 is down to 50. "At this moment, I don't see getting my full payroll back," he says.

Democrats, GOP trade barbs over stalled stimulus package

The White House and Congressional Democrats blamed each other Sunday for the current deadlock in the deliberations over a new stimulus deal to combat the impacts of the coronavirus. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., placed blame for the impasse in deliberations on President Donald Trump and Republican leadership.

"Talk to President Trump. He's the one who is standing in the way of that," Pelosi said on ABC's "This Week" regarding weekly federal unemployment benefits expiring. "We have been for the $600, they have a $200 proposal, which does not meet the needs of America's working families."

– Savannah Behrmann

Birx: Rural areas not immune to 'extraordinarily widespread' pandemic

The U.S. is in a new and far more widespread phase in its fight against the coronavirus than when the pandemic first raced across the nation in the spring, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator said Sunday. Dr. Deborah Birx, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," warned that rural America should not feel immune to the virus, which has thus far been more damaging in urban areas. She said the national death toll, which some experts have estimated could double to more than 300,000, depends on how well southern and western states promote mitigation efforts.

"It is extraordinarily widespread," Birx said. "This epidemic right now is different and it's more widespread and it's both rural and urban."

Ahead of storm, Florida reports drop in new cases, deaths

Florida reported less than 7,200 new cases of the coronavirus and 62 deaths Sunday, both numbers markedly lower than recent days. It was not clear what impact the state's closure of scores of testing sites and preparations for Tropical Storm Isaias had on reporting. The state has averaged more than 9,000 new cases per day the last few weeks. Florida also reported more than 100 deaths on multiple days last week, including 257 deaths Friday. Daily death totals, however, are not a reflection of the exact numbers of deaths that day, but rather the number of deaths recorded and reported.

More weekly records set as pandemic rages on

Three states set weekly records for new cases while eight states had a record number of deaths in a week, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Saturday shows. New case records were set in Alaska, Hawaii and Tennessee, and also Puerto Rico. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Arkansas, California, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina and Texas.

Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has been lobbying for in-class options as schools begin to open next week, spiked to a new record with 1,245 deaths despite a lull in numbers reported Sunday.

– Mike Stucka

Texas doctor fighting 'war against COVID and a war against stupidity'

Texas, battling a spike in coronavirus cases, set a state record for deaths in a week with 1,875. At least one top physician in the state is upset by the public's unwillingness to wear masks, practice social distancing and otherwise join the battle to halt the pandemic.

"I'm pretty much fighting two wars," Dr. Joseph Varon told NBC News in Houston. "A war against COVID and a war against stupidity. And the problem is the first one, I have some hope about winning. But the second one is becoming more and more difficult."

Varon, chief medical officer of United Memorial Medical Center, said that although science and common sense dictate some of the measures, "people just are not listening throughout the country."

"The thing that annoys me the most is that we keep on doing our best to save these people, and then we get another batch of people who are doing exactly what we are telling them not to do," Varon said.

Australia struggles, Melbourne area declared 'state of disaster'

Australia’s Victoria state declared a "state of disaster" on Sunday and instituted tight restrictions aimed at curbing a surge in COVID-19 cases. An evening curfew was implemented across Melbourne from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Authorities also announced 671 new coronavirus cases had been detected since Saturday, including seven deaths. Residents of Melbourne, a city of about 5 million people, will only be allowed to shop and exercise within 3 miles of their homes. All students across the state will return to home-based learning and child care centers will be closed.

"We can't allow this to drag on. And I’m sure everyone would rather get on top of it as quickly and decisively as we possibly can," Victoria Premier Dan Andrews said. "And the only way to do that is to rip the Band-Aid off, go harder – and do it now."

MLB pitcher suffers heart condition after recovering from COVID-19

Major League Baseball, struggling to continue its shortened season amid coronavirus outbreaks, took another hit when the Boston Red Sox announced that pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is done for the season. Rodriguez, 27, had tested positive for the coronavirus before the start of Boston’s summer camp. He was cleared to return to team workouts on July 18, but had not been activated because he developed myocarditis — a heart condition — after recovering from COVID-19. The team says Rodriguez is expected to make a full recovery. Rodriguez said on July 19 that his bout with the coronavirus had left him feeling “100 years old."

“I’ve never been that sick in my life, and I don’t want to get that sick again," he said.

– Providence Journal

FDA list of dangerous hand sanitizers surpasses 100

The Food and Drug Administration's list of hand sanitizers to avoid because they may contain methanol continues to grow. The FDA's "do-not-use list of dangerous hand sanitizer products" now includes 101 varieties of hand sanitizer that should be avoided – some that have already been recalled and other products being recommended for recalls. Methanol is a toxic substance when absorbed through skin or ingested.

The FDA says it has seen an increase in number of "adverse events, including blindness, cardiac effects, effects on the central nervous system, and hospitalizations and death, primarily reported to poison control centers and state departments of health."

– Kelly Tyko

Do local police have to mask up?

Local police agencies say their policy and officer guidance on when to wear masks while on the job has been tightening in keeping with statewide mandates, but there are exceptions at those departments when officers’ work and safety come into play.

Gov. Kate Brown twice in July issued new mandates for businesses and the general public on when face coverings are necessary. The most recent update on July 24 made them mandatory for ages 5 and older and lowered the maximum size of indoor gatherings. Previous orders had mandated masks both inside and outside.

Read the story here.

Crisis mode: Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott has "eyes wide open" to challenges of playing football in 2020

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott's leadership can often seem out of touch.

The $5.4 million man still has the conference headquartered in downtown San Francisco, one of the most expensive locations in the world to rent office space, as the Pac-12 Network struggles with distribution eight years after its launch.

The football instant-replay controversy and poor performances by the conference in the men's NCAA basketball tournament in 2018 led to a desperate decision by the Pac-12 and the Los Angeles Times to form a "media partnership" to shift the narrative, according to a report by the Oregonian.

Read the story here.

Lane County COVID-19 ZIP code map

Lane County Public Health has posted a map of known cases of COVID-19 organized by ZIP code on its page of Testing, Patient and Resource Information.

By the numbers: COVID-19 cases in Oregon

Reported by Oregon Health Authority, updated at 8 a.m. Friday.

Case investigations

18,492: Total cases confirmed by test and presumptive cases

322: Total deaths

17,540: Tests that are positive

385,701: Tests that were negative

403,241: Total number of tests given

Cases by age group

0 to 9: 798 (4%)

10 to 19: 1,854 (10%)

20 to 29: 4,009 (22%), 1 death

30 to 39: 3,245 (18%), 3 deaths

40 to 49: 3,096 (17%), 5 deaths

50 to 59: 2,351 (13%), 19 deaths

60 to 69: 1,532 (8%), 60 deaths

70 to 79: 939 (5%), 84 deaths

80 and older: 638 (3%), 150 deaths

Not available: 30 (0%)

Sex

Female: 9,564 cases (52%), 141 deaths (44%)

Male: 8,872 cases (48%), 181 deaths (56%)

Non-binary: 3 case (0%), 0 deaths

Not available: 53 cases (0%), 0 deaths

Hospitalized

Hospitalized: 1,607 (9%)

Not hospitalized: 14,800 (80%)

Not provided: 2,085 (11%)

Source: Oregon Health Authority

Number of US cases by state

Directories of open local businesses, including those doing delivery, take-out

The Eugene and Springfield chambers of commerce are compiling listings of local businesses that are open and the modified ways they are offering their goods and services to make it easier for people to support them while staying home.

Read the full story, including links to the lists, here.

Closures, cancellations and postponements

See The Register-Guard’s cancellation list here.

People reported to have contactracted novel coronavirus in US, by day

Editor’s note

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