REP. ALMA ADAMS SAYS PANDEMIC RESPONSE WOULD BE BETTER WITHOUT TRUMP: “I’m getting to the age where I don’t have time to mince words: If the Senate had removed President Trump in January, I believe our country’s response would have been swifter, more competent, and would have saved lives. President Trump has demonstrated that he’s incapable of leading the country during a crisis, and his inaction has cost lives,” Adams, 73, said in an emailed response to a series of emailed questions about the coronavirus and Congress’ response. Trump enjoyed a bounce in the polls for his response, which include daily on-camera press conferences from the White House. Several surveys showed more Americans approved than disapproved of his handling. However, a Wednesday poll from Politico/Morning Consult had some poor numbers for Trump. The poll found that 61% of registered voters think Trump was not prepared for the outbreak. The poll found 47% percent of voters feel the administration is not doing enough compared to 40% who think it is.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article241682686.html

WAKE COUNTY DECIDES TO REOPEN GUN SHOPS AFTER THREAT OF LAWSUIT: Wake County is reversing its stance on whether gun stores can remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. But Wake County Commissioner Chair Greg Ford said the county is not changing its stay-at-home order because gun advocacy groups complained about it. "These are routine updates as circumstances change,” he said. Paul Valone, president of gun rights organization Grass Roots North Carolina, previously told The News & Observer that gun stores sell things people need to protect their families and homes. GRNC and Gun Owners of America (GOA) sent a letter to Ford and Wake County threatening legal action if gun shops were not listed as essential businesses. “I think they are denying people the ability to protect themselves,” Valone said.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241626921.html

COPING WITH COVID 19 REVEALS SERIOUS BROADBAND GAPS: But that absence of connection isn’t just about fiber. A notable portion of the state’s offline households are also in urban areas, cut off not by distance but by cost. More than 40% of North Carolina households where broadband is available don’t subscribe. Infrastructure isn’t helpful if you can’t afford to use it. “That’s an equity issue,” said Roberto Gallardo of the Purdue Center for Regional Development, speaking at last month’s Forum. “We’re leaving people behind through no fault of their own.” We’re also slowing the rollout of medical technologies that could be especially valuable in moments like this. Kim Schwartz, the CEO of the Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, spoke at the forum about remote health monitoring that her center uses to track patients with chronic conditions. It allows doctors and nurses to see potential issues in real time, making it possible for them to intervene before a patient has to visit the office. As we all learn the phrase “self-quarantine at home,” that kind of distance monitoring is likely to prove valuable. Unfortunately, it only works for people with good internet and the ability to pay for it, and that leaves out many North Carolinians.
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/leslie-boney-coping-with-covid-19-reveals-serious-broadband-gaps/19...

AFTER DEATH OF MANAGER, RALEIGH SANITATION WORKERS SEEK BETTER PROTECTIONS: Union representatives sent a letter to city leaders on March 17 asking for more worker protections and for the city to issue a state of emergency. Two days later, Raleigh City Manager Ruffin Hall wrote that the city had since declared a state of emergency and was making strides to protect workers. The union’s suggestions would be included in the city’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. After Grubbs’ death, union leaders sent a second letter to the mayor and city manager. “We believe that if the city had acted swiftly based on the concerns we raised in our March 17 letter, that some of the current safety issues and anxiety from workers could have been avoided,” it said. In a news release, the union said sanitation trucks aren’t being cleaned on a regular basis; workers are violating social distancing by being on one truck; they are only getting two pairs of gloves per week; and there is a lack of “adequate hazard pay.”
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241549076.html

RESTRICTIONS ON ELECTIVE SURGERY FINANCIALLY SQUEEZE RURAL HOSPITALS: Preparing for coronavirus patients is increasing the financial strain on rural hospitals, some already struggling to stay open. Many smaller rural hospitals in North Carolina mirror their larger, metro-area counterparts in preparing for coronavirus patients: making plans to add ICU beds, examining staffing requirements, and preserving gloves, masks and gowns. But the official government request to restrict elective surgeries during the pandemic could add to rural hospitals’ financial pain, said Dr. Roxie Wells, president of Hoke Healthcare. “Immediate funding is needed given the request from [the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services] to suspend elective surgeries,” she said in an email Tuesday. “In many instances, a rural hospital’s bottom line is inextricably tied to the ability to perform elective surgeries.” Pressures of responding to the pandemic could force more rural hospitals to close, she wrote.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241462756.html