Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Teachers Push To Be Included In Second Wave Of Vaccines
Politico: Teachers Should Be A Priority For Covid Vaccines, Unions And Others Say
Teachers should be near the front of the line for access to a coronavirus vaccine, according to unions, school officials and state lawmakers who say educators’ immunity is key to safely reopening schools for in-person classes. Giving educators their turn, just after the first wave of vaccines goes to health care workers and nursing home residents, would help schools get more students back in physical classrooms, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which also represents health care workers. (Gaudiano, 12/3)
Philadelphia Inquirer: School Nurses Have New Roles On The Frontline During The Pandemic
School nurses have been on the frontline since the pandemic closed schools last spring. Many have helped prepare reopening plans, taken temperatures, enforced social distancing and sanitation rules, ensured mask wearing, distributed lunches, monitored outbreaks, conducted contact tracings, and consulted with local health departments. (Burney and Graham, 12/3)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Thousands Of Students, Staff Quarantined As Coronavirus Rises In New Orleans Area Schools
Statewide, Louisiana’s coronavirus cases continue to surge. On Wednesday, Jefferson public schools reported 147 positive cases, an increase of 52 cases, or 56%, over the numbers reported on Nov. 18. The 1,638 quarantining students and staff was almost 400 more than were quarantined on Nov. 18. Public schools in New Orleans saw a similar bump, where data showed nearly half of all schools had at least one active case on Thursday. NOLA Public Schools officials reported 82 new cases this week, and 839 students and staff in quarantine, a 51% increase from the last time the school system shared its data Nov. 19. (Hasselle and Roberts, 12/3)
AP: School Closings Threaten Gains Of Students With Disabilities
Without any in-school special education services for months, 14-year-old Joshua Nazzaro’s normally sweet demeanor has sometimes given way to aggressive meltdowns that had been under control before the pandemic. The teenager, who has autism and is nonverbal, often wanted no part of his online group speech therapy sessions, and when he did participate, he needed constant hands-on guidance from aides hired by his family. He briefly returned to his private Denville, New Jersey, school for two days a week, but surging coronavirus infections quickly pushed learning back online through at least Dec. 10. (Thompson, 12/3)
The Washington Post: University Of Maryland Student Government Offers $400,000 To Support Students During Coronavirus Pandemic
When the University of Maryland’s Student Government Association decided to redistribute more than $400,000 to support classmates during the pandemic, there were no excuses, no delays, no political arguments. Students are struggling, said Dan Alpert, the student body president, and the choice to disburse thousands in unused dollars was a no-brainer. (Lumpkin, 12/3)
