COVID-19 roundup
Thursday, Jan 13, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CNBC…
The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing its sweeping vaccine-or-test requirements for large private companies, but allowed a vaccine mandate to stand for medical facilities that take Medicare or Medicaid payments.
The rulings came three days after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency measure started to take effect.
That mandate required that workers at businesses with 100 or more employees must get vaccinated or submit a negative Covid test weekly to enter the workplace. It also required unvaccinated workers to wear masks indoors at work.
“Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly,” the court wrote in an unsigned opinion. […]
In a separate, simultaneously released ruling on the administration’s vaccination rules for health-care workers, a 5-4 majority sided with the Biden administration.
* Center Square…
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday against the Biden administration’s vaccine or testing mandate on employers of more than 100 employees, it’s expected the Illinois Department of Labor’s COVID-19 vaccine or testing mandate will be withdrawn.
* Press release…
According to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), as of December 31, 2021, 458 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers died in the line-of-duty in 2021. This is an increase of 55% from the 295 officers killed during the same period last year, and is the highest total line-of-duty officer deaths since 1930 when there were 312 fatalities. […]
Preliminary data shows that some 301 officer fatalities have been identified as caused by Covid this year, and this number appears to increase almost daily. Covid-19 related fatalities continue to be the single highest cause of law enforcement deaths occurring in 2021.
* Marni Pyke…
New cases of COVID-19 reached 37,048 Thursday with 142 more people dying from the respiratory disease, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported.
Patients in the hospital with COVID-19 came to 7,380 as of Wednesday night, the highest count since the pandemic began.
On Wednesday, 58,899 more COVID-19 shots were administered. The seven-day average is 51,776.
The state’s positivity rate for COVID-19 cases is 11.5% based on a seven-day average.
Today’s report brings the 7-day rolling average hospitalization increase number to 0.57 percent, slightly up from yesterday’s 0.24 percent. The 14-day rolling average hospitalization increase is now 1.71 percent, slightly down from 1.9 percent yesterday.
…Adding… Press release…
Out of an abundance of caution and due to the continued high numbers of new COVID-19 cases statewide, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is announcing that all Secretary of State departments – including Driver Services facilities – will resume conducting in-person transactions Monday, Jan. 24. The Secretary of State offices and facilities first closed on Jan. 3, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases statewide. Driver Services facilities operating on a Tuesday – Saturday schedule will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 25.
* More…
* COVID-19 in Southern Illinois: Washington County records nearly 31% positivity rate
* How other pandemics started. And ended.
* Biden to double free COVID tests, add N95 masks, send military aid to overwhelmed hospitals
* Another 1,000 military health workers to deploy to U.S. hospitals -White House
* Arlington Heights mayor: Vaccine mandate compliance up to businesses, county
* Almost all teens needing ICU care for COVID are unvaccinated, study says
* Fire Jeff Zients: Biden’s COVID czar has gone from ‘Mr. Fix-It’ to grim reaper, steering the administration’s pandemic response to catastrophic lows
* Anxiety and pandemic fatigue are spiking amid latest COVID surge
* Chaotic day for some students returning after 5 days of canceled classes
…Adding… Gary Rabine on the SCOTUS decision…
“The Supreme Court confirmed today what we have known all along - that the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate was a massive and unconstitutional government overreach. I am proud to have led the charge with Job Creators Network fighting this unconstitutional dictate through the lower courts and ultimately to a resounding victory today in the United States Supreme Court.”
“As your next governor and a freedom loving American, I will work tirelessly for the people of Illinois to make sure that the government doesn’t step on your freedom to make a living, raise your children or make health care decisions. It’s time for big-government liberals like failed Governor JB Pritzker to be voted out of office and replaced with new leadership that respects the basic and fundamental rights of all citizens of Illinois. We need to put an end to top down, big brother knows best government.”
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 2:59 pm:
— it’s expected the Illinois Department of Labor’s COVID-19 vaccine or testing mandate will be withdrawn.
Really? They shouldn’t as the the Court has been much more wiling to accept state mandates.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:00 pm:
Sigh–I should have read to the bottom. IDOL is likely to introduce a new rule which makes sense.
- RNUG - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:06 pm:
- ArchPundit -, it’s a matter of using the wrong agency, Labor, to issue such a mandate. The State could reissue it under the Department of Public Health; there is long standing precedent and court cases that Public Health at the State level does have such authority.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:10 pm:
ArchPundit:
State OSHA follows what federal OSHA does, which is why state OSHA was issuing the rule. Since there is no longer a federal OSHA rule then there won’t be a state OSHA rule either.
- The 5th Deputy Governor - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:13 pm:
And so begins the dismantling of Chevron and the Administrative State…
- Aaron B - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:14 pm:
Re: Reopening of Secretary of State offices
I need to get my license renewed in the next few months and had planned on going to a DMV to get my RealID. Just going to renew online now since they closed for most of January which will make for even busier DMVs than before. Before Christmas I was looking at making an appointment but couldn’t schedule an appointment any more than a few hours ahead of time. It makes it difficult to get off of work with only a few hours notice of when there is an available appointment.
- Lowki - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:21 pm:
The shortage of healthcare workers is about to explode.
- Steve - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:30 pm:
This U.S. Supreme Court is willing to accept mandates as long as Congress or state governments authorize it.
- Norseman - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:31 pm:
=== it’s a matter of using the wrong agency, … ===
Labor has the authority to impose sanctions for noncompliance, IDPH doesn’t outside of that provided by the emergency law. We’ve seen how well mandates have been followed through that process. IDPH does have power regarding healthcare settings.
I’m sickened, but not surprised by the court ruling. When you have one justice thumbing his nose to mask mandate it was expected. We came far too close to losing healthcare workers.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:36 pm:
==This U.S. Supreme Court is willing to accept mandates as long as Congress or state governments authorize it.==
Because why wouldn’t we want the President of the United States to be able to respond to a national emergency? Too many Courts, this one included, have completely ignored the public health consequences of their decisions. It’s sickening.
- Steve - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:40 pm:
-Because why wouldn’t we want the President of the United States to be able to respond to a national emergency?-
Congress has met frequently since March of 2020. They have authorized trillions in spending. Some of this money has gone to state and local governments. Anyway, if they wanted to pass a mandate law : they would have by now. There’s nothing stopping them. You have a unified Congress with a president who can sign a federal law .
- ;) - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:44 pm:
Amen Steve.
- illinifan - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:53 pm:
Steve, 51 does not overcome a filibuster.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:56 pm:
==You have a unified Congress with a president who can sign a federal law .==
Because during a national emergency we want to govern by committee. That’s a nimble response. And it’s an asinine way to govern during a national emergency.
- Steve - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:56 pm:
-51 does not overcome a filibuster-
Let’s at least find out who wants to filibuster this so elected politicians can go on the record.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 3:57 pm:
The rules of the Senate are stalemating much, but Sinema and Manchin are no help to any partisan push on issues.
Ignoring that isn’t helping truthful discussions to legislative action(s)
- Out Here In The Middle - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 4:03 pm:
Who would filibuster? Gee, I don’t know but Rand Paul comes to mind.
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 4:06 pm:
This is not going to end the pandemic. Silly me, I thought that is what most of us want.
- very old soil - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 4:10 pm:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/13/face-masks-make-people-look-more-attractive-study-finds
- Lotso - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 4:12 pm:
God Bless SCOTUS
- Pundent - Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 4:37 pm:
Unfortunate outcome from the SCOTUS but not entirely unexpected. I anticipated that this would happen because of procedure as opposed to policy.
And it’s unfortunate because by and large most large employers saw this as a benefit as the President was providing cover. Sure nobody wants the headache of managing a verification process. But it sure beats the continued disruption and uncertainty that businesses are experiencing.
Hopefully more employers will take their cues from United and adopt policies that save keep their workforce out of the hospital and lives. As Scott Kirby said in front of the Senate, “we don’t compromise on safety.” Our government shouldn’t either.