Schools No Longer Out For Covid As Cities Start Announcing Reopenings
At a pandemic turning point, New York City and L.A. authorities plan to reopen some schools. Elsewhere in the U.S., states battle with nursing home covid controversies, and pharmacies get the OK to administer birth control pills.
Axios:
New York City High Schools To Reopen For In-Person Learning On March 22
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday that New York City's 488 public high schools will reopen for some in-person classes on March 22, after months of distance learning. It's a key pandemic milestone for the biggest public school system in the country, which is made up largely of low-income and minority students, according to the New York Times. (Perano, 3/8)
Los Angeles Times:
LA School Reopening: Secondary Schools Could Get Ok In Days
Middle and high schools throughout Los Angeles County could be eligible to open within days, with L.A. Unified aiming for a late April reopening of its secondary campuses, marking a major turning point in the pandemic that has forced the closure of California schools for nearly a year. However, several sticking points still could lead to further delays in the nation’s second-largest school district, including the time it would take to get teachers and school staff fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and the ability of the district and its teachers union to reach an agreement about school day schedules and working conditions. (Blume, 3/8)
In other news from the states —
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
Birth-Control Access Bill Gets OK In House
The Arkansas House of Representatives approved legislation Monday that would allow pharmacists to dispense birth-control pills without a prescription, reviving a debate that died two years ago in the state Senate. House Bill 1069, by Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Clarksville, was passed in an 88-2 vote, with four members voting present. The bill is similar to legislation run by Pilkington in 2019 to amend the practice of pharmacy in state law to include the dispensing of oral contraceptives without a doctor's prescription. Both bills would limit pharmacists to dispensing no more than six months' worth of pills before requiring the woman to visit a doctor. Only women over 18 would be able to get a prescription for birth control from a pharmacist. (Moritz, 3/9)
Albuquerque Journal:
House OKs Health Insurance Tax Boost
The state House approved legislation Monday that would raise a state health insurance tax and dedicate about $115 million in new annual revenue to programs aimed at making health care more affordable. The increased tax would essentially replace a federal fee that was repealed. The House amended the proposal Monday to call for the increased state tax to be phased out if the federal fee is ever reimposed. Rep. Deborah Armstrong, an Albuquerque Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said the new tax could help fund subsidies that make insurance more affordable for uninsured New Mexicans and pay for new programs to help small businesses offer insurance. (McKay, 3/8)
AP:
Hawaii Health Department Launches Mental Health Hotline
The Hawaii Department of Health has launched a new mental health crisis counseling hotline to provide residents support during the coronavirus pandemic. The new program is called “Ku Makani – The Hawaii Resiliency Project,” and offers counseling, education and information for people experiencing mental health crises during the pandemic, Hawaii News Now reported Saturday. (3/8)
AP:
North Dakota Has 4th New Health Officer Since Start Of Virus
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday appointed his fourth state health officer since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Nizar Wehbi is the deputy director of the Center for Health Policy and assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is scheduled to take over as leader of the North Dakota Department of Health on May 1. (MacPherson, 3/8)
Axios:
Cuomo Publisher Halts Book Promotion Amid Probe Of COVID-19 In Nursing Homes
Crown Publishing Group has "paused active support" of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's book on leadership lessons from the pandemic and has "no plans to reprint or reissue in paperback," citing a federal investigation into Cuomo's handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes, the New York Times reports. The embattled governor, who is simultaneously facing several allegations of sexual harassment, was heavily criticized for his decision to publish a book last October about his response to the coronavirus, as the pandemic was still raging. (3/9)
In nursing home news —
Modern Healthcare:
Florida Didn't Ensure Abuse And Neglect Reporting In Nursing Homes
A federal watchdog found that Florida didn't make sure that nursing homes were reporting or looking into allegations of potential abuse or neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries. After reviewing 104 hospital claims for 2016 emergency department visits of Medicaid nursing home residents, HHS' Office of Inspector General found that nursing facilities failed to report at least 15 incidents associated with potential abuse or neglect because nursing facility officials and state officials "did not have the same understanding about what incidents must be reported," according to the report. Another seven cases didn't have enough information filed to determine if the incident should have been reported. (Christ, 3/8)
NBC News:
America Now Knows That Nursing Homes Are Broken. Does Anyone Care Enough To Fix Them?
The pandemic turned nursing homes into a death trap for more than 170,000 long-term care residents and staff members who have lost their lives to Covid-19. But the virus also revealed how America’s system for long-term care is fundamentally broken in ways that will continue to harm vulnerable residents and workers, long after the pandemic has faded away. (Khimm, 3/7)
