Aug. 19, 2021 8p
From WGTD News and Wisconsin Public Radio:
Kenosha Unified administration is recommending separate mask policies for younger and older children when the new school year starts next month. If approved by the school board next week, masks will be optional in grades 7-12. But students in 3K through 6th grade would be required to wear them. The difference is that a vaccine has yet to be approved for children younger than 12. The proposed mask policy, as well as other aspects of the district’s return plan, are expected to be discussed by the board at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
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Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian reportedly isn’t planning on proposing incentives for COVID shots anytime soon. That’s according to City Administrator John Morrissey who responded to questions following the City of Racine’s implementation Wednesday of an incentive program. Unvaccinated City of Racine residents are eligible for $100 in gift cards for becoming fully vaccinated. And vaccinated residents who bring in relatives and friends are eligible to receive a $50 gift card per person. Racine city administration says its analysis of similar incentive programs around the country show they work. But in an email to WGTD, City Administrator Morrissey said a similar type of program is not currently under consideration at Kenosha city hall. Currently, half of Racine County’s total population is vaccinated, nearly two points higher than what’s the case in Kenosha County.
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Although the season hasn’t even begun, the Burlington Area School District football program has been thrown for a loss. According to a report in the Journal Times, 16 football players—mainly freshmen and sophomores—are in quarantine because one player tested positive for COVID. While the varsity season opener Friday night is expected to go on as scheduled, some JV and freshmen games have been canceled. The school year in Burlington begins Sept. 7th.
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State health officials said Thursday that they’re bracing for the COVID-19 pandemic to get worse as the seven-day average of new cases is seven times what it was one month ago. Most new infections stem from people who are not fully vaccinated, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The agency launched a new webpage on Wednesday that displays a side-by-side comparison of COVID-19 rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated residents. "The increase in cases we are seeing in Wisconsin right now is being largely driven by the delta variant, and the overwhelming majority of people who are contracting COVID have not been fully vaccinated," said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake in a statement. The rate of COVID-19 cases among people who are fully vaccinated more than doubled from February to July, according to DHS data. The rate of cases increased from 56.6 cases per 100,000 people vaccinated to 125.4 cases per 100,000 people vaccinated. Meanwhile, state data shows the rate of new infections among unvaccinated people in July was nearly 4.5 times higher than the case rate in June.
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