*********************************
There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
*********************************
Covid-19 cases are climbing nationally as the U.S. barrels into its second holiday season during the pandemic, with most families planning this year to gather for Thanksgiving. The daily average of new cases stands below 100,000, and almost 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated. But with millions still unvaccinated and cases rising, experts are urging Americans to exercise caution when gathering with others. The Covid-19 Event Risk Assessment Management Tool — developed by Joshua Weitz, Professor and Tom and Marie Patton Chair in the School of Biological Sciences, Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Quantitative Biosciences, and Blaise Pascal International Chair of Excellence at the Ecole Normale Superieure — shows that for events with 50 people, eight states have counties with an at least 95 percent risk level. (The Covid-19 Event Risk Assessment Management Tool is also mentioned in Fast Company, CBS17 Raleigh, Louisville Courier-Journal, Tri-City Herald, Akron Beacon-Journal, and Des Moines Register.