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Sent: Tue, Apr 21, 2020 4:15 p.m.
Coronavirus Updates: States Face Backlash for Reopening too Soon
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By Angela Fritz
The Post's coronavirus coverage linked in this newsletter is free to access from this email. If you have any trouble, try the "Read online" link at the top right of this email.
The latest
On Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) announced that he would start lifting restrictions this week, and backlash immediately followed. Gyms, barber shops, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys will be open Friday; restaurants and theaters next week. Mayors across Georgia say their cities are not ready. Very few states meet the White House criteria for reopening, health experts say, and Georgia is not yet on that list. Read about Kemp's decision and the criticism he's facing because of it.
Most Americans do not expect restrictions to lift immediately, despite the White House's efforts, according to a new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. A majority believe it could be June or later before large gatherings will be safe. President Trump's handling of the outbreak gets negative reviews from 54 percent of Americans, while governors have an approval rating of 72 percent. See all the poll questions and how Americans responded.
The White House and congressional leaders have reached a deal to expand small business aid, replenishing the small-business loan program that was overwhelmed by demand and quickly ran out of money, and boost funding for hospitals and testing. Trump said he would sign it into law. Read about the deal, how much money it will allocate and who will benefit.
Trump tweeted late Monday that he plans to sign an executive order that suspends all immigration to the United States, citing the pandemic. At the same time, the president has also said that the battle against coronavirus is going so well that the country is ready to reopen. Here's what we know about Trump's plan to limit immigration and the legal questions it raises.
Nurses who have spent weeks on the front lines with inadequate personal protective equipment — some of whom have contracted covid-19 — are filing lawsuits against hospitals and health departments. Members of the country's largest union of registered nurses are protesting outside the White House today, reading the names of colleagues who have died. "We're tired of being treated as if we are expendable," Deborah Burger, president of National Nurses United, told The Post. "If we are killed in this pandemic, there won't be anybody to take care of the rest of the sick people that are going to come."
A data breach may have exposed the personal information of thousands of small businesses applying for federal disaster loans. Nearly 8,000 applicants to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, run by the Small Business Administration, may have been affected.
Many of us are stressed out or even depressed amid stay-at-home orders, feeling trapped and isolated. More and more, people are turning to meditation apps as a way to regain the feeling of calm and control that we miss so dearly. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Don't worry, there's an app for that.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is looking to open his state. He gave a specially appointed committee five days to figure out how to do it. (There are no health experts on the task force.)
South Africa is handling coronavirus in a unique way: hunting it down.
At least seven Milwaukee residents who participated in April elections have tested positive for coronavirus, health officials say
Nearly 1 in 10 nursing homes have reported covid-19 cases — more than 1,300 facilities nationwide — with thousands of deaths, a new Post analysis shows.
The federal government, which employs more than 2 million people across the country, unveiled a plan to return to normal operations.
Fact Checker: Trump's bizarre effort to tag Obama's swine flu response as "a disaster."
Live updates
Track deaths and confirmed cases in the U.S. at the county level and across the world.
Post reporters across the world are publishing live dispatches 24 hours a day.
Read the latest about the cases and impact in the D.C. area.
FAQ on stimulus check glitches: Why you're having trouble and what you can do.
Submit a question and The Post may answer it in a future story, live chat or newsletter.
Your questions, answered
"Cloth masks … can I wear the same one all day if I've taken it on and off? Since the virus doesn't survive well on cloth, does it really need to be laundered after every use? What about letting it sit for 24 hours? Laundering and ironing masks for the whole family is driving me crazy!" — Lisa in Illinois
Earlier this month, the CDC recommended that everyone wear a simple cloth mask while out in public to further mitigate the spread of the virus. Medical-grade masks are scarce and should be reserved for health-care workers.
Once you've made your mask — which you can get advice on here — you'll have to wash it after using it, but it doesn't seem like there's a hard and fast rule on frequency.
Washing it after every single use would be ideal from a stop-the-spread perspective, but as Lisa points out in her question, that much mask washing is enough to drive someone crazy. Here's what various experts and organizations suggest:
The bottom line is that every time we go out, we are taking a risk. Wearing a mask adds an extra layer of protection for those around us — and if everyone is wearing one, it's a layer of protection for us, too.
Washing masks frequently is annoying, but it seems like the ideal would be after every use; wearing it multiple times between washes increases the risk of spreading the virus. Since most of us aren't going out that much (and, when possible, not dragging the whole family with us when we do) that shouldn't add up to more than once or twice a week, hopefully.
Read more about face masks, how to make them and how they help prevent the spread.
Find more stories, analysis and op-eds about the outbreak on our coronavirus page, including:
Seven stories of women living alone during the pandemicBy Story by Caroline Kitchener; Illustrations by Olivia Waller ● Read more »
Pandemic eating: You can make nutritious, affordable meals with canned or frozen foods
By Cara Rosenbloom ● Read more »
Sign up for this newsletter
Read online
By Angela Fritz
The Post's coronavirus coverage linked in this newsletter is free to access from this email. If you have any trouble, try the "Read online" link at the top right of this email.
The latest
On Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) announced that he would start lifting restrictions this week, and backlash immediately followed. Gyms, barber shops, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys will be open Friday; restaurants and theaters next week. Mayors across Georgia say their cities are not ready. Very few states meet the White House criteria for reopening, health experts say, and Georgia is not yet on that list. Read about Kemp's decision and the criticism he's facing because of it.
Most Americans do not expect restrictions to lift immediately, despite the White House's efforts, according to a new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. A majority believe it could be June or later before large gatherings will be safe. President Trump's handling of the outbreak gets negative reviews from 54 percent of Americans, while governors have an approval rating of 72 percent. See all the poll questions and how Americans responded.
The White House and congressional leaders have reached a deal to expand small business aid, replenishing the small-business loan program that was overwhelmed by demand and quickly ran out of money, and boost funding for hospitals and testing. Trump said he would sign it into law. Read about the deal, how much money it will allocate and who will benefit.
Trump tweeted late Monday that he plans to sign an executive order that suspends all immigration to the United States, citing the pandemic. At the same time, the president has also said that the battle against coronavirus is going so well that the country is ready to reopen. Here's what we know about Trump's plan to limit immigration and the legal questions it raises.
Nurses who have spent weeks on the front lines with inadequate personal protective equipment — some of whom have contracted covid-19 — are filing lawsuits against hospitals and health departments. Members of the country's largest union of registered nurses are protesting outside the White House today, reading the names of colleagues who have died. "We're tired of being treated as if we are expendable," Deborah Burger, president of National Nurses United, told The Post. "If we are killed in this pandemic, there won't be anybody to take care of the rest of the sick people that are going to come."
A data breach may have exposed the personal information of thousands of small businesses applying for federal disaster loans. Nearly 8,000 applicants to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, run by the Small Business Administration, may have been affected.
Many of us are stressed out or even depressed amid stay-at-home orders, feeling trapped and isolated. More and more, people are turning to meditation apps as a way to regain the feeling of calm and control that we miss so dearly. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Don't worry, there's an app for that.
More important news
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is looking to open his state. He gave a specially appointed committee five days to figure out how to do it. (There are no health experts on the task force.)
South Africa is handling coronavirus in a unique way: hunting it down.
At least seven Milwaukee residents who participated in April elections have tested positive for coronavirus, health officials say
Nearly 1 in 10 nursing homes have reported covid-19 cases — more than 1,300 facilities nationwide — with thousands of deaths, a new Post analysis shows.
The federal government, which employs more than 2 million people across the country, unveiled a plan to return to normal operations.
Fact Checker: Trump's bizarre effort to tag Obama's swine flu response as "a disaster."
Live updates
Track deaths and confirmed cases in the U.S. at the county level and across the world.
Post reporters across the world are publishing live dispatches 24 hours a day.
Read the latest about the cases and impact in the D.C. area.
FAQ on stimulus check glitches: Why you're having trouble and what you can do.
Submit a question and The Post may answer it in a future story, live chat or newsletter.
Your questions, answered
"Cloth masks … can I wear the same one all day if I've taken it on and off? Since the virus doesn't survive well on cloth, does it really need to be laundered after every use? What about letting it sit for 24 hours? Laundering and ironing masks for the whole family is driving me crazy!" — Lisa in Illinois
Earlier this month, the CDC recommended that everyone wear a simple cloth mask while out in public to further mitigate the spread of the virus. Medical-grade masks are scarce and should be reserved for health-care workers.
Once you've made your mask — which you can get advice on here — you'll have to wash it after using it, but it doesn't seem like there's a hard and fast rule on frequency.
Washing it after every single use would be ideal from a stop-the-spread perspective, but as Lisa points out in her question, that much mask washing is enough to drive someone crazy. Here's what various experts and organizations suggest:
- "The CDC says "they should be routinely washed depending on the frequency of use." (I agree, this is not specific enough.)
- William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told NBC that a weekly wash should suffice. (He also reminded people that they shouldn't be going out that often anyway, since trips should be limited to supermarkets and pharmacies.)
- Joseph Fair, a virologist and epidemiologist, also told NBC that people should wash cloth masks after every two uses.
- Rodney Rohde, a researcher at the College of Health Professions at Texas State University, told HuffPost that we should wash the masks after every use.
The bottom line is that every time we go out, we are taking a risk. Wearing a mask adds an extra layer of protection for those around us — and if everyone is wearing one, it's a layer of protection for us, too.
Washing masks frequently is annoying, but it seems like the ideal would be after every use; wearing it multiple times between washes increases the risk of spreading the virus. Since most of us aren't going out that much (and, when possible, not dragging the whole family with us when we do) that shouldn't add up to more than once or twice a week, hopefully.
Read more about face masks, how to make them and how they help prevent the spread.
Today's top reads
Find more stories, analysis and op-eds about the outbreak on our coronavirus page, including:
- U.K. Parliament votes to continue democracy by Zoom
- Ride along with a volunteer NYC ambulance crew answering covid-19 calls
- Quarantine reset: 5 steps to make you feel more in control
Seven stories of women living alone during the pandemicBy Story by Caroline Kitchener; Illustrations by Olivia Waller ● Read more »
Pandemic eating: You can make nutritious, affordable meals with canned or frozen foods
By Cara Rosenbloom ● Read more »
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