Here’s
a collection of COVID-19 information that may be of special interest to our
readers
By
Will Collette
We
all respond to crisis in our own ways. Since we are dealing with a pandemic
illness for which there are no vaccines or treatments, we all need information
to know what’s best to do.
I
have been posting authoritative science pieces that help expand understanding
of the challenge as well as practical tips. This article contains information I gleaned from from multiple sources that may be of particular interest to us
in South County.
Rhode Island is
#1.
The WalletHub surveying service rates the state as the “Most Aggressive”
in the US for dealing with the crisis. I have not been a fan of Gina Raimondo,
but she deserves credit for leadership through this crisis. She has been
clear, factual and practical. My wife Cathy commented that all she needed to
add was Gov. Joe Garrahy’s flannel shirt and she’d be perfect. That “flannel
shirt” reference dates us: Garrahy was famous for leading RI through the
aftermath of the Blizzard of ’74 appearing frequently on TV wearing the now
iconic flannel shirt.
Rhode Island Presidential Primary postponed.
The primary was to be held April 28, but has now been bumped back to June 2. There’s a high probability the state will make it easier to vote by mail, but as of today, the rule for RI absentee voting is that you need an excuse.
No utility shut-offs.
The RI Public Utility Commission has issued an emergency order banning shut-off due to unpaid utility bills at least until April 15 for all residential customers.
Ibuprofen is not the right stuff for COVID-19.
The World
Health Organization warns that using anti-inflammatory drugs, especially
ibuprofen (brand name Advil®) to treat the symptoms of COVID-19 can make those
symptoms worse. Instead, they recommend using “paracetamol” which is better
known in the US under the brand name Tylenol® and generic name acetaminophen.
Hand sanitizer is NOT deadly to pets.
There’s the usual internet crap going around such as the
idea that hand sanitizer contains ethylene glycol, an antifreeze ingredient,
that is deadly to cats and dogs. Snopes.com
debunked this misinformation, noting that hand sanitizers don’t contain
this ingredient. Check the label for yourself. You should use healthy skepticism when dealing with anything you read on the internet - including Progressive Charlestown - and check sources. There are lots of phony, counterfeit and even dangerous things being promoted or sold on-line to deal with COVID-19.
Don’t flush disinfectant wipes, even if they are labelled “flushable.” DEM warns that they cause problems for ALL waste disposal systems, including our ubiquitous Charlestown septic systems.
South County and Westerly Hospitals on the front line.
Last week, South
County Hospital had a walk-in patient who was eventually tested and found
positive for COVID-19. The hospital put out a statement repeating nationwide instructions
that if you are experiencing symptoms (e.g. dry cough, fever, difficulty breathing),
DON'T just show up at your doctor’s office or the ER. CALL FIRST so you can be
safely and methodically treated. For its part, Westerly
Hospital wants to set up southern RI’s first drive-thru testing.
Are all Rhode Island workers eligible for state or federal
benefits if they lose work due to coronavirus?
Many RI workers WILL qualify for immediate financial help (CLICK
HERE for a great WPRI piece with links to where to get help). However, many
other workers are probably not going to qualify unless or until rules change.
Among those presently on their own: the self-employed, sole proprietors, independent contractors, anyone working off the books and undocumented workers. If anything breaks on this front, Progressive Charlestown will cover it.
RI Driver’s License Renewals.
If your license is due to expire on March 31 or earlier, you
have another month to get renewed (April 30). If things continue as they
are, I am guessing they will extend it again (and again). I renewed my license last fall at
the AAA office in the Salt Pond shopping center. What used to take 15 minutes
then took two hours of standing and waiting in a crowd. Can’t imagine what it’s
like now.
Income tax
deadlines.
The
feds have postponed the payment deadline of your 2019 federal
income tax by 90 days. However, they still expect you to FILE your tax return
by April 15. If you want to file for a 6-month extension on filing your return
or are expecting a refund, you must file by April 15. The only COVID-10 news
I found on the RI Division of Taxation website
was a notice that their tax e-filing program has been having problems related
to high volume due to coronavirus.
Summer people
are coming back early.
It’s a toss-up whether this is good news or bad news, but apparently there are lots
of non-residents coming back to Rhode Island’s coastal towns (including
Charlestown). They are apparently using their Rhode Island summer houses as a
refuge against coronavirus. This
report by Alex Nunes of Rhode Island’s public radio discusses this early
migration.
Amazon limits
its focus.
If you are counting on Amazon to replace shopping for all your everyday needs,
you should know they’ve refocused
their priorities on “household
staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products” even though
many of those items (especially paper goods) are out of stock. Amazon is
working its people hard, though they just bumped up wages from $15 to $17 an
hour. While the full scope of Amazon’s policy is not clear, they do seem
determined to supplying households with what they need to cope (and that
includes pets).
Speaking of
internet e-commerce,
Rhode Island’s wingnut Dope Tank, the Center for Freedom and Prosperity (and
puppy dogs, kittens and coffee milk) adds its “important” contribution to the
coronavirus discussion. They
suggest Rhode Island should suspend the sales tax on goods bought on-line
because that will facilitate social distancing, allowing people to buy from
Amazon and others for cheaper. So classically Republican: faced with any social
problem, the answer is to cut taxes.