COVID-19 Update, September 16, 2020: Restart to RESTART

The president attends a televised town hall and makes a host of nonsensical statements. Infighting continues between Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control. There's a sweeping plan to implement a vaccine, but no clear idea of when one will arrive. Other countries are finding a way forward; the United States, not so much. Meanwhile, the US' global standing has rarely, if ever, been lower. One thing you can do is write to Congress urging the passage of the RESTART bill, which would provide aid to small businesses and enhanced unemployment, keeping us all afloat until conditions improve. See below and don't hesitate.

Time to take action:

It's time to urge your Congressional representatives of the importance of supporting the RESTART Act. Click and on the link and make your voice heard: tinyurl.com/yyvqcs8u.

The latest:

Not yet, it won't: The day after the president once again asserts that the coronavirus will magically vanish, the US posts its all-time daily high of new infections, 52,000 in all: tinyurl.com/yyuvypwg. In a bizarre televised town hall loaded with untruths, the president, who previously said he downplayed the threat of COVID-19, now says he "up-played" it: tinyurl.com/yxdzb5be. He also says that, absent a vaccine, we will be saved by a "herd mentality:" tinyurl.com/y4t3pnvl.

The government has a sweeping plan to distribute vaccines to Americans, free of charge: tinyurl.com/y4bvvh46.

The European approach: The continent learns to live with the coronavirus and social distancing restrictions: tinyurl.com/y37z9rw8.

A new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that the global images of the US and the president have plunged during the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y53bqzjm.

A new study shows that COVID-19 kills many more Black, Latino, and Native American children than their white peers: tinyurl.com/y6dfujd8.

Michael Caputo apologizes to his staff at Health and Human Services for spreading bizarre conspiracy theories, blames his poor mental health, and hints that he may resign: tinyurl.com/y3coxwyx.

Journalist Bob Woodward notes that the president wasn't the only one in the White House denying the threat posed by the coronavirus: tinyurl.com/yxupmsp6.

Nobody knows why but the pandemic appears to have already peaked in Africa: tinyurl.com/y38zzmap.

The race for a vaccine turns reckless, with some countries trying out unproven drugs on the general population: tinyurl.com/y4newrkg.

Businesses work to identify and expedite COVID-19 tests for their employees: tinyurl.com/y5hgsaj9.

Meanwhile:

Big Ten football will return on October 24: tinyurl.com/y5ytakhm.

Some Broadway road houses will experiment with in-person screenings of filmed performances: tinyurl.com/y2q6hqwr.

Actor Paul Rudd goes viral with his hilarious video about masks, aimed at millennials: tinyurl.com/y2oja6kn.

Around the country:

In California:

The lackluster debut of Tenet is one sign among many that the film industry is in trouble: tinyurl.com/y2t9ltjr.

More upcoming Disney films delay their releases or opt for streaming: tinyurl.com/yypnd9mb.

Inside the film industry's insurance crisis: tinyurl.com/y5b3bbn8.

The outbreak at San Diego State University drives the entire country backwards in terms of social restrictions: tinyurl.com/y52fgdwl.

In Florida:

SeaWorld lays off 1,900 employees across its three Orlando parks: tinyurl.com/y4vrwbo7.

Carnival Corporation eliminates 12% of its fleet to cut costs: tinyurl.com/y2yofwge.

The University of Florida reports six new COVID-19 cases on its football team, the Gators; spikes occur in the lacrosse and baseball programs, too: tinyurl.com/y5vlf68z.

In Illinois:

Chicago theatres ponder redesigning for a post-pandemic era: tinyurl.com/y5cpvcqp.

In Maine:

That now-notorious wedding in Millinocket is linked to 176 infections and seven deaths; none of the dead attended the event: tinyurl.com/y2cjw7ck.

In New York:

Town Sports International, the parent company of New York Sports Clubs, Boston Sports Clubs, and gyms in other cities, files for bankruptcy, thanks to the pandemic and complaints from members about new fees: tinyurl.com/y5e9juha.

An NYU dorm goes on lockdown after six students test positive for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/y347ef5o.

Syracuse Stage adjusts its season schedule for the times: tinyurl.com/y2kvmxvu.

In Pennsylvania:

A US District Court judge strikes down the state's pandemic restrictions, calling them unconstitutional: tinyurl.com/y4ppwu8c.

Around the world:

In Australia:

The country's stringent border controls leave many of its citizens stranded abroad: tinyurl.com/y2rrdmjq.

Residents of Melbourne face $5,000 fines for trying to flee the area: tinyurl.com/y5kd63yo.

The country's draconian coronavirus czar remains surprisingly popular: tinyurl.com/yyjuwjq9.

In Italy:

Rome's airport receives the first five-star anti-COVID award: tinyurl.com/y5wgqnjf.

In Sweden:

The surprising success, so far, of the country's light-touch approach to the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y6dyztlg. But tough luck if you lived in a nursing home, where over half of the nation's COVID-19 cases died: tinyurl.com/y6dpk5v4.

For your entertainment:

Barrington Stage Company will present a streamed reading of Jeffrey Hatcher's comedy, Three Viewings will premiere on September 23 at 7:30pm ET; it will be available for viewing for a limited period of 96 hours only through September 27 at 7:29pm ET. Angel Desai, Debra Jo Rupp, and Kurtwood Smith star. Tickets are $25 or more: tinyurl.com/y2nyo3tm.

Broadway and the Bard, a cabaret evening starring musical theatre legend Len Cariou, will stream as a benefit for The Actors Fund, September 30 - October 4: tinyurl.com/y37z8frq.

For your pleasure:

The great Liz Callaway offers "What More Do I Need?," by Stephen Sondheim, from the musical Saturday Night: tinyurl.com/y5t5julr.

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

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