Global Cup USA 2021 Joins World Finals 2021 in Las Vegas

In the lead-up to the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Finals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Nov. 12-15), the bull-riding organization has announced its 2021 schedule, including 24 stops on the elite Unleash The Beast (UTB) tour as well as the plan for Global Cup USA 2021.

PBR will begin the 2021 season on January 9-10 at Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

“For the first time in almost 15 years, our elite series’ season will start in Georgia. We want to thank our loyal fans who couldn’t attend the event last March for their patience and welcome them back,” said PBR Commissioner Sean Gleason. “We’re excited to bring fans another full season of bull riding with comprehensive protocols in place for safe events.”

Throughout the 2021 season, PBR will continue to commit to providing a safe environment for fans, athletes, employees, and crew by working with its venue partners to implement industry-leading protocols for holding live events while following health guidance from local and state officials for each event.

The premier series tour’s 23 other stops are highlighted by stalwart events such as the sport’s 15^th year returning to New York City in Madison Square Garden, April 30 – May 2.

Other fan favorites return as well, including the 26^th consecutive year in Billings, Montana, on January 22-24, the 17^th consecutive year in Tulsa, Oklahoma, July 31-August 1, and the 18^th year in in Sacramento on August 6-8.

Following the success of PBR Global Cup USA in Arlington in 2018 and 2019, the world’s leading western sports league is bringing its nation vs. nation competition to Las Vegas for the first time, with Global Cup USA 2021 heading to T-Mobile Arena on April 16-17.

The Top 35 riders and rankest bulls in the world will also storm into cities long awaiting the return of “America’s Original Extreme Sport.”

The first visit to New Orleans in over a decade is set for March 6-7 inside Smoothie King Center. Pistol Robinson (Burleson, Texas) was the last rider to strike pay dirt in the Big Easy, in 2010. Indianapolis has been waiting for bulls to buck into town since 2012, when Fabiano Vieira (Perola, Brazil) and Asteroid bested the rest of the competition.

Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis will host the UTB tour February 13-14. Little Caesars Arena – the 2018 Sports Facility of the Year – will host the premier series’ first visit to Detroit since 2012 on September 24-25. Three-time World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) used the 2012 stop to pick up a victory on his march to his second-straight World Championship.

PBR World Finals returns to its Las Vegas home in T-Mobile Arena, November 3-7. The 2021 PBR World Champion – the bull rider who earns the most world standings points during the season – will receive the coveted gold World Championship belt buckle and $1 million bonus. 

The complete UTB Beast schedule for 2021 can be found here.  All events are subject to change.

With COVID cases increasing in 38 states, industry leaders call on public health officials to ensure nursing homes have the resources needed and for Congress to pass additional funding 

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released a report today showing nursing homes in the U.S. could see a third spike of increasing new COVID cases due to the community spread among the general population.

Currently, there have been no Covid-19 cases among residents at Salem Crossing and Meadow View Healthcare in Salem. 

Recent data released by John Hopkins and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) show that with the recent spike in new COVID cases in the general U.S. population, weekly nursing home cases rose in late September for the first time in seven weeks after new cases dropped significantly throughout August and early September.

According to John Hopkins, COVID cases in the general U.S. population rose by 62,139 cases per week in late September correlating with an uptick in nursing home cases during the week of September 27.

As experts have repeatedly noted, COVID-19 cases in a surrounding community is a top factor in outbreaks in nursing homes. Dr. David Grabowski, Professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School recently stated, “The strongest predictor of whether or not we’ll see cases in [a particular setting] is community spread.”

“The number one factor in keeping COVID out of our nursing homes, so we can protect our vulnerable population is reducing the level of the virus in the surrounding community,” stated Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL.

“While the support we have received from Congress, the Administration and other public health agencies have helped our facilities fight this battle, we could still see another wave of COVID cases caused by the sheer volume of rising cases in communities across the U.S. given the asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread of this virus.”

The report showed new COVID cases in nursing homes had declined significantly from 10,125 cases the week of July 26 —when the country experienced a growing number of cases in the Sun Belt states—but saw an uptick in new cases in the final week of September.

The report also showed COVID-related deaths in nursing homes had declined significantly, but industry leaders remain concerned about the recent uptick in new COVID cases in facilities.

With new COVID cases now rising in the general population of 38 states, Parkinson said now more than ever Congress needs to end the partisan logjam and prioritize frontline health care workers and residents, particularly vulnerable elderly populations.

Most of the $175 billion Provider Relief Fund provided by the CARES Act back in April has already been distributed and Parkinson said health care providers, including long term care facilities, will need additional funds to continue its response to the COVID pandemic heading into the cold and flu season, which provides new challenges.

“Without replenishing funds for federal and state agencies, health care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living communities, could find themselves less than completely prepared for the challenges of the upcoming winter season, which could inevitably result in an uptick in new COVID cases,” stated Parkinson.

“Without adequate funding and resources, the U.S. will repeat the same mistakes made during the initial outbreak last spring and the major spike over the summer. We need Congress to prioritize our vulnerable seniors and their caregivers in nursing homes and assisted living communities, bypassing another COVID funding package before they leave town for the elections.”

For more information, please visit www.ahcancal.org/coronavirus.

The Floyd County Health Department has extended its mask mandate for residents until the end of the year. 

“The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to plague our community”, said Dr. Tom Harris, Health Officer of the FCHD. “However, we are seeing signs of decreasing rates.”

Floyd County had 82 Covid-19 cases in 3 days along with the rest of the state of Indiana.

Harris noted that the Governor has opened up more restrictions and moved to Stage 5.

“There is currently no vaccine to prevent the illness,” he said in a news release. “Measures such as hand hygiene, facial coverings, and social distancing are the most effective strategies to reduce the spread from infected persons to noninfected persons.”

Therefore, to protect public health and simply save lives, restrictions must be extended to assist in the reduction of COVID-19 transmission, and avoid an increase in new cases.

“With this understanding, as the Floyd County Health Officer, I hereby order a facial covering mandate extension, pursuant to Indiana Code 16-20-1 et seq. and 16-41-9 et seq. The order will remain in effect until midnight, 31 December 2020,” said Harris.

The order may be extended depending on pandemic conditions.
Every individual must wear a facial covering over their nose and mouth when they are at:

• An indoor area open to the public including public transportation
• A private indoor or outdoor area where a social distance of six (6) feet from individuals outside their households cannot be maintained
• An outdoor public area where a social distance of six (6) feet from individuals outside their household cannot be maintained
• An enclosed public space or place of business.
• A properly worn facial covering fully covers the individual’s mouth and nose fits snuggly against the sides of the face with no gaps, is secured to prevent slipping, and allows for breathing with no
  restrictions.
• All face coverings that are not disposable should be washed each day before reuse.
• An adult should supervise the use of facial coverings by children age three (3)-twelve (12) to avoid misuse. The use of masks by all school-aged children continues to be very strongly recommended.

Exceptions to the policy include, but are not limited to:

• Any child age two (2) or less
• Any individual in respiratory distress
• Any individual who is hearing impaired and needs to remove facial coverings to communicate
• Any individual who has been advised, in writing, by a primary care provider that wearing a facial covering is detrimental to the individual’s health.
• Any individual who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the facial covering without assistance
• Any individual who is directed to remove a facial covering by a law enforcement officer. Any employee engaged in work where a face covering would be deemed a hazard by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Any restaurant or bar customer while they are dining
• Any individual not in an area open to the public and where a social distance of six (6) feet can be maintained from non-household members [Ex. A single person private office]

The intent of this order is to continue to provide a safe environment for all people in Floyd County, whether engaged in work, social, or everyday activities, by extending the use of facial coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This will protect public health in Floyd County. Nothing in this order reduces or eliminates the requirements imposed by the executive orders by Governor Holcomb or orders from other regulating governmental agencies.

This order is intended to be used to educate, encourage, and persuade people to wear facial coverings.

Citizens should continue to use frequent hand washing or sanitizing; maintain a minimum social distance of six (6) feet; avoid touching the eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands; and most importantly, stay home and isolate yourself if you are sick.

“Floyd County has seen improvement in the overall index rates of illness”, notedHarris. “The index has dropped for the last 2 weeks from 8.9 to 5.1. However, the Floyd County Health Department has noted spikes in rates after reopening phases in the past; we hope to mitigate this by continuing the Mask Mandate until at least December 31st.”

The index had peaked at 20.9 in mid-April, and had dropped to 1.3 in late June.