A city of about 150,000 just in northern Los Angeles County is preparing for the spread of the novel coronavirus by teaming up with the local aerospace companies to create ventilator substitutes and preparing an ordinance that would require wearing masks, according to Mayor R. Rex Parris.
Lancaster's case count is staying steady, according to Parris, but it's preparing for a peak of cases by creating an overflow hospital, ordering personal protective equipment, and working with aerospace companies, NASA, a local community college, and doctors to create a new way to help.
Parris said this group met by phone and "came up with this idea of a helmet you can put over a patient's head," connect a CPAP (a continuous positive airway pressure) or BIPAP (a non-invasive ventilator) which Parris said will substantially reduce the number of ventilators the city needs.
The team "should have a prototype of that in the next day or two," he said, and then it's a question of how fast they can approve the devices and if it doesn't happen fast enough, "do we use it anyway?"
Parris also added that the city is getting ready to pass an ordinance that would require everyone going outside to wear a mask, which he said people may have to fashion themselves at home.
"There's some indication in some countries that that's been effective," he said. According to the Washington Post, officials at the CDC are considering a similar recommendation that the general population wears some sort of face coverings when outside to stay safe.
The Lancaster mayor also addressed the story of a local teen who died last week from what is believed to be the novel coronavirus. The case made national headlines after he was reportedly denied medical care because he didn't have insurance.
After getting hold of the teen's parents, Parris said that "really isn't quite accurate." The mayor explained that the family does actually have insurance and was advised by their provider on a phone call, after describing the teen's symptoms, to take him to the ER, "which was the correct thing to do" according to Parris. He attributed the mistaken reporting on a language barrier with the immigrant Korean parents.
Parris noted that emergency rooms have to see patients regardless of insurance, but left out of California's declaration of a state of emergency, urgent care centers are not under the same obligation.
The law in California, regardless, is that emergency rooms aren't supposed to ask about insurance until after treatment. The mayor described it as being "broken every day."
"Now that is a law that certainly needs to be enforced during the crisis," Parris emphasized. However, he also explained, "we're not seeing people turned away from emergency rooms."
Miami's real estate market has boomed since early 2020, thanks to an overall strong housing market, remote work, and no income tax as incentives. The city is preparing to welcome even more residents as people relocate to warmer climates to work from home. Garrett Derderian, director of market intelligence at SERHANT, joined Cheddar to discuss the Magic City's red hot market.
Actor, entertainer, and hip hop icon Queen Latifah is partnering with It's Bigger Than Me, an initiative with the goal of ending the stigma around obesity. She joined Cheddar News to discuss how she is working toward educating others and having important conversations about the social struggles that come with obesity. “We can’t let the Queen Latifah’s of the world not exist. We need people to care about other people," the "Hustle" star said.
Sarah Warbelow, legal director for Human Rights Campaign, joins Cheddar News to discuss why advocates want to overturn the FDA's rule restricting gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
Actor Jamie Chung joins Cheddar News to talk about her upcoming projects and her new partnership with Duracell helping parents learn more about hidden dangers in their home. But that's not all, she plays a fun game with us too!
Child care marketplace startup Kinside announced raising $12 million in a Series A round led by venture capitalists who are mothers themselves. The company aids parents searching for affordable child care easier by providing concierge support in a marketplace of verified professionals and helping them tap into flexible spending accounts (FSA) and other benefits. Founder and CEO Shadiah Sigala joined Cheddar News to talk about the fresh funds and the ongoing effects of the pandemic on the care of young children.
When it comes to diversity in children's toys, we have come a long way as a society but we still have a ways to go. One group of students decided to take matters into their own hands. Truly You! Character Creator is a fashion illustration activity set made for youth by youth. Lindsay Buckingham, one of the toy’s creators, sat down with Cheddar News to talk all about it.
David Levine, elections integrity fellow with Alliance for Securing Democracy, joins Cheddar News to discuss Politico's bombshell finding revealing the RNC's plan to contest the elections.
Perfect for Pride Month, Hulu’s "Fire Island" is a queer take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The cast of the gay rom-com, Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, and Matt Rogers, joined Cheddar News to discuss the groundbreaking film. "I had to write it completely and have something to point to, to say this is the story, this is actually good, this is something that people will want to watch," said the writer and star Booster. "And so it took a long time, but I'm very lucky and blessed that I had a lot of people along the way who believed in it."
Catching you up on today’s entertainment headlines with CBS in the works to replace James Corden on the "The Late Late Show," "Top Gun: Maverick" facing a copyright lawsuit, Neve Campbell not returning to "Scream 6" over a disagreement about her salary, and more.
