Federal and state health officials, including Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, are urging schools not to re-open for in-person classes this fall. They say reopening could boost the spread of Covid-19, which has recently spiked in rural areas. They also advocate stricter rules for wearing facemasks.
Delaware has mailed primary election absentee voter applications to every registered Democrat and Republican in the state. This is part of the state’s public health strategy to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by reducing the use of in-person voting. Recently signed legislation enables all Delawareans to use vulnerability to Covid-19 as a reason to request an absentee ballot.
UD Professor and disability advocate Karl Booksh, who has paralysis stemming from a 1998 accident, says the Americans with Disabilities Act led to significant improvements in physical accessibility but has not created a culture of inclusion and respect. He says the best way to support people with disabilities is to be “humanistic;” to give them freedom to excel. Booksh, a CDS advisor, says Center programs in higher education and health care exemplify that positive approach.
Disability advocates expressed frustration that the HEALS Act, released by Senate Republicans as the fourth round of legislation aimed at mitigating the economic damage done by the Covid-19 pandemic, does not contain extra funding for Medicaid or home- and community-based services. They also highlighted the bill’s five-year waiver of certain Americans with Disabilities Act protections as a cause for concern.
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services has recently experienced multiple leadership changes, as retirements and career switches left top positions vacant. Molly Magarik will be sworn in tomorrow as Secretary of Health and Social Services, replacing Kara Odom Walker. The Divisions of Developmental Disabilities Services and Healthcare Quality have new directors, while the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health is in the process of hiring one.
