COVID-18 Update: October 23, 2020: Alarm Bells

As the election consumes the nation, more and more signs emerge that COVID-19 has come roaring back worldwide. Will we continue on this path, or will the election force us in a new direction? The choice is yours.

The latest:

COVID-19 is on course to kill half a million Americans, according to a University of Washington study: tinyurl.com/y5qg7774. Yet the president insists it is going away: tinyurl.com/y3h3x6bw.

In today's edition of the stimulus follies, as Steven Mnuchin and Nancy Pelosi appear close to a deal, Senate Republicans aren't happy about it: tinyurl.com/yyszt4vp.

The FDA approves the use of remdesivir in treating COVID-19: tinyurl.com/yxe5n6uq.

Food for thought:

Despite what you've heard, mouthwash will not save you from COVID-19: tinyurl.com/yxmhvq62.

Around the country:

In Florida:

The state reports another 3,689 cases, lower than yesterday but still worryingly high: tinyurl.com/y5l8xg3j.

The governor relaxes rules restricting nursing home visits, even as AARP notes that the state has one of the highest nursing home infection rates in the country: tinyurl.com/yy24g5gs.

Many of the state's theatres blame Actors' Equity for being unable to reopen: tinyurl.com/y5kgqo94.

In Idaho:

Medical officials are alarmed by the lack of hospital capacity as COVID-19 surges: tinyurl.com/y4ewa543.

Moments after hearing about an overwhelmed hospital and plans to ship those infected with the coronavirus to facilities in other states, a regional health department board votes to repeal a local mask mandate: tinyurl.com/y4yq55cj.

In Illinois:

The mayor imposes a curfew on Chicago bars and restaurants: tinyurl.com/y66abqb2.

As daily cases in the state hit a new high, the governor vows to crack down on businesses that flout restrictions: tinyurl.com/y3y3l7qb.

In Iowa:

The state never went on lockdown, but the economy suffers as if it did: tinyurl.com/yxzbjdgr.

In Massachusetts:

New COVID-19 cases reach a five-month high: tinyurl.com/y6ykloww.

In New York:

The governor asserts control of the vaccine approval process: tinyurl.com/y3pc92c9.

In South Dakota:

A Sioux Falls newspaper offers a stinging rebuke to the state's leadership in the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y6qohknk.

Around the world:

In Brazil:

The president rejects the purchase of Chinese vaccine: tinyurl.com/yyn3pp7k.

In the Czech Republic:

The health minister resigns after breaking social distancing rules: tinyurl.com/y5ot23jm.

In Germany:

The country struggles with a resurgence of the coronavirus: tinyurl.com/yyf9cm58.

In India:

The country is having a surprising amount of success in beating back the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y44qf7qm.

In Italy:

Scientists call for "drastic action" to contain the coronavirus' surge: tinyurl.com/yyk8c2o5.

In the Netherlands:

Hospitals stretched thin by the pandemic will start sending patients to Germany: tinyurl.com/y4tsxbq6.

In Portugal:

Citizens must wear masks in crowded outdoor areas for the next 70 days: tinyurl.com/y5sbybqm.

In the UK:

The government increases subsidies for restaurants, pubs, and bars shut down by the coronavirus: tinyurl.com/y4k3pzzg.

The musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie plans to return to the West End in November: tinyurl.com/y664azm6.

For your entertainment:

Billed as the first Broadway soap opera, As the Curtain Rises, is now available where your get your podcasts and at www.bpn.fm/atcr. The next three episodes will be released on subsequent Thursdays, with more to come. The cast includes Alex Brightman, Ariana Debose, Andrew Barth Feldman, James Monroe Inglehart, Ilana Levine, Lesli Margherita, Mauricio Martinez, Ashley Park, George Salazar, Sarah Stiles, Michael Urie, and Lillias White.

Ella: Forever the First Lady of Song, features Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, November 14 at 7:00pm. The cast includes Renée Fleming, Diana Krall, Audra McDonald, Cécile McLorin Salvant in duet with pianist Sullivan Fortner, and Camille Thurman. Virtual tickets are $20: tinyurl.com/y3q6xge7.

San Francisco Opera announces upcoming streaming of full-length operas from October 31 through November 29. Titles include Gaetano Donizetti's bel canto masterpiece Lucia di Lammermoor starring Natalie Dessay on October 31-November 1; Giuseppe Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) with former music director Nicola Luisotti conducting a thrilling cast on November 7-8; Modest Mussorgsky's political drama Boris Godunov with Samuel Ramey portraying the titular Russian tsar on November 14-15; Verdi's tragic masterpiece Rigoletto with a cast headed by Željko Lucic on November 21-22 and Ramón Vargas and Inva Mula co-star in Donizetti's romantic comedy L'Elisir d'Amore (The Elixir of Love) reset in Napa Valley on November 28-29. The presentations, filmed live in high-definition at the War Memorial Opera House, will be viewable on demand for free with registration at www.sfopera.com on the first streaming date starting at 10:00am (PDT) and expiring at 11:59pm the following day.

For your pleasure:

The Broadway Sinfonietta, a new, all-female orchestra, teams up with Solea Pfeiffer for this stunning version of "You're Gonna Hear From Me," by André and Dory Previn: tinyurl.com/y2utbuld.

That's all for today. Have a good weekend. Stay safe. Vote. -- DB

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