August 8, 2020 • No Comments • National News

Courtesy Frank WimberlyBY: ELLA TORRES, ABC NEWS

(NEW ORLEANS) — Frank Wimberly began grieving for his brother, Quinnyon, last fall after learning that he was one of three construction workers killed in the collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans.

Yet 10 months later, Wimberly said the pain still feels fresh because his brother’s body hadn’t been recovered.

Authorities have been working to remove the 36-year-old’s body and that of a second victim, 63-year-old Jose Ponce Arreola, since the hotel crumbled on Oct. 12, 2019, but safety concerns and the instability of the building have remained an issue.

The third victim, Anthony Magrette, was removed.

“I think we have gone through the beginning stages of grief, shock and denial, but we have been stuck at the third stage of pain,” Wimberly told ABC News.

Quinnyon Wimberly’s body was set to be removed July 1, but the weeks dragged on and it still hadn’t been, Wimberly told ABC News.

On July 13, New Orleans council member-at-large Helena Moreno released a statement saying the bodies would “soon be removed from the wreckage.”

“This tragedy should never have happened, and it has taken far too long to be able to deliver dignity to these men who unfairly perished due to the terrible mistakes and misdeeds of others,” Moreno said.

The latest deadline for removal — and what the Wimberly family hopes is the last — is now Saturday.

When officials told the Wimberly family the removal would happen in the window of July 20 to July 24, Frank Wimberly bought a plane ticket from Atlanta, where he lives, to New Orleans.

Other family members also flew in, some from Cleveland.

By July 23, Wimberly said it was clear officials would not make the latest deadline.

Wimberly said his brother’s eldest son had been there for a month, but couldn’t stay any longer.

“He’s not even gonna be able to see his dad coming out of the building,” Wimberly said.

His own son was graduating from high school this year, and the graduation ceremony was planned for July 24, however Wimberly said his son chose to miss it because he would rather be there for his uncle.

“Now it’s like he missed his graduation for nothing,” Wimberly said.

Wimberly said that the toll of the delays has caused the family great stress. And in the time it’s taken for his brother’s body to be removed also caused physical damage to his remains. His brother’s legs were seen sticking out of the building after the collapse, and in mid-July, Wimberly says he was told the left leg had fallen off.

“It’s just a lot of things going on … my family and I were fed up,” Wimberly said.

A spokeswoman for New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell directed ABC News to 1031 Canal Development LLC, the property owner, for comment.

A spokesperson for 1031 Canal said that the main concern for the company has always been health and safety. The spokesperson also said that two tropical storms hindered the efforts and caused delays. However, the spokesman believes that a removal by the end of the day Saturday is plausible.

The New Orleans Fire Department, which Wimberly said was in contact with the family about the removal process, did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Workers on site had been attempting to reach the bodies by chipping away at the building from top to bottom. Wimberly’s body was expected to be removed first, with Arreola’s the week after.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited “willful” and “serious” violations of Heaslip Engineering, LLC., as the main reasons for the building’s collapse, according to documents filed by the federal agency.

The alleged violations include workers being exposed to falling materials and building collapse, a lack of a health and safety program, and design flaws that affected the structural integrity of the building, according to OSHA. Heaslip Engineering, LLC., was fined $154,214.

James Heaslip, founder of the company, which was the principal engineer on the Hard Rock project, did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

An attorney for the company told NOLA.com that OSHA’s conclusions were “unwarranted” and cited its “impeccable work.”

“We believe OSHA’s conclusions are unwarranted, not supported by the facts and beyond the jurisdiction of OSHA’s statutory authority,” Kelly Theard, an attorney at DeutschKerrigan LLC, told NOLA.com. “Heaslip unequivocally denies any ‘willful’ or ‘serious’ wrongdoing, and will vigorously contest all of the citations through the procedures required by OSHA.”

None of the companies cited in OSHA’s report on the collapse responded to multiple requests for comment from ABC News. It’s unclear whether they challenged the citations or paid their stated penalties. OSHA did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment on Friday.

Frank Wimberly told ABC News he’s hopeful to finally see his brother be removed from the building.

As he and the family prepare for what should be the culmination of their months-long ordeal, rife with grief and anticipation, Frank Wimberly said the feeling is bittersweet.

The family held a memorial service back in November, but it’s clear Quinnyon Wimberly’s loved ones are looking forward to having some closure.

“We’re tired of being patient,” Frank Wimberly said.

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August 8, 2020 • No Comments • National News

beerkoff/iStockBY: WILLIAM MANSELL AND ELLA TORRES, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 721,000 people worldwide.

More than 19.3 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.

The United States is the worst-affected country around the world, with more than 4.9 million diagnosed cases and at least 161,358 deaths.

Here’s how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates.

10:49 a.m.: Hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase in Florida

The Florida Department of Health reported increases in both hospitalizations and deaths Saturday.

Hospitalizations were up by 521 in the last 24 hours, with 6,991 active hospitalizations, while deaths rose by 182, putting the total number at 8,233, according to the department.

Cases also increased by 8,502 and 86,175 tests have been conducted. The state has now seen 526,577 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Bay County, of which Panama City is the county seat, has the highest positivity rate in the state at 16.3%.

However, Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in the state, has the highest number of new cases at 1,801.

8:54 a.m.: Princeton shifts learning plan for fall semester

Princeton University will not bring freshman and juniors back to campus in the fall, as originally planned, due to coronavirus cases that have “soared” in recent weeks, according to a statement from the president of the university.

Courses will now be fully remote for undergraduates in the fall semester, president Christopher L. Eisgruber said. Graduate students will be allowed on campus because of the “different instructional and residential programs.”

“This combination of health concerns and restrictions will significantly diminish the educational value of the on‑campus experience. It will also render that experience confining and unpleasant for most students,” Eisgruber said.

He also noted that students from 34 states would have to quarantine upon arrival in New Jersey for 14 days and that the phased opening for the state has been paused over fear of rising cases.

“New Jersey’s careful approach has helped to keep the pandemic in check, but public health principles and state guidance still limit very substantially what we can do on campus,” Eisgruber said.

The president said that the university will accommodate students who aren’t able to return home or study from home, as well as a limited number of students with previously approved exceptions, which recognized their need to be on campus for their senior thesis research or other work essential to their degree programs.

Eisgruber said that while he knows the news is “disheartening and disappointing,” the university is doing its best to prepare to welcome students back in the spring.

New Jersey was among the states hit hardest in the early stages of the pandemic, but has since seen some of the lowest daily infection rates. Gov. Phil Murphy has warned of late about rising numbers.

5:57 a.m.: Georgia school district reports 100 COVID-19 cases among students, staff

As the debate about reopening schools continues across the country, many children are already back in classrooms or are about to start. One state that has grabbed headlines this week is Georgia, where photos of crowded hallways showing students without masks went viral.

Now, one of the largest school districts in the Peach State is reporting that 100 of its students and staff are suspected of having tested positive for COVID-19, even before in-person classes have started. Those figures were provided to the district by the Georgia Department of Health.

Cobb County Schools Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said the district would remain virtual “until public health data in Cobb County changes and guidance from state and local public health officials recommends it,” according to ABC News Atlanta affiliate WSB. The district, which has about 113,000 students, starts remote learning on Aug. 17.

Georgia exceeded 200,000 COVID-19 cases on Aug. 5, according to an internal Federal Emergency Management Agency memo obtained by ABC News. It took four months for the state to reach 100,000 cases and just four weeks to reach 200,000.

Cobb County, according to the Georgia Department of Health, has more than 13,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 1,363 current hospitalizations. The county has at least 317 COVID-19 deaths, the second most in the state, trailing only Fulton County’s 420 deaths.

The state has more than 209,000 confirmed cases, with at least 4,117 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.

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August 8, 2020 • No Comments • National News

ABC NewsBY: DANIEL MANZO, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — Summer storms brought another round of heavy rain, flooding and damaging winds to parts of the eastern U.S. on Friday.

An 89 MPH wind gust was reported in Cumberland County, New Jersey, on Friday night, and damaging winds downed some trees in Delaware as well. Over 4 inches of rain also fell in Winterthur, Delaware.

These summer storms come just days after Isaias went through the region, bringing damaging winds and torrential rainfall. A city like Allentown, Pennsylvania, has seen more than 7 inches of rain so far in August, which is 6 inches above its month to date average.

The good news is the summer storms are calming down in the eastern U.S. The threat for additional flash flooding is quite slim now, with only isolated storms possible.

Attention turns to a new severe weather threat, this time in the Midwest.

A couple of systems will combine to cause summer thunderstorms to develop later Saturday and into early Sunday. The threat Saturday will be from Nebraska to Minnesota, and then will move into central Minnesota and Wisconsin by Sunday.

The main threat will be damaging winds and large hail. Any slow-moving thunderstorm could produce flash flooding as well.

Meanwhile, in the south-central U.S., some of the summer heat will try to build this weekend. The heat index in parts of Oklahoma and Kansas is expected to be over 100 degrees. Therefore in some spots, a heat advisory has been issued.

After Isaias, the Tropics are briefly much quieter. There is a system that is being monitored for development in the Atlantic, which only has a 10% chance of developing further. It is almost guaranteed that the Atlantic will fire up again with activity as we head further into August.

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August 7, 2020 • No Comments • National News

Leonsbox/iStockBy LUKE BARR, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — The Bureau of Prisons has spent almost $3 million dollars on ultraviolet sanitizing devices to combat COVID-19 at 122 federal prisons, regional offices and its central office in Washington, D.C., according to the Bureau of Prisons, which confirmed the purchase to ABC News.

The contract, which was obtained by ABC News and dated May 15, says that GM Hill Engineering, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is providing the BOP with ultraviolet sanitizing gates — even though the World Health Organization says UV light technologies should not be used on human beings and there is no definitive scientific research on the use of UV light to protect against COVID-19.

GM Hill did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

The technology that the BOP has purchased involves people passing through a “gate” of UV light, which, according to the industry, will kill any germs related to COVID-19. BOP says that portals have already begun to be installed at its facilities and that all machines will be delivered by Oct. 31.

According to the Bureau of Prisons, 108 inmates have died of COVID-19 and over 10,000 inmates have tested positive. More than 1,200 corrections officers have been infected by COVID-19.

“These portals are a supplement to the BOP’s overarching efforts to ensure the safety and health of our staff and inmates during the pandemic,” the BOP said in a statement to ABC News.

While widely touted as a multifaceted solution, the use of UV light involving humans is not without controversy. A month before the contract was written, the International Ultraviolet Association, an organization that seeks to make the use of UV technology more prevalent in public health, discouraged the use of UV light on the human body to fight against COVID-19.

“We would like to inform the public that there are no protocols to advise or to permit the safe use of UV light directly on the human body at the wavelengths and exposures proven to efficiently kill viruses such as SARS-CoV-2,” the group said in a statement.

Dr. Jay Bhatt, the former chief medical officer at the American Association of Hospitals and an ABC News contributor, said that this is an emerging field with limited scientific study.

“I think the technology is relatively new, and has to be proven. Further, I think that businesses should be thoughtful and careful as they’re deploying various UV light technology to use for for disinfection because, ultimately, we’ve got to keep people safe and we don’t want further increasing cases, when we’re really just getting a handle on it, and in parts of the country,” he said.

Additionally, the World Health Organization has recommended that UV light technologies not be used on people.

“The use of tunnels or other physical structures (booths, cabinets, gates) with disinfection aspersion, spray devices or UV-C radiation are not recommended for use on humans,” the organization writes.

The WHO says, “UV-C radiation can cause harmful health effects. These include skin and eye irritation, sunburn, eye injury, digestive tract irritation and cancer. Looking directly at irradiating UV-C light can cause cornea damage. UV-C radiation can generate ozone, a harmful air pollutant.”

The Bureau of Prisons Union has also sounded the alarm on the use of UV light technology, saying it is potentially dangerous to its members.

“Spending $3 million on unproven technologies is waste, fraud and abuse. That money should have been allocated to hiring staff,” Rojas said. “We have institutions at critical levels like USP Thompson, FCC Beaumont, Yazoo, etc. They are at critical levels.”

Rojas says he filed a complaint with the Department of Justice inspector general.

The Food and Drug Administration is allowing UV light to be used in disinfection of surfaces, but has not approved the use of the BOP’s technology. U.S. airlines, such as JetBlue, have also tested the use of a UV light machine on empty planes that the airline says can disinfect the cabin of a plane in less than 10 minutes.

Other companies, such as Magnolia Bakery in New York, the Seattle Space Needle in Washington and United Airlines have also deployed this little-known technology.

The technology is safe, Fred Maxik, the chief scientific officer of Healthe Lighting, said.

Healthe Lighting is a company that develops technology for UV air and surface sanitation. It is unknown if BOP is using Healthe lighting products.

“The system that we are proposing is a 220 nanometer system that’s been found to be safe for our skin and eyes and we can occupy that space at the same time the light’s been turned on,” Maxik told New York ABC station WABC.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority, which operates the New York City subway system, has also deployed the use of UV technology.

“Ultraviolet light is proven to be an effective technology for eliminating viruses, and has been previously used to combat the SARS virus,” they said in a statement.

The International UV Association said that UV light “will be effective in a wide range of disinfection applications for air and surface treatment. However, more work is required to understand the variation of its efficiency against a wider range of pathogens of interest and the suitability of each application must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.”

The BOP has been under scrutiny for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so much so that Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Fred Keller introduced a bill to require Senate confirmation for the BOP director.

Heightened COVID-19 risk to inmates and staff comes as BOP tactical teams were deployed to protests in Washington, D.C., and other cities throughout the summer.

Shane Fausey, the Council of Prison Locals president, said that 700 correction officers were deployed, “in less than 72 hours, to multiple locations across the nation.”

“Quietly, you protected our nation’s historical monuments, countless businesses, and cities, you even protected those exercising their Constitutional right to peacefully assemble. With violence and looting in check, America was once again allowed to be America,” Fausey wrote in a letter to his members.

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