What happened this week? (1/15-1/22)
This week was packed with news both local and global, from the high school seeing its first midyears in two years to the devastating eruption of a volcano in Tonga.
Wish you could learn about the major happenings this week? Our weekly recaps are intended to give readers a brief overview of what they might have missed.
Brookline businesses require vaccinations:
Beginning Saturday, Jan. 15, Brookline instated a vaccine mandate in many businesses and venues. These entities are required to demand proof of vaccination against COVID-19 from patrons and to include signage alerting of this regulation at entrance areas. So, next time you visit Caffè Nero, make sure you’re prepared!
Midyears begin:
The first midyears in two years began on Thursday, Jun. 20. Unfortunately, many students dealt with confusion around the changing of testing rooms and having multiple tests scheduled for the same time. Hopefully testing on Monday and Tuesday goes smoothly!
New schedule to start:
Starting Jan. 27, the high school will be using a new schedule as freshmen transition into the new freshman building. The new schedule includes the addition of an H-block first period on Tuesdays of week A. For everyone that has the schedule as their lock screen, make sure to update it.
Experts say MA has passed its Omicron peak:
The levels of COVID-19 in wastewater have proven to reflect the amount of positive cases in communities. In Massachusetts (as well as many other parts of the country), levels of COVID-19 (and specifically the Omicron variant) in wastewater have decreased significantly over the past few weeks, likely indicating that the Omicron surge in the Commonwealth has passed its peak and may be coming to an end.
Brian Laundrie admits to killing Gabby Petito:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Jan. 21 their discovery of Brian Laundrie’s notebook in Oct. in which he admitted to having murdered his fiancé Gabby Petito. The FBI will close its investigation around Petito’s death “in the near future”. Petito was reported missing on a road trip with Laundrie, and when the search for Petito began, Laundrie disappeared and was later ruled to have committed suicide.
Tonga Volcano Eruption:
On Jan. 15, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga, a country in Oceania, erupted, sending a massive tsunami across the Pacific Ocean. The tsunami ravaged three of Tonga’s islands, but in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation is hoping to limit contact during relief efforts.
Djokovic banned from Australian Open:
With a canceled visa due to lack of vaccination, the No. 1 globally ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic was forced to leave Australia before the Australian Open’s start. Djokovic was detained in an Australian immigrant facility but claimed that a previous positive COVID-19 case exempted him from the vaccine mandate for arrivals in Australia.
