Outside Iona
October 21, 2021
Throughout our hectic student lives, we should always remain aware of what is happening around us. In this column, I find some of the most significant things around us and provide you with a small blurb and nitty-gritty details. Here are some of the major events that have been taking place:
General COVID-19 update.
The United States is recording approximately 90,000 new cases of COVID-19 a day, which is a 40 percent decrease since August. Hospitalizations and death rates are remaining relatively low since nearly 70% of adults are fully vaccinated. New York’s COVID-19 positivity rate remains below 3%. Since last Friday, there have been 2,115 patients hospitalized and 28 fatalities in New York.
However, data shows that more children are getting sick and dying from COVID. The federal government is working to approve COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11. So far September has been the worst month for children. More than 6 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, with more than 1.1 million of these new cases occurring between Sept. 3 and Sept. 30. Despite these growing figures, a very small fraction of infected children become severely ill or die. Since January 2020, children under 12 make up less than 1 percent of all COVID-related deaths in the country.
Information from the New York Post, the New York Times, and NBC News.
Kidnapped missionaries in Haiti.
An infamous Haitian gang, 400 Mawozo, is being accused of kidnapping 17 missionaries, which possibly includes five children. The group was kidnapped in Ganthier, which is near the capital of Port-au-Prince. According to their organization, Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries reported that the kidnapped group consists of 16 U.S citizens and one Canadian.
Previously, the gang was held responsible for the kidnapping of five priests and two nuns earlier this year. The gang is known for terrorizing the area of Croix-des-Bouquets through kidnappings, carjackings and extortion of business owners.
The missionaries were on a trip to visit an orphanage. Christian Aid Ministries offers Bible classes, runs a medical clinic, helps orphans, distributes seeds to farmers and participates in various other endeavors in Haiti. A security guard confirmed that the missionaries visited the orphanage before the kidnapping.
Days before the incidents, U.S. officials visited the country to ensure the safety of the people, pledging another $15 million to help reduce gang violence and provide additional resources for Haiti’s National police.
Information from AP News and CBS News.
Possible break in Zodiac killer mystery.
For over fifty years, the identity of the Zodiac Killer has been a mystery. An independent group of investigators called The Case Breakers claimed to have identified Gary Francis Poste, who died in 2018, as the culprit on Oct. 6.
The serial killer is infamous in the true crime community because of the series of letters that he sent to local newspapers, threatening that if they were not printed there would be more killings. Some letters contained ciphers that would not be solved until years later.
Despite misinformation fueled by the internet, Poste has not yet been confirmed as the Zodiac Killer by the San Francisco Police Department. The investigation is still open, and the FBI has also not verified the identity of the serial killer.
Information from the New York Post and CNN.
Sources:
General COVID-19 Update.
https://nypost.com/2021/10/16/covid-19-positivity-rate-in-new-york-stays-below-3-percent/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/health/coronavirus-delta-surge.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/data-shows-more-children-are-getting-sick-dying-covid-n1281616
Kidnapped Missionaries in Haiti.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/haiti-17-missionaries-kidnapped-us-religious-group/
A Break in Zodiac Killer Mystery
https://nypost.com/2021/10/06/zodiac-killer-identified-linked-to-sixth-murder-cold-case-squad/
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/06/us/zodiac-killer-identity-law-enforcement-investigation/index.html
