COVID-19 Update, October 13, 2020: The Campaign Trail

Twenty days out from the presidential election, the nation's attention is riveted on the candidates and on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. This being 2020, both are being shaped by pandemic: COVID-19 is the number-one topic with both candidates and Barrett's confirmation is being portrayed as central to the fate of the ACA, which could remove health insurance for millions at a critical time. And yes, eight months into it, the issue of who and who doesn't wear a mask continues to divide the nation.

The latest:

The president makes his first public appearance since his COVID-19 diagnosis, speaking briefly (for him) from the White House balcony: tinyurl.com/yydj4sgn. Speaking on that balcony, he says of the coronavirus, "It's going to disappear." Meanwhile, in the US' northeast region, signs of a second wave are everywhere: tinyurl.com/y5ocl6me. Numbers are rising in the Midwest, too: tinyurl.com/y4nk6hoa. The world broke another record on Friday, with 350,000 new COVID-19 infections: tinyurl.com/yy5e4cdn. The president says that he is not contagious; really? tinyurl.com/y3xrq763. He also holds a rally in Sanford, Florida, where he makes light of the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y6dyxwmu.

Senator Mike Lee, infected with the coronavirus, speaks at Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination hearing without a mask: tinyurl.com/yy8ad2x6.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial is halted, temporarily, when one participant develops an "unexplained illness:" tinyurl.com/y38bf6hc.

The president's $1.8 trillion offer for a pandemic relief bill gets a cool reception: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants the bill to include a strategic plan to crush the coronavirus and many, possibly most, GOP senators don't want to spend more than $1 trillion: tinyurl.com/y3z8fcmq. The White House tries another approach, floating the idea of redirecting $130 billion from the Paycheck Protection Program for interim relief: tinyurl.com/yyczc3ce.

Frontline health workers and other at-risk groups could get vaccines as early as December, says Dr. Anthony Fauci; he adds that mask-wearing is likely to continue into the third quarter of 2021: tinyurl.com/yxg6w6jp. A doctor from Health and Human Services says that a vaccine will be delivered in January: tinyurl.com/y2v45f4b.

Dr. Fauci condemns the president's campaign for twisting his words in a video ad: tinyurl.com/yyyzaron.

Meanwhile:

Canceled Nutcracker productions are bad news for dance companies in the US and Canada: tinyurl.com/y6xslqnw.

The US cinema business faces its worst-cast scenario for 2020: tinyurl.com/y3bedjhr. Frustrated cinema owners insist that the fate of their industry hangs on Governor Andrew Cuomo, a bleak prospect for them: tinyurl.com/y3gep437.

Food for thought:

As the Paycheck Protection Program enters its loan forgiveness phase, it's not at all clear how it will work: tinyurl.com/y5uc8h9n.

A cautionary tale: The saga of Tony Green, whose belief that the pandemic is a hoax had devastating (and deadly) consequences for his family: tinyurl.com/y2zxma4g. Another one: How an Illinois teen infected 11 people across four states during a three-week family vacation: tinyurl.com/y2ljc9oh.

"I feel like I have dementia;" many COVID-19 survivors suffer from brain fog: tinyurl.com/y5p7udk4. Doctors look at treating the long-effects of COVID-19, which affect many sufferers: tinyurl.com/y6mpa4jz.

The potential release of several vaccines this spring is a recipe for chaos and confusion: tinyurl.com/y4gy8ntn. But there's also a case for cautious optimism: tinyurl.com/yytxfz8y.

Around the country:

In California:

Hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are at their lowest points in months in the state: tinyurl.com/y2gbcda8.

Outrunning the coronavirus; major movie studios keep kicking their blockbusters down the road: tinyurl.com/y62hoeho.

The governor is studying how theme parks in other states have handled reopening during the pandemic: tinyurl.com/yy696vns.

In Florida:

A first wave of people made homeless by the pandemic is filling Central Florida's homeless shelters: tinyurl.com/y29nudtu.

Since reopening, Disney Word has apparently remained markedly COVID-19-free: tinyurl.com/yya4wxvq.

The Miami magnet school MAST Academy goes back online two days after opening after a pair of students test positive: tinyurl.com/yy4ozyea.

The 2021 Miami Marathon has been canceled: tinyurl.com/y5z8l2ku.

Cruise industry executives hold a confab with the vice-president, other government honchos, about a proposal to restart the industry with new safety protocols: tinyurl.com/y4blrfl5. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is hit with a shareholder lawsuit over its handling of the pandemic: tinyurl.com/yyzcd7qr. Carnival Cruise Line cancels all cruises through the end of November: tinyurl.com/y5s8mozv.

In Illinois:

Researchers are surprised to find that 20% of Chicagoans taking part in a study have tested positive for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/y47dkuvv.

An American Legion post closes, destroyed by the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y5nu5j9d.

In Kentucky:

The governor enters quarantine after a member of his security detail tests positive for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/yy5g7fm6.

In Massachusetts:

The NFL shuts down the New England Patriots facility following a fourth COVID-19 diagnosis; the team's game with the Denver Broncos, which had already been moved from Sunday to Monday, is off: tinyurl.com/yxafwvqm. Which means the Miami Dolphins week six game with the Broncos has to be rescheduled: tinyurl.com/y3odz923.

In Nevada:

The show Absinthe reopens on the Vegas Strip with new safety guidelines in place: tinyurl.com/y6svhknb.

In New Jersey:

Former governor Chris Christie is released from the hospital: tinyurl.com/y5jferea.

In New York:

Last week's civil unrest in largely Orthodox Jewish neighbors was driven in part by robocalls claiming to from the president's campaign. A spokeswomen for the campaign denies responsibility: tinyurl.com/y4w55ved.

Members of the Broadway community ask: Where is our advocate? tinyurl.com/yyr8ns5c. An aging Broadway dancer wonders if he'll have a career to return to: tinyurl.com/y2ssuxsk.

American Federation of Musicians Local 802 issues a statement about Broadway's continued lockdown: tinyurl.com/yxreuhjt.

While the rest of New York City's theatre community remains on lockdown, the operators of Park Avenue Armory, St. Ann's Warehouse, and The Shed press authorities to let them reopen: tinyurl.com/y35eysz3.

Around the world:

In Canada:

COVID-19 spreads through the community of migrant farm workers: tinyurl.com/y4e4woyp.

In China:

A small outbreak in Qindao launches a plan to test nine million people in five days: tinyurl.com/y34dmag4.

In the Czech Republic:

Once a model for handling the coronavirus, the county faces the possibility of a second lockdown: tinyurl.com/y3yuhq9z.

In Iran:

The country experiences its highest single-day death toll: tinyurl.com/y3uskmu3.

In Malawi:

A rise in suicides is link to the pandemic-ravaged economy: tinyurl.com/y4cye3oe.

In Papua New Guinea:

All foreign workers coming into the country will be fitted with electronic ankle bracelets for the duration of the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y2ky8ta2.

In Peru:

The country bet the farm on cheap antibody tests for COVID-19; it hasn't gone well: tinyurl.com/y3b5p7z3.

In Portugal:

The soccer star Cristiano Rinaldo has been diagnosed with COVID-19: tinyurl.com/y4uwgjap.

In Russia:

The country reports a new daily high in new COVID-19 cases and deaths: tinyurl.com/y6jmo9pv. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin peddles the Sputnik V vaccine around the world: tinyurl.com/y4jxap95.

In the UK:

The deputy chief medical officer warns that the infection count is "at a tipping point similar to where we were in March:" tinyurl.com/y3l2uopv.

A new three-tier program for handling the pandemic is announced: tinyurl.com/y43h69hg. The immediate effect is to stoke tensions between the country's north and south: tinyurl.com/yyf68hdc.

PLASA managing director Peter Heath speaks about the live events industry to the House of Lords: tinyurl.com/y5rrajpn.

The pandemic causes an executive shakeup at British Airways: tinyurl.com/yylw5tmq.

The government distributes £257 million pounds to arts groups: tinyurl.com/yxk64334.

Les Misérables -- The Staged Concert will play a six-week run at London's Sondheim Theatre in December and January, with a cast that includes Alfie Boe, Michael Ball, Carrie Hope Fletcher: tinyurl.com/y53eocb3.

Losses:

Max Osceola, Jr., leader of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the man behind the Seminole Hard Rock hotel/casino: tinyurl.com/yxwvd5pu.

For your entertainment:

It's Donizetti Week at the Metropolitan Opera streaming service, including all three entries in the Three Queens trilogy: www.MetOpera.org.

NYSEEING, a benefit event for Nuyorican Poets Café and The Artists relief fund, will be streamed October 21 at 8:00pm ET. The program includes works by Neil LaBute and features the participation of Migdalia Cruz and Brandon Espinza among many others; directors include Padraic Lillis and Samantha Soule. Tickets are $10 and are available at bit.ly/NYSeeing.

That Kindness: Nurses in their Own Words is a new virtual play created by American nurses with writer, activist, and performance artist V (formerly known as Eve Ensler), will be seen October 15 at 7:00pm at www.bam.org/that-kindness and will remain publicly posted for 96 hours. Donations for The Brooklyn Hopsital Center COVID-19 Fund (tinyurl.com/yxrvwble) are accepted. The cast includes Connie Britton, Rosario Dawson, LaChanze, Rosie O'Donnell, Billy Porter, Dale Soules, and Marisa Tomie.

For your pleasure:

Jazz artists Tony DeSare and Irving Berlin's "I Love Piano," played all over New York: tinyurl.com/of4z26b.

That's all for today. Stay safe. Vote. -- DB

To receive your LSA copies at home (no charge), please email LSA@plasa.org or go to www.ezsubscription.com/lsa/mysubscription.

Previous LSA COVID-19 Updates: plasa.me/lsacovid19resources.

What is your plan to vote? Please note: the LSA offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 3rd for Election Day. vote.gov/.