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Unvaccinated Kids Banned From Public Spaces in Rockland County NY

Officials in Rockland County New York have imposed a 30-day state of emergency that bans unvaccinated minors from public spaces. The move comes after Rockland reported 153 measles cases, 84 percent of which were found in people 18 and under. Officials say the move is mostly to get public attention and hold parents accountable, but […]

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  • Officials in Rockland County New York have imposed a 30-day state of emergency that bans unvaccinated minors from public spaces.
  • The move comes after Rockland reported 153 measles cases, 84 percent of which were found in people 18 and under.
  • Officials say the move is mostly to get public attention and hold parents accountable, but if parents are caught with an unvaccinated child in public they could receive up to six months in jail or fines of $500.

State of Emergency

Officials in Rockland County New York declared a state of emergency on Tuesday that effectively bans all unvaccinated children under the age of 18 from being allowed in public places.

The state of emergency is set to last 30 days until April 25. This means that unvaccinated minors cannot be in a public space until they receive at least one vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), or until the 30 days are up.

The declaration defines a “public place” as anywhere in public where more than ten people are congregated. Notably, that includes schools, stores and restaurants, places of worship, and public transit.

The only exceptions to the ban are for the purpose of medical care, immunizations, and public appearances required by law, like attendance at court. However the declaration does require parents or guardians to call in advance and inform these places that their children are unvaccinated.

Why?

While there is no way to formally enforce the ban, officials have said that that not really the point of the declaration.

In a press conference, Rockland County Executive Ed Day said that the move is intended to get people’s attention and hold parents accountable.

“There will not be law enforcement or deputy sheriffs asking for your vaccination records, that is ridiculous,” said Day, “However, if you are found to be in violation of this declaration your case will be referred to the district attorneys office, that just comes with the emergency declaration and is prescribed by law.”

Day also said that the effort is intended to focus on the parents of unvaccinated children, stating, “We are urging them, once again, now with the authority of law, to get your children vaccinated.”

While the point of the declaration is not to crack down on people who have not vaccinated their kids, parents who are found to have allowed their unvaccinated kids in public places during the 30-day prohibition can face up to six months in jail or fines of $500

Measles Outbreak in Rockland County

The declaration comes after unprecedented outbreaks in New York City, Rockland County, and Orange County, which the state’s health commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker called “the worst measles outbreak in recent history in New York state.”


Source: CDC

Following the initial reports in January, nearly two out of every three of all measles cases were in Rockland County, which had reported at least 105 cases at the time.

In response to the outbreak, Rockland closed more than two dozen schools and daycare centers that had low vaccination rates.

In order for vaccines to be effective, around 90 percent of people have to be vaccinated. In January, it was reported that some private schools in Rockland County had vaccination rates around 50 percent.

However, since January, the situation in Rockland has only gotten worse. As of Mar. 26, the county reported 153 confirmed cases of measles.

Of those confirmed cases, over 84 percent were 18 years and younger, and 82 percent of people infected had never received an MMR vaccination.

Source: Rockland County Department of Health

While some have said Rockland’s ban is extreme, the county has tried a wide variety of actions for months, and the outbreak has only spread more.

In addition to the executive order that pulled nearly 6,000 unvaccinated children out of schools, Rockland County has also administered nearly 17,000 doses of the MRR vaccine over the course of 26 weeks.

There was also a public health campaign during which community officials, doctors, and rabbis all testified about the importance of immunizations.

Rockland has increased their vaccination rate, but only 72.9 percent of kids between the ages of one and 18 are vaccinated in the county, according to Day.

Day also said that when county officials tried to trace the outbreak, members of the community dismissed them, refused to answer questions, and hung up their phones.

Response

Many public health officials have said Rockland County’s actions make a lot of sense.

However, unsurprisingly, the ban of unvaccinated children in public spaces has already received some backlash.

Source: CDC

The outbreak is more widespread in the Orthodox Jewish community, which has a lower vaccination rate, according to Day.

A Rabbi Yakov Horowitz, who founded a yeshiva in Rockland, said while he strongly supports vaccinations, he was also concerned the declaration could lead to potential harassment and discrimination against ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Some public health law experts are also concerned that the declaration infringes on civil liberties.

Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University, questioned whether or not the move was constitutional.

“This is virtually imprisonment of a child, and certainly significantly restricting the child’s liberty,” said Gostin.

However, similar decisions in Rockland have been upheld in other cases.

Back in December, Rockland banned unvaccinated students from schools where less than 95 percent of the students were vaccinated. A group of parents responded by suing the county health department, but a federal judge ruled the school ban could stay earlier this month.

That said, this constitutional argument could be persuasive to anti-vaccination groups that would want to challenge the declaration, even if it only is for 30 days.

This is significant because Day has said he believes Rocklands ban is the first of its kind the US, and a number of public health experts have backed up that claim.

If Rockland’s prohibition works, it could set an example for other counties and states.

“I think this definitely could be a new trend as we have more unvaccinated children,” said Leila Barraza, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona’s Zuckerman College of Public Health. “If there’s evidence this has worked, then I think it will probably be tried again.”

For more information about measles visit the CDC’s website. 

See what others are saying: (NPR) (New York Times) (NBC New York)

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White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds

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 “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.


White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached record levels in 2022, according to a report published Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism.

The ADL found over 6,700 cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022, which marks a 38% jump from the nearly 4,900 cases the group found in 2021. It also represents the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL. 

The propaganda tallied by the anti-hate organization includes the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic flyers, banners, graffiti, and more. This propaganda has spread substantially since 2018, when the ADL found just over 1,200 incidents. 

“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.” 

The report found that there were at least 50 white supremacist groups behind the spread of propaganda in 2022, but 93% of it came from just three groups. One of those groups was also responsible for 43% of the white supremacist events that took place last year. 

White supremacist events saw a startling uptick of their own, with the ADL documenting at least 167, a 55% jump from 2021. 

Propaganda was found in every U.S. state except for Hawaii, and events were documented in 33 states, most heavily in Massachusetts, California, Ohio, and Florida.

“The sheer volume of white supremacist propaganda distributions we are documenting around the country is alarming and dangerous,” Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL’s Center on Extremism said in a statement. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by these coordinated, hateful actions, which are designed to sow anxiety and create fear.”

“We need a whole-of-society approach to combat this activity, including elected officials, community leaders, and people of good faith coming together and condemning this activity forcefully,” Segal continued. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (The New York Times)

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Adidas Financial Woes Continue, Company on Track for First Annual Loss in Decades

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Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 


Yeezy Surplus 

Adidas’ split with musician Kanye West has left the company with financial problems due to surplus Yeezy products, putting the sportswear giant in the position to potentially suffer its first annual loss in over 30 years. 

Adidas dropped West last year after he made a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and other broadcasts. His Yeezy line was a staple for Adidas, and the surplus product is due, in part, to the brand’s own decision to continue production during the split.

According to CEO Bjorn Gulden, Adidas continued production of only the items already in the pipeline to prevent thousands of people from losing their jobs. However, that has led to the unfortunate overabundance of Yeezy sneakers and clothes. 

On Wednesday, Gulden said that selling the shoes and donating the proceeds makes more sense than giving them away due to the Yeezy resale market — which has reportedly shot up 30% since October.

“If we sell it, I promise that the people who have been hurt by this will also get something good out of this,” Gulden said in a statement to the press. 

However, Gulden also said that West is entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Yeezys per his royalty agreement.

The Numbers 

Adidas announced in February that, following its divergence from West, it is facing potential sales losses totaling around $1.2 billion and profit losses of around $500 million. 

If it decides to not sell any more Yeezy products, Adidas is facing a projected annual loss of over $700 million.

Outside of West, Adidas has taken several heavy profit blows recently. Its operating profit reportedly fell by 66% last year, a total of more than $700 million. It also pulled out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which cost Adidas nearly $60 million dollars. Additionally, China’s “Zero Covid” lockdowns last year caused in part a 36% drop in revenue for Adidas compared to years prior.

As a step towards a solution, Gulden announced that the company is slashing its dividends from 3.30 euros to 0.70 euro cents per share pending shareholder approval. 

Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

“Adidas has all the ingredients to be successful. But we need to put our focus back on our core: product, consumers, retail partners, and athletes,” Gulden said. “I am convinced that over time we will make Adidas shine again. But we need some time.”

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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Immigration Could Be A Solution to Nursing Home Labor Shortages

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98% of nursing homes in the United States are experiencing difficulty hiring staff. 


The Labor Crisis 

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper has offered up a solution to the nursing home labor shortage: immigration. 

According to a 2022 American Health Care Association survey, six in ten nursing homes are limiting new patients due to staffing issues. The survey also says that 87% of nursing homes have staffing shortages and 98% are experiencing difficulty hiring. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) outlined in their paper that increased immigration could help solve the labor shortage in nursing homes. Immigrants make up 19% of nursing home workers.

With every 10% increase in female immigration, nursing assistant hours go up by 0.7% and registered nursing hours go up by 1.1% And with that same immigration increase, short-term hospitalizations of nursing home residents go down by 0.6%.

The Solution 

Additionally, the State Department issued 145% more EB-3 documents, which are employment-based visas, for healthcare workers in the 2022 fiscal year than in 2019, suggesting that more people are coming to the U.S. to work in health care. 

However, according to Skilled Nursing News, in August of 2022, the approval process from beginning to end for an RN can take between seven to nine months. 

Displeasure about immigration has exploded since Pres. Joe Biden took office in 2021. According to a Gallup study published in February, around 40% of American adults want to see immigration decrease. That is a steep jump from 19% in 2021, and it is the highest the figure has been since 2016.

However, more than half of Democrats still are satisfied with immigration and want to see it increased. But with a divided Congress, the likelihood of any substantial immigration change happening is pretty slim. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (KHN) (Skilled Nursing News)

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