The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Tuesday issued a 10-2 opinion affirming a lower court’s decision to dismiss claims for federal hazard pay based on exposure to COVID-19 made by a group of federal correctional officers from Connecticut. The court considered “whether theory of recovery satisfies one of specifically delineated categories for [...]
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhnom Ghebreyesus Saturday spoke with the Director of China’s National Health Commission Ma Xiaowei about the COVID-19 surge the country is currently facing. During the meeting, Chinese officials provided information to WHO on the outbreak in China. The information included “outpatient clinics, hospitalizations, patients requiring emergency treatment and [...]
The Pentagon Tuesday ended its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for US Armed Forces members, 96 percent of whom are now vaccinated against the illness. The Department stated in a memo that it will continue to promote COVID-19 vaccination among the armed forces. The memo alters the impact of the National Defence Authorisation Act which came into [...]
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) Wednesday filed an 86-page brief with the Supreme Court in response to two cases against President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan: Joseph Biden v. State of Nebraska and Department of Education v. Myra Brown. The brief agrees with a district court’s holding in Nebraska that the States challenging [...]
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Wednesday asked the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) to rescind new COVID-19 travel restrictions. The restrictions, due to take effect from Friday and set to last until the end of January 2023, will limit inbound flights from HKSAR and Macao to four airports on the main island of Honshu. [...]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wednesday announced the US will require a negative COVID-19 test for airline travelers from China before boarding. The CDC announced the order to slow the spread of COVID cases in the US during China’s current surge of COVID cases. The announcement noted the “lack of adequate and [...]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Tuesday announced an end to certain restrictions on international arrivals posed by the country’s “zero-COVID” policies that have been in place since 2020. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin outlined a six-part set of procedures that will be effective starting January 8. Inbound travelers will [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Monday affirmed a preliminary injunction from the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana blocking the White House’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The ruling results from a 2-1 decision from the three-judge panel. Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt authored the opinion of the court, [...]
The US House of Representatives Thursday passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which sets appropriations for the defense budget for fiscal year 2023. In total, the 3,854-page NDAA authorizes $857.9 billion in expenditures. Controversially, the bill would lift the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the armed services. The Biden administration implemented the mandate [...]
US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Thursday rejected a bid to prevent New York City from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for teachers, firefighters and police officers. Sotomayor was unwilling to grant the emergency request, received on November 4, to block the policy. Petitioners brought the emergency request alongside their ongoing appeal of a lower [...]
