By: Clyde Cohen
In local news, The Appalachian reports that the Boone Town Council recently voted to reinstate a mask mandate while publically indoors. Regardless of vaccination status, this applies to all residents of the area. This decision was made as a result of the newfound delta variant of the coronavirus, as well as of the return of Appalachian State students. Jennifer Greene, the AppHealthCare Director explains, “until we get a higher percentage of our population vaccinated, we’re going to continue to see more variants emerge and we’re going to continue to see this disruption from COVID.”
In national news, The Wall Street Journal writes that the FDA has given full safety approval of the Pfizer-Bio and tech vaccine. Shortly after, both the New York City school district and the Pentagon announced that vaccinations will now be required, with other groups making the same statement. Public health officials believe this is a crucial advancement that will convince doubtful individuals to receive the vaccine.
Occurring in world news, The New York Times documents that Rear Admiral Peter Vasley, the current top U.S. officer in Afghanistan, communicates with his Taliban equivalent almost every day. The two have been working to make progress in constructing airport security measures as the United States attempts to evacuate tens of thousands of individuals before the August 31st troop withdrawal deadline.
Brought to you by booneweather.com, today, expect a high of 83 degrees and a low of 62. With light wind and warm temperatures, enjoy the high amount of sunshine.