Statler Hotel Opens Doors in Fight Against COVID-19
As of 10 a.m. April 5, Dallas County reported a total of 1,112 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. That’s 97 new cases from the previos day, underlining the need to support our critical medical personnel.
Centurion American, the redevelopment firm owned by Mehrdad Moayedi that transformed the once-derelict Statler Hotel, has opened up two floors of guest rooms inside the swank Midcentury Modern building in downtown Dallas to medical professionals on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.
“Recipients will receive complimentary lodging as well as a boxed breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal,” according to a post on the hotel’s Facebook page. “Centurion American Development Group wants to alleviate some of the stress and show appreciation for the sacrifices they make every day for the health of our citizens.”
If you know of a medical professional that needs a safe place to isolate from family, email [email protected] for more information.
NAR Offers No-Cost Telehealth Service to Realtors
Most often, Realtors are considered self-employed and therefore don’t always have access to lower-cost group health insurance policies. However, the National Association of Realtors realizes that now is not the time to take chances with your health.
To respond to growing concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus, NAR is offering no-cost telehealth services to members that register before April 15.
This service is just one valuable resource that NAR is making available to its 1.4 million members in its “Right Tools, Right Now” initiative.
“While the nation continues to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis, we are doing everything we can to ensure our members and their families can stay safe, healthy and secure,” said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg.
Members TeleHealthSM provides around-the-clock access to non-emergency healthcare from more than 2,300 board-certified U.S. physicians. Common issues addressed through telemedicine include allergies, asthma, rashes, joint aches, flu and nausea, among others.
Beginning today, NAR is funding two months of services for members who currently lack access to telemedicine and enroll in this program by April 15. Recognizing that the opportunity will likely draw significant interest from its members, NAR has also negotiated a discounted rate for those who wish to retain coverage following the two month, no-cost period.
“As we continue to solicit input from our members regarding COVID-19’s impact on their lives and businesses, NAR is grateful to be able to offer expanded access to potentially lifesaving telemedicine services,” said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco, CA. “Medical professionals are urging Americans who are sick to stay home, and telemedicine is playing a critical role protecting our communities and our health care workers. We continue to encourage members to limit their exposure and decrease the chance of spreading illnesses to others.”
Texas Ranks No. 34 in Unemployment Increase
The economic fallout from COVID-19 has claimed millions of American jobs, with Texas seeing a more than 2,100 percent increase in unemployment since the beginning of the year.
Shockingly, even with that skyrocketing number of jobless claims, the Lone Star State only ranked 34 out of the 50 states and District of Columbia in a recent report from WalletHub. Texas came in behind No. 33 ranked California and ahead of Missouri.
To rank them, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions:
- The increase in the number of unemployment insurance initial claims in 2020 vs. 2019
- And the increase in the number of unemployment insurance initial claims in 2020
However, even with unemployment insurance payments, the economic recovery might depend on the $2.2 trillion aid package signed by President Trump and our economy’s resilience once social distancing measures are pulled back.
“I expect we’ll be feeling the effects of this for quite some time,” said Jason Beck, associate professor of economics at Georgia Southern University. “Once people can go back to work, there will be a big boost in economic activity to satisfy all the pent up demand that accumulated during the shutdown. But the hit people took while not working, plus the general pessimism about the near term that people will likely be feeling will cause a slowdown.”
Local Decor Designer Creates Coronavirus Mask Tutorial
Lakewood and East Dallas design hounds know that some of the most beautiful bedding and accessories come from Kathy Fielder’s boutique. However, Fielder and her shop have switched gears amid the COVID-19 crisis and are offering a tutorial on making masks from common home decor fabrics you may have around the house:
