U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a 1,066% increase in fentanyl seized in south Texas during fiscal year 2021, the agency said this week.
Driving the news: Border patrol officers at eight ports of entry from Brownsville to Del Rio seized 87,652 pounds of narcotics, including marijuana, cocaine and fentanyl with an estimated estimated street value of $786 million.
BinaxNOW at-home COVID-19 tests at Walmart and Kroger will see a rise in prices after a deal with the White House expired in mid-December.
Driving the news: BinaxNOW, one of the first at-home tests approved by the Food and Drug Administration, has become increasingly popular over the last month due to the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Amazon on Friday cut its paid leave policy for employees infected with COVID-19 from 10 days to 7 following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's change in quarantine guidance.
Driving the news: The new policy is effective immediately and applies to all U.S. employees, regardless of vaccination status, according to a memo sent to employees, which was viewed by Axios.
As America's record Omicron surge continues, cities and states across the country have no cohesive strategy to monitor the results of at-home rapid COVID tests.
Why it matters: This patchwork system means the official COVID case counts are almost certainly a vast undercount. Many cities don't have an accurate sense of just how prevalent COVID is as they make decisions about mask mandates, school closures and other restrictions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated isolation guidance for schools will "provide the tools necessary to get these schools reopened for in-person learning," Rochelle Walensky, the agency's director, said on Friday.
Driving the news: The CDC on Thursday updated its guidance for K-12 schools to shorten the isolation time for students, staff and teachers with COVID-19 to at least five days, aligning with recommendations for the general public.
Hospitalizations of children under 5 have reached their highest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic began, AP reports.
Why it matters: Children under 5 are the only age group ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, highlighting the need for those that are eligible to get vaccinated to protect young children, according to Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, per AP.
The Supreme Court on Friday appeared likely to curtail the Biden administration’s most sweeping mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations.
The big picture: A majority of the justices seemed to believe that the Biden administration’s rules, which require employers to mandate vaccines or testing for the workers, are too broad.
Two state lawyers arguing against the Biden administration's vaccine mandates in front of the Supreme Court on Friday have tested positive for COVID and are presenting their cases remotely, state officials confirmed Friday.
Why it matters: It is the first time attorneys are arguing remotely in front of the court since in-person oral arguments returned in October, according to Bloomberg Law.
Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has signed off on a Food and Drug Administration recommendation that those who received the Moderna vaccine get a booster five months after their second shot instead of six, a CDC spokesperson said Friday.
Driving the news: The move comes just days after the FDA and the CDC made a similar recommendation for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday that the National Guard will deploy to long-term care facilities across the state to assist with COVID-19 outbreaks and staffing shortages due to the virus.
The big picture: New Jersey nursing homes were devastated during the early stages of the pandemic and experienced some of the highest death tolls in the country.
General Atlantic acquired PT Solutions from Lindsay Goldberg in an approximately $1.2 billion transaction, marking the latest physical therapy investmentin recent weeks, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: After the physical therapy sector got its teeth kicked in with COVID, recent dealmaking suggests the industry is back in action and buyer interest remains strong.
Walgreens increased profit projections for the rest of its fiscal year due to surging demand for at-home COVID-19 tests, drive-thru tests and vaccinations amid the latest outbreaks.
The big picture: Pharmacy chains continue to reap massive financial gains from the pandemic, as they often serve as the first place people go when they need a COVID test or vaccine.
Prior coronavirus infections appear to be much less protective against symptomatic Omicron reinfections than reinfection with other variants, according to a new study by Qatari researchers that has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Why it matters: If you're counting on your previous coronavirus infection to keep you from getting it again, don't.
Most American businesses are holding back on requiring vaccines or testing for their employees. Now the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide whether the Biden administration can force their hand.
Why it matters: Lives are at stake. And Omicron outbreaks are forcingbusiness closures, flight cancellations and staffing shortages — a chaotic business environment that's not great for the economy or employers already struggling to attract workers.
