California will require all state workers to get vaccinated or tested regularly for the coronavirus, the state announced Monday.
Why it matters: The move comes shortly after New York City announced a similar mandate for municipal workers. States, local officials and businesses across the U.S. are all considering vaccine or testing requirements as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to spread.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said Monday it would require its frontline health care workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus within the next two months, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: The VA is the first federal agency to mandate that employees receive the vaccine. The decision comes as cases of the Delta variant in the U.S. have increased dramatically.
The U.S. will not lift travel restrictions amid concerns about the highly transmissible Delta variant and a surge in coronavirus cases, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.
Why it matters: Since last year, the U.S. has barred entry for most noncitizens who have been in the United Kingdom, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil within 14 days of arrival.
Savannah, Georgia, will again require people to wear face masks while inside public places because of a “steep and alarming rise” in COVID-19 cases, Mayor Van Johnson announced Monday, per AP.
Why it matters: Savannah is the most recent major U.S. city to reimpose some coronavirus restrictions in response to an increase in cases and hospitalizations.
Americans experiencing long-term symptoms of COVID-19 may qualify for federal disability resources and must receive accommodations, the White House announced Monday.
Driving the news: The Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services released new guidance that categorizes "long COVID" as a physical or mental impairment, entitling people with the illness to discrimination protections under the American Disabilities Act.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that all city workers will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or else participate in weekly testing by Sept. 13.
Why it matters: The announcement comes as COVID-19 cases have risen to more than 800 per day in the city, more than triple the daily average in June, the New York Times reports.
More than 50 medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association, called for U.S. health workers to be required to take the COVID-19 vaccine in a joint statement Monday.
Why it matters: Mainstream groups representing millions of medical workers are taking a harder line on the issue of mandatory vaccines, as the pace of shots stalls and the Delta variant drives a national surge in coronavirus infections.
Americans who are wealthier at midlife tend to live longer than their less-wealthy peers — including peers who also happen to be their siblings, according to a new study published Friday in JAMA Health Forum.
Between the lines: The study suggests that the association between wealth and longevity isn't an artifact of early life experiences or genetics.
When the GOP Doctors Caucus gathered to publicly encourage vaccines last week, the message came with a caveat: Talk to your doctor about an antibody test.
For example: "If you haven’t had the vaccine, or if you haven’t tested positive for the virus, go to your doctor. Ask him for the antibody test," said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), who is an OB/GYN.
Getting more Americans vaccinated should be important to the majority of American adults who have already gotten the shot, experts say.
Why it matters: Beyond the philosophical considerations, public health experts say there are direct impacts — including the risk of breakthrough cases, new variants and economic pullbacks.
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) announced Sunday evening that he and his wife have contracted COVID-19 for a second time and "this episode is far more challenging."
Driving the news: "Becca and I had COVID before, early on, in January 2020, before the world really knew what it was," he wrote in a Facebook post, confirming his son also has the coronavirus — which he described as a "biological attack weaponized virus."
Why it matters: The health protection plans led to tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets across France over the weekend, as COVID-19 cases surge in the country to about 20,000 a day from a few thousand early in July, per France 24.
