Resilience

Researchers in the United States and Europe have seen coronaviruses with frightening mutations arise in COVID-19 patients whose natural defenses have been suppressed by drugs to fight cancer or manage autoimmune disorders.

As of February, the Washington State Department of Transportation has retrofitted 323 bridges and partially retrofitted another 114. That’s about a $144 million investment.

The trend underscores the waning immunity in Minnesotans who received COVID-19 vaccines six or more months ago, including seniors and people with underlying health conditions who were prioritized for the earliest doses last winter.

International Association of Firefighters Wilson County chapter Vice President Colton Young explained that with the 21 departures so far in 2021, Wilson County has lost more than 100 years of experience to the private sector and other counties.

After an April ransomware attack downed systems for two weeks, Gary, Ind., officials are hoping a new cybersecurity contract will help fend off threats and reduce the chances of a repeat incident.

Communities along south Baltimore’s Middle Branch of the Patapsco River have long benefited from the waterfront but are now facing increasing risk of flooding and the negative effects of the warming climate.

Through a partnership with Dell Technologies, the state has upgraded its primary data center, invested in a second center to create a digital backup of its current system and migrated a staggering 2.6 petabytes of data.

"If parents are really questioning or having concerns about the vaccine, we really strongly recommend that they reach out to their health care provider, their pediatrician or family medicine doctor."

K-12 schools remain the most common setting for new outbreaks with 100 added over the last week. Long-term care facilities followed with 30, while childcare/youth programs had 13 outbreaks.

The mandate applies to the 1,854 people employed by the city of Worcester, Mass.. The numbers don’t account for the entire workforce, only those who reported to work Monday.

For Miami Beach, it’s the latest challenge to efforts to deal with rising seas — and an example of the legal hurdles that cities around the state (and nation) may face as they plan for the future.

Deputy Chief Information Officer Neal Underwood of Louisiana has his staff focused on being ready for catastrophic infrastructure failure so if the worst ever happens, they can rebound quickly.

The “water and drought resilience” piece was allocated $5.2 billion to be rolled out over three years. Of that, roughly $400 million is money left over from three old water bond issues. The rest is new cash.

“We had 28, but we lost another member on Monday due to time constraints. That’s 90% of the issue we face. This used to be a farming community where people lived and worked here and had a strong sense of community.”

“Through the course of a first responder’s career — whether you’re a firefighter, police officer, EMT — you kind of get a higher tolerance for acceptable risk."

Exhausted health care workers around the state have also recently been experiencing hostility by patients and the people they serve, according to Dr. Anne Zink, the state's chief medical officer.

Three weeks after the remnants of Hurricane Ida ravaged the region, emergency response officials are still dealing with its aftermath. They’re also hoping the unprecedented storm will prompt residents to prepare for the next one.

The city's stricter employee vaccination mandate — announced last month and set to take effect Sept. 30 — will require vaccinations, and limit the weekly-testing alternative only to those eligible for a medical or religious exemption.