Washington psychiatric hospital sees spike in COVID-19 cases

SEATTLE (AP) — More than 30 patients and staff at Washington state's largest psychiatric hospital are suffering from coronavirus — the biggest spike in cases to date — and more than 150 have tested positive since the virus first hit the facility in March.

Ten Western State Hospital patients on a single ward got sick within a few days of each other after a nurse tested positive about a week ago. The patients ranged in age of 62 to 82 and were moved to the hospital's special COVID-19 ward so they're kept away from other patients.

Twelve workers tested positive within a three-day span last week, hospital officials said. Most were on the same ward as the patient spike.

“With this news, I am pleading with all of us to hold each other accountable for wearing the correct masks, and wearing them over both your mouth and nose,” hospital CEO Dave Holt told staff in an email. “If a co-worker is not following the masking protocol, please stop them and ask them to mask to protect our patients and staff.”

Read more: https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/northwest/washington-psychiatric-hospital-sees-spike-in-covid-19-cases/article_4a0ef13e-8a75-5d0c-862e-1a7bfcd01888.html

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl canceled

EL PASO -- The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl has been canceled, according to Brett McMurphy of Stadium.

The nation's second-longest-running bowl game has been played every year since its inception in 1935.

Sun Bowl officials did not immediately comment.

Earlier this year, when the Pac-12 announced a return to the field, Executive Director Bernie Olivas said the bowl still planned on pitting a Pac-12 and ACC team.

Read more: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/sports/2020/11/30/report-tony-tiger-sun-bowl-cancelled/6472024002/

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Trump Throws Tantrum from Tiny Desk

North Texas bars face closures as COVID-19 hospitalizations exceed Gov. Abbott's limit

North Texas bars could close and other businesses could further limit occupancy if the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the region doesn’t go down.

That’s because for the last four days, the number of patients battling COVID-19 in North Texas hospitals has gone over Gov. Greg Abbott’s limit of 15% of all beds. If it continues at this capacity for three days, it will trigger the restrictions he outlined in his October executive order.

On Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the 19-county North Texas Trauma Service Area topped the 15% mark and there were 2,435 COVID-19 patients in the region on Monday, according to state data.

There were 1,878 available hospital beds and 117 available ICU beds in the region.

But, the North Texas region isn’t alone as it follows a state trend. Twelve of the state’s 22 Trauma Service Areas have surpassed the 15% threshold at least once in the last three days.

Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/coronavirus/article247508050.html#storylink=cpy

IMF: Greek debt sustainable despite pandemic-linked spike

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The International Monetary Fund said Monday that Greece's huge public debt remains sustainable in the medium term despite “unprecedented uncertainty” to all sectors of the economy because of the pandemic.

Following completion of a new round of monitoring discussions with Athens, the IMF said Greece's economy is expected to contract 9.5% this year before expanding 5.7% in 2021. The public debt will reach a record high 208% of gross domestic product this year before decreasing to 199% in 2021 — compared to an already high 181% in 2019.

The IMF, together with Greece's European bailout creditors, continues to monitor the economy beyond the end of the acute 2010-2018 financial crisis and rescue loan program that kept the country afloat after it lost access to international markets.

It said the medium-term economic recovery would be “supported by a recovery in private consumption, investment linked to privatization and the first tranches of (European Union) grants, and higher goods exports.”

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/IMF-Greek-debt-sustainable-despite-15763814.php

Houston men charged in alleged plot to bilk foreign government out of $317M for phony N95 masks

Two Houston men have been charged for allegedly attempting to sell 50 million non-existent N95 face masks to a foreign government, federal authorities announced in a statement Tuesday.

In the Nov. 19 indictment, Paschal Ngozi Eleanya, 46, and Arael Doolittle, 55, were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy for allegedly selling 3M model 1860 N95 respirator masks which they didn't actually possess and allegedly defrauding a foreign government out of more than $317 million.

The statement did not specify which foreign government was involved.

Federal authorities said Doolittle and Eleanya brokered a sales price for the masks that was five times their original price. The pair allegedly expected to pocket $275 million from the elaborate scheme, according to the statement

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-men-charged-fake-mask-plot-15753548.php

'I did it for my dream': YouTuber fractures skull leaping off Austin bridge

A YouTuber was hospitalized last week with a fractured skull after jumping off an Austin bridge into the Colorado River.

Saa Fomba leaped from the Pennybacker Bridge on Nov. 23 and spent several days in the hospital. He posted a video of the stunt Friday with the title, "I Jumped Off A Bridge, Now My Skull Is Fractured."

"Hopefully this video motivates you to chase your dreams," Fomba tells viewers, while wearing a patient gown and wincing in pain.

The footage shows Fomba climbing the bridge's arch, high above the Capital of Texas Highway and the water below. A woman records from the banks of the river as he holds his arms up, then leaps into the air.

Read more: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/I-did-it-for-my-dream-YouTuber-fractures-skull-15764256.php

I wonder who is going to pay the hospital bill for this stunt?