By Miriam Raftery

April 24, 2020 (San Diego) -- The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $5 million loan program to help small businesses in the unincorporated area that have suffered losses because of COVID-19.

After more than a month of mandatory shut-downs, promised relief has not arrived for many businesses and individuals.  Pam Garcia owns a hair salon in the unincorporated area of El Cajon.  “None of my self-employed people have gotten unemployment. I filled for small business help and have received not even a letter,” she posted on Facebook. “ I also have not received my stimulus.”

April 23,, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future—including the latest on COVID-19.

HEALTH

• A mysterious blood-clotting complication is killing coronavirus patients (MSN)
• Covid-19 is rapidly becoming America’s leading cause of death (Washington Post)
• The next coronavirus crisis is what happens after the ICU (Daily Beast)
• Americans at World Health Organization transmitted real-time information about coronavirus to Trump administration (Washington Post)
• Adding A Nylon Stocking Layer Could Boost Protection From Cloth Masks, Study Finds (NPR)
•  

SCIENCE AND TECH

• ‘Hydrologists should be happy.’ Big Supreme Court ruling bolsters groundwater science (Science)
• Possible Dinosaur DNA Has Been Found (Scientific American)
• Apple’s built-in iPhone mail app is vulnerable to hackers, new research says (Washington Post)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Renée Owens

April 22, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- This year is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! How can you honor Mother Earth while sheltering at home? Perhaps the most powerful thing you can do right now is sit back and watch a movie. Specifically, the groundbreaking documentary Planet of the Humans, just aired and free to watch on Youtube. A decade in the making, produced by Berkeley University Professor Ozzie Zehner and Michael Moore, it reveals astonishing and profound revelations about the green energy movement that I guarantee you will have never heard before.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilima Wooten urges everyone to wear masks in public to prevent spread of COVID-19.

April 22, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – The growth curve for new  COVID-19 cases is showing signs of slowing locally, even as San Diego County reported 15 new deaths, bringing the total  deaths to 87. Meanwhile officials offered insights on what it will take to begin lifting local restrictions.

By Kendra Sitton for East County Magazine

Photo: Syrian refugee children in El Cajon, by Rachel Williams

April 22, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- While it may be true that a virus cannot discriminate, the structural inequalities already in place are exacerbated in a crisis. Groups already in a precarious position are more vulnerable than ever. Among these at-risk groups are immigrants and refugees. According to advocates working with immigrant and refugee communities, some of the top concerns they are hearing involve food insecurity and a lack of resources.

East County News Service

April 21, 2020 (Pasadena) -- A new clinical trial is being announced today that could significantly increase the rate of recovery for COVID-19 patients with underlying health conditions and save lives. Circularity Healthcare’s trial will help some of the most at-risk patients suffering from complications due to diabetes, poor circulation, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. The trial will involve the use of Circularity’s already FDA-approved drug and IDE device D’OXYVA® (deoxyhemoglobin vasodilator) - a non-toxic, non-invasive microcirculation transdermal device. 

East County News Service

Photo: Victim Tony Montantes

April 21, 2020 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating the suspect(s) responsible for the murder of 41-year-old Tony Montantes. On March 16^th at approximately 9:55 p.m., Tony Montantes was standing on the sidewalk in the area of E. Main St. and S. First St. in El Cajon when an unknown suspect fired several gunshots at him. As a result, Montantes was struck multiple times. Despite life saving measures by El Cajon Police officers, paramedics and hospital staff, Montantes was pronounced dead. The suspect(s) were last seen fleeing the area in a vehicle.

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

April 20, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) Sewing a headband with buttons or buying a headband and sewing buttons on is the latest craft item to help those healthcare workers or essential workers  alleviate the irritation of wearing surgical masks with elastic behind their ears for long periods of time.

Essential workers and healthcare workers have been officially told to wear masks. If the masks are the standard surgical masks with elastic, that elastic can chafe and cause pain from wearing them for a whole 8-hour shift or longer.

(Photo courtesy of DINIGOFIN)

“My sister, her husband, her oldest son and his girlfriend all work in the same hospital, “said former county of San Diego resident Drea Lazos who now lives in Ohio. “So that’s one whole household I’m worried about. Here in Cincinnati, my younger sister works at the University of Cincinnati hospital in the lab, processing all of the covid-19 tests. Lots of her co-workers are home sick and one night she had to work a 24-hour shift. I make all the masks to help with their comfort.”

By Chris Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Network

Photo:  Enrique Morones, shown at a Waterfront Park rally in 2018, reminds state officials: “By helping the undocumented community, you’re really helping yourself.” Photo by Chris Stone

April 19, 2020 (San Diego) - Among Gov. Gavin Newsom’s indicators to be used before stay-at-home orders can be eased (and the economy reopened) are testing and contact tracing.

But what if California’s 2 million undocumented immigrants are too fearful to be tested?

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Network

April 18, 2020 (San Diego) - Aaron Ruis of El Cajon manages an assisted-living facility for disabled adults, but Saturday in downtown San Diego he was managing crowd chants at a “freedom rally” to open the state’s economy.

Donations of money, non-perishable foods and personal protective equipment are needed for healthcare workers

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2020 (La Mesa) – Barry Jantz, CEO of Grossmont Healthcare District, and his family have launched a GoFundMe site on behalf of the Grossmont Hospital Foundation to help healthcare workers with an on-site food pantry and medical supplies. 

“As most of you know, the care team at our local hospital is working tirelessly during this global battle against COVID-19. Many of the healthcare workers are unable to go to the store and get items they need for their families, either because the items are gone from the shelves or they’re just exhausted by the end of their shift. On a daily basis, these amazing individuals are here doing their very best to help those in need,” a message from Barry, Colleen and Kayleigh Jantz states.

A contribution via this GoFundMe page will go to the non-profit Grossmont Hospital Foundation to provide Food Pantry items and/or much-needed hospital supplies to protect front-line caregivers during this crisis.  Donations are 100% tax deductible.

People can also donate non-perishable food items and personal protective equipment directly. Click here for details or to make a donation.

By Miriam Raftery

April 17, 2020 (San Diego) – Arts and cultural organizations across our region have been forced to shut down due to the COVID-19 crisis. That’s eliminated major revenue sources for everything from small community theater groups to large organizations such as art museums, the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera. Many artists have been laid off and are struggling to make ends meet.

Yesterday, the San Diego Arts + Culture Challenge Fund launched with $1.25 million in aid to help arts and culture nonprofits and creative individuals across San Diego County. Grant guidelines and applications will be available in late April at sandiegoracc.org. Donations are sought to increase the fund. You can donate at sandiegoracc.org/challenge.