COVID-19 Update, December 3, 2020: The Beginning of the End

Vaccines are in the pipeline and deliveries are being planned. The effect of this is everywhere as arts-related businesses begin to look to the future. It truly feels as if our long global nightmare is coming to a conclusion. But there's turbulence ahead in the immediate future. Yesterday marked the highest number of COVID-9 deaths in the US yet. Hospitals are overwhelmed and medical personnel are at a premium. The CDC warns that the next two or three months may be the hardest yet.

The latest:

Wednesday is the deadliest day in the US during the pandemic, with 2,800 lives lost: tinyurl.com/y5zxbs4m. The call goes out for nurses to to help: tinyurl.com/yxj73cpm.

Stop me if you've heard this one: The CDC asks Americans not to travel during the upcoming holiday season: tinyurl.com/y4uouxck. Dr. Robert Redfield, of the CDC, warns that the next few months will be among "the most difficult in the public health history of this nation." tinyurl.com/y5e5ad63.

President-Elect Joe Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senator Chuck Schumer embrace the $908 stimulus package that was proposed yesterday by a group of centrist Congresspersons: tinyurl.com/yy9g7uh8.

Modeling good behavior, former Presidents Bush, Clinton, and Obama volunteer to the COVID-19 vaccine publicly, demonstrating their belief in its safety: tinyurl.com/y4cjym6o.

Facebook says it removed posts that contain debunked claims about the COVID-19 vaccine: tinyurl.com/yy3s6hs5.

Cyberattacks are being mounted on organizations tasked with distributing the COVID-19 vaccine: tinyurl.com/y6puc87w.

First-time unemployment claims total 712,000 this week, rather better than expected: tinyurl.com/yykl7w25.

Food for thought:

Unlike the NBA and NHL, the NFL has struggled badly in the pandemic. Is it time for a pause? tinyurl.com/y2bw75jc. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league is committed to finishing the season: tinyurl.com/yxhvz38b. The NBA resumes testing, and 48 players are revealed to be positive: tinyurl.com/y32b8xma.

PPP update: just 1% of the borrowers got a quarter of the $523 million disbursed: tinyurl.com/y4whnbt4.

Can employers require workers to take the vaccine? tinyurl.com/y4t4qz9u.

Actress Melissa Errico on making a Zoom production of Meet Me in St. Louis for Irish Repertory Theatre: tinyurl.com/yxvvtx6n.

Around the country:

In California:

Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles, issues an emergency stay-at-home order, saying "It's time to hunker down:" tinyurl.com/y526qjwu.

Plans for the international release of Wonder Woman 1984, in the middle of the pandemic, leaves many scratching their heads: tinyurl.com/yyzxsyx8.

Scott Jones, sheriff of Sacramento County, refused to enforce the governor's mask mandate: he is now sick with COVID-19: tinyurl.com/y5hhuv5f.

In Florida:

The state records 9,994 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday; the overall total hits 1,018,160: tinyurl.com/y4nxqt24.

The major cruise lines are postponing all departures until March at least: tinyurl.com/y5tr9ysl.

Gloria Estefan tests positive for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/yxmzk9h2.

In Hawaii:

A couple, diagnosed with COVID-19 decides get on a plane anyway; when it lands, they get arrested: tinyurl.com/y32qndz3.

In Kansas:

The AMC cinema chain has filed with the SEC to sell stock, hoping to raise upwards of $800 million to keep going in the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y6jm7dba.

In Maryland:

The state reports 48 deaths on Thursday, the most since mid-May: tinyurl.com/y5u86sml.

In Nevada:

The Las Vegas Bowl is off for 2020: tinyurl.com/y4bgbjut.

In New York:

The state expects 170,000 doses of vaccine by December 15: tinyurl.com/y4v426w9.

A bar in Staten Island declares itself an "autonomous zone," free from pandemic restrictions, drawing a raucous and unwanted crowd: tinyurl.com/yywa4xre.

A Broadway costume shop fights to stay in business, forming a new lobbying coalition in the process: tinyurl.com/y6fsru86.

In Ohio:

With the state's positivity rate going above 15%, Ohioans are urged to stay at home: tinyurl.com/y24dqsql.

In Texas:

The state will get 1.4 million vaccine doses in December: tinyurl.com/yyj7jtwd.

The mayor of Austin urged residents to stay at home for their own safety; then he took a Mexican vacation: tinyurl.com/y32ymo4x.

In Utah:

The Sundance Film Festival announces its plans for 2021, with multi-city rollouts, drive-in screenings, and digital transmissions: tinyurl.com/y5z9ac3v.

Around the world:

In Australia:

The musical Moulin Rouge! is greenlighted to open in Melbourne in August, marking a major return for the country's theatre industry: tinyurl.com/y38ktzfr.

In France:

The country plans border checks targeting skiers on their way to and from resorts in other countries: tinyurl.com/y6xh4kpg.

In Iran:

The country passes one million COVID-19 cases: tinyurl.com/y2hzktld.

In Mexico:

The president, who almost never wears a mask, says that pandemic curfews and lockdowns are the last resort of dictators: tinyurl.com/y6qa5sxd. The county also has the fourth-highest COVID-19 death rate worldwide: tinyurl.com/y48oouvv.

In the UK:

A growing taxi graveyard is a sign of an industry ravaged by the pandemic: tinyurl.com/yyl32yj9.

With the vaccine rollout starting next week, Andrew Lloyd Webber announces plans to reopen The Phantom of the Opera in the West End in June: tinyurl.com/y4nfnrza.

Entertainment:

On Tuesday, December 8 at 7:00pm PT, Jonathan Biss will perform Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Op. 13, Op. 90, and Op. 11. Tickets at www.Group.Muse.com.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Cincinnati Public Radio have joined to bring listeners A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play. Bruce Cromer, who plays Ebenezer Scrooge in the Playhouse's annual production, will take to the radio for an intimate tour-de-force as he performs all the roles in this one-man version. Sponsored by Macy's, it will air on 91.7 WVXU and 88.5 WMUB at 8:00pm on Wednesday, Dec. 23 and 7:00pm on Christmas Eve.

Audra McDonald will give a concert to benefit City Center, December 9 at 7:30pm ET; the event will be available on demand through December 16. Tickets are $35 at tinyurl.com/yym7nwx3.

Manhattan Theatre Club presents a reading of Time Stands Still, by Donald Margulies, tonight at 8:00pm EST; it will be available until December 7. The cast includes Laura Linney, Eric Bogosian, Brian D'Arcy James, and Alicia Silverstone. It's a benefit for The Actors Fund: www.todaytex.com/.

For your pleasure:

The group The Immediate Family offers "New York Minute," a new version of a Don Henley hit. The group features Danny Kortchmar (guitar and vocals), Waddy Wachtel (guitar and vocals), Leland Sklar (bass), Russ Kunkel (drums), and Steve Postell (guitar and vocal: youtu.be/WhAhgXKcFtA.

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

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