COVID-19 Policy Update #266
COVID-19 Policy Update
MONDAY 6/1
It has been a while since we've paired an update with a cocktail recommendation. You'll remember that in the we highlighted 12 bottles of Petrus 2000 that spent 14 months orbiting the earth as part of an experiment to see if it would change the taste and complexity of the wine. Christie's has said they estimate a bottle will fetch nearly $1 million in an upcoming auction with the proceeds funding future missions. Since no one funded a STEM grant to allow for a tasting, we have to turn elsewhere for tonight's update. One inspiration comes from President Biden and Vice President Harris' visit to Le Diplomate yesterday where the Les Vacanses is often on the menu. It's incredibly refreshing and relatively simple to make: 1 oz Mezcal; 1 oz Green Chartreuse; 1/2 oz Falernum; 1/2 oz Lime juice; 1 oz Pineapple juice. Shake it up with some ice, strain, pour... and dig into tonight's update.
TOP THREE
Learning in the DMV: 60% of students in the Washington region have not had any learning in a school building since March 2020.
Parent Vaccine Hesitancy: Parents’ vaccination status impacts vaccination plans for their children according to an Economist/YouGov poll.
"I’m not sure about getting my children vaccinated:" 18% total, 15% White men no degree, 21% White women no degree, 23% Black, 23% Hispanic. 20% Biden votes, 12% Trump voters.
Also, 66% approve of reopening schools at full-capacity.
But differences among racial groups: 68.5% of white vs 57% Black vs 55% Hispanic.
And among party ID: 62% Biden voters vs 88% Trump voters.
Colorado: Many, but not all, schools will offer online classes this fall.
“The ability for systems to provide remote learning during the pandemic was essential to ensuring continuity of learning for kids,” said Bill Kottenstette, executive director of Schools of Choice under the Colorado Department of Education. “If that wasn’t on the table, then we would see significant learning impacts this year.”
"The Jeffco Remote Learning Program will give students in preschool through 12th grade an online space for synchronous learning with teachers brought on specifically for the remote option. The district has hired 33 teachers for the program, with another 16 positions to fill. Currently, 740 students are enrolled in the program for next year."
"In one of Colorado’s farther-flung communities, Cañon City, the district is pushing forward Tigers Online, its remote program named for its mascot. Cañon City High School Principal Bill Summers anticipates that about 5% of high schoolers will rely completely on virtual learning in the fall while another 15%-20% will likely take a blended approach to learning."
FEDERAL
White House: Is making June "Vaccination Month of Action"
They are hosting a call at 4pm ET on Friday, June 4th with Dr. Fauci and other guests to discuss the campaign. You can RSVP here.
Infrastructure:
Sec. Buttigieg seemed to set a deadline for talks by saying that there needed to be 'a clear direction' by June 7
House is scheduled to mark up its own infrastructure bill on June 9.
If Democrats decide to go it alone, July becomes very busy with using reconciliation for infrastructure, passing annual spending bills, and also lifting the debt limit.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Moderna: Applies for full FDA approval for its Covid vaccine. Pfizer applied last month.
EU Approves Vaccine for Teens: The European Medicines Agency recommended that the use of the Pfizer vaccine be expanded to children ages 12 to 15.
Children Infected With COVID Tied to More Complications Than the Flu: A new study finds that, compared to the flu, kids with a COVID-19 infection face a higher risk for hospitalization. pneumonia, and other complications.
"In one of the U.S. databases, the hospitalization rate for COVID-19 patients was 33.2 percent compared to 7.4 percent among those with the flu."
New Variant Naming System: The WHO has a new naming system for variants.
Each variant will be given a name from the Greek alphabet.
"B.1.1.7, the variant first identified in Britain, will be known as Alpha, for instance, while the B.1.671.2 variant, first identified in India and the fourth variant overall, is Delta."
"Once the 24 Greek letters have been exhausted, the WHO will come up with another system to name additional variants."
New names are here.
Incentives Matter: West Virginia Gov. Justice has made his dog "Babydog" the mascot of the state's new vaccine lottery.
STATE
Indiana: Via PBS News Hour: Why this Indianapolis school district will keep remote learning on the table this fall
Michigan: From puppets to breakout rooms: How these Michigan teachers made remote learning work. Some great interviews here.
New York:
NYC public schools’ daily enrollment dropped to around 890,000
Via Timothy Cardinal Dolan: How NYC’s Catholic schools kept their doors open
North Carolina: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will expand virtual learning next school year.
North Dakota: Released their spending plan for federal ARP funds.
Washington: How one private school remained fully in-person all year – without any Covid-19 transmissions.
INTERNATIONAL
Canada: Ontario's Science Advisory Table recommends reopening schools on a regional basis
Germany: Schools reopen as Covid numbers fall
South Africa: A report by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) shows that children are not the main drivers of Covid-19 in South Africa.
UK: Leaked "COVID Catch-up Plan"
Suggests the government seeks to establish a minimum 35-hour week and add 100 hours of additional schooling
Plan focuses on “three Ts” of time, teaching and tutoring, paid for by a “recovery premium”, with £12bn of the £15bn paid directly to schools and targeted at disadvantaged pupils.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
America Works: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched America Works, a new nationwide initiative mobilizing industry and government to address the worker shortage crisis. Accompanying report and policy agenda.
Short Term Pell: Politico reports that the Senate struck a deal on expanding Pell Grants to cover short-term job training programs as part of the Senate's U.S. Innovation and Competition Act that’s aimed at countering China.
The amendment, by Senators. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), is modeled on the JOBS Act, S. 864 (117), which the lawmakers have been pushing for several years. The legislation allows students enrolled in career training programs as short as eight weeks long to be eligible for Pell Grants, which are currently generally limited to programs that run for at least 15 weeks. For-profit colleges would be excluded.
Why It’s So Hard to Fill Jobs in Certain States: Via WSJ, job openings aren't where the workers are.
Covid Shuttered Schools Everywhere. So Why Was the ‘She-cession’ Worse in the U.S.? Via NYT
It’s Time to Bring Back Place-Based Policymaking: Via Rob Atkinson at American Compass.
RESOURCES
Online Counseling for Students: Via The 74
"Helping struggling students with social-emotional learning for 20 minutes a day, three times a week can have a dramatic impact on their confidence, mental health and academic engagement, says Katie Dorn, chief executive officer and co-founder of EmpowerU."
"It's a formula that originated as a pilot program in four Minnesota schools, and the 2018 startup is now delivering online counseling to thousands of students in multiple states — with plans for further expansion."
"Sessions combine 20 minutes of social-emotional learning and mental health lessons with one-to-one support."
"Students work through the lessons and connect with the therapist to discuss personal challenges and goals."
Remembering:
Reconstructing the Neighborhood Destroyed in the Tulsa Race Massacre
Tens of thousands participate in Steve Hartman's "Taps Across America" with more here.
A soldier fills the indentations on a white cross with sand from Omaha Beach to bring the name forward.