One month after schools reopened, Pennsylvania enters fourth surge of pandemic
The coronavirus continues to spread through Pennsylvania at an alarming rate, with the state now recording nearly 5,000 cases a day, double the rate a month ago. An average of 40 people are dying across the state each day, and the surge of new cases portends a new wave of deaths in the coming weeks. The number of hospitalizations has doubled since mid-March to almost 3,000, 20 percent of which are in intensive care units (ICUs).
Pennsylvania classroom with in-person instruction (Credit: Conestoga Valley School District Facebook page)
This rapid rise in cases and hospitalizations takes place roughly a month after schools reopened in Philadelphia and throughout the state, and is occurring despite the ramping up of vaccinations. More than 42 percent of Pennsylvanians have received their first shot and 25 percent are fully vaccinated. However, there are still millions of people who are vulnerable to infecti
Calls for head of Scranton teachers union to resign
There are calls for Rosemary Boland, long-time head of a teachers union in Scranton, to step down after comments she made during two school board meetings. Author: Elizabeth Worthington Updated: 6:48 PM EST February 18, 2021
SCRANTON, Pa. These are the words of Scranton Federation of Teachers President Rosemary Boland that touched off a controversy: We have children from families who are underserved by our medical community, nobody thinks about them, our black children, our brown children, our immigrant children, we don t know who in their family has had Covid, we don t know if they have been vaccinated because we don t know any of that because nobody has documentation for that part of our population right now.
New Positive COVID-19 Cases Rise In Pennsylvania
(Harrisburg, PA) New positive COVID-19 cases are rising in Pennsylvania. The state s Department of Health announced more than 3,300 cases yesterday. 94 more people also passed away due to complications of the coronavirus.
There are currently 2,124 people in Pennsylvania hospitals linked to coronavirus. Middletown Food Bank Offering Help To Texas
(Middletown, PA) A food bank that works in Middletown is offering help to those affected by the winter storm in Texas. The Midwest Food Bank announced yesterday that it will be sending disaster relief packages to Texas soon. Bank officials say they plan to send over four-thousand food boxes to help those who are affected by winter weather in Texas.
Nadine Zaccheo thought she found her dream job teaching third grade at Scrantonâs John F. Kennedy Elementary School six years ago. She loved her students and knew she made a difference in their lives.
But, her yearly salary of $41,288 forced her to work a second job as a tutor to pay the bills and even fund supplies for her classroom. She came home exhausted each night and unsure when, or if, she and other Scranton teachers would receive a raise.
In June, she made the decision to accept a job in the Delaware Valley School District, where she makes an additional $20,000 a year â more than some of her former Scranton colleagues earn who have taught in the city for nearly 20 years.