COVID-19 Update, October 7. 2020: Unstimulated

A tweetstorm of tornado proportions, from the president, leaves everyone guessing about his next move. The stimulus bill is off; no, it isn't - it is carved up into a series of smaller bills. Do they address the needs of this industry? Don't ask. (Another round of $1,200 checks is included.) Besides, only hours before, he wanted to focus on other matters. Meanwhile, the White House is a ghost town, the Joint Chiefs of Staff are in quarantine, and nobody seems to know what happens next.

The latest:

The president, tweeting in isolation, cancels negotiations for a stimulus bill, telling Congress to focus on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett: tinyurl.com/yynjl2cq. But wait: Hours later, he seemingly changes his mind, calling for a series of smaller, targeted bills for, among others, the airline industry. Washington is baffled: tinyurl.com/yypho4t4. Broadway's unions are stunned by the decision to end the stimulus bill process: tinyurl.com/y2hofmpv. The lack of a stimulus bills also takes out money for vaccine distribution: tinyurl.com/y5se342g.

The president's return and the spreading infection leave the White House in disarray: tinyurl.com/y2bpbpq4. The White House implements new COVID-19 safety practices, the chief dissenter being the president: tinyurl.com/yxs49wt2. Senior adviser Stephen Miller and most of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the latest to test positive: tinyurl.com/y3835zs7. One reason for the viral spread in the White House is an overreliance on one company's rapid tests: tinyurl.com/y6d98vlg.

Facebook removes posts from the president that insist COVID-19 is less lethal than the flu: tinyurl.com/y253znvm.

Here's the latest on who is positive and who isn't in the White House: tinyurl.com/y3w6xrkg.

Rick Bright, a top immunologist at the National Institute of Health, charging that the White House "ignores scientific expertise, overrules public health guidance, and disrespects career scientists;" tinyurl.com/y6j29xfl. The government backtracks on blocking FDA guidelines, guaranteeing that no vaccine will be available before Election Day: tinyurl.com/yyp38box.

Meanwhile:

Hotel managers get creative to keep their doors open: tinyurl.com/y3lols25.

The film Jurassic Park: Dominion has postponed to 2022: tinyurl.com/y2xlmyh9. The AMC Entertainment cinema chain is committed to staying open despite a dearth of new releases: tinyurl.com/y5glfzys.

Food for thought:

Are astronaut-style face shields the future of safety gear? tinyurl.com/y6eekzze.

One reason for so many COVID-19 clusters at colleges and universities: Schools can't control what happens off-campus: tinyurl.com/yyyy8ny5.

Why the Amy Coney Barrett Rose Garden fiasco is a disaster for the live events industry: tinyurl.com/yxuwmmff.

Around the country:

In California:

Quidel Corp. gets federal approval for a test that can detect COVID-19 and the flu: tinyurl.com/y6c87jpr.

In the District of Columbia:

The city experiences its biggest one-day spike since June: tinyurl.com/y4mehjsw.

In Florida:

Royal Caribbean cancels its cruises through December: tinyurl.com/y256hoku. But cruise line executives, speaking at a virtual edition of SeaTrade, remain confident that business bill bounce back: tinyurl.com/y4vx9rgh.

Another member of the University of Central Florida Gators football team tests positive for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/y3zb6lyc. Former Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden has been hospitalized with COVID-19: tinyurl.com/yyekpap9.

In Illinois:

The Second City is up for sale: tinyurl.com/yyw8lqb5.

Chicagoans are strongly advised not to travel to Indiana where new COVID-19 cases are rising: tinyurl.com/y2ahbwhf.

In Massachusetts:

New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore tests positive for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/y666y4hx.

The next phase of in-person learning is being delayed as Boston's positivity rate rises to 4.1: tinyurl.com/y54ublxy.

In New York:

The governor imposes tough new social restrictions in areas populated by Orthodox Jews who haven't been following social distancing restrictions: tinyurl.com/y5zzpkwz. Members of the Orthodox community protest, violently, in Corona Park: tinyurl.com/y6sryfn4.

In North Dakota:

A new COVID-19 surge leaves medical facilities overwhelmed and people traveling hours for treatment: tinyurl.com/y2bpbpq4.

Around the world:

In Belgium:

Bars and cafes in Brussels will close for a month to combat a new rise in COVID-19 cases: tinyurl.com/y2y2xewl.

In Germany:

Faced with a new surge in COVID-19 cases, Berlin imposes the first curfew on nightlife in 70 years: tinyurl.com/y2cq9g9u.

In Israel:

A new study suggests that COVID-19 could cause male infertility: tinyurl.com/y5g5h2rw.

In New Zealand:

The country beats the coronavirus. Again: tinyurl.com/yyjf7wux.

In the UK:

University students are enduing a form of quarantine hell: tinyurl.com/y2ytq9fm.

A new program, See It Safely, aims to boost the confidence of West End theatre audiences: tinyurl.com/yxe6qy7z.

For your entertainment:

Encore BSO Recitals streams BSO violinist Lucia Lin performing the solo work "Prayer" from Suite Mestiza by contemporary composer Gabriela Lena Frank and, with cello colleague Owen Young, Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Cello. Also, Principal Oboe John Ferrillo performs with his daughter, violist Mary Ferrillo, the seldom-heard Two Rhapsodies by Charles Martin Loeffler. Available for viewing at www.bso.org beginning Thursday, October 8 at 12:00pm through November 7; the Encore BSO Recitals are offered as a nine-concert series for a donation of $25.

From Jazz at Lincoln Center: "Bill Charlap: An Evening of Solo Piano" will take place October 8 at 7:30pm ET. Charlap is one of the world's premier jazz pianists; the program will focus on music by Bernstein, Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael, and others. The suggested ticket price is $10: tinyurl.com/y2kn34nt.

Metropolitan Playhouse presents its next free "screened" reading: Xingu, a one-act play by Kimberly Wadsworth based on a short story by Edith Wharton, livestreamed at no charge, with talkback to follow, on October 10, 2020 at 8:00pm, EDT. Running time is 30 minutes. Talkback to follow including audience questions via chat. Watch at www.metropolitanplayhouse.org.

TheaterWorks Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut and TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Arkansas joins forces to digitally produce Sarah Gancher's new play about the everyday banality of destabilizing democracy, Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy. Billed as a unique live theatre experience with "digital magic," the collaborative project is a cross between theatre, film, and multimedia design. Led by directors Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson, the live performances will test the limits of digital performance and are the capstone of an intensive period of socially isolated, virtually connected, new play development. The play will stream to a password-protected platform for five live performances. The schedule is Tuesday, October 20 through Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 7:30pm ET. For those unable to attend a live performance, encore viewing is available during an on-demand window from October 24 - November 1. For details: www.RussianTrollFarm.com.

For your pleasure:

A group of music-world luminaries present "Take Care of This House," by Leonard Bernstein and Alan Jay Lerner, from the musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: tinyurl.com/y2dj34bk.

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

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