Biden’s Health Worker Vax Mandate Blocked In 10 States
Thousands of unvaccinated health workers would have been covered by the White House's covid shot mandate, but in 10 states they are now at least temporarily unaffected after a federal judge's ruling. Meanwhile, the Pentagon says Oklahoma National Guards must get shots.
The New York Times:
Judge Temporarily Blocks Vaccine Mandate For Health Workers In 10 States
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for health care workers in the 10 states that had filed a lawsuit against the government this month. The mandate requires all 17 million health care workers in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified medical facilities, which receive government funding, to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Jan. 4. The injunction, issued by Judge Matthew Schelp of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, prevents the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from enforcing the mandate while the case is in court. (Heyward, 11/29)
AP:
Biden Vaccine Rule For Health Workers Blocked In 10 States
A federal judge on Monday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states that had brought the first legal challenge against the requirement. The court order said that the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid had no clear authority from Congress to enact the vaccine mandate for providers participating in the two government health care programs for the elderly, disabled and poor. (Lieb, 11/30)
The Hill:
Federal Workers Who Don't Meet Vaccine Mandate Won't Face Discipline Until January
Federal workers who do not comply with the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine requirement will not face serious penalties such as suspension or removal until January. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Monday directed federal agencies to engage in education and counseling of workers who have not met the vaccine requirement through the holiday season, with further enforcement actions put off until next year. (Chalfant, 11/29)
Meanwhile, in Oklahoma —
The New York Times:
The Defense Department Says Oklahoma National Guard Must Get Vaccinated
The Defense Department has rejected an attempt by the governor of Oklahoma to exclude the state’s National Guard from a federal vaccine mandate. On Monday Lloyd J. Austin III, the secretary of Defense, sent a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt that said the troops must comply with the requirement for all service branches. The letter, which was widely expected, sets the stage for Guardmembers in the state to lose their jobs should they refuse. (Steinhauer, 11/29)
CNN:
Pentagon Denies Oklahoma Governor's Request And Insists National Guard Members Must Be Vaccinated
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin denied a request from Oklahoma's governor to exempt his state's National Guard members from the Pentagon's Covid-19 vaccine mandate. Austin emphasized that the vaccine mandate is a lawful order that promotes "the health, safety and readiness of our military personnel, regardless of duty status" in the letter, which CNN obtained a copy of. The letter added that National Guard members who don't get vaccinated could be banned from "participation in drills and training conducted," and their status in the service could be jeopardized. (Kaufman and Liebermann, 11/29)
In other mandate news across the country —
Fox News:
San Diego Student Vaccine Mandate Temporarily Blocked By Ninth Circuit
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency injunction pending appeal against the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) on Monday after a student-athlete sued the district for religious discrimination because of its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. In September, the school board of the SDUSD voted in favor of requiring students aged 16 and up to be fully vaccinated against COVID by Dec. 20, which would require them to get their first dose by Monday. Anyone who failed to comply would be forced to attend school remotely. (Brown, 11/30)
The Des Moines Register:
Judge Blocks CMS COVID Vaccine Mandate For Iowa Health Care Workers
A judge has blocked the federal government from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers in Iowa and nine other states. Matthew Schelp, a U.S. district judge in Missouri, ruled Monday that the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not have authority to order hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers to vaccinate all of their workers. (Leys, 11/30)
Des Moines Register:
Johnston, Iowa Schools End COVID-19 Mask Mandate For Students, Staff
Starting Tuesday, Johnston students and staff will be able to go school mask-free. The district's school board voted 4-3 Monday evening to rescind its mask mandate. Board members Katie Fiala, Jennifer Chamberland and Soneeta Mangra-Dutcher opposed the resolution. (LeBlanc, 11/29)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Cal State Requires Students To Be Vaccinated For COVID-19 — But It’s Not Evenly Enforced
In July, with the delta variant of the coronavirus on the rise, California State University announced that all students and employees going to campus would need to prove they were vaccinated against the virus, or apply for a religious or medical exemption, no later than Sept. 30. The move by the nation’s largest four-year public university was driven by “the overarching goal of achieving population-level immunity throughout the CSU,” Cal State Chancellor Joseph Castro wrote. (Huck, Shaikh, and Mendoza, 11/29)
AP:
COVID-19 Hospitalizations Reach Record High In Michigan
Michigan’s number of hospitalized adults with confirmed COVID-19 cases reached a new pandemic high Monday, nearing 4,200 as the state continued to confront surging infections. The total of 4,185 cases surpassed the previous record of 4,158, which was set seven months ago when fewer residents were vaccinated. More than one-fifth of COVID patients in Michigan hospitals were in intensive care. Only Minnesota had a higher seven-day rate of new infections than Michigan, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. About 20% of tests statewide were positive, a level not seen since the early days of the pandemic when there was a testing shortage. One in every 169 people tested positive in the past week, according to Johns Hopkins University. (Eggert and Krisher, 11/30)
Also —
Fox News:
Education Secretary Says Safe Schools 'Require Masks,' Touts Op-Ed Critical Of Florida's Anti-Mask Mandate Law
After months of legal challenges, heated school board meetings, and confusion among parents, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill earlier this month that prohibits schools from mandating masks for students. Carlee Simon, the superintendent of one of the last school districts in the state to drop their mandate, Alachua County Public Schools, wrote an op-ed last week criticizing the anti-mask mandate law — and now Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is backing her up. "This isn’t complicated & Superintendent Simon is right. As educators, it's our job to keep our schools safe and that requires masks," Cardona tweeted on Monday. (Best, 11/30)
The Washington Post:
Maine Doctor’s License Suspended After Allegations Of Covid-19 Misinformation
A Maine medical board said it suspended a doctor’s license after reviewing his covid-19 “exemption letters” and reports that he spread misinformation about the coronavirus. The state’s Board of Osteopathic Licensure froze Paul Gosselin’s license for 30 days starting Nov. 19, pending further action at a hearing. Osteopathic doctors tend to talk about a “whole-body” approach to health and embrace alternative treatments. (Knowles, 11/29)
