News Brief: Week of Feb. 25 - March 3

National

Mask Mandate: On Tuesday, March 2, Texas Gov. Greg Abbot announced during a Lubbock Chamber of Commerce event that he is lifting the mask mandate and will reopen businesses to 100% capacity beginning March 10. Mississippi has also made the same announcement.

Health officials disagree with these proceedings. Dr. Peter Hotez, the co-director of the Center of Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s hospital, expressed his concern.

“This is not a time to relax restrictions — especially the governors who are all high-fiving themselves saying we’re out of this. We’re not,” Hotez said.

This decision comes in the wake of new COVID-19 variants, such as the B.1.1.7 strain, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said she was worried about states making these kinds of decisions because scientists need more time to determine how the variants operate.

Zoom Call: Many people have experienced Zoom calls going awry while working at home, but plastic surgeon Dr. Scott Green took his call to his office – an operating room. He told the Sacramento Superior Court clerk he was still available for the trial, but Judge Gary Link, the court commissioner, rescheduled it for Thursday, March 4.

“I do not feel comfortable for the welfare of a patient if you’re in the process of operating that I would put on a trial,” Link said.

The Medical Board of California is investigating the incident.

“The Medical Board of California expects physicians to follow the standard of care when treating their patients,” the Board said in a statement. “The Board is aware of this incident and will be looking into it, as it does with all complaints it receives.”

Kidnapping in Nigeria: On March 2, hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls were finally released after their kidnapping on Friday, Feb. 26. Armed men raided their school in Jangebe and took them from hostels in northwest Zamfara State.

Although all 279 were in good condition on their arrival home, the experience could have turned deadly.

“Most of us got injured on our feet and we could not continue trekking, so they (their captors) said they will shoot anybody who did not continue to walk,” student Umma Abubakar told reporters.

They said the kidnappers treated them fairly, but the experience was the worst of their life. Repentant bandits negotiated their release for ransom, which has been a common problem in areas of Nigeria.

The incident caused mass outrage among other students against the governor. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari asked state governors to review ransom policies and secure their schools.

State

Fight at High School: The Oklahoma City Public School System is asking for official action to be taken after racial taunting of African American student-athletes sparked a brawl during a basketball game.

The game was scheduled between John Marshall High School and Newcastle students on Thursday, Feb. 25. Newcastle students started the fight against John Marshall students when the players were leaving the court, said referees. The district has already disciplined the student who initiated the fight and is currently investigating who else was involved.

Thunder Update: Basketball fans received an email from the Thunder team announcing that from Tuesday, March 2 and onward, there will be no more fans allowed at the games for the rest of the 2020-21 season. Fans are divided about the decision, but the team expressed concern over safety and game experience.

“The decision was based on several factors,” the Thunder said. “The ultimate one being that the overall health and safety of our fans and our community is the most important thing to us.”

Public School Bill: A new bill regarding public school transportation passed 32-15 in the Senate on Tuesday, March 2. The bill will let parents transfer their children to another public school outside of their own district.

Students can transfer up to two times a year. If their transfer request is denied, parents can appeal to the State School Board. The district would have a cap for the number of students.

Sen. Adam Pugh said this would increase school competition for better services to their students.

“The results increase in both schools: the schools that are gaining transfers as well as those schools that are having kids transfer out, because it does identify maybe some things that need to change in the school districts and then it incentivizes them to work hard to keep those kids there,” Pugh said.

However, several people disagreed.

“It does not increase competition at all,” Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, said. “It does stigmatize those communities and it does deplete their property values.”

Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest said education professionals should make those decisions.