Florida Doctors Protest About Low Vaccination Rates, Full Hospitals
Reports say "dozens" of doctors from Palm Beach County organized a meeting to voice frustrations about low vaccination rates in the state, resulting in overflowing hospitals. Meanwhile in Texas, the Harris County Commissioners Court voted to approve an extra $30 million to fund extra nurses in Houston.
WLRN 91.3 FM:
Group Of South Florida Doctors Unite In Urging Vaccines After Pfizer's FDA Approval
Dozens of doctors in Palm Beach County gathered at a parking lot Monday to announce their frustration with people who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The physicians who work at medical centers and hospitals did not leave any patients unattended, and instead gathered outside of their shifts. "We’ve had enough, and we’re pushed to the max," said Dr. Jennifer Buczyner, a neurologist who helped organize the event as a way to stand together and get their message out urging people to get inoculated. (Zaragovia, 8/24)
Houston Chronicle:
Harris County Approves $30 Million For More Nurses To Ease Latest COVID-19 Surge
Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved $30 million to send more nurses to Houston-area hospitals strained by this latest surge in COVID-19 patients. The money will come from Harris County’s allotment of the American Rescue Plan Act. County Judge Lina Hidalgo said while the entire sum will probably not be needed, court members need to act quickly to help short-staffed medical facilities. (Despart, 8/24)
AP:
West Virginia Mayor Seeks $500 For Vaccinated Workers
The mayor of West Virginia’s largest city wants to give $500 to all city workers in Charleston who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin announced Tuesday that she sent a letter to the City Council requesting approval for either a cash payment or a $500 health savings account contribution to eligible employees. Workers must have at least two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the city said in a statement. The payment would come from the city’s allocation of American Rescue Plan funding, the statement said. Goodwin anticipates the cost would be $450,000 if all city employees participate. (8/25)
AP:
With Hospitals Overwhelmed By Virus, Idaho Seeks Volunteers
Idaho’s hospitals are bursting at the seams as coronavirus numbers continue to skyrocket across the state, prompting state leaders to call on residents to serve as volunteers to help keep medical facilities operating. “There’s a wide variety of positions available, a wide variety of skillsets — we need positions in every part of the state,” Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Public Health, said during a press briefing Tuesday afternoon. (Boone, 8/25)
The Boston Globe:
Local Maritime Ministries Provide Vaccines To Foreign Seafarers In Port
About 20 percent of the 1.6 million seafarers around the world have been vaccinated, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. The majority of them come from countries with low inoculation rates and may be out at sea longer than usual — sometimes for more than a year — due to pandemic-related border restrictions, giving them even less of a chance to roll up their sleeves for a shot. And with infection rates rising, the shipping industry is warning that sick or stranded crew members may lead to worldwide staffing shortages that could disrupt trade and further damage already battered global supply chains. (Johnston, 8/24)
Los Angeles Times:
Prison Guard's COVID Death Resulted From Infected Inmates, Family Alleges
The family of a San Quentin prison guard who died of COVID-19 claim in a recently filed lawsuit that his death, along with 28 others, resulted from the botched transfer of infected inmates from a Southern California prison in May 2020.Correctional Sgt. Gilbert Polanco, a 55-year-old father of two, died less than three months after a bus, dubbed “the beast” by San Quentin inmates, arrived at the prison with 121 inmates from the outbreak-ridden California Institution for Men at Chino, according to the federal lawsuit filed against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). (Winton, 8/24)
Los Angeles Times:
Data Breach At Cal State Chico Reveals Vaccine Exemptions
Officials at California State University, Chico, are investigating a data breach that exposed confidential information from 130 students who requested religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine. The records, which included students’ names and email addresses, were breached Aug. 15 and published on an anonymous internet message board, said university officials. Officials were not aware of the breach until a reporter from the Sacramento Bee, which first reported the story, contacted the university Monday. (Estrin and Hernandez, 8/24)
On homelessness —
AP:
Audit: California Agency Bungled COVID-19 Funds For Homeless
A California agency didn’t properly distribute federal relief funds meant to help homeless residents during the coronavirus pandemic, and the mismanagement was so prolonged that local organizations may lose the money because of missed deadlines, auditors said Tuesday. After receiving $316 million under the federal CARES Act to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on unhoused people, the California Department of Housing and Community Development “did not take critical steps to ensure those funds promptly benefited that population,” the state auditor’s office said in a report. (8/25)
