Coronavirus

Posted to Facebook this weekend: FINAL LAST CALL FOR MARC. Kathy Saulnier lost her husband Truck Driver, Marc Saulnier on Monday due to Covid Pneumonia. He sadly passed away in Kansas hospital while she was in Georgia. So she was unable to be by his side. We will NOT tolerate any hate towards her because her husband passed away from …

The Associated Press reports: New York City fired more than a thousand workers who failed to comply with the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the mayor’s office said Monday. The 1,430 workers who lost their jobs represent less than 1% of the 370,000-person city workforce and are far fewer terminations than expected before a Friday deadline to get the shots. The …

CTV News reports: For the first time in Canadian history, the federal government is enacting the Emergencies Act to bring the ongoing trucker convoy protests and blockades to an end. “With each illegal blockade, local law enforcement agencies have been acting to keep the peace within their jurisdiction. Despite their best efforts, it is now clear that there are serious …

The New York Times reports: As of March 1, the province of Ontario will no longer require people show proof of vaccination to enter any indoor spaces, the premier, Doug Ford, announced on Monday morning. In a call with reporters, Mr. Ford said that the change in public policy to rescind the so-called vaccine pass was based on the diminishing …

The Washington Post reports: D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said Monday she is dropping the city’s requirement that people show proof of coronavirus vaccination before entering many businesses in the city, as coronavirus transmission continues to trend downward throughout the region. The District’s requirement for residents to show proof of vaccination to enter most businesses — announced in December …

The Associated Press reports: Dr. Deborah Birx has a memoir coming out this spring that will focus on her contentious time as White House coronavirus task force coordinator in the administration of President Donald Trump. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced Monday that Birx’s “Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of The Trump Administration, COVID-19, and Preventing the Next Pandemic …

Gothamist reports: Mayor Eric Adams announced the return of a popular incentive program to encourage New Yorkers to get their full course of COVID-19 vaccinations. Starting on Saturday, New Yorkers who get their booster at a city-run or SOMOS vaccination site by the end of the month will be eligible for the $100 bonus. Under the program launched by former …

A stupidly necessary fact check from the Associated Press: CLAIM: COVID-19 vaccines are causing a new illness called “VAIDS,” short for vaccine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. VAIDS isn’t a real condition, nor do COVID-19 vaccines cause a syndrome matching this description, an immunotherapy expert confirmed to The Associated Press. THE FACTS: Doctors and activists with a history of …

Reuters reports: Paris police intercepted at least 500 vehicles attempting to enter the French capital Saturday, in defiance of a police order, to take part in protests against virus restrictions inspired by Canada’s horn-honking “Freedom Convoy.” The police said on Twitter that several convoys were stopped from entering at key city arteries and over 200 motorists were handed tickets. Elsewhere, …

The Hill reports: The Supreme Court on Friday denied a request from a group of New York City public school teachers seeking to block a vaccine mandate for employees who were not given a religious exemption. Their appeal was directed to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles cases from that region. She rejected an earlier challenge, filed in October, to the …

NBC News reports: Pfizer-BioNTech is postponing its rolling application to the Food and Drug Administration to expand the use of its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years. The move means that vaccines for this age group will not be available in the coming weeks, a setback for parents eager to vaccinate their young children. Pfizer …

The Insider reports: When anti-vaccine mandate protesters showed up to New Zealand’s parliament on Friday, officials activated the sprinklers to drive them off. But demonstrators have responded to the inconvenience by digging trenches to redirect water away from tents, according to local media reports. Hundreds of anti-mandate supporters have occupied the grounds outside the nation’s parliament in Wellington this week. …

New York City’s CBS News affiliate reports: As many as 3,000 New York City public employees are expected to be fired Friday for failing to obey the COVID vaccine mandate. It was put in place by Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Mayor Eric Adams says he’s ready to enforce it. Adams says as far as he’s concerned, he’s not firing …

The Christian Post reports: A new survey reveals that while a supermajority of white evangelical Protestants have taken at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, the group has the lowest vaccination rate among all demographic subgroups questioned. Broken down by religious affiliation, vaccination rates were highest among Catholics, with 85% reporting that they had taken at least one dose …

The Washington Post reports: The public transit service that riders were accustomed to before the pandemic is not coming back, a result of fewer trips to downtown Washington and a rise in workers abandoning commutes, Metro leaders testified Wednesday at a hearing on problems plaguing the transit agency. Hundreds of suspended rail cars could return in April, but Metro officials …

The Chicago Sun-Times reports: Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced he’ll lift his indoor mask mandate for most public settings by Feb. 28, but he’ll still push to keep face coverings on in schools for a few weeks beyond that. The Democratic governor’s latest pandemic directive means Illinoisans — vaccinated or not — can go bare-faced in grocery stores, restaurants, …

“I talk shit for a living — that’s why this is so baffling to me. If you’re taking vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault? What dumb shit were you about to do when my stupid idea sounded better? ‘You know that dude who made people people eat animal dicks on TV? How does he feel about medicine?’ …

NBC News reports: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted a statewide mask mandate Wednesday amid a battle over the rule’s legality and as a surge in Covid-19 infections continues to recede. With infection numbers now trending down, Hochul said the “tremendous progress” has allowed the state to move into a “new phase.” Hospitalizations also decreased 63 percent between Jan. 12 …

Reuters reports: Protesters gathered in southern France on Wednesday for what they say will be a “freedom convoy” that will converge on Paris and Brussels to demand an end to COVID-19 restrictions, inspired by protesters who have blocked a Canadian border crossing. About 200 protesters assembled in a parking lot in Nice, on France’s Mediterranean coast, with many displaying Canadian …

NY1 reports: The outdoor dining sheds that changed the landscape of New York City’s streets during the pandemic may soon get packed up for good. During a City Council hearing on Tuesday, Department of Transportation officials said that a revised outdoor dining program likely won’t feature sheds at all. “We don’t envision sheds in the permanent program, we’re not planning …