Toadstools are a naturally occurring fungus that can crop up in clusters on your garden lawn and are rife at this time of year. While they may seem like a nuisance, mushrooms are not always a sign of an unhealthy lawn – in fact, they can signal quite the opposite. There are a few natural remedies for dealing with a shroom covered lawn, but first, you should identify the root cause.

What causes mushrooms in your lawn?

Mushrooms can be a sign of fungi rich soil which indicates a healthy, living lawn.

The fact that mushrooms can grow on your lawn indicates that your garden grass is packed with beneficial microbes which are hard at work.

According to experts at Rolawn, there are fungi in all turf, adding: “There are hundreds, possibly thousands of fungi, though few produce toadstools and mushrooms.

“Fungi are the most active of all micro-organisms in turf as they help degrade thatch and other organic debris and supply the turf with nutrients.”

READ MORE: Peace lilies: ‘Huge mistake’ houseplant owners can make

The fungi that do display themselves will present as mushrooms on your lawn – these produce the fruit or seed of the fungus.

On a new lawn, toadstools are more common because disruption to the turf can stimulate the fungi which eventually turns into these mushroom clusters.

Established lawns can grow visible mushrooms when the soil is filled with organic debris – either on or under the lawn.

Active spores can be carried into the garden by animals or wind which can also result in mushroom growth.

 

How to prevent mushrooms on lawns

You can prevent mushrooms from cropping up in large numbers using two methods – scarifying your lawn, or digging for debris.

Scarify to prevent mushrooms

According to Rolawn, you can reduce the amount of thatch by scarifying the lawn and then reducing the amount of fertiliser applied to the lawn.

Dig for debris

Do a thorough check for debris under your lawn to prevent organic matter from encouraging mushrooms to present on the surface of garden turf.

Use a pocket knife to dig underneath an existing clump of toadstools and seek out debris – if your mushrooms are growing from organic debris and not the lawn itself, replace the turf.

Are mushrooms on my lawn dangerous?

There is no fungicide treatment available in the UK because it is unnecessary to treat harmless fungi – in fact, it can even be beneficial to your lawn.

Of the 15,000 species of mushrooms in the UK, 99 percent are edible – but even experts have a hard time figuring out which ones are poisonous.

If your garden is regularly used by dogs or young children, it’s important to be cautious of all wild mushrooms which could be detrimental to the health of both humans and dogs if ingested.

A list of some poisonous mushrooms found in the UK include:

• Fly agaric – the iconic fairy tale mushroom with the red spotted cap
• Jewelled death cap – this mushroom has a yellow cap with white spots
• Death cap – responsible for the most fatal mushroom poisonings in both people and pets
• Autumn galerina – small brown and have a flatter cap than others and can often be found growing from decayed wood
• Elf’s saddle – a dark ‘saddle’ shaped cap and a white stem

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Certain houseplants can be toxic to pets, according to experts at Flowercard, who recently researched the world’s most popular houseplants for 2022. This included Aloe Vera and Tulips, which can cause dogs and cats to become ill.

Flowercard explained: “Many common indoor plants can be harmful to pets, and while most won’t cause more than an upset stomach, some are lethal.”

Tulips, which can be found both inside and outside the home, can be toxic to dogs and cats.

The experts explained they contain glycosides, which is found in all flowers from the lily family.

Flowercard said: “The most toxic part of the plant is the bulb, and once eaten it can cause symptoms like vomiting and hypersalivation.”

READ MORE: Oven cleaning hacks: The 2-minute trick you probably didn’t know

Part of the rubber tree family, Flowercard said it can be toxic for animals if they eat it.

One other plant which pet owners should be mindful of is the ZZ plant.

Known for its wide, dark green leaves, it tolerates neglect and is a great houseplant for beginners.

However, Flowercard said: “The ZZ plant is mild to moderately toxic if ingested by pets. The toxins in the plant can cause symptoms including stomach aches and vomiting.”

Pet owners who have toxic plants should keep them out of reach at all times.

The company also shared the top low-maintenance plants that are the easiest to care for.

This included the Snake Plant, which is also toxic if ingested by pets.

Recent research by B Well CBD found that over 700 plants and flowers can be toxic for not only animals, but humans too.

This included Daffodils, the Spider Plant, Oleander and the Caladium houseplant.

Houseplant owners should always read the instructions before deciding on a placement for their plant.

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These plants, which are sold in most supermarkets and garden centres, see their value increase after a naturally occurring variation. How can you spot it?

Many people don’t know some common houseplants can be extremely valuable as these variations are often mistaken for a disease.

Some shops even reduce the plant’s price after it happens.

Britons could make thousands by selling just a small part of the plant, a single leaf of the stem.

These plants can be found in shops such as Lidl and B&Q.

READ MORE: Oven cleaning hacks: The 2-minute trick you probably didn’t know

Pink Princess Philodendron

Very similar to the White Knight and White Princess, the Pink Princess Philodendronbut has pink variegation instead.

It can take a while to show, but if people spot the pink stains on the leaves, they could be selling it for thousands.

Some of these plants are currently selling on Etsy for £2,228 or £200 for a single leaf.

Monstera Obliqua

This may be one of the rarest houseplants but is still present in many British homes.

The Monstera Obliqua’s leaves could be easily mistaken for pest damage.

However, a single leaf of the most sought-after plant is selling on Etsy for £1,590 and on eBay for £1,250.

Over on Facebook Marketplace, a small plant goes for £1,000.

Additional reporting Lea Dzifa Seeberg

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Photo: Nitiphonphat (Shutterstock)

Simply cleaning surfaces is good enough to protect yourself from the coronavirus on a daily basis, the CDC says in its updated guidelines. Disinfecting surfaces in your home (for example, with bleach) is only necessary if somebody with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 has been there in the last 24 hours.

This advice matches up with the current understanding of how the coronavirus spreads: mostly by person-to-person close contact, and somewhat from tiny droplets that can float in the air. Catching the virus from a surface is technically possible, but it’s not a common mode of transmission.

The difference between disinfecting and cleaning

Disinfecting a surface is when you use a chemical, like bleach, to kill viruses and other microbes on the surface. Cleaning is when you use a soap or detergent to remove dirt, which may contain germs, without necessarily killing anything.

Early in the pandemic, experts’ best guess was that the coronavirus might spread similarly to other respiratory illnesses like the flu, where surface transmission is fairly common. That’s why businesses started doing all that extra cleaning and disinfecting, and why a video about bleaching your groceries went viral.

But it turns out that surfaces aren’t a major driver of COVID transmission. It still makes sense to wash your hands and keep surfaces reasonably clean, but experts argue that businesses would be better off upgrading ventilation than spending extra time disinfecting surfaces. It’s still not bad to disinfect things, it’s just not high priority anymore.

What the CDC now recommends

The new guidelines for cleaning your home say to clean (not disinfect) high touch surfaces on a regular basis—which could be daily, but the actual frequency is up to you—and after you have visitors in your home.

Disinfecting is still recommended if someone with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID has been in your house in the last 24 hours.

The CDC also reminds us that unvaccinated visitors should wear masks, and that the rules for who can visit who after vaccination still apply. People who are sick should do their best to isolate from the rest of the household, and everyone should still wash their hands often, including when returning to the house after outings.

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ATLANTA – Throughout the 2021-22 season, the Atlanta Hawks and Clorox honored nine Atlanta Public School (APS) teachers for their exemplary contributions of service throughout an unprecedented school year as a part of the ‘Year of the Teacher’ initiative. The Hawks and Clorox donated more than $10,000 of product and support for all nine teachers.

“It’s been an honor to recognize local teachers all season with our partners, the Atlanta Hawks,” said Tad Kittredge, Vice President and General Manager at The Clorox Company. “They are the heroes who give so much, especially in guiding students through the uncertainty of the last two years, and it’s a small way we can show our appreciation and lend support.”

The Hawks and Clorox accepted nominations for the initiative from the public, which began in November and ran through the beginning of March. Then, a panel selected teachers for the honor, which included Clorox cleaning supplies for their schools, two tickets to a Hawks home game, in-game recognition as the game’s honorary co-captains and a $500 gift card for school supplies. 

“On behalf of APS, I would like to thank Clorox and the Hawks for continuing their support of our teachers and schools selecting our teachers through the Year of the Teacher initiative,” said Dr. Lisa Herring, Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools. “To have these two great organizations acknowledge, celebrate and champion the hard work and dedication of our teachers was a wonderful honor for APS. Congratulations to our teachers and thank you to Clorox and the Hawks for this outstanding recognition opportunity!”

This season’s honorees for ‘Year of the Teacher’ include: 

• Charles Astin – Second Grade Teacher from F.L. Stanton Elementary School

• Dorothy Chu – First Grade English Teacher for the Dual Language Immersion Program from Morris Brandon Elementary

• Ce’Zane Grant – Second Grade Teacher from KIPP Woodson Park Academy

• Christine Mitchell – Science and Math Teacher from Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy

• Deserae Obong – Special Education Teacher from Humphries Elementary

• George Parker – Fourth and Fifth Grade Special Education Interrelated Teacher from Harper-Archer Elementary School

• Dr. Benita Simmons – STEM Specialist from Usher-Collier Elementary School from 

• Gaynell Troy – Eighth Grade Math and Computer Science Teacher from Herman J. Russell West End Academy

• Yesenia Visoso – Dual Language Pre-K Teacher from Garden Hills Elementary

In April 2021, Clorox became the Hawks and State Farm Arena’s official cleaning and disinfecting product partner as part of a multi-year partnership. In September 2021, the Hawks and Clorox joined forces to donate $100,000 and $10,000 worth of Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes to Atlanta Public Schools. The donation was presented by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins to a group of teachers, staff and students at Emma Hutchinson Elementary School.

To learn more about the ‘Year of the Teacher’ initiative as well as its honorees, visit Hawks.com/Teacher. To learn more about the Hawks work in the community, visit Hawks.com/Community.

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Source: Coronado Unified School District

Coronado Unified School District team members Laura Orozco, Terri Freepartner, Kimberley Junk, Ruben Sanchez, and Kathy Wood (not pictured) received Classified Employee of the Year awards at the March 10 Board meeting.

Coronado Unified School District annually recognizes five outstanding Classified employees representing the four school sites and the District Office. The 2022 awardees were nominated by their colleagues and recognized at the March 10 Board meeting.

“It is an honor to recognize the contributions of our Classified employees. These award winners truly demonstrate hard work, and service with compassion, empathy, and humility,” said Director of Human Resources Armando Farias.

CUSD’s five honorees:

Laura Orozco, CHS

Coronado High School Health Technician Laura Orozco has been named the 2022 CHS Classified Employee of the Year. Laura has worked in the district since 2006 as a PE aide and became the full time Health Technician at CHS in 2009. The pandemic put an extra burden on the district health care team and Laura responded by going above and beyond, stepping up to the challenge with grace and energy.

Laura’s extra work during the pandemic inspired her colleagues. “She has worked from home making calls during the evenings and weekends. She has been the frontline for our 1100 students,” said Joy Howard. “Laura makes sure every student who comes through her health office feels special and heard. She is always willing to go above and beyond to call a parent, get a counselor involved or speak with admin to make sure the needs of her students are met,” added Rhonda Gearhart.

Ruben Sanchez, CMS

Coronado Middle School custodian Ruben Sanchez was selected as the 2022 CMS Classified Employee of the Year. Ruben has worked in the district since 2019. The pandemic added an extra burden on the district’s custodial crew, with disinfecting and sanitizing measures required multiple times during the day. His colleagues at CMS note that besides keeping the campus clean and safe, Ruben sets the tone on campus with his positive attitude, greeting staff and students every morning.

“Ruben has a great attitude, is reliable, and is an integral part of the CMS family. We realized right when he started what a gem he was, and we are so grateful to have him at CMS. He is an outstanding example to our students and staff and embodies the Triton 3: taking ownership, acting with integrity, and showing respect in everything he does,” said Principal Brooke Falar. Colleague Allyson Heyen added that in addition to Ruben’s tireless work ethic and contagious smile he always “goes above and beyond, asking if there are any extra projects he can help with in the classrooms.”

Kathy Wood, Village Elementary

Village Elementary School Health Technician Kathy Wood was selected as the 2022 VES Classified Employee of the Year. She has worked in the district since 2014 and she uniquely connects with both students and colleagues on a personal and professional level.

“Nurse Kathy reads continuously, keeping up with our ever-changing health news, sharing critical information with admin and faculty. These past two years have been particularly challenging for her and the health team, and her leadership has been a beacon of light for all of us at Village,” shared Kathleen Spane. “This award is so well-deserved, ‘Nurse Kathy’ is always there for her students, showing kindness and compassion,” added Principal Heidi Bergener.

Kimberley Junk, Silver Strand Elementary

Silver Strand Elementary School Administrative Assistant/Registrar Kimberley Junk was named the 2022 SSES Classified Employee of the Year. Kimberley has worked in the district for 18 years in many different capacities including in the front office at CMS and as a well-loved substitute at all school sites. Her gracious welcome is a hallmark of anyone entering the Silver Strand school office.

SSES Principal Jenny Moore said, “She gives personalized tours to all new students and their families, new freshly hired crew members, volunteers, and substitutes… to make everyone on campus feel welcome.” Colleague Erica DeGroat added that Junk “helps by providing support to all the staff and jumps up to help when needed! She truly wears so many hats and Strand would be lost without her!”

Terri Freepartner, District Office and CUSD

Human Resources Administrative Assistant Terri Freepartner has been named the District Office 2022 Employee of the Year as well as the Classified Employee of the Year for CUSD. Terri has worked in the district since 2015. She is a steady and knowledgeable hand in helping employees, colleagues, families, and administrators navigate all aspects of Human Resources from employment to benefits. Human Resources Director Armando Farias said of Terri, “I have witnessed how she supports everyone who calls or comes into her office. Especially during the past two years during Covid, many times employees are worried or overwhelmed when they come in. People can cry in her office, and Terri is always calm and compassionate. She is a true listener. Terry leads from the heart. This recognition is a celebration of Terri and a thank you for giving so much to all of us.”

“On behalf of the district and the Governing Board I would like to thank all of our Classified team members. They are the glue of our district, the faces of our school sites, they keep us clean, safe and healthy, and create the conditions for our students to succeed,” said Superintendent Mueller.

Source: Coronado Unified School District

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A common sponge’s spatial partitioning — the way it’s divided into different sectors of various sizes — caters to bacteria that prefer isolated environments and those that prefer to be around other organisms, making it the best of both worlds for microbial communities, according to a study published recently in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. Bacteria that thrive in secluded spaces, like the smaller pores of a sponge, won’t “bully” other organisms for room, while the sponge’s bigger wells allow for microbes that depend on the presence of others to survive.

“It’s just like we are going to parties and there are individuals who will really enjoy having huge room interactions with a lot of people, and it will draw energy from that,” said the study’s senior author Lingchong You, professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University in North Carolina. “But there are also individuals who feel like they want to be in a smaller environment.”

While the results may help you better understand why your kitchen sponge is habitat central for germs, the aim of this research is to find a means to engineer diverse microbial communities that produce chemicals of medicinal or biotechnological value, You said.

To arrive at these results, researchers tested E. coli density and presence in two different ways. They used plates with varying degrees of spatial partitioning, ranging from six to 1,536 isolated wells. The plates showed that the amount of division in spaces has an impact on what type of bacteria tend to thrive the most.

Researchers then performed another experiment with a kitchen sponge and a tube. The results revealed that in a sponge, there are “60% more diverse members than in a well-mixed environment,” You said, referencing the compacted habitat bacteria are in when placed inside a tube.

“The degree of this spatial partitioning plays a critical role in maintaining the microbial community diversity,” You said. “And it could be that the optimal degree of partitioning also depends on the nature of interactions in a particular community (of bacteria).”

Overall, what they found was that environments that can provide a mix of large chambers and small wells allow for the most diverse microbial communities.

Because sponges are a “perfect growth environment for microbes,” You recommended that consumers be “mindful” and replace their sponges on a periodic basis or find a way to disinfect them. It is recommended sponges be replaced on a weekly basis, according to a 2017 study published in the journal Scientific Reports. To sterilize bacteria on sponges, the United States Department of Agriculture suggests consumers use microwave heating and dishwashing with a drying cycle.

The results provide an understanding of the microbial point of view where “distances and spaces are dramatically different” from a human’s point of view, said Slava Epstein, a professor of microbiology at Northeastern University, who was not involved with the study. By studying the distance between cells, which is measured in microns, researchers are better able to understand how the importance of scale impacts microbial interactions, Epstein said.

Microbial communities in nature

Epstein added that a “natural extension” of this research would be to examine the role of spatial partitioning in nature, such as how bacteria work in soil, since the bacteria used in the study were grown artificially and controlled by researchers.

“Working with well plates clearly indicates a very significant role in the size of compartments they can grow and whether or not there is a separation between such compartments,” Epstein said. “Once we know this, it gives you ammunition and drive to go after actual natural communities.”

Although the study cannot prove quite yet how spatial partitioning affects microbial communities in nature, You said he is optimistic overall that the results should remain consistent. Researchers are interested in experimenting with natural microbial communities, but You said these bacteria need to learn how to live with each other first.

“One member will control one step of the pathway, another member will control another step of the pathway,” You said. “But in order for this to work, they will need to co-exist, so we need to maintain their diversity, and then we’re using this partitioned environment, precisely to help maintain different members.”

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February 12 marked the 110th year since Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty portrayed in the 1987 film The Last Emperor, abdicated in February 1912. 

Fifty-five years have passed since Puyi’s death, and memories of the turbulent period in relations between mainland China and Japan are fading. 

Meanwhile, there is a direct descendant of the Shunzhi Emperor, the third emperor of the Qing dynasty and nine generations before Puyi, working as the director of an ophthalmology clinic in Tokyo. Dr. Wei Aixinjueluo shared her thoughts on the Qing dynasty and Japan.

The Qing Dynasty

Liaoning Province is home to many Manchu people who built the Qing dynasty. It is the last unified dynasty, which ruled mainland China and the Mongolian plateau for nearly 270 years from 1644 to 1912. 

Born and raised in Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning, Dr. Wei graduated from Northeast Yucai School, a prestigious local high school, and attended the Nagoya University School of Medicine.

“I came to Japan at the age of 18 and saw The Last Emperor for the first time,” she said. The movie was adapted from Puyi’s autobiography and jointly produced by five countries: Japan, the United States, Britain, France, and Italy. It was released in 1987 (1988 in Japan). 

Many depictions in the film differ from the historical reality, but the images show the atmosphere of an era when Japan was deeply involved with China. 

Last Qing Dynasty Emperor Puyi

The Plain Yellow Banner

Puyi passed away on October 17, 1967, when China was in turmoil during the Cultural Revolution. 

“He was a man who was at the mercy of the times,” said Dr. Wei. “He must have felt an inner conflict as an emperor. Through Puyi, I am once again reminded of the proud history of the Manchurians and the Qing dynasty.” 

Her grandfather first told her about the family lineage of the third emperor, the Shunzhi Emperor. Her family belonged to the “Plain Yellow Banner” of the “Eight Banners,” the administrative and military divisions under the Qing dynasty. 

“My grandfather, who I really loved, was in the same generation as Puyi as a member of the house of Aixinjueluo. When he wore sunglasses, he looked just like Puyi,” she said as she showed me a picture. 

However, during the Cultural Revolution, there was concern that the families connected to the Qing dynasty would be persecuted, and that the surname “Aixinjueluo” was too conspicuous. 

“My grandfather changed the family’s surname to a Han Chinese name for a while, but when I was a child, the whole family officially returned to the ‘Aixinjueluo’ surname,” she said. This happened in the 1990s, when China returned to a period of economic growth after the Cultural Revolution.

Imperial Lineage, Not Just Any Name

When Dr. Wei looks back on half of her life with the surname “Aixinjueluo,” she says the name has never caused her to be treated specially in China. “I don’t recall any time when the name worked to my advantage in any way. Rather, it just took me a little longer than my classmates to write my name on the answer sheets during school exams,” she joked.

The name has occasionally been an inconvenience. “After becoming an ophthalmologist, I traveled to California to attend an academic conference. At the airport in San Diego, an immigration officer stopped me and asked if I was related to the emperor of the Qing dynasty. I nodded and it created a big fuss. They almost took me to another room.”

In addition to Chinese characters, her name “Wei Aixinjueluo” was also written in English on her passport.

After repeatedly explaining herself, Dr. Wei was finally allowed to leave, but she was surprised that an American official reacted to the name “Aixinjueluo” in English. “I had an entry visa for the United States, but I think I was mistaken for an asylum-seeker,” she recalled.

Director Dr. Wei Aixinjueluo

Life in Japan

Dr. Wei has been learning Japanese since she was a junior high school student. When she had to choose whether to study abroad in Japan or the United States for university, two important factors were Japan’s close relationship with the northeastern region of China and her long-held interest in Japan. 

Her parents also recommended Japan because it was closer to Shenyang. She aimed for a medical school because many of her relatives were doctors and it was her childhood dream to follow their footsteps.

Dr. Wei graduated from the Nagoya University School of Medicine. After receiving clinical training at an affiliate hospital of the University of Tokyo School of Medicine, she worked as an ophthalmologist at that hospital, as well as at Tokyo Teishin Hospital. She also received her PhD in medicine from the University of Tokyo for her corneal research. 

In 2018, Dr. Wei was invited by the Eye Clinic Ooimachi in the Shinagawa district of Tokyo to serve as clinic director. She has been blessed with three children, and she is completely adapted to life in Japan.

An only child due to China’s one-child policy, Dr. Wei invited her parents from Shenyang to Tokyo and lives with her family of seven from three generations. “My parents help us raise our three children between the ages of 3 and 11. They speak Chinese with my parents, Chinese and Japanese with me, and Japanese with my husband,” she said as she showed me her family photos. 

Dr. Wei says her mother taught her “to see the good side of everyone.” She is always engaged in lively conversation with her patients, a trait she feels she inherited from her mother. As a mother herself raising three children, she is also good at working with young patients. 

“When I came to Japan, everyone around me, including my teachers, seniors, and classmates, were kind to me, and I enjoyed studying abroad. I am naturally a cheerful and positive person,” she said as she laughed.

Connections Between People

“I want to do what I can to expand connections between people in Japan and China through providing treatment that pleases our patients,” she said with a sparkle in her eyes. 

Of course, ophthalmology is not unrelated to COVID-19 infections, and she did not forget to give medical advice. 

“If you touch the area around your eyes and the virus is on your hands, you may get infected. In addition to washing and disinfecting your hands, if your eyes are itchy, use a tissue to prevent infections,” she reminded us. 

Puyi, when he was around the age of 15, went to see an ophthalmologist at the recommendation of his English teacher from Scotland, Johnston. Puyi was diagnosed with myopia and was prescribed eyeglasses. 

According to Puyi’s autobiography, at the time in the Forbidden City, where successive emperors lived, his request to have eyeglasses made was opposed by the queen and others around him. They believed that “the Emperor’s eyes were young and well, and it was undignified for an Emperor to be seen by a foreign doctor.” Puyi persisted in his request and prevailed in the end. 

Many people, when they hear the name Puyi, picture the man wearing round glasses in the famous photograph. What would he say if he heard that a female member of the house of Aixinjueluo works as an ophthalmologist with a PhD in 21st-century Japan? The Qing dynasty, Japan, Manchuria, and the New China — they are still linked by the thread of history.

Author: Masumi Kawasaki

(Click here to read the article in Japanese.)

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Virginia has drafted workplace guidance in the event it strikes down its first-in-the-nation COVID-19 standard.

On his first day in office, Governor Glenn Younkin declared Virginia “open for business” and issued Executive Order 6: “Reinvigorating Job Growth by Removing Burdensome Regulations from Virginia’s Business Community.” The order directed the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board to convene an emergency meeting to determine whether the COVID-19 standard was still necessary.

The Board proposed to rescind the standard and opened a 30-day comment public comment period, which ends on March 19. The Board plans to meet on March 21 to take a final vote on the proposal to rescind the standard.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 authorizes Virginia and 26 other “State Plan” states to enact state-specific standards and operate their own occupational safety and health program under a matching grant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). California, Michigan, and Oregon followed suit with state-based standards of their own.

Virginia Standard

On July 15, 2020, the Board (which included author Courtney Malveaux) made Virginia the first state in the nation to promulgate an Emergency Temporary Standard to address COVID-19 in workplaces, and it made the standard permanent on January 27, 2021.

In addition to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and OSHA guidelines, the standard includes provisions that require employers to:

• Provide both handwashing stations and hand sanitizer when feasible;
• Notify the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry of outbreaks of two or more positive COVID-19 tests;
• Assess hazard levels of all job tasks;
• Provide COVID-19 training for employees;
• Prepare infectious disease preparedness and response plans;
• Post or present agency-prepared COVID-19 information to all employees;
• Screen employees prior to entry to work;
• Establish requirements for employees with COVID-19 positive tests and symptoms before returning to work;
• Require social distancing or, when social distancing is not possible, respiratory protection;
• Clean and disinfect commonly used areas and equipment; and
• Maintain air handling systems in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and American National Standards Institute and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers standards.

The standard protects employees who raise reasonable concerns about infection control to print, online, social, or other media. It also requires building and facility owners to report positive COVID-19 tests to employer tenants. In a more recent iteration, the standard also includes a safe harbor provision for employers that follow CDC guidance.

If the Board votes to rescind the standard, Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH), an OSHA-approved program within the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, has taken the rare step of preparing state-based guidance. In most cases, VOSH points employers and others to OSHA guidance, rather than developing its own.

Draft Guidance

The draft guidance makes clear the agency’s and the Commonwealth’s policy to “support and respect the rights of individuals to choose whether to wear masks or to not wear masks in non-federally mandated environments, unless required by law or as medically appropriate in cases of acute illness or in certain healthcare environments.” It also makes clear VOSH and the Commonwealth “will not allow or condone illegal discrimination based on wearing or not wearing masks, and people should not be fired or terminated for not wearing a mask” in most circumstances.

The draft guidance indicates that employers should encourage workers to mitigate COVID-19 transmission by:

• Facilitating employee vaccinations;
• Encouraging workers with COVID-19 symptoms to stay home from work and seek a physician’s advice on testing and treatment;
• Requiring workers infected with COVID-19 to stay home;
• Providing workers with face coverings or surgical masks;
• Encouraging personal hygiene, including frequent handwashing;
• Educating workers on employers’ COVID-19 policies in languages employees understand;
• Operating and maintaining ventilation systems in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications;
• Recording and reporting work-related COVID-19 infections when required under longstanding OSHA recordkeeping standards; and
• Following other applicable VOSH standards, including those governing respiratory protection, personal protective equipment, sanitation, bloodborne pathogens, and Virginia’s General Duty Clause, which requires employers to provide employment and a place of employment that is free of recognized hazards.

The draft document does not make clarify whether VOSH will enforce Virginia’s General Duty Clause if employers fail to follow generally recognized hazards related to COVID-19, including failure to follow guidance provided by the CDC. It also does not clarify whether VOSH will continue its two-year-long practice of initiating Rapid Response Inquiries in which the agency asks employers to answer complaints from employees or others on COVID-19 hazards in workplaces.

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Covid-19 cases have increased around the world – particularly in South East Asia, where China, South Korea, and Hong Kong have all reported worrying numbers. Hong Kong on Friday crossed the one million cases-mark and South Korea on Thursday reported a staggering 621,328 new Covid cases. China was forced to lockdown major cities to contain the virus and the mainland Saturday reported its first Covid-related deaths in a year. Cases have also increased in Europe. Estimates by AFP show a staggering 35 per cent weekly increase in Covid in France, and 42 per cent in the United Kingdom and Italy each.

The World Health Organization has said these spikes were ‘the tip of the iceberg’ and outlined three reasons (primarily) for this surge in cases.

What the WHO said:

Spike is being driven partly by the more transmissible omicron:

A ‘stealth’ sub-variant of the omicron strain has also been detected and experts believe it could also be responsible for the surge in cases in China. 

The emergence of the sub-variant, designated BA.2, is a matter of concern because it is missing key mutations in the spike protein that are considered necessary for rapid PCR tests to identify the infection.

The WHO has said it is still too early to draw conclusions about BA.2, which seems to produce symptoms no more severe than the parent strain.

Another point of concern is a mixed omicron strain – ‘stealth’ + normal. First detected in Israel – two cases at the Ben Gurion Airport – it has been identified as BA.1 + BA.2. The point of origin is still unknown but BA.2 is believed to be even more transmissible than omicron.

“Omicron is transmitting at a very intense level… We have sub-lineages of BA.1 and BA.2. BA.2 is more transmissible and this is the most transmissible variant we have seen of the SARS-COV2 virus to date,” Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid technical lead, said.

Lifting of restrictions and public health measures:

At the height of the pandemic countries locked down. Public gatherings were banned, shops and restaurants closed, and people told to stay home.

As cases declined and vaccination levels increased governments – desperate to revive economies – began re-opening. This is another reason for the re-emergence of Covid cases and the growth of variants, the WHO indicated.

The health body has urged people to follow basic protocols – wear face masks in public, avoid unnecessary contact with large gatherings, and practice proper hygiene by regularly disinfecting hands and frequently touched surfaces.

READ: Covid-19 surge – What WHO said, where are cases increasing, and why

Misinformation regarding vaccines, virus spread:

The WHO has said massive amounts of fake news being spread, intentionally or otherwise, about vaccines has hampered recovery efforts.

The WHO has also said that false reports about the spread of the virus – reports suggesting the pandemic will end after omicron – are also a problem. 

“In the last four weeks… the amount of misinformation seems to be getting worse…” Dr von Kerkhove said Tuesday.

Dr Mike Ryan, the WHO’s executive director of the Health Emergencies Programme, clarified the virus has not ‘settled’ into a predictable pattern.

“The idea ‘we are through with it’ in the northern hemisphere and have to wait till next winter… we need to be very vigilant and cautious with this,” he said.

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Originally Appeared Here