Monthly Archives: April 2020

The Central Coast is proving along with much of California that social distancing and restricted activity can bend the curve of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the battle is far from over and there are troubling signs that the disease will double back with a vengeance once the rules are relaxed.

At press time, San Luis Obispo County was seeing flat to slow growth in new cases and while still growing, Ventura County was beginning to flatten the curve. Santa Barbara County cases were still rising dramatically, particularly in Lompoc and northern Santa Barbara County just as they had done earlier in Simi Valley and SLO County.

But for the tri-county region, our cases per 100,000 a key metric that allows for comparisons across metro areas are relatively low. And with just six deaths, thats an enviable record given that our population is 1.4 million.

However, as Gov. Gavin Newsom has pointed out, the fact that California seems to be bending the curve does not mean that the end is in sight. There are two reasons for this. First, the much-anticipated apex in new cases is really only the mid-point in the pandemic and its impact on humans.

Second, by flattening the peak, we are extending the time during which populations will be at risk, and so the number of cases will continue to climb after the peak is reached. The slope downward will be longer and more gradual but the toll will continue to rise.

An advantage to Californias response is that it reduces the pressure on the health care system, providing a lot more time to increase the supply of protective gear and spreading out demand for ventilators, allowing the Golden State to ship out some capacity.

That amount of time could prove crucial, if as is being discussed, we are able to use temperature sensing, anti-viral drugs and advanced treatments to reopen schools and get businesses back up and running before a vaccine appears. It would not surprise us to see the state order 100 million tests so that every Californian could get a risk assessment as part of the reopening process.

One downside of extending social distancing rules and stay-at-home orders is that it places families in social isolation, raising the risk of abuse and violence against women and children. A news conference by Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley, Sheriff Bill Brown and others put a spotlight on this issue it is a serious one and it will be up to family members and others to say something if they are concerned about a family members welfare.

STORMS KEEP DROUGHT AT BAY

Far back in the rear view mirror is the memory of the severe drought that afflicted the region just a few years ago.

Before ending in the 2017-2018 season, the drought brought California and the Central Coast to the brink of disaster, with wells running dry in Paso Robles and parts of Ventura County. The drought prompted draconian state action in the form of mandatory restrictions.

Drought threatened a bit of a comeback this year but rains in March and April have taken SLO County out of its drought status. Rainfall has been less in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, but reservoirs are refilling and, for once, the worst case scenario has been delayed for at least another year.

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Our view: Progress with numbers but hard road ahead - Pacific Coast Business Times

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says her administration is suing after a legislative council revoked her executive order that limited the size of religious gatherings.

Kelly said during a news conference Thursday afternoon, that she has instructed her chief counsel to file suit against the legislative council and to request that the Kansas Supreme Court expedite the matter.

The actions of the Republican legislative leaders jeopardized both the health and safety of Kansans, she said. We do not have time to play political games during a pandemic.

The Legislative Coordinating Council voted 5-2 Wednesday to topple the order that limited in-person religious services and funerals to 10 people.

The now-overturned order had rescinded an earlier order barring any gathering with more than 10 people, raising questions about whether large gatherings are now legally permitted. Kelly said the councils vote had created confusion.

Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, and Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch, R-Ottawa, issued a statement after the Democratic governors news conference.

They said they are disappointed. They say they tried to work out a compromise that is both legal and protects the health and safety of all Kansans.

That solution does exist, the statement reads. Unfortunately, the Governors office was insistent that Executive Order #20-18 continue to contain a provision that would make church attendance in Kansas a crime. Under the advice of the Attorney General, that provision is unconstitutional and unenforceable.

Kelly said she spoke to Vice President Mike Pence Thursday. He assured her he knew what Kansas has been doing to stop the spread of the coronavirus. She says he also told her that the Trump administration supports her attempt to limit the size of gatherings, including religious gatherings.

Pence also told Kelly the administration would do everything it could to fulfill Kansas most urgent needs for personal protective equipment (PPE).

Kelly also announced Thursday that the Kansas Department of Labor has made some improvements in order to process unemployment claims more quickly.

The KDOL unemployment line shattered a record Monday with 1.6 million calls. Kelly says 78 workers from other state agencies have been brought in to help with the phones. The second wave of staffers was trained Wednesday and is now on the job.

She also aid the KDOL launched a new phone system. As of noon Thursday, workers were able to handle more than 1,300 calls. On Monday, it took all day to handle that many calls.

The governor said the fastest way to file unemployment is through the website GetKansasBenefits.gov.

Kelly said she is issuing two new executive orders Thursday. One extends professional and occupational licenses for the remainder of the pandemic and 90 days after the declaration expires. The other temporarily allows notaries and witnesses to do their job remotely.

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Governor sues over revoked limits to reglious gatherings, announces progress on unemployment help - KSN-TV

Washington officials are cautiously optimistic about the flattening of the curve of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, but are also asking residents to continue to keep their guard up as the state continues to battle the coronavirus.

The good news is the number of newly reported cases has generally declined since March 30, when 422 positive tests had been confirmed. Washingtons current totals are 9,097 cases with 421 deaths.

We do continue to flatten the epidemic curve in Washington, which is great news, said Dr. Kathy Lofy, state health officer for the Department of Health. But we cant let this news make us complacent.

That does not mean the state is out of the woods. There is typically a four- to seven-day delay between the time an illness starts and a laboratory-confirmed positive case is reported.

Lofy said it would take a two- to three-week decline in data indicators to determine whether or not the pandemic is truly starting to subside in the Evergreen State.

Its really difficult to know if we are at peak activity, Lofy said.

The positive developments, combined with the warmer weather in the Puget Sound region, could cause people to get a little complacent about staying home and as well as social distancing, said DOH Health Secretary Jonathan Wiesman.

That is the absolute worse thing people could do right now, Wiesman said.

Wiesman urged residents to stick with good hygiene practices and to continue observing Governor Jay Inslees Stay Home, Stay Healthy mandate.

Test result reporting delays continue

The Kitsap Public Health District has not reported negative results or the total amount of tests this week as the state transitions to a new reporting system, which had been previously overwhelmed by the high-volume of results. Negative tests had to be diverted to another system.

Lofy said the state is testing between 4,000 and 5,000 people per day, Monday through Friday, and about 2,000 people per day on the weekend.

The goal is to report all test results each day and take on other initiatives such as gathering hospitalization data from around the state, Wiesman said, which will give residents a more complete picture of the reality of the situation.

States bed capacity in good shape, officials say

In many states around the country, one of the biggest concerns in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic is the ability to handle virus-related hospitalizations.

Navy Vice Admiral (retired) Raquel C. Bono, the director of the COVID-19 system health response in Washington, said the state is in good shape in that regard. Bono said one of her tasks has been to assess bed capacity throughout the state, and she reported that Washingtons capacity is sufficient, even if there is an unexpected surge in cases that require hospitalization.

Bono is also working with the states various health providers to have each hospital pledge to take on extra patients if another nearby hospital is overrun.

We are able to flex to the surge, even at the higher number, Bono said.

As far as personal protection equipment, Wiesman said the state has in its warehouse right now 554,000 N95 respiratory masks and 782,000 surgical masks. The N95 masks are being prioritized for hospitals and surgical masks are for long-term care facilities.

The state has received 6 million total items to date, including 1,526,438 from the national stockpile and another 500,000 from donations.

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Washington is making progress, but state officials urge residents to not let their guard down - Bainbridge Island Review

Freshly cast gold ingot bars sit in the foundry at the JSC Krastsvetmet non-ferrous metals plant in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.

Andrew Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Gold prices fell 1% on Tuesday,retreating from a one-month high hit earlier in the session asrisk sentiment improved on wider market optimism after therewere tentative signs of progress against coronavirus outbreaksin some countries.

Spot gold was down 0.5% at $1,653.25 per ounce by1024 GMT after rising to a one-month high of $1,671.40. Themetal had risen as much as 2.8% on Monday.

"Risk appetite is back in the markets as new infections aredeclining, that's weighing on gold prices. Also higher yieldsare negative for gold," said Quantitative Commodity Researchanalyst Peter Fertig.

"However, some investors fear that monetary policy wouldlead to inflation. For them, buying gold at these levels remains attractive."

Cautious optimism around a slowdown in new coronavirus casesin some countries lifted European shares higher for a secondday, even as major companies continued to take steps to shore upcash after lockdowns crushed global demand.

More than 1.32 million people have been reported as infectedby the virus across the world and 74,087 have died. BritishPrime Minister Boris Johnson was taken into intensive care onMonday after his symptoms worsened.

The pandemic has rattled financial markets around the worldover the course of the last quarter and prompted nations toextend lockdowns to curtail its spread.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was set to announce astate of emergency for the capital, Tokyo, and six otherprefectures and unveiled plans for a stimulus package to supportthe economy.

"Gold investors are revelling in the level of central bankstimulus and fiscal spending, especially when it raisesgovernment debt levels," said Stephen Innes, chief marketstrategist at financial services firm AxiCorp, in a note.

Indicative of sentiment, the holdings of world's largestgold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust, rose0.5% to 984.26 tonnes on Monday - its highest in over threeyears.

U.S. gold futures rose 0.5% to $1,703, extending alead over London spot prices and signalling market worries thatrefinery closures and logistics constraints could hamper bullionshipments to the United States to meet contract requirements.

The increase came despite measures from the CME Group's Comex Exchange to ease supply concerns and assurancesfrom the London Bullion Market Association.

Palladium was 2.3% higher at $2,203.36 per ounceafter rising more than 3% in early trading. Platinum climbed 1.2% to $744.02.

Silver jumped 1.1% to $15.15 an ounce, having toucheda more than three-week high earlier.

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Gold slips 1% as small signs of progress against coronavirus boost stocks - CNBC

AARP Washington held a tele-town hall and Q&A Wednesday with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and public health officials in King County on the latest information about COVID-19.

UW Medicine testing app designed to predict next major outbreak

Durkan started off the call with a few updates and reminders for listeners.

The mayor recognized that this pandemic has been enormously displacing, causing social, economic, and health issues, particularly among the older, more vulnerable population.

We know that the things we have to do to fight this virus go against who we are as human beings, she said.

Physical distancing measures, closing seniors facilities to visitors, and other isolation measures have been hard for everyone.

For members of AARP and older people in Seattle, we are on the front line, Durkan said. We know, number one, we are the most vulnerable to this virus, both because of our age and if we have any kind of underlying health conditions. Two, a number of older adults already struggle with not just health issues, but isolation issues and the ability to have mobility and see people.

In addition to the cancellations of gatherings and social events, Durkan said there has also been a huge economic impact. People have lost jobs in every industry.

Weve been working really hard together the city, the county, and the state to see how do we protect the most vulnerable, both on the health care front, but also on the economic and social front.

Durkan said shes proud of what the people in the city are doing to help each other during this time, from buying groceries for their neighbors and getting meals to those who are most vulnerable, to the doctors, nurses, health care workers, scientists, and everyone doing their part to slow the spread.

We are fortunate in Seattle to have such a strong community of first responders, health care workers, public health workers, and a scientific community, she said. Because once we did see the virus come into our community, we were able to see very quickly that the true scale was much greater than we anticipated. And having that information, our government leaders could talk and decide how we could take some quick action to try to flatten the spread of the virus.

At the same time, though there has been some success in King County, there is still more progress to be made, Durkan reminded listeners.

Theres been some press about how we had successes because we worked and started so fast, and people have done what weve asked them to do, but we are not out of the woods, she said. Even though it looks like we are flattening the curve, if we come together again, this virus is voracious and it can take off again.

She urged everyone to stay home, to avoid gatherings, and to wear a face covering and keep your distance from others if you do have to go out of the house.

Dr. Fauci offers WA praise but warns against complacency

These are the only ways we have to stop this virus right now because we dont have a vaccine, we dont have a cure, she added. The cure is how we help each other, and that is what I think is going to get us through this.

The recording of the tele-town hall is available on AARP Washingtons Facebook page here.

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Mayor Durkan: We are not out of the woods despite recent progress in quelling outbreak - MyNorthwest.com

NEW YORK (AP) Stocks jumped in markets around the world Monday after some of the hardest-hit areas offered sparks of hope that the worst of the coronavirus outbreak may be on the horizon.

U.S. stocks climbed more than 4% in the first few minutes of trading, following up on similar gains in Europe and Asia. In another sign that investors are feeling more optimistic about the economys path, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose toward its first gain in four days.

New coronavirus infections and deaths are showing signs of slowing in Spain and Italy. The center of the United States outbreak, New York, also reported a dip in the number of daily deaths, though authorities warned its too early to tell whether its just a blip or the start of a trend.

The S&P 500 was up 4.4%, as of 9:51 a.m. Eastern time and on pace to erase all of its losses from the prior week, when the government reported a record number of layoffs sweeping the economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 991, or 4.7%, to 22,038, and the Nasdaq was up 4.3%.

Markets have been waiting anxiously for signs that the rate of new infections may stop accelerating at some point. The explosion of cases has caused businesses around the world to shut down, layoffs to soar and flights to cancel as authorities hope to slow the spread of the virus. The strict measures mean markets are bracing for a sudden, steep recession.

But a peak in new cases would give some clarity on how long the downturn may last and how deep it would be. Until then, markets are grasping at guesses.

Hundreds of people are passing away each day from the pandemic, but less so than previous days, giving markets hope that the lockdown measures are finally starting to prove effective, Jeffrey Halley of Oanda said in a commentary.

Like the rest of the world, financial markets are searching for any slivers of hope, he said.

The S&P 500 is still down more than 23% since its record set in February, but the losses have been slowing since Washington promised massive amounts of aid to prop up the economy.

In Japan, the prime minister said Monday that hes preparing to announce a 108 trillion yen ($1 trillion) package to bolster the worlds third-largest economy. It would be Japans largest-ever package for the economy and nearly twice as much as expected.

READ MORE: Japans prime minister to declare state of emergency as early as Tuesday

Japans economy was already shrinking late last year before the outbreak forced the global economy into a protective coma induced by health authorities.

The announcement pushed Japans Nikkei 225 index to surge 4.2%. Elsewhere in Asia, South Koras Kospi jumped 3.9%, and Hong Kongs Hang Seng rose 2.2%.

In Europe, Germanys DAX returned 4.9% and Frances CAC 40 jumped 3.8%. The FTSE 100 in London rose 2.4%.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury yield rose to 0.66% from 0.58% late Friday. Yields tend to rise when investors are raising their expectations for economic growth and inflation.

Crude oil fell, giving up some of its huge gains from the prior week when expectations rose that Saudi Arabia and Russia may cut back on some of their production.

Demand for oil has plummeted due to the weakening economy, and any cutback in production would help prop up its price. A meeting between OPEC, Russia and other producers initially planned for Monday, though, was reportedly pushed back to Thursday.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.01 to $27.33 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost $1.09, or 3.2%, to $33.02 per barrel.

AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

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Stocks rise sharply on signs of progress in battling virus - PBS NewsHour

Robert Sproston, the Riverhead Town police officer who was seriously injured while responding to a police pursuit March 31, remains in the intensive care unit at Stony Brook University Hospital, according to friends and family, who have organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to offset his medical costs.

By Wednesday morning, the effort has raised more than $50,000. More than 745 individual donations have been made, according to the site.

Hes making progress, Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said Tuesday. Every day is a little better news, but hes got a long way to go.

Mr. Sproston, 28, served in the Marines before joining the Riverhead Police Department in 2017, and has also volunteered in the Rocky Point Fire Department and most recently the Riverhead Fire Department.

His father Bill, whos a lieutenant in the Riverhead Fire Department, posted an update Tuesday saying his son opened his eyes and is resting.

Im sure that took a lot out of him with all the moving hes been doing the last two days, he wrote. Thank you for all your unconditional love and support.

In an update posted Monday, Bill wrote that everything is going as well as expected with Rob as positive progress. Hes totally moving around more.

On Monday, the hospital staff performed another CT scan, which came back the same, meaning good news, Bill wrote. His family was anxiously awaiting the moment he would open his eyes, which finally came Tuesday.

Last Thursday, the suspect who led police on the initial pursuit that began in Greenport was arrested. Alfred Cowell, 40, of Middle Island, who has a history of fleeing police and has previously been listed with a Riverhead address, was charged with burglary, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unlawfully fleeing police, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and a number of traffic violations by Southold Town police.

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Riverhead officer injured in crash 'making progress' in recovery while in ICU - Suffolk Times