Please stay safe. Please get vaccinated. Please wear a mask when you’re inside with a bunch of people. Much love.

NEW RESOURCES – STATE-SPECIFIC

Wisconsin Department of Health Services: DHS Releases New and Updated Resources for Schools to Keep Students Safe. “To help keep students and teachers safe during the 2021-2022 school year, the Department of Health Services (DHS) today launched a K-12 School Testing Program communications toolkit. This toolkit will support school districts and school administrators’ efforts to connect with school staff, families, and communities about the COVID-19 testing opportunities available to them through the schools participating in this program. DHS has also released an updated version of the Guidelines for the Prevention, Investigation, and Control of COVID-19 Outbreaks in K-12 Schools in Wisconsin, a resource for school administrators and local and tribal health departments to use as they work together to make decisions about layered prevention strategies and to prevent and control COVID-19 outbreaks.”

USEFUL STUFF

WRAL: What to do if you lose your vaccination card. “So you got vaccinated against the coronavirus — but, you lost your COVID-19 vaccination card and you can’t prove it to anyone. Now what? Experts say you should protect the card like it’s your social security number, but for some of us, accidents happen.”

UPDATES

Tampa Bay Times: Florida adds 134,506 coronavirus cases, 616 deaths in the past week.. “Florida officials reported 134,506 coronavirus cases over the seven-day period from July 30 to Aug 5. At more than 19,000 infections per day, it’s the state’s highest infection rate since the start of the pandemic. The latest tally brings the total number of cases up to 2,725,450 since the pandemic’s first two cases in Florida were reported 17 months ago on March 1, 2020.”

Dallas Morning News: Dallas County adds 830 more coronavirus cases, says only 25 ICU beds are available. “Dallas County reported four more COVID-19 deaths and 830 new coronavirus cases Friday. Meanwhile, Tarrant County added 929 more cases, pushing the combined case total for Dallas and Tarrant counties above 600,000 for the pandemic.”

Miami Herald: Florida COVID update: Record-breaking 23,903 new cases, more people than ever in hospital . “On Saturday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23,903 new COVID-19 cases for Friday. The day before was another record-breaker: 22,783 new novel coronavirus cases. Saturday’s data amounts to the highest single-day case count since the pandemic began last year as the state continues record-breaking hospitalizations for the sixth straight day in a row.”

NBC New York: US Now Averaging 100,000 New COVID-19 Infections a Day. “The U.S. is now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge in another bleak reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread through the country.”

Florida Politics: COVID-19 patients continue to fill Florida hospitals. “Florida’s count of COVID-19 patients in hospitals rose to another record, filling 13,435 beds, the Florida Hospital Association says. That record day, reported Sunday by Florida officials to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and then publicly shared through a tweet by the Florida Hospital Association, now is well above any count seen before this summer of Florida hospital beds filled with COVID-19 patients.”

MISINFORMATION / FACT-CHECKING

Daily Beast: Pharmacists Fight Off COVID Truthers Demanding Horse Medicine Instead of the Jab. “Devotees have besieged pharmacists with prescriptions from shady online prescribers, forcing pharmacies to crack down and treat the antiparasitic drugs like opioids. As human-approved ivermectin prescriptions have been harder to come by, enthusiasts have taken to raiding rural tractor supply stores in search of ivermectin horse paste (packed with ‘apple flavor!’) and weighed the benefits of taking ivermectin ‘sheep drench’ and a noromectin ‘injection for swine and cattle.'”

The Verge: Report finds Doximity, a social network for doctors, is riddled with anti-vaccine comments. “A social media site for doctors is seeing “hundreds of comments”— many with false claims and conspiracy theories— on posts about the COVID-19 vaccine and the pandemic, according to a new report from CNBC. Doximity is limited to healthcare professionals in the US— it verifies members before they can join— and no one who posts to the site is anonymous.”

Orlando Sentinel: PolitiFact: DeSantis claim that COVID rise is due to illegal border crossings is ‘False’. “Immigrants and president Biden’s border policies are not to blame for the rise in COVID cases in Florida and elsewhere, the non-partisan fact-checking website PolitiFact determined Friday, despite claims to that effect by Gov. Ron DeSantis.”

SOCIETAL IMPACT

Washington Post: ‘We’re back to panicking’: Moms are hit hardest with camps, day cares and schools closing again. “Panic is setting in among America’s 46 million parents of children under 12 as plans for in-person day care and schooling are getting disrupted yet again from the rise of the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus. While children do not tend to face the worst complications from the virus, they do get sick and spread the virus, which can close down camps, school and day care for weeks. All of this is happening just as many employers are demanding workers return to the office. When children have to stay home, the burden typically falls on moms.”

BuzzFeed News: Friendships Are Breaking Up Over Vaccines. “BuzzFeed News asked readers to share how they’re dealing with unvaccinated friends. We received hundreds of responses that detailed a range of experiences, from people ending friendships altogether to choosing to uninvite loved ones from weddings and parties. But more than anything, we heard stories of frustration and sadness, revealing how COVID-19 has transformed not just the country, but our social structures, too.”

Bloomberg Law: Florida’s Oxygen Woes Cue Coming Wave of Covid Supply Shortages. “Health centers in the state are grappling with shortages of drivers who can transport oxygen, a critical resource for hospitalized Covid-19 patients, and restrictions on how long they can be on the road. Industry professionals expect similar obstacles to expand around the U.S. for other essential supplies.”

Washington Post: Masks, comfortable clothes likely to linger after pandemic, Post-Schar School polling finds. “Two-thirds of Americans say that once the coronavirus pandemic ends, they plan to put on masks when sick and wear comfortable clothes more often than before, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll that points to enduring cultural shifts the public health crisis may bring about.”

Core 77: A Look at Face Mask Dispensers. “Many who regularly wear facemasks have opted for permanent cloth ones, rather than the disposable kind. Healthcare professionals have no such option, so hospitals are stocked with disposable facemasks (when they’re in stock). That means facemask dispensers are needed A perusal of medical supply websites shows that these have received a minimum of design attention, and their doesn’t appear to be any standard (nor standout) design.”

Mashable: Was COVID the death of the college Facebook meme group?. “Because students missed out on community-building experiences at school, such as attending football games, studying in the library, and seeing the same eccentric characters on campus everyday, meme pages suffered a content drought. Come mid-August students will head back to their universities after extended time away, but can the campus meme pages be revived?”

ScienceBlog: Mountain Lions Moved Less, Downsized Territory During LA’s Pandemic Shutdown. “As people sheltered in place at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, sightings of wildlife in urban areas helped spawn a meme, ‘Nature is healing,’ that reflected an intuitive belief: Carnivores were stretching their legs, and their ranges, by expanding into long-lost territory. But new research from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and National Park Service shows that mountain lions in Greater Los Angeles, when briefly spared the proximity of people, instead responded with an economy of movement that also reveals the costs of living near them.”

ACTIVISM / PROTESTS

WEAR: Group of NWFL hospital employees protest against vaccine policy. “A protest was held by some Ascension Sacred Heart employees Friday afternoon speaking out against a new policy that will require all employees to be vaccinated. Holding signs in solidarity, dozens of employees from Ascension Sacred Heart gathered in front of the hospital Friday.”

HEALTH CARE / HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Washington Post: As breakthrough covid infections rise, nursing home chains require that staffers be vaccinated. “As the threat of the delta variant grows, other large nursing home chains also are beginning to adopt vaccine mandates, including the largest for-profit chain, Genesis HealthCare, which is requiring employees to get their first vaccine shot by Aug. 23. Massachusetts said Wednesday that it is imposing a state vaccine mandate on nursing home staffers. These moves are part of a building wave of requirements in health-care settings nationally.”

KTLA: California order will limit hospital visitors to vaccinated or those with a negative COVID-19 test. “Visitors to any of California’s hospitals will only be allowed access if they are vaccinated against COVID-19, or provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test, according to an order about to come into effect by the California Department of Public Health.”

AP: Some in US getting COVID-19 boosters without FDA approval. “The U.S. government has not approved booster shots against the virus, saying it has yet to see evidence they are necessary. But [Gina] Welch and an untold number of other Americans have managed to get them by taking advantage of the nation’s vaccine surplus and loose tracking of those who have been fully vaccinated.”

Gainesville Sun: Gainesville area hospitals postpone some surgeries, ambulances in short supply. “Gainesville area hospitals are postponing elective surgeries and taking other steps to cope with an onslaught of new COVID-19 patients who are filling up hospital beds and putting a strain on staff and resources, officials said. Many of those being admitted to Alachua County hospitals for COVID treatment are coming from outlying counties where medical facilities are full and the vaccination rates are lower than Alachua County, officials said. ”

ABC 8: Two North Texas hospitals close ERs, shift staff to address COVID patient surge. “Two North Texas hospital groups are shifting staff to address the growing number of COVID cases in the area. Hunt Regional Healthcare released a statement late Friday that its Commerce Emergency Room site will be temporarily closed. Texas Health has also released a statement that its North Rockwall ER will be closed, so they can shift staff to the main hospital.”

INSTITUTIONS

News4Jax: In 10 days, 6 members of Jacksonville church die from COVID-19, pastor says. “A Jacksonville church pastor said in the last 10 days, six of his church members have died from COVID-19, and more of their members are currently in the hospital. Now the church is pushing to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”

BUSINESS / CORPORATIONS

Washington Post: United Airlines becomes first carrier to mandate vaccine for U.S.-based employees. “United Airlines will require employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, the company announced Friday, becoming the first domestic airline to require the vaccine as a condition of employment. The company’s mandate will apply to all 67,000 of its active, U.S.-based employees, the company said.”

The Lily: More places are requiring proof of vaccination. LGBTQ bars led the way.. “As the delta variant surges, a wave of LGBTQ bars across the country have been similarly prescient in their policies, requiring proof of vaccination for entry before or just after their cities implemented mask mandates and other precautions to curb the spread of the virus. LGBTQ people characterize the bars’ vaccine precautions as part of a legacy of activism to protect the health of LGBTQ people, adding that the requirements are also indicative of the important roles LGBTQ bars play as safe spaces within the communities they serve.”

Route Fifty: Public and Private Sector Jobs Are Increasing Despite Covid Surge. “The U.S. added close to a million jobs in July, including 221,000 in local government. But much of that data is likely skewed by pandemic fluctuations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

WORLD / FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Washington Post: Coronavirus booster shots for the immunocompromised expected to be authorized soon. “Federal health officials are racing to ensure that millions of Americans with weakened immune systems can get additional shots of coronavirus vaccines to protect them against the highly contagious delta variant. The actions could mean the extra shots would be authorized in days or weeks, according to federal officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been announced.”

CNN: Biden administration rolls out ‘final extension’ on student loan repayment pause. “President Joe Biden’s administration extended its pause on student loan repayment, interest and collections until Jan. 31, 2022, the US Department of Education said Friday in a press release. The department called it a ‘final extension,’ saying it ‘believes this additional time and a definitive end date will allow borrowers to plan for the resumption of payments and reduce the risk of delinquency and defaults after restart.’ ”

CNBC: Pandemic-era relief is drying up. But families still have options. “Stimulus checks, more generous jobless benefits, expanded money to feed children and other aid and protections kept the worst at bay in many households, and made life more tolerable during a particularly dark period. The fact that so many Americans lived paycheck-to-paycheck before the pandemic made the relief all the more necessary. Now much of that help is drying up. Here’s what you need to know about the expiration of the programs, and what aid will still be available to you.”

ABC News: Vaccine mandates would make a difference: NIH director. “National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins said Sunday he believes vaccine requirements could make a difference in slowing the rapid spread of COVID-19 and acknowledged how politics has polarized public opinion on pandemic mitigation strategies.”

STATE GOVERNMENT

The Advocate: How Jeff Landry’s efforts to undermine COVID prevention set him apart from fellow Republicans. “Amid often strong disagreements among Republicans at the local and national level over how best to respond to a deadly and crippling pandemic, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has rarely wavered in his skepticism. Nearly since the beginning, he has publicly challenged the advice of medical experts, whether the subject was the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine, the necessity of masks or the risks of the vaccine.”

New York Times: New Jersey’s governor orders schools to use masks.. “Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey announced on Friday that in the face of the spreading, highly contagious Delta variant, all students, teachers, staff members and visitors would have to wear masks inside of school buildings when public schools open in a few weeks.”

Click Orlando: Gov. Ron DeSantis objects to vaccine mandates at Florida hospitals. “Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t want Florida businesses to require customers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to get served or to enter establishments, so he swayed lawmakers this spring to pass legislation banning ‘vaccine passports.’ Now, the governor says he also doesn’t support hospitals requiring their staff members to get vaccinated.”

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. sheriff’s deputies threaten resignations over city’s vaccination mandate . “The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department will see a wave of resignations if the city enforces its policy requiring vaccinations for its employees, according to the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the union representing sheriff’s deputies.”

INDIVIDUALS / BANDS / GROUPS

CNN: South Carolina Republican congressman tests positive for Covid-19. “Rep. Ralph Norman has tested positive for Covid-19 after experiencing mild symptoms, the South Carolina Republican, who is fully vaccinated, announced Thursday in a statement.”

KRCG: Ashland State Representative Sara Walsh contracts COVID-19: Chose not to vaccinate. “Missouri State Representative Sara Walsh of Ashland said Thursday she and her husband Steve contracted the coronavirus. Sara Walsh was home recovering while her husband was in a hospital bed on a ventilator fighting his life. The couple chose not to get a COVID-19 vaccination.”

Raw Story: Family ‘devastated’ after n​ight club owner who railed against vaccines dies of COVID-19. “David Parker, 56, passed away at Darlington Memorial Hospital in County Durham on Monday. According to the Daily Mail, he had no underlying medical conditions. His COVID diagnosis came just weeks after he posted numerous messages slamming vaccines.”

KSHB: Rep. Sharice Davids says she has COVID-19; is in quarantine “U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D – Kansas) announced Friday she has tested positive for COVID-19. Davids, who represents portions of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties on the Kansas side of the metro area, said in a release that she is experiencing only mild symptoms, adding that things could have been ‘much worse’ had she not previously taken the vaccine.”

Re/New Houston: A Houston restaurant owner says he was brainwashed into not trusting the vaccine. Then he got COVID.. “[Andres Perekalski] believes the internet ‘brainwashed’ him into thinking the shots contained a government-regulated chip or that they would cause premature death. Though he had family members and multiple employees at his restaurant, Argentina Cafe Empanada Factory contract the virus last year, Perekalski thought his immune system would be able to fight it with few complications. After all, he’s relatively young and healthy — a former professional soccer player who played in Argentina, Mexico and Asia.”

WPTV: Vocal anti-vaccine broadcaster dies from COVID-19 complications. “Former South Florida talk show host Dick Farrel, known and beloved by fans for his over-the-top right-wing opinions, has died from complications from COVID-19. On Facebook, Farrel advocated against getting the coronavirus vaccine and was skeptical of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, and his recommendations concerning the coronavirus. Friends said after contracting the virus he changed his point of view.”

ABC News: Funeral of man who died of COVID-19 is turned into vaccine and testing event. “A Florida man’s last wish before dying of COVID-19 was to get the vaccine. To honor his memory, his family is turning his funeral into a vaccine and testing event to protect the community against the deadly virus. Marquis Davis, a 28-year-old business owner and father, died on July 26 from COVID-19. He was not vaccinated at the time.”

WSB-TV: ‘They’re all gone’: Florida woman loses fiancé, mother and grandma in 5 days to COVID-19. “Tiffany Devereaux and her family live in the Jacksonville area about 30 minutes south of the Georgia/Florida border. Devereaux lost her grandmother last Saturday, her fiancée last Monday and her mother last Wednesday.”

News4Jax: Duval County Property Appraiser Jerry Holland, wife hospitalized with COVID-19. “Duval County Property Appraiser Jerry Holland and his wife, Beverly, have been hospitalized with COVID-19, Holland confirmed to News4Jax. Holland said he might be able to go home Sunday but that his wife is not doing as well and is currently on 60 liters of oxygen.”

Cochrane Times-Post: Charities hoarded cash and failed to address crises during COVID: Report. “Canadian charities responded to the pandemic by hoarding cash and relying on government support, and most failed to pivot to address crises caused by COVID-19 and economic measures taken to control the spread of the virus, according to a comprehensive report by The Veritas Foundation.”

SPORTS

Axios: More than two dozen athletes test positive for COVID-19 at Tokyo Olympics. “The worst fears may not have been realized, but COVID still had an impact on the Olympics despite the protocols — and Tokyo had an even bigger spike of virus cases outside the Games.”

K-12 EDUCATION

WREG: Marion, Arkansas school superintendent says more than 830 now under quarantine. “More than 700 people in the Marion School District are quarantined, with 43 positive cases of COVID-19, the district’s superintendent told state leaders Wednesday. Superintendent Glen Fenter said 730 were quarantined as of the morning, and that number was rising. None were hospitalized, he said.” The quote does not match the headline because the district quarantined another 100 people overnight.

KCRA: Thousands of COVID-19 safety complaints by teachers, parents being ignored by state. Here’s why. “Are COVID-19 safety complaints made by teachers and parents being ignored by the state of California? It’s a question being asked as educators and students are set to return to classrooms as the delta variant of COVID-19 continues to surge. Michael Ferguson, an attorney and educator, is one of the people raising this question.”

ABC News: Florida’s largest school districts impose mask mandates, but some students can opt out. “This weekend, some of Florida’s largest school districts have moved to require masks for students, the latest in a weeklong saga that began when Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order aimed at preventing districts from mandating face coverings for kids.”

WRAL: 55 COVID cases tied to NC charter school with no mask mandate, quarantine . “The Brunswick County Heath Department ordered a local charter school to follow COVID-19 quarantine and health requirements after 55 COVID-19 cases were tied to the school. Against recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention and the state, Leland Charter Day School does not require masks.”

Houston Chronicle: As school starts, Houston-area parents panic over raging delta variant and limited mask guidance. “With the school year set to kick off as early as this week in some districts, [Carissa] Baldwin-McGinnis is one of many parents across the Houston region expressing a mix of frustration, confusion and anxiety as they prepare to send their children back to classes amid a surge of COVID-19 infections that is straining area hospitals and prompting alarm once again from local officials.”

HIGHER EDUCATION

New York Post: University of Florida requires masks indoors — even for vaccinated. “University of Florida students and staffers are ‘expected’ to mask up indoors at all times – even if they’re fully vaccinated. The school announced its decision Friday, urging people to get vaccinated as cases of the coronavirus soar in the Sunshine State and elsewhere because of the Delta variant.”

HEALTH

NBC Bay Area: Cats and Dogs Top List of COVID-19 Infected Animals in U.S.. “Tests show more than 40% of infected animals in the U.S. are cats and about 36% are dogs. As COVID-19 infects animal populations across the world, veterinarians search for clues about how the virus impacts different animals and which animals might spread infection back to humans.”

Citizen Times: Inside North Carolina’s ‘little Dare County,’ most vaccinated county in the rural South. “Isolation is one of the biggest draws of Dare County, a nearly 110-mile strip of islands off the North Carolina coast. But the beachy, Outer Banks community has also separated itself from the mainland when it comes to COVID-19 vaccination rates. Dare County has the highest vaccination rate (59%) of any rural Southern county, according to CDC data released August 1.”

The Atlantic: The Best Way to Keep Your Kids Safe From Delta. “The number of kids contracting the coronavirus is rising. In the week that ended with July 29, more than 70,000 children got COVID-19, representing nearly a fifth of all cases. Though a vanishingly small number of kids have died of the disease—358 since the start of the pandemic, as of July 29—some states, like Florida, now have dozens of children hospitalized. Few parents want to hear that their little ones may get COVID-19, no matter how low their odds of death.”

CNN: What changes the unvaccinated minds? Fear.. “The Covid-19 vaccines work to greatly lessen the chance of a person getting a symptomatic case, getting hospitalized or dying. Yet nearly a third of eligible Americans haven’t gotten a single dose and more than 40% have not been fully vaccinated. So what does work to get more people to take the vaccine? One answer seems clear in the polling and in the real world: fear. Fear of getting the virus and of losing freedoms looks like it motivates people to get vaccinated.”

New York Times: ‘This Is Really Scary’: Kids Struggle With Long Covid. “Studies estimate long Covid may affect between 10 percent and 30 percent of adults infected with the coronavirus. Estimates from the handful of studies of children so far range widely. At an April congressional hearing, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, cited one study suggesting that between 11 percent and 15 percent of infected youths might ‘end up with this long-term consequence, which can be pretty devastating in terms of things like school performance.'”

NBC News: Kids sick with Covid are filling up children’s hospitals in areas seeing spikes. “As vaccination rates lag and the new delta variant surges, Covid infection rates among kids have risen and children’s hospitals are seeing a spike in medical care needs among the young patients.”

RESEARCH

PsyPost: New study suggests people turned to music to cope with psychological and emotional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. “A study published in Psychology of Music suggests that people adjusted their music listening habits as a way of coping with the COVID-19 crisis. Israeli survey respondents reported that they increased their music listening during the initial lockdown and that they used music to help them cope with emotional challenges during the pandemic.” 90% of the music I’m listening to now is not the music I was listening to at the start of the pandemic or even music I had heard before.

New York Times: New data suggest J. & J. vaccine works against Delta and recipients don’t need a booster shot.. “A single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson is highly effective in preventing severe illness and death from the Delta and Beta variants of the coronavirus, data from a clinical trial in South Africa suggest.”

Sky News: COVID-19 variants could be named after constellations once Greek alphabet is used up, WHO official says. “Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 technical lead, confirmed the agency is considering naming new COVID-19 strains after star constellations. She also warned new variants could emerge which evade vaccines.”

ScienceBlog: New Device Can Diagnose Covid-19 From Saliva Samples. “Engineers at MIT and Harvard University have designed a small tabletop device that can detect SARS-CoV-2 from a saliva sample in about an hour. In a new study, they showed that the diagnostic is just as accurate as the PCR tests now used.”

OUTBREAKS

Rolling Stone: Covid Outbreaks Tied to Music Festivals Raise Outdoor Transmission Concerns. “Officials in Michigan say at least 96 cases can be traced to the Faster Horses Festival, which took place in Brooklyn, Michigan, from July 16th to 18th, while authorities in Oregon are looking at 62 cases tied to July 10th’s Pendleton Whisky Music Fest in Pendleton, Oregon. In Michigan, one person considered a ‘secondary case’ — infected by someone who contracted Covid at Faster Horses — is hospitalized. Neither event required attendees to be vaccinated.”

CRIME / SECURITY / LEGAL

CNN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order on masks in schools faces its first legal challenge over constitutionality. “Eight Florida attorneys have filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis over his executive order on masks in schools, said Charles Gallagher, an attorney working on the suit. This is the first legal challenge over the constitutionality of the governor’s order on masks, Gallagher said.”

ABC 7: Gov. Newsom stands firm on school mask mandate in face of OC lawsuit. “Gov. Gavin Newsom stood his ground on the state’s mask mandate for students in schools as he faces a lawsuit from the O.C. Board of Education, whom he described as heading in the same direction as states like Florida. The board is suing Newsom, claiming his mandate requiring all students K -12 to wear masks indoors is a burden on children.” I promise I did not plan for these two articles to be next to each other.

WSVN: Norwegian cruises challenges Florida passenger vaccine law. “Norwegian Cruise Line asked a federal judge Friday to block a Florida law prohibiting cruise companies from demanding that passengers show written proof of coronavirus vaccination before they board a ship.”

ABC 6: Judge blocks Arkansas law barring mask mandates in schools. “An Arkansas judge on Friday temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its ban on mask mandates after lawmakers left the prohibition in place despite a rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.”

OPINION

CNN: DeSantis’ cynical move on Covid-19. “Florida is once again under siege from Covid-19, at the epicenter of a fourth wave. One in five new cases nationally have been reported in the state — virtually all spurred by the highly contagious Delta strain. If you were governor, you probably would recognize the threat and think it your duty to work day and night to ensure that every single resident who is eligible gets the vaccinations that can save their lives. You would think it. But not Ron DeSantis.”

POLITICS

BusinessWire: Mayor Bowser’s poor spin about not following her own mask mandate. “The mayor is in hot water because an opinion writer at the Washington Examiner reported that she violated her own mask order while attending a reception after a wedding at which she officiated. The mayor and her office have responded with spin and obfuscation — what we in the news business call a non-denial denial. In the process, she seems to have recast the meaning of the executive order that went into effect on the day of the wedding. Let’s explore.”

AP: DeSantis feuds with Biden White House as COVID cases rise. “Florida has repeatedly broken records for hospitalized patients this week, and it and Texas accounted for a third of all new cases nationwide last week, according to the White House. DeSantis has responded by banning mask mandates in schools and arguing that vaccines are the best way to fight the virus while new restrictions amount to impediments on liberty.”

CoronaBuzz is brought to you by ResearchBuzz. I love your comments, I love your site suggestions, and I love you. Feel free to comment, send resource suggestions, or tag @buzz_corona on Twitter. Thanks!