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News

Feds Halt Monoclonal Treatment Out of Omicron Subvariant BA.2 Concerns | ABC News

This article describes a federal announcement that nationwide distribution of a monoclonal antibody treatment has been paused, since it has shown to be ineffective against the now dominant BA.2 viral subvariant. The article points out that new virus strains can negatively impact the efficacy of COVID-19 treatments.
  • News

Governor Newsom Signs $1.9 Billion COVID Package to Bolster State’s Ongoing Emergency Response | State of California

California Governor Gavin Newsom has allotted $1.9 billion to support the state’s work to respond to COVID-19. The majority of the funding will be used to bolster testing, vaccination, and booster shots. This includes expanding hours and capacity at testing sites, distributing COVID-19 antigen tests to county offices of education and schools, and supporting in-home vaccination and testing programs for those unable to travel.
  • News

San Mateo High School Prom Sparks COVID Outbreak | KTVU

At least 90 of the 600 students that attended prom at San Mateo High School got COVID. Masks were strongly recommended at the event, but many students opted not to wear them. Marin County also reported a COVID outbreak among students who returned recently from a field trip.
  • News

You Can Order Free COVID Tests From the Government Again | NPR

Residents in the U.S. can order another 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests from the government at COVIDtests.gov, to be shipped to their homes. Households that did not order tests during the first round can receive 8 test kits.
  • News

$6 Billion in Reopening and Expanded Learning Funding Amounts for TK-12 Schools | California Department of Education

This press release describes how new state funding for in-person instruction and expanded learning will be distributed. It also includes a resource showing how much funding is available to each district.
  • News

A New Covid Testing Model Aims to Spare Students From Quarantine | New York Times

This article describes how an increasing number of districts across the country are no longer quarantining all close contacts of an infected individual but instead allowing them to remain in school, as long as they continue to test negative. This approach is called "test to stay" or "modified quarantine."
  • News

Amid Low COVID Vaccine Rates, More California Children Hospitalized in Omicron Surge | CalMatters

The number of California children diagnosed with COVID-19 during the omicron variant surge has skyrocketed, challenging earlier notions that the coronavirus largely bypassed children. Child vaccination rates are relatively low, and children who contract COVID-19 could be at increased risk for rare conditions and type 1, type 2, and other types of diabetes.
  • News

An Unparalleled Investment in U.S. Public Education: Analysis of the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act | Learning Policy Institute

This blog post describes how federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will be distributed to schools and how they can be used. It includes an interactive tool that shows funding allocations by state.
  • News

British Studies Warn of Omicron’s Speed, and One Notes the Need for Boosters | New York Times

Researchers studying the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in England found that people who are vaccinated and received a booster shot are much more likely to be protected from symptomatic infections than those who did not get a booster. The scientists also said that reintroducing safety restrictions could save thousands of lives and spare tens of thousands of people from hospital stays.
  • News

California Delays COVID-19 School Vaccine Mandate | California Department of Public Health

The California Department of Public Health announced that they will suspend the implementation of the vaccine mandate in schools for the 2022-23 school year, and will only reconsider the mandate after the vaccine gets full FDA approval for school-age children.
  • News

California Governor and State Superintendent Announce Deployment of Up to 3 Million Free Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Tests | State of California

This press release from California Governor Gavin Newsom's office details how the state is allocating funding for on-site rapid COVID-19 testing to those districts that have been hit hardest by the pandemic.
  • News

California Implements First-in-the-Nation Measure to Encourage Teachers and School Staff to Get Vaccinated | State of California

This press release explains the new California public health order for all k-12 public school staff, who must either provide proof of vaccination or submit to weekly testing.
  • News

California Launches Robust Vaccination Program for 5-11 Age Group | State of California

California announces it has 4,000 locations ready to vaccinate children ages 5-11, including 3,100 school-located clinics covering more than 2 million students.
  • News

California Sends 14.3 Million COVID-19 Tests to Schools as Students and Staff Return from Spring Break | State of California

With roughly 7.2 million students and staff heading into and returning from spring break, California has distributed more than 14.3 million COVID-19 at-home tests to schools for students and staff to help minimize the spread of COVID-19.
  • News

CDC Recommends Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5 to 11 Years | Centers for Disease Control

This approval makes another 28 million children eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, which has been shown to be safe and effective at preventing illness and preventing the spread of the virus in children and adults ages 5 and up.
  • News

Chicago Public Schools Set to Roll Out New COVID-19 Testing Plan for Students, Staff | CBS Chicago

This article describes how, in response to parent concerns, Chicago Public Schools are now offering weekly COVID-19 testing for students who opt in, a key mitigation strategy to prevent transmission and track the spread.
  • News

Children Are Hospitalized With COVID-19 at Record Numbers | NBC News

With the Omicron variant spreading across the country, at least nine states have reported record numbers of COVID-related pediatric hospitalizations. These numbers are driven by the sharp increase in COVID-19 infections among children. During the week of December 23, 2021, more than 325,000 pediatric infections were reported, a 64% increased compared to the week before.
  • News

Early Data From Pilot Indicate Utility of Rapid COVID-19 Testing as Schools Reopen | Public Health Institute

This press release describes initial findings from a rapid on-site COVID-19 testing pilot program. Out of 3,256 tests conducted across 8 districts, only 7 tests (0.21%) came back positive. 
  • News

Ending the Masking Wars | Forbes

This article from LPI's President and CEO shares data, the latest science, and examples of how to protect students, educators, and others in schools to ensure a safe return to in-person learning—a critical goal after the disruption to learning since the pandemic hit the United States.
  • News

English Schools Drop Mask Mandates, but Questions Rise Along With Cases | New York Times

This article details how schools in England no longer require masks and have subsequently seen a rise in pediatric COVID-19 infections, with about 1% of all students aged 10 to 19 being infected each week.
  • News

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Pfizer Vaccine for Kids Ages 5 to 11 | NPR

With no dissenting votes, an FDA advisory panel provided emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The vaccine has been shown to be more than 90% effective at preventing infections in this age group.
  • News

FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine | U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This press release explains that after following 12,000 recipients for 6 months to observe long-term safety outcomes, the FDA has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in individuals age 16 and older. The vaccine had previously received only emergency use authorization (EUA) for this population. The EUA still applies for individuals age 12 through 15.
  • News

FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use in Adolescents | U.S. Food & Drug Administration

This press release explains the science behind the agency's decision to authorize COVID-19 vaccines in youth aged 12 and older after examining the effectiveness of a randomized-control trial of more than 2,000 participants.
  • News

FDA Expands Eligibility for Pfizer COVID-19 Booster Dose to 16- and 17-Year-Olds | U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Individuals 16 and older who have been fully vaccinated with any FDA-authorized or -approved COVID-19 vaccine for at least 6 months can now get a Pfizer booster shot.
  • News

Governor Newsom Announces New $2.7 Billion COVID-19 Emergency Response Package | State of California

California’s $2.7 billion COVID-19 Emergency Response Package aims to bolster testing capacity, accelerate vaccination and booster efforts, support frontline healthcare workers, strengthen the health care system, expand contact tracing, and provide accurate information.
  • News

Governor Newsom Signs $6.6 Billion Package to Return Kids to the Classroom and Bolster Student Supports | State of California

This press release describes new state investments to support a return to in-person instruction and expanded learning, as well as vaccination priorities for teaching staff, data reporting requirements, and establishment of a State Safe Schools team to monitor outbreaks.
  • News

Governor Newsom Signs Executive Order to Support Safe, In-Person Learning at Schools Amid COVID Surge | State of California

To address the national surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order allowing temporary certificates to be issued to substitute teachers who do not have credentials. The order, which is in effect until March 31, also extends the length of time substitute teachers can be assigned to a class and allows more flexibility for retired teachers to work as substitutes.
  • News

Heads Warn of Omicron Chaos in English Schools, With Staff and Pupils Absent | The Guardian

In areas with high infection rates in the UK, students are being sent home to study remotely because many teachers are unavailable to work for COVID-related reasons. School principals are calling on the UK government to introduce more protective measures, such as masking in classrooms.
  • News

Home COVID Tests to be Covered by Insurers Starting January 15 | Associated Press

Beginning January 15, private health insurers will be required to cover up to 8 home COVID-19 tests per month for people on their plans. The Biden administration is incentivizing insurers to cover the tests up-front and will also launch a website later in January to begin making 500 million at-home COVID-19 tests available via mail.
  • News

How California's Commitment to Safety Is Leading Us Out of the Pandemic | EdSource

This article highlights how California's aggressive COVID-19 policies, including requiring universal masking in schools and vaccinations for all students and staff, have enabled more schools to stay open. It emphasizes that the most effective way to keep young children safe is for more adults and older siblings and classmates to get vaccinated and reduce the opportunity for the virus to spread among their communities.
  • News

Marin County Prepares to Start Vaccinating Children 5 to 11 Against COVID-19 | SF Gate (San Francisco)

This article describes how one county became the first to schedule large-scale weekend vaccination events in October and November 2021 in anticipation of emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by the FDA in children ages 5–11.
  • News

Mix or Match: What Do I Need to Know About Vaccine Boosters? | WHYY

This article summarizes recent findings that it is safe to mix and match COVID-19 vaccine types (Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Moderna). It clarifies when and who should receive booster vaccinations based on which vaccine they originally received and on their personal risk factors. It also explains the potential benefits of getting a booster that is different from the original vaccine received.
  • News

More Kids Hospitalized with COVID-19 in States with Lower Vaccination Rates | CNN

This news article summarizes two September 2021 CDC reports and emphasizes that pediatric hospitalizations were more than three times higher in less vaccinated states, underscoring the importance of widespread vaccination among eligible adults and children. The studies find that the Delta variant does not appear to cause more severe illness in children but is much more transmissible.
  • News

N.Y.C. Schools’ Vaccine Mandate Is in Place. 96% of Teachers Got a Shot. | New York Times

This news article describes how more than 18,000 New York City public school teachers elected to receive their first shot the week before an October 4 deadline, mirroring the rush to vaccinate after the city issued a similar mandate for health care workers.
  • News

National Safe School Reopening Summit | U.S. Department of Education

This virtual summit convened district leaders, educators, and students, who shared best practices and lessons learned for reopening schools safely, with a focus on meeting students' social, emotional, and academic needs.
  • News

New York Times Website | School Reopenings: Latest News

This landing page links to the latest news on school reopening not only in New York City but around the globe, including media coverage of ongoing reopening debates as well as scientific evidence.
  • News

Omicron: What We Know About the New Coronavirus Variant | New York Times

As more cases of the coronavirus Omicron variant are detected in the United States, this news article summarizes what we know about the variant, why scientists are concerned, and why it is important to get vaccinated and boosted.
  • News

Reaffirming California's Approach to COVID-19 Prevention and Containment in Schools by Continuing Masking Requirements | California Department of Public Health

This California Department of Public Health press release reaffirms California's approach to COVID-19 mitigation in k-12 schools through universal indoor masking. The department will monitor conditions through the winter.
  • News

School Openings So Far Reveal Science is Right—Masking Works | CNN

This news article reveals that in districts where masks were optional, schools have had to close because of large COVID-19 outbreaks.
  • News

Studies Show Vaccines Are Effective Against Delta Virus Variant | New York Times

This article explains that several studies agree that most COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing hospitalization. The Pfizer vaccine remained 88% effective against the Delta virus variant in the UK and 87% effective in Canada.
  • News

The New State School Mask Rule Doesn’t Faze Many Students | Los Angeles Times

This news article describes the perspective of many California students on masking as the school year starts up.
  • News

Those Anti-Covid Plastic Barriers Probably Don’t Help and May Make Things Worse | New York Times

This article discourages schools from using plexiglass dividers and plastic shields in classrooms, as they do not reduce COVID-19 transmission and may actually trap aerosol particles.

  • News

U.S. Authorizes Second COVID Booster for Americans 50 and Older | Reuters

On March 29, U.S. health officials authorized a second COVID-19 booster dose for people age 50 and older and immunocompromised individuals age 12 and up. The decision comes as scientists have raised concern about the highly contagious and newly predominant BA.2 Omicron subvariant, which has driven up COVID-19 cases in other countries.
  • News

U.S. FDA Authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 Booster for 12- to 15-Year-Olds | Reuters

On January 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15. The FDA also authorized a third shot for children ages 5 to 11 who are immunocompromised.
  • News

U.S. Mask Mandates Are Lifting Quickly, But There Are Notable Exceptions | New York Times

About a third of the school districts in the U.S. are upholding their indoor mask mandates, including Los Angeles Unified School District and Boston Public Schools. Despite many states lifting mask requirements, many parents believe this decision is premature.
  • News

U.S. Schools Delay Openings as Omicron Rages; New York City Hits 33% Positivity Rate | Reuters

As of January 3, there were more than 2,750 school closures across the country, and many school systems went virtual or closed altogether. Some districts and states have addressed these challenges by emphasizing testing. In Washington, DC, all staff and 51,000 public school students were required to upload a negative test result to the district's website before returning to class. In Boston, the school system distributed 55,000 tests to students before the winter break.
  • News

U.S. to Distribute 400 million Free N95 Masks at Pharmacies and Community Health Centers | Reuters

N95 face masks, which filter at least 95% of particulate matter from the air, will be available for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers by the end of January. Multilayered masks like the N95 that form a seal around the nose and mouth are considered especially effective at preventing virus spread.
  • News

US Gives Full Approval to Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine | Associated Press

On Jan 31, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, which means that health regulators have completed the same rigorous review of Moderna’s vaccination as dozens of other long-established vaccines. Over 200 million doses of the vaccine have been administered since December 2020, when the FDA authorized the vaccine for emergency use.
  • News

Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup Finds Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Safe and Effective for 5- to 11-Year-Olds | State of California

The Workgroup reviewed safety data for the vaccine and finds expanding COVID-19 vaccination to those 5 years and older will protect them against the virus and its variants.
  • News

What Can We Learn From Where the Schools Stayed Open? | New York Times

This article, also playable as a podcast, describes the obstacles Rhode Island faced when operating in-person instruction during the pandemic. The state department of health determined that cases within a school were usually linked to out-of-school gatherings.
  • News

Where Are the Newest COVID Hot Spots? Mostly Places With Low Vaccination Rates | NPR

This article, also available as a 4-minute listen, explains that hot spots are now occurring where there are very low rates of vaccination, especially rural areas and small towns.
  • News

White House Details Plans to Vaccinate 28M Children Age 5-11 | Associated Press

This news article explains that 65 million pediatric doses have already been purchased to administer to children once FDA approval arrives, which is expected by early November for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
  • News

With All Eyes on BA.2, Here's What Experts Say Might Happen in the U.S. | Time

With COVID-19 cases increasing due to the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, some experts believe that the U.S. is letting public-health measures and pandemic funding lapse too soon. Congress did not include additional funding for COVID-19 relief in its March spending bill, which would support ongoing testing, treatment, and vaccination efforts.
  • News
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