Los Angeles coronavirus cases lower, Saturday Night Live returns,” TikTok promises $375 million to coronavirus relief and more.
Things are starting to look up, as the pandemic comes to its highest peak in these next few weeks. There are currently 1,602,899 cases, 95,685 deaths and 356,283 recoveries. Luckily, many of those numbers are lowering in some places. One place, in particular, is Los Angeles. In the last 24 hours 25 people have died of the virus, however, the county reported 425 new cases which is much less than the 620 that were reported on Wednesday, according to Los Angeles County Public Health director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer.
In order to maintain and lower numbers of COVID-19, most of the world has been ordered into quarantines. On Thursday, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers ordered the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to close 40 state parks, forests, and recreational areas “to protect public health and safety and help flatten the curve,” according to CBS’ WeAreGreenbay.com. He continued saying that the decision was made “due to unprecedented crowds, litter, [and] vandalism” and made “out of an abundance of caution.” In the meantime, many cities are doing what they can to help residents who are now unemployed with no way to pay their rent and mortgage. On Tuesday, the D.C. Council passed a second emergency COVID-19 relief bill for D.C. residents. The new measure will include freezing rent and mortgage payment deferrals as well as an expansion of unemployment insurance and more.
While most of us are still confined to our homes, the cast of SNL will be returning to our screens with original content this weekend. The new episodes will be recorded from remote locations. However, the show’s executive producer Lorne Michaels has yet to reveal how they plan to execute production. The new content will include all of the program’s 17 cast members and will feature SNL’s iconic sketches, including “Weekend Update,” hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che.
Celebs and big-name companies are also still paying it forward to the community. TikTok just pledged to donate $250 million in funds in the fight against COVID-19. In addition, the social media app will also be donating $125 million worth of advertising credits on the platform. “We are committed to playing our part in that global outpouring of mutual support and giving. We want to magnify all we are seeing across our community and translate it into concrete relief for those most affected by this crisis,” said TikTok president Alex Zhu. Following along with providing financial assistance during the pandemic is ViacomCBS, which will also be launching a $100 million coronavirus relief fund; the money will go towards crew members, actors and filmmakers who are now out of a job. “One particularly challenging area in this period has been production, as we’ve unfortunately had to pause most of our TV and film productions to protect the health and safety of our cast, crew, and communities. “This, in turn, has put at risk the livelihoods of our colleagues who help bring these stories to life,” said ViacomCBS president and CEO Bob Bakish.
Master P will be offering free hand sanitizer home cleanings for senior citizens of New Orleans. TMZ reports that residents over 60 years old, can sign up for the free deep cleaning of their homes. In addition, the businessman has been making cash donations and buying groceries for the elderly through his foundation Team Hope NOLA. Fellow mogul Diddy will be hosting a two-hour live town hall meeting at 11 p.m. called the State of Black America & The Coronavirus” which will feature details about the pandemic and how it’s affecting the Black community. Speaking along with Diddy is Sen. Kamala Harris, Angela Rye, Meek Mill, the Rev. Al Sharpton, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Van Jones and more. The panel will talk about “dealing with the public health issue, the low-income effect, incarceration and economic relief, and the mental toll of quarantine.”
Uplifting news comes from the U.K. as the country’s prime minister. Boris Johnson has been seeing progress in his health since catching coronavirus. CNN reports that Johnson is receiving “standard oxygen treatment” and is breathing without assistance. In other, other news: Melania Trump is trying her best to live up First Lady standards by modeling face masks to promote the importance of protecting yourself amid the outbreak. She is now the first person of the Trump family to publicly wear a face covering. “As the CDC studies the spread of COVID-19, they recommend people wear cloth face coverings in public settings when social distancing can be hard to do. Remember, this does NOT replace the importance of social distancing,” Melania posted to her social media accounts.
