The Latest: Connecticut: nursing home workers must get shots

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HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut has go the latest authorities to mandate that workers successful nursing homes beryllium vaccinated against COVID-19.

Gov. Ned Lamont connected Friday directed an enforcement bid that requires each employees of semipermanent attraction facilities to person astatine slightest the archetypal dose of a vaccine by Sept. 7.

In a statement, helium said it would “absolutely irresponsible” for staffers not to beryllium vaccinated, fixed the vulnerability of the radical successful their care.

According to Lamont’s release, much than fractional of each nursing homes successful Connecticut person a unit vaccination complaint little than 75%. Connecticut joins astatine slightest 5 different states that person issued akin mandates.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— Study: Vaccines springiness COVID-19 survivors big immune boost

— Vaccination signifier for national workers adds penalties for lies

— Some US schools reopen with premix of masks successful classrooms

— United Airlines will necessitate US employees to beryllium vaccinated

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— Find much AP sum astatine https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California has announced different circular of coronavirus vaccine incentives.

The California Department of Health Care Services connected Friday said it would walk $350 cardinal to vaccinate much radical connected the state’s Medicaid program. Medicaid is the associated authorities and national wellness security programme for radical who are disabled oregon person debased incomes.

About 76% of California residents 12 and implicit person received astatine slightest 1 dose of the coronavirus vaccine. But lone 45% of the state’s Medicaid colonisation has been vaccinated.

The caller incentives see up to $50 market store acquisition cards. About 13.8 cardinal radical are enrolled successful California’s Medicaid program.

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LANSING, Michigan — Hundreds of radical gathered extracurricular the Michigan State Capitol connected Friday to protestation COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Carrying signs with slogans specified arsenic “Jab oregon Job? Wrong!” and “Let maine telephone my shots,” the demonstrators heard speakers knock authorities officials and and impulse their assemblage to interaction elected representatives to explicit their opposition.

Ron Armstrong, president for Stand Up Michigan, 1 of the organizers of the rally, said they were warring “for individuals’ rights to take — that’s each — successful the employment area, successful the pupil area, successful the schools, successful the universities . . . oregon wherever other it is mandated.”

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JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi State Medical Association connected Friday urged each schoolhouse districts to necessitate masks for students and employees arsenic COVID-19 cases proceed to proliferate with the highly contagious delta variant.

“At MSMA, we emotion to travel the science. We digested it, and we judge successful disguise mandates for the schools,” the association’s president, Dr. Mark Horne said during an online briefing astir the pandemic.

The authorities wellness officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said during the briefing that helium applauds schoolhouse administrators and schoolhouse committee members who basal steadfast for disguise mandates, adjacent arsenic immoderate look pushback from aggravated parents.

“It’s pugnacious to beryllium a bully leader, but it’s bully for the kids,” Dobbs said. “It’s going to prevention lives.”

Many districts are leaving decisions astir look coverings up to students and parents, saying they don’t privation to acceptable a request if Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is not issuing a statewide disguise mandate for schools.

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LIBERTY, Mo. — Thirty ambulances and much than 60 aesculapian unit volition beryllium stationed crossed the authorities of Missouri to assistance transport COVID-19 patients to different regions if adjacent hospitals are excessively afloat to admit them, Gov. Mike Parson announced Friday.

Parson said the communal assistance ambulances volition statesman arriving Friday successful 5 districts from crossed the authorities and volition run anyplace they are needed done Sept. 5.

The authorities sent ambulances from Arkansas to Springfield successful mid-July erstwhile that portion began straining nether caller COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant.

“These 30 caller ambulance teams triple our transport capableness and grow it to the full state, arsenic needed,” Parson said successful a statement. “Our wellness attraction professionals are performing heroically to prevention lives arsenic the delta variant dramatically increases infirmary admissions. We volition proceed to enactment our wellness attraction heroes crossed the state.”

The determination comes arsenic Missouri reported a seven-day mean of 2,069 recently confirmed COVID-19 cases, which is the highest fig since Jan. 12 erstwhile the the seven-day mean was 2,348, according to information from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

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NAMPA, Idaho -- A fashionable Idaho skis destination had 1 of the highest per-capita rates of coronavirus successful the state astatine the commencement of the pandemic past year. Now the Sun Valley portion is starring the authorities — and astir of the state — successful vaccinating its citizens.

The Idaho Press reports numbers from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare amusement that much than 87% of Blaine County residents ages 12 and older person received astatine slightest 1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to healthdata.gov, 80% of the county’s residents are afloat vaccinated, which puts the region successful the apical 10 among much than 3,000 counties nationwide.

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HOUSTON — Houston country officials accidental the latest question of COVID-19 cases is pushing the section wellness attraction strategy to astir “a breaking point,” resulting successful immoderate patients having to beryllium transferred retired of the metropolis to get aesculapian care, including 1 who had to beryllium taken to North Dakota.

Dr. David Persse, who is wellness authorization for the Houston Health Department and EMS aesculapian director, said immoderate ambulances were waiting hours to offload patients astatine Houston country hospitals due to the fact that nary beds were available. Persse said helium feared this would pb to prolonged respond times to 911 aesculapian calls.

“The wellness attraction strategy close present is astir astatine a breaking constituent ... For the adjacent 3 weeks oregon so, I spot nary alleviation connected what’s happening successful exigency departments,” Persse said Thursday.

Last weekend, a diligent successful Houston had to beryllium transferred to North Dakota to get aesculapian care. An 11-month-old miss with COVID-19 and who was having seizures had to beryllium transported connected Thursday from Houston to a infirmary 170 miles distant successful Temple.

The rising hospitalization and positivity complaint successful the Houston country prompted Houston Independent School District Superintendent Millard House II connected Thursday to denote that helium plans to inquire the schoolhouse committee during its gathering adjacent week to o.k. a mandate requiring each students, teachers and unit to deterioration masks. Classes successful the Houston schoolhouse district, the state’s largest, statesman Aug. 23.

“We cognize that we’re going to get pushback for this,” House said. If approved, the disguise mandate would spell against an enforcement bid Gov. Greg Abbott repeated past period banning specified mandates by immoderate state, region oregon section authorities entity.

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BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards warned residents that their state’s spot astatine the epicenter of the latest coronavirus surge isn’t lessening.

He noted that Louisiana’s COVID-19 lawsuit maturation and hospitalizations proceed to worsen, and helium said the percent of coronavirus tests coming backmost affirmative continues to spell up, reaching much than 15% Friday.

“We person nary crushed to judge successful our information that we’ve reached the highest oregon that we’re coming down,” the Democratic politician said.

He urged radical to get vaccinated against the coronavirus unwellness and to travel the state’s disguise mandate, saying that’s the lone mode to lessen the surge.

“I cognize we’re going to get done this,” Edwards said. But helium added: “How galore radical dice betwixt present and past is mostly going to beryllium up to us.”

Still, the politician offered immoderate signs of hopefulness successful the continued increases successful radical recently seeking the vaccine. Edwards’ main nationalist wellness officer, Dr. Joe Kanter, said vaccinations person accrued much than 500% implicit the past month.

But Kanter besides offered a database of grim statistic arsenic well, saying 15% of exigency country visits successful the authorities are present related to COVID-19. He said 50 hospitals person asked the authorities for staffing assistance, informing they tin nary longer adequately supply attraction to the community. And helium noted that implicit the past 2 weeks astir 1% of the state’s full colonisation has go infected with COVID-19.

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TOPEKA, Kan. — A tiny but increasing fig of places successful Kansas are requiring radical to deterioration masks indoors.

The dispersed of the much contagious delta variant crossed the authorities prompted the University of Kansas connected Friday to reverse people and enforce a disguise mandate connected its main field successful Lawrence and a outer field successful Johnson County successful the Kansas City area. The mandate takes effect Monday and applies whether idiosyncratic is vaccinated oregon not.

Washburn University successful Topeka besides announced an indoor disguise mandate, and Wyandotte County has 1 successful spot for astir residents.

Meanwhile, Gov. Laura Kelly released a caller public-service announcement urging radical to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

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WASHINGTON — White House property caput Jennifer Psaki said Friday that determination are “early discussions astir a scope of options” for caller vaccine mandates oregon penalties for definite situations, specified arsenic home travelers and nursing location workers. She added that the medication has “concern” astir anti-mask, anti-vaccine mandate restrictions successful immoderate states.

“If you don’t privation to abide by nationalist wellness guidelines, don’t privation to usage your relation arsenic leaders,” Psaki said, “then you should get retired of the way.”

She besides applauded United Airlines’ announcement that it would necessitate workers to get vaccinated, saying “support these vaccination requirements to support workers, communities and our state and we anticipation to spot adjacent much enactment from the nationalist and backstage assemblage implicit the coming weeks.”

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TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids has tested affirmative for COVID-19 contempt being vaccinated against it and is successful isolation.

Davids said Friday successful a connection that she has had lone mild symptoms from her breakthrough case. She said she was tested aft undergoing outpatient country involving the parathyroid glands successful the cervix that modulate calcium levels successful the blood.

The two-term Democratic congresswoman for the state’s information of the Kansas City metropolitan country said she’s been pursuing precautions recommended by wellness officials, including wearing masks indoors.

She said she’s grateful for COVID-19 vaccines and urged radical to get inoculated. Her connection did not accidental however she contracted COVID-19.

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LAS VEGAS — More than 6,000 radical successful Nevada person died of COVID-19, a grim milestone the authorities surpassed Friday arsenic officials conflict to respond to different surge of the coronavirus.

Gov. Steve Sisolak called it “another important and heartbreaking milestone” for the authorities and issued different plea for radical to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Nevada reported 26 caller deaths Friday and 1,299 caller cases of COVID-19.

Since the pandemic began, the authorities has reported 363,574 COVID-19 cases and 6,005 deaths.

Sisolak and authorities wellness officials person been struggling to mitigate different resurgence of the microorganism successful Nevada driven by the highly contagious delta variant and a still-lagging complaint of vaccinations.

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PHOENIX — Arizona is seeing different important leap successful caller COVID-19 infections, with much than 2,800 reported Friday.

The fig of coronavirus-related hospitalizations besides continued to climb, with 1,309 patients. The authorities Department of Health Services dashboard showed 2,826 caller confirmed cases and 42 deaths. The latest figures bring Arizona’s pandemic totals to 940,762 cases and 18,342 deaths.

Since astir Arizona schools returned this week, 8 districts person present made indoor masking mandatory successful defiance of the law. All but for Tucson Unified are successful the Phoenix area. It has prompted a suit from a Phoenix biology teacher.

Brophy College Preparatory, a private, all-boys precocious schoolhouse successful Phoenix, volition necessitate everyone careless of vaccine presumption to deterioration masks indoors erstwhile classes commencement Monday. Masks volition past beryllium optional starting Sept. 13. But that’s erstwhile students and unit indispensable beryllium vaccinated oregon look play testing, according to a missive from the principal.

Any pupil who wants to enactment successful overnight retreats oregon school-related question volition person to amusement impervious of vaccination. The Catholic, Jesuit precocious school, which counts Ducey’s 2 sons arsenic alumni, is not obligated to travel the authorities law.

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MINNEAPOLIS — Target said Friday that it volition not necessitate its downtown Minneapolis office employees to instrumentality to the bureau for the remainder of the year, owed to a surge successful COVID-19 cases fueled by the delta variant.

Target has astir 8,500 workers astatine its office offices, making it the largest leader successful downtown Minneapolis.

In an email sent to employees Friday, Target said it is inactive readying a gradual modulation backmost to the bureau starting Sept. 20, but lone communal areas specified arsenic cafeterias oregon league rooms volition initially beryllium open.

Plans to reopen different floors and idiosyncratic workspaces successful September person been enactment connected hold, the Star Tribune reported.

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NEW YORK — Even radical who person recovered from COVID-19 are urged to get vaccinated, and a caller survey shows survivors who ignored that proposal had doubly the hazard of getting reinfected.

The study Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes arsenic scientists impulse radical to get vaccinated due to the fact that of the highly contagious delta variant. That includes radical who had a anterior infection.

The study retired of Kentucky adds to increasing laboratory grounds that vaccines connection an important boost to earthy immunity, including broader extortion against caller variants.

“If you person had COVID-19 before, delight inactive get vaccinated,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “Getting the vaccine is the champion mode to support yourself and others astir you, particularly arsenic the much contagious delta variant spreads astir the country.”

There’s small accusation yet connected reinfections with the newer delta variant. But U.S. wellness officials constituent to aboriginal information from Britain that the reinfection hazard appears greater with delta than with the communal alpha variant, erstwhile radical are six months past their anterior infection.

“There’s nary doubt” that vaccinating a COVID-19 subsister enhances some the magnitude and breadth of immunity “so that you screen not lone the archetypal (virus) but the variants,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the apical infectious illness expert, said astatine a caller White House briefing.

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WASHINGTON -- Federal employees who request to certify their vaccination presumption nether a caller argumentation instituted by President Joe Biden intended to promote COVID-19 shots volition look disciplinary enactment and perchance transgression prosecution if they prevarication connected the form.

The Biden medication connected Friday unveiled the attestation signifier that employees volition request to capable retired astir whether they person been afloat vaccinated against the virus, adding ineligible teeth to the president’s mandate.

Federal employees won’t beryllium pursuing the “honor system” but volition alternatively beryllium required to admit that making a “knowing and willful mendacious connection connected this signifier tin beryllium punished by good oregon imprisonment oregon both.”

The Associated Press obtained a transcript of the form, which was distributed Friday to bureau leadership.

— By Zeke Miller

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