CDC endorses frequent school COVID testing to keep kids in class and end disruptive quarantines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released updated guidance endorsing "test-to-stay" policies that will allow students exposed to someone with COVID-19 to stay in school if they test negative for the virus.

Many school districts across the nation have already implemented these test-to-stay policies, but the CDC's official guidance was not updated until Friday, when the agency published two studies that showed the policies did not lead to increased virus transmission in schools.

“Test-to-stay is an encouraging public health practice to help keep our children in school,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.

Until now, CDC guidance for schools advised that when someone in a school tests positive for COVID-19, anyone who was in close contact with that individual should isolate in quarantine at home for at least 10 days.

But hundreds of schools in the U.S. have adopted test-to-stay policies as an alternative approach, and several states have funded statewide test-to-stay policies to ensure that students do not spend long periods of time out of the classroom, according to the Associated Press.

The CDC worked with some school districts to evaluate these programs and released two studies on Friday that showed test-to-stay is succeeding.

One study of K-12 schools in Los Angeles County examined a test-to-stay strategy adopted on July 12 that permitted unvaccinated students who were exposed to COVID-19 to stay in school if they regularly tested negative, were asymptomatic, and wore a mask while in school. The study found that keeping kids in school under these conditions did not increase transmission risk in public schools and "might greatly reduce loss of in-person school days."

A second study of schools in Lake County, Illinois, had similar results for a test-to-stay policy that was adopted in August. Close contacts of infected persons were allowed to stay in school provided both the infected person and the close contact were masked when an exposure may have happened, the close contact was asymptomatic, and the close contact was tested one, three, five, and seven days after exposure to the infected person.

In that study, COVID-19 infections developed in only 16 out of more than 1,000 close contacts who were tracked, a transmission rate of about 1.5%.

"Test-to-Stay is another valuable tool in a layered prevention strategy that includes promoting vaccination of eligible students and staff, requiring everyone age 2 and older wear a mask inside schools and facilities, keeping at least 3 feet of distance between students, screening testing, ventilation, handwashing, and staying home when sick," CDC officials said.

"Additionally, CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older get a COVID-19 vaccine to help protect against COVID-19. Adolescents ages 16 years and older can get a booster shot at least six months after a primary series. Widespread vaccination for COVID-19 is a critical tool to best protect everyone from COVID-19 and COVID-19 related complications," the agency added.

The CDC recommends that students who participate in test-to-stay should "consistently and correctly wear masks while in school and should stay home and isolate if they develop symptoms or test positive for SARS-CoV-2."

Schools that wish to adopt test-to-stay policies must have "robust contact tracing" programs and access to testing resources, the CDC said.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/cdc-endorses-frequent-school-covid-testing-to-keep-kids-in-class-and-end-disruptive-quarantines

EU threatens to cut Russia off SWIFT

If Russia orders an invasion of Ukraine, the country runs the risk of being completely shut out of SWIFT, a major global payment system, the EU has warned amid claims in the West that Moscow is planning a strike on its neighbor.

In a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday condemning an alleged build-up of Russian troops and hardware on the shared border, Brussels noted that it must be poised to send “a very stark warning that military hostilities will not only be unacceptable, but also come at a high economic and political price.”

According to the text, any new embargoes should target the Russian officer corps and officials involved in the purported planning for a possible offensive, as well as the “immediate circle and oligarchs in the orbit of … President [Vladimir Putin] and their families.”

Under the plans, Moscow would also be cut off from the SWIFT payment system, hitting vital sectors of the Russian economy and disrupting the “financing of the country’s intelligence services and the military,” the press release read.

The resolution, which saw 548 votes in favor, 69 against and 54 abstentions, comes amid concerns that Russia could stage an all-out assault on Ukraine. Last week, US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said that Washington, alongside a handful of Western European nations, is considering isolating Moscow from the global financial system in the event of a military incursion.

Moscow has consistently denied accusations from a number of Western officials that it is plotting an invasion of the Eastern European nation. Last month, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov described reports in Anglophone media as groundless and “hysteria.” He previously stated that “the movement of our armed forces on our own territory should be of no concern to anyone,” and that Russia is neither a danger nor a threat to any other country.

https://www.rt.com/russia/543532-eu-plan-swift-cut/

Heated Confrontation At A School Board Meeting Ends Early When A Board Member Gets Punched In The Face

A heated exchange led to an altercation between a resident and a school board member, ending the Tuesday school board meeting early, Fox 61 reported.

A Board of Education meeting for Glastonbury Public Schools (GPS) in Connecticut culminated in district resident, Mark Finocchiaro, punching school board member Ray McFall to the ground after McFall left the stage, confronted Finocchiaro and pushed him while McFall was supposed to be voting on a petition under dispute, Fox 61 reported.

The school board was gathered to consider a petition calling on the board to reverse its decision to change the mascot from the Tomahawks to the Guardians, Fox 61 reported. Almost 40 residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, but Finocchiaro’s speech was the only one that resulted in a confrontation with board members on the stage after his time was called.

Finocchiaro argued “this is the history of our town,” regarding the Tomahawks mascot, and a school board member responded by saying that he was “not paying attention.”

“You’re not paying attention, but they are,” Finocchiaro said while pointing to the audience.

The superintendent ended the meeting after the fight broke out and the police arrived, Fox 61 reported. The police are currently investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made.

“I was there just to watch and I didn’t know I would end up being involved in separating an argument or a physical fight,” Glastonbury Town Councilman and police officer John Cavanna told Fox 61. “They’re upset about the mascot, but they were much more upset about the manner in which the Board of Education went about removing it.”

The board decided to phase out the Tomahawk mascot in August of 2020 during virtual meetings due to the pandemic, which the public said made them feel left out of the process of making the decision, Fox 61 reported. Those in favor of keeping the original mascot reportedly believe it is part of the town’s history.

“I would like to see us put a formal letter together to both of our federally recognized tribes and reach out to any actual Native Americans that live here in Glastonbury for their opinions,” school board member Jenn Jennings told Fox 61. “And the question is what can we do as a town to bring Native American studies into our schools.”

The meeting ended with no decision on the mascot name, Fox 61 reported.

“The Board of Education appreciates that there will always be passionate testimony when controversial issues are considered,” Alan Bookman, superintendent of GPS said in a statement, NBC Connecticut reported. “But, it is critical that we listen to each other with respect and follow meeting rules so that everyone can be heard.”

GPS and its Board of Education members did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

https://dailycaller.com/2021/12/17/glastonbury-public-schools-board-mark-finocchiaro-ray-mcfall-fight/

Chicago Lutheran Church Hosts ‘Drag Queen Prayer Hour’ For Children

Chicago, Illinois – St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square hosted a “drag queen prayer hour” for children last weekend.

According to the Lutheran church’s Facebook post, “Seminarian Aaron Musser” preached in drag to children as part of “a dress rehearsal for joy.”

Also known as grooming.

“Today, we consider what it might be like to have a dress rehearsal for the kind of joy awaiting us on the other side of Advent. It’s been so hard to know what that joy will be, because it’s been so long since some of us have been joyful. It’s been a difficult and tiring couple of years.” the drag queen said.

“And I decided instead of telling you, ‘this is how I want you to be joyful,’ as we prepare for this dress rehearsal, I figured I would instead put on a dress as so many who have inspired me have done. I decided to follow their example, showing that liberation from oppressive laws clears a path for joy.”

“But allowing yourself to feel joy can be scary. I wasn’t sure how the outside world would handle me when they saw me this morning. Joy is difficult to feel, it’s vulnerable. But isn’t it so beautiful?”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/12/chicago-lutheran-church-hosts-drag-queen-prayer-hour-children-video/