SHNS Coronavirus Tracker

JULY 21, 2020.....President Donald Trump resumed his televised COVID-19 briefings, which had been put on hold in April, on Tuesday and used his time in front of the cameras to urge Americans to wear a mask when they cannot adhere to social distancing.

Trump's apparent embrace of face coverings comes months after Massachusetts officials made requests for people to wear masks when outside their homes and unable to stay at least six feet away from others, but it coincides with outbreaks of the coronavirus across the Sun Belt.

Gov. Charlie Baker did not take a turn in front of the cameras for a COVID-19 update on Tuesday and he gave no update Monday on the status of the state's fight against the virus or its efforts to reopen the economy, either.

Instead, Baker's office issued a press release announcing that the governor had extended the temporary ban on virtually all non-emergency evictions and foreclosures in Massachusetts amid the pandemic. The original ban, which Baker signed into law April 20, was due to expire Aug. 18. It will now run through Oct. 17.

The governor also filed another one-month spending bill on Tuesday, proposing to pump an additional $5.51 billion into the state's coffers while legislative leaders wait for clarity from the federal government and a clearer picture of the state's finances.

Also Tuesday, medical experts, including some from Massachusetts General Hospital, warned that people with higher body mass indexes may be more than three times as likely to require intensive care if they contract COVID-19 than patients who are not obese. About 45 percent of Americans are obese. -- Colin A. Young

• Boston Launches Free Testing in Allston: The City of Boston will offer free COVID-19 tests to anyone interested at a new pop-up site in Allston as part of a monthslong program, officials announced Tuesday. Patients do not need to display symptoms to qualify for the tests, which will be available for five hours each day at the Jackson Mann Community Center in Allston between Tuesday, July 21 and Saturday, Aug. 1. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said at an afternoon press conference that the mobile site, a partnership with the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, will move to a different neighborhood in the city every two weeks. "This is a dedicated city-wide effort to meet community needs and ensure that we are getting testing wherever there might be gaps in access or evidence of inequality," he said. "Allston-Brighton is one of the lowest-tested neighborhoods in the city of Boston, and that's why we're glad to stop the testing there today." Tests will be available to walk-up patients, though officials encouraged residents to register ahead of time at (617) 568-4500. Boston officials offer testing at more than 20 other sites in the city. - Chris Lisinski 5:09 PM Tue
• Warren's Federal Response Checklist: In a New York Times op-ed published Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the next pandemic relief package from Washington, D.C., needs to include "at least $500 billion to stabilize state and local governments and at least $175 billion for our public schools." The senator detailed what she wants to see in the next COVID-19 response and said the U.S. Senate must act quickly to help slow the spread of the virus and allow the economy to get back on its feet. "Those who frame the debate as one of health versus economics are missing the point. It is not possible to fix the economy without first containing the virus," Warren wrote. "We need a bold, ambitious legislative response that does four things: brings the virus under control; gets our schools, child care centers, businesses, and state and local governments the resources they need; addresses the burdens on communities of color; and supports struggling families who don’t know when the next paycheck will come." -- Colin A. Young 5:01 PM Tue
• Tuesday DPH Update: After five days of declines, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Massachustts climbed back above 500 on Tuesday, rising by 30 to 513. Four fewer people were in intensive care, for a total of 63 COVID-19 patients in ICUs, and 33 patients were intubated, down from 38 in Monday's report. The Department of Public Health reported 165 new test-confirmed cases of COVID 19 on Tuesday, bringing the state's caseload to 107,221 since the novel coronavirus was first identified here in February. With 17 new deaths logged Tuesday, the death count in Massachusetts stands at 8,231, or 8,450 once the deaths of probable cases are added in. - Katie Lannan 4:18 PM Tue
• Reservations Now Required at Boston Pools: Boston's two outdoor pools will open Wednesday for city residents, with new COVID-19 precuations that include pre-registration for 90-minute time slots. Reservations for the Clougherty Pool in Charlestown and the Mirabella Pool in the North End will go live online 24 hours before the next day's session and remain open until all spots are taken or the session is half over, according to Mayor Marty Walsh's office. Visitors will be asked COVID-19 screening questions, and pool capacity is capped at 75 people per session. Staff will clean and disinfect between each session and at opening and closing, locker rooms and changing areas will be closed, and face coverings are required at all times when not in the water. "A lot of hard work has gone into opening our pools safely, and we ask for everyone's cooperation to make this plan a success," Walsh said during an afternoon press conference. - Katie Lannan 3:27 PM Tue
• Nursing Homes Request Relief: With negotiations underway over another federal COVID-19 relief package, nursing homes and assisted living communities this week asked that they be given dedicated funding and priority attention in the next bill. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), which represents more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities that care for about five million people annually, also requested an additional $100 billion for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Provider Relief Fund and that "a sizeable portion" of that fund be dedicated to helping nursing homes and assisted living facilities cover costs associated with protecting residents and staff from the coronavirus. The organization said nursing homes have received approximately 4.3 percent of the $175 billion funding allocated from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund while assisted living communities have not received any direct federal aid. "With the recent major spikes of COVID cases in many states across the country, we are very concerned this trend will lead to a dramatic increase in cases in nursing homes and assisted living communities," Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, said. "Without adequate funding and resources, the U.S. will end up repeating the same mistakes from several months ago. We need Congress to prioritize nursing homes and assisted living communities in this upcoming legislation." -- Colin A. Young 1:36 PM Tue

LINK