The University of Evansville’s Health Science programs have donated personal protection equipment (PPE) to support the efforts of healthcare workers during the coronavirus outbreak.
“Local hospitals, Ascension St. Vincent and Deaconess locations including Encompass Health, Gateway, and Midtown reached out to us to see if we had some extra equipment we could donate, and of course we responded as quickly as possible to share what we have to help keep those front-line healthcare workers safe,” said Jerrilee LaMar, chair and White Family Endowed Professor of UE’s Dunigan Family School of Nursing.
Departments that donated equipment include the School of Nursing, Physician Assistant Science, and the Doctor of Physical Therapy programs. Donated equipment includes six boxes of face masks, 100 isolation gowns, more than 100 boxes of exam and surgical gloves.
These items are typically used by University of Evansville’s health science students as they learn and practice skills in laboratories like the Dunigan Family Nursing Lab on UE’s campus or the Stone Family Center for Health Sciences in downtown Evansville. During their course of study, students engage in real-life simulations and use actual healthcare equipment. Like other institutions, the University’s in-person classes have been cancelled for the remainder of the spring semester, although students are still actively engaged in online coursework. This donation allows our health education programs the opportunity to assist their community partners in their time of need.
“We are proud to partner with our local hospitals to give our health science students high level experience in their respective fields,” said Mary Kessler, dean of UE’s College of Education and Health Sciences. “In times of need, we are honored to be able to help their efforts in any way we can.”
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb, the Indiana State Department of Health and other state leaders will host a media briefing Wednesday to provide updates on COVID-19 and its impact on Indiana.
WHO:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gov. Holcomb
State Health Commissioner Kristina Box, M.D., FACOG
WHEN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 25
Evansville, IN – In response to the concerns of COVID-19 across the nation, the State of Indiana, Vanderburgh County and the City of Evansville announced several precautionary steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our region. Among the actions immediately initiated is a plan to mitigate exposure at large events and gathering places:
The City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County issued a State of Emergency beginning Friday, March 16, 2020, at 5 PM and expiring Monday, April 6, 2020, at 11:59 PM. Under that mandate, the Old National Events Plaza will be closed to the public. During that time, in addition to event cancellations and postponements, Old National Events Plaza staff will be unable to receive customers at our box office, and many personnel will be working remotely. Patrons looking to inquire about or purchase tickets to a future event, or those seeking a refund to a cancelled event, should call 812-437-8200 or e-mail info@oldnationaleventsplaza.com.
Past April 6, 2020, per the recommendations of the CDC and Governor of the State of Indiana, non-essential gatherings will be limited to no more than 50 people over the through May 10, 2020. This includes conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings and other types of assemblies.
A current list of event statuses can be found on our website by following this link.
The Old National Events Plaza is following the guidelines of local and state governments for all of our scheduled events. We are reaching out first to our clients with events booked over the next eight weeks, listening to their comments and working with them on possible options. Events scheduled past May 10, 2020, will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the event organizers. We will monitor this rapidly developing situation and will advise with more detailed event information as it becomes available.
The health and safety of our guests and employees is our top priority. We will continue to be guided by the prevention and best practices recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), in conjunction with our local public health officials.
Furthermore, Old National Events Plaza will continue to follow the general cleaning and precautionary guidelines of the CDC and other public health organizations. Our local staff is being supported by ASM Global corporate resources to ensure that we implement operational best practices throughout our network of facilities.
Finally, we want to assure our customers and colleagues that our staff remains on duty and ready to assist during this difficult time, whether we are working onsite or remotely. We appreciate the support we’ve received thus far from the community, our partners and leadership, and we ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work through adapting our business to fit these complex and unprecedented conditions.
Senate leaders and the Trump administration reached an agreement early Wednesday on a $2 trillion stimulus package to rescue the economy from the coronavirus assault, potentially setting the stage for swift passage of the massive legislation through both chambers of Congress.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are done. We have a deal,†White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland told reporters around 1 a.m.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) were expected to discuss the breakthrough on the Senate floor shortly, after a long day of talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Ueland and others.
The agreement capped five straight days of intensive negotiations that occasionally descended into partisan warfare as the nation’s economy reeled from the deadly pandemic, with schools and businesses closed, mass layoffs slamming the workforce, and tens of thousands falling ill.
The legislation, unprecedented in its size and scope, aims to flood the economy with capital by sending $1,200 checks to many Americans, creating a $367 billion loan program for small businesses, and setting up a $500 billion fund for industries, cities and states.
Other provisions include a massive boost to unemployment insurance, $150 billion for state and local stimulus funds and $130 billion for hospitals, among numerous other provisions.
Tuesday began with all parties predicting a deal would be imminent, along with a vote by Tuesday evening. But as the hours dragged on multiple disputes arose and legislative language required close review.
Finally, as midnight neared Tuesday, the pace of shuttle diplomacy picked up on the second floor of the Capitol, as Mnuchin, Ueland and newly named White House chief of staff Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) met alternately with McConnell and Schumer, who was in frequent contact with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The package would extend extraordinary taxpayer assistance to potentially millions of American and companies that have been hammered by the fast-moving economic crisis. The bill is being rushed through Congress without public hearings or formal review, and it’s unclear how effective the measures would be in arresting the economy’s sudden fall.
The stock market rose sharply Tuesday in anticipation of the deal, with the Dow Jones industrial average surging more than 2,100 points or 11.4 percent. The government is dealing with a number of competing pressures, though, as President Trump declared that he’d like much of the country to be up and running by April 12 even though the number of people testing positive for the novel virus in the U.S. continues to climb.
The Senate bill would direct payments of $1,200 to most American adults and $500 to most children, create a $500 billion lending program for companies, states, and cities, and extend an additional $367 billion to help small companies deal with payroll problems. It would bolster the unemployment insurance system and pump $150 billion into U.S. hospitals. The bill more than doubled in size in just a few days.
White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow called it the “single largest Main Street assistance program in the history of the United States.â€
The delay in finalizing a deal came, in part, because aides launched a painstaking scrub of the bill’s text, to make sure that one of the most ambitious pieces of legislation ever attempted by Congress — thrown together in little over a week — actually said what lawmakers wanted it to say.
Senate Republicans were being extra meticulous because they felt an earlier and much smaller coronavirus relief bill, which Mnuchin negotiated in a rush with Pelosi earlier this month, turned out to have provisions related to paid sick leave that GOP senators opposed – but which they reluctantly accepted. Now, they wanted to double- and triple-check Mnuchin’s work in brokering a deal with Schumer given the enormous stakes.
As lawmakers neared a deal, the White House made a significant concession to Democrats’ demands, agreeing to allow enhanced scrutiny over the massive loan program that is a centerpiece of the Senate’s $2 trillion coronavirus economic package.
This pertains to the $500 billion loan and loan guarantee program that the Treasury Department would be tasked with administering for companies, states, and cities. Of that amount, $425 billion is supposed to go to businesses, cities and states. An additional $50 billion would go to passenger airlines, as well as $8 billion for cargo airlines, and $17 billion for firms that are deemed important to national security.
Trump has already said he wants some of the money to go to the cruise ship industry, and he also wants assistance for hotels. When he was asked Monday evening who would perform oversight of the program, Trump responded, “I’ll be the oversight.â€
But during closed-door negotiations on Capitol Hill, White House officials agreed to allow an independent inspector general and an oversight board to scrutinize the lending decisions, senators said.
The most recent precedent for this is the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program that was created during the 2008 financial crisis. To oversee TARP, Congress created an independent inspector general, a regulatory oversight board and a congressional oversight panel. Over the course of several years, investigations uncovered numerous cases of fraud at large and small companies as firms sought to obtain taxpayer money through various programs.
Democrats welcomed the development.
“We got better oversight, better oversight,†Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) said as he left a morning meeting with Schumer. “The oversight basically is saying that you know you can’t just … exempt everybody and give all your corporate executives, based on the backs of the taxpayers, free carnival.â€
Manchin has been critical of the bill being weighted more toward Wall Street than average America. Trump took a shot at the lawmaker when asked about his criticism during an interview Tuesday on Fox News.
“Does Joe Manchin want all of these, or many of these companies to go out of business? We’ll have an unemployment rate the likes of which nobody’s ever seen before,†Trump said. “We have to save these companies. These are companies that weren’t in trouble three weeks ago, and now they’re in trouble because of what happened. These are great companies, they’re in some cases triple A companies.â€
On Twitter Tuesday morning, Trump called on Congress to “approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today.â€
The legislation would also significantly boost unemployment insurance, expanding eligibility and offering workers an additional $600 a week for four months, on top of what state unemployment programs pay.
“We had asked for four months and four months looks like what we’re going to get,†Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “It will put money into the hands of those who need it so much because they lost their jobs, as I said, through no fault of their own.â€
The legislation also contains $130 billion for hospitals and $150 billion for a state and local stimulus fund, both major Democratic priorities, Schumer told fellow Democrats on a conference call, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss it.
Lawmakers of both parties are under extreme pressure from their constituents and health-care providers in their districts and states to act to provide desperately needed money and supplies amid widespread shortages and waves of layoffs. As of Tuesday evening, there were more than 55,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, and the numbers were rising by the hour.
Mnuchin was joined on Capitol Hill on Tuesday by White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the newly announced White House chief of staff. They joined key Senate Republicans around midday to review terms of the deal.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who negotiated the small business portion, said it had grown to $367 billion, with inclusion of six months of loan forbearance for all small businesses adding $17 billion to the original $350 billion price tag.
“I can’t imagine there not being a deal given the differences that remain are frankly not insurmountable,†Rubio said following the meeting.
All parties would like to act swiftly, so if the Senate is able to pass a bipartisan package quickly the expectation is that the House would follow suit. House Democrats released their own larger and more generous stimulus package on Monday, stuffed with provisions that would be non-starters for Republicans such as a $15 minimum wage requirement for airlines and businesses that receive funds. But that legislation would be set aside and Pelosi would attempt to move the Senate bill through the House.
One outstanding issue Pelosi raised is that Democrats are pushing for a dramatic increase in food stamp benefits in exchange for accepting billions more in funding for the administration’s farm bailout that Republicans have included in the stimulus bill. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) said in a news release that the legislation would increase the amount the Department of Agriculture can spend on its bailout program from $30 billion to $50 billion.
A few other sticking points remained. Democrats were pushing for more money for Native American tribes. And in early drafts of the bill circulating Tuesday, nonprofits, with the exception of those that receive funding from Medicaid, would have been allowed to access the small business loans. This would effectively have excluded some health centers that provide reproductive services. Some Democrats and health advocates objected to that language — and as the legislation was finalized it appeared to have been struck.
The House of Representatives is currently out of session, and it would be tricky for House members to return en masse to Washington to vote. Democratic aides said they were optimistic that a strong bipartisan Senate vote would make it possible to pass the bill by unanimous consent in the House — a process requiring only two members present in the House chamber. But that would require every lawmaker to agree — a tall order for a $2 trillion bill touching every part of the U.S. economy.
“The easiest way for us to do it is to put aside our concerns for another day and get this done,” Pelosi said Tuesday on CNBC. “My goal always has been to bring this bill to the floor under unanimous consent.â€
However, any lawmaker of either party could object, and in an early warning sign Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) voiced concern about the legislation over Twitter, writing that despite “vague statements†no one had seen text of the legislation that “seems to give a *HALF TRILLION DOLLARS* away to big corporations, w/ few worker protections.â€
Among House Republicans, there is similar reluctance to commit to approving a still-unseen bill, according to GOP aides familiar with internal conversations. Besides potential policy objections inherent in a $2 trillion bill, members might also resist passing a bill of that magnitude without a formal vote, the aides said — thus requiring most lawmakers to return to Washington.
If unanimous consent is not possible, aides of both parties said the most likely scenario would be a day-long vote where members would be encouraged to spread out their trips to the floor and not congregate as the vote is taken.
At least two House members and one senator have tested positive for the coronavirus, while others remained quarantined, and multiple lawmakers have voiced trepidation about returning to the Capitol.
Tuesday’s progress on the massive legislation followed four straight days of negotiations on Capitol Hill, with a deal seemingly in reach each day only to elude completion. Tempers flared on the Senate floor Monday as senators got into a near shouting match over the delays.
Congress has already passed two much smaller coronavirus relief bills: an $8.3 billion emergency supplemental for the health-care system, and a $100-billion-plus bill to boost paid sick leave and unemployment insurance and provide free coronavirus testing.
FOOTNOTE: John Wagner and Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report.
Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office And The Evansville Police Department COVID-19 Travel And Business Restrictions Starting TodayÂ
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office and the Evansville Police Department have published this release in order to clarify our local law enforcement response to the Governor’s Office COVID-19 pandemic travel and business restrictions.
Sheriff’s deputies and police officers have been ordered to focus on protecting citizens and local businesses from those few members of our community who might be thinking this pandemic represents an opportunity to commit the crime. Anyone bold enough to take advantage of our citizens and business owners during this crisis will soon be sheltering in place at the Vanderburgh County Jail.
Both Sheriff Dave Wedding and Chief Billy Bolin recognize the impact the Governor’s executive orders will have on the daily lives of our residents and business owners. The orders will impact our ability to travel, attend gatherings, conduct business and enjoy leisure and fitness activities.
We ask everyone in the community to abide by the restrictions that go into effect at midnight tonight. Under Indiana Code 10-14-3-34, a person who knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly violates a state of emergency order commits a Class B Misdemeanor. Our sheriff’s deputies and police officers DO NOT want to cite anyone for violating the emergency order. We seek voluntary compliance through open dialogue and education. WE MUST protect our at-risk populations from infection so that we can give our hard-working medical service providers the space they need to function at their best.
We do not yet know the full extent to which COVID-19 will impact our community. This is why following the instructions of the Governor’s Office and the Health Department is absolutely critical. Please listen to and follow the advice of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) concerning hand washing and social distancing. Don’t share Facebook posts from non-official sources concerning the COVID-19 virus. Don’t subscribe to or promote conspiracy theories designed only to promote fear and mistrust.
Please remember to check in on our elderly and sick neighbors, while still maintaining social distance. Stay home unless you must travel to work at an essential business or to obtain food, supplies, and medications. Making a good faith effort to follow the Governor’s orders now may give our community the best chance of avoiding the imposition of prolonged restrictions.
Travel and Business Restrictions
We realize many members of the public have questions regarding the Travel and Business Restrictions that take effect on March 25, 2020. On March 23, 2020, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued a series of executive orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive order #20-08 restricts business activity and public gatherings between March 25, 2020 and April 06, 2020. The most relevant orders are summarized below. A complete listing of all executive orders and their prohibitions can be found here: https://www.in.gov/gov/2384.htm
Executive Order 20-08
ï‚· To the extent possible, individuals outside their homes must at all times maintain social distancing of at least six (6) feet (excluding family and household members).
ï‚· Public gatherings of more than ten (10) people are prohibited.
  All places of public amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, including, but not limited to, locations with amusement rides, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, aquariums, zoos, museums, arcades, fairs, children’s play centers, playgrounds, funplexes, theme parks, bowling alleys, movie and other theaters, concert and music halls, and country clubs or social clubs, shall be closed.
ï‚· Â All non-essential businesses are ordered closed (with the exception of the minimum level of staff necessary to facilitate telework and/or preserve the physical plant).
ï‚· Â All non-essential travel is prohibited. Travel is only permitted for the following reasons:
o Obtaining medical care and supplies for individuals and pets. o Obtaining groceries, food and supplies.
o Outdoor activity such as walking, hiking, running and bicycling.
o Travel to work at essential businesses, government offices, healthcare providers, human services providers and infrastructure support.
o Court-ordered travel for child custody.
o Interstate travel for non-residents leaving the state and return travel for residents. o Obtaining educational materials or meals from an educational institution.
o To care for a family member, friend or pet.
Essential Businesses
An essential business may remain open during the state of emergency. A complete list of essential businesses can be
found here https://coronavirus.in.gov/2496.htm.
Expiration of State issued identification cards, driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, renewals and firearms licenses. Executive Order 20-09
ï‚· Â The expiration of any state agency-issued license, certification or permit which has expired during, or is set to expire during this public health emergency shall be extended automatically to Friday, May 22, 2020.
ï‚· Â If you already had an expired license or registration prior to this public health emergency, we will still take the appropriate enforcement action. You are only exempt if the permit expired during the public health emergency. Hotline Assistance for Business and IndustryThe Critical Industries Hotline is available to help guide businesses and industries with the executive order. This center is reachable by calling 877-820-0890 or by emailing covidresponse@iedc.in.gov. This is for business and industry questions only.
Restaurants & Bars Executive Order 20-04
ï‚· All bars, nightclubs, and restaurants closed to in-person patrons (take-out and delivery allowed). Executive Order 20-10
ï‚· Â Directs the Indiana State Department of Health and local boards of health to take all available administrative and enforcement actions against establishments that provide in-dining services.
ï‚· Â Directs the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission to enforce issues with establishments permitting in-person dining and holding alcohol beverage permits.
 These complaints will not be handled by either The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office or The Evansville Police Department.
Governor Orders Hoosiers To Stay Home Beginning Today As COVID-19 Cases Rise
Gov. Eric Holcomb addressed the state Monday to provide an update on the actions Indiana is taking to protect Hoosiers during the coronavirus pandemic, including issuing a “stay-at-home” order.
Rest assured, state and local leaders are working together to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and provide critical resources to protect our most vulnerable. The preventative steps we all take now will help Hoosier families and businesses get back to work sooner.
Governor Orders Hoosiers to Stay Home in Fight Against COVID-19 In statewide address, Governor also limits state government services
INDIANAPOLIS (March 23, 2020) – Governor Eric J. Holcomb delivered a statewide address Monday to order that Hoosiers remain in their homes except when they are at work or for permitted activities, such as taking care of others, obtaining necessary supplies, and for health and safety. The order is in effect from March 25 to April 7.
“The next two weeks are critical if we are to slow the spread of COVID-19, and we must slow the spread. You must be part of the solution, not the problem,†said Gov. Holcomb.The first positive case of COVID-19 in Indiana was reported on March 6. Since then the number of positive cases has increased on a near-daily basis, escalating as the capacity to test has grown. As of this morning, the number of tests completed in Indiana is 1,960, the number of positive cases is 259 and 7 deaths have been reported.
“I’m setting the example by sending state government personnel home to work to the maximum extent possible and closing our facilities to public interaction beginning Tuesday, for at least the next two weeks,†said Gov. Holcomb.
Beginning Tuesday, all state government offices will be closed to in-person public activity until at least April 7. This includes the Government Center complex in Indianapolis and other offices throughout the state, including the Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches. State employees will work remotely whenever possible and continue to provide core functions online and by phone. All public safety functions will continue.
In conjunction with the closures, Gov. Holcomb ordered an automatic extension of all state-issued licenses and will advise law enforcement to refrain from issuing citations for a driver’s license or registration that expires during this emergency.
The state, in conjunction with the city and all hospital systems in Marion County, has activated a comprehensive emergency operations center to maximize hospital capacity and provide joint coordination. The center is charged with tracking the inventory of all hospital beds, supplies and personnel as the number of COVID-19 patients grow.
“I am proud of our hospital systems that are participating in the initial phase of this process, Eskenazi Health, IU Health, Franciscan Health, Community Health Network, and Ascension,†said Gov. Holcomb. “Marion County is where we’ve seen the most community spread to date, but we will expand this model to other parts of the state.â€
In all, Governor Holcomb Issued Four Executive Orders:
EO 20-08. Stay at Home.Provides for essential and non-essential business and operations, infrastructure, government services, travel, and activities outside of one’s home. Click here for answers to frequently asked questions regarding the stay-at-home order.
EO 20-09. Continuity of State Operations. Provides for the continuing operation of state government through 8 a.m. April 7 with restricted access to government buildings and services.
Directs that state and local boards of health and the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC) take all available administrative and enforcement actions against establishments that continue to offer in-house dining services, in violation of the governor’s executive order of March 16.
Health departments will deliver letters ordering restaurants that continue to provide in-person dining to cease such operations. If they do not comply, fines will be levied.
For restaurants with alcohol permits that continue to offer in-person dining, the ATC will issue an order in writing for the establishment to cease such operations. If the activity continues, the ATC will suspend the entity’s liquor license and will consider the non-compliance at the time of permit renewal.
Relaxes the sale of carryout alcoholic beverages for dining establishments. This includes establishments that allow for on-premises consumption only and those that are permitted carryout permits dependent on a percentage of on-premises sales.
The complete text of Gov. Holcomb’s address may be found here, and the Stay-At-Home Order FAQ may be found here.
Indiana opened the Critical Industries Hotline this morning to help guide businesses and industries with the executive order. This center, reachable by calling 877-820-0890 or by emailing covidresponse@iedc.in.gov, is for business and industry questions only.
INDIANAPOLIS – In the end, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb didn’t have much choice.
He had to shut the state down.
John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com
That’s why on Monday he signed an executive order closing all non-essential businesses in Indiana. He also directed all Hoosiers to stay home for two weeks unless they’re caring for others or going for groceries or medical supplies.
Holcomb didn’t have many alternatives.
Ever since the first coronavirus case in Indiana was diagnosed on March 6, the growth chart for the spread of the disease has looked like a graphic for a rocket launch. The rate of new cases has been accelerating almost exponentially and Surgeon General Jerome Adams says the coming weeks will be worse – much worse – than what Americans have seen so far.
As Holcomb spoke, the Hoosier state had recorded around 260 cases and seven deaths.
Those totals, though, are deceptive.
Because it still is difficult to impossible for Hoosiers to be tested for coronavirus and the results of the test can take almost a week to be reported, the real numbers doubtless are higher.
Much higher.
And likely to get worse.
Much worse.
That accounted for the urgency of the governor’s short address Monday. He spoke for about 10 minutes and sounded for much of it like a man in a hurry to finish with an unpleasant task.
Holcomb still is not a polished speaker. Every time he steps to a microphone, he resembles a self-conscious high school student dragged to the front of the auditorium to make a few remarks.
But, in this case, that didn’t matter.
The governor’s very stiffness – even awkwardness – compelled attention to his message.
The subtext was clear.
Holcomb wasn’t issuing a sweeping executive order because he wanted to. He was doing it because he had to.
Fair-minded Hoosiers will respect that. They will grasp that the governor wasn’t attempting to exploit an emergency to enhance his authority but instead is trying to keep his fellow citizens from dying in greater numbers than necessary.
That matters.
So did Holcomb’s tone.
It established a marked contrast with that of President Donald Trump during this crisis.
Trump, again and again, has sought to invoke the dark furies – division, discord, seething resentment – that propelled him to power. When it became clear there was no magic wand the president could wave to ward off this danger, he began seeking ways to evade responsibility for it.
He called it a “foreign virus†or “Chinese virus.†He lashed out at a reporter who lobbed him the softest of softballs by asking if the president wanted to speak to Americans who are frightened at this moment. When asked about failures in the federal government’s response to the crisis, the president of the United States – the president of the United States – said he took no responsibility for what his administration does.
For Donald Trump, the buck stops with him only when the news is good.
When the going gets tough, he looks for a desk to hide under.
Thank goodness Holcomb took a different tack.
Instead of speaking to Hoosiers’ darker impulses, he summoned, to use Abraham Lincoln’s wonderous phrase, the better angels of their nature.
He heaped praise on Indiana citizens who are part of the solution, not the problem. He lauded not just healthcare workers – he called them heroes – but others who simply practiced social distance.
And, thus, saved lives.
He also didn’t try to spin things to make himself look good. He just laid out the facts, confident that Hoosiers were wise enough and tough enough to face them.
Holcomb’s message was clear.
The coronavirus is a threat to all of us. For that reason, we all must work together to meet and defeat the virus.
As an exercise in elocution, the governor’s short speech might have merited only a passing grade.
But, as an act of leadership, Eric Holcomb’s performance was first-rate.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
FDA Will Allow Doctors To Treat Critically ill Coronavirus Patients With Blood From Survivors
Experts say the treatment might be the best hope for some patients until more sophisticated drugs are developed.
By Mike Hixenbaugh
The Food and Drug Administration will allow doctors across the country to begin using plasma donated by coronavirus survivors to treat patients who are critically ill with the virus under new emergency protocols approved Tuesday.
The FDA’s decision comes a day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state’s health department planned to begin treating the sickest coronavirus patients with antibody-rich plasma extracted from the blood of those who’ve recovered.
The treatment, known as convalescent plasma, dates back centuries and was used during the flu pandemic of 1918, in an era before modern vaccines and antiviral drugs. Some experts have argued that it might be the best hope for combating the coronavirus until more sophisticated therapies can be developed, which could take several months.
“The approach definitely has merit, and what’s remarkable about it is it’s not a new idea; it’s been with us for a good hundred years or longer,” said Dr. Jeffrey Henderson, an associate professor of medicine and molecular microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “I think we don’t know until we have experience and case reports with this particular disease whether it will be effective, but just based on its track record with a number of other viruses, I think it has a very good chance of working.”
Henderson is part of a nationwide network of doctors and researchers, led by a team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who have been working to establish protocols for use of plasma to treat those suffering from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The method — essentially harvesting virus-fighting antibodies from the blood of previously infected patients — was associated with milder symptoms and shorter hospital stays for some patients during the 2002 SARS outbreak. And initial reports from China suggest convalescent plasma might also be effective in dulling the effects of COVID-19.
Under the emergency protocols approved by the FDA, doctors can request permission to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients on a case-by-case basis. For now, the experimental treatment will be reserved for patients who are in dire condition and at risk of death. The FDA will respond to most requests within four to eight hours, the agency said. For patients who require treatment faster, doctors can call the FDA’s Office of Emergency Operations to get an approval over the phone.
If the treatment is proven safe and effective, experts said it would likely work best if given to patients before symptoms become too severe. And past studies indicate that proactive infusions of convalescent plasma might also be effective in protecting front line health care workers from becoming seriously ill.
“The approach definitely has merit, and what’s remarkable about it is it’s not a new idea; it’s been with us for a good hundred years or longer,” said Dr. Jeffrey Henderson, an associate professor of medicine and molecular microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “I think we don’t know until we have experience and case reports with this particular disease whether it will be effective, but just based on its track record with a number of other viruses, I think it has a very good chance of working.”
Henderson is part of a nationwide network of doctors and researchers, led by a team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who have been working to establish protocols for use of plasma to treat those suffering from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The method — essentially harvesting virus-fighting antibodies from the blood of previously infected patients — was associated with milder symptoms and shorter hospital stays for some patients during the 2002 SARS outbreak. And initial reports from China suggest convalescent plasma might also be effective in dulling the effects of COVID-19.
Under the emergency protocols approved by the FDA, doctors can request permission to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients on a case-by-case basis. For now, the experimental treatment will be reserved for patients who are in dire condition and at risk of death. The FDA will respond to most requests within four to eight hours, the agency said. For patients who require treatment faster, doctors can call the FDA’s Office of Emergency Operations to get an approval over the phone.
If the treatment is proven safe and effective, experts said it would likely work best if given to patients before symptoms become too severe. And past studies indicate that proactive infusions of convalescent plasma might also be effective in protecting front line health care workers from becoming seriously ill.
The FDA cautioned that plasma has not been proven effective for COVID-19 and that researchers wishing to test it more broadly should apply for permission to begin a trial.
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“Although promising, convalescent plasma has not been shown to be effective in every disease studied,” the FDA announcement said. “It is therefore important to determine through clinical trials, before routinely administering convalescent plasma to patients with COVID-19, that it is safe and effective to do so.”
Experts said widespread use of convalescent plasma if approved in the coming weeks, would require significant coordination between hospitals and the nation’s blood banks.
In New York, health officials said they plan to begin recruiting patients this week who have fully recovered from COVID-19. That effort, officials said, would likely start in New Rochelle, the New York City suburb that was the center of the state’s initial outbreak a few weeks ago, because of the concentration of people there who have already recovered.
“It’s only a trial,” Cuomo said Monday. “It’s a trial for people who are in serious condition, but the New York State Department of Health has been working on this with some of New York’s best health care agencies, and we think it shows promise, and we’re going to be starting that this week.”
Deaconess Clinic Offers Respiratory Immediate Care
3/24/2020
EVANSVILLE – A new evaluation clinic has been created for patients with COVID-19 symptoms: Deaconess Clinic Respiratory Immediate Care.
Appointments are required, and patients can self-schedule at www.deaconess.com/urgentcare; Respiratory Immediate Care is the second option on the page.
The clinic, located just inside the main entrance of Deaconess Clinic Downtown, is open from 8 AM – 8 PM, 7 days a week, and is for patients ages 4 and up who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
When patients arrive, they’re greeted at the door, given a mask, and then taken directly to an exam room. Deaconess Clinic providers examine the patients and determine what testing may be needed. Some tests, such as for flu or other illnesses, as well as chest x-rays, can take place inside the clinic. If COVID-19 testing is appropriate, a nearby testing option will be available.
The pre-scheduling requirement, and designated location and process, help protect health care workers and patients.
FOOTNOTE: More information about this and other COVID-19 symptom assessment and testing are available at www.deaconess.com/coronavirus.