All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Texas schools tell teachers with medical risks to return to classrooms | The Texas Tribune (No heart or empathy is epidemic in Texas?)

A school counselor at the Houston-based Windmill Lakes campus at the International Leadership of Texas charter school, Tucker talked to her doctor about the risks she and her child would face if she were to contract COVID-19 from students or other employees. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that pregnant people may be at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness, or even preterm birth. At her doctor’s recommendation, Tucker turned in a note asking her school if she could work remotely.

School leaders denied that request, saying she would have to return to work in person in September. If not, Tucker would have to use the rest of her paid leave to remain home, leaving her no time to recover after the baby’s birth. Her options quickly dwindling and her baby due in January, Tucker lawyered up and filed a grievance with the school district.

Source: Texas schools tell teachers with medical risks to return to classrooms | The Texas Tribune

Maine church’s rally linked to 32 COVID-19 cases | TheHill

Health officials in Maine have now linked 32 cases of the coronavirus to a church and its affiliated school.

The number of cases connected to Brooks Pentecostal Church in Waldo County has nearly doubled since Sunday, when Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials initially said 17 people were infected.

Source: Maine church’s rally linked to 32 COVID-19 cases | TheHill

Three Baldwin-Whitehall schools to temporarily close amid COVID-19 woes | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Baldwin-Whitehall School District announced on Monday that it will temporarily close three of its schools due to COVID-19 concerns.

J.E. Harrison Education Center, McAnnulty Elementary School and Whitehall Elementary School will be closed until Friday, Oct. 23, according to school officials. Baldwin High School, however, will not close and will continue with its normal, hybrid schedule.

School officials said that they became aware of a substitute teacher at the district Monday afternoon who had tested positive for COVID-19. The teacher had worked within Harrison, McAnnulty and Whitehall schools.

In all previous instances of conducting contact-tracing protocols, officials said, the district has been able to clearly mark all areas of potential exposure.

Because of the substitute teacher’s extensive assignments, however, the district said that it believes additional safety measures must be implemented.

Source: Three Baldwin-Whitehall schools to temporarily close amid COVID-19 woes | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Michigan adds 21 deaths, 2,909 more cases of COVID-19

The numbers are even higher with probable cases included. Michigan has 164,123 probable and confirmed cases and 7,363 confirmed and probable deaths, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Last week was the state’s biggest surge of positive cases during the pandemic when Michigan had 10,241 confirmed cases of the virus.

The daily increases also are putting October on pace to generate Michigan’s biggest month for new cases since April, when the virus peaked in the state. The daily average for new cases has increased each month since June.

Michigan set a new daily record for reported coronavirus cases with 2,030 revealed Thursday amid fears of a potential second wave and questions of how state officials will respond. The state also added more than 2,000 cases on Friday.

While some of the COVID-19 cases disclosed Thursday were from the prior day and their reporting had been delayed because of a processing problem, the seven-day average for new cases in Michigan reached its highest point since early April.

Deaths and hospitalizations linked to the virus are also trending upward but remain well below where they were during the initial COVID-19 peak here in the spring.

As of Thursday, 1,064 adults were hospitalized with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan, an 80% increase from the 564 hospitalizations reported a month earlier.

Long term healthcare facilities continue to face consistent hurdles. As of Sunday, 9,070 residents have confirmed cases, 2,217 resident deaths. While deaths have slowed over the past two months, there has been an uptick of staff members infected: 5,322 compared to 4,100 in August.

As of Saturday, 109,539 people were considered “recovered.”

“We know case numbers are going up across the state, which is why we continue to urge all Michiganders to take precautions against COVID-19, including wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands and staying home if they are ill,” Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The number of virus outbreaks was also updated Monday to include those reported as of Oct. 8.

Michigan’s schools have recorded 26 new outbreaks as of Monday. Of the outbreaks, 18 were at K-12 schools. See an updated list of school outbreaks online.

Overall across the state, Michigan has 123outbreaks, which are defined as two or more cases with a link by place and time indicating a shared exposure outside of a household.

Source: Michigan adds 21 deaths, 2,909 more cases of COVID-19

Pupils sent home in half of England’s secondary schools – BBC News

Pupils going back to school Almost half of secondary schools in England sent home one or more pupils because of Covid incidents last week, the latest attendance figures show.

It meant pupils isolating in 46% of secondary and 16% of primary schools.

The updated figures show 5% – or about 400,000 pupils – are out of school because of Covid outbreaks.

Source: Pupils sent home in half of England’s secondary schools – BBC News

India: Magazine reporter beaten by police inside Delhi police station | RSF

Ahan Penkar, a reporter for The Caravan magazine, was treated this way by police in the north Delhi suburb of Model Town on the afternoon of 16 October despite repeatedly identifying himself as a journalist and showing them his press card.

Penkar arrived at the Model Town police station at around 2:45 pm to cover a demonstration outside by a small crowd protesting the refusal of the police to register a complaint about a 17-year-old girl from the Dalit caste (formerly known as Untouchables) who was allegedly raped and murdered by her higher-caste employer.

Penkar was interviewing members of the girl’s family when policemen began arresting demonstrators, and Model Town assistant commissioner of police Ajay Kumar ordered them to arrest Penkar as well. After being taken into the station, Penkar was beaten by Kumar and five of his men despite constantly repeating that he was there to cover the event as a reporter.

Source: India: Magazine reporter beaten by police inside Delhi police station | RSF