 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| It's the first day of Spring, Daily Briefing readers! |
| And I've got good news for those who are stuck inside: Even if you're being asked to shelter in place, you can still go out for a run, hike or another outdoor activity, as long as proper social distancing is observed. And right now entry is free at all national parks that remain open during the coronavirus pandemic, the National Parks Service said Wednesday. |
| It's N'dea and today severe weather is coming to the central and southern parts of the country, some stores are setting aside time for vulnerable shoppers while others cut back their hours, and Queen Elizabeth is moving. |
| Also, ICYMI: Late Wednesday night, President Donald Trump signed a Senate-approved multibillion-dollar emergency aid package that will provide paid sick and family leave for many Americans while also offering free testing for the coronavirus and bolstering unemployment insurance. |
| Now let's get this day started. |
Coronavirus: Stores dedicate time for vulnerable shoppers |
| As the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to COVID-19, some retailers are dedicating time or opening earlier for senior shoppers. Beginning Thursday, most Walmart stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m local time – stores that open later than 7 a.m. will continue their regular starting hours, according to the retail giant. Walmart stores will introduce a weekly hour-long senior shopping event March 24 for customers 60 and older, which will start one hour before stores open. Meanwhile, Albertsons, which has 2,200-plus stores under banners including Safeway, Acme and Vons, says it is reserving two hours every Tuesday and Thursday morning for vulnerable shoppers, including senior citizens, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems. Whole Foods Market stores will let customers who are 60 and older shop one hour before opening to the public. |
| |
Also in the news |
| |
Tornadoes may take aim at central, southern US |
| Severe thunderstorms and possibly hail and even tornadoes are forecast for portions of the central and southern U.S. on Thursday. Yet another round of severe weather is expected from eastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas to Missouri, Illinois, southern Iowa and eastern Nebraska. "Thursday poses the greatest risk of tornadoes of the entire multiple-day severe weather risk this week," said AccuWeather's Alex Sosnowski. Cities in the line of fire Thursday include Indianapolis, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Louisville. |
| |
Home Depot cutting store hours due to coronavirus |
| Starting Thursday, Home Depot will close its stores at 6 p.m. during the coronavirus pandemic, joining a slew of other national chains that are paring their hours in response to the outbreak. The company said the reduced hours will give staff time to restock shelves and clean. The stores, which are typically open until 9 or 10 p.m., won't change their opening times. Home Depot also is giving full-time employees an additional 80 hours of paid sick time or personal time, while part-time workers will get an additional 40 hours. |
| |
Want more coronavirus news? Here's the latest: |
| Dozens of malls are closing, two U.S. congressmen tested positive, and the U.S. Census suspended field operations as the coronavirus tightened its grip on the globe. I'll be rounding up the biggest updates related to coronavirus every day in the newsletter so you can stay informed. Want daily coronavirus updates in your inbox? Sign up here. |
| |
Queen Elizabeth to temporarily move to Windsor Castle |
| Queen Elizabeth II will move to Windsor Castle on Thursday, a week ahead of schedule, and likely stay there beyond Easter in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, Buckingham Palace announced. The queen typically spends most weekends at the castle, located about 25 miles west of London, but this time, she will extend her stay. The queen's representatives also said that after consulting with medical advisers and the government, upcoming public events with large numbers of people expected will be canceled or postponed. The queen, who turns 94 next month, had already canceled a visit to Cheshire in northwest England this week due to the virus. However, audiences (face-to-face meetings between the queen and dignitaries) took place as scheduled in London on Wednesday. Future audiences will be reviewed in line with "appropriate advice." |
| |
Finally, some good news: Spring is here, and it's here early 🌸 |
| The vernal (spring) equinox – which marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere – happens Thursday in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The equinox usually falls on either March 20 or 21: 2020 marks the earliest vernal equinox since 1896, according to AccuWeather. It's earlier this year due to technical reasons involving leap years, century years and the length of time it takes Earth to revolve around the sun. The equinox, which takes place at 11:50 p.m. ET, is one of two days in the year – the other being the autumnal equinox in September – when there is roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness all over Earth. |
In even better news: Elderly residents are getting a special delivery 💌 |
| Residential and retirement facilities across the country are limiting visitations to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, leaving residents to be increasingly isolated. And some places are asking the public to brighten residents' days with cards. |
| "If your children schools are closed and looking for something to keep them busy please consider having them write letters or color pictures" and send them to the residents, reads a Facebook post from St. Anthony's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rock Island, Illinois. |
| Similar requests have come from other facilities, a letter to the editor and even a celebrity. People have started answering the call and the trend is catching on. |
| The story of a group of siblings who sent cards to nursing home residents made national news this week as more people are taking to social media to share their card-making projects. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment