Monday live coronavirus updates: Air Force flyover honors medical workers
Air Force Reserve C-40C salutes health care workers, first responders
An Air Force Reserve C-40C aircraft from the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base paid a tribute to local medical professionals and first responders during a flyover on Monday.
The plane flew over Memorial Hospital in Belleville at noon. It also was scheduled to fly over St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, Memorial Hospital East in Shiloh, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis and the VA Medical Center at Jefferson Barracks.
The flight was part of regularly scheduled training and there was no additional cost for it, according to a news release from the 932nd Airlift Wing.
“We not only have our own Reserve Citizen Airmen deployed in the fight against COVID-19, but many 932nd AW Reservists also work in local medical facilities,” said Col. Glenn Collins, 932nd Airlift Wing commander in the news release. “This training flight is a way to honor all health care workers and first responders who protect the people of this great nation.”
Lake of the Ozarks crowds spark criticism
By The Kansas City Star
Lake of the Ozarks was trending on Twitter Sunday morning as videos and photos of crowded pools and docks circulated on social media, angering many viewers.
People flocked to the popular central Missouri tourist destination for Memorial Day weekend celebrations as businesses began to reopen for the first time amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Videos of parties circulating on social media Saturday depict gatherings where crowds weren’t heeding social distancing guidelines, despite signage around them.
Some on social media expressed concerns that partygoers would pick up the virus and bring it to their communities when they returned home.
John Olivarri, mayor of Osage Beach, a town of about 4,000 people nestled on the eastern edge of Lake of the Ozarks, said he did not think it could be prevented or stopped.
“My concern is for our workers and whether some of the folks that have come down might be creating a health problem for the community, absolutely,” Olivarri said Sunday. “But the only other thing that you could do would be shut it down. I don’t know how you would shut down Lake of the Ozarks. There’s no way to control that.”
Editor’s note: The Kansas City Star is a sister newspaper of the Belleville News-Democrat.
White House bans travel to U.S. from Brazil
The White House has announced travel restrictions to the United States from Brazil to prevent spread of the coronavirus.
On Sunday, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that the ban applies to foreign nationals who have been in Brazil in the 14 days before they sought to travel to the United States, according to the Associated Press.
The report stated that Brazil is Latin America’s hardest-hit country.
President Donald Trump has already banned travel from the United Kingdom, Europe and China, all of which have been hit hard by the virus and warned of restricting travel from Brazil last week, the report stated.
Pritzker releases guidelines for businesses to reopen in Phase 3
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has released guidelines for businesses and workplaces to reopen in the state after the stay-at-home executive order set to expire on May 29, paving the way for an estimated 700,000 Illinoisans to return to work.
The guidelines came with a set of industry-specific toolkits, a news release from Pritzker’s office said Sunday. The guidelines and toolkits can be found online through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s website at www2.illinois.gov/dceo/pages/restoreILP3.aspx.
Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Plan, announced May 5, includes five phases. Phase 3, or “Recovery,” of the plan includes the reopening of retail, offices, manufacturing, barbershops and salons, summer programs, various outdoor recreation activities and bars and restaurants for outdoor dining.
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases
A total of 2,292 people in southwestern Illinois have tested positive for COVID-19 and 172 people have died since the pandemic began, health officials reported as of Monday.
Here are the statistics for southwestern Illinois counties as of Monday:
- St. Clair County: 1,097 positives, 82 deaths
- Madison County: 538 positives, 57 deaths, 98 hospitalizations, 272 recoveries, 5,212 tests administered
- Randolph County: 264 positives, three deaths, three hospitalizations, 1,508 tests administered
- Clinton County: 176 positives, 16 deaths, six hospitalizations, 924 tests administered, 74 recoveries
- Monroe County: 93 positives, 11 deaths, 8 hospitalizations, 33 recoveries
- Washington County: 18 positives, 15 recoveries
- Bond County: 12 positives, one death, one hospitalization, six recoveries, 214 tests administered, one test pending
- Macoupin County: 42 positives, one death, three hospitalizations, 36 recoveries, 2,634 tests administered, 11 tests pending
- Perry County: 40 positives, 29 recoveries
- Jersey County: 20 positives, one death, 17 recoveries
- Calhoun County: One positive, one recovery
State, nation, world coronavirus cases
On Monday, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,713 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 and 31 more people have died statewide. Illinois has seen a total of 4,884 deaths across the state during the pandemic and a total of 112,017 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
According to data from John Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center, this is how many people have been affected by COVID-19 across the nation and world as of 6:30 p.m. Monday:
- United States: 1,660,072 people tested positive; 379,157 people recovered; 98,213 people have died.
- World: 5,471,768 people tested positive; 2,223,523 people recovered; 344,911 people died.
Want to help? Here are some ideas
The BND has compiled a list of ways you can help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Go to BND. com to learn about the opportunities to volunteer your time or donate to help communities in the metro-east without putting yourself or others at risk.
You can sew face masks, read stories for people with vision loss and deliver meals to seniors.
If you know of a recognized charitable organization looking for help that isn’t listed, please tell us about it. Send an email to newsroom@bnd.com or fill out the BND’s Southwest Illinois Coronavirus Service and Assistance Guide online at BND.com.
Get the latest news on coronavirus
BND.com will keep you updated throughout the day with information about the spread of the coronavirus in southwestern Illinois.
You can also find the most complete and up-to-date information from government sites including:
- State of Illinois’ COVID-19 page: coronavirus.illinois.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
- Federal government’s coronavirus page: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Who to call about mental health
Here are some resources from mental health professionals for anyone struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Touchette Regional Hospital’s Mental Health Support and Resource Line: Call 618-482-7158 to talk to trained therapy staff.
- Illinois Human Services Mental Health Division’s Call4Calm: Text the word “talk” to 552020 to text with a mental health care professional for free.
- Centerstone of Illinois, Inc.: Call 618-462-2331 for virtual mental health services.
- Chestnut Health Systems: Call 618-877-4420 for virtual mental health services.
- Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous: Call 618-398-9409 or email metroeastnapr@gmail.com to learn about virtual meetings.
- Regional Disaster Mental Health Volunteer Response Team: Call a support line for health care professionals at 618-381-5173.
Contact BND with tips, concerns, suggestions
If you have suggestions about something for the BND to cover regarding the COVID-19 pandemic or if you see a report that sounds suspicious on social media or anywhere else, please drop us a note at newsroom@bnd.com and include a link. We’ll check it out.
We’d like to hear from health-care workers
The BND would like to speak with nurses, doctors and other health care professionals who are on the front lines caring for patients in doctor’s offices, clinics and hospitals during this difficult time. We’re interested in hearing about your challenges and rewards, frustrations and accomplishments. How is this affecting you? Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
Willing to share your COVID-19 story?
Have you recovered from coronavirus or are you in the process of recovering from COVID-19? We would like to hear from you on how you dealt with the respiratory disease. Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
This story was originally published May 25, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Monday live coronavirus updates: Air Force flyover honors medical workers."
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