1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now passed 117.5 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 2.61 million.
Zimbabwe has authorized the emergency use of four COVID-19 vaccines, including Russias Sputnik V and Chinas Sinovac, the minister of information said on Tuesday.
The United States has administered 93,692,598 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Tuesday morning and distributed 123,232,775 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Pfizer, BioNTech can raise capacity to 3 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses next year, depending on demand and potential requirement of additional boosts to vaccines, CEO Ugur Sahin told Bloomberg News.
Turkey COVID-19 cases hit two-month highs with nearly 14,000 new cases reported on Tuesday, more than a week after President Tayyip Erdogan announced an easing of measures to curb the pandemic.
Bulgaria reported 3,502 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its highest daily tally in three months.
How cases compare in a snaphot of countries.
Image: Our World in Data
2. WTO chief calls for urgent boost to vaccine production in developing countries
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the new World Trade Organization chief, highlighted the urgent need to boost COVID-19 vaccine production in developing countries.
The fact is that each additional day the vaccine shortage continues, people will pay with their lives, Okonjo-Iweala told a summit on vaccine production, adding that around 130 countries were still waiting for vaccines.
Okonjo-Iweala was previously chair of the board of global vaccine alliance GAVI, and has said health and vaccine access would be a top priority at the WTO.
New vaccine manufacturing sites could be prepared in six to seven months, or less than half the time previously thought, she said at the summit.
Seven of the WTO's 164 members released a document on Tuesday urging Okonjo-Iweala to hold talks with COVID-19 vaccine developers and manufacturers on boosting production.
3. South Korea to prioritize vaccination of auto chip buyers
Business people working to secure supplies of auto chips will be exempt from two-week COVID-19 quarantine requirements and prioritized for vaccination, the South Korean government said on Wednesday.
This comes as a global chip shortage has affected automakers like Volkswagen and General Motors, forcing production cuts worldwide.
South Koreas leading automaker Hyundai Motor has managed to keep factories running, but a Hyundai union official told Reuters that overtime production of less-popular models had stopped and production schedules were changing from week to week.
From April, Koreans and foreigners involved in auto chip imports or production would no longer have to quarantine for two weeks on arrival in the country from abroad, to help deal with the shortage.
For those departing the country for essential purposes such as purchasing and procuring auto chips, COVID-19 vaccines would be made available.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The latest coronavirus stimulus package comes with some new twists in the form of tax benefits that will put money in the hands of many Americans, especially parents and those who were unemployed last year. Plus there are other lingering tax situations brought on by the pandemic.
This is beyond the fairly straightforward formula of $1,400 a person in stimulus money for most people, other than those with higher incomes (phasing out completely at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for joint filers).
So in the midst of of tax season, here are some answers and where things are in limbo.
The new stimulus package, called the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, makes tax-free a big chunk of unemployment benefits people received last year. Heres how it works.
Households with income of less than $150,000 will be able to deduct up to $10,200 unemployment benefits from their 2020 income in filing their taxes this winter or spring.
The value of this will vary depending on where you fall in the tax brackets. For a family with $100,000 in taxable income, this means a savings of $2,244 in taxes. For someone making around $40,000, the savings would be $1,205.
After deductions, income for individuals is taxed at 10% up to $9,875, then 12% from there to $40,124 and then at 22%. For joint filers, income up to $19,750 is taxed at 10%, then at 12% from there to $80,251 and then at 22%.
But passing a tax break for 2020 when the tax filing season has already begun raises some questions. Will the IRS create a new form 1040? What about people who have already filed?
A spokesman for the IRS said, I cant speculate on pending or possible legislation. I think that talking to the bills sponsors would be your best bet.
Its possible that people will have to file an amended tax form if they qualify for this benefit, Sen. Sherrod Browns office said.
But remember an important thing about this tax break. Its only for unemployment income received last year; not for current unemployment income.
As it stands, unemployment checks received this year or later will be fully taxable. (Note: this is different from the stimulus checks, which are tax-free.)
Unemployment benefits are not subject to municipal income taxes in Ohio, so nothing changes there, the Regional Income Tax Agency confirmed.
But unemployment benefits are subject to Ohio income taxes.
Nothing is cast in stone yet, but the most likely scenario is that the $10,200 federal deduction will extend to Ohio.
This could come through legislative action in Columbus. But that wont be necessary if the IRS revises the federal 1040 form to take that deduction before reaching the line on the form where the adjusted gross income is determined. This already is the case for some other deductions or credits.
The starting point for the state income tax form is your federal adjusted gross income.
The expanded child tax credit as written into the law is for 2021. But since this is part of a stimulus bill designed to help cash-strapped families now and help the economy by triggering more spending, congressional leaders would like to get at least some of that money in the pockets of families as soon as possible.
Normally, the child tax credit is claimed at tax time. For 2020, it was $2,000 per child age 5 and under.
This bill expands that credit to $3,600 for children 5 and under, and to $3,000 for older child dependents.
The goal, Browns office said, is for at least part of this credit to be paid as early as July, as an advance on next years tax return.
Brown, the Ohio Democrat, favors making the expansion permanent. This is one area where there may be bipartisan support.
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah in February announced the framework of a plan to provide greater financial security for American families by streamlining existing family policies to create one universal child benefit, including replacement of the existing welfare program.
The math for Romneys plan is a lot like the money involved in the stimulus-expanded child tax credit, but instead with payments going out monthly. The Romney plan amounts to $350 a month for each young child and $250 monthly for school-age children. That totals $4,200 a year for young children and $3,000 for others.
This plan would cut child poverty by up to one-third, according to details Romneys office released.
Remote workers who have been paying taxes to what used to be their regular work city, even while working at home in a another city or township because of the pandemic, might get a tax break if they continue to do so.
The provision in the year-old Ohio pandemic law that allowed this taxing authority to continue ends 30 days after Gov. Mike DeWine lifts the emergency he declared by executive order back on March 9, 2020.
DeWine has promised to lift health orders once cases drop to 50 per 100,000 people over a two-week period. Its uncertain, however, whether the lifting of the heath orders would also include this emergency order.
But at some point, it will go away. When is unclear, because there are many things tied to the order that go beyond the widely publicized health-safety measures imposed by the administration.
Meanwhile, three court cases are pending that question the legality of this part of the law, essentially arguing that it is not legal to tax people where they neither work nor live - pandemic or not.
If the suits are successful, its possible workers could receive rebates, though they may encounter new tax liabilities for where they live. RITA has a form to submit claims now, while the cases are pending. Clevelands Central Collection Agency does not have a form specifically addressing the COVID-19 work issue.
The local income issue largely deals with people working at home. But what about state taxes if someone working remotely headed to Florida or Arizona to beat the winter for a few months?
They still owe Ohio taxes, because despite such temporary arrangements, they still are considered Ohio residents, the state tax department said.
Long story short, there arent any special rules or state tax treatments for wages earned remotely during the pandemic, the tax department said. The wages are taxed using the same rules that have always existed.
Rich Exner, data analysis editor, writes cleveland.coms and The Plain Dealers personal finance column - Thats Rich! Follow on Twitter @RichExner.
Email questions and suggestions to rexner@cleveland.com. Include your hometown and first name for publication. And to help me sort through the clutter of my email box, try to remember including Thats Rich! in the subject of the email.
Previous Thats Rich! columns
Heres whats in the latest COVID-19 relief bill, including $5,600 in stimulus payments for a family of 4
Logic aside, pandemic unemployment checks are taxable, unlike stimulus payments - Thats Rich! Q&A
How to check to ensure youre not overpaying for electric, natural gas; some deals have short promotional periods
Heres how to claim missing or bigger stimulus payments in filing 2020 taxes; young adults, new parents, others may now qualify
Heres why some Ohioans are still out PUA unemployment benefits from December
IRS confirms stimulus payments will be issued for people who died in 2020
With bank CD rates so low, where can I park my savings to make at least a little interest?
President Biden extends student-loan breaks through September; heres what to consider even if you can afford to keep paying
Compare Greater Cleveland, Akron property tax rates, and learn why they have changed this year
Heres how to make a case to lower your property tax bill
Cuyahoga County home prices in 2020 up more sharply than at any time since the housing bust; see details for each town
$200,000-plus is now the norm for homes in Clevelands Detroit-Shoreway, Ohio City and Tremont neighborhoods
What you need to know about the new stimulus checks, and $300 extra weekly in unemployment benefits: Q&A
2021 personal finance calendar: key dates for tax documents, student grants and loans, Obamacare, Medicare and more
Tis the season for the stock markets typical Santa Claus Rally
7 end-of-the year money-saving ideas: picking tax brackets, IRA withdrawals, loan refinancing, more
Extended warranties are free with credit cards; dont waste the benefit
Is a gift card the right gift? Some ideas, cautions, and protections to know under the law
You can go to college tuition-free if youre 60 or older by auditing classes in Ohio
How to be sure youre getting a fair deal on auto insurance during COVID-19 with traffic, accidents down
Is your budget tight during coronavirus? See these tips to help you cope, now and in the long run
How to avoid scams; newest fraud tricks; can payment be stopped?
Organize your financial records in case you get sick - a reader Q&A
Explaining Ohios maze of city income tax rates and credits, and why you should log where youve been working
With mortgage rates at historic lows, should you join the rush to refinance? - Thats Rich!
Ohio has $3.2 billion in unclaimed funds; find out if some of that money is yours - Thats Rich!
Roth retirement plan or traditional IRA and 401(k) plans? Is this the time to adjust your thinking?
Taking college classes online? Heres how students can save a lot of money
Does it make sense to pay off your mortgage early? Heres what to consider
CARES Act makes this ideal time for a student-loan payment checkup
What you need to know to get an unemployment check in Ohio
Precautions like wearing masks and using hand sanitizer still remain in place as a counterbalance to the risk of spreading the virus.
Nursing home residents vaccinated against COVID-19 can get hugs again from their loved ones, and indoor visits may be allowed for all residents, the government said Wednesday in a step toward pre-pandemic normalcy.
The policy guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, comes as coronavirus cases and deaths among nursing home residents have plummeted in recent weeks at the same time that vaccination accelerated. People living in long-term care facilities have borne a cruel toll from the pandemic. They represent about 1% of the U.S. population, but account for 1 in 3 deaths, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Government officials acknowledged that isolation deepened the misery for residents and their loved ones as long-term care facilities remained locked down much of last year. The ban on visits went into effect almost one year ago and only in the fall were facilities allowed to begin socially distanced outdoor visits and limited indoor ones.
"There is no substitute for physical contact, such as the warm embrace between a resident and their loved one," CMS said in its new guidance, "Therefore, if the resident is fully vaccinated, they can choose to have close contact (including touch) with their visitor while wearing a well-fitting face mask and performing hand-hygiene before and after."
So while hugs are OK again for residents who have completed their vaccination, precautions such as wearing masks and using hand sanitizer remain in place as a counterbalance to risk. CMS also underscored that maintaining 6 feet of separation is still the safest policy, and outdoor visits are preferable even when residents and visitors have been vaccinated.
"Now that millions of vaccines have been administered to nursing home residents and staff, and the number of COVID cases in nursing homes has dropped significantly, CMS is updating its visitation guidance to bring more families together safely," Dr. Lee Fleisher, a senior agency medical officer, said in a statement.
Before the pandemic, there was a lot of flexibility when visiting a loved one living in a nursing home or getting rehab care. Family members came and went at different hours of the day. At the height of the pandemic, the closest many could get was waving on the other side of an exterior window.
The CMS guidance moves back in the pre-COVID-19 direction, saying that nursing homes "should allow indoor visitation at all times and for all residents, regardless of vaccination status." Several exceptions are flagged, such as when a resident is known to be infected or in quarantine.
Compassionate care visits should be allowed at all times, the guidance said, even if there's an outbreak or a resident is unvaccinated. The term "compassionate care" doesn't refer just to situations when a resident is near death, but also encompasses circumstances in which a patient is having trouble adjusting.
Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that nursing home cases peaked around the end of December and then declined sharply, particularly since the middle of January. Deaths among residents fell from 7,049 the week ending Dec. 20 to 1,350 the week ending Feb. 28.
Miami-Dade County is coordinating closely with hospital and healthcare partners, the State of Florida, cities, and private partners to vaccinate members of our community against the coronavirus (COVID-19) as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.
Vaccine UpdatesMiami-Dade Countys first federal vaccination site at Miami Dade College North Campus is now open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. 7 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted, appointments are not required. This site will vaccinate eligible individuals and CAN vaccinate individuals deemed extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by a physician. Individuals will need to present a signed physicians certification form.
To learn more, visit the State of Florida's vaccine information website.
COVID-19 (coronavirus): Long-term effects
COVID-19 symptoms can sometimes persist for months. The virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain, which increases the risk of long-term health problems.
Most people who have coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recover completely within a few weeks. But some people even those who had mild versions of the disease continue to experience symptoms after their initial recovery.
These people sometimes describe themselves as "long haulers" and the condition has been called post-COVID-19 syndrome or "long COVID-19."
Older people and people with many serious medical conditions are the most likely to experience lingering COVID-19 symptoms, but even young, otherwise healthy people can feel unwell for weeks to months after infection. The most common signs and symptoms that linger over time include:
Other long-term signs and symptoms may include:
Although COVID-19 is seen as a disease that primarily affects the lungs, it can damage many other organs as well. This organ damage may increase the risk of long-term health problems. Organs that may be affected by COVID-19 include:
COVID-19 can make blood cells more likely to clump up and form clots. While large clots can cause heart attacks and strokes, much of the heart damage caused by COVID-19 is believed to stem from very small clots that block tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the heart muscle.
Other parts of the body affected by blood clots include the lungs, legs, liver and kidneys. COVID-19 can also weaken blood vessels and cause them to leak, which contributes to potentially long-lasting problems with the liver and kidneys.
People who have severe symptoms of COVID-19 often have to be treated in a hospital's intensive care unit, with mechanical assistance such as ventilators to breathe. Simply surviving this experience can make a person more likely to later develop post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression and anxiety.
Because it's difficult to predict long-term outcomes from the new COVID-19 virus, scientists are looking at the long-term effects seen in related viruses, such as the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Many people who have recovered from SARS have gone on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, a complex disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that worsens with physical or mental activity, but doesn't improve with rest. The same may be true for people who have had COVID-19.
Much is still unknown about how COVID-19 will affect people over time. However, researchers recommend that doctors closely monitor people who have had COVID-19 to see how their organs are functioning after recovery.
Many large medical centers are opening specialized clinics to provide care for people who have persistent symptoms or related illnesses after they recover from COVID-19.
It's important to remember that most people who have COVID-19 recover quickly. But the potentially long-lasting problems from COVID-19 make it even more important to reduce the spread of the disease by following precautions such as wearing masks, avoiding crowds and keeping hands clean.
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March 10, 2021 -- Scientists trying to understand the recurring waves of coronavirus infections around the globe say they've noticed a pattern: As pollen levels increased in outdoor air in 31 countries, COVID-19 cases accelerated.
Yet other recent studies point in the opposite direction, suggesting that peaks in pollen seasons coincide with a fall-off in the spread of some respiratory viruses, like COVID-19 and influenza. There's even some evidence that pollen may compete with the virus that causes COVID-19 and may help prevent infection.
So which is it? The answer may still be up in the air.
Doctors don't fully understand what makes some viruses like the ones that cause the flu to circulate in seasonal patterns.
There are, of course, many theories. These revolve around things like temperature and humidity viruses tend to prefer colder, drier air something that's thought to help them spread more easily in the winter months. People are exposed to less sunlight during the winter, as they spend more time indoors, and the earth points away from the sun, providing some natural shielding. That may play a role because ultraviolet light from the sun acts like a natural disinfectant and may help keep circulating viral levels down,and sunlight helps the body make vitamin D, which may help keep our immune responses strong.
Extreme temperatures both cold and hot also change our behavior, so that we spend more time cloistered indoors, where we can more easily cough and sneeze on each other and generally swap more germs.
The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds a new variable to this mix pollen. It relies on data from 248 airborne-pollen-monitoring sites in 31 countries. The study also took into account other effects, such as population density, temperature, humidity, and lockdown orders. The study authors found that when pollen in an area spiked, so did infections, after an average lag of about 4 days. The study authors say pollen seemed to account for, on average, 44% of the infection rate difference between countries.
They say pollen could be a culprit in respiratory infections, not because the viruses hitch a ride on pollen grains and travel into our mouth, eyes, and nose, but because pollen seems to perturb our immune system, even if a person isn't allergic to it.
"When we inhale pollen, they end up on our nasal mucosa and here, they diminish the expression of genes that are important for the defense against airborne viruses," study author Stefanie Gilles, PhD, chair of environmental medicine at the Technical University of Munich in Germany, said in a press conference.
In a study published last year, Gilles found that mice exposed to pollen made less interferon and other protective chemical signals to the immune system. Those then infected with a respiratory virus had more virus in their bodies compared with mice not exposed to pollen. She seemed to see the same effect in human volunteers.
The study authors think pollen may cause the body to drop its defenses against the airborne virus that causes COVID-19, too.
"If you're in a crowded room and other people are there that are asymptomatic, and you've just been breathing in pollen all day long, chances are that you're going to be more susceptible to the virus," says study author Lewis Ziska, PhD, a plant physiologist who studies pollen, climate change, and health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. "Having a mask is obviously really critical in that regard."
Masks do a great job of blocking pollen, so wearing one is even more important when pollen and viruses are floating around, he says.
Other researchers, however, say that, while the study raises some interesting questions, it can't prove that pollen is increasing COVID-19 infections.
"Just because two things happen at the same time doesn't mean that one causes the other," says Martijn Hoogeveen, PhD, a professor of technical sciences and environment at The Open University in the Netherlands.
Hoogeveen's recent study, published in Science of the Total Environment, found that the arrival of pollen season in the Netherlands coincides with the end of flu season, and that COVID-19 infection peaks tend to follow a similar pattern exactly the opposite of the PNAS study.
Another preprint study, which focused on the Chicago area, found the same thing as pollen climbs, flu cases drop. The researchers behind that study think pollen may actually compete with viruses in our airways, helping to block them from infecting our cells.
Why did these studies reach such different conclusions?
Hoogeveen's paper focused on a single country and looked at the incidence of flu infections over 4 seasons, from 2016 to 2020, while the PNAS study collected data on pollen from January through the first week of April 2020.
He thinks that a single season, or really part of a season, may not be long enough to see meaningful patterns, especially considering that this new-to-humans virus was spreading quickly at nearly the same time. He says it will be interesting to follow what happens with COVID-19 infections and pollen in the coming months and years.
Hoogeveen says that in a large study spanning so many countries it would have been nearly impossible to account for differences in pandemic control strategies. Some countries embraced the use of masks, stay-at-home orders, and social distancing, for example, while others took less-stringent measures in order to let the virus run its course in pursuit of herd immunity.
Limiting the study area to a single country or city, he says, helps researchers better understand all the variables that might have been in play along with pollen.
"There is no scientific consensus yet, about what it is driving, and that's what makes it such an interesting field," he says.
WebMD Health News
Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist who studies pollen, climate change and health at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
Martijn Hoogeveen, PhD, professor, Technical Sciences & Environment, Open University, Heerlen, Netherlands
Stefanie Gilles, PhD, chair of environmental medicine, Technical University of Munich, in Germany
PNAS, March 23, 2021
MedRxiv, Feb. 16, 2021
MedRxiv, March 2, 2021
Science of the Total Environment, Feb. 10, 20201
News briefing, Technical University of Munich, March 9, 2021
The University of Rochester community joined together in a moment of silence at noon Tuesday, March 9, to acknowledge the one-year mark of COVID-19. Faculty, staff, and students across the University paused to reflect on the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has touched the lives of members of the University and Rochester communities.
Explore a photo gallery of the moment
DeWyses nurse, Weber, remembers those first few days in the isolation room vividly.
I could tell he was nervous, but he wouldnt try to show that when we went into his room, Weber recalls. I remember him asking about his dog, Jazz, and if she could get sick from COVID-19. I knew he was a really good person after that.
Weber remembers people looking through DeWyses door at him, like he was an experiment in a cage. Before one of her shifts, she ran to a convenience store to get some snacks, Gatorade, deodorant and magazines.
I wanted to help him feel more human when the world wasnt treating him like one, she says. He really was the best patient a nurse could have to be the first patient.
After three different intravenous antibiotics, around-the-clock pain meds and a lot of sleep, DeWyse was discharged to finish recovering at home after 11 days in the hospital. He never needed a ventilator.
When he first arrived at the hospital less than two weeks ago, he was the only patient with COVID-19 there. As he was leaving his room to go home, he says hell never forget seeing the Regional Infectious Containment Unit, which wasnt open when he was admitted, full with sick patients now.
With no significant lingering side effects, DeWyse felt fully recovered after a month. He went on to have a great summer with his wife and three daughters, biking, kayaking and playing racquetball.
Its crazy to think about how before my transplant, I struggled to walk or even talk, DeWyse recalls.
But soon after those hot summer months passed, another health scare struck.
After a major gallbladder attack, DeWyse was brought back to Michigan Medicine to have the small organ removed.
His recurrent abdominal issues over the past year, including in the colon and gallbladder, are likely exacerbated by his immunosuppressive medications, says Kevin Chan, M.D., DeWyses pulmonologist. Despite these setbacks, he continues to remain positive and is forever paying it forward to the community by increasing organ donation awareness.
Although the removal of his gallbladder called for another lengthy in-patient stay for DeWyse, he says its the price you pay for having a transplant.
Its a small price to pay for the gift of life, he adds.
Paul is a unique individual who has an outstandingly optimistic attitude, which is imperative for patients who have received a solid organ transplant, says Chan.
After being discharged, DeWyse faced a long, painful recovery journey ahead. According to him, though, thats just another obstacle for him to overcome.
Life is full of challenges, but you need to remain resilient, he says. Follow doctors orders, do things that make you happy, stay active and be willing to adapt to change.
Paul is the epitome of living life to the fullest, says Weber. He felt lucky to get his new lungs and hell live for every moment, even more so now after fighting off COVID-19.
FORT MYERS
More vaccines could be on the way to those who served our country. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill by Congressman Vern Buchanan to give all veterans access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Many veterans in Southwest Florida were asking questions about when theyll receive the vaccine. And, hopefully, those efforts will come to fruition soon.
For some veterans, getting the COVID-19 vaccine feels like winning the lottery. Demand is high and supply is low. And, there are too many questions to count.
Kevin Boyd is the commander of American Legion Post 38. I think a lot of it is due to misinformation and not being aware of whats available for you, Boyd said. And thats probably a problem for veterans organizations. We need to get that information out to these people.
That is what Post 38 did Wednesday morning. Joseph Scotchlas is the associate director for the Bay Pines VA, and he led a nearly hour-long question and answer session. He stressed that time is of the essence.
We have a lot of veterans who are interested in the vaccine, but we dont want to start in April or May to start talking about the vaccine hesitancy, Scotchlas said.
The first priority is that people are able to go through the VA to make their appointments. Veterans who are eligible and enrolled in VA care must express they are interested.
So its really important if a veteran is currently interested in getting the vaccine and havent put an interest note to contact their primary care office, Scotchlas said.
Many veterans are worried their spouses wont be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine through the VA, but that could change very soon.
The House of Representatives passed a bill co-sponsored by Congressman Vern Buchanan of Florida that would provide veterans and their caregivers with the COVID-19 vaccine.
But, until that goes into effect, Post 38 will continue working to get shots for 100 veterans in the next month.
Ill be in line with them too to get the shot, so if need be, Ill be the first one to get the shot to show everybody, yeah, its safe; take it, Boyd said.
They are doing their part to remove doubt so that veterans can roll up their sleeves and get their shots.
The VA is following CDC guidelines, not those imposed by Governor DeSantis, to decide who is eligible for the host. For now, that includes anyone over 65, people under 65 with underlying health conditions and frontline workers.
TALLAHASSEE Three months into Floridas vaccination efforts, Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to make vaccines available to state prisons, even as corrections officials have requested doses and identified thousands of elderly inmates who meet the states eligibility requirements.
The department is ready and willing to administer, but they have not received any supply, Senate Criminal Justice Chairman Jason Pizzo said on Tuesday, after having a conversation with state prison officials.
Inmates who meet the states age group criteria could be waiting for the foreseeable future.
The governors office wont say when supplies will be made available to the state Department of Corrections, only saying DeSantis has made it clear he will not prioritize inmates ahead of the other vulnerable populations and front-line workers.
DeSantis, for the most part, has taken a senior-centric approach to vaccinations. In January, Florida Corrections Secretary Mark Inch made a request for the state agencys share of doses and identified 4,169 inmates who are 65 and older and met the states age group criteria.
The Florida Department of Corrections is ready to vaccinate as soon as supplies become available to our agency. We will ensure community level care is given to anyone under our care and custody who chooses to be vaccinated, Inch said in a statement.
The number of state inmates who will meet the states age criteria will expand next week, when any Floridian who is 60 and older will become eligible for a coronavirus vaccine under a new state order.
Prison officials say they are doing outreach and providing information to inmates about the vaccines benefits and potential side effects, and the process of scheduling a shot when supplies become available.
By comparison, nearly 1,200 inmates housed in federal detention facilities in Florida have been fully inoculated, meaning they have received both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons data.
Five of the seven privately-run prisons in Florida, operated by The GEO Group, are following state guidelines for the timing of vaccine distribution to staff, inmates and detainees.
GEO is a service provider and the facilities we manage are Florida state correctional facilities (they are not GEO facilities) and are required to follow strict contractual requirements as well as state policies, procedures, standards and guidelines, a GEO Group spokesperson said in a statement. As such, the Florida state correctional facilities we manage are required to follow the same vaccination guidelines as all Florida state correctional facilities.
Spokesperson Meredith Beatrice would not provide an estimate for when inmates could expect to gain access to the vaccine. When asked if the state would make shots available to them when Floridians of all ages get access, she would not specify. Instead, she said DeSantis will evaluate data to determine next steps.
Pizzo, D-Miami, says he believes the data is already there.
In Florida, nearly 18,000 inmates or roughly 22% of the prison population have contracted the virus. And 210 prisoners have died from COVID-19 complications while as of Wednesday, state data shows.
Compared to Floridas general population, state inmates are 81% more likely to die from COVID-19, according to data from the state Department of Health.
COVID death rate in our prisons is about 80% higher than outside, Pizzo posted on Twitter on Tuesday night. Not one single vaccine has been offered to Florida inmates. No 65 year olds. No 70 year olds. Or 75 year olds. No one.
Public health experts have also found incarcerated people are among those who are most vulnerable to contract the virus. A study from Johns Hopkins University, for example, found inmates are three times more likely to die and five times more likely to become infected than the general population.
Inmates are not the only one who are vulnerable inside prisons. Prison staff are at risk, too.
Over the past year, more than 5,600 corrections workers including nurses, correctional officers, custodians and other prison staff have contracted COVID-19. At least six of them have died from complications of the disease. The union that represents prison staff, however, says it believes coronavirus-related deaths among staff is higher than reported by the state.
Florida Department of Health officials have asked some corrections workers, including nurses and doctors who have direct contact with patients, to seek appointments for the vaccines regardless of age. They ask them to contact their local hospital or county health department. The number of prison workers who have been vaccinated to date is not known.
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