| The Biden Administration announces booster shots, Texas prepares for more deaths, and New Zealand locks down. Here's what you should know: Headlines The White House outlines a plan to offer booster shots to Americans Earlier today the Biden administration announced a plan to offer booster shots to Americans eight months after their second dose of either of the mRNA vaccines, beginning on September 20. This plan is contingent on authorization by the FDA and recommendations from the CDC's advisory committee. Health care workers, nursing home residents, and other older Americans will be the first to get their shots. Officials say additional data needs to be reviewed before unveiling a plan for boosters for people who received the Johnson & Johnson shot. Texas asks the US government for mortuary trucks to prepare for more Covid deaths Texas officials asked FEMA for five precautionary mortuary trucks, as Covid-19 continues to sweep the state. Covid-19 deaths in Texas have tripled in the past two weeks, and hospitalizations and cases continue to rise. Despite this, Governor Greg Abbott has been embroiled in a legal battle over his efforts to ban mask mandates. Yesterday, the governor himself tested positive for coronavirus. According to his office, he is fully vaccinated and is not experiencing any symptoms so far. New Zealand goes back into lockdown after a locally transmitted case is detected On Tuesday, New Zealand went into the highest level of lockdown for the first time in over a year after community transmission of the Delta variant was detected. At present, 10 cases have been reported, and genomic sequencing has traced the outbreak to Sydney. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has told New Zealanders to expect that number to rise in the coming days. At present, the lockdown is expected to last three days for most of the country, and four to seven days in two suspected hotspots. Mask use will also be required for people over 12 when visiting places providing essential services. Daily Distraction Cargo pants have long been maligned as an early aughts trend we were right to leave behind. But could it be that they're perfectly outfitted for life in 2021? Something to Read It may be hard to believe in 2021, but wildfires have historically been a crucial part of a healthy ecosystem. What made them go from helpful to hellish? The answer is more nuanced than you might think. Sanity Check A student email address opens the door to tons of good back-to-school deals. Here are a few of our favorites. One Question How many people are suffering from long Covid? In order to fully address the problem of "long Covid"—cases where some debilitating symptoms persist long after the time of infection—experts need some sense of how many people are afflicted. But estimating how many people are suffering from it has proven to be difficult. This is in large part because there's no universally accepted definition of the condition, and the name can mean different things depending on what country you're in. Some authorities say that it applies to people whose symptoms haven't totally gone away 12 weeks after the start of acute Covid-19. Other experts have tried to subdivide long Covid into other syndromes like post-intensive-care syndrome, long-term organ damage, post-viral fatigue syndrome, and more. Unfortunately, as long as these uncertainties remain, determining the exact number of long haulers will be nearly impossible. Covid-19 Care Package 📦 To end this pandemic and prevent future ones, we'll need a good way to track and surveil emerging diseases. Here's a look at the latest efforts. 😷 Masks may no longer be mandatory where you live, but it's still a good idea to have a few around. Here are the best masks you can buy, or how to make one at home. 💉 Vaccines are the most effective way to protect yourself and others against Covid-19. Here's how to get an appointment in your area. 💻 Whether or not you're a work-from-home pro, here's how to stay productive without losing your mind. 🚗 Itching for a vacation but not quite ready to get on a plane? Hit the road instead. Here's everything you need to plan a post-pandemic road trip. 👋 So you're fully vaccinated! Congrats. Here are some ways you can let others know. 🦠Read all of our coronavirus coverage here. | 
