WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Acts of generosity can come from a variety avenues: government officials, business owners, nonprofits or just a regular person helping out their neighbor.

During Michigans coronavirus shutdowns, dozens of stories have emerged that offer folks in Washtenaw County and the surrounding area hope in a time of uncertainty.

City council members thanking health care workers. Hardware stores donating personal protective equipment to hospitals. Churches offering drive-thru confessions. The list of ways people are dealing with self-isolation and social distancing grows by the day.

Here are five more things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis in Washtenaw County.

If you have a story of a business, organization or person creatively dealing with social distancing and home isolation, or are going above and beyond to help others, please email Samuel Dodge at sdodge@mlive.com.

5 things that give us hope amid the coronavirus pandemic in Washtenaw County

5 more things that give us hope amid the coronavirus outbreak in Washtenaw County

Ann Arbor City Council Member Kathy Griswold, D-2nd Ward, poses for a portrait at a crosswalk on North Maple Road on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019 in Ann Arbor. Griswold is campaigning for better lighting at crosswalks throughout the city. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive.com)Photos by Ben Allan Smith

Ann Arbor City Council Member promoting effort to thank health care workers

City Council Member Kathy Griswold, D-2nd Ward, is helping promote a local womans effort to place signs around Ann Arbor thanking essential workers and health care providers.

Ann Arbor resident Susan Schmidt printed 250 signs last week that read Thank You Healthcare Workers! In a matter of days, the signs have quickly spread throughout Ann Arbor, planted in yards and other places, including many in the Old West Side neighborhood where Schmidt lives.

Ann Arbor woman gets amazing response to yard signs thanking health care workers

Griswold posted three different variations of Schmidts design on Facebook for people to print and post themselves. More yard signs will be available for safe distribution sometime late next week to attach the images to signs, Griswold wrote in the post.

The response Ive gotten from community members, especially health care workers, has been amazing, Schmidt said. Health care workers in particular have been really moved by the community support.

Andrew Stines unloads boxes of medical supplies that are being donated to UM Hospitals at the North Campus Research Complex on Saturday, March 21, 2020. UM Hospitals are asking for donations of medical supplies amid the coronavirus outbreak. Supplies needed include disposable face masks, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, among others.Jenna Kieser

Hardware store in Ann Arbor donated excess masks to Michigan Medicine, St. Joseph Mercy, other hospitals

Armando and Ita Reyes, the married co-owners of Carpenter Bros Hardware & Rental, 2753 Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor, realized two weeks ago that they had a stocked inventory of a valuable asset: N95 masks.

Their supply included 150 of the masks needed throughout Michigan and the country. They also had 500 latex shoe covers, 100 packages of gloves, five respirators and 18 decontamination Tyvek suits. Two weeks later, their supply is no more, as the Reyes donated it all to southeastern Michigan hospitals.

Two weeks ago, we held back on the items we were going to put out on the floor expecting that theyd be a high need for health workers, said Ita Reyes. I let my husband know about (various hospital supply drives), so we started donating our supply.

The store provided supplies to the University of Michigan Health System, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Beaumont Health and Henry Ford Allegiance in Wyandotte.

I know there are place that are actually selling (this stuff), Reyes said, but were just giving it out. U-M is literally calling stores all over, thats how big the need is. We just decided that whatever we had was needed out there.

Reyes also owns and operates Ita Yoga Studio, which is holding online classes at discounted prices during the state COVID-19 shutdown to promote social distancing. You can find the hardware store at Carpenterbroshardware.com and the studio at Itayogastudio.com.

11

Local launches free food pantry on porch of River Street home in Ypsilanti

Ypsilanti community porch pantry urges residents to take freely, give cheerfully during coronavirus crisis

At a time when social distancing has limited contact between neighbors, DReal Graham is still looking to build community with a simple message: Take freely, give cheerfully.

Those are the words on a sign welcoming neighbors to visit the front porch at 315 N. River St. in Ypsilantis Depot Town, where Graham and local realtor Tyler Weston have teamed up to provide easy access to a variety of nonperishable food items and other household essentials.

The community-sponsored U-Access Community Pantry is the work of Ypsi Local, which Graham and Weston started on March 17. Since then, Graham has worked to keep items the community has deemed essential in stock.

From canned fruits and vegetables, to boxes of pasta and oatmeal, to baby wipes, diapers and even an occasional package of toilet paper, items are flying off the shelves at a time when making a trip to the grocery store might be more difficult than usual for some.

Im overjoyed when I return to the pantry and food items are off the porch, Graham said in between restocking shelves Tuesday, March 31.

Drive-thru confession at Ann Arbor Catholic church

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2250 E. Stadium Blvd. in Ann Arbor, is offering drive-thru" confessions from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 2. The sacrament will be available again from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 4.

One commenter joked that the seal of confession, or the requisite confidentiality kept by priests once a parish member tells them their sins, may be an issue now that priests and member must be six feet apart for social distancing.

To learn more about this service or to help St. Francis stay afloat during a tenuous time financially for many organizations, visit stfrancisa2.com.

Brighton nonprofit donates funds to people in crisis, PPE to medical clinics

Fund a Life, a Brighton-based nonprofit, partnered with local investment agency Executive Wealth Management to donate thousands of dollars to organizations assisting people severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

The partners donated $4,000 each to Bountiful Harvest of Brighton and The Torch & Torch 180 in Fowlerville. Both organizations will use the funding to fill food gaps for community members in need throughout Livingston County, according to a press release.

We feel that it is dire times right now and we really need to make sure all hands-on deck. Make sure we are helping everyone out and get through the crisis we are going through. said Michael Chechel, managing director at EWM, in the release.

Bountiful Harvest will work to supply meals, including delivery service to seniors, vets and more. In addition, the organization will provide school kids with a weeks worth of breakfast and lunch. Food pickup is also available at 290 E. Grand River Ave. in Brighton.

The Torch & Torch 180, located at 131 Mill St. in Fowlerville, is providing a similar service, including free food, grocery and hot meal delivery to the community.

For more information on how to support Fund a Life, Executive Wealth Management, Bountiful Harvest or The Torch & Torch 180, call 810-229-6446.

They are need of a lot of volunteers and a lot of help, anybody if you can give donations of money, food, your time, whatever you can do," said Mark Howell, leader of Fund a Life, in the release.

Howell also said in an email that his organization acquired 3,000 PPE masks which will be donated to Woodland Cancer Center, as well as Michigan Medicine hospitals in the area.

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

Complete coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in Michigan here.

Read more from the 5 things that give us hope series:

Ann Arbor caterer donating thousands of meals: 5 more things that give us hope amid coronavirus

350 meals delivered to families in need: 5 more things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis

Free toilet paper with an oil change: Another 5 things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis

5 things that give us hope amid the coronavirus pandemic in Washtenaw County

5 more things that give us hope amid the coronavirus outbreak in Washtenaw County

An extra 5 things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis in Washtenaw County

Another 5 things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis in Washtenaw, Livingston counties

Originally posted here:
Yard signs show appreciation for health care workers: 5 more things that give us hope amid coronavirus crisis - MLive.com

Temperatures are rising, the sun is occasionally peeking out of a bluer sky than weve seen for a while, and many of us are itching to start working on lawns that may not look so great after a long, wet winter. Before you spend a lot of money on herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, realize that less is often more when it comes to spring lawn care.

The time to spread pre-emergent weed control is when forsythia blooms. Those bright yellow blooms are the first to emerge in early spring, and they are good indicators that the soil is beginning to warm and weeds are close to germinating.

Annual weeds such as crabgrass and goosegrass germinate in the spring. Depending on how thick your turf is and the amount of weed seeds in the soil, these weeds can outcompete with your grass and take over your lawn. If you miss the pre-emergent window and weeds start to sprout, your best bet is to apply some post-emergent herbicide to your lawn, when weeds are small.

Its not a good idea to apply nitrogen fertilizer to your lawn in the spring, so avoid applying a weed-and-feed herbicide. The best time to fertilize your lawn is in the fall. Spring feeding promotes the growth of warm-season weeds. Also, high amounts of nitrogen in spring and summer can result in increased damage from white grubs in the soil. High nitrogen levels restrict turf rooting, and that adds to the damage from grubs feeding on the turf roots.

Be aware that not all weeds are bad. We love to have pristine lawns, but the herbicides and pesticides needed to acquire those types of lawns are often detrimental to our pollinators. Dandelions are important early spring flowers for bees. If you dont like them, you can mow off the blooms before they go to seed, rather than spray them with herbicide.

For more information, call the Pulaski Co Extension office at 606-679-6361. Become a fan of Pulaski County Horticulture on Facebook, follow @hortagentbeth on Twitter and/or follow kyplants on Instagram.

Asof March 23, 2020, the Pulaski Co Extension office is closed to foot traffic. However, you can still reach all agents via phone, email, or social media. Programs and/or trainings will continue to take place electronically or with drive-through type interactions.

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

Link:
Go light on the lawn care in spring - somerset-kentucky.com

TOWN OF TRENTON

Kevin T. Juech

April 14, 1958 April 1, 2020

Its with heavy hearts we have to say Kevin Thomas Juech, often called The Animal, Calvin, Ivan Putski, Kevy, Edd, Big Dog, and Kevin From Heaven of The Town of Trenton, owner of Kevins Lawn Care and Eastside Landscape Supplies, both of West Bend, who passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at 4:07 a.m. at Aurora Hospital in Hartford of congestive heart failure and heart complications.

Kevin was born on April 14, 1958, to the late Melroy Juech and the late Judy Juech (nee Matenaer) at St. Joes Hospital of West Bend. Kevin went on to grade school at Holy Angels in West Bend and later went on to West Bend East High School completing 10 years. Kevin and school didnt agree but he still became a very successful businessman! He then met the love of his life, Dawn Juech (nee Solheim), known to some as munch and others as MOTHER. Kevin and Dawn were united in marriage on July 28, 1979, at St. Johns Lutheran Church in West Bend. In April of 1981, he decided to start up his own lawn care business, the first one in West Bend, driving around with the old Gremlin with the push mowers busting out the back window, numerous times with the help of his brother-in-law and key employee Doug Solheim; followed by Chris Peters that helped the business continue to grow to what it is today and with much help from Jim Tilt sticking around for as many years as he did, and of course his two kids, Jason and Amanda that have been stuck working together getting into scraps day in and day out. Cutting lawns at night and being Mr. Busybody was him, so he proceeded to work construction at many different places including Bruce Muckerheide Construction of West Bend and later went on to work at Henry R. Marohl in Wauwatosa as a heavy equipment operator, where he learned how to pick up a penny on the forks of a skid loader without hooking any dirt before later retiring.

After so-called retiring he continued working for himself and his wife driving one of their quad-axle dump trucks. A few years went by and he decided not to drive the dump trucks on a full-time basis but rather start up Eastside Landscape Supplies of West Bend that opened spring of 2005, which he not only owned and operated but was known as a relations manager that guy really knew how to jack the jaw. Throughout his wonderful, short, life he enjoyed spending the very little free time he did have with family, trillions of friends, and talking on the phone. People always said, Yeah, I seen Kevin today in his loader with a cigar hanging out of the mouth and on the phone.

He was always into speed and anything with a motor. He was into everything from four-wheeling with his CJ7 Jeep to racing his friends down the Milwaukee River with his pickup truck. He loved racing, period. He raced limited late models many years at local tracks including Plymouth, Manitowoc, and Chilton. As times got more crazy with the businesses he hung up racing but was always still involved whether he was a push truck driver for the sprint car division, spectating, or visiting down in the race shop with good friends as they worked on his son, Jasons, grand national.

His newest little gig was watching Jason race r-c trucks thinking he should even consider getting one for himself. He did enjoy having his Mustangs and telling his daughter, Amanda, that his 2013 Shelby GT500 would beat any of her cars. However, the Shelby would never leave the garage and it has no miles on it because he would never take the time off of work to actually drive it. In the winter months you would often find Kevin running around plowing snow puffing on an old cigar, splitting and hauling firewood, and watching the West Bend Bombers Hockey Team. Kevin and Dawn not only were sponsors of the West Bend Bombers Hockey Team but would also travel throughout the state to go and watch.

One thing many people wouldnt have seen in Kevin was the love he had for animals. He always enjoyed the welcome home by the howling of his daughter, Amandas, purebred Siberian Huskies as they could hear him approaching with one of the quads as he rattled the straight pipes and just couldnt resist hitting that jake brake! He was hoping to have started a dog sled team with them guys.

Kevin is further survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Dawn Juech (nee Solheim) that everyone always referred to as MOTHER; Jason Juech (special friend Kim Mertes, Kaylee, and Carson), Amanda Juech (special friend Chris Peters), Kent Juech, Merri and Dennis DeRuyter, Kurt Juech (Darla Francis), Missy Averill (Tony Wondra), Kerry and Wendy Juech, Karl Juech (Justine Bonenfant) Kris Little Kev and Melissa Juech, Debbie and Neal Carsen, Diane and John Stockhausen, Doreen Solheim, David and Mary Solheim,Doug and Kathy Solheim, many wonderful nieces and nephews; trillions of wonderful friends, and fur babies Kevin always referred to them as his mountain lions Blaze, Boss, and Saleen!

Kevin was preceded in death by his father, Melroy Juech, and mother, Judy Juech; father-in-law Donald Solheim and mother-in-law Doris Solheim; sister-in-law Dannyel Lawrence and brother-in-law James Lawrence; many fur babies: General, Peanut, Pepper, Magic, Jasper, Levi, Lucky, Mountain Lion Moochie, and the Little Guy Blake.

Due to COVID-19, private visitation is being held. Interment will take place at West Bend Cemetery Association/ Washington County Memorial Park. Celebration of life will be at a later date to be announced. The Phillip Funeral Home of West Bend is assisting the family.

Flowers or donations are greatly appreciated and can be made at the time of the celebration of life in remembrance of Kevin Juech to the American Heart Association, Plymouth Dirt Track of Plymouth, The West Bend Bombers Hockey Team of West Bend, and The Washington County Humane Society.

The family would like to thank Dr. Trivedi and his complete nursing staff along with Dr. Malik and his complete nursing staff. We would also wish to thank all past and present employees for their continued support in helping the businesses grow to what they have become today, as well as a big thank-you to all past and present customers for all their continued years of business and we look forward to doing business with them in the future. A big thank-you also to Phillip Funeral Home of West Bend and Slinger youre all family.

The Phillip Funeral Home of West Bend is assisting the family. For more information, call 262-338-2050 or visit http://www.phillipfuneralhome.com.

Read more:
Kevin T. Juech | 2020 | gmtoday.com - Greater Milwaukee Today

TCPalm's Rob Landers brings you some of today's top stories on the News in 90 Seconds for April 3. Treasure Coast Newspapers

To provide our community with important public safety information, our newsroom is making stories related to the coronavirus free to read. To support important local journalism like this, please consider becoming a digital subscriber.

As the novel coronovirus makes its way through Florida, hospitals on the Treasure Coast already havemore than half of theirintensive care beds filled, according to a state database.

The three counties have 164ICU adult beds;plus sixpediatric ICU beds aLawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce. As of noon Monday, patients filled 96of the adult beds, or about 59percent, plus half of Lawnwood's pediatric beds.

As of noon Monday, 55people on the Treasure Coast were admitted at hospitals related toCOVID-19.

Thursday, theAgency for Health Care Administration announced it had published a data dashboard of real-timehospital bed availability to provide the public with greater visibility on hospital capacity and census.

While the COVID-19 public health crisis is unprecedented, Florida has a strong foundation of emergency preparedness built on government collaboration at all levelsstate level emergency infrastructure to support local responses, state and county public health expertise and resources, and a high-quality, dedicated health system, said agency Secretary Mary Mayhew.

Monday, Lawnwood had 40of 54 of its adult ICU beds filled, about 74percent. But officials said they have a plan if more beds are filled.

"We stand ready to activate established and exercised surge plans, including setting up triage tents and mobilizing additional resources in collaboration with federal, state and local entities," said Lawnwood spokeswoman Tiffany Woods. "Our surge plans include using all available patient care space within our hospitals and in other settings across our healthcare system."

Overall bed availability on the Treasure Coast showed about 54percent of the 1,807 were filled Monday.

This publicly reported data will be a critical statewide resource for anticipating individual hospital needs and monitoring bed availability across Florida," Mayhew said.

Thedashboardprovides search options for counties and individual hospitals within the counties for overall beds and ICU beds.

More: Coronavirus cases: Third person dies in St. Lucie County

More: St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin counties embrace DeSantis' statewide safe-at-home order

Stancil is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm.Contact Stancil at 321-987-7179

or lamaur.stancil@tcpalm.com.Twitter: @TCPalmLStancil

To stay up to date with our breaking news coverage and our exclusive content, be sure tosubscribe.

Read or Share this story: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/2020/04/06/many-intensive-care-beds-filled-treasure-coast-hospitals/2940444001/

Go here to see the original:
More than half intensive care beds filled at Treasure Coast hospitals - TCPalm

During its temporary closure, the Lone Star Flight Museum is offering virtual experiences and sharing content via its social media pages. (Courtesy of Lone Star Flight Museum)

April 7: Check out Galveston Bay Foundation's latest video

Every Monday, the local conservation nonprofit is releasing an educational video with accompanying activities geared toward elementary- and middle school-age learners. The first video, which debuted March 23, focused on oysters and oyster reefs. Other video topics, all themed around conservation, include wetlands, Bay biodiversity and The Microscopic Ecosystem.

Where to tune in: Visit this page.

April 8: Experience the Lone Star Flight Museum

While the Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport is temporarily closed, virtual visits are open 24/7, and the museum also is streaming short videos live nightly for free at 6 p.m. The museum produces daily themed social media posts about STEM, video tours of planes and exhibits, behind-the-scenes views of the archives, how-to's and more.

Where to tune in: Visit this page.

April 9: Do an earlynmorning workout

Camp Gladiator League City introduced its #HustlefromHome workout series on March 17, which includes printable 30-minute, at-home workouts for any time of day as well as live virtual hourlong classes at 5 a.m., 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Where to tune in: Visit this page.

April 10: Learn about the performing arts at a trial class

Bay Area Arts Conservatory is offering dance, musical theater, acting and voice training for ages 2-18 through virtual classes during the month of April. Instructors are uploading video content to each class every week along with other activities.

Where to tune in: Register at this page.

April 11: Stir up success with Lemonade Day

Lemonade Day Houston is a free online lesson program aiming to teach kids how to make lemonade out of lemons and build business and character skills to help them navigate lifes challenges. Kids can learn how to set up a lemonade stand in the future or start any other kid-friendly business, such as dog-walking or lawn care.

Where to tune in: Visit this page.

April 12: Color Houston-themed pictures

Numerous local artists have turned their works into coloring book pages, which are available for printout.

Where to tune in: Print the coloring book here.

Continue reading here:
VIRTUAL TO-DO LIST: 6 Bay Area businesses, nonprofits offering activities to stream from home, April 6-12 - Community Impact Newspaper

Hair stylists canceled clients. Gardeners and construction crews showed up to work. A dog grooming business deemed itself essential and kept its door open. Some liquor stores closed. Others didnt.

All the time, cases of the coronavirus kept creeping upward.

During the first day of a shelter-in-place order in seven Bay Area counties Tuesday, compliance was generally strong but uneven in places, with some businesses uncertain whether they required to close.

The order issued Monday requires residents to stay home until at least April 7. They may leave their homes only for essential needs, such as visiting grocery stores, pharmacies, doctors and relatives. Officials say the order seeks to prevent COVID-19 from overwhelming the healthcare system of a region where 7 million people live.

All nonessential businesses were ordered to close.

San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine said the order will likely be modified to clarify whether some businesses, such as lawn care, home construction and autism support, are affected.

My gardener called this morning and asked if he could work, said Pine.

Because gardeners and small construction crews are generally small and work outside, they are unlikely going to pose a health risk, he said.

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed announced a declaration that would waive some civil service and charter rules for hiring health workers, including nurses.

Our health workers are on the front lines of this public health emergency and as the situation evolves, we need to make sure we have enough nurses available to care for people who need medical care, Breed said.

Typically, the citys hiring process for nurses takes six months or more, she said. The change will allow the city to hire them on the spot.

Freeways throughout the Bay Area bore only light traffic. Parking spaces were abundant at commercial centers.

At Crissy Field in San Francisco, only a few joggers, dog walkers and families took advantage of the clear sunny day to go to the beach. A lonely heron stood in a field with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

A lone heron enjoys the view at Chrissy Field in San Francisco on Tuesday.

(Susanne Rust / Los Angeles Times)

Diyar Borak, a rug store owner from Mill Valley, was standing on the pier, fishing rod bent in a tight, almost half circle. It could be a halibut, he said to a curious onlooker. I got one here a few days ago. He counted only six other fishermen, a fraction of those who normally show up.

As he talked, the line broke on his rod. Oh, well. maybe it was the big one, he said with a shrug. I just hope whatever it was, the lure isnt stuck in its mouth. We dont need anyone or anything else getting sick right now.

In the East Bay city of Walnut Creek, the normally bustling downtown was mostly deserted Tuesday as were shopping districts in Oakland and the South Bay.

Palo Altos University Avenue was a ghost town. All nonessential shops were closed, and restaurants were empty. The only visible lunch eaters were two sitting outside a Pizza My Heart.

Businesses and residents are subject to citation for violating the order, but elected officials said law enforcement was much more likely to issue warnings than citations.

Still, the threat of a sanction proved effective in some cases.

Janine Hedlund, 37, a hair stylist who works on one client at a time at her shop in Lafayette, texted clients Tuesday that she was canceling their appointments.

What if somebody sees me doing hair and then call the police on me? she said. I want to abide by the rules.

She said 80% of her clients did not have a problem with cancellations but others insisted she could do their hair alone. One jokingly asked if she could get arm extenders.

I am torn because I want to help out my clients, and people are saying, `it is just you and me, and we are not doing a group of more than five. Is that a gray area? Am I allowed to do just one person? I dont know.

If Palo Alto police see a group of 20 construction workers huddled together, they plan to issue a gentle reminder, not a citation, said Mayor Adrian Fine. The San Francisco Police Department tweeted overnight that it would visit bars and nightclubs to ensure they were shut down.

Businesses that deemed themselves essential included Menlo Parks Abbey Flooring, which reduced hours. Bow Wow Meow, a high-end pet product and grooming shop also had its doors open.

We provide pet products and services that people need, said Amy Bearg, an executive assistant at the shops anchor store in San Francisco, describing services such as anal gland expulsion and hot spot shaving. For some animals, these services are essential, she said.

No region statewide has been hit harder by the coronavirus than the San Francisco Bay Area. As of Tuesday afternoon, authorities had reported 320 cases and five deaths in the counties where shelter-in-places orders were issued Monday Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara, as well as the neighboring county of Santa Cruz.

Overnight, the number of cases in San Mateo County rose to 64 from 42 and in San Francisco, rose to 43 from 40. Four of the deaths were in Santa Clara County, all people who were in their 50s or older. One death was in San Mateo County.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, city health authorities ordered cannabis dispensaries closed on Tuesday morning. One of them, the Apothecarium, announced on its website that its three San Francisco dispensaries were closed until April 7, or until further notice.

Later, the city reversed itself, stating in a tweet that cannabis is an essential medicine for many San Francisco residents.

Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna, Contra Costa County deputy health officer, said an association of Bay Area health officers held telephone conferences throughout the weekend to draft the order.

He said each county communicated with its city leaders. In Contra Costa County, some of the mayors were concerned about the orders impact on the economy, but eventually agreed it was appropriate.

We felt strongly that viruses cross borders, people cross borders and public health mitigation measures must also cross borders to be effective, Radhakrishna said.

Without mentioning names, he predicted that other counties will follow suit as more cases develop.

Solano and Napa have both issued advisories, but not orders as aggressive as the other Bay Area counties. Sonoma and San Benito counties issued tough orders Tuesday.

It is hard to convince your political leaders to really shut things down if you dont have any cases yet, Radhakrishna said. We wanted to start with counties that were ready to come on board with this level of shelter in place. Early action is essential to flatten the curve.

He said the counties decided that BART trains should continue to run because they carry many essential workers.

San Mateo Supervisor Pine confessed he was scared as to whether we can prevent an Italy-like situation despite our best efforts.

Ideally, we should have done this two weeks ago, he said, but he was not sure anybody was ready for it then.

More:
Coronavirus: Parts of Bay Area resist 'shelter in place' order - Los Angeles Times

Maureen Libby, the sole caretaker for her 32-year-old son, Chad, who has cerebral palsy, has holed up with him in their Sumner home out of concern for his health.

On Thursday, Chad returned home from his day program with his United Ambulance driver, who told Maureen he was worried about the lack of precautions he was seeing in public while driving his route.

Their conversation prompted Maureen to call everyone she could think of to talk through the idea of immediately self-isolating. By the time she had heard back from the Bethel Family Heath Center office, she had decided. Chads doctor, Kevin Finley, recommended she plan to keep him at home for up to a month.

I have a feeling now, its going to be a lot longer than that, Libby said. Im nervous. Im really nervous. Chad and I were homebound last winter.

Her anxiety is heightened by the memories of a difficult winter a year ago battling the heath care system. After Chad became seriously ill, Libby brought him to multiple doctors before learning that hed been having a bad reaction to his seizure medication. The two spent the winter alone, while Maureen nursed him back to health.

He was just wasting away, she said.

This time, she is even more anxious because she hasnt stocked up in preparation for spending long periods in isolation with her son, whose needs are profound.

She isnt able to get the supplies she needs to care for him online because those items are sold out, she said. And she cant have people visit to deliver supplies due to the possibility of contacting the virus.

She has about a two weeks supply of food for her son, who can eat only formula.

Im afraid that everything is going to shut down, she said. I dont want to starve him to death.

In this trying time, she has managed to find some humanity and connection, she said.

Her neighbor, a man in his 70s who cares for an 84-year-old man, had the foresight to order canned goods, she said.

He came to her home Sunday with some tissues and canned fruit for her.

And we sat across from each other on the lawn, she said. I sat on my deck and he had his chairs out in the middle of my lawn. He sat on one side and I sat on the other.

Previous

Read the original post:
Through the window: Maureen Libby and her son Chad - Lewiston Sun Journal

NEW JERSEY All state employees will have the option to work from home as Gov. Phil Murphys office continues to enact measures aimed at promoting social distancing and stemming the spread of coronavirus, COVID-19.

And while that means tens of thousands will have the opportunity to stay home, an even more impactful measure the long-term shutdown of the states schools is imminent.

Murphy said he is prepared with 99% certainty to announce on Monday that schools will close their doors and switch to remote instruction. This would affect 1.4 million public school students and hundreds of thousands more in private schools.

Sign Up for Fair Lawn/Glen Rock Newsletter

Our newsletter delivers the local news that you can trust.

You have successfully signed up for the TAPinto Fair Lawn/Glen Rock Newsletter.

When asked by a reporter during this afternoons teleconference why he wasnt 100% sure, Murphy said, We have 210,000 kids in this state who rely on schools for food. Ive got to make sure every one of those kids gets a meal when this goes into effect. We have 259,000 kids in this state by survey who dont have a device or access to a device. We have significant child care realities, many of whom by the way overlap with healthcare workers.

He said he and members of his office are communicating with statewide stakeholders today and Monday to ensure a singular message and to ensure educators, parents and administrators have clear guidance and are prepared for the weeks ahead.

Murphys continued message of social distancing keeping six feet apart at all times comes a day after the state's second COVID-19-related death.

A 58-year-old woman who was being treated at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold has died after she had contact with a confirmed case, according to Judy Persichilli, the commissioner of the states Department of Health. Persichilli said that confirmed case had a connection with a confirmed case in Bergen County.

She announced that there are 31 new positive cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in the state. That brings the total in-state number to 98 (although the number reported on Saturday was 69, one case was on the list twice and one case overlapped with another state).

Of the new cases, seven were from Bergen County, six from Hudson, four each from Monmouth and Essex, three each in Passaic and Union and one each in Ocean, Burlington, Morris and Middlesex counties. The new cases range in age from 30 to 77, and 22 of the cases are men.

Persichilli stressed that everyone should avoid small and large gatherings and pointed to the measures taken by Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin, who is calling for the 40,000 residents in his Bergen County town to self-quarantine.

Despite the pleas for social distancing, the Murphy administration seems resigned to the fact some will not heed his warning.

He requested on Sunday the federal government open a 60-day special enrollment period in New Jersey to allow uninsured and underinsured residents to enroll in health coverage through the federal health insurance exchange. This would allow more people access to testing and treatment, he said.

The Governors request was issued in a letter sent to U.S. Department Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma.

While I have coordinated across state agencies to take emergency action to facilitate access to screening, testing and access to care for the residents of New Jersey, more can be done to ensure every individual has access to appropriate health care during this crisis, Governor Murphy wrote. Therefore, as New Jersey transitions from a state-based exchange on the federal platform to a state-based exchange, I respectfully urge the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to authorize a special enrollment period in New Jersey to allow individuals to access affordable health insurance options through the federal platform.

Murphy is also trying to anticipate the long-range effects social-distancing might have on businesses in New Jersey.

The state has established an online portal, cv.business.nj.gov, where the 86,000 or so small-businesses owners can find answers to question and concerns.

We know that this is an uncertain time for everybody, but in this case, for businesses and in particular small businesses, Murphy said. We implore them to continue to retain workers and allow workers who are sick to stay home. Not paying employees might keep employers from being able to fully benefit from anticipated settlement relief and keep their workers from using available state benefit like earned income credit and paid family leave.

See the rest here:
Gov. Murphy Announces State Employees Have Option to Work From Home - TAPinto.net

Watson said the districts coronavirus response team has been meeting almost three times a week, and more recently, daily for the last three or four weeks.

Watson said the district will distribute older electronic devices for students who need them to use with the online curriculum, and that the district is working on alternate solutions for students without internet access.

While the district updated families, child care providers are still waiting on a directive and struggling to make the decision about whether they should close or stay open.

BriAnne Moline, the owner of Wild Wonders Early Learning, said she did not want to close her home-based facility, but as a pregnant mother, she has her own health concerns, in addition to concerns about the safety of her staff, and also her family, who live in the home that houses the program. Moline decided Tuesday to close by the end of the week.

Fort Courage Child Care, which normally provides care for about 70 children, also will close for two weeks, said the program's executive director Katie West. Similarly, the ASUM child care center on the University of Montana campus has closed. Kristal Burns, of Missoula Community School, said their facility closed in conjunction with public schools.

Some larger child care centers have opted to close down or cut back on the number of children they serve.

See more here:
Child care facilities question whether to remain open or close - The Missoulian

Tim Killian, a spokesman for Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., prepares to give a daily briefing to reporters on Wednesday. Ted S. Warren/AP hide caption

Tim Killian, a spokesman for Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., prepares to give a daily briefing to reporters on Wednesday.

It's been two weeks since the public learned about a deadly outbreak of coronavirus at Life Care Center of Kirkland a long-term care and nursing facility in Washington state and some families wait on edge over loved ones who remain there.

As of Friday afternoon, only about a third of the 120 residents who were living at the facility in mid-February remain. There are 25 people associated with Life Care who have died after being infected with coronavirus. Other residents are in the hospital.

As more nursing facilities in Washington report cases of coronavirus, the death toll at Life Care serves as an example of the vulnerability of the elderly in the growing pandemic.

"I can stay here"

Two years ago after suffering a minor stroke, June Liu had no interest in moving into a long-term care facility.

The now 93-year-old lived alone, rode the bus and shunned the use of a walker. But Liu's daughter Su Wilson says it didn't take long for Life Care Center of Kirkland to become her mother's home.

"She kept telling me they are very nice to me, they are good, I can stay here," Wilson says.

Wilson and her husband Arnie live 10 minutes away from the Kirkland facility.

Several times a week, she'd bring her mother over to their bustling home where chickens roam around the yard, to see her great-grandchildren. On Sundays, her mother would be ready at 9:30 a.m. for church.

"It's just like life had such joyful meaning to her," Wilson says. "I would always laugh and say, 'mother you are going to live longer than me.'"

Wilson holds her smartphone and scrolls through photos of her mother out with their family some taken just a few months ago.

"We went out to the Chinese restaurant, we were all eating together, the whole family," Wilson says with a smile.

Wilson can't make sense of how these happy routines could change so fast.

Last month, she and other families discovered coronavirus had begun to sweep through this suburban community on the banks of Lake Washington.

Wilson's mother and many others who lived and worked at Life Care eventually tested positive for the virus.

"As soon as she [found] out she's positive, she no longer [wanted] to talk on the phone," Wilson says. "It [was] hard to understand her on the phone... her voice [was] so weak."

Wilson worries her mother's health is deteriorating. While she believed the nurses were doing the best they could, her mother was isolated: stuck in a room, unable to visit with her family and only able to understand a little bit of English. Liu watched other residents being wheeled away on stretchers, unlikely to return.

"I think [she was] in shock and also to find out she's going to die," Wilson says. "I think she [knows] because she's clear."

Wilson finds herself in a heartrending predicament as her mother lingers at the facility until she's no longer contagious.

No hospital beds

Outside Life Care Center, neighbors wrap blue ribbons around pine trees and flowers frame the welcome sign.

Bridget Parkhill's 76-year-old mother, Susan Hailey, was living there during rehab after knee replacement.

Parkhill says her mother went to the hospital when her symptoms worsened and tested positive for the virus. Once she was stabilized, Hailey was then brought back to Life Care.

"The hospitals don't have any beds for people who don't have acute respiratory distress," Parkhill says.

Parkill and her sister, Carmen Gray, wait outside her mother's window in the cold to check on her.

"We're hoping that mom is strong and going to come out of this on the other side OK," Gray says.

She worries the facility's staff are overstretched, and her mother isn't able to move around or bathe properly.

'We felt like it was a death sentence"

Life Care does not prohibit anyone from leaving, but families can't necessarily bring their loved ones home and run the risk of exposing others to the virus.

"There is nowhere else for these patients to go, it has been deemed that it's best to keep them on site and being treated here," says Timothy Killian, a public information liaison for Life Care Center of Kirkland.

Killian says local hospitals won't admit patients unless they have severe symptoms and other nursing home facilities are "unwilling" to take them because of their exposure to coronavirus.

And families aren't necessarily equipped to care for their relatives outside of the facility.

Laura Rightmyer says her family decided to pull her 93-year-old mother out of Life Care as the situation grew more dire.

"We felt like it was a death sentence for my mom... that her chances of getting it were obviously great," Rightmyer says.

Now her mother is living with her.

Rightmyer, who's a nurse practitioner, says she's doing better and doesn't appear to have the virus.

"I think we made the right decision for ourselves and for our mom," Rightmyer says.

Rightmyer says it's now proving difficult to find a doctor who will see her mother because she was associated with Life Care.

Su Wilson sends her mother homecooked meals and writes cards to cheer her up.

She hasn't been in the same room with her mother for more than three weeks.

"We worry about my mother, and I just feel like everybody [has] to die," Wilson says. "She [lived] a happy long life."

Wilson says she doesn't blame anyone.

"I just want to hold her hand," she says. "She's not frightened back in the loneliness."

Link:
Coronavirus Hit This Long-Term Care Facility Hard, But Moving Residents Isn't Easy - NPR