Despite pressure from Trump, major districts say schools will stay closed in fall

Older Children Spread the Coronavirus Just as Much as Adults, Large Study Finds

The study of nearly 65,000 people in South Korea suggests that school reopenings will trigger more outbreaks.

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In the heated debate over reopening schools, one burning question has been whether and how efficiently children can spread the virus to others.

A large new study from South Korea offers an answer: Children younger than 10 transmit to others much less often than adults do, but the risk is not zero. And those between the ages of 10 and 19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do.

The findings suggest that as schools reopen, communities will see clusters of infection take root that include children of all ages, several experts cautioned.

“I fear that there has been this sense that kids just won’t get infected or don’t get infected in the same way as adults and that, therefore, they’re almost like a bubbled population,” said Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota....

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WHO posts 2nd daily record for new cases in row

The World Health Organization is again posting a single-day record of new confirmed coronavirus cases. It announced 259,848 new cases on Saturday.

The WHO on Friday posted more than 237,000 confirmed cases around the world. The back-to-back records come as many nations struggle with new waves of infections after loosening lockdown restrictions.

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New studies clarify what drugs help, hurt for COVID-19

WHO’s list of guidance on COVID-19

There’s a lot of information out there about how governments, health professionals and the general public should respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO has published guidance and advice every step of the way. 

During health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, one of WHO’s most vital roles is to gather data and research from around the world, evaluate it, and then advise countries on how to respond.

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More than 150 countries sign up for global vaccine plan

NY Times: Did Exxon Deceive Its Investors on Climate Change?

In an OP-ED in the New York Times, the director of the Rockefeller Family Fund states that EXXON systematically lied to the public and to its stockholders about the risks of climate change and EXXON's major contributions to the catastrophic damage climate change will inflict on humanity and on biodiversity.  
 
 To read the complete article, see:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/21/opinion/exxon-climate-change.html

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Across the Globe, Millions Join Biggest Climate Protest Ever

           

Greta Thunberg addresses thousands of demonstrators in New York. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Young and old alike took to the streets in an estimated 185 countries to demand action

theguardian.com - by Sandra Laville and Jonathan Watts - September 20, 2019

Millions of people demonstrated across the world yesterday demanding urgent action to tackle global heating, as they united across timezones and cultures to take part in the biggest climate protest in history.

In an explosion of the youth movement started by the Swedish school striker Greta Thunberg just over 12 months ago, people protested from the Pacific islands, through Australia, across-south east Asia and Africa into Europe and onwards to the Americas . . .

 . . . Trade unions representing hundreds of millions of people around the world mobilised in support, employees left their workplaces, doctors and nurses marched and workers at firms like Amazon, Google and Facebook walked out to join the climate strikes . . . 

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CDC - CERC - Psychology of a Crisis

                                                                  

The right message at the right time from the right person can save lives. CDC’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) draws from lessons learned during past public health emergencies and research in the fields of public health, psychology, and emergency risk communication. CDC’s CERC program provides trainings, tools, and resources to help health communicators, emergency responders, and leaders of organizations communicate effectively during emergencies.

CLICK HERE - Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)

CLICK HERE - CERC Corner - Psychology of a Crisis

CLICK HERE - CERC Manual

CLICK HERE - CERC - Psychology of a Crisis (16 page .PDF document)

 

 

 

 

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UN Environment - The State of Biodiversity In The Caribbean Community

CLICK HERE - THE STATE OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY - A Review of Progress Towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (120 page .PDF report)

caricom.org - October 30, 2018

The publication provides key information given the relative lack of baseline data and related time-bound objectively quantifiable targets for the sub-region, and is of particular value given the dependence on natural resources for livelihoods and well-being, and thus exposure to disruption and environmental disasters, of communities in many SIDS and developing countries in the region. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and UN Environment stand behind the CARICOM Secretariat and its partners in the regional ACP MEA initiative, and we hope that this assessment provides a basis for actions to protect biodiversity as it underpins the sustainable development of the Caribbean region.

Cristiana Pa ca Palmer, PhD – Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

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National Storm Surge Hazard Maps

https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=d9ed7904dbec441a9c4dd7b277935fad&entry=1

This national depiction of storm surge flooding vulnerability helps people living in hurricane-prone coastal areas along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Hawaii, and Hispaniola to evaluate their risk to the storm surge hazard. These maps make it clear that storm surge is not just a beachfront problem, with the risk of storm surge extending many miles inland from the immediate coastline in some areas. If you discover via these maps that you live in an area vulnerable to storm surge, find out today if you live in a hurricane storm surge evacuation zone as prescribed by your local emergency management agency. If you do live in such an evacuation zone, decide today where you will go and how you will get there, if and when you're instructed by your emergency manager to evacuate. If you don't live in one of those evacuation zones, then perhaps you can identify someone you care about who does live in an evacuation zone, and you could plan in advance to be their inland evacuation destination – if you live in a structure that is safe from the wind and outside of flood-prone areas.

National Hurricane Center - National Storm Surge Hazard Maps - Version 2
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/nationalsurge/

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Impasse Over Aid for Puerto Rico Stalls Billions in Federal Disaster Relief

           

A damaged home in Puerto Rico in September, a year after Hurricane Maria hit.  Credit Carlos Barria/Reuters

nytimes.com - by Emily Cochrane - April 1, 2019

The Senate on Monday blocked billions of dollars in disaster aid for states across the country as Republicans and Democrats clashed over President Trump’s opposition to sending more food and infrastructure help to Puerto Rico.

Opposition came from both parties for different reasons . . .

. . . It was unclear late Monday how lawmakers would overcome that impasse and end the delay in disbursing the disaster aid.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

ALSO SEE RELATED ARTICLES WITHIN THE LINK BELOW . . .

CLICK HERE - Billions Of Dollars In Disaster Aid Stuck In Congress, As Both Parties Balk At Relief Legislation

 

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The Hidden Problems With Puerto Rico’s Water Supply

           

Flooding in San Juan after the storm. SGT. JOSE AHIRAM DIAZ-RAMOS/PRNG-PAO

CLICK HERE - NRDC - THREATS ON TAP: DRINKING WATER VIOLATIONS IN PUERTO RICO - May 2017 (7 page .PDF document)

atlasobscura.com - by Sarah Laskow - March 5, 2018

. . . For months after the hurricane, without electricity, surrounded by damaged infrastructure, Puerto Ricans struggled to find clean water after sewage, gasoline, and more was swept up in floodwaters. But the island’s underlying geography, along with a history of poor investment in the water system, have made contamination a long-standing problem in the island territory. Researchers are trying now to understand and measure just how much the storm exacerbated these issues.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

 

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Drought in Puerto Rico

           

drought.gov

Drought in Puerto Rico from 2000 - 2019

The U.S. Drought Monitor started in 2000. Since 2000, the longest duration of drought (D1-D4) in Puerto Rico lasted 80 weeks beginning on May 5, 2015 and ending on November 8, 2016. The most intense period of drought occurred the week of September 1, 2015 where D4 affected 24.89% of Puerto Rico land.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a map that shows the location and intensity of drought across the country. The data is updated each Tuesday and released on Thursday.

CLICK HERE - Drought in Puerto Rico - https://www.drought.gov/drought/states/puerto-rico

 

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Fact Sheet: Hunger and Poverty in Puerto Rico

bread.org - March 1, 2019

CLICK HERE - Fact Sheet: Hunger and Poverty in Puerto Rico (2 page .PDF document)

Even before Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck Puerto Rico, hunger and food insecurity were much more common among Puerto Ricans than among their fellow U.S. citizens in the 50 states.

Before the hurricanes, 1.5 million Puerto Ricans were food insecure. The child food insecurity rate was 56 percent — nearly triple the average for the rest of the United States.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

ALSO SEE RELATED INFORMATION WITHIN THE LINKS BELOW . .

CLICK HERE - USDA - Household Food Security in the United States in 2017 - September 2018

CLICK HERE - USDA - National Institute of Food and Agriculture - Puerto Rico

 

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