Stars and Stripes Coronavirus Update

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March 3, 2023 | View in browser

 

Military continuing reviews of service members who defied coronavirus vaccine orders Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rescinded the vaccine mandate last month at the direction of Congress but defense officials testifying before a House Armed Service Committee subpanel said service branches are still evaluating how to deal with troops who had defied orders. Read more >

Marine air station in Japan to restart air show silenced by COVID-19 pandemic Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni’s 44th Friendship Day is scheduled for April 15 in conjunction with Fleet Air Wing 31 of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which shares the base south of Hiroshima with the U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wing 5 and the Marine Corps’ Marine Aircraft Group 12.  Read more >

Energy Department believes lab leak was most likely the source of COVID, report says A classified intelligence report provided to the White House and key members of Congress said the virus likely spread due to a mishap at a Chinese laboratory, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Read more >   China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory For the second day in a row, China on Wednesday dismissed U.S. suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been triggered by a virus that leaked from a Chinese laboratory. Read more >   Millions of US workers are still missing after the pandemic. Where did they go? One estimate found at least 2.1 million who retired earlier then expected. Another calculated a shortfall of 2 million immigrants at the height of the pandemic. Other research pointed to a million or more out of work because of long Covid. Read more >

Hawaiian Airlines’ COVID vaccine mandate challenge set for trial Eight current and former Hawaiian Airlines employees suing the company for allegedly violating their right to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine for medical or religious reasons were given a trial date and asked to organize with related cases making similar claims. Read more >   Newsom rescinds California’s COVID-19 state of emergency, marking an end to the pandemic era Gov. Gavin Newsom has ended a three-year-old state of emergency that gave him broad executive powers to include enacting mask and vaccine mandates. Ever-shifting restrictions on businesses and everyday activities turned him into a GOP caricature of oppressive Democratic rule. Read more >   Catching COVID may increase chances of developing an autoimmune disease, study says A coronavirus infection may make it more likely for someone without an autoimmune disease to develop at least one in the months after the infection subsides. Viral infections are known for the potential to lead to autoimmune diseases, when the immune system launches an attack against the body. Read more >   Why scammers who stole billions in unemployment benefits may get away with fraud Just a small percentage of the at least $60 billion in unemployment payments estimated to be lost to fraud during the pandemic has been recovered, and time is running out to prosecute those who committed the crime. Read more >   ‘Sobering’: LA’s Black, Latino kids under 5 are far behind on COVID-19 vaccinations Only 12% of children between 6 months and 4 years old have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and only 7% are fully vaccinated, according to L.A. County data. Read more >   Florida surgeon general again questioning COVID vaccines, sends letter to CDC, FDA Florida’s Surgeon General cites an increase in the number of reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System as evidence of a problem with the COVID-19 shots. Florida has seen a 4,400% increase in the VAERS reporting of “life-threatening conditions,” according to a letter sent to the CDC and FDA. Read more >

 

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