NIH Director Francis Collins told "Fox News Sunday" claims that undocumented immigrants crossing the Southern border have played a major role in the U.S. spread of COVID-19 are a "distraction."
What he's saying: "It's an issue, but it is certainly not the cause of our current dilemma," Collins told host Chris Wallace. "We've got enough of a problem with our own citizens who have refused to roll up their sleeves, so maybe that would be a better thing to focus on if we are trying to end this."
A man was stabbed and a journalist said he was assaulted during a protest against COVID-19 vaccinations outside Los Angeles' City Hall on Saturday.
Driving the news: A fight broke out after several hundred demonstrators rallied outside the City Hall and a small group of counterprotesters gathered nearby about 2pm local time, per the Los Angeles Times.
Twenty-six crew members and one passenger on a Carnival cruise that arrived in Belize this week tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Belize Tourism Board.
State of play: The board said that everyone who tested positive was put in isolation, adding those who were vaccinated and tested positive were either asymptomatic or had very mild symptoms.
The Canadian government announced Friday that air travelers, passengers on interprovincial trains and cruise ship passengers will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Driving the news: "As soon as possible in the Fall and no later than the end of October, the Government of Canada will require employees in the federally regulated air, rail and marine transportation sectors to be vaccinated," per the statement announcing the government's decision.
Driving the news: West Virginia Wesleyan College will require all unvaccinated students to pay a nonrefundable $750 fee. There, students are not required to get the vaccine but are encouraged to do so before the fall semester, per NBC.
Exposure to high levels of fine particle pollution produced by wildfires may have led to thousands more COVID cases and deaths, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances.
Why it matters: Research has shown that smoke can have dangerous health impacts, a correlation that is putting more and more at risk as the pandemic collides with the climate crisis.
Why it matters: The battle over mask mandates in schools has been brewing for weeks. The Republican governor recently threatened to withhold pay from superintendents and school board members who go against his ban.
