FLORIDA, USA —
At least 8 dead as Ida rips through Northeast
At least eight deaths were reported in New York City and New Jersey as relentless rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida sent the New York City area into a state of emergency early Thursday and the storm carried into New England with threats of more tornadoes.
Police in New York City reported seven deaths, including a 50-year-old man, a 48-year-old woman and a 2-year-old boy who were found unconscious and unresponsive inside a home. One death was reported in New Jersey.
New York’s FDR Drive, a major artery on the east side of Manhattan, and the Bronx River Parkway were underwater by late Wednesday evening. Subway stations and tracks became so flooded that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended all service. Videos posted online showed subway riders standing on seats in cars filled with water.
$5K fines for certain vaccine mandates in Florida
The Florida Department of Health recently ironed out its rules surrounding enforcement of a current state law that bans businesses and governments from requiring proof of vaccination — and threatens a fine.
State lawmakers passed SB 2006 in late April, which banned businesses, government entities and educational institutions from requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccine or "vaccine passports." Days later, in May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law.
In the legislation, FDOH is allowed to impose fines that do not exceed $5,000 for those who violate the law. Now, the state agency says it will do just that.
FDOH says any "business entity, governmental entity or educational institution" that requires proof of vaccination will have to pay a $5,000 fine. Those who receive a fine can appeal, but once it's finalized, they will have 30 days to pay it.
The rule is scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 16.
Vitamin D is one way to help prevent COVID-19
We've learned some lessons over the last year and a half that we know can help keep us healthy.
Brightside's Jenny Dean spoke with Dr. Ken Redcross who shared three things you can do right now to help prevent COVID-19.
- Take vitamin D
"During this time as we're going through the 4th wave of this Coronavirus, vitamin D should be a hallmark of what we're doing. Look the studies are there. We used to think way back a long time ago that it was all about bone health, but now we're recognizing that Vitamin D is something that we need to balance our immune system and what better time than now to really focus on our immune system." - Get vaccinated -- including kids 12 & up
"We all know that we want to get back to regular life, but the vaccine has to be a part of that discussion and investigate with your pediatrician why is it good for my child or why I have issues with it" - Wear a mask
For those who question the science, Dr. Redcross says this: "Would you want to go in for an emergency appendectomy with your surgeon without a mask on? Would you want your surgeon leaning all over you cutting, opening, suturing with no mask? And the point is, of course, you wouldn't. Why is that? That's because you don't want the respiratory germs."