COVID-19 Policy Update #208
COVID-19 Policy Update
FRIDAY 2/26
TOP THREE
J&J Vaccine: All 22 panelists of the VRBPAC voted to recommend an EUA for the single shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
232 Polls: Incredible resource from EdChoice's Paul DiPerna which organizes 232 polls since last March.
This Ohio School Is Open 5 Days a Week: Via CNN:
"The push to reopen the Southwest Licking schools began several months ago, when a summertime survey of parents found 70% of them wanted their children back at school."
"Some protocols mirrored those in recent guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as masking, cleaning and contact tracing."
But there are no new ventilation systems -- instead more doors are opened and hallways made one-directional -- and, critically, the health team said 3 feet of distance between desks would suffice if students were masked, half the CDC recommendation of 6 feet."
FEDERAL
FCC: Voted to approve the Emergency Broadband Benefit. The program will be operational within 60 days. Press Releases. ERB Website
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Vaccine Hesitancy:
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: February 2021
A majority (55%) of adults now say they have received at least one dose of the vaccine (18%) or that they will get it as soon as they can (37%)
Nearly four in ten Republicans and three in ten rural residents say they will either “definitely not” get vaccinated or will do so “only if required,” as do one-third (32%) of those who have been deemed essential workers in fields other than health care.
"Having a close relationship with someone who’s been vaccinated is correlated with individuals’ own intentions to get the COVID-19 vaccine."
CBS News/YouGov poll (and crosstabs):
"Around half of those who do not plan on getting vaccinated (46%, equivalent to 23% of all Americans) are concerned about allergies or side effects, though allergic reactions to the shot are rare."
Vaccine Outreach: The Business Roundtable launched their "Move the Needle," a campaign to support President Biden in rolling out COVID vaccines, increasing vaccine uptake and encouraging masks. Includes:
Support for the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative's public education campaign
Launched the Health Action Alliance (HAA) n partnership with the Ad Council, the CDC Foundation, the de Beaumont Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, HAA will disseminate, at no cost, research-backed messaging and resources to support employee communications and actions.
Vaccine Distribution: From Brookings: How to build more equitable vaccine distribution technology
STATE
Massachusetts: Schools will try pool testing for COVID-19.
"The state will fund the initial launch period through the help of federal coronavirus relief funds. Officials project the program, set to run until April 18, will cost somewhere between $40 million and $60 million. Over 150 districts and schools had signed up as of Thursday, representing a total of 952 schools."
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia School District canceled a scheduled return to classrooms until further notice. The Teachers Union remains concerned about a number of items including ventilation.
Wisconsin: Teachers become eligible for the vaccine on Monday.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Personal Income/Spending: Personal Income increased 10.0% in January, Spending increased 2.4%. Details here.
BEA attributes the growth partly to the $600 direct cash benefit that passed in Dec and the expanded UI.
School Reopenings Should Boost Employment: UBS report.
“It does seem that a year into the pandemic it’s the younger women who have seen bigger job losses. There’s a lot of anecdotes suggesting that it’s not a coincidence that if someone’s going to stay home to watch kids it’s likely to be the mother, and that if we can reopen the schools, then it’ll open up a chance for women to go back to work.”
The First 100 Days and Beyond: Some incredible incredible data and recommendations from JP Morgan Chase Institute. Unpacks a number of racial disparities but also some fascinating analysis around the impact of the direct cash benefit. This one graph struck me - household savings were up 37% for the bottom quintile before $600 checks arrived. Shows how effective the cash benefit was in terms of providing relief.
RESOURCES
NEA Letter to NGA: Asks Governors to prioritize teachers with vaccines.
Air Ventilation Expert On Why 3 Feet Is Enough Social Distance For Kids To Return To School: Joseph Allen interview
Will Ed-tech be the FTC’s Next Big Frontier?: If you're involved with edtech, be sure to read this article.
"Days after the FTC’s new acting chair named ed-tech as a top focus, the agency is facing calls to investigate a popular math learning platform that two-dozen consumer groups allege is deceiving children, parents and schools."
Tracking Down Missing Students: Well worth reading this entire Washington Post article:
"During the disruption, schools lost track of students. Many students who were present in the classroom in early March could not be found online. And others who showed up in the spring haven’t been seen since."
"But this year, students have disappeared from classes in unprecedented numbers, forcing districts to rethink their approach to those who stop showing up. Many districts, cognizant of the damage that lost school time can cause, have employed extraordinary efforts to track down students to ensure that they are safe and have devices to learn."
"In North Carolina, a state education official told state lawmakers in December that more than 10,000 students had not been accounted for. New Mexico could not account for more than 12,000 students at the start of the school year, children who were enrolled before the pandemic but never showed up in the fall"
Clubhouse Bio Generator: Works well for general bios as well.
Deep Fakes: Insane how realistic these Tom Cruise deepfake videos are (here and here). What's really unsettling is this deepfake of me that's getting circulated. A little too realistic if you ask me.