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The Worldwide Olympic Committee eased its masks and social distance restrictions for Olympic medalists Sunday, asserting that athletes on the rostrum can briefly take away their masks to smile for the cameras and one another.
“It has been determined as we speak … to permit athletes to have a bodily distanced picture on the rostrum with out their masks on for 30 seconds, and a bunch picture with masks on the gold-medal step,” the IOC stated in an announcement.
The choice follows “scientific recommendation,” the assertion stated.
“The victory ceremony protocol has been tailored to permit athletes to have a picture for the media that captures their faces and their feelings throughout a singular second of their sporting profession, in addition to to have fun the achievements of all of the medalists collectively,” the assertion stated.
Well being protocols agreed to forward of the Tokyo Olympics to regulate COVID-19 infections had required all medalists to maintain masks on for the entire ceremony. The brand new maskless moments require athletes to remain on their very own podium steps. Masks should be again on for group photographs on the highest step.
Additionally within the information:
► Phil Valentine, a conservative Tennessee-based radio host, has modified his thoughts about his earlier vaccine-hesitant messaging after being hospitalized in vital care due to COVID-19, his household stated.
► A Louisiana junior school is utilizing federal COVID-19 reduction cash to remove scholar debt for anybody who has attended over the previous 12 months. Southern College at Shreveport can also be providing $1,000 in monetary help to any college students who enroll by Aug. 6.
► A projection by a COVID-19 analysis consortium forecast that the present surge of instances may final by means of the autumn and peak in mid-October, accelerated partly by the fast unfold of the delta variant.
► “Entourage” star Kevin Connolly’s new child daughter was hospitalized with COVID-19, he revealed. In response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, “infants underneath 1 12 months outdated and kids with sure underlying circumstances could also be extra more likely to have extreme sickness from COVID-19.”
► Vermont State Faculties are requiring college students to be vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 as a way to return to on-campus life, the manager committee of the Vermont State School System Board of Trustees voted.
📈Immediately’s numbers: The U.S. has had greater than 34.Four million confirmed COVID-19 instances and 610,800 deaths, in accordance to Johns Hopkins College information. The worldwide totals: Greater than 193.eight million instances and 4.1 million deaths. Greater than 162.7 million Individuals – 49% of the inhabitants – have been absolutely vaccinated, in accordance with the CDC.
📘What we’re studying: Florida leads the nation in new instances, recording extra this week than California, Texas, New York and Illinois mixed. And like elsewhere, the unvaccinated make up almost all the hospitalized and the lifeless. However residents, together with many well being care staff, are nonetheless cautious of the shot. Learn extra.
Preserve refreshing this web page for the newest information. Need extra? Join USA TODAY’s Coronavirus Watch publication to obtain updates on to your inbox and be part of our Fb group.
As pandemic surges, CDC hasn’t toughened tips. So others are.
In Could it appeared the pandemic was being crushed again. However within the final two weeks COVID-19 instances have elevated 171%. The demise price is up 19% over the week earlier than. Breakthrough infections are making the information, hitting sports activities groups and politicians. But the message from the federal authorities hasn’t modified. Get vaccinated. In the event you’re not vaccinated, put on a masks.
More and more, that feels prefer it’s not sufficient. With steerage from the CDC remaining unchanged, native governments and people are taking their very own steps to guard themselves and others.
“Issues are transferring so quick with delta,” stated Jeff Cretan, communication director for San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “What as we speak appears unattainable may appear inevitable per week from now. We simply don’t know but.” Learn extra right here
– Elizabeth Weise
Arkansas surge worse than final summer time; different states additionally worsening
Individuals in Arkansas are already testing optimistic at a tempo quicker than the worst state in the summertime 2020 outbreaks, a USA TODAY evaluation of Johns Hopkins College information reveals. Within the week ending Saturday, Arkansas reported 11,748 instances, giving it a price of about 389 instances per 100,000 inhabitants per week. The fastest-reporting state in the summertime 2020 surge was Florida, which reported a price of about 387 instances per 100,000 per week at its worst.
A lot of states, together with Florida, may quickly surge previous the summer time 2020 mark. Louisiana’s reporting a price of 363, whereas Florida is reporting 341. These counts have all been climbing precipitously.
Arkansas’ surging instances have been turning into surging deaths. In mid-June Arkansas reported 13 deaths per week. Within the week ending Saturday, it reported 56 deaths. On Saturday, Arkansas reported admitting 1,571 probably COVID-19 sufferers to hospitals, double the quantity from 4 weeks earlier.
– Mike Stucka
States reduce reporting as instances surge
A number of states, together with Florida, Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota, scaled again their reporting of COVID-19 statistics this month simply as instances throughout the nation began to skyrocket, depriving the general public of real-time info on outbreaks, instances, hospitalizations and deaths of their communities. The pattern of lowering information reporting has alarmed infectious illness specialists who consider that extra info is healthier throughout a pandemic. Individuals have come to depend on state virus dashboards to assist make selections about whether or not to attend massive gatherings or put on masks in public, and understanding the extent of threat locally impacts how individuals reply to virus restrictions and calls to get vaccinated.
Epidemiologist Janet Hamilton stated a part of the issue is that public well being officers typically don’t have subtle information methods, so it’s extra labor intensive to supply day by day dashboards.
Hundreds protest COVID lockdowns in Australia
Police in Sydney, Australia made arrests on Saturday as 1000’s took to the streets to protest COVID lockdowns, and a few knocked down boundaries and threw plastic bottles and crops. The protesters in Sydney and different cities, who have been largely unmasked, carried indicators that learn “freedom” and “the reality.” The demonstrations got here as instances of the coronavirus are on the rise.
“We stay in a democracy and usually I’m definitely one who helps individuals’s rights to protest … however this present day we’ve bought instances going by means of the roof and we now have individuals pondering that’s OK to get on the market and presumably be shut to one another at an indication,” state Well being Minister Brad Hazzard stated.
Iowa state well being board hasn’t met since Could
As Iowa continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, a state board serving to oversee the response is simply too shorthanded to satisfy. The Iowa State Board of Well being advises the Iowa Division of Public Well being. Beneath Iowa legislation, the board is meant to have 11 members, together with a mixture of medical and public well being professionals, substance-abuse therapy consultants and members of most of the people. The legislation requires the governor to nominate replacements when members resign or when their three-year phrases expire. However seven of the 11 seats on the well being board are vacant, in accordance with a state web site itemizing openings on boards and commissions. The board’s final assembly was held Could 12.
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ spokesman, Pat Garrett, didn’t reply to requests for remark.
–Tony Leys, The Des Moines Register
Contributing: The Related Press
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