Arkansas
As of April 24th
Education Secretary, Johnny Key asked that all schools in the state forego any plans for a traditional high school graduation ceremony until after July 1. As the date grows closer that timeline could be extended. Plans for a nontraditional event such as an online ceremony should be coordinated through the Arkansas Department of Education.
Georgia
As of April 27th
- Daily State Public Health stats: As of noon Monday, State cases are up to 23,773 confirmed cases as compared to 22,491 at 7 p.m. Friday, with 4,433 hospitalized patients as compared to 4,322 last Friday night, and 942 deaths as compared to 899 last Friday night.
- Rep. Vernon Jones reached 100,000 Twitter followers this week, twice as many as the week before.
- While Speaker Ralston prefers June 11 to re-start the legislature, LG Duncan prefers May 14.
- Law360 (April 27, 2020, 10:29 AM EDT) — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that an annotated version of Georgia’s official state law code could not be locked up under copyright law, declaring it a “government edict” that must be free for all to use. In a 5-4 vote, the justices rejected an infringement lawsuit that the state filed against an activist group called Public.Resource.Org Inc., which copied and distributed the code without paying. “Officials empowered to speak with the force of law cannot be the authors of – and therefore cannot copyright – the works they create in the course of their official duties,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority.
Local:
- Emory University and its health care system are acquiring seven sophisticated sterilization machines to extend the life of single-use protective gear such as respirator masks as hospitals across the country fighting the coronavirus grapple with shortages of critical supplies. The new Bioquell machines use vaporized hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate medical equipment in about two hours.
North Carolina
As of April 27th
Coronavirus Update as of Sunday, 4/26
- Laboratory confirmed Coronavirus cases: 8,830
- Coronavirus deaths: 299
- Currently hospitalized: 451
- Completed tests: 107,894
- NC Counties affected: 94/100
- Realtime COVID-19 Data for NC
SCHOOLS TO STAY CLOSED
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Friday that North Carolina public schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year. The decision extends an order that originally kept them closed until May 15. Schools have been closed since March 14. The announcement means that North Carolina’s 1.5 million public school students will finish the school year taking classes virtually. The announcement also comes as public schools in North Carolina are changing how they grade students since coronavirus has stopped in-person instruction. The State Board of Education last Thursday approved a new policy that would prohibit students in grades K-11 from getting a failing grade for the spring semester. Students should be promoted to the next grade unless plans to retain them were “well underway” on March 13. A state bill could also change the start date for some students, for the 2020-21 school year. If passed, the proposal would move the first day of the traditional calendar to mid-August. Currently, public schools, with few exceptions, are not allowed to start before August 25.
Gov. Cooper Outlines Budget Plan for Spending COVID-19 Relief Aid (WRAL) Gov. Roy Cooper presented an outline for how he wants to spend US$1.4 billion in federal COVID-19 relief in the state budget. The money is from the CARES Act. The Governor’s proposal breaks down as follows:
- US$375 million for small business and local government assistance
- US$313 million to public health and safety
- US$740.4 million for education and state government services.
State lawmakers come into session Tuesday and have been developing their funding priorities as well. The House, Senate and Governor’s Office will have to mesh those plans in the coming days, but Cooper said that General Assembly leaders have seen all of his proposals, many of which were based on their input. Cooper also said the House’s proposals spend a bit more than his and that the Senate’s spend a little less, but “I think we all want to go in the same direction.”
Governor Cooper’s COVID-19 Budget Package
NC Residents Leaving Home More, Cellphone Data Shows (Raleigh News & Observer) There are signs that North Carolina residents are growing weary of staying at home even as the state’s coronavirus cases and deaths continue to climb. Now there are numbers to back it up. People in North Carolina left their homes more, left their counties more and traveled longer distances in recent days than in previous weeks. The numbers, however, are much different and indicate much more social distancing than pre-coronavirus data in February.
NC Death Records: Many Dying with Symptoms Like COVID-19 (Carolina Public Press) The death certificates for two groups of North Carolina residents who died in late March and early April testify to what claimed their lives. They suffered from a range of conditions that commonly are seen, singularly or together, in elderly patients approaching death — cardiopulmonary arrest, acute respiratory failure, pneumonia, coronary artery disease, COPD, atrial fibrillation, lung cancer and diabetes mellitus. But the death certificates for the first group of these men and women indicate an additional aggravating health factor, which likely proved fatal for their already struggling physical systems. They tested positive for COVID-19. The other group of death certificates gives no indication that these people were ever tested, despite remarkably similar symptoms.
Groups Say NC Should Use Federal Coronavirus Money to Give Computers to Poor Students (Raleigh News & Observer) Several racial justice groups want North Carolina to use US$95.6 million in federal coronavirus aid to give computers and mental health resources to disadvantaged students.The switch to remote learning while North Carolina public schools are closed could leave some students behind, several state and national groups warn. In a letter Monday to State Superintendent Mark Johnson and the State Board of Education, the groups say the state should use federal stimulus money to help vulnerable students learn during the crisis.
Pandemic Puts Broadband Disparities in Sharp Relief for Legislators
Lt. Governor Forest Uses Campaign Money for COVID-19 Help (AP) Lt. Gov. Dan Forest has given nearly US$200,000 from his gubernatorial campaign fund to people and businesses needing assistance due to the economic downturn caused by COVID-19, according to his campaign committee.
NC’s Tight US Senate Race Could be the Key to Controlling the Chamber. COVID Has Pushed it Online (Charlotte Observer) North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Thom Tillis and Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham is being shaped – like so much else these days – by the coronavirus pandemic. Considered by many the most important Senate race in the nation, the campaign is largely an online affair right now, with the candidates forced out of traditional face-to-face campaigning and, like many in the state, into chats and conference calls by the deadly virus and government shutdowns.
NC Senate Won’t Seek Budget Override (AP) North Carolina Senate Republicans won’t try any more to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget veto from last summer, the chamber’s leader said, citing state government’s precarious fiscal situation due to COVID-19.
Flu-Related Deaths From Previous Weeks Raise NC Total to 177 (Winston-Salem Journal) The flu season in North Carolina may be nearing an end after no flu-related deaths were reported for the second consecutive week. However, there were 10 flu deaths reported from previous weeks, which brings the total number of deaths this flu season to 177. By comparison, as of last Thursday, the state experienced 253 deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic over six weeks.
Tennessee
As of April 24th
The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 8,726 with the most cases in Davidson County (Nashville-2,011) followed by Shelby County (Memphis-2,001). There have been 168 confirmed deaths in the state and 808 hospitalizations. The Unified Command’s data dashboard can be viewed HERE.
The Governor announced today that restaurants and retail stores can begin opening next week at 50 percent capacity. This applies to 89 of the state’s 95 counties. It does not apply to Shelby, Davidson, Knox, Hamilton, Sullivan and Madison counties. Please note that this is not a mandate, rather, guidance that businesses are encouraged to adopt. The Tennessee Pledge can be read HERE.
Tennessee has seen the average daily growth rate remain stable for 14 days, in addition to a steady downward trajectory in positive tests as a percentage of total tests since April 1. The state has also had a massive ramp up in testing, including open testing available to all Tennesseans across 33 sites over last weekend, this weekend, and the next.
The Governor also indicated that 15 percent of Tennessee’s workforce has filed an unemployment claim and a US$5 billion loss in GDP is projected in Tennessee this year.
Wisconsin
As of April 27th
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Wisconsin Hospital Association released updated numbers over the weekend, of note are the following:
- 59,235 negative test results (cumulative)
- 1,917 negative test results reported on Sunday
- 2,745 negative test results reported on Saturday
- 5,911 positive test results (cumulative)
- 224 positive test results reported on Sunday
- 331 positive test results reported on Saturday
- 272 deaths (cumulative)
- 6 deaths reported on Sunday
- 4 deaths reported on Saturday
- 343 Current Hospital Admissions (141 patients in ICU)
- Hospital admissions dropped from 356 on Friday to 341 on Saturday to 343 on Sunday (-13 for the weekend)
- ICU patients were 146 on Friday, dropped to 137 on Saturday and rose back up to 141 on Sunday (-5 for the weekend)
Sources:
Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) COVID-19 Situational Awareness Update site
DHS COVID-19: County Data; https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/county.htm
Governor Evers suspends Department of Revenue Administrative Rules in order to make certain commerce safer and maintain social distancing
Today Governor Tony Evers signed Emergency Order #33 ordering the suspension of Administrative Rules overseen by the Department of Revenue. The rules were suspended to allow for social distancing during business transactions.
This suspension allows for distributors to conduct daily business, while still maintaining social distancing and other recommended public health guidelines. Current administrative rules require retailers to sign for deliveries of alcohol beverages, cigarettes and tobacco products. It is difficult to obtain signatures and maintain social distancing. Allowing flexibility for other types of delivery acknowledgements, like emails, are a better way to engage in business without putting critical employees at risk. (Link to release)
COVID-19 Related News:
- Department of Public Instruction Deputy Superintendent Mike Thompson on UpFront (Link to episode)
- Deputy Superintendent discussed losing three months of in-person learning this Spring and how plans are being made for Summer School to catch some students up and keep others on track.
- Looking towards the Fall semester they are planning for at least three scenarios; back to normal (which he concedes they will likely not be “all the way back to normal,” virtual or alternative which would include learning packets.
- School activities are closed until June 30th, so for those that will start summer school it will be online, if they start in July it will be based on what are allowed activities at that point, it is up to the school district when summer school begins.
- Senate Leaders on UpFront (Link to episode)
- Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) shared the reasoning for the Republican lawsuit challenging the extension of the Safer-At-Home order (going beyond the 60-day health emergency timeline without legislative approval) and discussed potential changes to reopening process. Sen. Fitzgerald discussed concerns regarding a lack leadership from Governor Evers and clear criteria and data in driving the state’s reopening process.
- Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley (D-Mason) shared her caucus’s support for the extension and criticized Republicans for wanting to consolidate power.
- Governor Evers on PBS Here & Now
- Governor Tony Evers appeared on his weekly interview with Here & Now host Frederica Freyberg (Link to segment). He was asked about the lawsuit challenging his “Safer-At-Home,” Governor Evers called it a “political power grab.” When asked about the impact of the economy and the state budget, he focused on controlling the virus and discussed broadly his metrics without specifically addressing how close we are to reaching them.
- Tavern League of Wisconsin and WMC on Here & Now discussing plans to re-open WI
- Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and Tavern League of Wisconsin created alternative plans for reopening Wisconsin’s economy (link to segment)
- President of the Tavern League on Capital City Sunday
- President of the Tavern League of Wisconsin Chris Marsicano was on Capital City Sunday (link to segment) on the letter the League sent to the governor outlining their safety precautions to reopen safely on May 1, claiming it would protect employees and customers.
- JBS facility to temporarily close in Green Bay
- The temporary closure of the JBS facility in Green Bay, which employs 1,200 people, is the fourth JBS USA plant to temporarily close in order to help slow community spread of the coronavirus. Two which were temporarily closed in Souderton, Pennsylvania (beef production) and Greeley, Colorado (beef production) have reopened. The Worthington, Minnesota pork facility is still closed. On Friday, 189 of the 605 Brown county cases were linked to JBS. The total number of Brown county cases rose to 776 on Sunday. Brown county has the second highest number of positive cases in Wisconsin, however it still significantly trails Milwaukee county. (Link to WBAY story)
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