Category Archives: Covid-19

What GAO Found

GAO analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, from May 2020 through January 2021, nursing homes commonly experienced multiple COVID-19 outbreaks. According to CDC, an outbreak starts the week a nursing home reports a new resident or staff COVID-19 case and ends when there are 2 weeks with no new cases. GAO found that nursing homes had an average of about three outbreaks during the review period, with most of the nursing homes (94 percent, or 12,555 of the 13,380 nursing homes) experiencing more than one COVID-19 outbreak.

Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. Data are from the weeks ending May 31, 2020, through January 31, 2021. An outbreak begins when a nursing home reports a new case of COVID-19 in residents or staff.

For each nursing home's longest-lasting COVID-19 outbreak, GAO found that about 85 percent (11,311 nursing homes) had outbreaks lasting 5 or more weeks. Conversely, for about 15 percent of nursing homes (2,005 homes), the longest outbreak was shorter in duration, lasting between 1 and 4 weeks, with 267 of those homes able to control their outbreaks after the initial week.

Note: Of 13,380 nursing homes reviewed, 13,316 nursing homes had COVID-19 outbreaks and 64 nursing homes did not. Data are from the weeks ending May 31, 2020, through January 31, 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the 1.4 million elderly or disabled residents in the nation's more than 15,000 Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is responsible for ensuring that nursing homes nationwide meet federal quality standards.

The CARES Act includes a provision directing GAO to monitor the federal pandemic response. GAO was also asked to review CMS oversight of nursing homes in light of the pandemic. This report describes the frequency and duration of COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes. Future GAO reports will further examine nursing homes' experiences with COVID-19 outbreaks.

To conduct this work, GAO analyzed CDC data on COVID-19 reported by nursing homes each week of the review period from May 2020 through January 2021, the most recent data available at the time GAO conducted its review. Using CDC's definition of an outbreak, GAO determined the number and duration of outbreaks each nursing home experienced during the review period. GAO included data from the 13,380 Medicare- and Medicaid-certified homes (88 percent of Medicare- and Medicaid-certified homes) that passed CDC and CMS quality checks each week of the review periodthe most reliable data for calculating the number and duration of outbreaks. GAO also categorized the nursing homes into two groups based on the duration of their longest outbreak: 1) those nursing homes with outbreaks lasting less than 5 weeks and 2) those nursing homes with outbreaks lasting at least 5 weeks.

For more information, contact John E. Dicken at (202) 512-7114 or dickenj@gao.gov.

Excerpt from:

COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: Most Homes Had Multiple Outbreaks and Weeks of Sustained Transmission from May 2020 through January 2021 - Government...

19 May, 2021

Media Contact:Orange County Fire RescuePhone: 407-836-9890Email: FirePIO@ocfl.net

Orange County, Fla. May 19, 2021 Orange County will be distributing weather radios, ahead of hurricane season, at five Orange County Government COVID-19 vaccination sites this week.

In anticipation of the 2021 Hurricane Season, that begins June 1, 2021 continues until November 30th, the Office of Emergency Management at Orange County Fire Rescue will distribute 500 radios throughout the course of the week at all five vaccination sites in the County.

The sites include:

Orange County wants to assure that our citizens are prepared for the upcoming Hurricane Season by making sure that everyone is vaccinated and prepared for any hazardous weather that may impact our area, said Lauraleigh Avery, Emergency Manager, Orange County Office of Emergency Management. Orange County families that visit our five vaccination sites can receive a free weather alert radio and an Orange County Emergency Preparedness Guide while supplies last. Preparing today, provides for a safer tomorrow.

Orange County will be providing 25 free weather radios per day, at the five Orange County COVID-19 vaccination sites on a first-come, first-serve basis. One weather radio will be provided, per family that participates in getting vaccinated. It is the goal of Orange County Fire Rescue to make sure all residents can stay informed during a weather emergency by using weather radios in the home.

The 500 radios will be given away to citizens participating in getting vaccinated starting Thursday, May 20th through Sunday May 23rd.

For more information about the sites and times, please go to http://www.ocfl.net/vaccine.

About Orange County Government:Orange County Government strives to serve its residents and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, one of the nations largest convention centers and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members make up the Board of County Commissioners, including the Mayor, who is elected countywide. For more information, please visitwww.OCFL.netor go toOrange County Governments social media channels.

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Orange County Distributing Weather Radios at COVID-19 Vaccination Sites - Orange County Government, Florida

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Alaskas average daily case counts are now trending down significantly statewide, though a few regions in the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current per capita rate of infection.

Anyone 12 and older who lives or works in Alaska can now receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Alaskans can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to sign up for a vaccine appointment, and new appointments are added regularly. The phone line is staffed from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.

Only Pfizers vaccine is approved for children as young as 12; the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved only for those 18 and older.

By Tuesday, 315,049 people about 53.1% of Alaskans age 16 and older had received at least their first dose of vaccine. At least 275,567 people 47.4% of Alaskans 16 and older were considered fully vaccinated, according to the states vaccine monitoring dashboard, which hadnt yet been updated as of early Wednesday afternoon.

By Wednesday, there were 27 people with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, far below a peak in late 2020.

Of the 95 cases reported Wednesday among Alaska residents, there were 22 in Anchorage, plus one in Chugiak and three in Eagle River; 12 in Ketchikan; nine in Fairbanks; nine in Wasilla; six in Palmer; four in Hooper Bay; two in North Pole; two in Ester; two in Craig; two in Metlakatla; one in Anchor Point; one in Homer; one in Sterling; one in Delta Junction; one in Tok; one in Juneau; and one in Petersburg.

In smaller communities that are not named to protect residents privacy, there were eight in the Chugach Census Area, two in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, two in the Aleutians East Borough and two in the Bethel Census Area.

Two new nonresident cases, one in Anchorage and one in Juneau, were also identified.

While people might get tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department represents only one person.

The states data doesnt specify whether people testing positive for COVID-19 have symptoms. More than half of the nations infections are transmitted from asymptomatic people, according to CDC estimates.

[Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that the new death reported Wednesday involved a Palmer man in his 60s, not a nonresident in Anchorage. The state health departments data showed an additional Anchorage nonresident death due to the reclassification of a death originally reported to involve an Anchorage resident.]

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Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 97 cases and 1 death reported Wednesday - Anchorage Daily News

BOSTON Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that the Commonwealth is on track to meet the goal of vaccinating 4.1 million residents by the first week of June and all remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted effective May 29.

The Commonwealths face covering order will also be rescinded on May 29. The Department of Public Health will issue a new face covering advisory consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions updated guidance. Face coverings will still be mandatory for all individuals on public and private transportation systems (including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBTA, Commuter Rail and transportation stations), in healthcare facilities and in other settings hosting vulnerable populations, such as congregate care settings.

Governor Charlie Baker will end the State of Emergency June 15.

The Administration also announced updates that will be effective May 18 to revise face covering requirements for youth and amateur sports and other guidance relating to childcare programs and K-12 schools. The Administration will release updated guidance for summer camps effective May 29.

The Administration is able to take these steps to reopen the Commonwealths economy because Massachusetts is on track to meet the goal set in December to fully vaccinate over 4 million individuals by the first week of June. The Commonwealth leads the nation in vaccinating residents, with 75% of adults receiving at least one dose. To date, over 4 million residents have received a first dose, with 3.2 million fully vaccinated.

New cases have dropped by 89% since January 8. COVID hospitalizations are down 88% since January 1 and the positive test rate is down by 88% from peaking at 8.7% on January 1 to 1% today.

Effective May 29

Effective May 29, all industries will be permitted to open. With the exception of remaining face-covering requirements for public and private transportation systems and facilities housing vulnerable populations, all industry restrictions will be lifted, and capacity will increase to 100% for all industries. The gathering limit will be rescinded.

All industries will be encouraged to follow CDC guidance for cleaning and hygiene protocols.

On May 18, 2020, the Administration published the reopening phases, which called for ending restrictions when vaccines became widely available. Today, there are over 975 locations for Massachusetts residents to access vaccines without delay.

Face Covering Guidance

In line with updated CDC face covering guidance, the Administration will rescind the current face covering order and issue a new face covering advisory effective May 29.

Non-vaccinated individuals are advised to continue wearing face masks and to continue distancing in most settings. The advisory will also recommend fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a face covering or social distance indoors or outdoors except for in certain situations.

Face coverings will still be required for all individuals on public and private transportation (including rideshares, livery, taxi, ferries, MBTA, Commuter Rail and transportation stations), healthcare facilities and providers, congregate care settings and health and rehabilitative day services.

Face coverings will also remain required indoors for staff and students of K-12 schools and early education providers.

Link to mask guidance

Youth and Amateur Sports Face Covering Guidance

Effective May 18, the youth and amateur sports guidance will be updated to no longer require face coverings for youth athletes 18 and under while playing outdoor sports. Effective May 29, all youth and amateur sports restrictions will be lifted.

Link to youth sports guidance

K-12, Early Education and Summer Camp Guidance

Effective May 18, guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Early Education and Care will be updated to no longer require masks for outdoor activities like recess and to allow for the sharing of objects in classrooms, in both K-12 and childcare settings. This guidance will remain in effect beyond May 29.

The Administration will release updated guidance for summer camps, effective May 29, which will include no longer requiring masks for outdoor activities.

Link to DESE guidance

Link to EEC guidance

State of Emergency Order

Governor Baker will end the State of Emergency June 15, and the Administration will work with legislative and municipal partners during this period in order to manage an orderly transition from emergency measures adopted by executive order and special legislation during the period of the State of Emergency.

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Baker-Polito Administration to Lift COVID Restrictions May 29, State to Meet Vaccination Goal by Beginning of June - Mass.gov

After months of calls for modification to Cal/OSHAs Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), California is about to adopt significant changes to the standard in light of the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the proliferation of vaccinations. State officials released proposed revisions to the ETS for public review on May 7, and Cal/OSHAs Standards Board will vote to adopt the changes on May 20. It is anticipated that the Standards Board will adopt the proposed revisions with no further modifications. Once approved by the Standards Board, the revisions will be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law, which will have 10 calendar days to approve them. The revisions largely make welcomed changes to the ETS, providing more flexibility to employers when employees are fully vaccinated. However, there are a few new requirements that will create new or heightened burdens on employers.

Overview What Are The High Points?

For a quick summary of the critical modifications to the ETS, check out our handy summary chart here. Below is a detailed description of the proposed revisions to the ETS:

Changes Raise a Whole Host of Vaccine Questions

The proposed changes to the ETS provide flexibility and relief from some of the requirements of the ETS for employees that are fully vaccinated. However, such changes raise additional questions for employers as there are now increased incentives for employers with respect to vaccinated employees. Can or should you mandate vaccines? Should you encourage vaccines? How to ask about vaccination status and/or document it?

Given that the revisions to the ETS naturally lead to a series of questions about vaccination of employees, we prepared this summaryof vaccine-related considerations for employers.

Detailed Description of Proposed Changes

As they say, the devil is in the details, read on below for a deeper dive into further details of the proposed changes.

Important Definitions

Before diving into the top 10 takeaways for employers, its important to understand the new and changed definitions to key terms in the state law, mainly to clarify provisions and make them consistent with other related laws (such as AB 685 passed last year to require written notification of COVID-19 cases and exposure).

Unfortunately, the revised ETS does not specify what documentation showing the employee is vaccinated means. Would a simple declaration or statement by the employee suffice? Or does the employer need to request and obtain a copy or picture of the employees vaccination record? Recent guidance from CDPH for private venues and events specifies how a business may verify someones vaccination status. But the revised ETS does not specify whether similar documentation may be required in this context. We hope updated FAQs from Cal/OSHA will clarify this issue. As noted above, a summary of this and other vaccine-related considerations for employers may be found here.

1. Face Coverings

Below are the new exemptions from the face covering requirement:

However, these changes are still more restrictive than the recently updated guidance from the CDC. The federal guidance, issued on May 13, provides that vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in most settings except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local businesses and workplace guidance. Federal OSHA subsequently instructed employers to follow the updated CDC guidance until it updates its own guidance further.

Even though CDC has eliminated masking and social distancing requirements for vaccinated persons generally, Californias ETS (even as revised in an effort to be more flexible) is more restrictive and will only dispense with face covering requirements if all persons in the room are fully vaccinated.

Thus, the face covering exemption will be virtually impossible for any employer with a customer-facing business (a restaurant, grocery store, etc.). The exemption applies only when all persons in the room are vaccinated, which would appear to mean more than just employees and would include customers or any other third party. Until we receive further guidance, employers in California should consider maintaining the face covering requirements for public-facing establishments even if all of the employees are vaccinated.

2. Exemption From Exclusion for Vaccinated Employees

As we recently discussed, CDPH issued updated guidance specifying that fully vaccinated employees do not need to be excluded following a COVID-19 exposure as long as they are vaccinated. Cal/OSHA subsequently updated the ETS FAQs to specify adoption of the changes as applied to the ETS.

The revised ETS conforms to these changes (and extends them) as follows:

3. The End in Sight for Physical Distancing

The revised ETS makes significant changes to the physical distancing requirements. The physical distancing requirements of the ETS will expire on July 31, 2021. However, as discussed below, in outbreak situations physical distancing will be re-instated until the employer is no longer under the outbreak requirements.

Until July 31, 2021, the revisions provide exemptions from physical distancing requirements for the following:

The revised ETS does not define location, so it is currently unclear whether this includes an entire workplace or merely a particular building, floor, or other location. Hopefully, this is an issue that will be clarified in FAQs.

4. Provision of N95 Respirators for Voluntary Use

Beginning July 31, 2021, employers will be required to provide respirators (N95s) for voluntary use to all employees working indoors who are not fully vaccinated. Employers shall encourage their use and shall ensure that employees are provided a respirator of the correct size.

This could pose a logistical challenge for California employers. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many California employers had difficulty obtaining N95 respirators in light of the states wildfire smoke regulations. That difficulty was only exacerbated under COVID-19 as there was exponential demand for N95 masks. Employers could face challenges in obtaining such respirators for voluntary use by non-vaccinated employees and/or ensure that such respirators are available in the correct size.

In addition, 15 days after the revised ETS goes into effect, employers shall provide such respirators for voluntary use to employees who have not been fully vaccinated when employees are in a vehicle with another person for 15 minutes or more.

5. Revisions to Notice Requirements and New Verbal Follow-Ups

The revised ETS makes a number of changes to the notice requirements applicable to employers when there has been a COVID-19 case in the workplace. Most of these changes bring the notice requirements in line with the notice requirements of AB 685. For example, the revisions specify that the notice must be written (consistent with AB 685) and must be provided to all employees at the worksite during the high-risk exposure period. This latter change is more consistent with the language in AB 685 that requires notice to be provided to employees who were on the premises during the infectious period, as opposed to the original ETS language that required notice to be provided to employees who vaguely may have had COVID-19 exposure.

In addition like AB 685 the revised ETS specifies that the written notice may include, but not be limited to, personal service, email. or text message if it can reasonably be anticipated to be received by the employee within one business day.

The revision contains a new verbal follow-up notice requirement which will be quite difficult to comply with. Specifically, the revised ETS provides:

If the employer should reasonably know that an employee has not received the notice, or has limited literacy in the language used in the notice, the employer shall provide verbal notice, as soon as practicable, in a language understandable by the employee.

This language raises a number of concerns. First, it is unclear when an employer is expected to reasonably know that an employee has not received the notice or has limited literacy in the notice language. Second, it is unclear how an employer is expected to measure whether an employee has such limited literacy in the notice language. Third, it is unclear how an employer is to determine a language understandable by the employee or how the employer is to ensure that the notice is translated into such a language understandable by the employee.

In addition, there are going to be practical limitations with the ability of employers to provide the required information in verbal format. The language required to be provided in the notice includes an employers disinfection plan, which can be complex. Lacking further guidance and to get ahead of this issue, we recommend that employers with a high percentage of non-English speaking employees attempt to provide the initial written notice in the employees native language, when possible.

6. Exclusion Pay

On the bad news front, proposed changes to the exclusion pay provisions of the ETS are not as helpful as other proposed modifications. Most notably, the revisions specifically provide that unpaid exclusion pay wages are subject to enforcement through procedures available in existing law. Therefore, plaintiffs attorneys will likely argue that this authorizes private lawsuits and even PAGA claims for unpaid exclusion pay.

In addition, the revised ETS provides that wages paid under the exclusion pay provisions must be paid at the employees regular rate of pay. While this is some improvement in that the current ETS provides no guidance to employers on how to calculate exclusion pay, the term regular rate of pay is not specifically defined, nor is a specific methodology set forth for calculating the regular rate of pay.

Employers may wish to consider utilizing the standard California methodology for determining the regular rate of pay in the workweek for overtime purposes as that is generally the default regular rate of pay. However, employers should keep in mind that payments made that qualify as California COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (including retroactive payments) need to be paid pursuant to the specific methodology provided under that law. Hopefully, Cal/OSHA will provide further guidance or FAQs in this regard.

In addition, the revised ETS will provide that wages paid as exclusion pay must be paid no later than the regular pay date for the pay period(s) in which the employee is excluded.

Finally, the revised ETS eliminates some specific exemption language from the exclusion pay requirement that could impact employers. The current ETS contains an exemption for any period of time where the employee is unable to work for reasons other than protecting persons from COVID-19 transmission. In a subsequent FAQ, Cal/OSHA indicated that an if employee is out of work (too sick to work) for more than a standard quarantine period, that may indicate that the employee is not able and available to work due to illness (and potentially cut off the obligation to continue earnings).

However, the revised ETS would eliminate this exemption language and replace it with language stating that the exclusion pay requirement does not apply where the employee received disability payments or was covered by workers compensation and received temporary disability. It is unclear whether elimination of the prior exemption language will change Cal/OSHAs interpretation with respect to employees that are too sick to work and potential cutting off of the obligation to provide exclusion pay.

7. New Testing Requirement for Non-Vaccinated Symptomatic Employees

Under the current ETS, employers are required to offer COVID-19 testing when there has been a case in the workplace, as well as additional obligations when there has been an outbreak in the workplace.

The proposed revisions to the ETS provide some important exceptions to the obligations to offer testing, but also adds a new testing obligation for California employers. Beginning July 31, 2021, employers will be required to make COVID-19 testing available at no cost to employees with COVID-19 symptoms who are not fully vaccinated, during employees paid time.

8. Testing Following Workplace Cases

First, when there has been one case in the workplace, employers will be required to make testing available to all employees who had a close contact with the COVID-19 case in the workplace. The current ETS requires that such testing be offered to all employees who had potential COVID-19 exposure. This is a welcomed clarification of the language used in the ETS, consistent with CDC and other guidelines use of close contact.

The revised ETS loosens testing obligations for asymptomatic fully vaccinated employees or those who have previously had COVID-19. Below are exemptions from this testing requirement for the following:

9. Revisions to Outbreak Requirements

The current ETS contains a number of specific requirements that apply when there is an outbreak (3 or more cases during a 14-day period) and a major outbreak (20 or more cases during a 30-day period). For regular outbreaks, the proposed revisions make the following changes:

With respect to major outbreaks, the revised ETS simplifies the requirements by specifying that all of the requirements of a regular outbreak (as modified described above) must be followed, plus some additional existing requirements such as determining the need for a respiratory protection program and evaluating halting some or all operations until the COVID-19 hazards have been corrected.

10. Revisions to Employer-Provided Housing and Transportation Requirements

Finally, the proposed revisions also make several changes to the provisions of the ETS that apply to employer-provided housing and employer-provided transportation, many of which provide flexibility with respect to vaccinated employees. Employers who provide housing or transportation and are governed by these provisions will want to review these revisions closely with counsel.

With respect to the employer-provided housing requirements, the main changes include the following:

With respect to the employer-provided transportation requirements, the main changes include the following:

Effective Date and Duration

The Cal/OSHA Standards Board will be considering the revised ETS language on May 20 and is anticipated to approve the proposed language as is with no further additional changes.

Once approved by the Standards Board, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) will have 10 calendar days to approve the regulation. Because the conclusion of those 10 days falls on a Sunday (before the Monday Memorial Day Holiday) it is anticipated that this new ETS will become effective on June 1, 2021, although it is possible that the OAL could approve the regulation sooner.

As a readoption of an emergency regulation, the revised ETS would generally be effective for 90 days. However, a series of COVID-19 related Executive Orders would extend this period by an additional 120 days. The notice document accompanying the revised ETS language indicates that the readoption would be in effect for 180 days (rather than 90) but this may be in error. This is an issue that we hope will be clarified by the Standards Board. Therefore, the revised ETS will likely be in effect until at least the end of the year. However, employers should keep in mind that the Standards Board could still readopt another version of the ETS down the road, extending its duration even further.

Next Steps

California employers should adopt the following series of steps to ensure compliance with the upcoming changes to the ETS:

Continue reading here:

Change is Coming in California: Top 10 Revisions to COVID-19 Workplace Safety Rules for Employers - JD Supra

Newly reported coronavirus cases in the U.S. edged down, while federal health officials said hundreds of thousands of people between the ages of 12 and 15 have been vaccinated.

The U.S. reported 27,851 new cases for Tuesday, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Tuesdays figure was slightly lower than Mondays revised total of 28,634, and marked the fourth day in a row that new cases were under 30,000. Not all states report data on new cases daily.

The seven-day moving average, which helps smooth out states irregular reporting schedules, was 31,204 as of Tuesday, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Johns Hopkins data. The 14-day average was 34,600. Both figures have been steadily declining for a month.

Hospitalizations have also been edging lower, with the latest data posted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showing 30,651 Covid-19 patients in hospitals across the country.

The U.S. reported 857 Covid-19 fatalities for Tuesday, as the total death toll topped 587,200, according to Johns Hopkins data.

While caseloads have been trending lower, the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. has been slowing, with an average of 1.8 million doses administered each day over the past week, according to a Journal analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was down from 2.2 million a week earlier and from 3.4 million in mid-April.

With 275.5 million vaccine doses administered, about 37.5% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated and 47.7% has received at least one dose, CDC data show. More than 47% of American adults are now fully vaccinated.

Vaccination levels vary by state. Nearly 50% of Maine residents are now fully vaccinated, while in Mississippi, the figure is 26.2%.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday the U.S. has administered vaccines to more than 600,000 12- to 15-year-olds in less than one week. In a briefing held by the White House Covid-19 response team, Ms. Walensky said a total of four million people under the age of 17 have been vaccinated across the country.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious-disease expert, said it was likely and almost certain that there would be sufficient data about the safety of the vaccines for children of all ages by the end of the calendar year or first quarter of 2022.

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Europe to Open Borders to Tourists Vaccinated Against Covid-19 - The Wall Street Journal

UPDATE: Oh, thank God:

You may have seen the earlier reports that the NHL and other sports leagues were having issues with potential false positives on COVID-19 tests.

If you were wondering what teams it was impacting, well, its the Blues. Of course, its the Blues. This situation is happening after NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that the league was not considering any rescheduling of playoff games due to positive Covid tests.

This may or may not be related to David Perrons positive test that kept him out of Mondays 4-1 loss, but as of right now (1:15 pm), Schwartz, Tarasenko, and Binnington are not on the ice.

Blues GM Doug Armstrong has released a statement:

We have discovered discrepancies in Covid test results relating to multiple players. We have been in touch with and are working with the League to address these discrepancies with additional testing and expect to have further information later this afternoon.

The League will provide a further update when we have more information. Head Coach Craig Berube and our players will not be available to the media until after tonights game.

This post will be update with further info as it becomes available.

Here is the original post:

UPDATED: Blues dealing with discrepancies in COVID-19 testing - St. Louis Game Time

(WKOW) -- New guidance from the CDC will have significant ramifications for how COVID-19 vaccines are provided now and in the future.

The CDC lifted the 14 day waiting period between getting a COVID-19 shot and other vaccines.

Sufficient data allows for vaccines to be administered closer together or even at the same time.

Doctors think this is game-changing because people have missed routine vaccines during the pandemic.

"Now that we've reopened society, and we're already starting to see circulation of other viruses, we're starting to see the resurgence of things like measles globally, as people are starting to be more social," said Dr. Jim Conway, the medical director for UW Health's immunization programs. "And so people need to recognize vaccines are what really keep us healthy, not just from COVID, but from many other things."

Dr. Conway said the ultimate goal is to give people their COVID-19 vaccine boosters or initial shots during routine doctor visits with other shots.

See more here:

New CDC guidance on timing of COVID-19 shots and other vaccines, a game changer - WKOW

Bars, gyms and restaurants. Those were just a few settings health experts warned could become hotbeds for COVID-19 spread as states began reopening in the spring and summer of 2020 following the first and second waves of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

Yet, public data analyzed by ABC News appears to tell a different story. The data from states across the country suggests specific outbreak settings (including bars, gyms, restaurants, nail salons, barbershops and stores -- for the full list, see graphic below in story) only accounted for a small percentage, if any, of new outbreaks after the pandemic's inital wave in 2020.

While experts believe that mitigation measures such as reduced capacity, gradual reopening and mask wearing contributed to keeping outbreak numbers low, they say more could have been done to push those numbers down further and make testing and tracing more robust.

The data is limited -- only a handful of states have released COVID-19 tracking information by setting or business sector upon reopening. And the traced cases only account for a tiny fraction of total cases in each state.

Based on ABC News analysis of public data of all coronavirus cases in four states and D.C., the outbreak settings accounted for less than 5% of all COVID-19 cases in those states.

Experts who spoke with ABC News said contact tracing efforts around the country were very limited, representing only a fraction of reported new cases, as was testing at specific businesses and locations. This meant that smaller businesses and industries, particularly retail shops, couldn't identify all of the cases that spread at that one location, according to Dr. Jason Andrews, an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at Stanford University's School of Medicine.

"At the beginning of the epidemic of February and March last year, several people would be called in and you had really good contact tracing, but during really big outbreaks, states just don't have the resources to track every case," he told ABC News.

Workers wearing protective masks and food processing clothing perform quality checks at an Amy's Kitchen facility in Santa Rosa Calif., June 24, 2020.

The COVID outbreak in the U.S. quickly ballooned from a handful of cases with international travel contacts of known origin to uncontrolled community spread. Complicating matters were delays and limits on testing.

One expert who spoke with ABC News called states' attempts to collect data on where new COVID cases were happening upon reopening as "half measures" and that more robust data collection may have helped bring the number of new cases down further than they currently are, even amid mass vaccinations.

Better reporting, the experts said, could also have helped state health departments tweak policies and assist smaller businesses with tracking outbreaks.

States that publicly released data about outbreaks since reopening included Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina and the District of Columbia. Their data helped provide some insight into where COVID-19 did and didn't spread during the initial reopening of 2020.

For instance, in California and North Carolina, outbreaks were noted in a variety of settings including in bars, gyms, restaurants, manufacturing, retail and health care facilities since each state began some form of reopening -- January 2021 for California and late May 2020 for North Carolina, based on the data collected.

The data may provide insight into the public health response to the early part of the pandemic, pinpoint where the virus did and did not spread, and may serve as a guide for the future, health experts argue.

Here is what they say can be learned from the data just a few states collected about where new COVID outbreaks happened as they strived to reopen and regain a semblance of normalcy.

Where outbreaks were reported

ABC News pulled public data on reported outbreaks from the health departments of California, Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan and the District of Columbia, which were able to provide data on specific outbreak locations. The data set included dates following the states' reopening their businesses, schools and other services after the first COVID-19 wave in the spring of 2020.

Each location saw different results when it came to its case numbers following those reopenings.

Since wider reopening beginning May 22, 2020, North Carolina had a 981% increase in the average number of new cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

In Illinois, the average number of new cases jumped by 345% compared to the beginning of the pandemic, beginning July 1, 2020, the health data showed.

Following its wide reopening, July 21, 2020, D.C. had a 60% uptake in the average number of new cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Michigan had a 349% increase in the average number of new cases since the beginning of the pandemic starting in Aug 27, 2020.

When looking at the specifics of the data, some health departments reported a higher load of cases in more settings than others.

Health care and "social assistance" settings -- including doctor offices, dentists, rehab facilities and shelters to assist homeless people -- made up over 2% of California's new COVID-19 cases since reopening as of January 2021, according to the state's data.

And in North Carolina, religious gatherings accounted for 2,406 cases, the highest number of new COVID-19 cases by reported outbreak setting since it reopened as of May 2020.

Factory, animal food processing workers particularly at risk

Manufacturing and food processing centers appeared to have been among locations with some of the biggest outbreak numbers since states reopened, the data showed.

People eat indoors at a restaurant in New York City, N.Y., March 24, 2021.

In Washington state, 286 COVID-19 cases were linked to manufacturing settings and 349 cases were linked to food manufacturing plants, between July 7, 2020 and the end of March 2021, the data showed.

North Carolina recorded 4,803 cases related to meat and poultry factories between May 22, 2020 and the end of March 2021, according to the data.

Samuel Scarpino, an assistant professor at the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University, has been tracking the public health data throughout the pandemic. He told ABC News that the outbreaks in the factories align with reports that workers were not provided with proper personal protective equipment or allowed to socially distance and denied other protections.

"What happened here is we label people as essential but don't give them the resources that they need," Scarpino told ABC News.

When it came to nonessential businesses, the data from the states' health departments showed far lower outbreaks, following reopening. Michigan was the only state to record over 1,000 cases related to a bar or restaurant, with 1,100 incidents recorded after Aug. 27.

After Washington reopened its economy in July, it reported 311 COVID-19 cases related to restaurants and bars, according to health data. In North Carolina, 327 cases were linked to eateries and bars after the state reopened on May 22, the health data showed.

Nuanced numbers

While health experts say the data indicates that calculated restrictions on businesses helped prevent wider spread of the disease and the numbers may not show a complete story, Andrews, the professor at Stanford Medical, said the outbreak data tracks with what researchers know about the state of testing.

Sectors reporting the most outbreaks, including factories and schools, had more robust testing practices for their members and were able to accurately show where cases originated and spread.

Smaller businesses did not have the capability or time to have that detailed of a report on their cases, according to Andrews.

"Restaurants pose a greater challenge for tracking outbreaks. You're there for a short period of time and you don't know who is coming or going," he said. "It poses a greater challenge for contact association."

A worker receives the Pfizer vaccine as part of a city program to vaccinate essential food processing workers performing essential jobs in high-density work environments such as large-scale food processing, cold storage and food warehousing facilities in Vernon, Calif., March 17, 2021.

In fact, Andrews and other experts noted that the public health data on outbreaks represents a fraction of the cases throughout the states because of tracking challenges.

Outbreaks in tracked settings accounted for 4.2% of new cases since reopening in California; 0.62% in D.C.; 0.11% in Illinois; .8% in Michigan and 2.39% in North Carolina.

Reopening Outbreak: Location Specifications

Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said most COVID-19 cases took place during the first and second waves outside of workplaces and indoor businesses, making it hard to quantify their origins.

For example, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that COVID-19 cases involving a school in Illinois were tracked back to a bar opening.

"You have transmission in these settings that then gets back into the community," Scarpino said.

Nonetheless, Scarpino said the limited data that has been collected is beneficial for planning how to address the next phase of the pandemic and future health crises.

Where policies went right and went wrong

Even with limited data and tracking, health experts said the controlled reopening of indoor businesses was effective at slowing cases following the first wave.

Decreased capacity and extra distance at gyms, schools and restaurants helped mitigate the spread of the virus outside of households, according to Scarpino.

"There are plenty of examples of employees wearing masks, it keeps them safe, it keeps clients safe. The things we did had an impact," he said.

Workers sew personal protective equipment (PPE) at an outdoor furniture manufacturer in Alsip, Ill., March 30, 2020.

Scarpino said that some of the policies could have been fine-tuned to decrease numbers even more. For instance, over 1,000 cases were reported in K-12 schools in Kansas, Michigan and North Carolina, after the states reopened in the end of May 2020, according to the public health data.

North Carolina had 3,639 cases in college settings after its reopening, the state data showed.

"It's also possible that if schools were opened back in the summer we may not have had as many cases," Scarpino said. "The indoor setting really increased transmission during the fall and winter."

He also reiterated that health protocols should have been stricter in the factories, manufacturing plants and other indoor businesses.

"It's clear the measures did help, but we were stuck at these half measures that have kept us at this misery," he said.

How the data can shape future public health decisions

Andrews said that outbreak data can give officials a more strategic battle plan on vaccination efforts and keep cases down.

In particular, increasing vaccine administration in the locations that have seen outbreaks could help prevent future COVID-19 spread, he said.

Vaccinations among people who work in factories is crucial as is vaccinating inmates and staff at jails and prisons, Andrews said.

"Those locations are going to continue to be high risk until you increase the number of vaccinations," he said.

In this undated file photo, three boys play games on a smart phone at school.

From the state data pulled by ABC News, correctional facilities accounted for nearly 0% of new cases since reopening. Those states seem to have grasped the importance of preventative measures and vaccinations among inmates and corrections staff early on in the pandemic.

But for other settings, Scarpino recommended the U.S. enact a similar response to Israel, which brought the vaccines directly to people at several locations.

"Let's literally go to the bars, go to the boardwalks and get people vaccinated," he said.

In the meantime, the government needs to take a hard look at their public health offices and boost resources needed to collect more detailed data on disease outbreaks, Scarpino said.

While Scarpino said some states' health agencies took extra steps to track and trace cases to specific locations, overall, agencies were undermanned and underfunded to get accurate counts.

That tracked data is the first step to containing any future coronavirus outbreak or future contagion, he said.

"We need that investment and to be prepared," Scarpino said. "Something like this will happen again in our lifetimes. We now have the power to put the systems into place to prevent the spillover to become a pandemic."

ABC News' Mark Nichols, Luis Yordan and Martin Karlin, a former economist for the U.S. Department of Labor, contributed to this report.

Read more here:

Where COVID-19 has and hasn't spread since states reopened: Analysis - ABC News

The City of Danville is working to make sure that we have plans in place to quickly implement a phased in approach to restore our local economy. The City government plays a role in coordinating and supporting much of the activity necessary for us to be successful in that effort. The chart is based on the White House three phase plan to Opening America. At each phase, there are steps that can be taken to safely get people back to work, school, and recreation. There are roles described for various aspects of our community to perform in order to make this effort as swift and successful as possible. City officials are working with public health officials, non-profits, foundations, and other levels of government to be prepared to implement best practices at the appropriate time so that our economy can safely reopen. Our success relies heavily on the people in our community following social distancing guidelines. We encourage you to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to get tips on how to protect yourself and others.

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