Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida Sues Biden Over Vaccine Mandate; Other States Move To Thwart Rules
The Wall Street Journal: Florida Sues Biden Administration Over Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate For Federal Contractors
Florida is suing the Biden administration over vaccine mandates for federal contractors, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in the middle district of Florida’s Tampa division, alleges that the requirement for employees at federal contractors be vaccinated by Dec. 8 interferes with Florida’s employment policies and threatens economic harm and the loss of federal contracts. (Ansari, 10/28)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Gov. Mike Parson Issues Executive Order Against Biden Vaccine Mandates
Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday issued an executive order targeting federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates, but some observers were quick to assert that the order would have little effect in Missouri. The executive order directs state offices within the executive branch to “cooperate fully and timely” with any legal actions Attorney General Eric Schmitt takes against such mandates coming from President Joe Biden’s administration. (Suntrup, 10/28)
AP: Iowa Lawmakers Pass Vaccine Mandate Exemption Bill
Iowa employees could seek medical and religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates and those who are fired for refusing a vaccine would be guaranteed unemployment benefits under a bill approved Thursday by the Iowa Legislature. The bill was released just minutes before lawmakers met for a special session convened to address redistricting. (Pitt, 10/28)
AP: Tennessee GOP Lawmakers Sprint In Bid To Curb COVID Rules
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee could be voting within days on whether to ban most businesses from solely requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for their customers and workers and severely limit when companies and government entities — including schools — can require masks. Lawmakers on Thursday quickly advanced the measure carrying the prohibitions, despite growing opposition from the business community, and could vote by week’s end. Prominent groups asked lawmakers not to put them in “an impossible position between federal and state mandates,” including the upcoming employer vaccination mandate announced by President Joe Biden. They said conflicting mandates could “subject employers to potentially crippling litigation costs.” (Mattise and Kruesi, 10/28)
In related news about covid mandates —
NBC News: Trash Piles Up As Vaccination Deadline Looms For NYC Workers
Trash piled up in parts of New York City on Thursday as garbage collection slowed ahead of the deadline for city workers to get vaccinated. Missed collections were reported in Staten Island and Brooklyn. And residents have taken to social media in outrage over the accumulating garbage and to raise concern that the slowdown is intentional in protest of the vaccine mandate. (Lee, 10/28)
Oklahoman: OKC Firefighter Fired After Refusing COVID-19 Test
An Oklahoma City Firefighter was fired this week after refusing to submit to COVID-19 testing protocols, according to a release from the department. Cpl. Jerimiah Hoffstatter, a nine-year veteran of the department, was terminated Wednesday following an administrative investigation. The department cited the reason for the termination as gross insubordination. (Williams, 10/28)
The CT Mirror: State Fines Long-Term Care Facilities For Not Reporting Vaccination Rates
A month after Connecticut’s vaccine mandate for workers in long-term care facilities went into effect, the state notified 26 providers that they have been fined a combined $221,000 for not reporting their vaccination rates by the deadline. The state Department of Public Health reported Thursday night that, as of last week, there were 59 facilities that submitted late reports but that officials decided to give them a week’s “grace period” to comply. Thirty-three facilities did comply within the grace period, and the state forgave more than $1.5 million in potential fines for those facilities. (Altimari, 10/28)
CNN: 72% Of Unvaccinated Workers Vow To Quit If Ordered To Get Vaccinated
A large number of unvaccinated workers say they'll quit their jobs if their employers follow upcoming federal rules to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a think tank concentrating on health issues, found 37% of unvaccinated workers say they will quit their jobs if forced to either get vaccinated or take weekly Covid tests. And if their employer mandates vaccines and doesn't offer the testing option, 72% of the unvaccinated workers say they will quit. (Isidore and Langmaid, 10/28)
But vaccine compliance is high in some regions —
AP: Inslee: 94% Of State Employees Comply With Vaccine Mandate
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday applauded numbers showing that some 94% of state employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 or have received exemptions from his mandate, and 3.1% are waiting to get a vaccine or exemption. Inslee said another 2.9% of state employees have left their jobs, either by quitting or retiring. (Geranios, 10/28)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Employee Vaccine Compliance High, St. Louis-Area Hospitals Say, But They Won’t Disclose Number Of Exemptions
Time is up for Mercy employees who did not comply with the health system’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate or qualify for a religious or medical exemption. The Chesterfield-based health care system on Thursday disclosed the percentage of staff who were terminated for refusing the vaccine. But Mercy, like other St. Louis-area hospital operators, declined to say how many employees received exemptions and are continuing to work unvaccinated. (Munz, 10/28)
