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.
Health & Society
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.
Sharply Rebuking More McDonald Falsehoods, School Board Says No Mask-Rule Changes This Year
School Board member Janet McDonald was again the outlier on Tuesday as she pressed for a relaxation of mask rules while repeating falsehoods about masks and vaccines. Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt took her strongest stand yet, saying the district would not alter its current covid-safety protocols. A majority of the school board agreed.
More Than Half of Flagler’s Seniors Have Been Vaccinated, But County’s Covid Deaths Now at 92
So far 19,311 of Flagler County’s 36,500 people who are 65 and over have been vaccinated with at least one shot, representing 53 percent of the senior population (age 65 and over), up from 45 percent seven days ago.
Florida Lawmakers Want New THC Caps on Florida’s Already-Weak Medical Pot Content
Medical marijuana advocates fiercely criticized a pair of restrictive bills filed by lawmakers, which they maintain will force patients to spend more money to achieve the same effects from their medical treatment.
Two Palm Coast Teens Arrested in ‘Prank’ Bomb Threat at KFC and BB-Gun Shooting Spree
Christian Boyd, 18, and Kyle Sanderson, 16, thought they were just pranking as they called in a bomb threat at a KFC and went on a BB shooting spree the next day that injured a teen and damaged two cars in Palm Coast.
When You Get Your Chance for a Covid Vaccine, Don’t Worry About Effectiveness Numbers
When getting vaccinated against covid-19, there’s no sense being picky. You should take the first authorized vaccine that’s offered, experts say, whether it’s Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson, no matter what the effectiveness numbers say.
Janet McDonald Again Hawks False and ‘Dangerous’ Claims About Masks and Vaccines at School Board Meeting
Calling for rejecting “outside” guidelines on the pandemic, Janet McDonald said communities with mask-wearing have more virus transmission than those without and claimed the covid-19 vaccine “is not a vaccine.” She spoke at a school board workshop, and offered no evidence.
Teachers and Cops 50 and Older Can Soon Get Vaccinated at Federal Sites in Florida
Newly announced Federal Emergency Management Agency-supported sites in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa, will offer vaccinations to people ages 65 and older, with a portion of vaccines available for teachers and cops who are 50 and older.
Covid Vaccination Report: 17.1% in Flagler Have at Least 1 Shot, 45.2% of 65 and Over
The latest proportions of people vaccinated for Covid-19 in Flagler County, Florida and the United States, according to the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
Addiction Is Not a Crime. The Drug War Is.
To continue with our cruel and sadistic drug war is the daily crime. The only way out is to decriminalize all drugs, treat, repair and, somehow, atone for lawmakers’ and the judicial system’s half-century assault on their own citizens.
As Pandemic Begins to Wane, Florida Supreme Court May Take Up Mask Mandates
Opponents of the mandate have filed a notice that is a first step in asking the Supreme Court to consider arguments that the Palm Beach County mandate is unconstitutional. The 4th District Court of Appeal on Jan. 27 upheld a circuit judge’s refusal to block the mask requirement.
The ACA Marketplace Is Open Again for Insurance Sign-Ups. Here’s What You Need to Know.
In January, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to open up the federal health insurance marketplace for three months as of Monday so uninsured people can buy a plan and those who want to change their marketplace coverage can do so.
Flagler’s Covid Deaths Reach 85 But Cases Fall; 39% of County’s 65 and Over Have at Least 1 Vaccine Dose; Flagler 12th in State
Flagler County’s pandemic situation is improving on every front–falling case loads in the community and in the hospital, increasing vaccine deliveries, rising proportion of the county’s elderly already inoculated, and nothing but more voluminous vaccine deliveries ahead.
Renewing Assault on Transgender Rights, Florida Rep. Sabatini Will Seek to Criminalize Certain Procedures
Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini announced he will again try to criminalize gender-altering surgery and medical treatments performed on minors who want it, even when their parents approve.
CDC School Guidelines May Have Little Effect in Flagler and Florida
As debate rages over how to reopen schools in various cities and states across the country, the CDC issued guidance Friday that includes mitigation strategies, indicators of Covid-19 transmission and testing for coronavirus in schools.
Court Orders Prosecutor to Discipline Attorney Who Dressed as Grim Reaper in Alert Over Covid Dangers
Days after asking The Florida Bar to consider sanctioning an attorney who made national headlines by dressing as the Grim Reaper to criticize Gov. Ron DeSantis’ response to the coronavirus pandemic, an appeals court took the rare step of ordering a state prosecutor to pursue discipline against Santa Rosa Beach lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder.
Ask the Doctor: Returning Children to School Safely, All Those Post-Vaccine Reactions, HIV-Patient Eligibility
Dr. Stephen Bickel answers new questions about the anxieties of returning children to school in covid times, the effects (or non-effects) of the covid vaccine on various medical conditions, the eligibility of populations other than those 65-and-over for the vaccine, and more.
Flagler Health Department Issues First Rabies Alert in 11 Years, for Bunnell and Southern Part of the County
The Health Department issued the rabies alert for Bunnell and the Korona community in response to a raccoon that tested positive on Tuesday after attacking a dog. The center of the alert is near Old Cemetery Road in Korona, an unincorporated community north northeast of Favoretta on US 1 and south of Bunnell.
Walmart Starts Covid Vaccines Friday But Not in Flagler, Volusia or St. Johns; 9% in Flagler Have 1st Shot
Florida residents may get vaccinated at any Florida Walmart location of their choice, regardless of their home address. The Flagler County Health Department meanwhile continues to administer about 800 first shots per week.
Why the U.S. Is Underestimating Covid Reinfection
Hundreds of Americans suspect they contracted covid early in the pandemic and recovered, only to get infected again months later. But because the U.S. does so little genetic sequencing of covid samples, we don’t know much about reinfection rates.
Flagler’s Covid Deaths Up to 73 as Obstacle Race To Vaccines and Herd Immunity Continues
Only a little over 6 percent of Flagler County’s population of 115,000 has been vaccinated, most in the 65-and-over group, as new infections continue to be recorded at almost triple the rate from the summer spike despite a slowdown.
Tampa’s Mayor Faces Twin Challenges of a Covid-Era Super Bowl and Ron DeSantis
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, a Democrat who switched from the Republican Party in 2015 and a former Tampa police chief, would like to take stronger action to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But Gov. Ron DeSantis has limited what local officials can do.
Two Flagler Beach Residents Arrested After Refusing to Comply With Mask Mandate at Commission Meeting
In a first at a local government meeting, two Flagler Beach residents were arrested Thursday evening after defiantly delaying a Flagler Beach City Commission meeting for 12 minutes, refusing to don a mask, in accordance with a city ordinance, and refusing to leave the commission room on their own. They were not arrested for a mask violation, but for trespassing after warnings.
Upholding Requirement, Court Compares Mask Mandate to Smoking Bans in Public Places
A state appeals court Wednesday rejected a challenge to a Palm Beach County requirement that people wear face masks in businesses and other public places to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
7 Days, 11 Additional Covid Deaths in Flagler, Totaling 68 as County Passes 5,000 Cases; 2nd Dose Vaccines Begin
It was the deadliest seven-day stretch of the pandemic for Flagler County. Over the weekend the tally rose to 60, and today the Health Department reported eight additional deaths, all senior citizens, bringing Flagler County’s total to 68. Second-dose shot vaccines were set to begin this week, along with a new batch of first-dose vaccines.
Anti-Vaccine Activists Are Peddling False Claims That Covid Shots Are Deadly, Undermining Vaccination
Anti-vaccine groups are exploiting the suffering and death of people who happen to fall ill after receiving a covid shot, threatening to undermine the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history. In some cases, anti-vaccine activists are fabricating stories of deaths that never occurred.
Ask the Doctor: No, Vaccines Contain No Aborted Fetus Tissue, Socializing Without Masks, Politics of Vaccines
Dr. Stephen Bickel answers two dozen new questions, including about the politics and logistics of the vaccine rollout, whether vaccinated people may socialize without masks, and numerous specific questions about the vaccine and beyond it.
Senate Pandemic Preparedness Chairman to Advocates of Covid-Safety Lockdowns: Drop Dead
Businesses will remain open for the economic well-being of the state even as covid-19 cases continue to surge in Florida, the head of a Senate select committee on the pandemic said this week.
“We’ve Let the Worst Happen”: Reflecting on 400,000 Dead
A reporter who’s covered the pandemic from the start examines the toll covid-19 has taken on the country and what to expect from a new president.
Surgeon General: No Idea When Florida Will Get More Vaccines, Or How Many Doses
Surgeon General Scott Rivkees said in the statewide phone call that he does not know when additional “first doses” of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be sent to the state or how many doses would be in a potential future delivery.
AdventHealth Palm Coast Will Build a $100 Million, 100-Bed Hospital on Palm Coast Parkway
In a surprise, AdventHealth officials today announced the system will build a $100 million, 100-bed hospital on the south side of Palm Coast Parkway, adjacent to Market Street, the assisted living facility, with construction starting in September.
Flagler’s Covid Deaths Jump by 4, to 57; 800 New Vaccines Delivered; Second Dose Shipment Due Friday
As has become almost ritualistically routine since before Christmas, grimmer reports of covid’s toll are colliding with more hopeful if fitful news. That was the case again today in Flagler with a new vaccine shipment and the first decline in confirmed covid cases in five weeks, though case loads remain very high.
5 Reasons to Wear a Mask Even After You’re Vaccinated
Even people who are receiving their second dose of the vaccine are choosing to keep wearing masks, as much to protect themselves as to protect others, since the vaccines may not prevent you from spreading the coronavirus and herd or community immunity is still a very long way off.
Biden Terms Vaccine Rollout ‘A Dismal Failure’ as He Unveils Pandemic Response Plan
During his Thursday speech outlining what he’s dubbed the “American Rescue Plan,” Biden made several claims about the current response to the pandemic and how it’s affecting Americans. Statements are fact-checked and given context.
As Covid Patient Load Keeps Breaking Records at AdventHealth Palm Coast, ER Director Gives Inside Look
As the Covid-19 patient load reaches 35–the hospital is licensed for 113 beds–Dr. Paul Mucciolo, AdventHealth Palm Coast’s ER medical director until last year, and the Chief of Staff since, details the hospital’s response and challenges to a record surge.
AdventHealth Offers Rapid Covid-19 Testing at Orlando International Airport
Travelers have a new option for receiving a quick and convenient test for COVID-19 as AdventHealth has opened a COVID-19 testing site inside a terminal at Orlando International Airport.