The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> is enforcing a mask mandate and social distancing guidelines for visitors who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, an email shows. 
Lawmakers invited to attend “College Athlete Day,” where athletes from championship collegiate teams get to visit the White House, were told to mask up for the event if they are not vaccinated, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-mandating-face-masks-social-distancing-unvaccinated-college-athlete-day-guests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to an email obtained by Fox News. 
&#8220;Masking Guidance: Fully vaccinated guests are not required to wear a mask on the White House grounds,&#8221; the email from the White House Office of Legislative Affairs said [bold original]. &#8220;Guests who are not fully vaccinated must wear a mask at all times and maintain at least 6 feet distance from others while on the White House grounds.&#8221;
COVID tests will not be required for entry to the event, which will take place on Monday. It will feature teams from all over the country with the notable absence of the NCAA Division I football champions Georgia Bulldogs. The Bulldogs <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-white-house-invite-national-college-football-champion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement last month that “the date suggested is not feasible given the student-athlete calendar and time of year.”
The masking requirements come months after President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-officially-ends-covid-19-national-emergency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared the COVID national emergency</a> over. 
Biden signed a resolution in April ending COVID emergency orders after lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives passed the resolution. The national emergency declaration, first declared in March 2020, led to draconian social distancing rules, closures of small businesses and schools, and mask and vaccine mandates.
“The President signed into law: H.J.Res. 7, which terminates the national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the White House said in a short <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/legislation/2023/04/10/bill-signed-h-j-res-7/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1685885459858000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0AFvCLn4CIt7S8nPLjhrIg">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
After becoming president, Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/theres-no-excuse-biden-scolds-the-unvaccinated-at-covid-briefing-takes-no-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took a hostile approach</a> to those who declined to get vaccinated for COVID, blaming the unvaccinated for the spread of COVID. 
“So there’s no excuse!” Biden said in a January 2022 speech. “No excuse for anyone being unvaccinated. This continues to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated. So we got to make more progress. And for patients who still haven’t gotten your kids vaccinated, please get them vaccinated. Look out for their interests here. It’s the best way to protect them.
The Biden administration attempted to enforce a vaccine mandate through the Department of Labor. The mandate for businesses was later struck down by the Supreme Court after numerous companies and organizations, including The Daily Wire, sued to challenge the mandate.

President Biden Delivers Remarks At The White House

White House Enforcing Mask Mandates, Social Distancing For Unvaccinated Visitors

COVID

COVID-19 Vaccine

Joe Biden

Mask Mandate

U.S.

Unvaccinated

White House

A <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/kidneyforyulia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fundraiser</a> has exploded online for a child who was reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/duke-university-hospital-denied-14-year-old-girl-kidney-transplant-over-covid-vaccine-family-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied a kidney transplant</a> by Duke University&#8217;s children’s hospital, raising nearly $230,000 in a matter of days.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/duke-university-hospital-denied-14-year-old-girl-kidney-transplant-over-covid-vaccine-family-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yulia Hicks</a>, 14, has a genetic kidney disorder that requires a transplant, but her family says the hospital is refusing to put her on the kidney wait list because she is unvaccinated against COVID. Notably, the family says the girl has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cdc-study-natural-immunity-beats-vax-against-delta-variant">already recovered from the virus</a>.
&#8220;We are overwhelmed by the generosity we have been shown,&#8221; Lee and Chrissy Hicks, Yulia&#8217;s parents, <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/kidneyforyulia">posted</a> in an update to the GiveSendGo fundraiser. &#8220;Our God is great! He will not abandon us. &#8230; TO GOD BE THE GLORY!&#8221;
The North Carolina family said in an update posted on Thursday that they have retained a lawyer to help fight the hospital, adding that they are &#8220;praying we can change the policy for others.&#8221;
&#8220;We increased the amount we are trying to raise because we know we will have legal fees, and we don&#8217;t know the extent of our bills for travel, etc. as we will likely be going out of state for transplant,&#8221; Lee and Chrissy said. The goal for the fundraiser is now set at half a million dollars.
The GiveSendGo account called Duke&#8217;s alleged move to deny Yulia the kidney transplant a &#8220;horrible injustice,&#8221; noting that the girl&#8217;s family now &#8220;must pay for out-of-state travel and lodging expenses for not only Yulia and her mother, but also her potential donor!&#8221;
&#8220;The transplant process is not easy nor quick,&#8221; the post continued. &#8220;Between the numerous pre-surgery tests, the procedure itself, recovery and the years of regular appointments, the whole endeavor is now financially IMPOSSIBLE for the large Hicks family.&#8221;
Yulia was adopted into the Hicks family from Ukraine in January 2021. &#8220;She fit in right away with Lee and Chrissy&#8217;s 10 other children, 2 of which are also adopted,&#8221; the fundraiser said.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/duke-university-hospital-denied-14-year-old-girl-kidney-transplant-over-covid-vaccine-family-says">The Daily Wire</a> reported last week that an alleged recorded phone call, <a href="https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/duke-university-surgeons-are-refusing">obtained</a> by journalist Alex Berenson, revealed a Duke health official telling the Hicks family that Yulia must get vaccinated against COVID before she can become a candidate for the kidney transplant.
“I can’t require you to do anything. I can recommend these things, but if you don’t follow our recommendations, then Yulia can’t be a transplant candidate here,” the Duke Health kidney specialist reportedly said.
“Being unvaccinated to the CDC recommended vaccinations based on her age is part of that,” the kidney specialist allegedly added.
Her family says Yulia has already contracted COVID and recovered, but doctors told them Yulia’s natural immunity was not enough, according to the recorded call.
“The virus has continued to mutate and so the natural immunity is not as good as if you had natural immunity plus vaccination,” one doctor said in the call.
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Tucker Carlson speaks with a mother whose daughter was denied a kidney transplant by Duke University Hospital because she hadn’t been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Find out more: <a href="https://t.co/UQrv0UQAxz">https://t.co/UQrv0UQAxz</a> <a href="https://t.co/gNzIycs8WU">pic.twitter.com/gNzIycs8WU</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1601392115505717248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A representative for Duke Health told The Daily Wire last week they would check on the situation.
Mairead Elordi contributed to this report. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/duke-university-hospital-denied-14-year-old-girl-kidney-transplant-over-covid-vaccine-family-says">Duke Children’s Hospital Denied 14-Year-Old Girl Kidney Transplant Over Covid Vaccine, Family Says</a>

Covid-19 vaccine filling syringe

Fundraiser Explodes For Child After Family Says Duke Denying Kidney Transplant Over COVID Vax

Fundraiser Explodes For 14-Year-Old After Family Says Duke Is Denying Teen Kidney Transplant For Skipping COVID Vax 

COVID-19

Duke University

Health

hospital

North Carolina

Unvaccinated New York City workers scored a victory Monday after a New York Supreme Court judge <a href="https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/fbem/DocumentDisplayServlet?documentId=JK5E3gx5XV1/ku37jnWR_PLUS_w==&amp;system=prod">ruled</a> the city&#8217;s vaccine mandate for all city employees is arbitrary, capricious, and unconstitutional.
New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams fired roughly 2,000 municipal workers — including police officers and firefighters — earlier this year who refused to comply with the COVID vaccination mandate.
The court found that &#8220;being vaccinated does not prevent an individual from contracting or transmitting COVID-19,&#8221; adding that vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals have the same quarantine and isolation guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
&#8220;The vaccine mandate for City employees was not just about safety and public health; it was about compliance,&#8221; Judge Ralph Porzio wrote in his ruling. &#8220;If it was about safety and public health, unvaccinated workers would have been placed on leave the moment the order was issued.&#8221;
Attorney Chad LaVeglia announced the verdict Monday outside the Richmond County Courthouse, saying the judge found the Health Commissioner&#8217;s mandate unconstitutional and violated the separation of powers.
&#8220;It&#8217;s null and void, essentially,&#8221; LaVeglia said in a video on the NYCforYourself Twitter account. &#8220;We just defeated the vaccine mandate for every single city employee.&#8221;
Such employees included workers from the Department of Education, New York Police Department, New York Fire Department, and the Department of Corrections — among other city staff in various departments.
&#8220;For all the brave men and women who have been our first responders and have been brave through all this are now free, and you should be able to go back to work,&#8221; he added.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a> Judge Strikes Down NYC Vaccine Mandate for City Workers. “It’s null and void,” says attorney <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadLaveglia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChadLaveglia</a>. “We just defeated the vaccine mandate for every single city employee.” <a href="https://t.co/PqqjhfNNCq">pic.twitter.com/PqqjhfNNCq</a>
&mdash; NYCforYourself (@nycforyourself) <a href="https://twitter.com/nycforyourself/status/1584645455459209216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On Monday, the New York State Supreme Court further ruled that all employees terminated for their vaccination status would be reinstated and receive back pay for violating their rights.
FDNY-Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro and FDNY-Fire Officers Association President Lt. James McCarthy told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-supreme-court-reinstates-all-employees-fired-being-unvaccinated-orders-backpay">Fox News</a> that the groups support revoking the vaccine mandate implemented by city officials earlier this year.
FDNY Association officials blasted Mayor Adams earlier this year for exempting athletes and performers from the mandate, adding it should have been extended to all New Yorkers.
&#8220;We support the revocation of the mandate for the athletes and performers that work in New York City,&#8221; McCarthy said. &#8220;We think that the people that work for New York City should also have the mandate relocated for them.&#8221;
Ansbro said if Adams removed the vaccine mandate for certain people, &#8220;you need to remove it for everybody in the city.&#8221;
&#8220;If you&#8217;re gonna follow the science, science is gonna tell you there isn&#8217;t any danger right now and putting hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and other emergency workers out of work is not in the best interest of the city. It&#8217;s not safe,&#8221; Ansbro said.
In the judge&#8217;s ruling, the court said city workers shouldn&#8217;t be terminated for their vaccination status and for choosing &#8220;not to protect themselves.&#8221;
&#8220;In a City with a nearly 80% vaccination rate, we shouldn&#8217;t be penalizing the people who showed up to work, at great risk to themselves and their families, while we were locked down,&#8221; Judge Porzio wrote. &#8220;If it was about safety and public health, no one would be exempt.&#8221;
&#8220;It is time for New York to do what is right and what is just,&#8221; Porzio concluded.

Municipal workers of the city march across Brooklyn bridge

New York Supreme Court Strikes Down NYC Vaccine Mandate for All City Workers; Reinstates Employees, Orders Back Pay

New York City

New York Police Department (NYPD)

Vaccine Mandate

Two hundred genetically modified mosquitoes with an experimental malaria vaccine packed inside a Chinese food takeout-style box inoculated 26 participants in a University of Washington study last month.
As reported by <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://thecountersignal.com/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-vaccinate-a-human/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Counter Signal</a>, each participant placed their arms in the box to receive three to five jabs over 30-day intervals during the clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health.
&#8220;We use the mosquitoes like they&#8217;re 1,000 small flying syringes,&#8221; Dr. Sean Murphy, physician and scientist at the university, told <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/09/21/1112727841/a-box-of-200-mosquitoes-did-the-vaccinating-in-this-malaria-trial-thats-not-a-jo">NPR</a>.
Murphy, who also serves as the lead author on a Science Translational Medicine paper that details the vaccine trials, said the study would not be used to vaccinate millions of people. Instead, the team crafted the bloodsuckers because formulating a parasite delivered with a needle takes up too much time and money.
Using a flying insect during the early stages of the trial made more sense for delivery because the parasites mature much quicker.
Still, those tiny flying needles infected the subjects with a minor version of malaria but not enough to cause severe illness.
&#8220;Half of the individuals in each vaccine group did not develop detectable P. falciparum infection, and a subset of these individuals was subjected to a second [Controlled Human Malaria Infection] 6 months later and remained partially protected,&#8221; the study reads, according to <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn9709">Sceince.org</a>. &#8220;These results support further development of genetically attenuated sporozoites as potential malaria vaccines.&#8221;
Carolina Reid, a volunteer, was one of the participants who came down with malaria.
&#8220;My whole forearm swelled and blistered,&#8221; Carolina Reid, volunteer, told NPR. &#8220;My family was laughing, asking like, &#8216;why are you subjecting yourself to this?'&#8221;
Reid, who joined the trial in 2018, pocketed a $4,100 payment for participating in the study.
Others who were protected against the disease only lasted a few months before the vaccine wore off.
Dr. Kirsten Lyke, a physician and vaccine researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told NPR, &#8220;they went old school with this one.&#8221;
&#8220;All things old become new again,&#8221; she said, adding that developing such genetically modified live parasites has proven to be a &#8220;total game changer.&#8221;
According to the university&#8217;s <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://twitter.com/UMBaltimore/status/1545453781298593792?s=20&amp;t=5bJ0ConXj6EccwsY0RV4Mw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> page, Lyke led the Phase 1 trials for the Pfizer/NioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and served as co-investigator for the Moderna and Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials.
Researchers believe the experimental approach could result in a more effective vaccine in the future, considering the world&#8217;s first malaria jab only has an efficacy rate of 30-40%, according to the World Health Organization.
&#8220;We think we can obviously do better,&#8221; Stefan Kappe, an author of the study and parasitologist at the University of Washington Seattle and Seattle Children&#8217;s Research Institute, told NPR, adding that &#8220;increasing production capability to scale up manufacturing will require investment.&#8221;
The team said they would eventually transfer the vaccine into syringes rather than mosquitoes to get a more accurate dosage.

Close-Up Of Insect

University Of Washington Vaccinates Humans Using Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

Vaccines

Washington

At times like these, the world of sports can seem inconsequential, providing little more than the circus portion of the “bread and circuses” craved by any late-stage empire.
With that said, though, we need to talk about Aaron Rodgers. The four-time NFL MVP might just be the best football player on the planet. He’s also one weird dude.
Rodgers briefly became a beacon of freedom and individualism amidst a lockstep league last <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/11/05/aaron-rodgers-coronavirus-vaccines/">November</a> when he revealed his vaccination status (unjabbed) and then decried the woke mob that subsequently descended upon him with cancellation on their minds. Rodgers had described himself as “immunized” during a 2021 training camp interview. This was technically accurate, given that he had contracted COVID and had a degree of natural immunity. But the mob, sensing an opportunity for a prominent scalp, seized on that assertion as evidence that Rodgers had lied about his vaccination status and pushed for his banishment from polite society. 
In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers eloquently responded by stating his case, cleverly appropriating the left’s “my body, my choice” mantra. “I’m not some sort of anti-vax, flat-earther,” Rodgers said. “I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some sort of woke culture or crazed individuals who say you have to do something.”
The Left promptly pounced and seized &#8211; something they’re always accusing the Right of doing.
An early-November <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/06/aaron-rodgers-covid-interview-vaccine-hesistanccy">article</a> in The Guardian ran the headline: “Anti-vaxxer Aaron Rodgers’ spectacular fall from grace happened in record time.” That article closed with this triumphant assertion: “Rodgers will never compete for the title of most-liked player in the league again and he has nobody but himself to blame. Not all defeats in the NFL happen on the field.”
Three months later, Rodgers was hoisting his second straight NFL MVP award and fourth overall, even as the vaccine’s reputation for efficacy was imploding like a condemned Vegas casino. Some fall from grace.
Many on our side, so desperate for like-minded souls, adopted the Packers quarterback as one of us after seeing Rodgers’ brave stance as an oasis of sanity in a common-sense desert. And the passage of time proving the poor performance of the vaccine — embodied by our vaxxed, boosted and COVID-ridden commander in chief — have largely vindicated Rodgers’ stance.
But Rodgers is anything but a conservative standard-bearer. On the contrary — the guy is currently letting his freak flag fly. And as usual, conservatives’ knee-jerk embrace of a controversial figure on the basis of some minuscule slice of common ground has backfired.
Rodgers’ personal life, always a source of intrigue due to his estrangement from his family of origin, has taken a turn for the exotic and esoteric.
A serial dater of celebrities — such as Olivia Munn, Danica Patrick, and Shailene Woodley— Rodgers has, for the moment, eschewed the celebrity dating game in favor of a mystic woman named “Blu of Earth.” Blu is the founder of a “modern mystery school for women to reclaim the magical, radically authentic, wise, wild, unapologetic you.
He showed up to training camp looking like Nicolas Cage from “Con Air” and sporting a wildly elaborate left-arm <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/31/packers-qb-aaron-rodgers-elaborates-on-his-offseason-tattoo/">tattoo</a> that could be generously described as “mysterious” and less generously as “bizarre” or even “Satanic” — complete with Zodiac symbols and an all-seeing eye. To add a cherry to this eccentricity sundae, Rodgers recently <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/08/03/aaron-rodgers-opens-up-about-psychedelic-use-ayahuasca-mental-health-podcast">opened up</a> about his experiences with the psychoactive drug ayahuasca, citing it as an important component in his journey of healing and self-love. Alrighty then.
So what to make of Rodgers? Icon of freedom or self-absorbed weirdo?
First of all, there’s no denying that Rodgers is great at what he does. He makes throws that no other quarterback can make. While he may suffer in comparisons with Tom Brady due to a relative lack of postseason success, he has labored for his entire career in the NFL’s smallest market (by far) with a franchise that hasn’t exactly broken the bank to surround him with weapons. His excellence has allowed him to pile up the honors — he’s one MVP award shy of Peyton Manning’s record of five — while earning the undying respect of his peers and opponents.
And yes, he did take a stand for freedom at some degree of risk to his professional and personal reputation.
My suggestion: Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater when people like Rodgers are concerned. Embrace those points of agreement where they exist, but don’t fall into the Left’s trap of equating common ground with total endorsement.
Aaron Rodgers is a phenomenal football player and a supporter of personal freedom. That’s enough for me. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Daily Wire.

Wells – NFL’s Aaron Rodgers Is One Weird Dude

He’s A Four-Time NFL MVP And One Weird Dude

Aaron Rodgers

Readers Pass

Washington, D.C., Mayor Democrat <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/muriel-bowser">Muriel Bowser</a> appeared to avoid addressing a question on why she will not allow unvaccinated black school children back in the classroom this fall by claiming that the statistics she was provided with were inaccurate.
Though many school districts have moved away from such restrictive measures, Washington, D.C., <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-s-vaccine-mandate-might-disproportionately-affect-black-students-exacerbate-racial-inequity">mandates</a> that children 12 and older be “up-to-date on required vaccinations before returning this August.”
A significant portion of D.C.&#8217;s black students is not vaccinated, sparking concerns that the mandate disproportionately impacts these children. And on Monday, The Daily Signal&#8217;s Douglas Blair questioned the D.C. mayor about &#8220;how she could justify forcing 40% of unvaccinated black students to stay home from school.&#8221;
&#8220;Why is the District continuing with this policy when it seems to disproportionately impact black students?&#8221; he asked.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think that number is correct,&#8221; Bowser responded, though the numbers Blair cited appear to coincide with those put forth by the D.C. Department of Health. &#8220;We have substantially fewer number of kids that we have to engage with vaccination. And I explained why it&#8217;s important. It&#8217;s important for the public health of our students and that we can maintain safe environments.&#8221;
WATCH:
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I asked D.C. <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorBowser?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorBowser</a> how she could justify forcing 40% of unvaccinated black students to stay home from school. She said my numbers were wrong. They&#39;re her numbers. <a href="https://t.co/Gmoidu1YuU">pic.twitter.com/Gmoidu1YuU</a>
&mdash; Douglas Blair (@DouglasKBlair) <a href="https://twitter.com/DouglasKBlair/status/1559226039670284289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On Monday, the office of the deputy mayor for education told The Daily Wire  that approximately 85% of students 12 and older have completed their primary series of COVID vaccination, noting that 95% of students have received at least one shot. The office of the deputy mayor for education believes actual coverage is higher than this due to incomplete data.
D.C. Department of Health spokeswoman Kelsey Felton also confirmed to The Daily Wire on Monday that while approximately 85% of children age 12-17 are vaccinated, 60% of African-American children age 12-17 are known to have already received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
&#8220;The actual percentages are likely higher because not all vaccines administered outside of the District are known to DC Health,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;The race-specific coverage number is particularly likely to be an underestimate because the COVID-19 vaccination records DC Health does receive from outside of the District often do not include both age and race.&#8221;
&#8220;In the District of Columbia, as in every state in the U.S., children are required to be vaccinated against many diseases to attend school, with exemptions granted for medical or religious reasons,&#8221; Felton continued. &#8220;For the upcoming 2022-23 school year, vaccination against COVID-19 is included among these requirements for children over the age of 12.   DC Health believes that vaccinating children against COVID-19 is an important action to protect them and their families from this virus.&#8221;
D.C.’s Council, rather than a school board, <a href="https://wtop.com/dc/2021/12/dc-council-approves-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-for-students/">made</a> the decision to mandate the vaccine despite a Council Office of Racial Equity (CORE) <a href="https://wtop.com/dc/2021/12/report-warns-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-for-dc-students-could-increase-racial-inequity/">report</a> on the legislation that found “enforcement of the bill will exacerbate racial inequity by disproportionately removing Black students from school.”
“This may result in increased learning loss, additional negative social and educational outcomes and in blocking students from vital school resources,” the report found.
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-july-2022/">released in late July</a> found that many parents don’t plan to get their child vaccinated against COVID, citing “concerns about the newness of the vaccine and not enough testing or research, concerns over side effects, and worries over the overall safety of the vaccines.”
The survey also found that “about one in ten parents say they do not think their child needs the vaccine or say they are not worried about COVID-19.”
Additionally, the survey reported that 44% of black parents with unvaccinated kids between six months and four years old are concerned that getting their child vaccinated would mean that they take time off work (or that the vaccine would give the child side effects that would require the parent to take time off work).
Similarly, 45% of Hispanic parents expressed fears that they would not be able to get their children vaccinated at a trustworthy place.
Some parents (53%) even view the vaccine as a greater danger to their child’s health than COVID itself. The survey found that 67% of those whose children have previously tested positive for COVID believe this.

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D.C. Mayor Dodges Question On Why She Won’t Allow Unvaccinated Black Students In Schools This Fall

D.C. Mayor Dodges Addressing Why She Won't Let Unvaccinated Black Kids In Schools

Muriel Bowser

Students

Washington D.C.

Not allowing Novak Djokovic into the country to play the U.S. Open reveals a new level of government policy becoming laughably passé. Health officials should use the current controversy to change course and admit out loud what everybody already knows: COVID is with us to stay. Let’s act and plan accordingly.
We have officially reached the peak of Mount Absurdity.
Arguably the greatest tennis player in the world today, chasing history and seeking to ascend the Mount Olympus of his sport &#8211; with COVID antibodies running through his veins no less, &#8211; Novak Djokovic is not going to be allowed to compete at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in just a few weeks.
This policy would make sense if we could vaccinate our way out of <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailycases">COVID waves of mass infection</a>. Clearly, we cannot. This policy would make sense if Djokovic was any type of threat to the public health of Americans. Clearly, he is not. This policy would make sense if it was shown to have the smallest tincture of efficacy against COVID variants taking hold in the United States. Clearly, it cannot.
Heck, this policy would make the slightest iota of sense &#8211; and I mean very slight &#8211; if it was part of an international consortium of countries attempting to create a consensus of how to respond to international travel.
I was an ardent believer in the vaccines early on. I still believe it makes sense to get one if you are older or have health problems. But no one in their right mind who looks at the current level of <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/04/1096412194/whats-up-with-the-new-omicron-variants">vaccine efficacy in preventing infections</a> can conclude that Djokovic is at any type of risk. Does anybody think Djokovic is going to test positive and end up in the hospital or on a ventilator? What about the fact that we are in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html">the midst of yet another surge</a>? Doesn’t prudence dictate taking a cautious approach? Even the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/briefing/ba5-covid-surge-paxlovid.html">now admits</a>, “evidence suggests that BA.5 does not cause more severe disease than other Omicron variants&#8230;Instead, the percentage of Covid cases leading to bad outcomes is declining.”
No less a tennis authority than John McEnroe <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/john-mcenroe-novak-djokovic-should-play-us-open">weighed in</a> as he performed commentary duties during Wimbledon: “These politicians are getting in the way too much. They did it in Australia. Let’s let the guy come in and play in the U.S. I mean come on. This is ridiculous,&#8221; McEnroe said while Djokovic waved to the crowd at the All England Club. “But I don’t make those decisions. I hope someone makes the right one and allows him to play. That’s my personal opinion.&#8221;
On July 20, U.S. Open organizers <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/sports/us-open-confirms-novak-djokovic-wont-be-able-to-play-unless-he-gets-vaccinated-195559057.html">released a statement</a> about the current Djokovic controversy. In part it reads, “The U.S. Open does not have a vaccination mandate in place for players, but it will respect the U.S. government’s position regarding travel into the country for unvaccinated non-U.S. citizens.”
But the position of the U.S. government is wholly anchored in the misbegotten, and frankly outdated, belief that restricting unvaccinated international travelers from entering the country will somehow translate into less severe waves of infection in the United States. As was <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/unvaccinated-fans-can-attend-us-open-why-cant-novak-djokovic-opinion-1726487">noted in Newsweek,</a> unvaccinated and unmasked fans will be allowed to congregate by the thousands for two weeks at the U.S. Open, but the greatest player in the world in pursuit of its greatest historic prize, cannot show up to play in front of them?
In the always rational world of Twitter, some Djokovic enthusiasts earnestly wonder aloud if he is being targeted, if there is a Rafael Nadal cabal deep inside the American government trying to tilt tennis history and give an unfair advantage to the Spaniard in their historic race for the most Grand Slam titles. Of course, this policy of not allowing unvaccinated foreigners into the country applies to all foreigners, not just Djokovic. So, no conspiracy here. That said, many point to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-unvaccinated-novak-djokovic-facing-deportation-from-australia-after-visa-canceled-a-second-time">the saga that ensued in Australia</a> in January as proof of Djokovic’s mistreatment by government authorities around the world. Even Nick Kyrgios, who up to that point had been a <a href="https://people.com/sports/nick-kyrgios-responds-novak-djokovic-said-didnt-have-much-respect-for-him/">brutal critic</a> of Djokovic, <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1546116492915343360">found his own government’s policies</a> and treatment of Djokovic to be <a href="https://twitter.com/NickKyrgios/status/1479315449271619586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1479315449271619586%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwwos.nine.com.au%2Ftennis%2Fnick-kyrgios-defends-novak-djokovic-australian-open-2022-news-updates%2F5eddaf2d-3165-4e19-91f9-9cb85335ecec">reprehensible</a>. The two have since happily ended their feud and Djokovic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAPqnH1vKK0">admitted to a “bromance</a>” during the awards ceremony after the Wimbledon final.
So, what is really going on here?
Government officials are well aware they cannot prevent or even slow the spread of new variants. They inadvertently admitted as much when they decided to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html">abandon testing requirements </a>for Americans re-entering the country. If they know the vaccines don’t prevent infection of the current BA.5 variant, and they also allow Americans to enter the country who might well be infected, what sense does it make to continue a policy that doesn’t allow unvaccinated foreigners into the country? If the American government wanted to save a patina of face it could force the unvaccinated to take a test before entering the country or allow them to provide evidence of natural immunity. But even that doesn’t appear to be on the table.
The Djokovic brouhaha is emblematic of modern bureaucracy’s pernicious habit of attempting to show it is “doing something,” even if everybody knows this something is utterly pointless. Modern statecraft has re-oriented itself to be endlessly responsive, hyper sensitive to the changing landscape of civil society. This is a worldview which perpetuates the statist belief that every problem must—just must!—have a policy solution.
In so doing, policy can quickly became hasty, imprudent, or in this case, laughable. Everyone is slowly coming around to the truth that Covid is with us to stay. We can mask, vaccinate, distance, and worship at the altar of Zoom meetings as much as we want. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/covid-19-cases-are-going-to-ebb-and-flow-with-or-without-restrictions">It won’t matter</a>. This is why vaccine mandates are being abandoned faster than <a href="https://time.com/6198354/netflix-subscribers-loss-second-quarter-future/">Netflix subscriptions</a>.
Let Djokovic play. He won’t hurt anyone. Let’s use this as a chance to abandon an outdated policy and be truly responsive to both science and the public.
Jeremy S. Adams is the author of the recently-released Amazon best-selling book Hollowed Out: A Warning About America&#8217;s Next Generation. He has taught American civics for 24 years in Bakersfield, California and was the 2014 California Teacher of the Year (DAR). You can follow him on Twitter @JeremyAdams6.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

U.S. Open

COVID Is Here To Stay, Let Djokovic Play

Novak Djokovic

Tennis

Roughly 40,000 U.S. Army <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/national-guard">National Guard</a> soldiers — or 13% of the force — who refused to take the mandated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19-vaccine">COVID vaccine</a> had one last chance on Thursday, June 30, to get vaccinated before military officials could force members out of the service.
But <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marsha-blackburn">Sen. Marsha Blackburn</a> (R-TN) introduced <a href="https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2022/6/blackburn-backs-national-guard-members-set-to-be-fired-over-covid-vaccine-refusal-in-new-legislation">legislation</a> on the Guardsmen’s deadline that would ban federal funds used to require a National Guard member to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and prohibit the Secretary of Defense from taking any adverse actions against Guard members who did not comply with the mandate.
Blackburn&#8217;s legislation stands as a guard for the 40,000 Guardsmen who would face termination and ultimately threaten U.S. national security.
&#8220;Our servicemembers are the bedrock of America,&#8221; Blackburn told <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/06/30/marsha-blackburn-introduce-legislation-backing-national-guard-members-set-fired-covid-vaccine-refusal/">The Daily Caller</a> before introducing the legislation. &#8220;Firing 40,000 Guardsmen for refusing the COVID vaccine would be both a complete disgrace and a threat to our national security.&#8221;
&#8220;I am honored to stand beside our National Guardsmen and women by introducing this legislation to protect them from President Biden&#8217;s forever pandemic,&#8221; she said.
Blackburn joins several House Republicans who have proposed laws to end COVID mandates, masks, and vaccines.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), a physician, <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1542167230628171777">said</a> on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">President Biden</a> &#8220;is allowing illegal immigrants of unknown vax status to invade our country every day but is still willing to fire up to 40,000 American heroes.&#8221;
Tennessee National Guard members urged the state&#8217;s governor, Bill Lee, Wednesday to take action against the mandate and sue the federal government if necessary.
Stars and Stripes <a href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2022-06-30/tennessee-national-guard-vaccine-mandate-6508334.html#.Yr3okj4d4Vw.twitter">reported</a> Guard members along with their families and friends delivered a petition to Lee&#8217;s office at the capitol.
&#8220;On June 30, hundreds of your Tennessee National Guard soldiers – under an illegal, improper order by the Biden administration’s Department of Defense in defiance of natural law and the United States Constitution – are scheduled to be dismissed from service due to refusal to accept a COVID-19 vaccination,&#8221; the petition states. &#8220;It is your duty before God and the citizens of the great state of Tennessee, sir, to help these men and women. Please stop them from being fired, sir!&#8221;
Data from The Associated Press shows approximately 30% of the guardsmen in six different states and more than 10% still in 43 other states still need the shot. Roughly 7,000 have asked for exemptions, mainly for religious purposes, and about 14,000 soldiers simply refused to bow down to the mandate altogether.
&#8220;When you&#8217;re looking at 40,000 soldiers that potentially are in that unvaccinated category, absolutely there&#8217;s readiness implications on that and concerns associated with that,&#8221; said Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army National Guard in an Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-army-only-on-ap-government-and-politics-41f0f24bd26b2f8c4284e1fd396f88b8">interview</a>. &#8220;That&#8217;s a significant chunk.&#8221;
Jensen said military officials would give &#8220;every soldier every opportunity&#8221; to get vaccinated to continue their military career.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not giving up on anybody until the separation paperwork is signed and completed,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There&#8217;s still time.&#8221;
Well, that time has expired.
Pentagon officials said after the June 30 deadline that National Guard soldiers wouldn&#8217;t receive payment by the federal government when activated on federal status — including monthly drills and their annual two-week training period. Even those assigned to work on the southern border or COVID-related missions in various states either have to get fully vaccinated or lose out on payment and participation.
However, states that don&#8217;t require the COVID jab could still allow activated duty members to serve in their respective states and receive state payments.
Last year, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/defense-secretary-austin-orders-national-guard-get-vaccinated-face-los-rcna7131">ordered</a> every service member of the U.S. Military to get vaccinated, saying it is critical to maintaining the health and readiness of the force, The Associated Press reported. In response, at least seven governors asked Austin to reconsider and not enforce the mandate on National Guard members.
Austin declined and said that the coronavirus &#8220;takes our service members out of the fight, temporarily or permanently, and jeopardizes our ability to meet mission requirements.&#8221;
He said Guard troops must either get the vaccine or lose their Guard status.

Back to school vax clinic at FedEx Field

Sen. Marsha Blackburn Backs 40,000 Unvaccinated National Guard Soldiers Facing Termination Over Vaccine With New Legislation

Marsha Blackburn

National Guard

Pentagon

U.S. Military

Three Air Force cadets refused to get a COVID-19 vaccination and could be forced to pay back tuition money up to $200,000 or higher. 
The Air Force academy said that the cadets would be able to get their bachelor degrees (graduation was Wednesday), but that they would not be able to receive a commission because they had decided not to get vaccinated. 
Academy spokesman Dean Miller <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/air-force-cadets-refused-vaccine-commissioned-84885288">said</a> that the three “will not be commissioned into the United States Air Force as long as they remain unvaccinated.&#8221;
A fourth cadet had been holding out against getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but ended up getting one. 
The three who refused the vaccine may now have to pay back tuition, which could range up to around $200,000 dollars or higher depending on the circumstance. Four years of education at the academy at full cost <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/05/25/austin-tells-air-force-academy-grads-be-honorable-following-schools-cheating-vaccine-scandals.html">would</a> be around $416,000, and individuals have been made to reimburse the academy before. 
Task and Purpose <a href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-academy-repay-tuition-refuse-covid-19-vaccine/">reported</a> that it was likely the expenses for the cadets would be between $160,000 to $200,000. Ultimately, the final decision will be made by the Secretary of the Air Force. 
“A decision to reimburse the United States for education costs in lieu of service will be made by the Secretary of the Air Force,&#8221; the academy stated on May 21.
An Air Force official told Task and Purpose that the process was still pending and under review.
“There’s a formal paperwork process that is followed before the Secretary will make a determination on whether or not to recoup the cost when a cadet does not commission,” the official said.
The Air Force welcomed 863 newly commissioned service members on Wednesday at the academy’s graduation while the Space Force brought 94 into their ranks.  
&#8220;You have answered our country&#8217;s call, with courage and commitment, with tenacity and teamwork, with strength and sacrifice,&#8221; Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. &#8220;With outstanding leaders like the class of 2022, the future of our country is bright.&#8221;
&#8220;Graduating from this academy is hard enough without a global pandemic,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And graduating after years of being clouded by COVID shows serious courage and character, and I know it&#8217;s been a time of challenge and loss for many of you.&#8221;
Up to 4,000 active duty service members throughout the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines have been discharged from the service after deciding not to get the vaccine. 
Thousands of religious exemptions have been denied while up to 99% of the Navy and 98% of the Marines and Army have had at least one dose of the vaccine, according to ABC News.

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-HEALTH-VIRUS

Three Air Force Cadets Refused The COVID-19 Vaccine. They May Have To Pay Back $200,000 Of Tuition.

Three Air Force Cadets May Be Forced To Reimburse Tuition Dollars After Not Getting COVID-19 Vaccine

U.S. Air Force

Quebec residents who refuse to receive a COVID-19 vaccination will be forced to pay a &#8220;significant&#8221; financial penalty, Premier Francois Legault said on Tuesday.
The fee would be the first of its kind in Canada and would apply to adult residents lacking a medical exemption.
Legault said about 10% of adults in Quebec are unvaccinated, but they represent about 50% of intensive care patients.
“Those who refuse to get their first doses in the coming weeks will have to pay a new health contribution,” Legault said, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-canada-quebec-a07db82132f4c1bcade929667915780f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>.
“The majority are asking that there be consequences. &#8230; It’s a question of fairness for the 90% of the population that have made some sacrifices. We owe them,” he added.
The amount of the fee has not yet been announced.
The new information is in addition to other strong coronavirus restrictions in the province. In December, Legault launched a strict curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in response to the increasing coronavirus cases.
<a href="https://torontosun.com/news/national/quebec-to-force-unvaccinated-to-pay-significant-financial-penalty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Canadian Press</a> reported the move is one of several new restrictions in Quebec:
<section class="article-content__content-group"></section>
<section class="article-content__content-group">
<blockquote>Last week, Quebec announced it would expand the vaccine passport system by requiring proof of vaccination to enter liquor and cannabis stores. Health Minister Christian Dubé has said he was mulling extending the passport further, to shopping malls and personal care salons.
Legault said Tuesday the passport expansion remained on the table: &#8220;Yes, we will continue to look at spreading the use of the vaccine passport, but I think we have to go further.&#8221;</blockquote>
</section>
Though the fee would be the first in North America, the practice follows moves in some European nations to fine the unvaccinated.
Austria’s health minister announced in December that the government will dish out fines of up to 3,600 euros ($4,000) on people who refuse the nation&#8217;s vaccine mandate for residents 14 years old or older.
In Greece, residents more than 60 years old will be fined 100 euros ($113) for every month they remain unvaccinated, according to the AP.
Quebec also recently drew attention on New Year’s Eve when a gathering of just six people in Gatineau, Canada, led a neighbor to notify police, who arrived just before midnight to confront the residents. The incident led to a brawl and two arrests that went viral online. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-viral-video-of-canadian-police-battling-residents-after-neighbor-alerts-them-of-new-years-eve-gathering" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>“Quebec is currently in lockdown, meaning visitors from another address are not permitted inside people’s homes at the moment,” <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/gatineau-police-new-years-altercation-1.5859782">CBC</a> noted. Gatineau is the fourth-largest city in the province after Montreal, Quebec City, and Laval.
Differing versions of what transpired were offered by the police and the residents; Lieutenant Éric Simard stated, “The recommended approach was preventive. The agents asked for their collaboration to put an end to the gathering, but they were rejected,” as the <a href="https://jh2goshrbdepcqem7w23m5tnri-adwhj77lcyoafdy-journaldemontreal.translate.goog/2021/01/01/rassemblement-une-intervention-policiere-a-gatineau-degenere-1">Journal of Montreal</a> reported. Simard added that the police intended simply to warn the residents but ultimately gave out statements of offense, which can reportedly amount to $1,546 per person.
Gatineau police spokesperson Renee Anne St. Amant told Radio-Canada that the owner of the house would not identify herself and was uncooperative, stating, “At this point, the situation just got worse.”</blockquote>

Quebec COVID protest

Quebec Wants To Tax The Unvaxxed In Canada

Canada

Quebec

A Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Los Angeles Times has suggested that some people who refused to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and subsequently died of the disease got their “just desserts.”
In a column titled, “<a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-01-10/why-shouldnt-we-dance-on-the-graves-of-anti-vaxxers">Mocking anti-vaxxers’ COVID deaths is ghoulish, yes — but may be necessary</a>,” Michael Hiltzik, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1999, asked rhetorically, “How should we react to the deaths of the unvaccinated?”
He answered himself:
<blockquote>On the one hand, a hallmark of civilized thought is the sense that every life is precious. On the other, those who have deliberately flouted sober medical advice by refusing a vaccine known to reduce the risk of serious disease from the virus, including the risk to others, and end up in the hospital or the grave can be viewed as receiving their just deserts (sic).</blockquote>
Hiltzik noted, “It has become common online and in social media for vaccine refusers and anti-vaccine advocates to become the target of ridicule after they come down with COVID-19 and especially if they die from it,” then listed some venues that had done just that.
Hiltzik wrote that he differed from a colleague who lamented the vicious attacks on anti-vaxxers who had died, offering, “I have a slightly different take.” He agreed that the deaths of those who had “legitimate medical reasons” for remaining unvaccinated, had to overcome obstacles getting to a vaccination site, or had been “deceived by the misinformation and disinformation spread by the anti-vaccine crowd such as anchors on Fox News,” were “truly lamentable.”
“Some of those who object to the tone of the commentary are merely voicing a variation on the ‘civility’ argument that was commonly raised against critics of the intemperate and inhumane policies of the Trump administration,” Hiltzik contended, adding, “As I observed then, ‘pleas for civility’ are a fraud. Their goal is to blunt and enfeeble criticism and distract from their truthfulness. Typically, they’re the work of hypocrites.”
“So what, then, is the proper response to the deaths of anti-vaxxers or other determined foes of public health?” he continued. “First, we must acknowledge that the enemies needing to be stamped out are the misinformation, lies and stupidity being injected into the fight against COVID.  Second, we must view every one of these deaths as a teachable moment. They demonstrate in the most vivid way imaginable the folly of vaccine refusal and of flouting responsible public health measures. They underscore the dire consequences of turning public health into a partisan football.”
He concluded:
<blockquote>It may be not a little ghoulish to celebrate or exult in the deaths of vaccine opponents. And it may be proper to express sympathy and solicitude to those they leave behind. But mockery is not necessarily the wrong reaction to those who publicly mocked anti-COVID measures and encouraged others to follow suit, before they perished of the disease the dangers of which they belittled. Nor is it wrong to deny them our sympathy and solicitude, or to make sure it’s known when their deaths are marked that they had stood fast against measures that might have protected themselves and others from the fate they succumbed to. There may be no other way to make sure that the lessons of these teachable moments are heard.</blockquote>

Forensic Doctors Are Struggling to Handle Influx of Bodies In Thailand

Pulitzer-Winning Columnist: Some Unvaxxed Who Died Got Their ‘Just Desserts’

Los Angeles Times

On Thursday, with cases of COVID-19 rising in the country, Austria’s chancellor Alexander Schallenberg threatened the use of lockdown measures for unvaccinated people. This move follows the implementation of social distancing requirements imposed on Monday, which barred unvaccinated people from various public areas, such as large events, cafes, and restaurants.
Last month, the chancellor said that unvaccinated people in Austria could face lockdown restrictions if COVID-19 case numbers continue to increase.
“Austria has taken a series of measures in recent weeks in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 and encourage more people to get vaccinated. On Monday, new rules took effect barring unvaccinated people who haven’t recovered from an infection from restaurants, hotels, hairdressing salons and large public events,” reported <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-europe-austria-health-1188b65ea3d8d80c40e40d3e13aea0a2">The Associated Press</a>. 
This rule, known as the 2-G-rule, applies to vaccinated and “recovered” people, meaning that proof of past infection is accepted in place of vaccination. However, a negative COVID-19 test is no longer sufficient.
While visiting Bregenz in western Austria, the chancellor said that a lockdown for unvaccinated people was “probably unavoidable.” He also added that the unvaccinated are facing an “uncomfortable” winter and Christmas.
“I don’t see why two-thirds should lose their freedom because one-third is dithering,” Schallenberg said. “For me, it is clear that there should be no lockdown for the vaccinated out of solidarity for the unvaccinated.”
Austrian authorities are also considering a vaccine mandate for some groups, with the chancellor describing the country’s vaccination rate of 65% as “shamefully low.” 
&#8220;According to the incremental plan we actually have just days until we have to introduce the lockdown for unvaccinated people,&#8221; Schallenberg told a news conference, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/austrian-lockdown-unvaccinated-is-days-away-chancellor-says-2021-11-11/">Reuters</a>. “A lockdown for the unvaccinated means one cannot leave one&#8217;s home unless one is going to work, shopping (for essentials), stretching one&#8217;s legs — namely exactly what we all had to suffer through in 2020.&#8221;
According to the <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-austria">CDC</a>, Austria is ranked as a “Level 4” country, with “Very High” levels of COVID-19. The CDC advises U.S. travelers to “avoid travel to Austria.”
“Under an incremental government plan agreed in September, once 30% of intensive-care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, people not vaccinated against the coronavirus will be placed under lockdown, with restrictions on their daily movements,” Reuters explained. “The current level is 20% and rising fast.”
According to the latest available data, Austria is experiencing its highest 7-day average case rate since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 10, the 7-day average was up to 9,110 cases.
“The surge in Austria comes at a time when Eastern European states, with the continent&#8217;s lowest vaccination rates, are experiencing some of the world&#8217;s highest daily death tolls per capita,” Reuters added. “Dutch experts on Thursday recommended a two-week partial lockdown, which would be Western Europe&#8217;s first since vaccines were widely deployed, and other countries are requiring vaccination certificates to enter public spaces.”

Alexander Schallenberg

Unvaccinated Facing An ‘Uncomfortable’ Christmas: Austrian Chancellor Threatens Lockdown For ‘Dithering’ Unvaccinated

Austria

Europe

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