'It Warms Their Soul’: Restaurants Serve Morale To Stay Afloat

PORTLAND, OR — Restaurants across the nation are doing what it takes to survive another day as small businesses continue to be decimated by the pandemic.

But for restaurants in Portland, surviving has also turned into a way to boost the morale of weary doctors and nurses fighting on the front lines of Oregon’s battle against the coronavirus.

It started the week after Christmas, while coronavirus case numbers and hospitalizations were soaring in Portland. At Oregon Health & Science University, the state's largest hospital, doctors and nurses caring for the most critically ill were burning out just when they were needed the most.

That’s when the food started coming. Hot and delicious individually wrapped meals from some of the city's trendiest restaurants. For staffers who only took off their N95 masks once to eat during a 12-hour shift, the meals were more than just food, according to an Associated Press report — they were emotional sustenance.

"It's almost like having a weight lifted. It's like getting a surprise dozen roses or something," nurse Alice Clark said. "We're so grateful."

The meals, paid for by a wellness grant, are helping businesses stay afloat. The hospital's orders — sometimes 150 or 160 meals at a time — have become a financial lifeline.

"It's kept the doors open and a small workforce employed. It's been the most heartfelt catering we've ever done," Kiauna Floyd, the third-generation owner of Amalfi's, a Portland institution that's been serving up Italian cuisine for 62 years. "We want to do something as comforting as possible so when they are on their break and do get that lunch, it warms their soul.”

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The Latest

As the number of coronavirus deaths in the United States ticks swiftly toward 500,000, a new study released in a respected British medical journal claims at least 40 percent of U.S. coronavirus deaths could have been prevented.

The study, published in The Lancet, compared U.S. health outcomes on the coronavirus with the weighted average of other G-7 nations. Doing so, it came to the conclusion that the United States could have saved at least 40 percent of the people who have died from COVID-19 — about 190,000 at this point — if it had performed similarly to its economic peers.

The report also offered a damning assessment of the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus, according to a Slate report.

“Instead of galvanizing the U.S. populace to fight the pandemic, President Trump publicly dismissed its threat (despite privately acknowledging it), discouraged action as infection spread, and eschewed international cooperation. His refusal to develop a national strategy worsened shortages of personal protective equipment and diagnostic tests. President Trump politicized mask-wearing and school reopenings and convened indoor events attended by thousands, where masks were discouraged and physical distancing was impossible,” the report read.

As the report made headlines on Thursday, the Biden administration announced that by the end of summer, the United States will have enough supply of the vaccine to inoculate 300 million Americans.

The United States is on pace to exceed Biden’s goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, according to an Associated Press report. More than 26 million shots have been delivered in his first three weeks. His administration is also moving to ease supply bottlenecks and ensure the nation has enough of the current two-dose vaccines.

Meanwhile, the race to vaccinate older Americans is gaining traction. More than a third of people 65 and older have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

The finding comes from an AP analysis of information from 27 states where data is available. Those states account for just over half of all first doses administered nationwide.

The effort, however, is uneven, with many other states still lagging behind on vaccinations of the higher-risk population.

The proportion of vaccines given to those 65 years and older varies. It's about three-quarters of all first-dose shots in Florida and more than two-thirds in North Carolina.

In Indiana, Alaska and West Virginia, almost half of the population 65 years and older has received the first dose. In North Carolina, Louisiana, Colorado, Florida and Utah, about a third of that population has received the first dose.

Oregon, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Nebraska and Maryland are on the lower end, with 20 percent or less of the 65-and-older population receiving the first dose.

As vaccination efforts continue, California is now the state that’s lost the most residents to coronavirus. While New York previously held the distinction, data suggests it has now shifted to California.

As of Thursday, the two states are the only ones to record more than 45,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data, with California now just under deaths ahead of New York.

Meanwhile, two of America's most recognizable companies, Walgreens and Uber, are partnering to help speed up the vaccine rollout in minority communities across the country. The two said in a joint statement Tuesday that free rides to vaccine sites will be offered as part of a larger effort to address equity.

Vaccinations are scheduled to begin Friday in Walgreens stores for eligible people based on state and jurisdiction guidelines, and may include health care workers, people age 65 and older, and persons with pre-existing conditions.

Pilot programs of the Walgreens-Uber effort will soon begin in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and El Paso, according to a news release.

Finally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally issued new mask-wearing guidance this week, suggesting people double up on face coverings to help prevent spreading the coronavirus and contracting it themselves.

Specifically, wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask is the best way to go, the new guidance suggests.

Experiments were conducted to assess two ways of improving the fit of medical procedure masks: fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask, and knotting the ear loops of a medical procedure mask and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face, the CDC wrote on its website. Each modification substantially improved source control and reduced wearer exposure, according to the report.

Newest Numbers

As of Friday afternoon, the United States had reported more than 27.4 million cases and more than 479,400 deaths from COVID-19-related illnesses, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

At least 3,978 deaths and 103,051 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the United States on Thursday, according to a Washington Post database. The Post's reporting shows that over the past week, new daily reported cases have fallen 22.2 percent, new daily reported deaths have fallen 3.5 percent and COVID-19-related hospitalizations have fallen 15.7 percent.

Almost 69 million vaccine doses have been distributed and 48.4 million administered in the United States as of Friday morning, according to the CDC. More than 35.8 million people have received one dose, and more than 12 million have received two.

Currently, 74,225 people are hospitalized with a coronavirus-related illness in the United States, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

As of Friday, 27 states and U.S. territories remained above the positive testing rate recommended by the World Health Organization to safely reopen. To safely reopen, the WHO recommends states remain at 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days.

Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news via The New York Times or The Washington Post.

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