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Philadelphia to Restore Indoor Mask Mandate Amid Covid Case Surge

Philadelphia is reinstating its indoor mask mandate after reporting a sharp increase in coronavirus infections, the city’s top health official announced Monday. Confirmed COVID-19 cases have risen more than 50% in 10 days, the threshold at which the city’s guidelines …

Global Drugmakers Blast Plan for COVID Vaccine Patent Waiver

Global drugmakers condemned on Wednesday an initiative by four World Trade Organization members to introduce an intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, saying it could undermine the industry’s ability to respond to health crises in future. The United States, the …

China Battling Multiple Coronavirus Outbreaks; Shuts Business Hub Shenzhen

TAIPEI, Taiwan โ€” China banned most people from leaving a coronavirus-hit northeastern province and mobilized military reservists Monday as the fast-spreading “stealth omicron” variant fuels the country’s biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago. The National …

Many Faith Leaders, Denominations Wary of Religious Exemptions for Vaccine

By the thousands, Americans have been seeking religious exemptions in order to circumvent COVID-19 vaccine mandates, but generally they are doing so without the encouragement of major denominations and prominent religious leaders. From the Vatican, Pope Francis has defended the …

Biden Administration Officially Withdraws Employer Vaccine Rule

The Biden administration has officially withdrawn a rule that would have required workers at big companies to get vaccinated or face regular COVID testing requirements. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday. But the agency said it …

COVID-19 Cases, Deaths on Rise Again at Nursing Homes

COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too, leading to new restrictions on family visits and a renewed push to get more residents and staff members vaccinated and boosted. …

Health Insurers Cooperating With Plan to Pay for Home COVID Tests Starting Saturday

Starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for people on their plans. The Biden administration announced the change Monday as it looks to lower costs and make testing for …

Employers Fear Long-Term Liability From ‘Take-Home’ COVID-19 Lawsuits

As COVID-19 cases surge in the United States, businesses say they fear a California court ruling has increased the likelihood that companies will be sued for infections, even by people who are not employees or customers. The Dec. 21 ruling …

Stay Home or Go to Work Sick? Omicron Poses a Conundrum.

As the raging omicron variant of COVID-19 infects workers across the nation, millions of those whose jobs don’t provide paid sick days are having to choose between their health and their paycheck. While many companies instituted more robust sick leave …

Supreme Court Conservatives Question OSHA Business Vaccine Rule

Fully vaccinated and mostly masked, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared skeptical Friday of the Biden administration’s authority to impose a vaccine-or-testing requirement on the nation’s large employers. The court seemed more open to a separate vaccine mandate for most …