Beverly Beach, which brands itself a “small town with a good heart,” donated $10,000, or 5 percent of its American Rescue Plan allocation, to the Flagler Health Department, with Bob Snyder at the commission meeting to accept the donation Monday evening. The money will be spent on diabetes and other public health initiatives.
Coronavirus / Covid-19
Private Universities Switch to Remote Learning as Covid Surges, But Florida’s Public Universities Will Not
Several private colleges and universities such as Harvard, Howard, Stanford, Syracuse and Northwestern plan to resume classes in a virtual setting for at least part of the spring semester. So far, none of Florida’s public universities are making that transition, despite concerns from faculty union leaders that officials aren’t making the right decisions to protect campus communities throughout Florida.
Flagler’s Omicron-Led Covid Infections Surge Toward Record as DeSantis Sees Schools and Business as Usual
Infection numbers are surging across Florida, but in a 50-minute news conference this morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo not only projected a business-as-usual approach, but said testing protocols will be revised toward less testing, with testing and treatment focused on higher-risk patients, while schools are to remain open and operating under previously relaxed guidelines that de-emphasize quarantines, masking and distancing.
Is the CDC Inflating Vaccination Rates?
The CDC as of Dec. 5 has recorded more seniors at least partly vaccinated — 55.4 million — than there are people in that age group — 54.1 million, according to the latest census data from 2019. The CDC’s vaccination rate for residents 65 and older is also significantly higher than the 89% vaccination rate found in a poll conducted in November.
God’s Plagues: Philip Roth’s Nemesis
Philip Roth’s “Nemesis” is the story of an unsuspecting Everyman who becomes a polio superspreader and turns on his fiancee, God and life. Written in 2010, the novel can be read in the age of the coronavirus as a study in grief and loss and the limits of personal, or divine, responsibility.
University System Officials Urge Vaccinations and Return to Masking As Spring Semester Nears
Saying it is “clear the pandemic is not over,” top university system officials are asking students and employees to wear masks on campus and get booster shots to protect against Covid-19 as the spring semester prepares to start.
As Omicron Infection Rate Spikes to Delta Levels, Local Health Officials Plead for Precautions, With Nuance
Omicron is here, if not yet in full force, and is up to five times as infectious as the delta variant of Covid-19. But if delta was a hurricane, omicron is shaping up as more of a tropical storm. And the more protected your house is–the more you’ve developed immunity through vaccines, boosters, prior infections–the less likely you are to get sick, let alone get gravely ill or die.
Federal Officials Drop Feud Over School Masking as Districts End Defiance and State Returns Money Owed
In early November, citing steep drops in local coronavirus cases, the last of the eight districts came into compliance with the health department’s rule aimed at preventing mask requirements. The state education department on Nov. 29, returned nearly $878,000 to districts.
Early Data on Omicron: More Transmissible But less Severe
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.
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.