New Zealand is preparing for an avalanche of Omicron cases. When we do confront the new variant, how much does timing matter? Jamie Morton explains.

What would an Omicron outbreak look like?

That's precisely what modellers are busy trying to calculate right now. But it's clear the inevitable wave we're facing will be both large and swift.

Te Pnaha Matatini's Professor Michael Plank said it was possible we may face an outbreak big enough to peak with tens of thousands of new daily cases.

It may kick off much as Auckland's Delta crisis did, with an unlinked community case pointing to a hidden iceberg of infections, but escalate much faster.

Across the Tasman, it took just a month for new daily cases in New South Wales to swell from a few hundred to nearly 40,000, forcing the state to bring public health restrictions back.

That owed to the sheer speed at which the variant can spread:one recent Danish studyfound it to be 2.7 to 3.7 times more infectious than the Delta variant among vaccinated and boosted individuals.

Plank said states like Queensland, which just recorded nearly 16,000 new cases, and South Australia could act as good guides of what to expect here, as they had high vaccination rates but hadn't seen the Delta surges their neighbours had.

But there were steps that could soften the blow.

One was vaccination coverage: while around 93 per cent of eligible New Zealanders have received both doses, wider uptake of the booster shot was also critical.

While it wasn't yet clear how well the booster shot prevented transmission of Omicron, there was now plenty of data to show it greatly reduced the risk of severe illness.

UK monitoringshowed that, at about 20 weeks after the second dose, effectiveness against symptomatic disease was only around 10 per cent with Omicron. But at two to four weeks after the booster dose, that protection rose to 65 to 70 per cent.

Around 830,000 Kiwis have received booster doses since 1.2 million people became eligible this month.

"It's a big unknown at the moment as to what level of coverage we'll have when Omicron does start spreading here," Plank said, "but the more people who are boosted, the more we can bring case numbers down".

Our overall lack of exposure to the virus was also important.

By contrast, in the UK, which has high vaccine coverage, high booster uptake, and almost two years of exposure to circulating virus, about 97 to 98 per cent of adults test positive for Sars-CoV-2 antibodies.

Even so, Britain logged a daily high of more than 180,000 cases early this month.

Otago University virologist Dr Jemma Geoghegan noted that New Zealand's child vaccine had only just gotten underway and nearly 220,000 unvaccinated teens and adults were also vulnerable.

Around 830,000 Kiwis have received booster doses since 1.2 million people became eligible this month. Photo / Supplied

"While kids have always been the least likely to have severe disease, looking overseas, the vast majority of people who end up in ICU are unvaccinated and I'd say they're the most vulnerable group here."

As well, the same health inequities seen over Auckland's Delta outbreak where Mori and Pacific populations were hit disproportionately hard could again feature in an Omicron wave.

Another factor was what health interventions officials tried to block it with.

As director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has acknowledged, the traffic light system that's performed so well against Delta may now need a change-up and the outcome of a Cabinet meeting discussing current settings will be announced tomorrow.

Bloomfield has indicated that more restrictions were likely to be put in place as the country.

Working from home and lowering the number of people allowed at gatherings were all back on the table, but he said the health response wouldn't necessarily be around more lockdowns.

With Omicron's potential to quickly overwhelm our test-and-trace regime, Otago University experts have suggested pivoting to a mitigation approach of "flattening the curve" to protect the health system.

University of Auckland senior lecturer Dr David Welch said Australia hadn't done a good job at using such measures against Omicron.

"They've really gone for a 'let it rip' approach so I think New Zealand does have greater ability and social licence to control it a bit better than Australia has, and hopefully take the edge off."

Does timing matter?

Omicron's lightning-fast march across the globe it could well infect half the population of Europe within two months showed that its transmissibility didn't solely depend on inherent seasonal factors that influenced other respiratory viruses.

"Most respiratory infections have their peak incidence in winter, at least in temperate countries like New Zealand and the UK, hence terms like 'seasonal flu'," Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said.

"But pandemic respiratory infections can strike during any season, as we have seen with the rapid spread of Omicron in summer in a number of Southern Hemisphere countries such as Australia and South Africa."

Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has acknowledged the traffic light system that's performed so well against Delta may now need a change-up. Photo / Supplied

However, he added, Omicron was still somewhat easier to tackle in summer, as there was slightly greater potential to slow spread with measures like encouraging people to shift activities outside, or open windows.

The biggest headache with battling Omicron in the colder months, of course, was that health services would be already stretched dealing with winter ills like the flu or RSV, which caused a national crisis last year.

"This winter, New Zealand can expect to see more severe respiratory infections as several of the common respiratory viruses notably influenza have been largely excluded for the last two years, so immunity to them is likely to have declined."

While around two thirds of nationwide ICU beds were already occupied and only a few of them with Covid-19 patients that capacity could be surged to around 550 ICU-capable beds, the Ministry of Health told NewsHub last week.

Baker expected the country would probably achieve "peak immunity" to Covid-19 at some point in the next three to four months, immediately after a high proportion of adults had received a booster, and young children were fully vaccinated.

"Arguably, that would be the timing when New Zealand would be best placed to manage an Omicron outbreak with the least health impacts."

That's why, despite it being further from the very warmest time, Baker and colleagues have been pushing the Government to try to delay Omicron's arrival until at least March.

"We can also use this time to get other measures in place including supplies of rapid antigen tests, higher quality face masks, and better protocols for schools, workplaces and healthcare services."

Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker. Photo / Supplied

After calls to "turn down the tap" on overseas arrivals and lower the case load at the border, the Government last night put a halt on releasing more MIQ rooms.

Will we be dealing with an outbreak before winter anyway?

Baker said it was highly likely New Zealand would confront Omicron well before winter.

It could happen when New Zealand relaxed its border controls as had been planned after February or indeed at any moment, if Omicron slipped into the community via MIQ, airport staff or air crew, or a sea port.

That danger was highlighted yesterday, when an airport worker tested positive despite having received both vaccine doses and a booster, and also by the handful of other Omicron scares recorded since Christmas.

With another 56 new cases detected at the border today the vast majority, if not all, likely to Omicron an outbreak-causing failuremight occur within weeks, or even days.

An analysis of previous breaches indicated a failure occurring with every 100 to 200 cases in MIQ although that risk would have changed with higher vaccination levels in travellers, and the more infectious nature of Omicron.

There's been a ten-fold increase in cases at the border compared to December.

Currently, the seven-day rolling average of border cases is 33.

As Baker and colleagueswrote this week: "While not all of these failures will result in a community outbreak, a certain proportion almost certainly will."

And if an outbreak did happen now, Welch said we'd at least have the advantage of the virus having a lower effective reproductive number (Re) that's the number of secondary infections caused by one case in a population with mixed susceptibility than in winter.

Whereas Omicron's current Re might sit at around two, it could be three or above over winter.

"That partly might be why we're seeing so few cases right now. Yet, by the same token, New South Wales and South Africa are roughly in the same seasons we are, and they've had very large outbreaks."

In the meantime, Welch said New Zealand had an opportunity to prepare.

"I think there needs to be some urgency in getting those boosters out and getting children vaccinated."

He stressed that, while Omicron infections appeared to be milder at an individual level, it was the variant's systemic risk that made it such a threat.

"Everyone becomes at much greater risk if the hospital system stops working."

- by Jamie Morton

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Explained: Why the timing of Omicron's arrival matters - Newstalk ZB

For many people, do it yourself, home improvement projects can be rewarding and typically more affordable than paying professional contractors to do the job. This is, of course, if the task at hand is relatively straightforward. However, refacing cabinets is a challenging project, and if mistakes are made, it can turn out more costly than using a professional service.

Though you might save on labor by taking the DIY route, youll still need plenty of supplies and tools to complete the job, and purchasing them can be expensive. If you cheap out and buy all the products needed at the lowest price, to save money, it will likely result in a poor-quality job.

We have relationships with manufacturers who can provide us with high-quality products at the best price. If you try purchasing similar cabinet doors and draw fronts of the same quality yourself, its going to be much more costly.

Kitchen cabinet refacing requires a lot of expertise and attention to detail. Hiring a professional who has had plenty of experience in carrying out cabinetry work will guarantee the end results are perfect. If you mess up, its on your dollar, and having to fix the issue will add costs and time to your project.

You can expect us to complete the job in two to four days; we have streamlined the process, have skilled, highly-trained professionals on hand, and all the tools and materials needed available. Even the most skilled DIY enthusiast will struggle to complete the work within a week, and thats if they get it right the first time.

If you are firmly determined to reface your cabinets yourself, realize that you dont get the guarantees that a professional cabinet refacing company offers if you mess up. If you want a fast, professional service using high-quality tools and supplies, save yourself the stress and hire skilled cabinet refacing experts such as ourselves.

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Kitchen Cabinet Refacing | Kitchen Tune-Up

Affordable Cabinet Refacing deserves an A+

This was the third time my husband and I hired Affordable Cabinet Refacing because we know the quality of their work. Several years ago they refaced our cabinets in our old home. It came out beautiful and when we sold the house, that was the biggest selling pointeveryone at the open house loved the kitchen (got the offer that day!).

Then we had ACR reface our cabinets in our vacation condo in Mount Washington Valley. They did the kitchen and the bathroom it came out really nice; we were very pleased with the results.

Finally, we hired ACR to reface the kitchen cabinets in our new home. This time I changed my mind on my cabinet and countertop selections twice and Shawn was patient with me until I was sure I had ordered what would be best in our kitchen. It came out beautiful., again we were quite pleased with the craftsmanship and quality of the work. I love my roll out shelves and soft close drawers.

All three times Shawn reviewed our options thoroughly and when he wrote up the contract he reviewed it word for word with us so there would be no confusion or errors. They are on time, professional, hardworking and do quality work, until the job is done.

If you are on the fence about hiring ACR, do not hesitateyou wont be disappointed!

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Affordable Cabinet Refacing Half Cost of Replacing Cabinets

We live in a complicated world and location is the science of our world, allowing us to organise and apply thinking related to human and natural activities. The world is constantly changing and we are part of this living, evolving system, that touches all of our lives.

As individuals, it touches our friends and families. As workers, it touches our organisations and businesses. As citizens, it touches our cities and communities. And as human beings, it touches our whole planet. Essentially, everything happens somewhere.

Nearly all data can be linked to a physical location and time. Location is a powerful way to connect people to place, transactions to actions, responses to trends, and customers to where they do business and the kind of business they do. However, location isn't just a common thread connecting disparate data sources and breaking down silos; often it provides the most transformative insights.

Location intelligence is powered by what is generally referred to as a Geographic Information System, or GIS. A GIS is a platform that provides a framework of capabilities to manage, visualise, analyse, optimise and ultimately understand the significance of location, place and geography.

A GIS helps to transform businesses and organisations across a wide range of industries by enabling a better understanding of the impact and influence of where things are.

Location intelligence: Esri Ireland

Esris ArcGIS System is the worlds most powerful mapping and spatial analytics technology, helping organisations across 80 countries to visualise, analyse and optimise business data for better evidence-based decision-making. The ArcGIS System combines maps, apps and data analytics to deliver location intelligence and meet digital transformation needs for organisations of all sizes.

Esri Ireland is the market leader in GIS and its application. As Esri's official point of presence in Ireland and Northern Ireland since 2002, it has partnered with both the public and private sector to help them understand the impact of geography on their business. Esri Ireland is part of the Esri Global Network, a billion-dollar privately held software company with nearly 10,000 employees worldwide.

Location intelligence: enabling industry growth

Esri Ireland provides software, services and expertise for a continually growing and broad-ranging customer base. Esris technology is applied across many different industries from construction, renewable energy and engineering, to utilities, government departments and local authorities.

Esri Ireland, through its customers, also supports critical infrastructure projects of national importance within the Programme for Government, Project Ireland 2040, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the National Data Strategy, all of which connect and encourage stakeholder communities to work collaboratively across different industries and market sectors.

Esri Irelands diverse customer community is testament to the flexible and dynamic nature of its offerings and highlights the value location intelligence can bring to every industry. For example, Esris ArcGIS System is the pivotal technology enabling Actavo to design a high-speed fibre broadband network that will help to deliver connectivity to 1.1 million people in rural Ireland through the National Broadband Plan.

Bord na Mna is actively engaged in projects to restore and rehabilitate 33,000 hectares of peatlands and uses Esris ArcGIS System to design and implement the most appropriate rehabilitation measures as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Open Eirs new service mapping web app, built using Esris ArcGIS, allows customers to easily search by Eircode or address for a property on an interactive map to discover which areas of Ireland have 1 GB fibre-to-home or 100 MB fibre-to-cabinet connectivity.

The Veterinary Service Animal Health Group within Northern Irelands Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has completely transformed its animal disease investigation process with new digital workflows, swapping paper forms on clipboards for field-based ArcGIS Survey apps and online dashboards.

Location intelligence: our planets nervous system

Location intelligence through The Science of Where is creating an enormous impact across all parts of life, enabling individuals, organisations, businesses and communities to not only collect and manage their data, but to synthesise and socialise it into interesting collections of detailed information for the planet.

By thinking globally and acting locally, data related to location is increasingly being organised into all types of information products that help us understand almost everything about our world, creating what Esri refers to as an intelligent nervous system for the planet.

This nervous system is providing a framework for advancing scientific understanding and integrating and analysing all types of spatial knowledge across many fields such as biology, sociology, geology, and climatology.

By applying the #TheScienceofWhere and harnessing the value of location intelligence, its possible to gain insights and solve some of the most complex business and societal challenges were facing today and into the future.

For more information, call 01-8693900, email [emailprotected] or visit esri-ireland.ie

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Why location intelligence is the science of where - Business Post

Cant stand the look of your cabinets and dont have the budget to replace them with brand new ones? Dont fret. You have options.

DIY options

There are three options that you can do on your own that can perk up the appearance of the cabinets painting, refinishing and refacing.

Painting: Using good-quality, enamel-based paint, you can choose any color you want.

Its best to remove the cabinet doors and drawers and paint them separately. You can ensure a higher quality finish by applying the paint with a cup gun, HVLP (high volume, low pressure) sprayer, or similar system. For an added layer of protection and durability, apply three to four coats of an acrylic-based clear urethane to increase the resiliency of your finished product. There are several clear coat products available at your local paint and hardware stores.

Also, keep in mind that if you have glass doors, paint the interior to match the exterior. To antique or glaze the cabinets, use a small artist brush or glaze. Check out our e-store for painting supplies.

Refinishing: This option is often the most affordable and the quickest way to bring life back into dreary cabinets. The cabinets must be in good condition because refinishing includes stripping the existing finish, sanding, and staining or painting. Staining wooden cabinets can give the illusion of any type of wood you want. You can go from whitewashed to a deep cherry wood color. It is, however, hard to go from a very dark to very light.

Refacing: Refacing involves picking out new doors and drawer fronts to replace the ones you have. The existing cabinet boxes are covered with a veneer to match your new doors/drawers. There is a wide variety of colors and finishes to choose from, even wood finishes.

Someones got a screw loose

After years of pushing and pulling, the cabinetrys hardware may be a little worse for wear.

Loose screws in the frame: If the screws in the cabinet frame are loose even after tightening them, try installing longer screws of the same design. The longer screw will pass the point where the wood has gone soft and grip tighter for a stronger hold.

If the screws in the doors are loose, do not install longer screws. This will cause problems with protrusion through the face of the cabinets and doesnt leave much in the way of future maintenance or cabinet door repairs. Instead, pick up a can of Rock Hard Putty or Equal Putty at your local hardware store. Follow the directions on the back of the putty can. Once dried, pre-drill holes and reinsert the screw.

Tip: You may want to mark a spot on your drillbit slightly shorter than the length of the screw as a stopping point, so you dont over drill into the door itself. Example: If the screw travels 1/4 inch into the door, make a mark on the drill bit at 3/16.

The doors are not square to the rest of the cabinet: Today, hinges are made with two screws that allow for adjustment when loosened. If the seam between the two cabinet doors is not even, or the two doors are not perfectly parallel to each other, adjust them.

Damaged hinge: If the hinge is bent, even slightly, it will cause problems. Make sure all plates are straight and there is no resistance while opening or closing the hinge. You may have to take the hinge off to test this. Take the defective hinge to a hardware store to match the replacement. If it needs a little WD-40, either tape the surrounding area to spray or just remove the hinge to spray.

Consider secondhand cabinets

Used cabinets are hard to find in a set. The Habitat for Humanity HabiStore in Tucson tells us they only pick up complete sets of cabinets, no odds and ends. Cabinets donated to Habitat must be a complete set, structurally sound, in good condition, no water stains, and the doors, drawers, and hardware attached. They prefer cabinets that are less than 10 years old. Painted cabinets are accepted if they are in good condition.

Another resource is Stardust Building Supplies, which sells reclaimed building materials, some of which are in excellent condition.

No free meals here

When we think of termites, we generally think about termites in the foundation or the wood structure of our home. But termites can make a meal out of our indoor cabinets, too.

Used cabinetry at a bargain price also carries the risk of infestation, especially if you dont buy from a reputable source. If the second-hand cabinetry you bring home is infested, you are exposing your entire home to trouble.

The HabiStore tells us that their receiving team uses a device to scan for termites, insects, other critters, and damage.

If you notice mud tubes, swarms, termite droppings, discarded wings or buckled or warped wood in or around your new cabinets, they have or had termites.

Call an exterminator to inspect and treat your home. Depending on the amount of damage, you may need to replace them.

Whichever option you choose to refresh your cabinets, keep them clean and repair damage quickly to keep them looking pristine for many years.

Join Rosie on the House every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on KTAR News 92.3 FM. If youd like to send us questions or comments, email mailto:info@rosieonthehouse.com. Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert since 1988, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program. Call 888-767-4348 with questions and comments.

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Restoring your cabinets without the cost of replacement - KTAR.com

Born of a summer of racial-justice protests calling for systemic change at the University of Iowa, the universitys Reimagining Campus Safety Action Committee is moving forward on its goal to rework the UIs approach to campus safety.

The committee held two town hall meetings in February to gather feedback on three potential plans depicting how campus safety could be tweaked or overhauled. The plans were designed with specific attention to how safety affects people of color and other communities that have been historically harmed by police.

UI Vice President for Student Life Sarah Hansen, who chairs the committee, said the group will compile input from the town halls and other avenues, and she hopes to present a recommendation to UI President Bruce Harreld by mid-March.

The first model is focused on recruiting a diverse campus police force and heightening anti-racism and implicit bias training for campus officers.

UI Interim Co-Director of Public Safety Mark Bullock, who sits on the committee, said these forums have given the UI Police Department a chance to highlight steps that he believes many community members dont know the university has taken.

A lot of things that we do are behind the scenes, developing programs in our community and working with community partners, campus partners to create opportunities for non-law enforcement responses, Bullock said.

The committee suggested the creation of a campus wellness division as part of the first model that would respond to less imminent safety threats, such as mental health crises and substance abuse. Emergency dispatchers would decide who should handle calls for service.

The second model, the holistic approach, suggests a more dramatic overhaul of the universitys approach to campus safety. It would minimize UIPD presence on campus and divert service calls to other professionals, such as crisis and health care workers.

Under this model, the UIPD would only respond to more serious crimes and wouldnt be on campus unless requested.

The third approach suggests the creation of an oversight committee focused on police accountability and considers past actions from the campus police department and makes recommendations. It would be overseen by a presidents cabinet member.

Hansen said the three models are tentative, and the committee could combine any number of approaches in its final recommendation to Harreld.

One of the most important things is that even though theyre presented as unique, discrete models, there are elements of the potential models that could be broken down and reconstituted in different iterations, she said.

RELATED: Reimagining Campus Safety committee holds first town hall, unveils three prototypes for changing campus safety

Hansen said Harreld will most likely share feedback and discuss the effectiveness of each model with the cabinet, which includes the universitys vice presidents. She said the university could begin acting on those changes by this summer.

The committee developed the three prototypes in response to initial feedback from the universitys cultural centers and diversity councils, Hansen said. Its also seeking campus feedback through a survey on the Division of Student Life website, she said, and it plans to give presentations to the presidents cabinet, staff council, and faculty senate in the near future.

She said the committee has focused on feedback from diverse groups that are more negatively impacted by law enforcement.

That was something that we felt was very important, knowing that certain individuals in our community are impacted differently by systems such as law enforcement, she said. So, we purposely started with those populations in order to make sure that their feedback was really heard.

The majority of students who attended the two town halls showed favor for the holistic model, which suggests drastically reducing police presence on campus.

Felicia Pieper, a graduate research assistant in the UI College of Public Health, said she favors the holistic model that is close to where we need to be going.

The thing about policing is its a structural problem, and so I dont think these reformist or add-on policies are going to do anything to actually get at the root causes of the problem that were facing, Pieper said. And so, the holistic approach gets to that by completely restructuring what safety looks like.

Pieper said the holistic approach could provide more opportunities for crime prevention by funneling funding into improving health and well-being on campus.

We know the police dont prevent crime. Police come after crime has happened thats the nature of policing, Pieper said. Social determinants of health, like good housing, fair working conditions, safe neighborhoods, along with strong communities, actually are what prevents crime, and thats what we see in this model.

While Bullock said UIPD supports what the university decides, he said he prefers a plan that keeps the campus police department involved in campus safety without cutting funding or staff.

When we talk about cutting staff, especially internally here, at the university Department of Public Safety, theres faces behind these numbers, he said. Theres families behind these numbers and the people that would be impacted.

He added that, first and foremost, the UIPD wants to serve the community and it would be disheartening to not have officers and public safety employees included in the process to make change and get on the right side of history.

Pieper said it was frustrating that UIPD did not mention its involvement in Iowa City protests that occurred on June 3, after the OIR Group, a California-based firm specializing in police oversight, released a report about it in late January. The lack of transparency within the committee is concerning to those who are wanting to see real change, Pieper added.

Its really frustrating that this is now the only point where the university is reaching out to the university community for input at the very end of the process, she said. They chose a hierarchical, bureaucratic response to that by creating an academic committee that was appointed Its not just something to be sour about, but I think thatll have direct impacts on how our community trusts this process.

Caleb Klipowicz, a Ph.D. candidate in the UI Department of Anthropology, wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan that he had never thought much about policing until last summer and he started educating himself and learning from the Iowa Freedom Riders speeches at marches.

He wrote that, as a Resident Assistant during undergraduate, he ever had an experience where police presence in the dorms unannounced made him feel safer.

For me, a safe campus is one where every student is cared for, he wrote. The holistic model was the only one I felt could make a real difference. The other two options either increased the budget for police (the opposite of what I believe we need) or created a worthless committee to give the appearance of reform.

UI fifth-year Jacob Heid said that he felt the UIPDs inappropriate response to protests last summer was not something they could just make up for with more trainings and oversight.

Theyll issue statements on saying what they stand with the black community. Theyll issue statements saying they stand with people of color with LGBTQ individuals, but then theres no action to substantiate those claims, Heid said. Theres been no desire to right the wrongs. Until there are actual attempts to apologize to reconcile to, you know, recognize that maybe police arent always going to be an appropriate option for whatever issues that may arise.

He added that the committees decision to give Harreld the final say in selecting an approach does not make sense to a lot of students who attended the meetings.

I would just hate for everyone to think that the holistic model is the best option. but then for it to be just sort of discarded because Bruce [Harreld] and his cabinet dont want to put in the work and dont want to allocate the resources, he said. So, I think there was really a big concern about that as well, which I guess we will see what happens, but I hope that good decisions are made.

Read the original here:
University of Iowa considers three models to change approach to campus safety - UI The Daily Iowan

The entire state is expected to see several inches of snow Monday in a two-part winter storm.

FRANKFORT, Ky. A State of Emergency is still in effect as officials prepare for more snow, sleet and freezing rain across Kentucky this week.

Governor Andy Beshear said people should limit travel as much as possible Monday and Tuesday, both to keep drivers safe from dangerous road conditions and allow for crews to clear out major roadways.

"We did not make it through almost a year of a pandemic to lose people to a snow or ice storm," Beshear said.

Most of the state is under a Winter Storm for Monday. Areas around Louisville are expected to get anywhere from six to 10 inches of snow from this storm. The heaviest snowfall is expected before rush hour Monday afternoon, with accumulation rates around one to two inches per hour.

"This storm will impact most of our counties, and should be considered a very dangerous system," said Michael Dossett, executive director of the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.

Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray said the upcoming snow, sleet and freezing rain will not only impact roadways, but bring more cases of downed power lines and trees. Gray said crews took the break between winter storms to restock salt supplies and clear off roads and debris.

"What we're facing is three winter storms in seven days," Gray said.

The National Guard has been alerted, and Beshear said one unit is currently working in Ashland to check on some of the areas most rural residents who lost power.

Crews with KYTC worked overnight Sunday to prepare for the Monday morning commute. Road conditions varied across the Commonwealth as some areas, including Eastern Kentucky, saw more freezing rain and sleet than snow.

Gray said crews will continue to work throughout the week to clear up roads, but echoed Beshear's push to remain home if possible.

The governor also announced the regional vaccine site in Frankfort will be closed Tuesday due to weather. He said the state believes all vaccines will be fine as appointments get pushed back one week.

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3 winter storms in 7 days: Beshear says to stay home as more snow, ice arrives - WHAS11.com

THE Government is wary of rushing the reopening of schools after last night denying reports that kids would make a phased return to classrooms from March 1.

The National Public Health Emergency Team led by CMO Dr Tony Holohan will brief the Government on Thursday about the Covid-19 health risks surrounding reopening schools.

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The Irish Sun understands that the Government is extremely concerned about the new coronavirus variants when it comes to schools with any reopening plan set to be slow and steady.

The Leaving Cert classes will be the first to return to school followed by the early year of primary school such as junior and senior infants.

But no date has been agreed.

Education Minister Norma Foley briefed the Cabinet on the confidential talks with stakeholders to try and reopen schools but no date has yet been set to start the reopening.

Reports yesterday suggested that Minister Foley told the Cabinet that the plan would commence on March 1st however, this was later dismissed by a Government official who said no final date was given to Cabinet.

A full plan to reopen schools on a phased basis is expected to be published later this week.

Leaving Cert students are set to get clarity today on whether they will sit exams this summer with a plan for the phased reopening of schools due by the end of the week.

It comes as the Government were last night preparing to publish draft legislation to enable mandatory quarantine for people coming into Ireland with travellers set to foot a 2,000 bill for their two week stay in a designated Covid hotel.

Officials from the Department of Education remained locked in talks with trade unions representing teachers last night about whether to push ahead with the traditional leaving cert or switch to a predicted grades system.

The Government wants to give students the choice to sit an exam or take a predicted grade but unions are concerned about how to assess predicted grades as students have missed large parts of the past year and have not sat Christmas or summer exams.

The Cabinet Sub Committee on Education, which includes Education Minister Norma Foley, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris and Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman will hold a crunch meeting today to make a final decision regarding this years leaving cert.

The Government are also expected to make an announcement on the phased reopening of schools by the end of the week.

Opposition parties yesterday slammed the Government for continuing to leave students in limbo and delay decisions on the leaving cert and reopening schools.

Labours Aodhan ORiordain said he was disappointed that there has been no mention of the Junior Cert or Leaving Cert Applied during the exams discussions.

He said he does not expect the practical and oral exams to take place this year and claimed if schools reopen next month they should not close again.

He said: If we are opening on the 1st of March then we want it done in a safe manner but we can not divorce the school reopening discussion from the wider discussion about suppression of the virus.

The decision on schools reopening doesnt happen separately from the wider debate but we have to open schools and then ensure that they can remain open.

Thats the key because it will be very disappointing if we open schools for a short period of time and then have to close them again for a prolonged period of time.

Everybody wants to get back to school. Its profoundly damaging for young people not to be in school. Labour has proposed a fund of 100 million that will go towards addressing some of the damage thats been caused by people being out of school.

Social Democrats education spokesman Gary Gannon said the Government could fall into the mistakes of the past by setting a reopening date for schools instead of using Covid metrics.

He said: In the past weve been let down by dates, we give a date and then we dont meet the date.

What I would like to see from the Department of Education and the Minister is a metric of at what level of numbers can our schools reopen.

That would give much more certainty. On March 1 we dont know where we will be with the numbers but we know that at a certain point we will be able to reopen our schools.

I fully except the Ministers intentions are honourable in this but I think were repeating the mistakes of the past so Im no longer interested in dates, Im interested in metrics.

The Social Democrats are calling for a taskforce to be set up to address the mental health issues facing young people following the school closures during the pandemic.

It comes as the Cabinet last night held a virtual meeting to sign off on new draft legislation for hotel quarantining with travellers set to foot a 2,000 bill for their two week stay.

Ministers held a full Cabinet meeting yesterday afternoon where the department of healths quarantining legislation was discussed but some fine tuning had to be done before it could be officially signed off at a second cabinet meeting last night.

The legislation will now go before the Dail and Seanad before being signed into law by President Micheal D Higgins in a process that is expected to take between two to three weeks.

All people arriving from 20 listed countries where new variants are spreading will be forced to undergo two weeks of quarantine at a hotel which will be run by a private security company.

The travellers will be locked in an en suite room for the two weeks and will have all their meals and laundry looked after by the hotel.

The travellers will also undergo regular Covid-19 testing during their quarantine and will be forced to pay for their stay which is expected to cost around 2,000.

The HSE are still working to secure a number of hotels to use for quarantine facilities however it is expected that this will be finished by the time the new legislation passes.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett yesterday said the Governments mandatory quarantine system will not stop the virus being reimported into Ireland unless it applies to all travellers from every country.

He said: Its full of holes because its going to be a sort of cherry picking of countries from which people will have to quarantine rather than just quarantining anybody who is coming into the country.

Unless the quarantine is across the board that anybody coming into this country is quarantined, it will not have the desired effect.

I think thats symptomatic of the governments failure to really deal with the Covid crisis and its unwillingness to take the sort of measures necessary to actually end this really grim situation that were facing.

I think its worth emphasising really how grim it is. Really the situation, the lockdown, the cases, the fatalities are really taking their toll on peoples mental health and that would not be necessary if the government were willing to embark on a serious strategy to crush Covid-19.

That would require mandatory quarantine for all incoming travellers but also critically it would involve actually stopping non essential work.

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Government wary of rushing reopening schools as reports kids would make phased return to classrooms from - The Irish Sun

With several inches of snow expected to fall today and into the night throughout much of the commonwealth, Gov. Andy Beshear said Feb. 15 that Kentuckians should avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.

The governor said the Kentucky National Guard has been activated to go door to door to check on residents in Ashland and transport people to warming stations if necessary. The National Guard is on alert with more soldiers standing by with equipment ready to assist if necessary.

Gov. Beshear said with three winter storms with snow, ice and freezing temperatures reaching the commonwealth in less than a week, Kentuckians should be extremely cautious and make plans to keep their families safe and warm.

The governor said two Kentuckians were lost to winter weather during last weeks storm and possibly another overnight.

We dont want to lose anybody else. We have been through too much. We have sacrificed too much, Gov. Beshear said. We have the ability to work virtually and stay off the roads more than ever before, so take care of one another.

The first wave of the storm hit much of Kentucky overnight, with the heaviest snow expected today during the afternoon rush hour.

The greatest potential for significant snow accumulations includes much of Central Kentucky, with some areas projected to receive up to eight inches of snow. The heaviest snowfall will take place in a period between 3 p.m. EST today through 1 a.m. EST Tuesday.

Following the governors media briefing, the Personnel Cabinet notified state employees that Executive Branch buildings will be closed beginning at 1 p.m. EST, except for employees who provide essential service operations to the commonwealth. Executive Branch agencies will continue to provide services to the citizens of the commonwealth remotely. State employees with questions regarding this closure should contact either their agencys management or human resources office.

Another system, beginning Wednesday night into Thursday night, wi ll bring an additional wintry mix across Kentucky.

The Kroger vaccination site in Frankfort will be closed on Tuesday. Those with appointments are being rescheduled for next Tuesday, Feb. 23.

The governor said a decision would be made later in the day on other vaccination sites.

This weather is going to slow our vaccinations some, but we believe we will be able to pick right back up, Gov. Beshear said.

Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett said Kentucky is experiencing an extremely unusual dynamic for severe weather in the state with three severe weather events in very close proximity.

Demonstrating the resilience of Kentuckians, we navigated the most recent severe storm event last week with your continued awareness of surroundings and diligence in checking the safety of your friends and neighbors, said Director Dossett. Lets redouble our efforts in this next challenge, with special attention for all of our state and local emergency responders who will be assisting in this dangerous storm event.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews have been out in force to proactively pretreat roads where conditions allow and respond to snow and ices damaging effects on roadways.

Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said travel could become difficult to impossible.

What were facing is three winter storms in eight days, said Secretary Gray. This next round of winter weather will bring varying conditions across the state, but what remains constant is our crews commitment to maintaining mobility along critical routes and our plea to the public to avoid unnecessary travel.

Crews are out plowing and treating routes across the state. Snowfall rates are expected to exceed one inch per hour causing roadways to be blanketed with snow shortly after being plowed. In Western Kentucky, light, powdering snow has been blowing into roadways.

Yesterday evening began with some freezing fog in Southern and Southeast Kentucky. Roadway conditions quickly worsened, resulting in several crashes along the Interstate 75 corridor in Rockcastle and Laurel counties. This morning, a crash shut down the westbound lanes of Interstate 64 in Carter County, which reopened to traffic several hours later.

Ice on roadways and bridges remains the greatest challenge as frigid temperatures create slick road surfaces, and ice can cause more downed trees and power lines for crews to remove. Ice accumulations of more than half an inch are still expected in Southern Kentucky. This will significantly impact the I-75 corridor in Madison, Rockcastle, Laurel and Whitley counties.

Crews add calcium chloride to salt to help melt snow faster when temperatures are below the freezing point. While the solution is helpful, it is less effective after dark and when traffic volumes are reduced.

The National Weather Service warns travel will become difficult this afternoon into tonight. Transportation officials urge Kentuckians to avoid being on the roads as much as possible. Ice poses hazards to all vehicle types, and drivers must slow down and exercise extreme caution. Traffic signals may become dark due to power outages and should be treated as a four-way stop by motorists.

Snow and ice resources, including traffic information, priority route maps and highway district news updates, are available at snowky.ky.gov.

If you experience a downed power line or power outage, please contact your local utility company. If possible, prepare for the need to use an alternate source of heat. Be aware of the dangers of alternate heat sources and carbon monoxide poisoning. Generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows. Never use a gas stovetop or oven to heat your home. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/co/guidelines.htm for more information.

Last Wednesday, the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management activated its State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to monitor earlier storm systems and coordinate with critical Emergency Support Function partners in transportation, law enforcement, power and utilities. The SEOC is currently activated at Level 4, but will transition to Level 3 at noon today.

Last Thursday, Gov. Beshear closed state offices due to dangerous road conditions and issued a State of Emergency, which remains in effect, as an initial winter storm blanketed much of the commonwealth in a wintry mix of snow and ice. Since Thursday, freezing temperatures and ice have remained throughout much of the commonwealth.

Originally posted here:
Beshear urges caution with multiple winter storms reaching Kentucky - Appalachian News-Express

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) With several inches of snow expected to fall today and into the night throughout much of the commonwealth, Gov. Andy Beshear said Kentuckians should avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.

During an emergency weather update Monday, the Governor said the Kentucky National Guard has been activated to go door to door to check on residents in Ashland and transport people to warming stations if necessary. The National Guard is on alert with more soldiers standing by with equipment ready to assist if necessary.

Gov. Beshear said with three winter storms with snow, ice and freezing temperatures reaching the commonwealth in less than a week, Kentuckians should be extremely cautious and make plans to keep their families safe and warm.

According to Gov. Beshear, two Kentuckians were lost to winter weather during last weeks storm and possibly another overnight.

We dont want to lose anybody else. We have been through too much. We have sacrificed too much, said Gov. Beshear. We have the ability to work virtually and stay off the roads more than ever before, so take care of one another.

State officials reporting the first wave of the storm hit much of Kentucky overnight, with the heaviest snow expected today during the afternoon rush hour.

The greatest potential for significant snow accumulations includes much of Central Kentucky, with some areas projected to receive up to eight inches of snow. The heaviest snowfall will take place in a period between 3 p.m. EST today through 1 a.m. EST Tuesday, according to state officials.

Following the Governors media briefing, the Personnel Cabinet notified state employees that Executive Branch buildings will be closed beginning at 1 p.m. EST, except for employees who provide essential service operations to the commonwealth. Executive Branch agencies will continue to provide services to the citizens of the commonwealth remotely. State employees with questions regarding this closure should contact either their agencys management or human resources office.

Another system, beginning Wednesday night into Thursday night, will bring an additional wintry mix across Kentucky. State officials shared maps from the National Weather Services 5:30 a.m. EST briefing and can be viewed here.

The Kroger vaccination site in Frankfort will be closed on Tuesday. Those with appointments are being rescheduled for next Tuesday, Feb. 23.

The Governor said a decision would be made later in the day on other vaccination sites.

This weather is going to slow our vaccinations some, but we believe we will be able to pick right back up, said Gov. Beshear.

Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett said Kentucky is experiencing an extremely unusual dynamic for severe weather in the state with three severe weather events in very close proximity.

Demonstrating the resilience of Kentuckians, we navigated the most recent severe storm event last week with your continued awareness of surroundings and diligence in checking the safety of your friends and neighbors, said Director Dossett. Lets redouble our efforts in this next challenge, with special attention for all of our state and local emergency responders who will be assisting in this dangerous storm event.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews have been out in force to proactively pretreat roads where conditions allow and respond to snow and ices damaging effects on roadways.

Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said travel could become difficult to impossible.

What were facing is three winter storms in eight days, said Secretary Gray. This next round of winter weather will bring varying conditions across the state, but what remains constant is our crews commitment to maintaining mobility along critical routes and our plea to the public to avoid unnecessary travel.

Crews are out plowing and treating routes across the state. Snowfall rates are expected to exceed one inch per hour causing roadways to be blanketed with snow shortly after being plowed. In Western Kentucky, light, powdering snow has been blowing into roadways.

Yesterday evening began with some freezing fog in Southern and Southeast Kentucky. Roadway conditions quickly worsened, resulting in several crashes along the Interstate 75 corridor in Rockcastle and Laurel counties. This morning, a crash shut down the westbound lanes of Interstate 64 in Carter County, which reopened to traffic several hours later.

Ice on roadways and bridges remains the greatest challenge as frigid temperatures create slick road surfaces, and ice can cause more downed trees and power lines for crews to remove. Ice accumulations of more than half an inch are still expected in Southern Kentucky. This will significantly impact the I-75 corridor in Madison, Rockcastle, Laurel and Whitley counties.

Crews add calcium chloride to salt to help melt snow faster when temperatures are below the freezing point. While the solution is helpful, it is less effective after dark and when traffic volumes are reduced.

The National Weather Service warns travel will become difficult this afternoon into tonight. Transportation officials urge Kentuckians to avoid being on the roads as much as possible. Ice poses hazards to all vehicle types, and drivers must slow down and exercise extreme caution. Traffic signals may become dark due to power outages and should be treated as a four-way stop by motorists.

Snow and ice resources, including traffic information, priority route maps and highway district news updates, are available atsnowky.ky.gov.

If you experience a downed power line or power outage, please contact your local utility company. If possible, prepare for the need to use an alternate source of heat. Be aware of the dangers of alternate heat sources and carbon monoxide poisoning. Generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows. Never use a gas stovetop or oven to heat your home. Visithttp://www.cdc.gov/co/guidelines.htmfor more information.

Last Wednesday, the Kentucky Division of Emergency Managementactivated its State Emergency Operations Center(SEOC) to monitor earlier storm systems and coordinate with critical Emergency Support Function partners in transportation, law enforcement, power and utilities. The SEOC is currently activated at Level 4, but will transition to Level 3 at noon today.

Last Thursday, Gov. Beshearclosed state officesdue to dangerous road conditions and issued aState of Emergency, which remains in effect, as an initial winter storm blanketed much of the commonwealth in a wintry mix of snow and ice. Since Thursday, freezing temperatures and ice have remained throughout much of the commonwealth.

Watch the full briefing HERE.

Originally posted here:
Gov. Beshear urges caution with multiple storms reaching Kentucky - ABC 36 News - WTVQ