Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Unions For 75,000 Employees Make Vax Mandate Deal With New York City
The Washington Post: New York City Cuts Vaccine Mandate Deal With Unions
New York City said Thursday that it had reached an agreement with at least four unions representing some 75,000 city employees to establish rules about how workers can apply for medical or religious exemptions to the city’s coronavirus vaccine mandate. The development eases tensions between some city workers and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s (D) administration over requirements to get vaccinated against the coronavirus or go on unpaid leave. Though about 92 percent of city employees were compliant with vaccine mandates as of Wednesday, there are small pockets of resistance to the mandate, particularly among some police officers and firefighters. (Jeong and Suliman, 11/5)
AP: Former Washington State Coach Appeals Firing Over Vaccine
Attorneys for former Washington State coach Nick Rolovich sent a letter to the university appealing his firing for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine, contending school officials did not conduct a fair process to determine whether he should receive a religious exemption to a state mandate that all state employees must be vaccinated. Attorneys Brian Fahling and Eric Kniffen’s letter to athletic director Pat Chun lays out their appeal of Rolovich’s firing for just cause. (Geranios, 11/4)
PBS NewsHour: What Young Americans Think About Vaccines And Mandates
Young people in the United States broadly support COVID-19 vaccine mandates to support in-person learning and work, and a majority believe that getting vaccinated is — at least in part — an obligation we owe to each other, according to a new poll among 13- to 29-year-olds from the PBS NewsHour and Generation Lab. And even though their lives have been upended, most Gen Zers and millennials say they do not feel more stressed now than they were before the pandemic, suggesting that hardships have perhaps reinforced resiliency for Americans under 30. (Santhanam, 11/4)
In mask updates —
AP: Arizona Won't Stop Using COVID Money For Anti-Mask Grants
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is defying a demand that he stop using federal coronavirus relief money to fund an education grant program that can only go to schools without mask mandates. The Republican governor also is continuing a program that gives private school vouchers to parents upset that their children’s schools require masks or quarantines after being exposed to COVID-19. (Christie, 11/5)
Dallas Morning News: Dallas Schools Keeping Mask Mandate As COVID-19 Vaccinations Become Available For Youngsters
Dallas schools’ mask mandate will remain in place as young children begin rolling up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced the decision at Thursday’s board briefing. He also informed trustees that he will reconsider the district’s safety protocols in December, after analyzing how many elementary students are fully vaccinated and whether the Thanksgiving holiday leads to a spike in cases. “We know that it takes six-to-eight weeks for the vaccines to take full effect,” Hinojosa said. “We also know that we have two holiday periods that are coming up for us right now. So we are not going to lift the mask protocol at this time.” (Richman, 11/4)
AP: Kansas City Leaders Rescind Mask Mandate Outside Of Schools
The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council has rescinded its order requiring masks in public places to stop the spread of the coronavirus, but masks will still be required for both kids and adults in schools, and private businesses still can choose to require them. The City Council voted 11-2 on Thursday to continue to require masks in school buildings and on school buses through Dec. 2, The Kansas City Star reported. A mask order for everyone 5 years and older expired Thursday afternoon. (11/4)
