Healthcare

NYC public schools to resume in-person learning in September

Published

6 months ago

May 24, 2021

Staff Writer

Screen Shot 2021 05 24 at 9.03.00 AM scaled

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Monday to announce that public schools will resume in-person learning this fall. For the last year and a half, schools across the city have opened and closed more than once.

“That’s the news I think parents, kids, everyone has been waiting for, to know we’re going to be back, strong, ready, safe,” de Blasio said. Because, he pointed out, roughly 8 million in the city have received the vaccine. Next, students will no longer have a remote option. Currently about 60% of the 1 million school-aged children are attending class remotely.

“You can’t have a full recovery without full-strength schools, everyone back sitting in those classrooms, kids learning again,” de Blasio went on. “And that’s what’s going to happen in September.”

De Blasio said New York schools are “much safer than any other place in the city.” This comes after the COVID positivity rate hit a 7-month low. “I absolutely believe COVID will continue to go down and vaccinations will go up,” the NYC mayor said.

Mayor de Blasio’s term ends this November, and he will not be running for reelection.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.

Related Topics:bill de blasio COVID restrictions covid vaccine New York City

Healthcare

American and Southwest stand by vaccine mandate, despite Abbott’s ban

Published

1 month ago

October 13, 2021

Staff Writer

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are still planning to comply with President Biden’s executive order regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. The order requires all their employees to be vaccinated by Dec. 8t. As a result, they will be ignoring Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s ban on vaccine mandates.

Folks, vaccination requirements work. pic.twitter.com/XuBsOQxGaN
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 9, 2021

Abbott announced his own executive order, effectively banning mandates even from private employers, on Tuesday. “In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas’ continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster,” Abbott said. “The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced.”

Yet both airlines are requiring their employees to be vaccinated by Nov. 24. This comes despite Southwest’s impromptu cancellation of over 2,000 flights over the weekend. At the time, the airline blamed the cancellations on air traffic control and weather conditions. However, SaraACarter.com was unable to verify that any other airline had to cancel near as many flights for the same reasons. This has left many to speculate that Southwest actually cancelled flights due to their employees walking out as a direct result of the mandate.

Just got passed this flyer from a Southwest employee #FreedomFlu pic.twitter.com/Q5gXGhxoma
— Handbrake Poso (@JackPosobiec) October 13, 2021

Reporter Jack Posobiec tweeted out a flyer circulating among the anti-vaxx Southwest employees. Currently, they are planning a protest outside of Southwest headquarters next Monday. The protest will be called “Freedom Not Force.”

Southwest told Reuters it “would be expected to comply with the President’s Order to remain compliant as a federal contractor.” In addition, American similarly said Abbott’s order does not change anything.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.