Health and Human Services (HHS) Press release anouncing $9 Billion in Provider Relief Fund Payments to Support Health Care Providers Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the distribution of approximately $9 billion in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 payments to health care providers who have experienced revenue losses and expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The average payment being announced today for small providers is $58,000, for medium providers is $289,000, and for large providers is $1.7 million. More than 69,000 providers in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and eight territories will receive Phase 4 payments. Payments will start to be made later this week.

Pennsylvania asks FEMA for help with COVID surge | AP News Pennsylvania asked the federal government on Wednesday to send health care workers to hospitals and nursing homes that are increasingly under stress from persistent staffing shortages and the latest COVID-19 surge. AP NEWS

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Only about 1 in 6 people in the US are fully vaccinated and boosted Only about one in six people in the United States are fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19, leaving hundreds of millions at risk as the threat of the Omicron variant looms. By <a href="/profiles/aditi-sandal">Aditi Sangal</a>, <a href="/profiles/adrienne-vogt">Adrienne Vogt</a>, Melissa Macaya and Mike Hayes, CNN CNN

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Appeals court reinstates some of Biden's health care worker mandate The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order Wednesday reviving in some parts of the US the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for health care workers – effectively allowing the mandate to be enforced in about half of states. By <a href="/profiles/aditi-sandal">Aditi Sangal</a>, <a href="/profiles/adrienne-vogt">Adrienne Vogt</a>, Melissa Macaya and Mike Hayes, CNN CNN

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Omicron to be dominant variant in EU by mid-January | AP News BRUSSELS (AP) — Omicron is expected to be the dominant coronavirus variant in the European Union's 27 nations by mid-January, the bloc's top official said Wednesday amid concerns that a dramatic rise in infections will leave Europe shrouded in gloom during the holiday season. AP NEWS

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Los Angeles school board delays enforcement of student vaccine mandate to fall 2022

The Los Angeles school board agreed Tuesday to delay enforcement of its student COVID-19 vaccine mandate from Jan. 10 to fall 2022, citing concerns over disrupting learning and the monumental task of transferring tens of thousands of students into independent study.

The decision came after interim Supt. Megan K. Reilly laid out a plan Friday to push back the deadline because the district was confronted with the reality that about 28,000 students had not complied and under the rules would be barred from in-person schooling and enrolled in independent study. ...

Florida returns funding to school districts penalized for mask The Florida Department of Education (DOE) has reimbursed money it withheld from eight school districts across the state that enacted mask mandates earlier this year. Nathaniel Weixel TheHill

he Florida Department of Education (DOE) has reimbursed money it withheld from eight school districts across the state that enacted mask mandates earlier this year.