Much of the news today was bleak.
The latest projected U.S. death numbers are downright horrifying. The city of Toronto has cancelled all major public events through June 30—which brings home the reality that a return to “normal” is months away, at least. The state just announced that schools will not reopen this school year. And county health officials are recommending we all start wearing face coverings in public; the federal government may soon follow suit.
I’d also like to point out the latest piece in the Independent’s Pandemic Stories series, by staff writer Kevin Fitzgerald, about the cutbacks in services made by the Coachella Valley’s agencies that help victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. While they’re still doing all they can to help people, and that’s a lot—I need to make that very clear—the pandemic means that for now, a rep from Coachella Valley Sexual Assault Services can’t be there in person to comfort a rape victim as they begin to endure the trying process of a medical exam and dealing with law enforcement. That means that Shelter From the Storm can’t accept domestic-violence victims into their shelter right now—because they need to protect the health of the clients and staff already at the shelter.
This. Is. All. Awful.
Take a breath. Take a moment if you need to. And realize that despite all this awfulness, we are still blessed overall.
And now, the good news: There’s yet more evidence coming out that California’s (relatively) quick actions, most notably the shelter-in-place order, are truly, honestly working. By doing what you’re supposed to—keeping your ass at home—we’re making a real damn difference.
We should also take solace in the fact that our society—despite some real, systemic issues—is functional. I was hit by this fact earlier today when I read this fantastic article, from The Conversation, about what’s happening in Syria right now. Can you imagine dealing with COVID-19 and a nasty civil war at the same time? I sure as hell can’t.
We’re blessed. The vast majority of us are safe. And we’re making progress at beating this goddamned virus. Let’s keep it up.
Now, more news:
• People, listen up. We just received this plea from Katie Evans, the director of communications and conservation for the Coachella Valley Water District: “We are having a bit of a challenge. I thought you might be able to include in something—maybe as a brief or part of a roundup. With people increasing their use of wipes, we have getting a lot of wipes in the sewer system which can cause really significant damage to our pumps. We ran a campaign last year with the hashtag #nowipesinthepipes because even so-called ‘flushable’ wipes should not be flushed and can cause significant damage to our system. We really want to remind people that only human waste and toilet paper should go down the drain.” So … there. Got it? Stop flushing wipes!
• Our friends at Dig Boston have compiled yet another roundup of coverage of COVID-19 from alternative newspapers across the country. We ain’t dead yet!
• The city of Palm Springs has posted the slide deck from a recent presentation with Assemblyman Chad Mayes, Mayor Geoff Kors and some biz experts with details on the new loans being offered to small businesses during the pandemic. Everyone’s still figuring out all of the finer points of the loan programs included in the just-passed stimulus package, but this includes some very helpful info.
• As of tomorrow, Joshua Tree National Park is completely closed.
• Covered California asked us to remind you that they’re there to help you get health insurance. They write: “As job loss claims hit record-highs, more and more Californians will be dealing with a loss of income and their health insurance coverage. Covered California and Medi-Cal are providing a path to coverage for those affected by this pandemic. Covered California recently announced a special-enrollment period related to the crisis. Anyone who meets Covered California’s eligibility requirements, which are like those in place during the annual open-enrollment period, can sign up for coverage from now through June 30.” Get deets at www.coveredca.com.
• Finally, a tidbit out of Michigan that’s sad but fascinating: Health officials are reporting that one of the COVID-19 victims there passed away at the age of 107. That means that this person was 5-6 years old or so during the last pandemic of this magnitude—the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919.
Wow. Feel free to join me in raising a toast to that man or woman. What a run.
I’ll be back tomorrow with lots more—including the list of Supporters of the Independent I promised you yesterday. It makes more sense to include that in tomorrow’s Daily Digest; that way, I can include everyone who supported us during the month of March. If you want to be part of that list, and support amazing, free-to-all local journalism like Kevin’s story referenced above, please go here. Thank you.
And to March: Good freaking riddance!
Wash your hands. Count your blessings. #nowipesinthepipes. And keep up the fight, as our efforts seem to be working!