Three things for November 19
1. New York City schools close as second wave of COVID-19 begins
Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that “the nation’s largest public school system will halt in-person learning Thursday” in an attempt to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19.
In the summer, the city agreed to close if “3% of all the coronavirus tests performed citywide over a seven-day period came back positive.” The city hit the mark on Tuesday, according to AP News.
Over 1 million public school students will move to virtual classes for the remainder of the semester. Most students already moved online prior to this mass shut down, with 25% of students physically going to class at the end of October.
It is currently unknown if students will be able to be back in person in 2021.
At a news conference Wednesday, de Blasio reassured the public by stating, “plans were being made to bring in-person learning back as quickly as possible if the infection rate drops.”
De Blasio remains hopeful, saying, “We’re going to fight this back. This is a setback but it’s a setback we will overcome.”
2. Tennessee rejects mask mandate as holidays approach
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee puts on his mask during a break in the state budget hearings Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Despite escalating numbers of COVID-19 cases, Tennessee is one of 14 states who have rejected a statewide mask mandate on the brink of the holidays.
For weeks now, Gov. Bill Lee has remained open to options battling the ongoing effects of Coronavirus. According to AP News, Gov. Lee “vowed he will not impose business restrictions nor issue guidance on how families should gather for next week’s Thanksgiving holiday amid the ongoing pandemic.”
Governors in the states of Iowa, North Dakota and Utah have “begrudgingly implemented some sort of limited mask requirement in the face of skyrocketing virus numbers,” according to AP News. However, Gov. Lee is allowing the counties of Tennessee to decide their stance on the mask requirement.
There is also no mandate in place for how families should gather for Thanksgiving.
“(For) now, what we believe is the strategy we are taking is actually working,” Lee said at the news briefing. “It may well be working better than a statewide mask mandate would work.”
According to a recent study from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, it was found that the counties in Tennessee lacking a mask mandate “are on average seeing COVID-19 death rates double” in comparison to the counties with instituted mandates.
As of Monday, the state surpassed the record of a single-day increase in virus case numbers with nearly 8,000 new cases.
3. Thanksgiving meal available to students staying on campus
Each year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Lee University provides a free luncheon and time of fellowship for all students staying on campus during the holiday.
Despite COVID-19 affecting many campus events this year, Lee’s Residential Life and Housing presented a modified plan for the festive event.
The university will host a socially distanced, in-person lunch on Friday or students can pick up to-go lunches if preferred.
To reserve a spot, students should fill out this google survey. For any questions, contact Director of Residential Life & Housing Jarad Russell at jrussell@leeuniversity.edu.
