(New York) State Working to Shift Load from Downstate to Upstate Hospitals

Governor Andrew Cuomo Thursday said 385 coronavirus deaths have now been recorded in the state. That was an increase of 100 over a 24-hour period.

Cuomo said the state is "working on equalizing and distributing the load of patients" in New York. He said the highest number of cases now is downstate "so we're working on a collaboration where we distribute the load between downstate hospitals and upstate hospitals." He said efforts are underway to increase the capacity for upstate hospitals.

The governor said places like dorms and hotels also likely will be used to treat COVID-19 patients.

Cuomo said New York state has tested more people for coronavirus than any other state in the nation.

The governor said 5,327 COVID-19 patients now are hospitalized in the state. He said 1,290 of them were being treated in intensive care units.

Read More: State Working to Shift Load from Downstate to Upstate Hospitals | https://bigfrog104.com/downstate-coronavirus-patients-to-be-moved-to-upstate-hospitals/?trackback=fbshare_mobile&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

I understand that this is a measure to alleviate an overburdened hospital system downstate; however this seems more likely a solution to the federal government being unwilling to dedicate more resources to New York State...

This is fu*ked.

Nation's dogs fu*king loving whatever's going on right now

The nation’s dogs are absolutely loving whatever’s happening that’s allowing their most beloved humans to stay at home all the time...

Dogs across the country are full of joy as their families are suddenly spending much more time with them at home.

‘We don’t seem to be going out for walkies as much but we’re playing a lot of tug rope and catch in the back garden. And I’m getting lots of pets and attention. This is pretty sweet,’ Archie Woofingham III told us.

In related news, cats have never been as pissed off as they are right now...

https://www.dailysquat.com/nations-dogs-fucking-loving-whatevers-going-on-right-now/

The Economic Devastation Is Going to Be Worse Than You Think

The Economic Devastation Is Going to Be Worse Than You Think

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/covid-19s-devastating-effects-jobs-and-businesses/608461/?utm_source=feed&fbclid=IwAR3jnsE9dm4oohJJrMGCo59lsj2Cy8TwPoh5QLcJE3wR92CHjEVvPYct32Q

“The coronavirus’s overwhelming toll on jobs and businesses has only just begun.”

My wife’s office in New York closed permanently on Friday.

Twenty years with the company.

They decided they’d close the office in an effort of short term solvency; and pick up the pieces after the storm.

I was laid off indefinitely as well on Friday. We went from a low six figure income to ZERO in a matter of hours on Friday.

We’re terrified. We have savings on our balance sheets for about three months paid in full. Beyond that; we’re not exactly sure.

We’re just one example of double income earners grinding to a screeching halt.

This will far outlive the virus.

Good luck out there; friends!

21 Inmates, 17 Employees Test Positive for COVID-19 on Rikers Island: Officials

At least 38 inmates and employees have tested positive for COVID-19 on Rikers Island in New York City, officials confirmed over the weekend.

Twenty-one inmates on Rikers Island tested positive for novel coronavirus -- a dramatic increase from the first case reported by Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday.

An additional 17 employees also tested positive, according to Jacqueline Sherman, the New York City Board of Correction's Interim Chair.

She says 58 people are being monitored in contagious disease and quarantine units and likely passed through "hundreds of housing areas and common areas over recent weeks and have been in close contact with many other people in custody and staff."

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/21-inmates-17-employees-test-positive-for-covid-19-on-rikers-island-officials/2338242/

Legal Aid Society attorney’s have received numerous accounts of poor sanitation options as well as an overall lack of concern for inmates by staff...

The irony...

Guard activations expected to rapidly increase, could be used for law enforcement

The National Guard is expecting a rapid increase in unit activations over the next few weeks, leaders said at the Pentagon Thursday, filling roles like coronavirus testing and potentially law enforcement.

More than 2,000 Guard personnel have been activated in total so far.

“We anticipate that number going up relatively quickly, in fact, doubling by this weekend," Lengyel added. “I’m expecting tens of thousands to be used inside the states as this grows. ... This could quickly blossom in the next couple weeks."

So far, Guard units have been manning drive-through testing stations, handing out food and clearing out facilities to stand up makeshift hospitals.

http://armytim.es/qqO8HzD

I'm seeing an inmate is COVID-19 positive at Riker's...

via Twitter

Good god!

Medical company threatens to sue volunteers that 3D-printed valves for life-saving treatment

Medical company threatens to sue volunteers that 3D-printed valves for life-saving coronavirus treatments

The valve typically costs about $11,000 — the volunteers made them for about $1

A medical device manufacturer has threatened to sue a group of volunteers in Italy that 3D printed a valve used for life-saving coronavirus treatments. The valve typically costs about $11,000 from the medical device manufacturer, but the volunteers were able to print replicas for about $1 (via Techdirt).

A hospital in Italy was in need of the valves after running out while treating patients for COVID-19. The hospital’s usual supplier said they could not make the valves in time to treat the patients, according to Metro. That launched a search for a way to 3D print a replica part, and Cristian Fracassi and Alessandro Ramaioli, who work at Italian startup Isinnova, offered their company’s printer for the job, reports Business Insider.

However, when the pair asked the manufacturer of the valves for blueprints they could use to print replicas, the company declined and threatened to sue for patent infringement, according to Business Insider Italia. Fracassi and Ramaioli moved ahead anyway by measuring the valves and 3D printing three different versions of them.

So far, the valves they made have worked on 10 patients as of March 14th, according to Massimo Temporelli, the founder of Italian manufacturing solutions company FabLab who helped recruit Fracassi and Ramaioli to print the replica valves.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/17/21184308/coronavirus-italy-medical-company-threatens-sue-3d-print-valves-treatment

“...we have no intention of profit on this situation, we are not going to use the designs or product beyond the strict need for us forced to act...”

U.S. government, tech industry discussing ways to use smartphone location data to combat coronavirus

The U.S. government is in active talks with Facebook, Google and a wide array of tech companies and health experts about how they can use location data gleaned from Americans’ phones to combat the novel coronavirus, including tracking whether people are keeping one another at safe distances to stem the outbreak.

Public-health experts are interested in the possibility that private-sector companies could compile the data in anonymous, aggregated form, which they could then use to map the spread of the infection, according to three people familiar with the effort, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the project is in its early stages.

Analyzing trends in smartphone owners’ whereabouts could prove to be a powerful tool for health authorities looking to track coronavirus, which has infected more than 180,000 people globally. But it’s also an approach that could leave some Americans uncomfortable, depending on how it’s implemented, given the sensitivity when it comes to details of their daily whereabouts. Multiple sources stressed that — if they proceed — they are not building a government database.

In recent interviews, Facebook executives said the U.S. government is particularly interested in understanding patterns of people’s movements, which can be derived through data the company collects from users who allow it. The tech giant in the past has provided this information to researchers in the form of statistics, which in the case of coronavirus, could help officials predict the next hotspot or decide where to allocate overstretched health resources.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/03/17/white-house-location-data-coronavirus/

All Las Vegas MGM casinos, hotels set to temporarily close

Source: Las Vegas Review

MGM Resorts International announced Sunday that it would temporarily suspend operations at all Las Vegas properties, effective Tuesday.

Casino operations are set to close Monday, followed by hotel operations.

The Las Vegas-based company operates the Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Luxor, New York-New York, Excalibur and Park MGM. It also owns 50 percent of CityCenter, which includes Aria and Vdara.

Also, Wynn Resorts Ltd. is set to close its Las Vegas properties 14 days beginning 5 p.m. Tuesday to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Read more: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/all-las-vegas-mgm-casinos-hotels-set-to-temporarily-close-1981920/