See what the CDC has to say about reopening schools and much more in today’s Bwoglines. 

Happening in the World: Earlier this morning local time, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered in Tajikistan struck the northwestern Himalayas, with tremors being felt as far away as Pakistan and northern India. Residents in affected regions felt strong shakes for at least 30 seconds, and emergency services were placed on standby. No deaths have been reported thus far, but officials fear that more extensive damage may have been sustained in isolated mountain communities. (South China Morning Post)

Happening in the US: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance yesterday on how K-12 schools can reopen and stay open with safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They cite schools that have already opened as a roadmap for the future, both on what to do and what not to do. According to the new guidance, schools should implement consistent mitigation measures such as universal mask wearing, social distancing, and contact tracing. Also critical is consideration of the levels of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the communities in which schools are located. (CDC)

Happening in NYC: Members of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration have admitted to state legislators that the administration under-reported the number of individuals who died from COVID-19 in nursing homes. While at least 15,000 people are estimated to have died of COVID-19 in nursing homes across New York, the state only reported 8,500 deaths. Rich Azzopardi, a close advisor to the governor, justified the editing of the data based on a perceived threat of legal recourse from the Trump White House if COVID-19 deaths were too high. Azzopardi claims there was, “…a politically motivated effort to blame democratic [sic] states for COVID deaths…” emanating from the former president’s administration. (NY1)   

Happening in the Columbia Community: Join Columbia Health this Tuesday, February 16, from 4 to 5 pm on Zoom for training on how to properly administer Naloxone, also known as Narcan. Naloxone is a lifesaving drug for when someone has overdosed on opioids. Columbia Health will provide a free Naloxone kit to all who attend. Sign up here. 

classroom via Bwog Archives