Source: Pexels.com
Nov 14, 2021
The number of new COVID-19 cases across the North Country has remained stubbornly high this fall. Public health officials fear the holidays will trigger another surge.
St. Lawrence County, like others in the region, has a dangerous combination a high positive test rate and a vaccination rate below the state average.
Dr. Andrew Williams is the president of the St. Lawrence County Board of Health. He told David Sommerstein public health leaders have spent a year and a half reinforcing the regions hospital system, but its showing strain.Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Dr. Andrew Williams on concerns over stubbornly high COVID-19 cases
DR. ANDREW WILLIAMS: We're talking about taking care of patients both with COVID, but also patients who have non-COVID-related reasons to be hospitalized. However, because the number of cases has stayed high for so long, it's really put a strain and stress on our local hospital systems.
DAVID SOMMERSTEIN: So are we seeing patients being turned away or ambulances having to drive longer distances to other hospitals?
WILLIAMS: At this point, we never turn away patients who arrive at the emergency room. But one of the challenges for us is to have a bed available for them within the hospital. For patients who require a higher level of care and a transfer to one of the larger regional hospitals, because those hospitals are so full, oftentimes there's a delay in the transfer, or difficulty getting them there. Partly also, our transportation system is also under significant stress because of the volumes.
SOMMERSTEIN: And worker shortages in all of those categories is exacerbating all of this.
WILLIAMS:I think, as with other industries, in the hospital systems, we're definitely noticing the impact of staffing shortages, on how we're able to take care of our patients and deliver care.
SOMMERSTEIN: What can the county do, to try to, as we said at the very beginning of the pandemic, flatten the curve, or bend the curve back down and lower cases?
WILLIAMS: It's interesting, even as the pandemic goes on, we still fall back on what we call the 'pillars of community response'. So it's really six things. It used to be five pillars, but now we've added vaccination.
The Six Pillars of community response to help flatten the curve are vaccination; wearing masks when people are indoors; physical distancing; handwashing; staying home when sick; and staying local. So, those strategies really haven't changed.
We do continue to work on isolation and quarantine on a county health department level so that we can identify cases and try and reduce the spread in the community by isolating people who have COVID, and then also quarantine people who have a high-risk exposure.
SOMMERSTEIN:And then there's that sixth one that you mentioned, which is getting more people vaccinated, which is still a really big issue. St. Lawrence County has a lower vaccination rate than other places.
WILLIAMS: If you look at St. Lawrence County, we, despite the efforts of the medical community and the public health community, right now, fully vaccinated residents of St. Lawrence County are at 55%. New York State has an overall average of 67% fully vaccinated. And there are a number of counties where there's more than 75% of the population that's vaccinated. So we're unfortunately a relatively low vaccination community.
What we find in particular is that the age demographic of our unvaccinated population tends to be our younger residents, and in particular tends to be people who are in the workforce, who might be parents of young children who are attending school or daycare.
SOMMERSTEIN: You come into contact with all kinds of people as your patients. How do you talk with people who may be wary of getting vaccinated? How do you approach them?
WILLIAMS:It's a great question. Anytime somebody is unvaccinated and is interested in discussing vaccination, I talk about the risks and benefits of vaccination, just like any other therapy or intervention I might be recommending.
I really point out that we've vaccinated millions of people in this country. There's lots of research that went into vaccine development. There's really now an excellent track record of safety for the vaccinations. And we also know that the vaccines remain very effective at keeping people from becoming severely ill requiring hospitalization or dying.
I also explained to them that even though they may have some concerns about vaccination, the greatest risk is getting the COVID-19 infection, and that if you compare the risk of the infection to the risk, or perceived risk, of vaccination, vaccination is a far better choice.
SOMMERSTEIN:What worries you most right now,
WILLIAMS: My concern is that we have this steady high rate of cases that we've seen now for several months and that we're about to go into the winter season. We're about to go into the holiday season where many of our families get together. And I just really worry that we're not going to see a decrease in cases, and that, in fact, we may end up seeing another surge on top of the current surge.
When I talk to patients about the importance of vaccination, I emphasize that it's important and safe and effective for them as an individual, but that the benefit of vaccination really does go beyond protecting them as an individual. It's the best way to protect our families and our community.
For the censors out there, this is not an anti-vaccine piece. Just the opposite. I believe vaccines represent the best hope to billions of people around the world. This is simply about our rights as Americans, in the age of COVID-19, to ask certain questions. I say that because, although some will disagree, for many people life seemingly has become a dystopian science fiction movie of Do as we say edicts.
And quite sadly, an ugly and potentially harmful Us vs. Them mentality has taken hold with some on both sides of the COVID-19 treatment divide. Its a divide that has appeared because of the consequences of forced or controlled ignorance.
During the first few months of the pandemic, you could use Google or another search engine to look up questions such as What is the survival rate for COVID-19? or What is the average age of those getting the virus? or Does the virus hit the obese or those with chronic morbidities harder? or Where did the virus originate? or Has the virus gotten weaker as it has mutated? But just try to do that now. Youll find that many of the answers are buried, dating to early 2020, or simply impossible to find.
Why is that? Shouldnt we Americans be allowed to look up such information and then make judgments ourselves?
In the United States, it can seem as if They (typically the politicians or their proxies) have decided for our own good that certain questions should not be asked, certain answers should be buried, certain scientists and doctors should be criticized, certain people should be fired, and a certain class should do the thinking for the rest of us.
There is no sane person who does not hope or pray that medical science can at least weaken the threat from the SARS-CoV-2 virus so that we can resume life as it mostly was before COVID-19. That said, everyone including doctors and scientists in the field of infectious disease should be able to ask questions or express doubts about certain protocols without being castigated or fired from their jobs.
In this unhealthy Us vs. Them dynamic that has sprung up as a toxic byproduct of the pandemic, there are many Americans politicians, celebrities and Twitter trolls who are not only calling for the firing of doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, military personnel, teachers, pilots, air traffic controllers and U.S. intelligence officers but also taking joy in that possible outcome.
Fire them. Can we step back for a second and realize what that punishment truly would mean? Punishing these Americans potentially would deny them the ability to buy food for their children, pay their rent or mortgage, buy gasoline, pay for medicine or pay for the care of loved ones. This is what Us vs. Them can produce.
To this point, on a recent Real Time with Bill MaherWilliam (Bill) MaherWhat must never be asked about COVID-19 and vaccines nor ever revealed Juan Williams: Trump is killing American democracy Bill Maher pushes back on criticism of Chappelle: 'What the f--- was that reaction?' MORE, the liberal host said, The world recognizes natural immunity. We dont because everything in this country has to go through the pharmaceutical companies. Natural immunity is the best kind of immunity. We shouldnt fire people who have natural immunity because they dont get the vaccine. We should hire them. Yes? Many doctors have made the same point.
Others have argued that many Americans who have not yet received vaccines are not necessarily anti-vaxxers but simply adults who are waiting as long as possible to see how the effects of the vaccines play out. And our understanding of the COVID-19 vaccines, compared to natural immunity and other questions, remains a moving target.
As one recent story in The Hill reported, Vaccinated just as likely to spread delta variant within household as unvaccinated: study. Another story from last week reported, Immunity from both vaccines, COVID-19 infection lasts at least six months: CDC.
That is not a criticism or indictment of the vaccines. Everyone should hope for their complete success. The point is, as with all viruses, there is a learning curve. Shouldnt we want those in charge to know as much as possible, to give them the confidence needed to set policy for the rest of us?
Americans should be rooting for medical science to win the war against the virus. That said, we should still have the option to question any policies political, medical, or other that are handed down from those who hold dominion over us and the lives of our children.
The last time I checked, that is our right as American citizens. As President Biden saidin his inaugural address,Thats democracy. Thats America. The right to dissent peaceably within the guardrails of our republic is perhaps our nations greatest strength.
Douglas MacKinnon, a political and communications consultant, was a writer in the White House for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and former special assistant for policy and communications at the Pentagon during the last three years of the Bush administration.
by: Nathaniel Hafer UMass Chan Medical School, AP The Conversation
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(THE CONVERSATION) At this point in the pandemic, you or someone you know has probably received at least one COVID-19 test. But do you know which kind of test you got and the strengths and weaknesses of these different tests?
Im a molecular biologist, and since April 2020 Ive been part of a teamworking on a National Institutes of Health-funded program called RADxthat is helping innovators develop rapid tests to detect when a person is infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Two major types of tests are used to diagnose infection with SARS-CoV-2: molecular tests better known asPCR tests andantigen tests. Each detects a different part of the virus, and how it works influences the tests speed and relative accuracy. So what are the differences between these types of tests?
Looking for genetic evidence
The first step for either kind of test is to get a sample from the patient. This can be a nasal swab or a bit of saliva.
For PCR tests, the next step is amplification of genetic material so that even a small amount of coronavirus genes in the patients sample can be detected. This is done using a technique called apolymerase chain reaction. A health care worker takes the sample and treats it with an enzyme that converts RNA into double-stranded DNA. Then, the DNA is mixed with a solution containing an enzyme called a polymerase and heated, causing the DNA to separate into two single-stranded DNA pieces. The temperature is lowered, and polymerase, with the help of a small piece of guide DNA called a primer, binds to the single-stranded DNA and copies it. The primers ensure that only coronavirus DNA is amplified. Youve now created two copies of coronavirus DNA from the original one piece of RNA.
Laboratory machinesrepeat these heating and cooling cycles 30 to 40 times, doubling the DNA until there are abillion copies of the original piece. The amplified sequence contains fluorescent dye that is read by a machine.
The amplifying property of PCR allows the test to successfully detect even the smallest amount of coronavirus genetic material in a sample. This makes it ahighly sensitive and accurate test. Withaccuracy that approaches 100%, it is the gold standard for diagnosing SARSCoV2.
However, PCR tests have some weaknesses too. They require a skilled laboratory technician and special equipment to run them, and the amplification process can takean hour or more from start to finish. Usually only large, centralized testing facilities like hospital labs can conduct many PCR tests at a time. Between sample collection, transportation, amplification, detection and reporting, it can takefrom 12 hours to five days for a person to get results back. And finally, they arent cheap at$100 or more per test.
Antigen tests
Rapid, accurate tests are essentialto contain a highly contagious virus like SARS-CoV-2. PCR tests are accurate but can take a long time to produce results. Antigen tests, the other major type of coronavirus test, while much faster, are less accurate.
Antigens are substances that cause the body to produce an immune response they trigger the generation of antibodies. These tests use lab-made antibodies to search for antigens from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
To run an antigen test, you first treat a sample with a liquid containing salt and soap that breaks apart cells and other particles. Then you apply this liquid to a test strip thathas antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 painted on it in a thin line.
Just like antibodies in your body, the ones on the test strip willbind to any antigen in the sample. If the antibodies bind to coronavirus antigens, a colored line appears on the test strip indicating the presence of SARS-CoV-2.
Antigen tests have a number of strengths. First, they are so easy to use that people with no special training can perform them and interpret the results even at home. They also produce results quickly,typically in less than 15 minutes. Another benefit is that these tests can be relatively inexpensive ataround $10-$15 per test.
Antigen tests do have some drawbacks. Depending on the situation, they can beless accurate than PCR tests. When a person is symptomatic or has a lot of virus in their system,antigen tests are very accurate. However, unlike molecular PCR tests, antigen tests dont amplify the thing they are looking for. This means there needs to be enough viral antigen in the sample for the antibodies on the test strip to generate a signal. When a person is in the early stages of infection, not a lot of virus is in the nose and throat, from which the samples are taken. So, antigen tests canmiss early cases of COVID-19. Its alsoduring this stage that a person has no symptoms, so they are more likely to be unaware theyre infected.
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More tests, better knowledge
A few antigen tests are already available over the counter, and on Oct. 4, 2021, the Food and Drug Administrationgranted emergency use authorization to another at-home antigen test. The U.S. government is also pushing tomake these tests more available to the public.
At RADx, the project I am a part of, we arecurrently conducting clinical studiesto get a better understanding of how antigen tests perform at various stages of infection. The more data scientists have on how accuracy changes over time, the more effectively these tests can be used.
Understanding the strengths and limitations of both PCR and antigen tests, and when to use them, can help to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control. So the next time you get a COVID-19 test, choose the one that is right for you.
Uncertain and disquieting times: Experts warn of potential swell in California COVID-19 cases The Mercury News
Building off the success of the fall term, students, faculty and staff at the University of Michigan can expect many of the same COVID-19 protections and community expectations this winter to support another productive and healthy academic term.
Indoor masking, weekly testing for the small fraction of the community who have vaccine exemptions, and daily use of ResponsiBLUE are among the mitigation strategies that will continue.
Here are the top things to know for the winter 2022 term:
All students, faculty and staff are required to submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or request an exemption under the U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. New federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates apply to bargained-for U-M employees on all three campuses who were not previously covered by the universitys vaccination policy.
Stricter accountability measures including dismissal have been established for employees who do not report their vaccination information or obtain an exemption as required under the universitys COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Vaccines are available through Michigan Medicine, University Health Service and Occupational Health Services as well as local pharmacies.
While breakthrough infections positive tests among those vaccinated occur with every vaccine, health officials say vaccines reduce the risk of infection and greatly reduce the likelihood of severe illness, even with the COVID-19 delta variant.
The university is providing limited exemptions to its COVID-19 vaccination policy for medical or religious reasons. Those who receive an exemption are required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.
Instruction in the winter will look much like the fall with more courses taught in-person, especially for graduate and professional students.
U-M officials report there has been no established association with COVID-19 transmission in classrooms due to the universitys high vaccination rate, indoor masking requirement and ventilation rates that exceed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
Under the U-M face-covering policy, all students, staff, faculty and visitors must wear a face covering that covers their mouth and nose while indoors and on U-M transportation, regardless of vaccination status.
The CDC recommends masking indoors in public in areas of substantial or high transmission to maximize protection from the delta variant and prevent possible spread. Based upon the current Campus Metrics and Mitigation Strategies guidance, local transmission levels would need to return to low or moderate levels for indoor masking to be reconsidered.
The university policy cites limited exceptions in which a person is not required to wear a face covering indoors, including while alone in a single, enclosed, private office with the door closed, while actively eating or drinking, while giving a speech and maintaining 6 feet distance from others, or while receiving a health care service that requires them to temporarily take off their face covering.
A key exception to the policy allows for vaccinated students living on campus to not wear a face covering while in their own residence hall, including common areas.
Testing for asymptomatic COVID-19 remains available through the Community Tracking and Sampling Program for those who want it or are required to test weekly.
Weekly testing is required for individuals who have received a medical or religious exemption under the vaccine policy, as well as for those who have started their vaccination series but are not yet considered fully vaccinated.
The weekly testing requirement will be waived for those individuals who received an exemption and are in fully remote situations, but it is expected that those individuals be tested within the previous week if they come to campus for any reason. ResponsiBLUE will track compliance with weekly testing for all students and employees granted vaccine exemptions, even those usually in a fully remote arrangement.
Individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 or a close-contact exposure should contact Occupational Health Services for faculty and staff, or University Health Service for students.
The policies in place now for U-M Housing will continue next term. Nearly 99 percent of students residing in U-M Housing are fully vaccinated. Those in the residence halls for winter 2022 with approved vaccine exemptions will continue to be required to participate in mandatory weekly testing. Face coverings are not required for students while in their assigned residence hall or apartment including common areas, however unvaccinated students should continue to mask in common areas.
Boston's Museum of Science is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for anyone age 5 and older this weekend.The clinic, which is in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Cataldo Ambulance Service, runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.Museum officials say all appointments for this weekend were filled in a matter of hours due to the high demand for pediatric vaccinations.Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, was at the Museum of Science on Saturday to tour the clinic."This is really, you know, one more step back towards a normal, a healthy normal that we're all craving," Jha said. "We have 200 million Americans already vaccinated. I'm hoping it'll build more confidence in these vaccines."As a result, the museum will hold additional clinics next weekend (Nov. 20-21) to accommodate the high demand.The clinics are expected to provide pediatric vaccinations and adult boosters to more than 500 people per day, according to museum officials.Guests who receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the MOS clinic will be allotted two hours of free parking and two free Exhibit Hall passes.Preregistration is required for all Museum of Science vaccine clinics. Appointments can be found by clicking here. Vaccines will be administered in the atrium outside the Charles Hayden Planetarium and Mugar Omni Theater.According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, approximately 25,300 or 5% of the state's estimated 515,000 children who are ages 5 to 11 had received one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 10.Worcester science museum opens vaccines exhibitIn Worcester, the EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature has opened an exhibit on COVID-19 vaccines.Museum officials hope that the exhibit that opened this week will play a part in educating visitors about the COVID-19 and other vaccines, The Telegram & Gazette reported.Project Vaccine: Our Best Defense" also highlights the work of those who participated in the vaccination campaign.The exhibit includes interactive videos featuring medical professionals explaining what vaccines are, as well as one that explains the role truck drivers, nurses, community organizers and clinical administrators have had in the vaccination effort.Another video accompanied by tactile models teaches about the five different types of vaccines RNA, viral vector, live attenuated, inactivated and recombinant and their uses, from the scientists who worked on them.The exhibits are in English and Spanish, which was welcomed by Dr. Matilde Castiel, Worcesters commissioner of health and human services. The city's Black and Hispanic populations were the hardest hit by the pandemic, and those groups have the lowest vaccination rates, she said.The exhibit, designed for third graders to adults, will be open to the public until Feb. 27.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Boston's Museum of Science is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for anyone age 5 and older this weekend.
The clinic, which is in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Cataldo Ambulance Service, runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Museum officials say all appointments for this weekend were filled in a matter of hours due to the high demand for pediatric vaccinations.
Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, was at the Museum of Science on Saturday to tour the clinic.
"This is really, you know, one more step back towards a normal, a healthy normal that we're all craving," Jha said. "We have 200 million Americans already vaccinated. I'm hoping it'll build more confidence in these vaccines."
As a result, the museum will hold additional clinics next weekend (Nov. 20-21) to accommodate the high demand.
The clinics are expected to provide pediatric vaccinations and adult boosters to more than 500 people per day, according to museum officials.
Guests who receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the MOS clinic will be allotted two hours of free parking and two free Exhibit Hall passes.
Preregistration is required for all Museum of Science vaccine clinics. Appointments can be found by clicking here. Vaccines will be administered in the atrium outside the Charles Hayden Planetarium and Mugar Omni Theater.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, approximately 25,300 or 5% of the state's estimated 515,000 children who are ages 5 to 11 had received one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 10.
In Worcester, the EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature has opened an exhibit on COVID-19 vaccines.
Museum officials hope that the exhibit that opened this week will play a part in educating visitors about the COVID-19 and other vaccines, The Telegram & Gazette reported.
Project Vaccine: Our Best Defense" also highlights the work of those who participated in the vaccination campaign.
The exhibit includes interactive videos featuring medical professionals explaining what vaccines are, as well as one that explains the role truck drivers, nurses, community organizers and clinical administrators have had in the vaccination effort.
Another video accompanied by tactile models teaches about the five different types of vaccines RNA, viral vector, live attenuated, inactivated and recombinant and their uses, from the scientists who worked on them.
The exhibits are in English and Spanish, which was welcomed by Dr. Matilde Castiel, Worcesters commissioner of health and human services. The city's Black and Hispanic populations were the hardest hit by the pandemic, and those groups have the lowest vaccination rates, she said.
The exhibit, designed for third graders to adults, will be open to the public until Feb. 27.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
After months of severe shortages, Covid-19 vaccine supplies for the worlds poorestnationsare finally ramping up.But many countries say they will struggle to get them into peoples arms, as they grapple with thepotentialdelivery of more vaccines in the coming weeks than they have received so far this year.
Authorities lackfunds to conduct public awareness campaigns and set upmorevaccination sites, including the necessary fridges and freezers to store the shots. Misinformation and lowcasenumbers have also left many in poor countries skeptical of the shots.
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) The San Francisco Department of Public Health is expanding the booster shot eligibility to all adults 18 and older, provided they qualify based on the timing of the previous dose of vaccine.
On Saturday, KPIX met Shannon Scott at a vaccine clinic in the Bayview. She was there to get her booster shot.
I just decided today was the day, Scott said. When I found out they were giving them out here, I came immediately to get mine.
Per FDA recommendations, seniors, people with underlying medical conditions, people who work in long-term care facilities, and those who work in high-risk settings are currently eligible for a booster shot.
However, SFDPH does not want to turn people away from boosters as case rates increase in the city with the approaching holiday season.
We are taking an expansive approach to COVID-19 boosters, realizing that people are at risk of getting COVID or spreading it as we enter the busy holiday season, said Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax. We are already seeing an uptick in cases and that could mean hospitalization for some vulnerable people, even if they are fully vaccinated. We have been stressing that boosters are essential for higher-risk individuals but now its become apparent that we need many more people to receive a booster dose so that we can protect ourselves, our families and friends, and our community.
Dr. Malathi Srinivasan, with Stanford Healthcare, tells KPIX the booster is incredibly safe and very effective.
Winter is coming and a winter surge is coming unless we all take collective action, she said. Pfizer is the first out of the gate with the new vaccine data. It shows the booster reduces your chances of getting COVID by 95%.
A Walgreens in the Marina District was busy administering booster shots on Saturday.
My daughter came to get her booster shot today, said Paolien Hung, who lives in San Francisco. I think that its wonderful thing to do. Everyone needs to do it. Then we can move on with normal life. It works.
New federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates apply to bargained-for University of Michigan employees on all three campuses who are not currently covered by the universitys vaccination policy.
Seventy-two percent of this segment of the Ann Arbor campus workforce, including Michigan Medicine, already has voluntarily had their vaccination status verified.
An emergency regulation issued recently by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at health care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as Michigan Medicine does.
As a result, Michigan Medicine has begun work to implement the vaccine mandate across all bargained-for employee groups that were not covered by the universitys original requirement. This requirement also applies in other patient-care settings at the university that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs, such as University Health Service.
Employees covered by the federal regulation must receive their first vaccination by Dec. 6 and be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4.
A separate executive order for federal contractors applies to U-M employees working directly or indirectly on federal contracts or in the same physical location as those employees. As a result, employees covered by collective bargaining agreements who were not covered by the universitys requirement now must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4.
Our university community has overwhelmingly followed policies that help protect the health and safety of students, faculty and staff, said Rich Holcomb, associate vice president for human resources. Many bargained-for employees and several bargaining groups not covered by the universitys vaccination policy have already agreed to comply or have voluntarily self-reported.
With these new federal requirements, the expansion of vaccination eligibility to children and other public health measures in place, we should continue to minimize the prevalence of COVID at U-M and maintain a healthy workplace.
Vaccination information must be self-reported using the universitys vaccination forms. Instructions for submitting vaccination information can be found on the Campus Maize & Blueprint website.
Paid release time is available for COVID-19 vaccinations. Information about where to receive a vaccination at U-M or within the community can also be found on the Campus Maize & Blueprint website.
Employees can also speak with a trained adviser ready to answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and its safety by calling 734-764-8021 and selecting prompt No. 2. Advisers will not offer medical advice or address issues related to human resources or university policy.
Employees may request a medical or religious exemption using the universitys request process. Employees with an approved medical or religious exemption must continue to follow requirements such as weekly testing and wearing face coverings.
Human resources teams in Michigan Medicine and on campus have been working with union representatives to discuss the new requirements and how they will be enforced.
The universitys current vaccination policy remains in effect for all other employees, including approved medical and religious exemptions. Employees with an approved medical or religious exemption must continue to follow requirements such as testing and wearing face coverings.
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) The Idaho Legislature will return to session Monday with a long list of bills to consider around COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The House must reconvene before the end of the year because of its vote in May to recess, rather than end, its regular legislative session. Because they are reconvening, state representatives also must tend to an ethics recommendation to censure a North Idaho lawmaker.
RELATED | Bedke: Legislators prepping for action on vaccine mandate starting Monday
House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said Republican leaders felt motivated to return to session after President Joe Biden announced sweeping plans to require COVID-19 vaccines or mandatory testing of employees who refuse to be vaccinated. Gov. Brad Little has also joined two multistate lawsuits to stop those requirements, one for federal contractors and another for business with 100 or more employees.
Mondays agenda lists 29 pieces of legislation that could be introduced from a defense fund for private businesses that wish to fight federal mandates, to banning mask mandates, to exemptions for vaccine or mask requirements. Some deal with prohibiting vaccine mandates or protecting information about vaccination status from employers.
For the most part, what has galvanized the House and, I believe, the entire Legislature is a response to the Biden administrations announcement on vaccine mandates, House Speaker Scott Bedke told the Idaho Statesman editorial board Friday.
The Biden administration vaccine rules were not announced until September, well after the House refused to adjourn as it normally would.
Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry President Alex LaBeau on Nov. 9 publicly released a scathing letter that criticized legislators over their decision to reconvene and consider prohibiting businesses from having vaccine mandates.
LaBeau said state elected officials lost their way and abandoned conservative principles by considering regulations on the private sector, all for the purpose of scoring political points and appealing to a tiny philosophical fringe.
Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, told the Idaho Statesman that Senate Republican leaders support creating a $2 million defense fund to fight federal vaccine mandates. The money would come from the states general fund, he said Friday.
Winder said the Senate decided: OK, lets make our statement. Lets provide some funds to take some action against the mandates. But ultimately, the fight will be in the U.S. Supreme Court, he added.
What our position has been all along is that the real remedy is in the courts, and that the federal courts are the ones that are going to decide this, Winder said. Again it comes down to, yeah, the state can pass a variety of things that probably dont make a lot of difference in the long run because of the sovereignty of the federal government.
WHAT THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WILL LOOK LIKE
The House Ways and Means Committee will discuss draft bills starting at 7:30 a.m. Monday. The committee then will consider what draft legislation to introduce. All but one of the bills are sponsored by Republicans.
Bedke said he wants the committee to filter out pieces of legislation that can wait until Jan. 10, when the Idaho Legislature would reconvene for its 2022 session.
While the committee chairmen set their own agenda, Im urging everyone to be aware of the taxpayer here, Bedke said, and that we need to do this in an efficient, expedited way expedited, however, not to the point of short-circuiting the committee process.
By 9 a.m. Monday, House members expect to be on the floor. Thats when House members must vote on whether to accept the ethics committees report on Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird. The committee unanimously recommended to censure her by removing her from the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee, which oversees laws around state employees.
RELATED | Ethics committee recommends punishment for Rep. Priscilla Giddings
This stems from hearings in August that centered around actions that Giddings took earlier this year. Giddings shared a post from a far-right outlet that identified the 19-year-old woman, known as Jane Doe, who accused former Republican Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger of sexual assault.
Ethics committee members said Giddings exhibited a pattern of dishonesty and disrespect to her colleagues, both in her August hearing and during the ethics hearing involving von Ehlinger, who resigned and has since been charged with rape and forcible penetration with a foreign object, both felonies.
Under House Rule 45, the members must vote on an ethics recommendation during the regular session of the Legislature in which the ethics committee reports.
Bedke said he told House members to expect long days Monday and Tuesday. The goal is for the session to last only a few days, he said.
In a press briefing Friday, Senate Democrats criticized Republicans decision to reconvene and questioned whether senators needed to return, since they voted to adjourn the legislative session in May.
Senate Majority Leader Michelle Stennett accused Republican lawmakers of political grandstanding and said the session seems like a colossal waste of taxpayer money and time.
Hopefully whatever we entertain will be thoughtful, Stennett said. And the rest of it, we just need to say no and go home.
