In its push to personalize the vaccination experience and scale what reluctance there may be among residents to be inoculated, the Flagler Health Department in March launched a partnership with Grace Community Pharmacy (and has since added One Pharmacy), part of the department’s attempt to get Flagler ranked first in the rate of vaccinations.
Health & Society
School Board’s Latest Fray Over LGBTQ ‘Hysteria’ Is Tense But Civil as Law Has the Last Word, Not Parents
Flagler school district officials explained that a student’s privacy–and sexual identity–may override a parent’s right to know about it as transgender matters again divided an audience of 70 and the school board in impassioned but mostly courteous debates at a meeting Tuesday afternoon.
There Are No Transgender “Issues” in Flagler Schools. A Small, Noisy Group Is Fabricating an Issue Anyway.
There are no transgender bathroom issues in Flagler schools, no issues with transgender athletes, no issues with a student of one birth sex supposedly using their transgender status to leer at students of the other. But to hear it from some, it’s a crisis warranting a reversal of policies and procedures. The School Board hears a presentation on the current state of the law and procedures Tuesday. A crowd is expected.
Tiny Number of People Will Be Hospitalized Despite Being Vaccinated. We Have to Learn Why.
Experts say we should investigate “breakthrough infections” to look out for variants and understand who’s vulnerable. In many cases, that’s not happening. Crucial pieces of the puzzle are being tossed in the trash.
School Districts and Families Are Divided: Should Masks Still Be in Place in the Upcoming Academic Year?
With an uncertain outlook of COVID-19 and political connotations surrounding masks, classrooms could become a checkerboard, with some students wearing masks but others showing their faces.
Are Mass Shootings an American Epidemic?
The most recent research on frequency of mass shootings indicates that, while still rare, they are becoming more common, though the exact number each year can vary widely, while the number of Americans who are victims of crimes involving a firearm approaches half a million a year.
I’ve Recovered From Covid. Why Do I Still Have to Mask Up?
As the federal government doubles down on their importance, some states have thrown caution — and face coverings — to the wind. Here are the science and motives behind the masking recommendation.
‘Don’t Be a Holdout’: Flagler Aims for 1st In State in Vaccinations, With 40.7% Inoculated So Far and Youth Shots Ahead
Flagler County’s vaccine supply is now exceeding demand as health officials step up their outreach to restaurants, local businesses, schools and children 16 and 17 to get vaccinated in hopes of vaulting the county’s vaccination rate to the top of the state’s chart. Flagler is 7th or 8th best in the state in vaccinations.
Covid-19 Daily Data for Florida and Flagler: Cases, Testing, Locations, Hospitalizations and Deaths
Florida’s and Flagler’s complete daily reports by the Health Department of Covid-19 data including county-by-county infection numbers, testing, people monitored and deaths.
Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Suspension: A Doctor Explains What This Means for You
It is a testament to the emphasis by the CDC and FDA on vaccine safety that J&J vaccinations have been paused while this is studied by independent scientists and medical experts, explains Dr. William Petri in a Q&A about the J&J vaccine’s pause.
Anti-Trans Bill Clears Florida House, Barring Transgender Girls from High School and College Sports Teams
The Republican-dominated Florida House on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban transgender females from playing on girls’ and women’s high-school and college sports teams, with Democrats arguing the measure is purely political.
Key Victory for Venerated Whispering Meadows Ranch as County Board Recommends in Its Favor in Emotional Hearing
Whispering Meadows Ranch on John Anderson Highway survived a key vote this evening as the Flagler County Planning Board recommended approval of a special zoning use of the grounds, enabling the ranch to keep operating. That’s assuming the County Commission follows suit when it considers the matter in coming weeks. Absent the special exception, the ranch will face closure.
When Births Go Horribly Wrong, Florida Protects Doctors and Forces Families to Pay the Price
A Florida program designed to reduce doctors’ malpractice bills strips families of their right to sue, offering instead a one-time payment and promises to cover medical expenses. Some parents report a bureaucratic nightmare that’s anything but supportive.
Flagler Schools’ Food Service Director to Gov. DeSantis: Why a $1,000 Bonus to Faculty But Not Service Workers?
Angela Bush, Flagler County schools’ Food and Nutrition Services Director is asking Gov. Ron DeSantis in a video letter why once again service employees like bus drivers, custodians, maintenance staff, kitchen and other support staff are excluded from a proposed $1,000 bonus to teachers and principals who “answered the call” through the covid pandemic.
Ban on Transgender Girls in Sports, Requiring Genital Proof in Disputes, Heads for Florida House Vote
The proposal would make participation in athletics contingent on determining a student’s “biological sex,” including the requirement, in disputes, of proof of a student’s birth genitalia as certified by “a health examination and consent form.”
As Jury Trials Are Set To Finally Resume for Good in Flagler, Judge Perkins Sends Reassurances to the Covid Leery
Potential jurors being are being reassured by Circuit Judge Terence Perkins, the senior and administrative judge in the county, that “every court process and procedure” has been reviewed “to ensure that your jury service is safe.”
Backed by Millions in Public and Private Cash, Rapid Covid Tests Are Coming to Stores Near You
Scientists and lawmakers agree that over-the-counter covid tests could allow desk workers to settle back into their cubicles and make it easier to reopen schools and travel, though screening accuracy varies, as does the way consumers get results.
Manslaughter Charge for Daughter Accused of Leaving Mom to Die Like a ‘Prisoner in a Concentration Camp’
Kim King Zaheer, 64, of Palm Coast, was booked at the Flagler jail on a first-degree felony manslaughter charge at the conclusion of a more-than two-year investigation in the death of her mother, Frances Hildegard King, who was found to have died of abuse, malnutrition and neglect in December 2018.
Unlike Many Republican Leaders, Gov. DeSantis Says Yes to Getting Vaccinated
According to one survey in 22 states, Republicans were being vaccinated at a little more than half the rate for Democrats. The governor is 42, and so is included among the latest cohort to become eligible.
I Want Civil Rights. They Want to Talk About Sports.
The Equality Act would extend basic civil rights protections to Queer people in housing, employment, education, and other arenas. Support tops 70 percent. Many people assume a federal law like this already exists. But in dozens of states, it’s perfectly legal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Palm Coast Student Elliott Bertrand Accuses Senate Panel of ‘Prejudice’ Before 6-4 Vote on Transgender Sports Ban
The Florida Senate Health Policy Committee today approved a bill that would scrap existing policy and ban transgender women from participating in competitive high school and college sports absent testosterone testing that might clear them to play. Elliott Bertrand, a student at Flagler Palm Coast High School, was among the many opponents of the bill who addressed the panel in Tallahassee.
Bike Week, Spring Break and Doffed Masks Blamed for Latest ‘Worrisome’ Covid Spike Even as Vaccinations Spread
Local public health officials and physicians are imploring residents not to relax their covid-safety measures and warning of stubbornly persistent infections even as vaccinations have made large inroads in the local population.
Ask the Doctor: Covid and the Russian Flu, Vaccines, Allergy Shots and Colonoscopies, Future Booster Shots
In this latest installment of FlaglerLive’s “Ask the Doctor” column by Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director at the Flagler and Volusia Counties Health Departments, the doctor takes on an intriguing question about covid and the Russian flu of the late 1970s, whether booster vaccine shots will be needed, how allergy shots or colonoscopies affect vaccination, and so on.
Flagler Beach Again Cancels July 4 Parade and Fireworks, Wrapping Hopes for a Big Event Around Christmas
For the second year in a row, Flagler Beach will not host its traditional July 4 parade and fireworks, the city commission decided tonight, nor will the event be postponed to Labor Day. Doing so would be too “risky,” the commission agreed with Flagler Health Department Chief Bob Snyder. Commissioners are placing their hopes on a big event and parade around Christmas, including fireworks.
All Floridians 40 and Older May Be Vaccinated Starting Monday, and All Adults Starting April 5
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced that all Floridians ages 40 and older will be able to receive Covid-19 vaccinations starting Monday and that all adults will be eligible on April 5.
Flagler Health Department and AdventHealth Palm Coast to Co-Host Covid Vaccination Event April 8
The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Thursday, April 8 at AdventHealth Palm Coast hospital at 60 Memorial Medical Parkway in Palm Coast. Those interested in receiving the Moderna vaccine must preregister with DOH-Flagler’s Diabetes Education Center.
Hutson-Sponsored Bill to Regulate Vaping Clears House Panel, Without Ban on Flavored Products
More than two years after the U.S. surgeon general declared youth vaping an epidemic, Florida lawmakers again are working on an effort to regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes and raise the age to use tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.
Anti-Maskers Subject Flagler School Board to Drizzle of Disinformation in Latest Attempt to Lift Mask Rules
The emergence of those anti-masking voices, while restricted to a very small but shrill handful, points to the sort of ideological talking points the board may have to contend with over the next weeks or months, which would be a distraction from the more pragmatic and busy agenda set out by Mittelstadt and the board.
It’s Back to the Ocean Center for FPC and Matanzas Graduations This June, But With Limited Seating
The Flagler County School District is working on the assumption that Flagler Palm Coast High’s and Matanzas High School’s graduations will return to the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, and will take place on June 2.
Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club Will ‘Look Different,’ Superintendent Cautions, Its Funding Model in Question
Flagler School Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt today prepared the school board for difficult decisions about the district-owned and district-run Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, where deficits are making the funding model unsustainable, and changes likely scaling back the operation–or bringing in different partners–may be ahead.
Employee Ranks Double at Flagler’s Own Coastal Cloud as Company’s Vaccine and Testing Platforms Go Viral
Hammock-based Coastal Cloud’s testing and vaccine platforms, adopted by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, placed the company at the center of the state’s battle against covid and resulted in a doubling of the company’s ranks to 280, despite the crisis.
Covid Vaccine Eligibility Is a ‘Crazy Quilt’ of State Rules, Unleashing ‘Vaccine Jealousy’
The different vaccine-eligibility rules among states — and sometimes varying rules even within states — has created a mishmash. This has unleashed “vaccine jealousy” as people see friends and family in other states qualify ahead of them even if they are the same age or have the same occupation.
Anyone 50 and Over May Now Be Vaccinated in Florida
Last week, Florida lowered the age threshold from 65 to 60, but the governor said softening demand convinced him the state could go to 50. The development occurs a little more than a year after the novel coronavirus showed up in the state, as Florida topped 2 million cases of Covid-19.
‘Covid Passports’? Not in Florida, Governor Declares, Threatening Sanctions Against Companies That Try It
DeSantis this week suggested he may go after companies if they require customers to show proof that they are vaccinated, saying “it’s more than just a private decision.” The governor was referring to what have been called Covid-19 passports, a phenomenon gathering momentum abroad.
The Fabricated Fear of Transgender Athletes in High School Sports
Randall Bertrand, who led last year’s campaign to add “gender identity” to the Flagler school board’s protections against discrimination, lays out a case against the Legislature’s baseless fear-mongering over transgender participation in high school sports.
Finally, the Biggest Healthcare Expansion in a Decade. Now Make It Permanent.
This victory is only one step in efforts to expand health care access. The next step is to make them permanent — or, better yet, move toward a public option or universal, Medicare for All system that doesn’t tie health care access to employment or income at all, argues Olivia Alperstein.
Overriding Florida High School Athletic Association, House Backs Banning Transgender Female Athletes
Critics of measures targeting transgender student athletes argue the proposals are rooted in fear, misunderstanding and politics as a Florida House panel on Wednesday approved a controversial proposal that would ban transgender girls and women from competing in women’s high-school and college sports.
The Trump Health Care Policies That Deserve to Stick Around
The Trump administration’s attempted market-based interventions shined some light on dark corners of the health market and opened the door to some workarounds. They are not meaningful substitutes for larger and much-needed health reform. But as Americans await the type of more fundamental changes the Democrats have promised, they need every bit of help they can get.
Flagler Health Department Begins New Phase of Covid Vaccination Effort
The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County (DOH-Flagler) moves into a new phase of vaccination efforts this week with additional sites, a lowered age requirement and a process that allows the “medically vulnerable” to be vaccinated with a form signed by their physician.
Woman Facing Attempted Child-Kidnapping Charge Is Judged Incompetent to Stand Trial for Now
Zarut Jean-Pierre Theolin, the troubled 26-year-old Palm Coast woman arrested on a burglary and attempted kidnapping of a child in a case that rattled three W-Section families on March 3–hers included–was judged incompetent to stand trial today and will be sent to a state mental hospital in Chattahoochee for treatment.
Two-Thirds of Flagler’s 65 and Over Have at Least One Shot of Vaccine, Minority Outreach Expands
As the CDC issues mask guidelines that provide some relief for those fully vaccinated, Flagler County nears the 25 percent mark for those who have at least one shot, but new cases of covid have spiked for the third straight week, signaling a still-raging pandemic.
Lysenko, Stalin and Trump
On the one-year mark of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump’s malicious, politically motivated anti-science handling of a calamity that has killed more than half a million Americans so far recalls the alliance between fake Soviet scientist Trofim Lysenko and Stalin, which led to the death of millions.
Ask the Doctor: On the Covid Vaccine’s Safety, Emerging Mutations, Viral Transmission Post-Vaccination
In this latest installment of FlaglerLive’s “Ask the Doctor” column by Dr. Stephen Bickel, the medical director at the Flagler and Volusia Counties Health Departments, the doctor takes on recurring questions about the covid vaccine’s safety, its effectiveness against new variants of the virus, and many other questions.
One Year Later, Stories of AdventHealth’s first Covid Patients Highlight Compassion in Medicine
On the one year anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of a global pandemic, AdventHealth officials reflected on the changes brought on by the virus and how it emphasized the hospital system’s founding mission of caring for the whole person – body, mind and spirit.
Far More Than Stimulus Checks: Premiums Will Fall for Many in Biggest Obamacare Revamp in 10 Years
The proposal would ensure no one who buys insurance on the exchanges pays more than 8.5% of income. It is part of the $1.9 trillion covid relief bill. But the Affordable Care Act revamp, largest in a decade, would expire in 2022.
Latest Reinvention of Palm Coast Tennis Center Sees $5.7 Million Expansion and More Ahead, But Speculation Abounds
Palm Coast government is proposing an ambitious, multimillion transformation of the city’s tennis center off Belle Terre Parkway into a “Regional Racquet Center” featuring 42 tennis and pickleball courts, a clubhouse, space for events and other amenities. But the plan is based on largely speculative assertions of need even as tennis declines as a sport and the school board is rethinking its own racquet club’s future.
Biden’s Criticism of Trump Team’s Vaccine Contracts Is Mostly False
The Trump administration could have acted more quickly to buy doses or increase vaccine manufacturing capacity. And the Biden administration has certainly taken significant measures to expand supplies. But it’s stretching the truth to say the Trump administration hadn’t contracted for enough covid vaccines to inoculate the U.S. adult population.
Almost a Quarter of Flagler Is Vaccinated, But Cases Rise; CDC Says Fully Vaccinated May Unmask In Some Cases
As the CDC issues mask guidelines that provide some relief for those fully vaccinated, Flagler County nears the 25 percent mark for those who have at least one shot, but new cases of covid have spiked for the third straight week, signaling a still-raging pandemic.
Why We Can’t Make Vaccine Doses Any Faster
President Biden has promised enough doses for all American adults by this summer. There’s not much even the Defense Production Act can do to deliver doses before then.
Biden Expands Vaccination Eligibility to All Teachers, Overriding DeSantis Cut-Off at Age 50
Since vaccines first became available in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has prioritized people ages 65 and older for the sought-after shots and until recently spurned pleas to expand the state’s vaccination program to include school employees. He announced Feb. 23 that teachers ages 50 and older would have access to vaccines.
