Three Rivers Community Schools Interim Superintendent Nikki Nash announced Monday that Three Rivers will be participating in the MI Backpack Home Tests pilot program, which will provide a limited number of free, at-home COVID-19 antigen tests to students and staff.
COVID-19
Big World, Small Town columnist Charles Thomas ranks what he believes are his five best columns of 2021.
It was a big year for the guys at Keep Your Voice Down, as Doug Sears, Jr. and Alek Haak-Frost published 34 episodes and interviewed 25 guests in 2021. Here are the five episodes folks listened to most.
Dr. Farhan Bhatti writes, “While breakthrough cases among those who got the Johnson&Johnson vaccine or the two doses of Pfizer or Moderna do happen, make no mistake — this surge is being driven by unvaccinated individuals.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported Wednesday an additional 15,385 COVID-19 cases and 351 COVID related deaths since Monday.
As of Tuesday, 628 pre-kindergarten-12 schools are reporting new or ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in Michigan. Of those, 93 are new outbreaks reported Monday.
St. Joseph County is among the bottom 11 counties in Michigan for full vaccination rates at 43 percent. Leading the pack is Leelanau County in northern Michigan with 72.96 percent.
The last two years have been trying for a number of reasons but the community of Three Rivers still has plenty to be thankful for, and shared those thoughts with Watershed Voice ahead of Turkey Day.
“This surge is seemingly unending, and we’re told it might not peak until Christmas. If people are waiting for the system to break, I’d argue we’re probably there. We’re caring for so many people in the ER that people are leaving the waiting room before they get seen. People are going to three different hospitals to be seen.” — Dr. Rob Davidson, West Michigan emergency physician
During a pandemic that isolated children and left over 3,000 children in Michigan grieving a primary caregiver — with Black children accounting for 40% of impacted kids — state and education leaders emphasize that the need for social and emotional learning in schools is greater now than it ever has been.
Regulators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency authorization to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, a step that means kid-sized doses can begin shipping to health care providers across the country. The Centers for Disease Control’s panel of vaccine experts is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss guidelines for the vaccine’s use in the younger age group.
The next wave of the massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign could begin as soon as next week, after federal regulators decide if elementary school students across the U.S. should begin rolling up their tiny sleeves.
Homelessness in Michigan dropped 19% in 2020 from 2019, according to a new report. Michigan” was created in collaboration with several state government departments and agencies. It outlines a combination of factors contributing to 2020’s reduction in homelessness, including the implementation of eviction moratoriums.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given a green light to Americans who want to receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a different company than the one that produced the initial shot they received.
State Rep. Padma Kuppa (D-Troy) writes, “For decades, top-down movements have been sowing the seeds of disinformation, which has created a world where everyday Americans cannot trust facts presented to them. This environment divides us and those who fuel disinformation intend to confuse Americans and pit us against each other. Our democracy is stronger when we work together. Those hellbent on power and control know this well — and use disinformation to push us apart. When we are too busy fighting each other, we fail to notice when bad actors chip away at our freedoms, our rights and our collective power.”
As all Michigan schools have begun 2021-22 classes, the state is reporting school- and sports-related COVID-19 outbreaks on a weekly basis. As of Monday, 413 pre-kindergarten-12 schools and seven universities — Alma College, Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Saginaw Valley State University, University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and Concordia University — are reporting new or ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks.
Glen Oaks Community College is the newest county site for free weekly COVID-19 tests and vaccinations for students, employees and the community beginning Tuesday, Oct. 19.
The Department of Justice has directed the FBI to meet with local governments and law enforcement to discuss strategies for dealing with increasing threats to teachers and school board members spurred by a conservative backlash against discussions of race in public schools.