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Science

Private astronaut missions to the ISS will soon require a NASA chaperone

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During the mission, dubbed AX-1, the four-member crew spent nearly two weeks off of Earth’s surface, at least in part conducting experiments and other scientific work. Other space tourism companies like Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic only offer customers short trips that allow for a few minutes of microgravity.

Among the most notable new policies for these pricey, private missions to the ISS is that “upcoming private astronaut missions include a former flown NASA (U.S.) government astronaut as the mission commander,” according to the NASA update.

The requirement is still being finalized, NASA added, but the agency noted that having a former, legitimate astronaut “provides experienced guidance for the private astronauts during pre-flight preparation through mission execution.” The former NASA astronaut also “provides a link” between residents on the ISS and the private astronauts, which the agency said “reduces risk” to ISS operations and safety.

Late last year, SpaceX launched the Inspiration4 mission, which was bankrolled by billionaire Jared Isaacman and had a four-person crew composed entirely of people without any prior spaceflight experience. This private mission, however, simply took a three-day spin around Earth in a SpaceX dragon capsule and did not dock at the ISS.

Axiom has already stated that its second private astronaut mission to the ISS, dubbed AX-2 and expected to launch next year, will have former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson as a mission commander.

During remarks at the annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference last week, López-Alegría spoke about how he became mission commander for the AX-1 flight, saying he initially didn’t expect to return to space after retiring from NASA.

When Axiom was looking for customers, however, “It became pretty clear, first of all, that customers really didn’t want to fly with nobody who’d done it before,” he said. It also became apparent, he said, “NASA was a lot more comfortable having someone who’d been there before.”

“We were having a meeting and we looked around the room and I was the only guy who’d been to space, so I raised my hand. I volunteered,” López-Alegría quipped at the conference.

NASA is also adding additional requirements that appear to be a result of new information learned from the AX-1 mission. Future private missions to the space station will include more time for “microgravity adaptation,” as the floating environment of the ISS can often induce space sickness, which is akin to motion sickness.

The federal space agency will also be introducing clarifications to the ISS code of conduct for commercial visitors, requirements for more detailed plans regarding crew interactions with the media, as well as a requirement for additional time to evaluate research proposals before they are brought on board.

Larry Connor, an AX-1 crewmember, told CNN in April that he and his crewmates were pressed for research time on the ISS.

“If it were not for the NASA’s Crew-3 astronauts, and their phenomenal help, we would never – underscore the word never – have been able to accomplish all of our objectives,” Connor said at the time. “We underestimated the time on some of the projects. We had one project early on that we thought was two-and-a-half hours take five hours.”

A NASA rep did not immediately respond to CNN Business’ request for further comment on the new requirements. They come, however, as the private spaceflight industry has officially lifted off after decades of people largely having to rely on government agencies and the extraordinarily selective astronaut hiring process if they wanted to go to space. Now, those who seek to leave Earth’s surface simply must have the means to pay for it.

While Axiom did not publicly disclose how much its first cohort of private astronauts shelled out for the AX-1 mission, the Washington Post reported that each crew member dished out $55 million for the flight.

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Entertainment

Sesame Place Issues A Statement With The Intent To Require Training To Avoid Future Incidents Of Bias – Deadline

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Sesame Place is in hot water.

Comms director at The Frontline, Leslie Mac, posted a video to social media about how a four year old girl and a friend (both Black children) were ignored by a performer in a Rosita costume, when the kids had their arms extended for high-fives and hugs. The performer did wave to visitors standing around the children.

The mother of the girl posted the video to Instagram. 

Many dismissed the incident as an unintentional mistake, that is until similar videos of characters ignoring Black kids popped up on social media. 

Sesame Place issued a statement to social media this past weekend in which they claimed to have spoken to the family, apologized, and invited them back to the park. However, Mac says the conversation never happened. 

Sesame Workshop, a Sesame Place licensed partner said in a statement on social media, “We have been in contact with Sesame Place, our licensed park partner, and they have assured us that they will conduct bias training and a thorough review of the ways in which they engage with families and guests.” 

The children’s theme park followed up with their own statement on social media. “We sincerely apologize to the family for their experience in our park on Saturday; we know that it’s not ok. We will conduct training for our employees so they better understand, recognize and deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience to our guests.”

Several celebrities and high profile people reacted to the incident. 

Singer Kelly Rowland took to social media to voice her opinion.



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Sports

Bryce Harper Reportedly Likely To Require Thumb Surgery

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Phillies star Bryce Harper fractured his left thumb on a hit-by-pitch Saturday night, a development that necessitated an immediate injured list stint. He’s undergone further testing over the past two days to determine the next steps in his treatment, and it seems as if the reigning NL MVP is likely to go under the knife.

Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Harper “is expected to need surgery” to repair the fracture. That procedure wouldn’t necessarily end his season, but Lauber indicates it’d cost him at least two months. Even in the (seemingly unlikely) scenario where Harper avoids surgery, he’s looking at a four-to-six week absence at minimum, per the Inquirer.

On the one hand, it’s encouraging to hear that Harper anticipates making a return this season even if he does need to undergo a procedure. Yet the development that he’s likely headed for surgery that’ll cost him eight-plus weeks is obviously a brutal blow for a Philadelphia club that hasn’t staked a strong claim to a playoff spot to this point. The Phils enter play Monday owning a 39-35 record, placing them a game and a half back of the Cardinals for the final National League Wild Card spot (with the Giants also sitting a game above them).

That solid but not excellent showing has been in spite of another stellar year from Harper. He’s hitting .318/.385/.599 with 15 home runs through 275 plate appearances, offense that checks in 66 percentage points above the league average by measure of wRC+. That’s not far off the 170 mark from last season that resulted in his second career MVP. Playing through a UCL tear in his throwing elbow has relegated Harper to designated hitter for much of the season, but he’s remained one of the sport’s most productive offensive players.

Offseason signees Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber will split time between one corner outfield spot and DH while Harper’s out of action. The Phils recalled Mickey Moniak over the weekend to join Odúbel Herrera and Matt Vierling as other options for interim skipper Rob Thomson. Philadelphia grabbed Oscar Mercado off waivers from the Guardians this afternoon to add a center field-capable depth player to the mix. Mercado has followed up a solid 2019 rookie showing with a trio of subpar seasons at the plate that eventually squeezed him off Cleveland’s roster.

Claiming Mercado certainly won’t preclude the Phils from further addressing the outfield over the next five-plus weeks. Center field was likely to be a target area even before Harper’s injury, and probably losing the star slugger through the end of August only figures to increase the club’s urgency for other upgrades. Andrew Benintendi, Anthony Santander, Michael A. Taylor, David Peralta, Tommy Pham and, if the Mariners don’t right the ship in the coming weeks, Mitch Haniger, are among the host of outfielders who could be available at the deadline.

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Entertainment

AEW World Champion CM Punk injured, will require surgery

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CM Punk appeared live on AEW Rampage to address the AEW World Championship and his career. There were rumors of an injury to Punk because he was seen limping after his match on Dynamite.

Punk said that every bone in his body, even the broken ones, were telling him earlier today to go back home to be with his wife and dog but he felt that he owed the fans an explanation.

Punk said that he is injured and needs surgery. Punk added that “a couple of things are broken and the biggest one is my heart” but the good news is that the wheels haven’t fallen off and he’s been through worse. Punk said that he doesn’t want to hold up the company and he will relinquish the title. He promised to come back bigger, faster, stronger, and hungrier than ever before. There was no timetable given for his return to action.

UPDATE: It was later stated that Punk is still champion and an interim champion will be crowned at the Forbidden Door PPV.

Click here for complete AEW Rampage results.



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Sports

Tom Wilson says he suffered a ‘significant’ knee injury that may require surgery. He tried to come back in the series, but couldn’t.

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A freshly clean shaven Tom Wilson was one of the first Capitals players to talk to the press on Breakdown Day, Sunday.

Wilson, wearing black, somberly spoke about an injury he suffered three shifts into Game One against the Florida Panthers. Shortly after scoring the Capitals’ first goal of the postseason, Wilson tried to deliver a big hit to MacKenzie Weegar behind the net and crashed into the boards. One of Wilson’s skates could be seen turned to the side upon impact on replays. The Toronto native was unable to return and missed the rest of the six-game first-round series.

Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette described the injury as a lower-body issue and that Wilson was out day-to-day. Today, Wilson outlined the issue as a knee injury that may need surgery. The injury will keep Wilson out for “some time.”

“I have a pretty significant injury,” Wilson said. “I’ve got to talk to the doctors. We’ve obviously been talking quite a bit but the focus was on the team.”

“It was kind of a weird, freak thing,” Wilson said. “I went into the hit and tweaked my knee. Everything you heard was honest. I was doing everything I could to get back. Just one of those things that I wasn’t able to. Bit of a bummer but it is what it is. It kind of sucked that it happened at this time (of year). I was pretty good all season (with injuries).”

“I tried to avoid the hit a little bit,” Wilson continued. “I was going in, I was going in pretty fast, and I tried to avoid it a little bit and I jeopardized myself. Probably hyper-extended my leg in the boards or something. I pivoted around the boards to get onto my left leg and I don’t know exactly what happened. I tried it out and it was no good.”

When asked specifically if he tore his ACL, Wilson evaded the question.

“I don’t really know how this works,” Wilson said. “I haven’t had many injuries. I don’t know how specific I want to get right now to be completely honest with you. I’m a guy that plays pretty hard and I don’t want to give too much information. I’m sure it’ll come out at some point. We’ll leave that for another day.”

Wilson confirmed that despite his knee issue, he was trying to return in the series – perhaps unwisely. When the Capitals were facing elimination after their 5-3 Game Five loss, Wilson got off the team flight back from Florida and went to MedStar Capitals Iceplex. Wilson skated hard to test out his knee but ultimately did not feel he could return. He did clarify an observation from an RMNB reader that spotted him at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. “I saw somewhere where I was flying around the ice, Wilson said smirking. “I definitely wasn’t flying around.”

He added, “It was one of those things where I was trying to be the unique situation where the odd person can kind of [come back from it]. Get a brace and get out there and there’s a chance. I was trying everything I could. I just wasn’t able to do it.”

Wilson became choked up as he recalled his rehab. “I was trying everything I could (to come back). Every person you walk by, every fan, every person, ‘We need you back, we need you back.’ That was tough. You feel a little bit like you let people down and that sucks.

“Watching [the series] was extremely tough just thinking you know, you could help out or be a little bit of a difference in different moments.”

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan was not as optimistic as Wilson about him returning in the series or later on down the line in deeper rounds.

“He was not going to come back,” MacLellan said. “They’re having exit medicals here. They’ll make a decision in the next day or two on what we’re doing. [Surgery] is on the table.”

Despite how the postseason ended, Wilson had his best year to date. The first line right wing registered career highs in goals (24), assists (28), points (52), and power-play points (10) this season and made his first All-Star Game appearance. For the third consecutive year, Wilson kept his penalty minutes under 100. He did not face any supplemental discipline for any hits he doled out.

“My summer sucks now in more ways than one,” Wilson said of both the Capitals losing in the first round and the intense rehab that awaits him. “I’ve got to start my recovery.”

Screenshot: Capitals



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US

M.I.T. Will Again Require SAT and ACT Scores

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Students applying to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2022 will have to submit SAT or ACT exam scores, the university announced on Monday, nearly two years after suspending the requirement because the pandemic had disrupted testing for many applicants.

The requirement was reinstated “in order to help us continue to build a diverse and talented M.I.T.,” said Stu Schmill, the dean of admissions and student financial services and a 1986 graduate, in a statement.

“Our research shows standardized tests help us better assess the academic preparedness of all applicants,” he said. The decision will affect first-year students or transfer students who want to enroll at M.I.T. in 2023.

In a Q. and A. posted by the M.I.T. News Office, Mr. Schmill said the office’s research had shown that the university “cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors.”

The move bucks the trend seen at other elite colleges and universities, which have waived standardized testing requirements amid criticism that wealthier students can afford prep coaching and have an advantage.

M.I.T. “is definitely an outlier,” said Bob Schaeffer, executive director at the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. He called M.I.T.’s reinstatement of standardized test scores “an unfortunate decision.”

“So much of the super selective admissions world has decided that test scores are not fair or accurate,” he said.

The University of Chicago, one of the most selective schools in the country, did away with requiring SAT and ACT scores before the pandemic, Mr. Schaeffer said. The school was among 1,075 four-year colleges and universities that instituted test-optional policies before 2020, he said.

During the pandemic, when many high schools were closed or teaching remotely, about 750 additional colleges and universities waived the requirement that SAT and ACT scores be submitted with applications, Mr. Schaeffer said.

As of today, more than two-thirds of the 2,330 four-year colleges and universities in the United States have extended making SAT or ACT scores optional at least through fall 2023, he said.

Last May, leaders of the University of California system voted to eliminate test score requirements permanently. And Harvard will remain test-optional at least through fall 2026, Mr. Schaeffer said.

“All the Ivy League schools are test optional for at least one more year,” he said.

Other universities like the California Institute of Technology and Worcester Polytechnic Institute have also waived making SAT and ACT test scores a requirement on applications, Mr. Schaeffer said.

Mr. Schaeffer also noted that M.I.T. had not publicized the research it cited showing that SAT and ACT math test scores can predict success at the university.

“It’s hard to understand how without more evidence,” he said. “M.I.T. math scores are so high on average that there won’t be much distribution in scores.”

Andrew Palumbo, the vice president for enrollment management at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, said on Monday that while he didn’t “begrudge any individual institution for making any decision that’s right for them,” he viewed standardized testing as having “classist, racist, sexist overtones.”

A high ACT or SAT score, he said, is not necessarily the only harbinger of success, especially when that score may have been earned through expensive, specialized classes, which may not be an option for most students.

Instead, Worcester Polytechnic Institute puts more weight on a student’s high school transcript because it paints a better picture of academic success over several years, Mr. Palumbo said. The school will not be considering test scores in its admission process for at least eight years.

“It really bothers me — the societal costs — if we continue to let these test scores and what we think they mean be a barrier to better outcomes for students in our universities,” he said.

Even for math-heavy schools like Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Mr. Palumbo added, a student’s SAT score is not important.

The math portion of the SAT focuses mostly on algebra, problem solving and data analysis, according to the College Board, the national organization that sponsors the college admission tests.

“It’s not looking at calculus,” Mr. Palumbo said. “So it’s kind of a bizarre tool for us to use.”

In an interview on Monday, Mr. Schmill said that M.I.T. did not publish its data because doing so could compromise the privacy of its students.

Typically, the university enrolls about 1,000 students a year, he said. M.I.T. accepted about 1,337 students for the 2022-23 school year and expects to enroll about 1,100, he said.

M.I.T. said last year that 33,240 students applied to join the class of 2025, an increase of 66 percent over the previous year.

The choice to reinstate the requirement is “a very M.I.T. specific decision,” Mr. Schmill said. “I’m not saying that this is the right decision for any or every other school. But for us, we think this is the right decision.”

In his statement, Mr. Schmill said that all M.I.T. students must pass two semesters of calculus and two semesters of calculus-based physics, as part of the university’s general requirements.

“The substance and pace of these courses are both very demanding, and they culminate in long, challenging final exams that students must pass,” he said. “Given this, it is perhaps not surprising that the SAT/ACT are predictive (indeed, it would be more surprising if they weren’t).”

On Monday, he said that students who were accepted when test score requirements were waived had done well so far.

“We had confidence in every student we admitted,” Mr. Schmill said. “For students who don’t have an SAT score, there was something else that gave us confidence that the students would succeed here.”

Jeffrey Selingo, the author of “Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions,” said on Monday that some universities might revert to requiring SAT or ACT scores in order to shrink the increasing number of applications received and improve the selection process.

The number of first-year applications through mid-February increased 10 percent from last year, according to the Common App, one of the nation’s most used application services.

“What’s the best thing to put a limit on applications?” Mr. Selingo said. “It’s to bring back the testing and require the test.”

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Health

Lincoln Grand Cinema to require moviegoers be vaccinated at some showings | Movies

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Virus Outbreak-Viral Questions-Animals

Yes, pets and other animals can get the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but health officials say the risk of them spreading it to people is low.

Dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, otters, hyenas and white-tailed deer are among the animals that have tested positive, in most cases after contracting it from infected people.

While you don’t have to worry much about getting COVID-19 from your pets, they should worry about getting it from you. People with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should avoid contact with pets, farm animals and wildlife, as well as with other people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“If you wouldn’t go near another person because you’re sick or you might be exposed, don’t go near another animal,” says Dr. Scott Weese at Ontario Veterinary College.

Not all infected pets get sick and serious illness is extremely rare. Pets that show symptoms typically get mildly ill, the CDC says.

Some zoos in the U.S. and elsewhere have vaccinated big cats, primates and other animals that are thought to be at risk of getting the virus through contact with people.

This particular coronavirus most likely jumped from animals to humans in the first place, sparking a pandemic because the virus spreads so easily between people. But it does not easily spread from animals to people. Minks are the only known animals to have caught the virus from people and spread it back, according to Weese.

Three countries in northern Europe recorded cases of the virus spreading from people to mink on mink farms. The virus circulated among the animals before being passed back to farmworkers.

How easily animals can get and spread the virus might change with different variants, and the best way to prevent the virus from spreading among animals is to control it among people, Weese says.

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US

CDC guidelines don’t require negative test for ending COVID isolation, but says they’re the “best approach”

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Following days of criticism over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision last week to shorten its recommended isolation period for those who test positive for coronavirus but have no symptoms, the agency now acknowledges that the “best approach” includes seeking out a rapid at-home COVID-19 test before ending isolation. 

“If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test towards the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved,” the CDC said.

However, the CDC’s new recommendations stop short of setting out a requirement for a negative rapid COVID-19 test before leaving the shortened isolation period for those with no symptoms, as some experts have called for. 

COVID-19 tests are in short supply amid the spike in Omicron cases, with many stores and websites sold out of the rapid at-home antigen tests and people facing hours-long lines for limited offerings of free tests.

“The appropriate tool in this pandemic to answer the question, ‘Do I need to isolate? Am I infectious and a risk to my neighbors?’ is using a rapid antigen test because it only stays positive as long as you are infectious,” epidemiologist Dr. Michael Mina, the chief science officer at eMed, told “CBS Mornings.”

In explaining why they decided not to require a rapid test, the CDC said negative antigen tests do “not necessarily indicate the absence of transmissible virus.” The agency also pointed to the Food and Drug Administration’s authorizations governing use of the tests, saying that the regulator had not specifically OK’d the at-home kits “to evaluate duration of infectiousness.” 

“There continues to be confusion around this, in large part because of how we continue to regulate the tests at the FDA. It leads to claims that are written on the box that are not necessarily in line with how Americans actually are wanting to use the test. And that puts the CDC a bit in a box,” Mina had said. 

The update comes amid a flurry of changes published Tuesday by the CDC laying out more detailed guidance for those who must “quarantine” after being exposed to the virus or “isolate” after testing positive, beyond its recommendations last month that cut isolation for many Americans down from 10 days to five days if they don’t have symptoms. 

To end isolation, the CDC acknowledges that some symptoms — like loss of taste or smell — “may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay” Americans returning to their lives. 

However, the agency urges that people looking to end their isolation period after five days should do so only if most of their symptoms, like fever, have improved without continued use of medications, and they should wear a “well-fitting mask” to protect other people.

“If you are unable to wear a mask when around others, you should continue to isolate for a full 10 days. Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, and nursing homes and other high-risk settings, until after at least 10 days,” the CDC says.

The agency also now says that this guidance is intended for most Americans, including for students and school staff, but excludes “high-risk congregate settings” like prisons and homeless shelters. The CDC had also recently published guidance on different quarantine and isolation recommendations specific to health care providers. 

While the CDC’s COVID-19 guidance is not binding, many workplaces and local governments often echo the agency’s recommendations in the policies they enforce. 

“These updated recommendations also facilitate individual social and well-being needs, return to work, and maintenance of critical infrastructure,” the agency said in a post outlining the reasons behind its changes. 

Many health departments and employers have already moved to adopt the CDC’s shortened isolation guidance, A growing number of industries were advocating for the changes to relieve staffing shortages from outbreaks. 

Modeling published this week by a consortium of researchers warned of a “sharp and fast” surge in cases that could peak this month driven by the Omicron variant — which now makes up an estimated 95% of new infections. The U.S. is averaging nearly 500,000 new COVID-19 cases reported per day, another record high that is now roughly double the peak reported last winter.

Even before the fast-spreading Omicron variant led to historic staffing shortages, the CDC said its previous 10 day isolation period had been only followed in its entirety by “only a small percentage of people (25-30%)” who test positive.

“We know based on two years of experience now with this virus that the vast majority of your transmissibility happens in the day or two before you get symptoms and the two or three days afterwards,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Monday.

“Probably about 80 to 90% of your transmissibility has happened in those first five days. And we really want people to be sure if they’re going to be home, they’re home for the right period of time,” said Walensky. 

Alexander Tin

CBS News reporter covering public health and the pandemic.



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Health

San Francisco, other Bay Area counties require masks again in offices, gyms amid omicron surge

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Until now, San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma and Alameda counties had allowed people to take their masks off in offices, gyms and religious gathering spaces like churches, provided everyone was fully vaccinated.

The counties had negotiated with the state to preserve those exemptions after California’s reinstatement of a universal mask mandate earlier this month.

But with data clearly showing that omicron is infecting vaccinated people in significant numbers, the exemptions are now gone. The counties’ new orders take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.

“When we see numbers like this, it’s time to respond,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County public health officer.

Contra Costa County made a similar move to revoke mask exemptions on Tuesday. All nine Bay Area counties now are fully aligned with California’s indoor mandate.

Fully vaccinated people are at greater risk of infection than ever before in the pandemic. In California, case counts for fully vaccinated people stood at 13.6 cases per 100,000 and 70.5 cases per 100,000 unvaccinated for the week ending Dec. 19. Just one month earlier, the weekly average figures were 5.4 per 100,000 for vaccinated and 38.4 per 100,000 for unvaccinated.

And the latest rates are before omicron slipped into Christmas gatherings and sent infection rates even higher. In Sonoma County, holiday gatherings are the cause of 40% of new cases where the source of infection is known, according to county health officer Dr. Sundari Mase.

San Francisco reported its highest single-day case total ever on Tuesday — 805, according to state data and Chronicle analysis, which tends to differ slightly from the city’s official figures.

Actual numbers are certain to be higher because many people are taking home antigen tests and not reporting the results.

Hospitals are not overwhelmed yet, according to Contra Costa County Director of Public Health Dr. Ori Tzvieli, but they are getting more calls.

“What I’m concerned about is two to three weeks down the road when even more people have COVID,” he said.

Dr. Karen Relucio, the Napa County health officer, said hospitalizations remain stable and manageable so far.

“We have good capacity. We’re not at the highest level we’ve seen before,” she said.

Dr. Caesar Djavaherian, co-founder of the San Francisco-based care provider Carbon Health, said his company’s clinics typically see 40 to 50 patients a day but are now seeing roughly double that — and most of it is COVID.

“Clinics are getting overrun,” he said. “The wave is real.”

Asked about the mood among health care providers in the Bay Area, he said, “It’s 100% exhaustion.” Not only are care providers coping with potential exposures or infections in their own families, but on top of that they are seeing a flood of patients.

Health workers are trained to prioritize patients, but it “wears you down as a provider,” Djavaherian said, adding, “The degree of stress out there, especially for health care workers, is incredibly high.”

Experts urged people to take as many precautions as possible — get vaccinated, boosted, wear masks, gather only in small groups and do rapid tests beforehand — though a testing shortage obviously makes that difficult, and the tests are also not foolproof in terms of accurately detecting positive cases.

“At this point with omicron surging the way that it is, I would not recommend New Year’s celebrations unless they are small,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer. “Small, intimate gatherings are the way to gather this New Year. It’s not the time to go to a large gathering.”

Mase, of Sonoma County, went further. She recommended that those who are not vaccinated avoid holiday gatherings and travel. For those, vaccinated and unvaccinated, who choose to gather, she recommended well-fitting masks for everyone — and not cloth masks.

Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the department of medicine at UCSF, said in a Twitter thread Wednesday that while things are hard now, significant improvements could be around the corner.

“By early February, we could be in a place where COVID is, in fact, ‘like the flu’ – with the vast majority of the U.S. protected through vaccines or recent infections, folks at higher risk having ready access to an oral treatment that markedly lowers their risk,” he wrote — though he added that this was by no means a certainty.

Chronicle staff writers Erin Allday and Nami Sumida contributed to this report.

Kate Galbraith is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kgalbraith@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kategalbraith



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US

Chicago to Require Vaccine Proof for Indoor Spaces Like Restaurants, Bars, Gyms – NBC Chicago

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Chicago will soon require proof of vaccination for indoor public spaces like restaurants, bars and gyms in the new year, the city’s mayor announced Tuesday, joining other big cities like New York and Los Angeles in adding the requirement as COVID cases surge.

Beginning Jan. 3, anyone age 5 and older will be required to show proof of full vaccination to dine inside or visit gyms or entertainment venues where food and drinks are being served.

The city said the policy is “in response to an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases both locally and nationally, driven in part by the omicron variant.”

“Despite our diligent and equitable vaccine distribution efforts throughout this year,
unfortunately, our city continues to see a surge of COVID-19 Delta and now Omicron cases,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. “New steps must be taken to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents. This public health order requiring proof of vaccination to visit certain indoor public places is a necessary measure to ensure we can continue to enjoy our city’s many amenities as we enter the new year.”

According to the new guidelines, those 5 and older must show proof of full vaccination, but anyone ages 16 and older will also need to provide identification that matches their vaccination record. Employees at such venues will also need to either be vaccinated or wear a mask and show proof of weekly negative COVID-19 tests.

Chicago Department of Public Health Dr. Allison Arwady gave the latest COVID-19 metrics in the city as officials announced a new vaccine requirement in public places Tuesday.

The city noted its indoor mask mandate also remains in effect.

“This new requirement will not eliminate COVID risk, but it will help ensure a much safer indoor environment for fully vaccinated Chicagoans, as well as for the employees working in these higher-risk settings. As we head further into the winter months, we must take this step now,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a statement. “With Omicron, I do expect to see many more COVID reinfections and breakthrough cases, but luckily the vaccines continue to protect very well against severe illness, hospitalization, and death—and even more so when people have also had a booster shot. I remain most worried about the hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans who still have not received a single dose of COVID vaccine nor recovered from COVID infection. I’m worried for their own health, but also for the risk they pose to others’ health and to our hospital capacity—and while we are in this concerning surge, we must limit that risk.”

Here are the full requirements:

Indoor Dining

Establishments where food or beverages are served, including, but not limited to, restaurants, bars, fast food establishments, coffee shops, tasting rooms, cafeterias, food courts, dining areas of grocery stores, breweries, wineries, distilleries, banquet halls, and hotel ballrooms

Indoor Fitness

Gyms and fitness venues, including, but not limited to, gyms, recreation facilities, fitness centers, yoga, Pilates, cycling, barre, and dance studios, hotel gyms, boxing and kickboxing gyms, fitness boot camps, and other facilities used for conducting indoor group fitness classes.

Indoor entertainment and recreation venues where food or beverages are served

Including, but not limited to, movie theaters, music and concert venues, live performance venues, adult entertainment venues, commercial event and party venues, sports arenas, performing arts theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, card rooms, family entertainment centers, play areas, pool and billiard halls, and other
recreational game centers.

Places Not Included in the Requirement

The vaccine requirement does not include houses of worship; grocery stores (though indoor dining sections within grocery stores would be included); locations in O’Hare International Airport or Midway International Airport; locations in a residential or office building the use of which is limited to residents, owners, or tenants of that building; or food service establishments providing only charitable food services, such as soup kitchens. Schools and day cares also are not included in the order.

Businesses will be required to develop and keep a written record of their plans for implementing and enforcing the vaccine requirement while also posting signage at entrances.

There are some exemptions to the requirement, however, city officials noted. Those include:

• Individuals entering an establishment for less than 10 minutes for ordering and
carrying out food; delivering goods; or using the bathroom;
• A nonresident performing artist who does not regularly perform or render services
in a covered location, or a nonresident individual accompanying such a performing
artist, while the performing artist or individual is in a covered location for the
purposes of such artist’s performance;
• A nonresident professional athlete or a nonresident individual accompanying such
professional athlete, who enters a covered location as part of their regular
employment for purposes of the professional athlete/sports team competition;
• Individuals who have previously received a medical or religious exemption (e.g.
from an employer), provided such patrons show the establishment proof of the
medical or religious exemption and a COVID-19 test administered by a medical
professional within the last 72 hours prior to entering.
• An individual 18 years of age or younger who enters a covered location to
participate in an activity organized by a school or after-school program offered by
any pre-kindergarten through grade twelve public or non-public school; and
• An individual who enters for the purposes of voting in a municipal, state, or federal
election; or, pursuant to law, assisting or accompanying a voter or observing such
election

City health officials had been saying for weeks that vaccine proof may soon be required for certain indoor activities and public spaces.

Several restaurants and venues have already required proof of vaccination or negative tests to enter regardless of citywide rules.

“There’s no denying that we are in a fifth wave of COVID-19,” Lightfoot said during an address Tuesday. “This new wave is seemingly more deadly than the last, spreading faster and causing profound harm. I have not been this concerned about COVID-19 since the early days of the pandemic in 2020.”

Cook County health officials also encouraged heightened mitigations last week as suspected omicron cases continued to grow in the suburbs just outside of the city.

The county said that while the delta variant remains the prominent variant, case counts, case rates, test positivity, hospitalizations and deaths “are all increasing.”

“CCDPH is issuing Increased mitigation practices for individuals and businesses,” the county health department said in a release. “CCDPH urges suburban Cook County residents to follow them to slow the spread of COVID-19. We must continue to work together to keep each other healthy and to avoid overwhelming the healthcare system.”

In Chicago alone the average daily case rate has risen to 991 per day, a 79% increase from the week prior. Daily hospitalizations and deaths have also seen increases in the last week, city data shows.

Across Illinois, cases and hospitalizations continue to rise leading up to the holiday.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state has reported 12,328 new cases of the virus in the last day, the most it has recorded in a single day in 2021. In fact, the number is the most in a single day since Dec. 1, 2020, when 12,542 new cases were reported, according to IDPH data.

At least 17 omicron cases have been detected so far in Illinois, according to IDPH, with local health officials confirming at least two in the Chicago area, one being in the city itself.

At the same time, the state is also seeing a surge in newly-hospitalized coronavirus patients, with more residents seeking emergency medical care than at any point so far this year.

Still, while they encourage local authorities to make decisions on a regional level, state officials have said there are currently no plans to bring back restrictions at a statewide level just yet.

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