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Mask issue in Va. schools: Youngkin gets new support and gets sued 01/19/2022 06:23am • As Virginia's new Republican governor faced pushback from some school systems over his executive order that gives families the ability to opt out of school-issued mask mandates, other school systems decided to follow the order and scrap their requirements. The public school systems in both Spotsy Lawmakers call for investigation into at-home COVID test price gouging 01/19/2022 06:00am • Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to launch an investigation into reports of price gouging surrounding over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 test kits. In a letter sent to FTC Chair Lina Khan Wednesday morning, the senators say the surging deman Council to require DC schools to speed up notification of positive COVID-19 cases 01/18/2022 10:43pm • A bill passed by the D.C. Council on Tuesday will require public schools to notify parents if a student in their child’s class has tested positive for COVID-19 within 24 hours. "We are just asking that it happen more quickly," said At-Large Council member Robert C. White Jr., who introduced the 16 more Montgomery Co. schools to go virtual; system asks county to take over contact tracing 01/18/2022 06:02pm • Montgomery County Public Schools has announced that 16 more schools will switch to virtual learning starting Thursday and running through Jan. 29. The move, announced at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, comes amid an ongoing spike in COVID-19 cases and staffing shortages. The schools are: Beall Elem Prince George's Co. extends mask mandate into March 01/18/2022 03:52pm • The Prince George’s County Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to extend the county’s COVID-19 emergency declaration, and its mask mandate for indoor public spaces, to March 9. The declaration, which had been set to expire Jan. 23, also now encourages — but does not require — people to w DC opens centers for COVID-19 vaccines, boosters and tests 01/18/2022 03:27pm • D.C. opened four "COVID Centers" Tuesday, with a focus on getting more people vaccinated, boosted and tested, and four more centers are slated to open next week. According to District officials, the COVID Centers in Wards 1, 2, 7 and 8 opened Tuesday at 1 p.m. and will stay open until 8 p.m. COVI How reliable are at-home rapid COVID-19 tests? It depends what you're looking for 01/18/2022 01:16pm • There's more and more demand for at-home rapid COVID-19 testing, and they're hard to find, although the launch of a federal website should help. But how reliable are the tests? "People need to first think about what question they're asking of the test," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Federal website for free COVID tests launches a day early 01/18/2022 01:06pm • The federal website where Americans can order free COVID-19 tests launched a day early, and now you can sign up to have the tests sent to your home. Though originally slated to start taking orders Wednesday, covidtests.gov had a surprise launch Tuesday. It directs visitors to special.usps.com/tes Prince William Co. school board head seeks 'masking off ramp,' asks Youngkin for help 01/18/2022 07:02am • Amid the flurry of activity after new Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's executive order allowing parents to have their children opt-out of a school system's mask mandate, Prince William County School Board Chairman Babur Lateef is calling for state and local public health and education leaders to work Smithsonian museums shift to new schedule due to staff shortage 01/18/2022 05:59am • The D.C. region's Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are shifting to a new schedule for the foreseeable future amid pandemic-related staffing limitations. Effective Tuesday, many of the Smithsonian's most popular attractions — including the National Museum of Natural History, the National How DC-area libraries became distribution hubs for coronavirus tests, vaccines 01/18/2022 04:07am • WASHINGTON, DC — DECEMBER 15: Local residents wait in-line to receive free COVID test kits outside West End Library on Dec. 23, 2021 in Washington, DC. The City of District of Columbia is distributing free test kits to local residents prior to the holidays as COVID case numbers have surged to a n 'Did the right thing': Prince George's Co. students to return to classrooms after temporary transition to virtual learning 01/17/2022 09:10pm • Prince George's County, Maryland, parent Patrick Paschall said he and other parents were dancing on the neighborhood street corner upon learning that students would resume in-person learning this week. Virtual learning, Paschall said, has been difficult. His wife's job requires her to go into the Using poop to get the scoop on Stafford's COVID infection rates 01/17/2022 08:48pm • With the recent surge in COVID-19 infection rates, one Northern Virginia county is using an unusual method for a better idea of how widespread the coronavirus is in its population. Biobot Analytics recently tested wastewater in Stafford County and found 227.5 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residen Some Va. school systems say they'll ignore Youngkin's masking order 01/17/2022 03:06pm • Not long after he was sworn in as Virginia’s 74th governor, Glenn Youngkin wasted little time keeping promises he made on the campaign trail, issuing nine executive orders addressing a range of issues. The second of those orders specified that parents have the right to exempt their kids from th Is omicron going to be a post-pandemic turning point? 01/17/2022 08:27am • After huge spikes in infections and hospitalizations, there are signs that the omicron strain of COVID-19 is starting to recede, at least in some parts of the country. The highly transmissible strain moved fast and caused a high number of breakthrough cases that infected people who were otherwise