Due to rising COVID cases, the Biden administration is asking the Supreme Court to reinstate a nationwide vaccine mandate for health care workers.

They’re asking it be reinstated while legal challenges continue.

Ten Republican-led states have sued over the rules which apply to medical facilities that treat Medicare and Medicaid patients and accept government funds.

Here are more of today’s COVID-19 headlines:

Jumaane Williams positive for COVID
New York City Public Advocate and gubernatorial candidate Jumaane Williams has tested positive for COVID. He says he is experiencing mild symptoms while isolating at home. The 45-year-old is fully vaccinated and got his booster shot. He says his wife, who is pregnant, tested negative.

NFL COVID protocol
The NFL and the players association have agreed to amend the league’s COVID protocols in an effort to get vaccinated and asymptomatic players back on the field quickly. Teams already in intensive protocols due to recent outbreaks will continue daily testing of all personnel, vaccinated or not, but teams not affected won’t be subject to daily testing. The updated policy also eases the requirement that a vaccinated individual who tested positive had to submit two negative tests 24 hours apart before being cleared to return.

NBA COVID masking requirement
The NBA and its players are also on the same team regarding that league’s COVID procedures over the holidays. According to ESPN, players, coaches, and staff, will have to wear masks on the bench, in the locker rooms, and within certain other team facilities. The league will also increase testing. The agreement runs from the day after Christmas through January 8.

MSG requiring proof of vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11
MSG Entertainment announced Thursday that in order to comply with the City’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for children, it will begin checking for proof that children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to gain entry to MSG Entertainment venues.

As of tomorrow, December 17, MSG Entertainment is pleased to announce that it is working with the de Blasio Administration to have an onsite mobile unit at Radio City Music Hall that will provide vaccinations exclusively for children ages 5 to 11. The mobile site will be located at 44 West 51st Street (between 5th and 6th).

MSG Entertainment venues include: Madison Square Garden, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre.

Health advisers recommend Pfizer/Moderna
A CDC committee recommends opting for Pfizer or Moderna over J&J, if given the choice– The CDC’s advisory committee recommended Thursday that people who have a choice should get an mRNA vaccine, either Pfizer or Moderna, over the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine after a review of new CDC data on rare blood clots linked to J&J.

The vote was unanimous.

The rare blood clots are not a new safety concern, and the vaccine has already become far less common in the US after it was given an FDA warning label about the clotting condition. But more data that confirmed a slightly higher rate of clotting cases and deaths than was previously reported caused the CDC and FDA to take another look at the data this week.

No plans for NYC schools to go remote
Amid increasing cases in New York City, the Education Department informed superintendents and principals that “there is no plan for a systemwide school closure and pivot to remote learning.”

However, superintendents and principals are being advised that increasing cases could lead to increased class closures.

“Our schools are some of the safest places to be for our students and staff due to our multi-layered approach to health and safety, which is why only one percent of classrooms are in quarantine at this moment,” the education department said in a statement. “In anticipation of a winter increase in cases we already started hiring more Situation Room staffers, expanded in-school testing to include teachers, fully vaccinated our staff and offered vaccinations to every student, and are constantly in communication with schools to reiterate the importance of closely following safety measures.”

One hundred three Marines have been discharged for refusing to take the COVID vaccine, the Marine Corps said Thursday, as the military services have begun to discharge a pool of possibly as many as 30,000 active duty service members who still refuse to be vaccinated — even after multiple opportunities to do so past vaccination deadlines.
Proof of vaccination required for Hoboken SantaCon
Any Hoboken bar or restaurant participating in a bar crawl must require attendees to show proof of vaccination in order to enter that establishment on Saturday, Dec. 18, and Sunday, Dec.19.

The SantaCon bar crawl returns this Saturday, Dec. 18, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

NYC mayor details 6-pronged approach to curbing COVID
The COVID-19 positivity rate nearly doubled over three days in New York City, and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced to steps Thursday to hopefully slow the surge. Cases in the city have tripled in the last month, and Health Commissioner Dr. David Chokshi expects they will continue to rise based on patterns in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

“We have seen a very substantial increase in COVID cases in the past few days,” de Blasio said. “It is clear that the omicron variant is here in New York City in full force, and we are announcing a series of measures.”
Those measures include:
–Issuing a health advisory with guidance on keeping safe, including recommendations for mask wearing, vaccination, testing and booster shots
–Increase testing capacity with more mobile sites and a doubling down on brick and mortar sites, along with creating new fixed sites an expanding hours of operation
–Distributing 1 million kn95 masks to health centers and clinics
–Distributing half a million at home rapid tests, all for free

–Doubling down on inspections to enforce all current mandates in place

Broadway shows cancel performances, Met Opera to require booster shots
Broadway has taken a major hit this week after several shows, including “Hamilton,” canceled some performances due to COVID concerns. Some of the major musicals include “Hamilton,” “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” and “Ain’t Too Proud,” all of which had some shows canceled due to positive COVID cases. In each case, at least one member of show’s cast or crew tested positive for the coronavirus.

Apple delays return to offices indefinitely
Apple will delay bringing its workers back to the office until a “yet to be determined” date while giving all of its corporate and retail employees $1,000 to buy equipment for their home offices. The development was shared with Apple employees in an email from CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Apple confirmed the details of the email to CNN Business. The Silicon Valley giant’s move comes amid a rise in Covid-19 cases and concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant. Earlier this week, Apple reinstated a mask mandate at all of its US stores and is reportedly also closing some of them because of a surge in cases.

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