Holy water drop, foster pet boom, ‘super spreader’: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Troy: Troy University has five 3D printers running 24/7 making protective equipment for health care workers, and the college is asking anyone who owns a 3D printer to help with the effort. Usually the college’s 3D printers are used for art and design projects, but faculty, staff and students are printing N95 masks, face shields and other needed equipment to protect from the coronavirus. The protective equipment is being distributed wherever there is a need. Volunteers can make masks from home. The primary print at Troy has been reusable face shield-headbands. They can be quickly sanitized, and the shields can be replaced with readily available items such as copier, printer or overhead transparency sheets. “Any relatively thick, clear plastic that can accept a three hole punch,” said Jeff Herring, producer and director for Troy Broadcast and Digital Network.

Alaska

Anchorage: About 70 tribes in the state have implemented travel restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, limiting incoming air, land and water traffic in remote villages scattered across Alaska. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has given communities regulation leeway through their councils and other governmental entities, so travel restrictions vary throughout the state, Indian Country Today reports. Essential workers and their necessary travel are still permitted. “But the less mixing we have going on at this point, the more we slow the virus down,” Dunleavy said. Residents of the Northwest Alaska Inupiat village of Kivalina, population 379, who want to leave must notify the tribal administrator of departure and return dates and the reason for the trip and must self-quarantine for 14 days upon return, community leaders said. Those rules apply to travel by flights and snowmobile, as the village is not connected by road to any other community, leaders said.

Arizona

Page: The number of coronavirus cases on the nation’s largest Native American reservation jumped jumped by 17% Saturday as the Navajo Nation prepared to get new rapid-test kits. The Navajo Nation said in a statement that the number of cases on the 27,000-square-mile reservation that sprawls across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah rose to 698 Saturday, up 101 from the day before. So far, a total of 24 people have died from complications of COVID-19. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer said they have been told that Abbott ID rapid test kits will become available at Navajo Area IHS facilities and tribal health care centers in the next few days. The tests come out with results within several minutes, they said. “Quicker test results will likely result in even higher numbers of positive cases, but it will help to identify those who have the virus and begin to mitigate the cases much quicker. We must do better,” Nez said.

Arkansas

Grady: The first state prisoner in Arkansas has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, a prison spokeswoman said Sunday. A man being held at the Cummins Unit in Grady, about 75 miles south east of Little Rock, was transferred to a hospital Saturday and tested positive for COVID-19, Arkansas Department of Corrections spokeswoman Dina Tyler said in a statement. She declined to provide further information on the man. Other prisoners and staff who were exposed to the man have been tested for the virus, and access to his housing unit has been restricted. Tyler said that 13 corrections employees were quarantined Friday after testing positive. As of Saturday, 1,228 people in Arkansas have tested positive for COVID-19, and 25 with the disease have died, according to figures from the state Department of Health. Almost 350 people have recovered.

California

Sacramento: The state will help skilled nursing facilities wracked by the new virus by providing additional bed space for their patients on a Navy hospital ship and shipping masks and gloves for their workers, the governor said Friday. The state will also help track the virus in more than 1,000 facilities and isolate those who test positive, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. The announcements came as Newsom warned that skilled nursing facilities are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus and that more than 1,200 residents and staff had tested positive. Another 370 people at small, home-based facilities also have the virus, he said. “Skilled nursing facilities continue to be a top priority,” Newsom said in a daily briefing. “This state has a disproportionate number of aging and graying individuals, and we have a unique responsibility to take care of them and take care of their caregivers.”

Colorado

Greeley: A beef plant in northern Colorado where dozens of employees have tested positive for COVID-19 has been shut down through Tuesday for deep cleaning and to screen additional workers. Andre Nogueira, JBS USA’s CEO, said in a statement released Friday that the company is paying more than $1 million for thousands of testing kits for workers at the Greeley plant. He said 36 employees have tested positive for the disease. Weld County’s health department said concerns at the facility include the proximity of workers to each other and employees working while they are sick. If the plant does not comply with the county’s public health order, it could be closed, but compliance is the “preferred solution,” the statement said. On Tuesday, Nogueira told The Greeley Tribune he was confident workers inside the plant were safe from the virus and strongly disputed claims by employees that people were going to work sick.

Connecticut

Hartford: Landlords are raising concerns about Gov. Ned Lamont’s latest executive order, which automatically grants tenants a 60-day grace period for rent due in April and the opportunity for a second 60-day grace period to help those struggling to pay for housing during the coronavirus pandemic. Rick Bush, a West Hartford landlord who owns 38 units and manages 165 more, predicted renters will never be able to catch up on those delayed payments, leaving many landlords in a financial predicament. In a good economy, Bush estimated only 10% to 15% of renters typically pay off their back, unpaid rent. He said he’d like the state’s congressional delegation to propose a new federal loan program for renters that would enable landlords to still get paid and cover their own expenses, including mortgages. Numerous landlords on Bush’s Facebook page echoed his concerns Friday, predicting Lamont’s order will put them over the financial edge.

Delaware

Wilmington: Gov. John Carney on Saturday unveiled a new effort to recruit workers with health care or child care experience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Carney’s office said in a news release that the state has launched an online application portal to recruit workers with those credentials to fill critical jobs. “We need all Delaware citizens, businesses, and nonprofits to support Delaware’s response to COVID-19. If you have experience in health care or child care especially, please sign up … and help us fill critical positions,” he said. Applications will be reviewed by the Delaware Division of Public Health and shared with institutions in need across the state, the news release said. The governor’s office also said anyone licensed or certified to work in child care or education was encouraged to submit their information for potential temporary employment by emergency child care sites.

District of Columbia

Washington: With new rules in place, fish market vendors at The Wharf once again opened their stands Saturday, ready to sell to buyers lining up around the corner, WUSA-TV reports. Vendors were forced to implement new safety regulations after images of an overcrowded market with no social distancing went viral the prior weekend. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser enacted an emergency closure in response, saying vendors would only be allowed to reopen once they submitted a new safety plan to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for approval. On Thursday, she implemented a new rule that said farmers’ markets were no longer considered essential businesses, and they would have to obtain a waiver to operate. The National Guard and D.C. police were out manning the lines Saturday, making sure customers were following the new rules.

Florida

Fort Lauderdale: Members of the Florida National Guard have started on-the-spot testing of residents at nursing homes for the new coronavirus as long-term care facilities in the state have reported scores of cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday. Guardsmen have conducted tests of residents and staff at nursing homes in South Florida, and UF Health Shands has done other spot-testing at facilities, DeSantis said. “We want to continue to do that, given that is the most high-risk population,” the governor said. In Clay County, in the Jacksonville area, 49 cases have been reported at long-term care facilities, and 51 cases among residents and staff have been reported at a nursing home in Suwannee County, halfway between Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Statewide, there were almost 840 coronavirus cases in residents and staff at long-term care facilities as of Saturday.

Georgia

Atlanta: The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state has now surpassed 12,000, with the death toll at 432. The Georgia Department of Public Health reported an additional 400 cases and seven deaths Saturday. The total number of cases now stands at more than 12,250. Roughly 20% of those patients are hospitalized. Gov. Brian Kemp has issued a statewide stay-at-home order lasting through the end of April, but houses of worship are still allowed to hold services as long as congregants remain 6 feet apart. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Hawaii

Honolulu: The state of Hawaii said Friday that it wants travelers to use an online program to provide information about their travel plans to help authorities enforce a 14-day coronavirus quarantine imposed on people arriving in the islands. The program asks travelers to provide a name, phone number, flight information and address where they will be staying. Until now the state has had travelers fill out paper forms with this information. The number of travelers flying to Hawaii has dropped dramatically since Gov. David Ige announced the quarantine order in late March. But hundreds continue to arrive. On Thursday, 663 people arrived, including 107 visitors and 171 residents. Travelers using the online program will be asked to check in daily to attest they are at their quarantine location and to answer questions about their health. The program does not currently have the ability to check a traveler’s location using cellphone GPS.

Idaho

Boise: The state’s congressional delegation wants the U.S. Department of Energy to prepare spent nuclear fuel for trucking out of eastern Idaho ahead of a 2035 deadline. The two Republican senators and two Republican representatives in the letter sent last week said the department could be readying the spent fuel for placement in protective trucking containers. A 1995 agreement following a series of federal lawsuits requires the Energy Department to remove most of the spent fuel and other nuclear waste from the site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory. “We encourage the Department to initiate activities needed to begin loading of spent nuclear fuel into a multi-purpose canister (MPC) at the Idaho National Laboratory using existing facilities,” the lawmakers wrote. However, the U.S. has no long-term storage facility to receive radioactive spent fuel. The creation of such a repository would require action by the Trump administration, Congress and states.

Illinois

Chicago: Gov. J.B. Pritzker has recently been using his clemency power to commute sentences for some prisoners amid the coronavirus outbreak. Pritzker granted commutations for 17 Illinois inmates since March 11, the Chicago Tribune reports. Basil Powell, who was imprisoned in 1986 for being the lookout in two robberies, was one of those prisoners. A tough-on-crime sentencing law that labeled him a repeat offender led to his life sentence after his conviction. But reform advocates fought for his release due to their concern regarding elderly and sick inmates during the outbreak, and he was released Thursday. “I feel good, like a thousand bricks got up off my shoulders,” Powell said in a telephone interview. Pritzker also commuted the life sentence of Charles Harris, 58, who was convicted of armed robbery and serving a mandatory life term under the habitual criminal law. He had been in prison since 1988 and was released Wednesday.

Indiana

Indianapolis: In record numbers, central Indiana residents have been seeking companionship from dogs as they ride out the COVID-19 pandemic in their homes. Shelters report large increases in the number of four-legged fosters since stay-at-home orders took effect. “There’s nothing better than a cuddly pet at home when you are self-isolating,” said David Horth, chief executive officer of the Humane Society of Indianapolis. He said the short-term adoptions of pandemic pooches are mutually beneficial: They give the animals a respite from hectic and quickly crowding shelters and provide their humans comfort or a distraction in a stressful time. It also helps that the shelters provide food and medication at a time residents are feeling economic hardship. Though shelters have a steady base of repeat foster parents, officials said the majority of temporary adopters now are first-timers.

Iowa

Iowa City: Health care providers facing a shortage of personal protective equipment must extend the use of their face masks, use washable gowns and shorten hospital stays for some coronavirus patients, the Iowa Department of Public Health said Friday. The agency directed hospitals to take extraordinary steps to conserve limited supplies of critical masks, gowns, shields, goggles and respirators. “We understand the issuance of this order may be unsettling, but due to the global shortage of PPE supply, we have determined that now is the time to take this action,” the department’s deputy director, Sarah Reisetter, said at a news conference. Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state’s requests for equipment from the now-depleted national stockpile have been delayed, and state and local agencies and providers have struggled to procure adequate supplies. Advocates for health care workers said they were alarmed by the shortage, which comes about two or three weeks before Iowa’s COVID-19 caseload is expected to peak.

Kansas

Topeka: Authorities are investigating a spike in people impersonating law enforcement officers. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a news release Friday that it has identified about 10 reports of suspected law enforcement impersonations in the past several weeks in multiple counties. There have no reports of injuries or thefts. The KBI says the impersonator often questions whether the driver’s travel is “essential” or asks for workplace documentation. The Kansas stay-at-home order doesn’t require people to carry or a letter, identification card or other paper proving they are allowed to leave their home. The KBI says people who are concerned they are the target of an impersonator should slow down, activate their hazard lights, and call 911 to confirm it is a legitimate law enforcement stop.

Kentucky

Louisville: The University of Louisville has developed a process for sterilizing N95 respirators and will soon begin cleaning up to 7,000 masks daily for area health care facilities. N95 respirators are essential to protecting the health of nurses, doctors and others who work in direct contact with coronavirus patients, and they’ve become increasingly difficult to find amid the global pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the masks not be reused in emergency situations. But Leslie Sherwood, assistant vice president for research services at U of L, said the university has found a way to decontaminate the masks using vaporized hydrogen peroxide, allowing health care professionals to use them again. “Unfortunately, we know that folks working in health care are having higher incidents of being infected because they’re constantly being bombarded with the virus,” Mayor Greg Fischer said Saturday.

Louisiana

New Orleans: The archbishop of New Orleans sprinkled holy water from a World War II-era biplane high above the city in an unusual Good Friday blessing for those affected by the coronavirus. The open-air plane carried Archbishop Gregory Aymond, 70, from the Lakefront Airport to Kenner, to Gretna, to the French Quarter over 25 minutes, The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate reports. Aymond prayed for protection and healing and sprinkled holy water that came from the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized. “When I first did it, the water came back on me,” Aymond said, “but then I got situated.” Aymond recently recovered from the virus himself and said he asked God to offer grace in particular to health care workers, first responders and city leaders. The archdiocese has canceled all Masses indefinitely due to social distancing requirements. Rabbi Lexi Erdheim, 29, of the Congregation Gates of Prayer Synagogue in Metairie, went up in the same plane after Aymond to offer a blessing during Passover. “It was really powerful, seeing everything at once,” she said, “especially after being inside the same four walls for so long.”

Maine

Augusta: A traveling salesperson helped spread the coronavirus in Maine and several other states early in the outbreak last month, the leader of the Maine Center for Disease Control said. The salesperson was a so-called super spreader, a single person responsible for a significant number of exposures to the virus, said Dr. Nirav Shah, the center’s director. “This traveling salesperson visited a particular establishment in Maine and had a series of meetings and infected a certain number of individuals, all of whom we traced,” Shah said. The person was linked to infections outside Maine, as well, Shah said. He declined to release details, citing privacy concerns. The discovery highlights how the spread of the coronavirus can often be traced to individuals and gatherings. One of the concerns is that the virus can be easily spread by infected people who are not showing symptoms.

Maryland

Annapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan announced steps Friday to address a huge potential state revenue loss of up to $2.8 billion this fiscal year as a result of the coronavirus and to strongly urge voters to cast ballots by mail in the state’s June 2 primary. Hogan said the projected revenue loss would represent a 50% drop in projected revenues over the next 90 days and up to a 15% reduction in revenues for the fiscal year that ends July 1. As a result, Hogan said the state is immediately instituting a budget freeze across state government agencies, except for COVID-19-related expenses and payroll. The governor said his budget office will be making recommendations for spending reductions, which will be required by all state agencies. “In addition, the state will be tapping into and spending much of – perhaps even all of – the state’s rainy day fund balance,” Hogan said. That fund is estimated at $1.2 billion.

Massachusetts

Boston: State lawmakers are holding a virtual public hearing Monday on a bill designed to provide short-term economic relief for families in deep poverty, vulnerable children and people with disabilities. The bill would provide a one-time additional benefit to those who receive help through the state’s transitional aid to families with dependent children program. The cost of the one-time infusion of money is pegged at $17 million in the bill. The legislation would also set aside $6 million for an additional one-time benefit under the state’s program for emergency aid to the elderly, disabled and children. The goal is to offer help to the state’s most vulnerable during the coronavirus crisis. The hearing scheduled for Monday at 1:30 p.m. will mark the first time a piece of legislation has received a virtual public hearing. The hearing will be conducted over Zoom.

Michigan

Detroit: Hundreds of city workers, including dozens of police officers, have been able to quickly return to work after being quarantined or have avoided quarantine altogether thanks to a speedy new test for the coronavirus. Over the past week or so, more than 1,000 city employees – including officers, firefighters, paramedics and bus drivers – have been given 15-minute nasal swab tests before starting their shifts. Mayor Mike Duggan’s office said 990 of those tested did not have COVID-19, while 140 tested positive. Testing on police officers showed 307 were negative, and 45 were positive. Before the test – developed by suburban Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories – first responders would have been sent home for several days or even weeks until results from slower tests showed whether they had the virus.

Minnesota

Rochester: One of the premier medical facilities in the country and the state’s largest private employer on Friday announced a series of cost-cutting measures to deal with a proposed $3 billion loss in 2020. Rochester’s Mayo Clinic is instituting across-the-board pay cuts and furloughs, a result of the financial strain caused by the coronavirus crisis. The moves follow the clinic’s decision last month to halt elective surgeries and procedures to conserve supplies for an expected surge of COVID-19 patients. Mayo Clinic’s chief executive, Gianrico Farrugia, said in a statement that he supports steps being taken by the state to control the spread, including the extension this week of a stay-at-home order. Republican state Sen. Carla Nelson, of Rochester, said she will seek financial relief for the medical center she said has sacrificed to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Mississippi

Jackson: Many churches held online services Sunday to celebrate Easter and to help people maintain distance from one another to try to slow the spread of the new coronavirus as the state’s death toll from COVID-19 approaches 100. The Rev. S.V. Adolph Jr., pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church Handsboro, said on Facebook Live that he misses greeting and embracing congregants at the Gulfport sanctuary, but he is grateful about “leaving the walls of the church” and worshipping online. He also prayed for health care providers, law enforcement officers and others working during the pandemic. “We are really grateful for these heroes, these people who are at risk for our sake,” Adolph said. Figures released by the state Health Department on Sunday showed Mississippi had at least 2,781 confirmed cases and 96 deaths from the virus as of Saturday evening. That was an increase of 139 cases and three deaths from the previous day.

Missouri

O’Fallon: Gov. Mike Parson on Friday signed a supplemental budget bill allocating nearly $6 billion in federal stimulus money to fight the health and economic ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic. The money will be used to purchase additional personal protective equipment for first responders, help develop medical facilities beyond traditional hospitals, and provide aid to hard-hit local governments, Parson said during a news conference. He also announced he was establishing a working group led by state Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick to help decide how the money will be spent. Both Parson and Fitzpatrick are Republicans. Meanwhile, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft asked some employees to return to the agency’s office in Jefferson City on Monday to help keep up with an increasing workload. Only people with offices will be asked to come to work, excluding those with preexisting health conditions.

Montana

Helena: The superintendent of the state’s schools told districts Friday to expect to finish out the school year with distance learning amid the coronavirus outbreak. While Gov. Steve Bullock is making coronavirus policy decisions in two-week time frames, Superintendent Elsie Arntzen said she believes school leaders would like more certainty in planning the rest of the academic year. Montana’s school closures and stay-at-home orders currently run through April 24. Even if they are lifted, Arntzen said she expects social distancing guidelines will remain in place, possibly into the summer. “We encourage you to postpone graduation ceremonies until later in the year or come up with alternative plans to honor your graduates, ensuring equity in recognition for all students, including special education students,” Arntzen wrote in a letter to schools.

Nebraska

Lincoln: The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has barred people from camping overnight at state parks, state recreation areas and wildlife management areas as part of the effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. The ban runs through May 8, with a possible extension. The closure of state park area lodging and cabins will be extended through May 8 as well. State parks and recreation areas will remain open for day use. A limited number of restrooms will be available and will be disinfected regularly, the commission said. Refunds will be given to campers who have prepaid fees.

Nevada

Reno: The sweeping impacts of the coronavirus outbreak across the state now include cancellation of the annual Burning Man festival. Burning Man Project officials on Friday announced cancellation of the annual event that was scheduled to be held Aug. 30 to Sept. 7 in the northern Nevada desert. Organizers of Burning Man, a lifestyle and entertainment gathering that typically attracts 80,000 people, said in a Facebook post the cancellation was “in the interest of the health and well-being of our community.” The organizers said in an online journal post that “we are heartbroken. We know you are too.” Organizers said they were committed to providing refunds for tickets already purchased, but they asked purchasers to consider foregoing refunds because the organization faces layoffs, pay cuts and other belt-tightening measures.

New Hampshire

Concord: The state’s child welfare agency is offering new resources to help children, parents and other caregivers during the COVID-19 crisis. The state Division for Children, Youth, and Families has published a guide with advice and resources for financial assistance, food, housing and more. It also includes tips on how to check in with families and a list of questions to ask caregivers and children. The division, along with the social service agency Waypoint, also has created the “Family Support Warm Line.” The free, confidential phone line will connect callers with professionals who can offer coping strategies and emotional support. The number is 1-800-640-6486. DCYF Director Joseph Ribsam says new child abuse and neglect referrals have dropped during the pandemic, likely because children are away from school officials who often report suspected cases. He says the focus must remain on prevention.

New Jersey

Trenton: The governor said Sunday that some models suggest the state’s coronavirus crisis is reaching its peak, but others indicate the worst impact may still be weeks away. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy told CNN health care recovery must occur before economic recovery takes place, and he’s concerned that reopening and relaxing social distancing too early could backfire. “And I fear, if we open up too early, and we have not sufficiently made that health recovery and cracked the back of this virus, that we could be pouring gasoline on the fire, even inadvertently,” Murphy said. The governor said his administration devoted significant attention over the weekend to planning about how to keep people safe once restrictions begin to be lifted. Murphy told CBS he supports a regional approach to reopening and has been having “discussions with our neighboring states on the whole question of testing, contact tracing, what are the rules of the road going to be for things like bars and restaurants.”

New Mexico

Santa Fe: A philanthropic effort aimed at boosting access to scarce medical and protective equipment supplies on the Navajo Nation is being organized by former Gov. Bill Richardson. Richardson, a former U.N. ambassador, said his enduring sense of gratitude and friendship with the Navajo people prompted him to provide seed money and launch the humanitarian effort in cooperation with Molina Healthcare and the New Mexico Children’s Foundation. “So many Navajo elders are vulnerable to this virus because they don’t have masks; they don’t have protective equipment,” he said. Richardson fears the pandemic could reach a vast scale of suffering reminiscent of the forced removal in the 19th century of Navajos in the “Long Walk.” Thousands endured cold, disease and starvation in the U.S. government’s attempt to relocate them to a desolate tract of land hundreds of miles away in eastern New Mexico. In 1868, they signed a treaty with the federal government to secure a return to their homeland. Richardson credited New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a fellow Democrat, with “getting ahead of this crisis.”

New York

New York: The coronavirus crisis is taxing the city’s 911 system like never before. Operators pick up a new call every 15.5 seconds. Panicked voices tell of loved ones in declining health. There are multitudes of cardiac arrests and respiratory failures and others who call needing reassurance that a mere sneeze isn’t a sign they’ve been infected. The system is so overwhelmed that the city has started sending text and tweet alerts urging people only to call 911 “for life-threatening emergencies.” As the city staggered through its deadliest week of the pandemic, its emergency response system and army of operators, dispatchers and ambulance crews is being pushed to the brink. The fire department said it has averaged more than 5,500 ambulance requests each day – about 40% higher than usual, eclipsing the total call volume Sept. 11, 2001.

North Carolina

Charlotte: A study by a housing nonprofit found nearly 1 in 4 Charlotte-area tenants have missed rent payments due the first week of April as the economy shut down in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The figures, from a national study by the National Multifamily Housing Council, represent an 8% rise in missed payments from the same time last year. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group used rental market data from firms including RealPage, which analyzed local figures for The Charlotte Observer. In the Raleigh-Cary area, close to 1 in 5 tenants missed their April rent payments. The national average was nearly 1 in 3, according to the study, which analyzed only market-rate apartments, not subsidized apartments or rental houses. Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Harden told the Observer that this situation should “keep every elected official awake at night.”

North Dakota

Bismarck: Some companies in the state have switched gears amid the coronavirus outbreak to make products in short supply, from germ-killing hand cleaner to machines that assist breathing. A Fargo tech company has retooled to make much-needed ventilators, while entrepreneurs and distilleries are racing to make hand sanitizer, which has become hard to find amid the outbreak. Business owners said the shift has helped keep revenue flowing and people employed. And it fills a critical need as the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus continues to climb in North Dakota. “In reality, what we are doing now is the most important thing at this time,” said Joel Kath, owner of Proof Artisan Distillers in Fargo, which has shifted from making whiskey, bourbon, vodka and gin to hand sanitizer. Appareo Systems – which specializes in tech systems for aerospace, agriculture and defense – is aiming to provide 2,000 low-cost ventilators to the state by the end of the month, with employees working around the clock at its Fargo factory, said April Steffan, the company’s marketing director.

Ohio

Columbus: As the state fields record unemployment claims, many workers out of a job find themselves scrambling to make ends meet as they wait days or weeks for their claim to be processed and checks to be issued. Nearly 700,000 people filed for unemployment in the past three weeks, the state Department of Job and Family Services said Thursday, almost double the 364,603 claims filed in all of 2019. The 226,007 claims filed for the week ending April 4 marked the second consecutive week that claims topped 200,000. Ohio has paid more than $124 million so far to more than 195,000 people with claims. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said hundreds have been added to the state call center to handle all the inquires, but he has repeatedly asked people to be patient. People will receive checks for work lost from the day they were laid off, regardless of how long it takes to process the claim, he promised.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The death toll from COVID-19 neared triple digits Saturday as the state takes measures to curb spread of the disease. Six more coronavirus deaths were reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, bringing the state death count to 94. About 1,900 people have tested positive for COVID-19, with about 450 needing to go to the hospital. The state has enough available hospital beds, intensive-care unit beds and ventilators to handle even the worst-case predictions for a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a news conference Friday. The disease has started to break out in state prisons. Stitt approved early release for 450 inmates in an effort reduce crowding after the first COVID-19 cases were confirmed among prison workers and an inmate.

Oregon

Portland: Two large health care operations in the state are furloughing employees and cutting costs because of a lack of revenue due to the coronavirus outbreak, furthering cuts to medical facilities in the state. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the Oregon Clinic has furloughed about 820 employees. The Portland Clinic, another physician-owned chain, furloughed 180 employees and cut the pay and hours of 250 others last week. Gov. Kate Brown on March 17 ordered that all elective and non-urgent medical procedures be canceled or rescheduled until at least June 15 to preserve masks and other protective equipment for the state’s COVID-19 response. Richard Jamison, president of The Oregon Clinic, said the company has suffered an 80% decline in revenue. The Portland Clinic’s inpatient revenue has fallen by 90%, said Dick Clark, president of the operation.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: Gov. Tom Wolf says the state labor department has started sending out expanded federal unemployment compensation payments provided by the coronavirus relief package approved by Congress. The measure temporarily provides an additional $600 per week and makes self-employed, independent contractors and gig workers eligible for benefits. It also extends unemployment compensation benefits for an additional 13 weeks. The federal benefits are in addition to Pennsylvania’s regular unemployment benefit, which is about half of a person’s full-time weekly income up to $572 per week for 26 weeks. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry issued the first $600 payments Friday, and officials said eligible people who filed biweekly claims for the week ending April 4 and who received their regular unemployment compensation payment should expect to see the additional money either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Rhode Island

Providence: U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is supporting a proposal that would give a salary boost to front-line workers, including nurses, grocery story workers, cleaning staff and letter carriers. The Rhode Island Democrat told WPRI-TV on Saturday that the country should reward those who put their health at risk to help fight COVID-19. The proposal would provide a $25,000 hazard pay increase for those who make less than $200,000 a year. Those who make more than $200,000 would be capped at an additional $5,000. It would also offer a $15,000 essential worker recruitment incentive to help attract and retain workers.

South Carolina

Columbia: Expressing frustration that police officers – charged with enforcing Gov. Henry McMaster’s stay-at-home order during the coronavirus outbreak – are not being told which businesses have been granted permission to stay open, the mayor of the capital city said he was pursuing an open-records request to obtain the information. Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said Friday that he was filing a Freedom of Information Act request for the records, which he said his office has been seeking for several days, so officers know when a business is out of compliance with closure directives. Benjamin said the city receives daily reports from citizens regarding businesses they think are operating outside the confines of the governor’s orders. “Our officers and our fire personnel are dealing with important issues every single day,” Benjamin said. “We can’t run the risk of wasting their time chasing down a complaint that a nonessential business is open, only to show up, and that business presents us with an email from the governor’s office, saying that they’ve been exempted.”

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: Smithfield Foods announced Sunday that it is closing its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls until further notice after hundreds of employees tested positive for the coronavirus – a step the head of the company warned could hurt the nation’s meat supply. The announcement came a day after Gov. Kristi Noem and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken wrote to Smithfield and urged the company to suspend operations for 14 days so that its workers could self-isolate and the plant could be disinfected. The plant, which employs about 3,700 people in the state’s largest city, has become a hot spot for infections. Health officials said Sunday that 293 of the 730 people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in South Dakota work at the plant. Smithfield announced a three-day closure last week so it could sanitize the plant and install physical barriers to enhance social distancing. But on Sunday, it announced the plant’s indefinite closure.

Tennessee

Nashville: The state’s top health officials on Friday released some data on confirmed coronavirus cases in the state’s nursing homes but refrained from saying whether patients had died at those facilities. The decision came a few weeks after more than 100 people tested positive for the virus at one nursing home, resulting in more than 10 deaths since. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services completed an investigation at the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing last Monday, and the survey results are forthcoming, according to the federal agency. “It is up to the facility, be it the hospital or a long-term care facility, to disclose fatalities among patients or residents,” said Shelley Walker, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health, an agency that has been hesitant to release detailed data during the virus outbreak in Tennessee. However, Sumner Regional Medical Center spokesman Kyle Brogdon said Friday that the hospital – which had been treating the Gallatin nursing home residents from the outbreak – would no longer provide information about deaths of patients from the facility because the nursing home had since been reopened.

Texas

Houston: The state continued to brace over the weekend for a surge in hospital visits driven by the coronavirus pandemic. Officials in Harris County unveiled a temporary overflow hospital that will be able to help take on patients during a heightened onslaught of COVID-19. Medical workers and journalists were taken on a tour of the as-yet-unopened facility on Saturday, the day the U.S. eclipsed Italy for the highest number of coronavirus deaths in the world, surpassing 20,000. Harris County is the state’s most populous with more than 4.2 million residents. “We still haven’t reached the peak,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county’s highest elected official, told reporters Saturday. Hidalgo added the field hospital won’t be used until a sharp increase in coronavirus patients starts taxing existing hospital systems, which she expects to become an issue in the Houston area in two or three weeks. The overflow shelter at Houston’s NRG Park, where the Houston Texans play, will initially have 250 beds with a capacity of 2,000. Officials are setting up a similar overflow unit in Dallas.

Utah

Salt Lake City: State officials started using an emergency alert system Friday to send text messages to drivers entering the state, asking them to report any virus symptoms and a recent travel history. The state declared truck drivers exempt from the system. Hundreds of thousands of truckers enter the state each day carrying essential supplies for grocery stores and medical facilities. Paul Enos, CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association, said the system could interrupt interstate trips and be invasive to drivers who sometimes travel through multiple states a day. Utah officials have said they aren’t punishing people who don’t fill out the online form. “We don’t want to do anything to inhibit commerce … especially right now with our supply-chain issues,” Utah Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson said. Truckers were still expected to receive the message, and there were no immediate plans to change the wording on the form to list the exemptions, which also included police, border residents, and airline personnel and passengers.

Vermont

Montpelier: Farmers’ markets must remain closed under Gov. Phil Scott’s state-of-emergency order. The markets had lobbied to be considered essential businesses like grocery stores, but agriculture secretary Anson Tebbetts said the businesses must stay closed during the state of emergency, which extends through May 15. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch is expressing frustration that dairy farmers aren’t getting any immediate relief from the $2 trillion stimulus package. The package, which was approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, is meant to help individuals and businesses harmed by the spread of the coronavirus. Welch said farms should be eligible for the $10,000 Small Business Administration emergency loans available to most other businesses, Vermont Public Radio reports. Milk prices have plummeted as the pandemic keeps schools and restaurants closed.

Virginia

Falls Church: Nearly 2,000 prisoners with a year or less remaining on their sentences could be eligible for early release under a proposal from Gov. Ralph Northam designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Northam announced Friday at a news conference that he is adding an amendment to the state budget that would give the Department of Corrections authority to release inmates with one year or less remaining on their sentences. Northam said only inmates who exhibited good behavior and do not pose a threat to the public would be released. The plan would not go into effect unless the General Assembly approved the amendment at its upcoming April 22 session. In the meantime, Northam said the administration would work on the logistics of such a release, which he said would be a significant undertaking. Inmates scheduled for release are usually placed on reentry plans to ensure details including they have somewhere to go when they are released, he said.

Washington

Seattle: Health authorities battling the coronavirus outbreak are trying to figure out how and when social distancing restrictions that have shut down many things across the state can be modified or ended. “That’s what a lot of us are working on now: What’s the end game?” said Dr. Elizabeth Halloran, an infectious-disease specialist and modeler at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center who advises the federal government on outbreaks. “What can we do short of keeping everything shut down for 18 months or longer until we have a vaccine?” While an influential University of Washington model suggests deaths and hospitalizations may have peaked in the state, health officials say lifting restrictions too soon could cause cases to surge. The Seattle Times reports the basic approach to controlling COVID-19 is to identify infected people, as well as those who have been exposed, and isolate them. But that would mean a huge scale-up of testing and contact tracing, at a time when even nursing homes still can’t get enough test kits, and public health agencies are swamped.

West Virginia

Charleston: Nursing homes in the state could run out of masks, gloves and medical gowns in as soon as two weeks amid a nationwide shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a trade group leader said Friday. Marty Wright, CEO of the West Virginia Health Care Association, said the supply of personal protective equipment is dwindling as facilities rush to buy gear in a crowded marketplace marred by skyrocketing markups and delayed shipments. “What they’re seeing are shortages nationwide that are creeping into West Virginia,” Wright said. “The supply is not able to meet the demand.” He said he’s heard stories of masks that were less than $1 now going for $5, facilities being supplemented by homemade items, and nursing homes reaching out to overseas vendors as stateside suppliers are swamped.

Wisconsin

Madison: Republican legislative leaders announced plans Friday to convene the state Assembly this week for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak began in the state to pass a pandemic relief bill after removing key spending-cut provisions Democratic Gov. Tony Evers opposes. Assembly leaders notified members they they plan to call an extraordinary session beginning Tuesday morning. The session is expected to be conducted virtually, with several members physically present on the floor. It’s unclear when the Senate might convene. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald have been negotiating for days with Evers on a sweeping aid bill. The legislation is designed to supplement a federal stimulus package bringing about $2.3 billion to the state. The bill would eliminate the one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits, delay interest and late fees on property taxes, prohibit health insurers from discriminating against COVID-19 patients, and lift the minimum number of instructional hours for voucher school students, among other things.

Wyoming

Casper: Some state residents held a demonstration against government-mandated measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus. About 20 people turned out in a park in Casper on Thursday to protest what they believe is government overreach. One demonstrator held a sign demanding Gov. Mark Gordon let the state work. Other signs read “Defend liberty” and “Don’t flatten the economy.” Gordon has ordered schools and a variety of businesses, from bars to movie theaters, to close and has prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people at a time. Police watched the protest but didn’t intervene. Gordon has resisted calls for a statewide stay-at-home order but has urged people to stay at home except for essential work and activities. Cathy Ide with the Natrona County Campaign for Liberty, a libertarian group, told the Casper Star-Tribune the group organized the demonstration because so many businesses were closed. “You drive through Casper, it’s like a ghost town compared to what we usually are,” she said. “You don’t have the usual hustle and bustle, and it’s just sad.”

From Paste BN Network and wire reports