COVID-19
FDA panel backs COVID-19 booster shots only for elderly and high-risk Americans
WASHINGTON — A federal health advisory panel wrestled Friday with whether to widely authorize a booster dose of Pfizer’s two-shot COVID-19 vaccine for most Americans, ultimately recommending that a third dose be offered only to older or higher-risk individuals. The Biden administration had hoped states could begin rolling out a wide national booster shot campaign […]
Iowa sees sharp jump in COVID-19 cases statewide, outbreaks at nursing homes
Iowa has seen a sharp increase in the average number of new COVID-19 cases and in outbreaks at nursing homes this week. In just four days, the two-week increase in cases surged to 44%, the New York Times reported. The Monday figure was 27%. The previous Friday, Sept. 10, it was 23%. As of Friday, […]
Republican AGs urge Biden administration to give up on vaccine requirements
WASHINGTON — Two dozen Republican state attorneys general are threatening to sue the Biden administration over its mandate that large employers require their employees to either be vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo weekly testing. In a Thursday letter, the 24 AGs pushed the administration to remove the requirement that would affect nearly 80 million Americans […]
Arizona attorney general first to sue over Biden vaccine mandate on private businesses
WASHINGTON — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Tuesday filed the first lawsuit against the Biden administration’s upcoming COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private companies with at least 100 employees, arguing that the federal requirement violates the U.S. Constitution. In the legal complaint, Brnovich argues that the vaccine mandate President Joe Biden announced last week violates the Equal Protection Clause, claiming […]
Federal judge temporarily blocks Iowa ban on school mask mandates
A federal judge has temporarily blocked an Iowa law that prohibited schools from instating mask mandates on students. Under a Monday ruling by District Judge Robert Pratt, Iowa school districts may impose mask mandates on their students, staff and teachers. The decision comes after a disability rights group and several Iowa families sued the state, […]
Iowa’s surge in COVID cases strengthens
The uptick in Iowa’s COVID-19 cases gained steam over the weekend, the New York Times reported. Iowa’s daily average of new cases was up 27% over the two weeks that ended Sunday, the Times reported. The comparable two-week figure reported Friday was 23%. However, the gain in hospitalizations slowed a bit. As of Sunday, hospitalizations […]
What do Iowa politicians think about Biden’s vaccine mandate?
President Joe Biden announced a new COVID-19 mitigation approach on Thursday that requires about 100 million Americans to be vaccinated or routinely tested. Under the plan, health care workers and all federal workers and contractors must be vaccinated. Companies with more than 100 employees must require vaccination or weekly testing. “It’s not about freedom or […]
Iowa COVID cases rise 23%, some venues increase safety measures
Despite a 23% jump in Iowa COVID-19 cases the past two weeks, no one attending the Iowa State Cyclones’ home game Saturday against the Iowa Hawkeyes will be required to wear a mask. Iowa State recommends those sitting in indoor seating areas at Jack Trice Stadium wear a face covering. However, indoor entertainment venues have […]
Federal judge hears arguments on Iowa’s school mask mandate ban
An Iowa disability group and families of students with disabilities asked a federal district judge on Friday to issue an injunction against Iowa law to allow school districts to require masks. The ACLU of Iowa filed the lawsuit last week on behalf of the Arc of Iowa and the 11 families with medically fragile children. […]
COVID-19 vaccines or weekly tests to be mandated for millions of U.S. workers
WASHINGTON — More than 80 million employees of private businesses in the U.S. will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing as part of the Biden administration’s latest strategy for combating the still-surging coronavirus pandemic. The upcoming vaccine rule for companies with at least 100 employees is one plank of an increasingly […]
Biden to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for federal employees and contractors, reports say
WASHINGTON — Federal employees will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with no opt-out for testing under an executive order that President Joe Biden is expected to sign Thursday, according to several news outlets. The new requirement will be rolled out as Biden gives a major address Thursday afternoon on new national strategies for combating […]
Iowa COVID-19 cases jump 53% in two weeks
Iowa’s steady surge in COVID-19 cases has hit 1,434 a day, the New York Times reported Wednesday. That’s up 53% in two weeks, but still well below last November, when daily cases approached 5,000. The latest surge, fueled largely by the delta variant, increased Iowa’s pandemic-related hospitalizations by 14% in the same period. They stood […]