Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Teachers In At Least 3 States Have Died Since Schools Reopened
AP: Teacher Deaths Raise Alarms As New School Year Begins
Teachers in at least three states have died after bouts with the coronavirus since the dawn of the new school year, and a teachers’ union leader worries that the return to in-person classes will have a deadly impact across the U.S. if proper precautions aren’t taken. AshLee DeMarinis was just 34 when she died Sunday after three weeks in the hospital. She taught social skills and special education at John Evans Middle School in Potosi, Missouri, about 70 miles (115 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. (Salter and Willingham, 9/9)
CNN: Demetria Bannister: Third-Grade Teacher Dies Of Coronavirus In South Carolina
An elementary school teacher died of coronavirus complications a week into the start of the school year in South Carolina. Demetria Bannister was diagnosed with the virus Friday and died Monday. The 28-year-old had taught at the Windsor Elementary School in Columbia for five years, CNN affiliate WIS reported. She started her third year of teaching third-grade students on August 31. (Karimi, 9/10)
Boston Globe: Rhode Island Reports 54 New Coronavirus Cases As Raimondo Anticipates School Reopenings
As public school teachers across Rhode Island began their first day of school in professional development on Wednesday, the state Department of Health continued to report a steady level of new cases of coronavirus. Governor Gina M. Raimondo has given the “green light” to nearly all of the public school districts to return to full in-person learning starting on Monday. The governor is giving the schools four weeks to ramp up that process. (Milkovits, 9/9)
In higher-education news —
CNN: US Coronavirus: Colleges In All 50 States Report Infections
As schools begin their fall semester, universities and colleges are struggling to contain coronavirus outbreaks with cases reported at campuses in all 50 states. There have been more than 40,000 cases of Covid-19 among students, faculty and staff at colleges and universities nationwide. The number represents cases that CNN has reported so far -- and is likely higher due to a lag from schools that update their data every few days. (Karimi and Grayer, 9/10)
ABC News: Inside University Of Illinois' Massive COVID-19 Testing Operation
As schools attempt to bring students back to school safely, a game-changer might come out of central Illinois. The University of Illinois' Urbana-Champaign campus has one of the most aggressive COVID-19 testing protocols among institutions of higher education in the country, as it aims to keep students on campus during the pandemic this fall. (Deliso and Bhatt, 9/10)
AP: UNL Suspends Sororities, Frats Over COVID-19 Violations
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has suspended six sorority and fraternity chapters on its campus after photos and videos showed students in those organizations violating local public health guidelines and university policies. The suspensions were handed down Tuesday, the Lincoln Journal Star reported, and include Alpha Omicron Phi, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Phi Delta Thea and Sigma Phi Epsilon. During the suspensions, the Greek chapters may not host or participate in any activities or events, or participate in university-wide events as an organization. (9/9)
AP: Rutgers: 4 Student-Athletes Test Positive For COVID-19
Rutgers says four student-athletes and a member of its athletic staff have tested positive for COVID-19. The Big Ten university based in New Jersey said Wednesday evening the positive results were for student-athletes in men’s lacrosse, gymnastics, and wrestling. (9/9)
