Not anymore, though. 

Since Puerto Rico went into lockdown on March 15, days are tightly scheduled, and they never venture beyond the shelter’s gates. Up at 6 a.m., the boys bathe, eat breakfast and head to the library room for lessons and crafts followed by lunch. After school work is done, they play sports like soccer or volleyball in the yard, bathe again, eat dinner in their pajamas, play board games or watch a movie and go to bed by 8 p.m. Their caretakers read a bed-time story, play classical music and pray with them before the boys go to sleep in their own room, and repeat the routine the next day.

The strict routine is critical to help the 13 boys adjust to their new reality. Aged five to 10 and all survivors of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, they are no strangers to traumatic experiences. “They come from chaos,” said Sister Blanca M. Colón Rodríguez, executive director of the shelter Centro de Acogida y Sostén Agustino (CASA). 

A routine creates a sense of normalcy for the children during the coronavirus emergency, believes psychologist Héctor Gómez Martínez. “It helps keep the mind focused on something,” said Gómez Martínez, a professor at Carlos Albizu University. “Having the mind too unoccupied can lead to them thinking things that are not positive. It’s important to keep them distracted by having a routine.”

In CASA, the boys adapted without a fuss because it is similar to what they tend to do during the summer. Perhaps the biggest disruptions in their routines are closure of their schools since March 16 and the suspension of visits from social workers and family due to quarantine measures. 

Gómez Martínez said cutting off visits could gravely affect children by restricting their social interactions. “Limiting visits from social workers or any other type of personnel will limit them in the improvements in their psychological and emotional well-being,” he said. “It is extremely detrimental that they cannot have visits from other people and that they don’t socialize.”

The 13 boys are among the 2,918 children under state custody in the U.S. territory. Puerto Rico’s Department of the Family is the agency in charge of protecting minors that have been removed from their homes. Some are placed with family members, foster families or therapeutic homes, while others live in shelters. 

Since 2013, CASA has been run by three nuns, members of the Saint Augustine order. Located in the laps of green mountains in the island’s central region, the shelter houses up to 15 boys under the age of 13 with the goal of preparing them for a permanent home. The staff comes and goes, so they take precautions to avoid bringing in the novel virus from the outside such as washing their hands regularly, taking their temperatures, using masks and disinfecting groceries. Twenty employees are caring for the children during the pandemic, with two caretakers staying at the shelter overnight. The nuns live in a convent, a few minutes away from the shelter and always on call. 

“The most important person in the life of a rescued child is the social worker,” said Colón Rodríguez, who has been working with children in state custody since 1995. “That child knows deep inside that that social worker saved him, and that bond that forms in the moment the child is rescued is a bond that lasts.”

Before the coronavirus crisis, social workers came to the shelter once a month, and walked with the child in the hills surrounding the four-story secluded shelter. They’d sit and chat in the boys’ individual rooms, with his own twin bed and a bathroom. Now, the visits have been replaced by weekly phone and video calls from social workers. 

Along with visits, court hearings have also been interrupted, so adoption and reunification processes are on hold until further notice. One of the boys at the shelter would be with his dad now if it weren’t for the pandemic. The reunification hearing was scheduled for early April, but it was cancelled due to the emergency. Now, father and son see each other through a screen by video calls as a social worker listens in nearby. 

“He doesn’t know that in April the hearing was going to be held to see if his dad would get custody,” Colón Rodríguez said. “Later, the time will come.”

The Department of the Family has equipped computers with video conference applications in preparation for virtual court hearings to resume adoption and reunification processes, said Glenda Gerena, sub-administrator of the Children and Families Administration, an agency within the department. 

“It’s been hard for everyone. We understand that it’s been harder for them, who have had various traumas in their lives,” said Gerena, pointing out that psychological help is available for the children. 

Many abused or abandoned children battle with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and behavioral disorders stemming from trauma, among other conditions. The pandemic exacerbates pre-existing mental health illnesses, said Gómez Martínez. The psychologist warned teletherapy may not be as effective as face-to-face sessions because telepsychology is not regulated in Puerto Rico and many mental health professionals do not have the training to practice telemedicine. 

The earthquakes that rocked the island earlier this year could make children even more vulnerable to the ongoing crisis. “The experience of the tremors gave a feeling of helplessness,” said Gómez Martínez. “That may also be impacting the experience of these children who are living in shelters: the feeling of instability.” 

One of the areas hit the hardest by the earthquakes is about 60 miles away from CASA in the southern coastal city of Ponce. The shaking hasn’t stopped since January, however, the 12 boys in the shelter are used to it. Aged eight to 18, all with special needs, they live in the shelter Hogar San Miguel Arcángel. 

“We have been able to manage the earthquakes,” said Jennifer Rodríguez, director of the shelter. “We keep all the boys together at all times in the shelter in case there’s an emergency.”

Like in CASA, the routine Hogar San Miguel Arcángel runs like clockwork. The boys wake up at 7 a.m. They eat breakfast, watch TV and do activities like painting. After lunch, they finish homework, talk to their social worker and play on the patio. The day ends between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. after a bath and snacks. 

“What has affected them a bit is not receiving visits and not having activities outside. We try to substitute external activities with things we can do here,” said Rodríguez, mentioning that they organized an Easter celebration, with a barbeque, an egg hunt and gifts. 

Hogar San Miguel Arcángel belongs to the Episcopal Church’s Puerto Rico dioceses and has provided services for 25 years. Most of the boys stay in the shelter for two years, as dictated by law. Some kids, however, have stayed on for four or five years because the Department of the Family can’t find anywhere else to place them.

Three caretakers, the director, the shelter’s social worker, the cook and the tutor work hands-on with the minors during the crisis, with two employees staying overnight. The staff wears gloves and face masks when interacting with the kids, and they change their shoes as soon as they enter the building to avoid infecting the boys with the coronavirus. 

The pandemic has changed even the little things. The boys used to enjoy helping staff unload groceries because the walk between the parking lot and the shelter was like an outing for them. Now, however, they’re not even allowed to touch the groceries until the products have been wiped down. “We explained that we can’t do that anymore, and they’ve understood,” Rodríguez said. “They’re calm because they know that, because of the current situation, they can’t go out.”

The post When the pandemic hits a shelter for abused boys  appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Before the pandemic, she visited Antonio Ramos Cruz every week at Bayamón Correctional Institution 501, in Puerto Rico. But they decided during her last visit that she should stay away from the prison for a while as Puerto Ricans braced for the impending arrival of the novel coronavirus to the island. A few weeks later, on March 15, the U.S. territory went under lockdown and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation suspended all visitations. 

Now, she fears she’ll never see him again. 

“It’s a terrible uncertainty,” said Castro, 51. “Every day, I think about him, his safety.”

A minimum-security inmate, Ramos Cruz, 49, shares the same space with nearly 50 men. He told his wife they only get a bar of soap every two weeks or so, they don’t have access to hand sanitizer and they all share a gallon of disinfectant given to them monthly. He mentioned another inmate was making masks out of uniforms, and she urged him to buy one. 

With little room for social distancing, she worries the virus could quickly spread among the prisoners as she has seen happen with colds. “If one gets sick there,” she said, “they all get sick.”

Her concern isn’t unfounded. Across the United States, correctional facilities have become hotspots for Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel virus. Seven out of 10 of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in the country have been in prisons or jails as of May 9, according to the New York Times. The Marshall Project calculated that at least 20,119 cases of Covid-19 and 304 deaths have been reported among incarcerated people in the nation as of May 6. 

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Friday said all 8,838 adult prisoners on the island had tested negative for Covid-19. 

But Castro doesn’t trust the authorities. After the agency had previously announced that nearly 3,000 inmates had tested negative for the virus, she believed the government could be hiding the true number of coronavirus cases in the island’s 32 correctional facilities. 

“Obviously, they’re not going to say there is Covid-19 there,” said Castro, who is a medical technologist. “Then, they’d have to take measures that they don’t want to take.”

Families of incarcerated people tend to distrust the authorities because the prison system represents a negative experience in their lives, said psychologist Julimar Sáez Colón, who has worked with prisoners since 2009. Family members see officials, she said, as people who punish their loved ones and do not have empathy with prisoners, so they believe they are not taking proper care of inmates.

“Although a family member tries to remain optimistic and maintain hope,” Sáez Colón said,  “fear always arises because they have negative experiences with the system as a starting point.”

With visitations suspended, families cannot see for themselves that their loved one is safe. Even if authorities assure them that the incarcerated person is well, Sáez Colón added, family members will feel as if they are being deceived because they cannot validate what they are being told.  

Castro’s distrust in the government goes back to 1992, when her husband was sentenced to 297 years in prison. Ramos Cruz and Juan Carlos Meléndez Serrano were found guilty of the 1989 murder of Haydée Maymí and her two young children. But the men claimed they were innocent. In 2017, the court granted the inmates’ request for a new trial after the defense argued there was new DNA evidence that wasn’t presented the first time around. Both men got out of prison on bail, but their freedom didn’t last long. Last year, the Court of Appeals revoked the decision, sending Ramos Cruz and Meléndez Serrano back to jail. The Supreme Court also denied their request for a new trial.  

Imprisoned in the early nineties, Ramos Cruz went to jail less than a year after he wed Castro. The couple has been married for 30 years now, but has been together for less than three. They have always maintained his innocence, and they hope the governor will grant him clemency. 

“It’s been a 27-year-long fight,” she said. “It would be sad for something to happen to him while he’s in there.” 

For lawyer Julio Fontanet, founder and director of Puerto Rico’s Innocence Project, the solution to preventing the spread of the coronavirus in correctional complexes lies in releasing some prisoners, particularly those who are nonviolent and are close to finishing their sentences. Requests for clemency and pardon should be expedited as a measure to reduce the prison population and avoid exposing them to the virus, said Fontanet, who is Ramos Cruz’s lawyer.

People who are in prison or jail, he said, have been forgotten during the coronavirus crisis. “Inmates and people who have been convicted are not of greatest concern to citizens because they committed crimes,” said Fontanet, dean of the law school at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. “But the government is for everyone, no matter your history, your past.”

Overcrowding and limited medical resources, he said, make jails and prisons in Puerto Rico a “breeding ground” for the coronavirus. Many incarcerated people have pre-existing conditions, like Ramos Cruz, who suffers from high blood pressure, making them particularly vulnerable to Covid-19. If correctional institutions release some inmates, Fontanet said, they can maximize their resources by concentrating their efforts in caring for those who are left. 

“[The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] can’t say they have to investigate each case,” Fontanet said. “Corrections has the information it needs on who it can release.”

Early last month, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Eduardo Rivera Juanatey said releasing prisoners is not necessary, but did not rule out the possibility. Puerto Rican Sen. Héctor Martínez recently presented a bill that would allow the secretary to free certain sectors of the prison population. 

Governments around the globe have freed hundreds of thousands of inmates as the virus spreads in jails and prisons. In the United States, some states like California and New York have released prisoners during the coronavirus crisis. New York City alone freed 900 inmates by the end of March to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Castro would be calmer if incarcerated people in Puerto Rico were even temporarily released, so her husband can be safe at home during the emergency. “At least let him out with a fetter,” she said. “If you want to put him back inside later, you can put him back inside again.” 

For Castro, being unable to see for her husband during the pandemic has been difficult. The couple communicates daily, though. They talk on the phone every day for 15 minutes. But some days he doesn’t call because he knows every 15 minutes add up to about $5 or because something bad has happened and he doesn’t want to worry her. “He doesn’t tell me many things,” said Castro, who mentioned inmates now get two free five-minute calls weekly. “He doesn’t say things that he knows will worry me.”

The limited time incarcerated people have to talk about what has happened to them since they last spoke to their loved one may contribute to him or her feeling sad or frustrated, said psychologist Sáez Colón. With restricted calling hours, she added, inmates are not able to call their families to talk about something that just happened to them, causing them to repress their emotions. 

Families of incarcerated people, Sáez Colón said, feel the emotional toll of the situation, too, as they face the uncertainty of what will happen to their loved ones. In situations of crisis, it’s important for families to focus on “the here and now” to feel they have control over their emotions. She said breathing exercises help oxygenate the brain and to calm down. 

“When you start feeling sadness or anger or frustration,” Sáez Colón said, “you’re disconnecting from your present moment and focusing on concerns.” 

Sáez Colón urged family members of incarcerated people to express their feelings and not suppress their emotions. She said they should identify a person that they can vent to, or write their thoughts and feelings on a piece of paper and rip it or throw it away. She added visualization exercises, like imagining their favorite place, can help family members cope with their emotions, too. It’s important, she said, for families to remember that their loved one is capable of overcoming the crisis. 

“One has to trust,” Sáez Colón said, “that the loved one in prison is going to be prudent and knows how to make decisions that help them stay safe to avoid getting sick even within the risks.” 

The uncertainty of her husband’s future eats Castro alive. The uncertainty of when she’ll see him again is hard to bear. She feels hurt, sad, depressed, angry and frustrated by the situation. She feels her hands are tied. She feels like she can’t do anything except hope for the best. 

“I can do nothing, but trust that God will protect him there and that nothing will happen to him,” she said.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could not be reached for comment.

The post Living through the pandemic while a loved one is behind bars appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The moratorium, scheduled to end on June 20, will now last for an extra 60 days, until Aug. 20. 

“I hope it gives families a deep breath,” he said during his daily coronavirus briefing. “Nothing can happen until Aug. 20. And then, we’ll figure out between now and Aug. 20 what the situation is.”

Cuomo added that officials will ban late-payments or missed-payment fees during the eviction moratorium and will allow renters to use their security deposit as payment.

Last week, protesters called for Cuomo to cancel rent for New Yorkers facing financial hardships due to the pandemic. Tenants rights groups and nonprofits across the country have rallied to halt rent and mortgage payments, holding online and in-person protests and using the hashtag #CancelRent on social media.  

“I understand the anxiety, I understand the stress,” said Cuomo, “but let’s remember who we are and what we’re all about and what principles matter to us.”

So far, New York has reported over 332,900 Covid-19 cases and more than 26,200 deaths. The rate of hospitalizations and intubations in the state have gone down, said Cuomo. The governor said the infection rate of healthcare workers is about the same or lower than the general population, according to data from Westchester, Long Island and New York City, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.

This evening, JetBlue flew three planes approximately 2,000 feet above New York City to salute health-care workers, law enforcement and firefighters as part of the citywide initiative Clap Because We Care. 

The New York-based airline, however, was met with backlash as New Yorkers who pointed out the city’s history with terrorism. During 9/11, the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S., two low-flying planes crashed into the World Trade Center, leaving over 2,700 people dead. 

JetBlue tweeted a reminder for the flyover this morning, and users did not hold back, calling the initiative a “terrible idea” and pleading the airline to not go ahead with the plan. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “Nothing like a corporate PR campaign that burns jet fuel at low altitudes over vulnerable communities dying from a respiratory virus that compounds on our preexisting and disproportionate exposure to air pollution to show healthcare workers we care.”

But not everyone agreed.

Thank you @JetBlue for always outwardly supporting law enforcement & all first responders! 💙

It was a beautiful sight seeing our NYPD flag flying high in the sky during tonight’s flyover salute to healthcare heroes & first responders! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/0BE68zRveC

— NYPD 19th Precinct (Stay home. Stop the spread.) (@NYPD19Pct) May 8, 2020

Earlier today, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced officials may limit entry to parks to prevent crowding and enforce social distancing norms during the pandemic. 

“At some parks, just the configuration of the park lends itself to overcrowding,” de Blasio said during a briefing. “We can’t let that happen and we have to limit the number of people going in.”

He did not provide specifics of the plan or mention which parks would be shuttered, but said details will be announced tomorrow. Playgrounds within parks had already been closed. 

New Yorkers recently flocked to parks amid the warm May weather after spending weeks indoors to prevent the spread of Covid-19. De Blasio said he directed police officers to prioritize breaking up large gatherings and enforcing social distancing norms. 

In Brooklyn, almost every person arrested for not social distancing has been black or Hispanic, according to the New York Times. The burrough’s district attorney’s office said that, from March 17 through May 4, 40 people had been arrested. Of the arrests, 35 were black, four were Hispanic and one was white. 

At the White House, President Donald Trump today said his staff will be tested daily for Covid-19 after a member of the U.S. Navy who works as one of his personal valets tested positive for the virus. 

The valet, member of a military unit dedicated to the White House, started exhibiting symptoms on Wednesday morning, said CNN, which first reported the story. Both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were tested once again after officials learned the military aide tested positive. Trump and Pence tested negative, according to White House press secretary Hogan Gidley. 

Trump said he’d had “very little personal contact” with the person. 

The post Rent relief in NY, JetBlue’s flyover and Trump’s valet tests positive for coronavirus in today’s news appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Earl Tulley, 63, spotted the sign in the community where he was born as the coronavirus rips through the largest reservation in the United States. In rural communities, he said, locals and relatives tend to look out for one another and check in on their neighbors. Now, with the coronavirus pandemic, residents still share resources, like food, and reach out to each other but from a distance. 

“In case of emergency, I can shine my mirror against the sun to my neighbors across the valley,” said Tulley, an environmentalist and executive office veteran liaison for the Navajo Housing Authority. “They know to come over.”

The Navajo Nation covers over 27,000 square miles, sprawling across Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Home to about 175,000 people, the Indian country has reported 2,654 Covid-19 cases and 85 deaths as of Thursday. It has the third-highest infection rate in the United States behind New York and New Jersey, and a per capita infection rate 10 times higher than Arizona. 

The Navajo Nation has reported reported 2,654 Covid-19 cases and 85 deaths as of Thursday. It has the third-highest infection rate in the United States behind New York and New Jersey. Photo of a sunrise courtesy of Earl Tulley

Before the pandemic, however, the Navajo, or Diné, people faced another kind of crisis: limited health care facilities, a prevalence of conditions like heart diseases and diabetes, few grocery stores and scarcity of running water. Now, these factors further complicate the Covid-19, or Dikos Ntsaaígíí-19, emergency in the community. 

“Do you wash your hands or do you quench your thirst?” Tulley said. “That is something that a number of families are faced with right now.”

An estimated 30 percent of the community’s population does not have access to clean, reliable drinking water, and has to haul it from watering points due to severe infrastructure deficiencies, according to the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources. 

“Water comes at a premium,” Tulley said. “If you count the payment of the wear and tear on the vehicle and the payment of utilizing water, it’s calculated somewhere in the neighborhood of about $40 a gallon, because you’re your own utility provider.”

Under strict curfews, lockdowns and checkpoints to curb the spread of the coronavirus, a trip to haul water can be a struggle. The city of Gallup, in New Mexico, is a regional watering hole, and the trek to the community has been a practice of local tribes for generations. On the first day of the month, Tulley said, people tend to visit the city to socialize and haul water. This May 1, however, Gallup was placed under lockdown. 

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday invoked the state’s Riot Control Act to close off all roads leading to Gallup, in McKinley County, “to mitigate the uninhibited spread of COVID-19 in that city.” McKinley County accounts for nearly 30 percent of coronavirus cases in the state. The lockdown, requested by the city’s mayor, is scheduled to end today.

“I believe that those individuals that live closer to the watering hole basically depended too much upon it,” said Tulley. “I don’t think that they could phathom or even comprehend that Gallup would ever do this. But, with the pandemic that is happening now, some of the people are saying, ‘You know what, it’s about time.’”

On top of lack of running water, there is also the issue of quality. Water in communities like east To’hajiilee, in New Mexico, have high sulfur content, Tulley said. “There’s nothing wrong with it as far as health wise, but the stench and the smell of sulfur water is really, really bad,” he said. “It does wear and tear on your plumbing, and if you have a porcelain sink or a ceramic sink, then you can see the yellow marks.” 

Difficulties to drive to haul water apply to the struggle to buy supplies during the pandemic, too. Roughly the size of West Virginia, the Navajo Nation has only 13 grocery stores, so residents drive hundreds of miles to border towns for groceries. 

“Not very many people have transportations, and so those individual families who are not blessed to have a vehicle, then they would have to hitchhike,” said Tulley. “It’s not going to the corner market.” 

Environmentalist Earl Tulley delivers a box of food to Dennis Charley in Tachee, Arizona. Photo courtesy of Earl Tulley

Recently, Tulley participated in a community effort to distribute 80,000 pounds of food on the reservation. The food distributed came from humanitarian aid collected in Salt Lake City, Utah, and went to several communities in the territory, from Farmington to Crown Point. 

Rural families like Tulley’s have adapted to living within their means, herding sheep and depending on live stock. “If you’re able to go out into Mother Nature’s garden,” he said, “then you pretty much have a greater understanding as to how to live off the land.” 

Like grocery stores, health facilities are limited on the reservation. There are 12 healthcare centers in the Navajo Nation and nearby areas, according to the Indian Health Service. In March, the tribe reported that it had 170 hospital beds, 13 intensive care unit beds, 52 isolation rooms and 28 ventilators. 

“If you are working and you have insurance, the possibility of having your own specialists, your own doctor, that would be a blessing,” Tulley said. “But in many of our Navajo communities, people are dependent, and the only resource that they have, as far as Western medicine or medical care, is going to be through the public health service or the Indian Health Service.”

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said that federal aid began to trickle into the Indian country in April and that the Indian Health Service facilities received vital equipment. Last month, the community distributed rapid test kits, protective equipment and 50 ventilators.

Nez said the community has not received the emergency funds needed for testing and equipment. The Navajo Nation is set to receive $600 million in federal funding from the distribution of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

As the coronavirus tears through his tribe, Tulley has taken the time to share with his four grandchildren and teach them to garden. He tells them that, if they plant a seed in the ground, they must nurture and sing to it so it can grow. 

He reassures them that life will come back to normal at some point.

The post Coronavirus tears through the Navajo Nation  appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake hit at 7:13 a.m. local time at a depth of nine kilometers near the coast of Pueñuelas and Ponce, a region still recovering from previous quakes that destroyed hundreds of homes. 

Ponce Mayor María “Mayita” Meléndez said that the city’s center suffered structural damages and that authorities are surveying the area with historic buildings to assess the situation. 

“We will keep doing rounds all across the city to assess the structural damage in order to save lives in danger. We are going to keep everyone posted with updates on the current situation,” Meléndez tweeted. “Please, avoid going to the city center until we make sure everyone is safe.”

Meanwhile, Guánica Mayor Santos “Papichy” Seda said no major damage has been confirmed, but noted that this has been the strongest earthquake to hit the region since February, according to local media reports. 

The quake was felt in Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan, and several aftershocks rocked the island’s southern region, including a 4.9-magnitude one. 

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority said the tremor knocked its EcoElectrica power plant off-line, but the Guayabal and Guajataca dams seemed undamaged. 

The earthquake comes as Puerto Rico remains under a nearly two-month coronavirus lockdown. The island today reported its highest number of Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, with 182 new infections. So far, Puerto Rico’s Department of Health has confirmed 1,757 coronavirus cases and 95 deaths. 

Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced reminded citizens to take coronavirus-related precautions if they need to evacuate their homes due to the earthquake and aftershocks. 

“If your structure is compromised, you should leave with your face mask on and emergency backpack,” Vázquez Garced tweeted. “Pay attention to any official information.”

Vázquez Garced said rescue crews were deployed to affected areas and asked mayors to prepare reports on damages and to make sure their citizens are safe. 

“We continue communication with each mayor in the area to assist them. #PuertoRicoPrimero (Puerto Rico First in Spanish),” she tweeted. 

The U.S. territory has been hit by a series of earthquakes since late 2019. In January, a 6.4-magnitude quake rattled the southern region of Puerto Rico, demolishing hundreds of buildings and killing one person. The quake forced thousands of people to live in shelters and government-provided camps. Some still sleep outside as the area has not stopped shaking since.

Tweet with photos from Ponce Mayor

We are reporting structural damage in the city center after this morning’s quake.

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck #PuertoRico's southern coast, near the city of Ponce. We are already doing rounds to assess the situation.#Ponce, I pray you & all your families are safe & well. https://t.co/fTilwhrkWd pic.twitter.com/o9z4MvTxTC

— Mayita Meléndez (@mayitaalcaldesa) May 2, 2020

Tweet of damages in iconic Ponce museum

Icónico Museo de la Masacre de Ponce queda prácticamente destruído luego del temblor de esta mañana. pic.twitter.com/rCvm0ITUwj

— El Foro de Puerto Rico (@elforopr) May 2, 2020

Tweet of damages in a church

Templo parroquial por el terremoto de hoy 2 de mayo de 2020. ¡Somos fuertes, PR! 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/v8pv1mhvwL

— P. Orlando Lugo (@PadreOLugo) May 2, 2020

The post Puerto Rico rocked by 5.4 magnitude earthquake appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Businesses will be required to provide protective equipment to their employees and to establish occupational safety measures, in accordance with the guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“This is about establishing an agenda that allows us a gradual transition within the quarantine to gradually reactivate those activities that, without neglecting protection measures and maintaining physical distancing, represent low risk of contagion for Puerto Rico,” said Vázquez Garced during a televised message.  

As countries and states consider lifting restrictions, the World Health Organization recommended that “health system capacities are in place to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact.” But the U.S. territory, as of last week, had the lowest coronavirus testing rate in the country, performing an average of 15 tests a day for every 100,000 people.

Vázquez Garced said the plan to reopen the economy was approved by the medical and economic task forces, but did not mention if the island has reported a downward trajectory of cases or positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period as established by White House guidelines. 

Secretary of Health Lorenzo González Feliciano has said the island expects to reach its apex between May 4 and 8, when the new executive order goes into effect. He acknowledged yesterday that there have been problems tracing passengers that arrive to the island through its main airport. 

Puerto Rico has been on lockdown and under an overnight curfew since March 15 to contain the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The island’s Department of Health has reported 1,539 cases and 92 deaths as of Thursday.

Vázquez Garced said she will extend the 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew until May 25. People should only leave their house for essential services like medical appointments, grocery shopping and visits to the pharmacy, and they must wear masks when they go outside. But the new executive order will allow citizens to walk dogs, run, ride bicycles and perform other activities outside from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., maintaining at least six feet apart between each person.

Starting next Monday, lawyers, engineers and accountants can reopen their offices, working with one client at a time and by appointments, and dentists, optometrists, can provide services again. Doctors and mental health professionals can continue to use telemedicine, but will now have the option to see patients in their offices. Meanwhile, moving, laundry, transportation, limited to taxi drivers and public carriers, financial, mortgage, insurance, real estate notary services will be allowed to reopen. 

Services in hardware stores, maintenance, repair, inspection and sale of vehicle parts can open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., following preventive measures and working by appointment.

Pharmacies and gas stations will continue to operate regularly seven days a week, and supermarkets and grocery stores will open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., allowing delivery services until 10 p.m., as established in previous executive orders. 

On May 11, construction and manufacturing industries can begin to operate again. Employers, in these cases, must develop specific plans to prevent infections and issue compliance certifications to the Department of Labor and Human Resources.

Vázquez Garced said she will evaluate the possibility of reopening retailers, barber shops, beauty salons, restaurants, among other businesses, between May 18 and 25.

“Little by little we are going to continue evaluating the reactivation of the economic movement, with mechanisms that allow the operation of more industries and services,” Vázquez Garced said. “But the health of all the families that live in this land is the priority.”

The post Puerto Rico plans to reopen parts of the economy appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“No, I don’t agree with him on that. No, I think we’re doing a great job on testing,” Trump said during a White House briefing. “If he said that, I don’t agree with him.” 

Trump said that he thinks the U.S. has done “a great job” testing for Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, and claimed that the nation is more advanced than other counties. 

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with TIME published earlier today that the U.S. needs to “significantly ramp up” the number of tests and the capacity to perform them.

“I am not overly confident right now at all that we have what it takes to do that,” said Fauci, member of the White House coronavirus task force. “We are doing better, and I think we are going to get there, but we are not there yet,” he continued.”

Fauci was not present at today’s briefing. 

The doctor’s statement contradicts the White House’s assurances on the country’s testing capabilities. The U.S. has performed over 4.6 million tests so far, lagging behind Italy in per capita tests conducted. 

Fauci’s comments come as governors begin to relax containment measures to reopen their state’s economies despite warnings of a resulting surge in Covid-19 cases. In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp plans to restart the economy before the state’s shelter-in-place order is lifted on April 30 even though Trump yesterday said he “very strongly” disagreed with the move.  

This evening, Trump reiterated he’s “not happy” with Kemp’s decision to reopen some nonessential businesses, such as fitness centers, hair and nail salons, and barbers. 

“I want the states to open, more than he does, much more than he does,” Trump said. “But I didn’t like to see spas at this early stage, nor did the doctors.”

The president said he may extend social distancing guidelines past May 1, but assured he thinks the worst will be over by early summer.  

Bill Bryan, an undersecretary at the Homeland Security Department, said at the press briefing that the virus doesn’t last long when exposed to sunlight, according to experiments with coronavirus samples. He said solar light appears to have a powerful effect on killing the virus. 

So far, the U.S. has confirmed more than 866,600 Covid-19 cases and over 47,800 deaths. In New York City, the epicenter of the outbreak in the country, 16,388 people have died from the virus. 

More than 21 percent of people tested in New York City for coronavirus antibodies this week were found to have them, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier today. 

The results are part of a statewide effort to test residents for antibodies, which indicate they have had the virus and recovered from it. 

The state tested 3,000 random people across 19 counties, and nearly 14 percent of the results came back positive, according to preliminary data. 

The numbers indicate that the actual number of coronavirus cases in the state may be much higher than the confirmed 260,000. If the preliminary results hold true, as many as 2.7 million New Yorkers, with more than 1.7 million people in the city,  may have been infected with the virus. It also means the mortality rate could be lower than previously thought. 

“What we found so far is that the statewide number is 13.9 percent tested positive for having the antibodies,” Cuomo said during a press briefing. “They were infected three weeks ago, four weeks ago, five weeks ago, six weeks ago, but they had the virus, they developed the antibodies and they are now recovered.”

Before Cuomo’s briefing, Dr. Demetre C. Daskalakis, New York City’s top official for disease control, warned against using antibody tests to make decisions about social distancing and reopening the economy. The World Health Organization earlier this week cautioned that there’s no evidence to suggest that antibody tests can show that a person that had the virus is immune to reinfection.  

During his presentation, Cuomo slammed Republican Sen. Mitch McConnel for suggesting that states hit hard by the virus should file for bankruptcy instead of seeking financial aid from the federal government. 

“This is one of the really dumb ideas of all time,” said Cuomo, a Democrat.

Cuomo has criticized Congress and the federal government for not providing enough funding for states to cover the costs of battling the coronavirus.

The House of Representatives today passed a $484 billion coronavirus rescue package to aid small businesses and fund hospitals and testing. 

The bill aims to replenish a small business loan program as unemployment soars during the crisis. The package allocates $321 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, $60 billion in loans for small businesses, $75 billion in relief for hospitals and $25 billion for coronavirus testing. 

Trump said he will sign the bill.

The post Trump disagrees with Fauci over country’s testing capacity appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Menegatto, a retired nurse, knew how fatal the disease caused by the novel coronavirus can be, but the message she received on April 11 at 7:51 a.m. still came as a shock. What pains her the most is the thought of her aunt dying alone, away from family and surrounded by strangers. 

“She went to the hospital, and her daughter never saw her again,” Menegatto, 64, said in Spanish. “Dying alone in that environment, with people dressed all in white… It’s difficult, it’s absurd. It hurts.”

Pieropan started exhibiting symptoms around March 10, a few days after she left her house in the province of Vicenza to do some shopping. It started with a fever and what seemed like a cold. A doctor visited her home and prescribed antibiotics, but she didn’t get better.

On March 25, the doctor referred her to the hospital and she was tested for Covid-19. The result came back positive. Pieropan was admitted to San Bortolo Hospital, in Vicenza, that same day, and she was placed in an isolated area, where only patients and staff were allowed. 

“My friend told me the area was shielded,” said Menegatto, who contacted an old friend who works at the hospital to let her know her aunt was there. “If you die there, your family will never see you again.”

On March 31, Pieropan was transferred to the intensive care unit and intubated. Menegatto’s cousin told her Pieropan’s phone was taken away when she was transferred to the ICU. A doctor called every day to give updates, but the outlook was not good. Menegatto prayed with her cousin for Pieropan’s recovery, hoping the strong woman could defeat the virus.

But despite doctors’ efforts, Pieropan passed away almost two weeks later. 

“I cried for two days,” Menegatto said. “Everything happened so fast.”

Vicenza yesterday confirmed 160 coronavirus-related deaths since the beginning of the crisis. Italy has reported the third-highest number of Covid-19 in the world at 183,957 and the second-highest death toll at 24,648, only behind the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. Italy saw the lowest daily number in coronavirus deaths in a week on Sunday. On Monday, the amount of people identified as infected with the virus dropped for the first time since the country’s outbreak started. 

More than 4,700 miles lie between San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital, and Vicenza, in the northeastern Veneto region of Italy. The last time Menegatto, who moved to the island 36 years ago, traveled that distance and saw her aunt was in October. 

Menegatto described her aunt as a smart, kind and generous woman. She was an active member in her community, and neighbors knew her as a caring person who participated in local festivals. She used to enjoy going out into the woods to collect fungi as her pastime. 

Pieropan was a beautician by profession, but her passion was embroidery. She taught the art and took courses in her free time to perfect her process. She even traveled three hours on a train to Bologna to take a half-hour class to master a specific stitch. Menegatto recalled Pieropan used to read a crochet and knitting magazine called Mani Di Fata (Fairy Hands) since she was a teenager. 

“She always loved to crochet,” Menegatto said. “The magazine arrived at the house every month.”

Pieropan was 14 years old when her older sister, Menegatto’s mother, brought her to live with her to help raise Menegatto and her sister. She spoiled her niece, giving her money to go to the movie theater and cooking whatever she craved. 

“My mom was the serious one, the one that scolds,” Menegatto said. “My aunt was a person who smiled, who didn’t have to talk much because she told you everything with her eyes.”

Menegatto’s mother, who is 84 years old, traveled to Puerto Rico on March 5 and hasn’t been able to return to Italy because the airline has cancelled flights from the island to the European country. 

“Her instinct pushed her to come here, and she was saved,” Menegatto said. “She can’t believe what’s happening.”

On the day her aunt died, Menegatto’s mother told her to call Pieropan’s daughter: “I feel that my sister died.”

She was right.

The post Losing a loved one to the coronavirus appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

For psychologist Marcos Reyes, it’s now more important than ever to increase access to mental health care services through phones and computers to reach patients and avoid acute developments of preexisting conditions. 

“Telepsychology is a resource that has existed for several years, and has been recognized by investigation as a valuable and valid resource,” said Reyes, director of the doctoral clinical psychology program in Carlos Albizu University’s San Juan campus. “Under these circumstances, it turns into a critical vehicle to give access to these services.”

Puerto Rico’s Legislature passed on Monday a joint resolution authorizing psychologists to use telemedicine to consult patients. The measure will be in effect as soon as Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced signs it and will expire on  June 15. The resolution includes a possible extension of 30 days that would have to be approved by Health Secretary Lorenzo González Feliciano. 

The Trump administration has eased restrictions to make it easier for healthcare providers to practice remotely during the coronavirus crisis.  

Reyes warned that the outbreak could worsen symptoms of people who have preexisting conditions and were already receiving therapy or treatment. He emphasized that people may experience stress and anxiety due to the disruption in their lives and their support systems. 

Nearly half of Americans say the pandemic has affected their mental health, according to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. So far, Puerto Rico’s psychosocial support hotline Línea Paz, operated by the Administration of Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services, has received 14,532 calls related to Covid-19 since March 14. 

“Mental health services are critical to attend this diversity of problems and address them with the speed they require,” he said. “We need to reach vulnerable people who experience discomfort due to these circumstances to provide services quickly.”

Reyes said the aim of telepsychology is to provide service as similar as possible to a face-to-face session using technological tools like phone calls and video chats. The first resource to get in touch with people, he said, is the phone because it is more accessible than computers. 

Carlos Albizu University’s clinic transitioned to the virtual world almost as soon as Vázquez Garced imposed the lockdown on March 15. Students and professors use Zoom and Microsoft Teams to stay in contact with patients through video calls. 

Reyes acknowledged that there is some concern whether telepsychology can be as effective as in-person therapy and that some patients may be skeptical about receiving services remotely. The psychologist, however, said  telepsychology has proven to be just as effective as in-person sessions and that people are generally receptive to telemedicine. 

“In my experience, one would be surprised by the amount of people that see it as a good option,” said Reyes, who has practiced telepsychology for five years. “You get the most out of it, you can provide the same or even higher quality services.” 

Speech therapy goes online

Lizzette Román, director of Carlos Albizu University’s speech pathology program, said speech therapy should move online and continue during the pandemic because an interruption in services could hinder a patient’s progress. 

 “A patient with Parkinson’s disease, for example, if you don’t complete the treatment plan as established, the patient could regress in their skills because they haven’t completed their objective,” said Román, who has directed the program since 2013. “In children, you see a certain regression in skills when the service is interrupted.”

Carlos Albizu University’s clinic has equipped its staff to continue providing speech therapy online. Román said the clinic services patients as young as three years old to elderly men and women with Parkinson’s disease or who have had strokes. 

In the case of children, she said, the main difference between providing therapy online and in person is that the therapist can no longer rely on toys or techniques like manupaliting the child’s hand to convey an instruction. The advantage of online therapy, Román pointed out, is that parents are even more involved in their child’s sessions because they are active participants instead of sitting outside in an office waiting room. 

“It’s a different way of providing a service, but the quality remains the same,” she said. “You continue to provide the same service.”

The post Puerto Rican psychologists use telemedicine amid lockdown appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The post Checking in on Grandma During Lockdown appeared first on Pavement Pieces.