School pandemic rules largely unchanged as kids return amid omicron

Clearwater art exhibit draws concerns from city officials; anticipated 2022 restaurant openings; Bruce Arians still uncertain what prompted Antonio Brown's exit

View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Tuesday, January 4, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Good morning, Tampa Bay. Temperatures will reach a high of 73 and low of 45, making for a chilly start to the day.  Keep reading to find out how a Clearwater art exhibit created an ethical dilemma; a 6-year-old Wesley Chapel girl races competitively despite bilateral hearing loss; and scroll to the end for five new Tampa Bay restaurant concepts coming in 2022. [MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times (2021)] What to know as schools in Tampa Bay resume classes with omicron surging As the COVID-19 omicron variant spreads, Tampa Bay students and school employees won’t encounter major changes in virus-control requirements when they return from winter break today.   The districts in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties have left their first semester rules substantially intact. They plan to “encourage” masks and also indicated they would follow the latest CDC guidance, which has cut recommended isolation time for people with positive test results to five days.   In other parts of the state, some school districts intend to require face coverings for adults on campus. The Florida Legislature outlawed mandatory masking of students when it met in a November special session.   Get a full rundown on where local schools’ plans for controlling COVID-19 stand.   Related coverage:    Is omicron impacting Florida’s unemployment claims? Not according to the latest state and national numbers.   St. Petersburg Mayor-elect Ken Welch has COVID-19. His historic inauguration Thursday will be virtual.   Gov. Ron DeSantis urges the Biden administration to send Florida as many as 40,000 more doses of monoclonal antibody treatments per week as coronavirus cases rise to record heights.   The FDA expanded Pfizer vaccine booster shots for 12- to 15-year-olds, pending CDC approval. AROUND THE BAY Art exhibit raises questions: The project, organized by a Clearwater artist running for City Council, used trash to make a point. But it created another mess — an ethical one.   $3 admission at The Dalí: The St. Petersburg museum is offering the reduced ticket price to SNAP benefit holders. Find all the details here.   ZooTampa breaks record: The park reports it set a record for attendance in 2021 with more than 1.2 million visitors.   Snow in Florida ❄️: On Monday, the Panhandle saw some snow flurries. Don't worry, though — Tampa Bay isn't expected to get quite that chilly this week.   Hotel acquisition: The Current in Tampa's Rocky Point area sold for $85 million to the company that owns the Oxford Exchange, among other local businesses.   Shrinking shade? Tampa's senior forester examiner expects an upcoming report to show a reduction in tree canopy coverage across the city. This 2019 state law has likely had an effect.   St. Petersburg racism study: Structural inequities in housing, medical care and income degrade the health and increase the mortality rate of the city's Black residents, a study finds. BRIGHT SPOT [MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times] Hearing loss won't stop this Wesley Chapel girl from go-kart racing Harper Gage was born with bilateral hearing loss. But the 6-year-old is not letting her diagnosis keep her from competing in go-kart tournaments. One day, she hopes to race professionally. Your support makes a difference The Tampa Bay Times needs your help to keep delivering top-notch journalism. Please consider subscribing or making a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Journalism Fund. Donate Gain unlimited access POLITICS Bills to note this session: As Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee next week, here are some measures Tampa Bay's delegation is pushing.  OPINION AND COMMENTARY Goals for 2022: We need to adjust our New Year's resolution expectations, writes columnist Stephanie Hayes. For instance, let's say you want to drink more water. You do not need an enormous bottle with hourly tick marks down the side. Simply fetch your 32-ounce plastic Miller Lite stein.   Focus on the student: As Tampa Bay schools reopen today amid the surging COVID-19 omicron variant, it's vital to see the pandemic from a student's perspective and understand how it is affecting their education, the Times Editorial Board says. Dive deeper into your favorite local subjects 📨 Our free email newsletters bring the best of the Tampa Bay Times to your inbox every week. Explore all of them here. SPORTS Antonio Brown's exit: Watching the shirtless receiver wave and smile as he strolled through the end zone in the middle of Sunday's game was, remarkably, even more sad than it was bizarre, writes sports columnist John Romano. Bucs coach Bruce Arians says he still doesn't know what led to Brown's departure.   Brady on Brown: On his weekly podcast, the Bucs quarterback said he will continue to support Antonio Brown, reiterating that he has "a lot of empathy for the things that are happening in (Brown's) life."   Shot at No. 2 playoff seed: The Bucs are short on healthy running backs entering the regular-season finale vs. the Panthers. And there's still a lot at stake.   Bolts slump, examined: With the help of Lightning TV analyst Brian Engblom, we look at what's been going wrong recently for the Stanley Cup champions. TODAY'S TALKER [CHRIS CASELLA | Cameron Mitchell Restaurants] 5 new Tampa Bay restaurants to look out for in 2022 As a result of supply-chain setbacks and an ongoing labor shortage, dozens of local eateries originally scheduled to launch in 2021 postponed their debuts. Now, the new year is shaping up to be a blockbuster for restaurant openings. See the culinary projects our food and dining critic is most excited about. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Valentina Botero, Rachel Adamson and Amy Gehrt. Did someone forward this to you? Get DayStarter in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. Contact us Privacy policy Terms, conditions & copyright Standard of accuracy © 2022 • All Rights Reserved Tampa Bay Times • 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 To ensure this email is delivered to your inbox, add custserv@elist.tampabay.com to your address book. 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