Exponential rise in new Covid-19 cases from the Omicron variant in a South African province suggests the variant is highly transmissible. But hospitalisations and excess deaths have been lower than the rate of increase in new Covid cases, suggesting that the variant may cause less severe illness.
Coronavirus / Covid-19
Covid Cases Creeping Back Up, Hospitalizations and 1st Death in Weeks Has Flagler Health Officials on Guard
Concerning indicators in Flagler County point to covid case counts creeping back up slowly but steadily, a tripling of covid hospitalizations in the last week, to 10, and the first covid-related death in weeks, to a 76-year-old man, bringing the total number of covid deaths in Flagler to a staggering 277 since the first death was reported in April 2020.
Violating Facilities and College Board Agreements, School Board’s McDonald Peddles More Masking Falsehoods at SAT Testing Site
Flagler County School Board member Janet McDonald stood guard at a Matanzas High School SAT testing site Saturday, where she had no jurisdiction and was not authorized to be, countering College Board requirements that students must wear masks while testing. The College Board is investigating.
Divided Federal Court Denies DeSantis Request for Injunction in Health Care Vaccination Fight
Sunday’s decision, however, did not mean the Biden administration can move forward with the health-care worker vaccination requirement Monday, as originally planned. That is because a Louisiana federal judge last week issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Biden administration rule.
Federal Judge Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Millions of Health Workers in 10 States
Under the rules with a Jan. 4 deadline, many private sector employees will be required to get vaccinated or undergo weekly tests, while some 17 million health care providers at facilities participating in the federal Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs must be vaccinated — with no option to choose weekly testing instead.
How the Omicron Variant Was Found and What We Know So Far
South Africa has several laboratories that can grow and study the actual virus and discover how far antibodies, formed in response to vaccination or previous infection, are able to neutralise the new virus. This data will allow scientists to to characterize the new virus and develop counter strategies.
It’s Our Right as Americans to Breathe Open Air Without Some Wussy Libtard Face Diaper
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the fine MAGA folks of the Florida Legislature are right here in the state capital, passing laws telling Biden where he can stick that order making businesses with more than 100 employees mandate the vax. And yeah, it might cost the taxpayers several million for the lawsuits that’ll come out of these new bills, but keeping Florida free is worth every penny.
DeSantis Signs Bills Prohibiting Vaccine Mandates in Geographically Keyed Obscenity at President Biden
DeSantis has spent months battling with the Biden administration about Covid-19 policies, and Thursday’s event was held in Brandon, Fla., a community that shares a name with part of a conservative derogatory slogan about President Joe Biden.
Covid Isn’t Over, But in Flagler It’s Receded from Menace to Nuisance, at Least For Now
Covid isn’t gone. It may never end. But for now, it’s more nuisance than menace in Flagler. Weekly case loads fell in 10 of the last 11 weeks and for the past four weeks have been averaging around 50 per week–not as low as the spring of 2020, but still the lowest numbers by far since the arrival of the Delta variant, the supersize equivalent of the coronavirus.
Vague and Controversial Parents’ Bill of Rights Will Get Renewed Focus in Special Session of Legislature Next Week
The Parents’ Bill of Rights, sponsored by State Rep. Erin Grall in the 2021 legislative session, was criticized for its vague language and unclear boundaries. But it became a clarion call for parent power as local school boards developed Covid policies impacting students, and a mask mandate debacle that pitted the executive branch against local school boards.
Five Florida School Boards Move Quickly to Appeal Decision Supporting State Ban on Mask Mandates
The filing came shortly after Administrative Law Judge Brian Newman rejected a challenge to a Sept. 22 emergency rule issued by the Department of Health. That rule, at least in part, carried out a July 30 executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that sought to prevent school mask mandates.
Mandates Decline as Appeals Court Signals Alachua and Duval ‘Defiance’ on Masks Violates Law
A seven-page order said two school districts have been “remarkably open in their defiance” of the state over masking. Meanwhile, as Covid cases go down, several school districts that had been strict about mask mandates are now loosening their policies.
School Choice: Why You Should Vaccinate Your Kids 5 to 11
The FDA authorization comes after months of pediatric clinical trial investigation involving about 4,500 children ages 5 to 11. Pfizer released new data on Oct. 22, 2021, stating that its vaccine is almost 91% effective at preventing COVID-19 in that age group, with similar tolerability and antibody responses to that seen in older age groups.
DeSantis Administration Sues Biden and Federal Agencies Over Vaccine Mandate
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. district court in Tampa against several defendants, including President Joe Biden, NASA, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, the federal Office of Management and Budget and the federal General Services Administration.
On Flagler School Board, Even Procedures Are Weaponized as Aftershocks of Bitter Meetings Still Rankle
What would under most circumstances been a five-minute discussion, if that, turned into a rehash of prosecutorial accusations, recriminations and seemingly vain explanations that underscored how far board members now diverge from each other, whether on matters of fact or perception.
Remember When Parents Were Fine With Sweeping Vaccine Mandates?
By James Colgrove The ongoing battles over Covid-19 vaccination in the U.S. are likely to get more heated when the Food and Drug Administration authorizes emergency use of a vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, expected later this fall. California has announced it will require the vaccine for elementary school attendance once it receives full FDA […]
Think a Mild Case of Covid Is No Big Deal? Think Again.
Sometimes we can’t see the impacts to our health as internal signs of disease can go undetected for months or years. In this respect, Covid-19 might be of greater concern than initially realized. Few will come out of the pandemic unscathed, whether financially, physically or emotionally.
The Founders Didn’t Believe Your Sacred Freedom Means You Can Do Whatever the Hell You Want
The founders agreed on one principle: They were unrelenting on the notion that circumstances often emerge that require public officials to pass acts that abridge individual freedoms. Even George Washington forced his troops to be vaccinated.
DeSantis Calls for Special Session to Block Covid Vaccine Mandates (But Not Disney’s)
Gov. Ron DeSantis called Thursday for a special legislative session next month to erect roadblocks against Covid-19 vaccination mandates being advanced by the White House. Democrats criticized DeSantis over his call for a special session, noting that the state’s economic rebound was bolstered by companies such as Disney, which is requiring employees to be vaccinated. Democrats also described DeSantis’ requested legislation as “anti-business.”
6 School Boards’ Challenge to State Ban on Mask Mandates Goes Forward
The decision by Judge Brian Newman came a day before a hearing is scheduled to start in the challenge filed by the school boards in Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, Duval, Alachua and Leon counties.
In a Shift, DeSantis Downplays Promotion of Covid Vaccines
DeSantis has appeared to undermine confidence in vaccines, not least by elevating Joseph Ladapo — who has been openly skeptical of the federal public health response to the virus — to the office of surgeon general, running the Florida Department of Health.
Florida Republicans Want to Put Ban on Mask Mandates in State Law
The proposal (SB 452), filed by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, also would bar cities and counties from requiring people to wear masks or undergo medical procedures or treatments. It came a day after the Florida Department of Health announced it had imposed a $3.57 million fine on Leon County for requiring government employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Leon County Judge Refuses to Block Florida Law Banning Vaccine Passports
The ruling by Circuit Judge Layne Smith was a victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has led efforts to prevent businesses from requiring customers to show proof they are vaccinated against Covid-19 — an issue that has become known as requiring vaccine passports.
Florida Led the Nation in Nursing Home Deaths Between August and September
Florida led the nation in the rate of Covid-19 nursing-home deaths during a four-week period that ended Sept. 19, according to a report published Thursday by the senior-advocacy group AARP. The report, which relies on federal data, said Florida nursing homes reported 289 resident deaths from Covid-19 during the period.
Covid’s Impact on Students’ Mental Health Termed ‘Widespread and Deeply Concerning’
The turbulent and stressful Covid-19 crisis has impacted mental health issues, including instances of suicidal thoughts among students who have had to deal with the trauma of trying to learn during the pandemic.
Flagler Health Department Chief Tells Cities and County: Decision to Hold Events Is Yours, Not Health Department’s
The Flagler County Health Department is making it clear to local city and county governments: the department is no longer in the business of telling them whether to hold events or not. That goes for the Christmas parade in Flagler Beach. That was true of the Creekside Festival last weekend. That goes for events at the Flagler Auditorium and anywhere else.
4 Months Late, Last in Nation, Florida Submits Plan to Feds on How It’ll Spend $2.3 Billion in School Covid Relief Funds
Back in March, the Biden administration announced that $122 billion dollars nationwide was available for schools from the American Rescue Plan act, with two thirds of the money immediately available to states and the remaining third contingent on the U.S. Department of Education’s approval of a state plan indicating how the funds will be used.
We’re Losing Our Humanity: Cruelty and Hostility From School Boards to Vaccination Centers
It’s not just Flagler County, and certainly not just at the Flagler school board: The stories of cruel, seemingly irrational and sometimes-violent conflicts over coronavirus regulations across the country have become lingering symptoms of the pandemic as it drags through its second year.
Judge Hears Private Business’ Challenge to DeSantis Ban on Covid Passports
Circuit Judge Layne Smith is considering the case two months after a federal judge in South Florida sided with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in a challenge to the law, which seeks to prevent businesses from requiring customers to show proof of vaccination against covid and threatens fines for violations.
The Dishonesties of Cherry-Picking Bible Verses
Many Bible verses are being lifted out of context and repurposed to buttress the anti-vaccine movement. Such shallow reading in service of political and cultural agendas has long been a fixture of evangelical Christianity.
Covid Is Killing Rural Americans at Twice the Rate of Urbanites
Rural Americans are dying of covid at more than twice the rate of their urban counterparts — a divide that health experts say is likely to widen as access to medical care shrinks for a population that tends to be older, sicker, heavier, poorer and less vaccinated.
Federal Judge Refuses to Reconsider Decision Backing DeSantis Ban on Mask Mandates
Rejecting arguments by parents of children with disabilities, a federal judge has refused to reconsider a decision that backed Gov. Ron DeSantis in a battle about student mask requirements in schools.
Makenna’s Story: 9-Year-Old Palm Coast Student’s Covid Hospitalization Upends Glib Assumptions
Makenna’s story illustrates the pernicious tenacity of a disease that upends, separates and traumatizes families, cuts off income, creates unspeakable loneliness even for those not hospitalized, and leaves its casualties fuming at a community’s refusal to embrace–beyond thoughts and prayers–the small, effortless measures that could prevent much of the harm to most.
How Some Schools Use Weekly Testing to Keep Kids in Class And Covid Out
These measures stand in sharp contrast to the confusion in states, including Florida, where people are still fighting about wearing masks in the classroom and other anti-covid strategies, places where some schools have experienced outbreaks and even teacher deaths.
Florida Department of Health Argues for Suppressing Covid Data in Public Records Lawsuit
The Florida Department of Health is trying to scuttle a public-records lawsuit seeking information about Covid-19, arguing that requested reports don’t exist and that the underlying data is confidential.
Charlie Crist Denounces New Covid School Policy and Seeks Ouster of New Surgeon General
Democrat Charlie Crist denounced Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday as an “oppressive tyrant” willing to send coronavirus-infected children into the public schools and risk the health of other children to please his covid-skeptical political base.
‘We’re Running Out of People’: Flagler’s Covid Case Load Drops Sharply, But Vaccinations Also Plummet
Flagler County recorded just over 200 covid cases in the week ending today, the lowest total since early summer, but vaccinations have plummeted to a new low since after the initial rollouts. While school cases have also dropped, the Flagler school district is struggling through significant teacher and other staffing shortages.
Alachua School Board Gets $150,000 Federal Grant to Cover Salaries DeSantis Cut Over Mask Fight
State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced Aug. 30 that the Florida Department of Education had started to withhold funds from the Alachua and Broward County school districts in amounts equal to the monthly salaries of school board members who voted for student mask requirements.
Stop Yelling. Have a Point: Advice for School Board Meeting Disrupters from Someone Who’s Been There.
In the wake of two turbulent school board meetings, Randall Bertrand was left wondering what all the sound and fury was about since many speakers’ loud and disruptive message was already made moot by school board votes or state policy.
Evidence Shows That, Yes, Masks Prevent Covid, and Surgical Masks Are the Way To Go
The largest randomized controlled trial to date testing the effectiveness of mask-wearing provides gold-standard evidence that confirms previous research: Wearing masks, particularly surgical masks, prevents covid-19.
Quarantining for Asymptomatic Students Is Now Optional as Florida Issues New Rules Further Limiting Safety Measures
Pointing to a need to “minimize the amount of time students are removed from in-person learning,” the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday issued a revised rule that gives parents more authority to decide whether children go to school after being exposed to people who have covid-19. The new rule replicates the same standard in effect for masking: it’s permissible, but only at parents’ discretion.
Anti-Maskers Turn Another Flagler School Board Meeting Into Virulent, at Times Bigoted and Threatening Spectacle
Even though there was no chance of a mask mandate, the Flagler County School Board meeting Tuesday evening again devolved into an ugly spectacle of anti-mask militancy that at times turned threatening, homophobic, Islamophobic and covid-denying, and required the meeting again to be briefly recessed and board members sent to a safe room.
New Treatments Staving Off the Worst of Covid
For hospitalized covid-19 patients, these new treatments, along with supportive care advances – such as placing some patients on their stomachs in a “prone position” – were helping bring down mortality rates before the Delta variant hit and are continuing to improve patient outcomes today.
Covid Numbers Fall Across the Board in Flagler and Florida, Now Matching Winter Peak; Experts Stress Continued Caution
The covid numbers are falling across the board: in the community, in schools, in hospitals locally and across Central Florida, but with a caveat: the numbers today, while falling, are at the exact point where they were at the height of the winter wave–the third and until then most severe wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
I Got a ‘Mild’ Breakthrough Case. Here’s What I Wish I’d Known.
The vaccines aren’t a force field that wards off all things covid. The rise of delta has changed the odds of having a breakthrough infection. Best advice: Wear masks, stay away from big gatherings with unvaccinated people and cut down on travel, at least until things calm down.
Half the World Is Waiting for Its 1st Covid Shot. You’re Getting Your 3rd. You’re OK With That?
Of the 5.76 billion doses of vaccine that have been administered globally, only 1.9% went to people in low-income countries. Meanwhile, many wealthy countries have begun offering COVID-19 boosters to fully vaccinated, healthy adults.
Volusia and Other School Districts Are Backtracking on Mask Policies and Broadening Opt-Outs at Parents’ Discretion
At least two school districts — Volusia and Lee — that previously adopted strict mask mandates have decided to allow parents to opt their students out of the policy for any reason, while a third, Indian River, now requires masks only at certain times when Covid-19 surges in isolated schools.
When Forceful Vaccine Messaging Backfires
A fevered pitch in vaccine messaging may make the holdouts even more resistant. The direct, blunt messages to go get vaccinated that worked on three-quarters of Americans may not work for the remaining one-quarter. Some health communication techniques work more effectively than others depending on the audience.
How Another President’s Vaccine Rollout Eradicated a Deadly Disease, Without Ideological Animosity
On May 31, 1955, just weeks after the Salk polio vaccine was proved effective against the deadly and paralyzing disease, President Eisenhower outlined the benefits of universal vaccination and hinted he would use the full powers of the government to ensure inoculations. But cooperation from federal, state and local governments made that unnecessary. Polio was eradicated within a few years.
Challenge to DeSantis’s Ban on Mask Mandates In Doubt Again as Appeals Court Reinstates Stay on Judge’s Decision
Pointing to “serious doubts” about the lawsuit, an appeals court Friday put on hold a circuit judge’s ruling that said Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his constitutional authority in a July 30 executive order aimed at preventing school mask mandates.
