PLUS: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read.
By Eve Sneider | 02.17.22 | Programming note: There will not be a Coronavirus Update on Monday due to the holiday. We'll see you back here in a week! Virginia parents can opt out of school mask rules, cases surge in South Korea, and research sheds new light on vaccination during pregnancy. But first, here's this week's big story: |  | Cases are on a steep decline in many parts of the US and are now the lowest they've been nationwide since September. In response to these numbers, big businesses—including Tyson Foods, Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and Walmart—have eased restrictions. And authorities in New York, California, New Jersey, and more states have announced plans to roll back mask mandates. The Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals have even announced that they will drop all Covid-related measures for this spring's events. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are among the latest countries to announce that they'll be easing pandemic restrictions as well. Even when the number of cases was still astronomically high due to the Omicron surge this winter, some politicians were insisting that it was time to learn to live with Covid. What exactly that will look like now, and what it even means for this disease to become endemic, remains to be seen. And although many have declared the pandemic "over," there are others, either immunocompromised people or those in parts of the world that have borne the brunt of unequal vaccine distribution, for whom that might not be the case. | | Virginia's governor has signed a bill saying that parents can choose to opt their kids out of mask mandates at school and requiring that classes resume in-person five days a week. (CNN) South Korea reported its highest daily jump in cases yesterday, and officials announced a new initiative to give out rapid tests at schools and senior care facilities. (Associated Press) New research from the CDC found that babies whose mothers received two mRNA shots while pregnant were far less likely to be hospitalized with Covid as newborns. (NPR) The White House has said that 50 million at-home test kits have been shipped out, 85 percent of the initial orders placed through the Biden administration's initiative. (Washington Post) British officials have announced that all children ages 5 through 11 will be able to get vaccinated starting in April. (Reuters) | | How can police tell when someone is driving while stoned? Right now, they can't—and that's a problem. But one company has an idea that might help. | | Luck favors the prepared. Here's the best emergency gear to keep on hand so you're ready for whatever comes your way. | |
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