Ninety-three p.c of New York Metropolis’s workforce is now vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 beneath a strict and controversial requirement that Mayor Invoice de Blasio touted Monday as “extra proof that mandates work.”
The Sanitation Division is now at 86%, firefighters at 82% and NYPD at 86%, the mayor mentioned. Final month, metropolis officers warned that some firehouses may must be shuttered and a few ambulances taken off the streets as vaccination charges lagged.
Final week, the town and 4 labor unions struck a deal reaffirming the town’s proper to impose the mandate whereas making allowances for workers who filed medical or spiritual exemption requests.
“That is proof that the mandates are having an actual affect,” de Blasio mentioned. “The Hearth Division’s doing an excellent job. … All items, operational. All firehouses, open. Response instances, good. Sick go away has gone manner down now, again to common ranges, even beneath. So, that is incredible.”
Additionally within the information:
►Philadelphia 76ers middle Joel Embiid, the runner-up within the NBA’s MVP race final season, has tested positive for the coronavirus and can doubtless miss at the least 5 video games, in line with media reviews.
►There have been greater than 250 million confirmed coronavirus circumstances worldwide, Johns Hopkins College knowledge reveals. The true variety of circumstances is probably going far larger as a result of not everyone seems to be examined.
►BNSF grew to become the third main railroad firm to file swimsuit in opposition to its worker unions to find out whether or not it has the authority to require employees to get vaccinated in opposition to the coronavirus. Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific filed related lawsuits in opposition to the unions final month.
►Japan reported no every day deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday for the primary time in 15 months, as infections decline quickly within the nation.
►Vermont’s COVID-19 circumstances have surged for the reason that summer season. The state is now averaging 283 circumstances a day, in comparison with lower than ten a day in July.
📈At the moment’s numbers: The U.S. has recorded greater than 46.5 million confirmed COVID-19 circumstances and greater than 754,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. World totals: Greater than 250 million circumstances and 5 million deaths. Greater than 193.8 million Individuals — 58.4% of the inhabitants — are absolutely vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
📘 What we’re studying: Will kids of shade get vaccinated on the charges of different kids? Experts say equity is key to new normal.
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Pfizer to pursue OK to boosters for all adults
Pfizer-BioNTech could search authorization for a booster shot of their COVID-19 vaccine for all Individuals 18 and older as quickly as this week, the Washington Post reported.
Citing three unnamed sources, the newspaper mentioned the Meals and Drug Administration is prone to grant the request, which might make all adults on this nation eligible for the boosters. At the moment they’re restricted to folks 65 and older, the immunocompromised and people at excessive threat of virus publicity due to dwelling or work situations.
The Biden administration has been pushing to make the boosters accessible to everybody 18 and older. After preliminary pushback from public well being consultants who argued younger, wholesome folks did not want them, there was growing proof that vaccine safety diminishes over time.
1000’s in Los Angeles protest new vaccination necessities
1000’s of demonstrators protested exterior the Los Angeles Metropolis Corridor in opposition to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate that went into impact Monday.
The brand new guidelines apply to most indoor companies and require proof of vaccination or a detrimental COVID-19 check for entry into business venues reminiscent of film theatres, gyms, eating places and most metropolis buildings.
The ordinance encourages companies to supply service exterior for patrons who don’t present proof of vaccination. Patrons who declare a medical or spiritual purpose for not getting vaccinated can present a detrimental coronavirus check taken inside 72 hours. Venues that fail to stick to the ordinance can face fines beginning Nov. 29.
Protesters raised indicators reminiscent of “Freedom over Tyranny” and “United We Stand,” with others donning American flags as capes. Images and movies on social media confirmed some within the crowd have been carrying police and firefighter gear because the departments equally wrestle with mandates that might result in staff dropping their jobs if they aren’t vaccinated by Dec. 18.
— Christal Hayes
Jill Biden leads push for vaccinating youngsters
First girl Jill Biden on Monday kicked off the administration’s push to encourage dad and mom to vaccinate their kids for COVID-19 by visiting an elementary college that performed a historic function in the course of the polio epidemic. The Franklin Sherman Elementary Faculty in McLean, Virginia, was the primary college to manage the polio vaccine in 1954. Biden plans to go to pediatric vaccination clinics throughout the nation over the approaching weeks, now that the CDC has endorsed the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for youngsters ages 5 via 11.
In a letter to highschool superintendents and elementary college principals, Training Secretary Miguel Cardona and Well being and Human Providers Secretary Xavier Becerra observe that folks are roughly twice as prone to get their kids vaccinated if their college offers details about the vaccine, in line with Kaiser Household Basis survey.
“We urge you,” they wrote, “to do all you’ll be able to to assist dad and mom and households study in regards to the vaccine and get entry to it.”
— Maureen Groppe , USA TODAY
State Farm stands by Aaron Rodgers, however not a few of his views
Given an opportunity to repudiate the vaccine misinformation unfold final week by Inexperienced Bay Packers quarterback and firm pitchman Aaron Rodgers, State Farm punted. The insurer mentioned in an announcement to USA TODAY that Rodgers has been “an awesome ambassador” for the corporate for a decade, and that whereas State Farm does not assist all of what Rodgers mentioned, it respects his proper to his private viewpoint.
“We acknowledge our clients, staff, brokers and model ambassadors come from all walks of life, with differing viewpoints on many points,” the assertion mentioned. “We encourage vaccinations, however respect everybody’s proper to choose based mostly on their private circumstances.”
One other Rodgers’ sponsor, Prevea Well being in Wisconsin, ended its partnership with Rodgers on Saturday.
— Christine Brennan, USA TODAY
Demise price hole widens between purple, blue America
The hole in COVID-19 deaths charges between purple and blue counties grew sooner in October than any earlier month, a New York Times data survey reveals.
The Instances reviews that in October, 25 out of each 100,000 residents of closely Trump-voting counties died from COVID-19, greater than thrice larger than the speed of seven.8 in counties that turned out strongly for Biden. October was additionally the fifth consecutive month the share hole between the dying charges rose, the Time reviews.
“The true clarification is easy: The vaccines are remarkably efficient at stopping extreme COVID, and nearly 40% of Republican adults stay unvaccinated, in contrast with about 10% of Democratic adults,” the Instances says.
Vaccinated vacationers welcome again to US as journey ban ends
A rush of worldwide vacationers was headed towards america border on Monday as the COVID-19 travel ban ended and other people from dozens of nations have been allowed in, greater than 600 days since they have been barred from entry.
Lengthy strains started forming on the Canadian and Mexican borders nicely earlier than dawn, and keen vacationers boarded flights from Europe, together with dueling departures from London’s Heathrow. The U.S.-Mexican border is usually the world’s busiest border crossing, utilized by about 350 million folks yearly.
The brand new U.S. entry guidelines require overseas air passengers to check detrimental for the virus earlier than boarding a aircraft to the nation and, if they’re 18 or older, present proof of full vaccination. Vacationers getting into the U.S. on land or by ferry for nonessential causes should present proof of vaccination. Read more here.
— Bailey Schulz, Daybreak Gilbertson, Eve Chen and Morgan Hines, USA TODAY
Equal entry key to rollout of vaccination plan for youths
Now {that a} COVID-19 vaccine is obtainable for youngsters as younger as 5 years previous, neighborhood leaders, clinicians and officers are ramping up grassroots efforts to ensure children of color have equal access to the shot.
The rollout prices ahead at drug shops, pediatrician workplaces, household well being clinics and hospitals. However entry could also be difficult for some, as an estimated 53% of youngsters all through the nation lack an everyday place to get medical companies, in line with a Kaiser Household Basis evaluation in 2019. Docs mentioned the vaccination boundaries as soon as confronted by adults in communities of shade are prone to be mirrored in kids of shade.
“We clearly had disparities with their dad and mom, so why should not now we have disparities with their youngsters?” mentioned Dr. Georges Benjamin, govt director of the American Public Well being Affiliation. Read more here.
– Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY
Purchaser’s regret in Britain: Perhaps that scorching tub wasn’t such a good suggestion
Britons who made feel-good COVID “deal with” purchases starting from garments and footwear to scorching tubs and gymnasium gear at the moment are feeling consumers regret to the tune of virtually 6.6 billion kilos, or $9 billion.
A survey of 4,000 folks by the insurer Aviva discovered that 9 out of 10 Brits handled themselves, costing a mean of over $1,600. However 9% of consumers mentioned they not use the purchases, 11% mentioned they used gadgets lower than anticipated and eight% admitted they didn’t use them in any respect. Gaming gear, instruments, dwelling gyms, bikes, clothes and jewellery, musical devices, bread makers, backyard furnishings, pizza ovens and scorching tubs all appeared on the remorse listing, the insurer mentioned. A few of the gadgets have already been resold.
Biden’s vaccine mandates face the primary check with federal employees
President Joe Biden is pushing ahead with an enormous plan to require thousands and thousands of personal sector staff to get vaccinated by early subsequent 12 months. However first, he has to verify employees in his personal federal authorities get the shot.
About 4 million federal employees are to be vaccinated by Nov. 22 beneath the president’s govt order. Some staff, like these on the White Home, are almost all vaccinated. However the charges are decrease at different federal companies, notably these associated to legislation enforcement and intelligence, in line with the companies and union leaders. And a few resistant employees are digging in, submitting lawsuits and protesting what they are saying is unfair overreach by the White Home.
The upcoming deadline is the primary check of Biden’s push to compel folks to get vaccinated. Past the federal employee rule, one other mandate will take impact in January aimed toward round 84 million non-public sector employees, in line with tips put out final week. On Saturday, a federal appeals courtroom in Louisiana briefly halted the vaccine requirement for companies with 100 or extra employees. The administration says it’s assured the requirement will face up to authorized challenges partly as a result of its security guidelines preempt state legal guidelines.
Contributing: Mike Stucka, USA TODAY; The Related Press
