Coronavirus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans, opening a major new phase in the U.S vaccination drive against COVID-19.

According to the Iowa Department of public health, 638 people were hospitalized with the virus as of Wednesday, the highest number recorded since Dec. 23 when 644 people were hospitalized.

Ashley Hudson –an “aspiring kindergarten teacher and had dreams of becoming a Mount Mercy graduate” – died Monday, Sept. 20, as a result of COVID complications.

An Iowa man sentenced to 5 months in federal prison for filing false unemployment claims in New York and Maine. He used two checking accounts to receive funds and then would withdraw some for himself and some to send to others in the scheme.

In a quick and abrupt development with little explanation, officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that Dr. Caitlin Pedati plans to leave in October.

64 students and staff in the district are currently positive for COVID-19, and 117 in quarantine from exposure. 41 of those students positive for COVID-19 are in kindergarten through sixth grade, which is the population of students not yet eligible to be vaccinated.

In documents made public Monday, the state of Iowa provided testimonials from three women who said their children have medical issues that make mask wearing difficult for them.

Pfizer said Monday its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.

Masks will continue to be optional in Iowa’s non-public and private schools after legal experts determined a restraining order issued last week on a law banning mask mandates applies only to public schools.

An influential federal advisory panel overwhelmingly rejected a plan Friday to give Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots to most Americans, but it endorsed the extra shots for those who are 65 or older or run a high risk of severe disease.

Since students 12+ have the option to be vaccinated against COVID-19, school board decides to leave masks optional for grades 7-12.

As of Wednesday, 50.14 percent of the state’s population has completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

Students, staff and visitors in Iowa City schools will be required to wear masks on school grounds a day after a federal judge cleared the way at least temporarily for local officials to require masks in schools.

University of Iowa administrators since August 2020 have had more than a dozen interactions about violations at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity — which in recent weeks has been at the center of campus protests demanding its removal from campus. But none of those interactions have involved allegations of sexual violence.

Also, Iowa City schools Superintendent Matt Degner said he “anticipates” the district implementing a mask requirement for all students and staff Tuesday during a 6 p.m. school board meeting.