COVID Bits

  • Major European economies, including Italy and France, are moving closer to making vaccines mandatory for everyone. “The appeal to not getting vaccinated is an appeal to die,” said Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
  • Israel has become the first country to offer a COVID booster shot.
  • “Simply put, health misinformation has cost us lives.”—U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs became the first federal agency to require its health care workers to get vaccinated.
  • In San Francisco, all city workers are now required to be vaccinated.
  • “If all the unvaccinated people were responsible and wore masks indoors, we would not be seeing this surge.”—Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the University of Nebraska College of Public Health.
  • Air Rage: According to a survey by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, 85 percent of attendants have dealt with unruly passengers.
  • More than 3.5 million Americans are at risk of eviction.
  • Maryland has reached its goal of 70 percent vaccinated with at least one shot. A big factor, claim Maryland officials: the state’s $2 million Vax-Cash lottery.
  • Publix is now requiring employees to wear face coverings—regardless of their vaccination status.
  • The number of people getting tested for coronavirus has increased over the past month. Federal law requires that testing be free. In the Tampa Bay area, it’s available mainly through CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, urgent care facilities, Quest Diagnostics locations (including those in Walmart stores) and doctors’ offices.
  • At Tampa General Hospital, the number of COVID-19 patients has gone from about 15 to approximately 80.
  • St. Joseph’s Hospital and other BayCare Health System facilities are scaling back elective procedures—as COVID-19 cases surge.
  • As of this week, Hillsborough County will require the public to wear masks inside county buildings.

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