Your Coronavirus Update – Aug. 7, 2021

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

Next COVID update meeting in RI to be held on Tuesday at 2pm, with RIDOH Director Alexander-Scott and Gov. McKee

Hope Health to require all 600 employees to be vaccinated

Massachusetts workers at long-term care and nursing home facilities will required to be vaccinated.

RI Treasurer’s office – first state office to have all employees to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status

PPAC states that they are ‘required for staff and guests as outlined by local and state health officials,’

Nantucket has a mask mandate regardless of vaccination status when indoors.

The recipients of RI’s third round of grants for another group of vaccine recipients are: Mathewson Street United Methodist Church, RI Center for Justice, Oasis International, Higher Ground International, Project Undercover, Housing Network, Conexion Latina, Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center, Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County, Newport Community School, East Bay Food Pantry, DaVinci Center for Community Progress, American Red Cross – RI Chapter, Better Lives Rhode Island and Man Up. An additional two rounds of grants totaling $380,000 could be awarded each time Rhode Island administers an additional 5,000 first COVID-19 vaccine doses as reported by the Rhode Island Department of Health. For the next 5,000 new vaccinations, $180,000 will be awarded to 18 nonprofits; $200,000 will be distributed to 20 nonprofits in the fifth and final round when an additional 5,000 people are vaccinated.

NBC10’s Barbara Morse had breakthrough COVID and was treated with monoclonal antibodies because she has pretty significant asthma. She said she has been hesitant to tell her story so people wouldn’t avoid getting the vaccine – she credits the vaccine for preventing her from getting very sick. Also, she lost her father at the very beginning of the virus outbreak when there was no vaccine.

RI’s Columbus Theatre – must prove vaccination status to enter and must wear masks

Dr. McDonald, RIDOH, predicts the peak of new COVID variant will be Labor Day – that’s why we need to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

The Department of Labor and Training is reminding all claimants that several federal unemployment programs will be ending in one month, per federal law. The following federal programs will be ending on September 4, 2021:

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA): unemployment benefits for those who were not normally eligible for unemployment, such as independent contractors, small business owners, and people out of work due to COVID-19 related illness or quarantine.
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC): an extension program for those who exhaust their 26 weeks of regular UI benefits. If you have been receiving regular unemployment benefits for more than 26 weeks, you are on PEUC.
• $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC): an additional $300 weekly boost that is automatically added to all unemployment benefits. This means that even if you will still be eligible to receive unemployment after September 4, your benefit payments will be reduced by $300 per week.

Week-ending September 4 will be the final week for which you can request a payment under any of these programs. You can certify for week-ending September 4 any time the following week (September 5 through September 11). Under state law, in order to be eligible for a new unemployment claim, you need to have gone back to work since filing your previous claim and have earned taxable wages of at least $920. If after September 4 you believe you may be eligible for a new claim, we encourage you to file and DLT will review your eligibility.

Brockton & Revere Mayors bringing back mask mandate for their cities.

Rhode Island cases on positive test results, by week, and by age:

Highest cases were in age rages of: 30-39; 25-29; 40-49:

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

New research says if you are not vaccinated at some point you will get COVID – the only question will be how sick you will become.

Vaccines for children under 12 may be approved before schedule

Some people are claiming to be getting a first shot, when they are using that to get a booster shot, prior to the shots being approved.

Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine isn’t affecting sperm, a first-of-its-kind Israeli study has concluded, offering reassurance to couples around the world who are trying to conceive.

Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine protection level does not wane after six months, according to co.

United Air Lines now requires vaccinations by employees.

Travelers to the US must prove vaccination status when entering at the airport.

The U.S. economy added 943,000 jobs

The unemployment rate fell a half-point to a new post-pandemic low of 5.4%.

CNN leader said that masks will be required in Atlanta, Washington and Los Angeles offices when people aren’t eating, drinking or in an enclosed private space.

CVS has stopped giving out the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in their stores – 1000 Minute Clinics still offer it.

Student loan payments now put off until January

Novavax has been struggling to produce the shots, and the US is pausing their funding.

Delta tops 80% of all NYC COVID cases, entire city now a ‘high transmission” area

Germany, following Israel’s example, said it would start offering booster shots to some higher-risk citizens. France, Russia and Hungary are doing the same. Britain has already purchased 60 million extra Pfizer vaccine doses in case vulnerable people need a third shot this fall.

World Health Organization Director called for a moratorium on administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines until at least the end of September to ensure that doses are available in countries where few people have received their initial shots.

Anti-vaxxers demonstrated in New Jersey and the Governor stopped the press event calling them Knuckleheads who are responsible for people losing their life. NJ will require masks by all for back-to-school.

Virginia will require state employees to be vaccinated or get tested weekly.

Dr. Jha: If you are unvaccinated, you are almost surely going to encounter this virus up close and personal. All of us will — but for those of us who are vaccinated, we’re going to encounter it as a vaccinated person and most likely will not get infected.’

ART:

From the Vaccine Confidence Project – Artist’s statement:

I have re-imagined the American WW2 Propaganda Poster, whose purpose was to influence the attitude of a community toward a cause or position, with clearly articulated goals and strategies to galvanize public support. This style feels right in line with Amplifier’s inspiring and meaningful mission.” – Hillary Carlip