Wednesday May 19, 2021
Vol. 62 Issue 10
CDC Announced Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks
he CDC announced on Thursday afternoon that fully vaccinated people can stop wearing their masks in most indoor and outdoor places. Rochelle Walensky, di-
rector of the Center for Disease Control, states in the recent update that “if you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.” The new guidelines give hope to those longing for life before the pandemic. Being fully vaccinated means that it has been a full two weeks, or fourteen days since your second dose of the Pfizer, Moderna, and or the Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
The reason behind the new guidance is due to the fact that there has been a reduction in the number of coronavirus cases. Also the effectiveness of the vaccines, and its efficiency against the virus variants has prompted the CDC to look into new requirements for those who have been vaccinated. As expected, the criticism about the new guidelines are being made known. The sudden change in the COVID-19 guidelines has people wondering
how the coming months will be like, and if itʼs too early to ditch the mask. The announcement has created confusion between local coronavirus mandates. Each state, and business must decide whether or not to follow the CDC or maintain their current guidelines. This is the first time that there has been a government supported movement to go without your mask, and marks the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
refuge in Palestine throughout the 1930ʼs and 1940ʼs. The immigrants arrived exponentially to numbers that alarmed native Arabs. Tensions in Arab and Jewish communities became more violent than ever before. Palestinians revolted in mass as a result of the changing dynamics of the land from1936 to 1937. The estimated death toll of the conflict was 5,560. In 1947, the United Nations attempted to stop the violence by splitting Palestine into Jewish and Islamic sectors with Jerusalem being a neutral capitol. According to BBC, negotiations were stopped a year later leading to Israeli militants declaring Palestine (then renamed to Israel) a Jewish nation. After a two year war with Palestine and surrounding Arab countries such as Egypt and Iraq, Israel gained national recognition internationally. Israel designated certain areas in itʼs borders Palestinian land. The land was still administered and policed by Israeli officials. With each conflict Israel had with Palestine or its Arab allies, more land was taken away from them. One example of this is when Israel annexed Eastern Jerusalem, the capitol and third most important Holy site of Islam. Land and property were also taken away from Palestinians and given to Jewish settlers. Palestinians were made refugees, often living in exile in neighboring countries. Palestine today has been limited to the Gaza Strip and random patches of land within the West Bank. Recently, Palestinians
began protesting for equality and against police violence felt by their community. One particular issue being protested was the eviction of Palestinian families from Eastern Jerusalem. According to Brookings, Israeli far-right protestors flocked to surrounding Muslim neighborhoods chanting “death to Arabs”. Palestinians continued to protest despite the increasing threat of violence. On May 8, two days before hostilities erupted, Israeli police tear gassed and shot rubber bullets at protestors in front of a mosque as others prayed inside. The violence escalated two days later when police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the holiest site in East Jerusalem and Symbol of freedom for Palestine. Most people gathered to pray while protestors began to set up a seminar in a room. According to the Middle East Eye, 308 people were injured and 228 were hospitalized. Hamas, a Palestinian militant group considered terrorist, in control of the Gaza Strip, launched rocket salvos into Israeli territory in response to the protest in the middle of the night. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesperson, said the attack on the mosque and injury of Palestinians was a war crime and warned about repercussions before the bombing. According to The Times of Israel, 137 rockets were fired and four people were injured. Israel retaliated with air strikes that killed 23 people. According to the Hamas Health Ministry nine of them were minors, but Israeli Defense Force (IDF)
officials claim three were killed from a stray bomb. Israel and Gaza forces continue to bomb one another, but Israel has the advantage. The IDF uses Iron Dome missile defense batteries to counter Palestinian rockets by shooting them out of the sky with interceptor misses before they hit a target. The IDF claims only 10% of the rockets fired at Israeli territory landed. Such countermeasures are not used by Hamas militants so their casualties are much higher. As of now, no Palestinian territory has been invaded by the IDF. However, reservists have been called to arms and are preparing for ground combat. Artillery and tanks have also fired shells into Gaza. Violence has also erupted amongst civilians. Thousands of Palestinian and Israeli protestors have clashed with one another in the streets. Nine Arab protestors were killed by IDF forces at a fiery protest in the West Bank. The violence has hit the multiracial city of
Lod the hardest. Multiple cars, synagogues, and mosques have been burned down. The Mayor of Lod, Yair Revivo, has compared the chaos to Nazi Kristallnacht pogrom, the anti Jewish riots that turned to mass arson,beatings, and arrest that engulfed Germany in 1938. President Joe Biden and much of the Democratic leadership has condoned Israelʼs retaliation. Biden has shown this by approving of what he calls, “ Israelʼs right to defend itself.” He has condemned their bombing of a hotel in Gaza that journalists often stay at. A diplomatic envoy has been sent to Israel to observe the situation. Around the world thousands have protested against Israelʼs bombing campaign. On May 12, protestors in support of both Israel and Palestine clashed in front of the Israel consulate in New York City. One video showed a bloody Jewish man hiding in a store from violent protestors who beat him.
Photo courtesy Jim Watson via Getty Images CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky gives the world hope as new guidelines are released during the COVID-19 update.
GABI ORTIZ Lifestyles Editor
gabrielle.ortiz3320@my.riohondo.edu
T
Israel and Palestine Shell Each Other; Igniting Long Standing Tensions LORENZO A RCE News Editor
lorenzo.arce1393@my.riohondo.edu
S
tarting May 10, the States of Israel and the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip have bombarded each other relentlessly. This marks the most recent escalation of violence between the nations in recent times. As of May 14, 122 people have been killed and 900 injured in the conflict. Palestinians and Israelis have had tension between each other for centuries. Jewish and Arab inhabitants have laid claim to the land for thousands of years. The area eventually came under control of the Ottoman Empire (modern day Turkey) , a predominantly Islamic nation, for over 400 years. After their defeat in WW1, the Ottomans gave control of the area to the British Empire. Zionism, the belief of a Jewish homeland, was a popular belief of the time amongst many Jews and most declared that homeland Israel. One of these wealthy zionist, Walter Rothschild, lobbied with the British government and in 1917 wrote the Balfour Declaration which was adopted in 1922. It declared, “The Mandate will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home ... and the development of self-governing institutions, and also safeguard the civil and religious rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of race and religion.” The declaration was enforced without the consent of Palestineʼs citizens. Jewish immigrants, many escaping persecution from Nazi Germany and Russia, sought @elpaimedia
@elpaisanonews
El Paisano
Photo Courtesy Anas Baba/AFP via Getty Images
Rockets being fired towards Israel from Beit Lahia in the Northern Gaza Strip on Friday.
El Paisano Media Network
El Paisano Media Network