Day: February 4, 2021

In Gaza, Palestinians With COVID-19 Can’t Afford To Quarantine

By Steven I. Green 4 weeks ago
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Now, how has the pandemic affected one of the most crowded places on Earth, the Gaza Strip? The health system is already stretched. The economy leaves most Palestinians so poor that self-isolation is not something they can afford. So they are forced to make tough choices to survive. NPR’s Daniel Estrin reports from Jerusalem.

HOSSAM: (Speaking Arabic).

DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: I reached Hossam on video chat at his shop in Gaza. He sells secondhand clothes from Israeli – army sweatshirts, school uniforms in Hebrew, clothes Israelis don’t want anymore. Hossam is 26. He’s lost his taste, his smell. He’s fatigued. He’s sure it’s COVID.

HOSSAM: (Through interpreter) I feel bad about myself. I would quarantine myself for a whole month if I could, but I have to keep the shop open. I have no other source of income.

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Campus tours advance amid pandemic

By Steven I. Green 4 weeks ago
Prospective students are offered the option of a Zoom tour or a private tour on campus to maintain COVID guidelines.
Sarah Pinkerton | Photographer

By Clara Lincicome | Reporter

Campus tours at Baylor attract many prospective students. However, because of COVID-19 restrictions, some of the aspects of the traditional tours have changed.

Typically, when students first arrive at the Wiethorn Undergraduate Admissions Center (WUAC) for their tour, they are treated to a bag of green and gold popcorn from Off the Cobb, a chilled glass bottle of Dr. Pepper and a cookie from Lula Jane’s. They are then greeted by an eager tour guide, who escorts the prospective students and their families to a shuttle for both a driving and walking tour of Baylor’s campus. The tour concludes with a picture opportunity on the field of McLane Stadium and a free Baylor University T-shirt.

But amid COVID-19, the admissions center

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Mayor Todd Gloria Honors Travel Nurses in San Diego with Proclamation

By Steven I. Green 4 weeks ago
COVID-19 testing by Borrego Health staff. Courtesy of the clinic

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria declared Feb. 1, 2021 “Travel Nurse Day” to honor nurses and other medical professionals working on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proclamation signed Monday highlights the work of travel nurses — who provide temporary staffing support at hospitals and other healthcare facilities — during a time when nursing and medical resources are strained.

The proclamation recognizes travel nurses who “go from one hotspot to another relieving exhausted health workers and providing quality patient care for the sick and elderly despite fatigue and threat to their own health” and specifically recognized those employed by San Diego-based travel nurse staffing agency Aya Healthcare.

Proclamation signed by Mayor Todd Gloria declaring Feb. 1, 2021 “Travel Nurse Day” in San Diego. Courtesy Aya Healthcare

“The vaccine brings us hope, but our battle with COVID-19

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Hawaii expands coronavirus pre-travel testing to South Korea

By Steven I. Green 4 weeks ago

HONOLULU (AP) — Travelers from South Korea can soon bypass Hawaii’s mandatory 10-day quarantine by producing a negative COVID-19 test from a trusted screening partner in their home country.

Democratic Gov. David Ige announced the Safe Travels Hawaii pre-travel testing program will be extended to South Korean travelers starting on Feb. 5.

Tests must be taken within 72 hours of flight departure from South Korea.

“The pre-travel testing program is just one layer of the state’s comprehensive Safe Travels Hawaii program, which has served us well in protecting our residents and visitors,” Ige said. “We are excited to safely welcome back travelers from Korea.”

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu welcomed the program extension, saying the update will contribute to exchanges between the country and Hawaii while taking necessary safety measures against the virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now requires all

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