Free Republic

Australia is set to end its "covid zero" policy after Prime Minister Scott Morrison determined that the country’s approach is not "sustainable" in the face of the more infectious COVID-19 delta variant. Australia has maintained a strict policy of restrictions and lockdowns to stamp out any outbreak, but the government over the weekend laid out a new plan that marks a sharp change in policy. The government will drop most restrictions once 80% of adults are vaccinated, which the government believes could happen by the end of the year, The Economist reported. Any further action would occur only after hospitals...

Denmark is to lift all its remaining Covid-19 restrictions by 10 September after the health ministry declared the virus “no longer a critical threat to society” because of the country’s high level of vaccination. “The epidemic is under control, we have record vaccination levels,” the health minister, Magnus Heunicke, said in a statement on Friday. “That is why we can drop the special rules we had to introduce in the fight against Covid-19.” He warned, however, that even if the country was “in a good place right now”, the epidemic was not over and the government would not hesitate to...

This week, as President Joe Biden attempted desperately to distract from his ongoing surrender in Afghanistan and the attendant chaos in its wake, the White House turned its eyes once again to the issue of COVID-19. On Monday, Biden pressed private industry to mandate vaccination, stating, “Do what I did last month, require your employees to get vaccinated or face strict requirements.” Meanwhile, the ubiquitous Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “I respect people’s freedom, but when you’re talking about a public health crisis … the time has come, enough is enough. We’ve just got to get people vaccinated.”...

Freedom is the reason why America is the greatest country on earth. Freedom is perhaps the biggest reason why immigrants come to the United States. And yet Arnold Schwarzenegger ... attacked freedom while pushing for masks and vaccines... As a freedom-loving immigrant and an American citizen, I found Schwarzenegger’s words to be condescending, hypocritical and hurtful. Freedom is bestowed by God and was enshrined in the United States Constitution by America’s Founding Fathers. No issue — public health or otherwise — must prevent law-abiding Americans from making decisions about their own lives. Freedom is the foundation of American society ......

Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University announced that it will impose fines and WiFi restrictions on students who cannot, or will not, provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination by the beginning of the fall semester. The university imposed mandatory vaccination for students and staff returning to on-campus learning. In an email sent to students, school leadership stated that approximately 600 students have yet to fulfill the vaccination mandates, or at least they have yet to upload a copy of their COVID-19 vaccination record. “Our goal is to protect the health of our entire community,” the email obtained by a local news outlet reads....

One rule for us, another for them.. While British holidaymakers continue to face uncertainty and headaches over returning from foreign vacations, UN globalists arriving for a climate conference in Scotland won’t face the same COVID-19 restrictions. For months, Brits have been hesitant to travel due to onerous quarantine rules which enforce self-isolation upon return from different destinations. This was exacerbated by the government constantly changing which countries were on the green, amber, amber-plus and red lists – leaving many holidaymakers in limbo stranded abroad. UK citizens returning home from red list countries, many of which are located in Asia, Africa,...

The state of Hawaii will be re-implementing limits on social gatherings and restrictions on businesses in order to stop the spread of coronavirus cases, Democratic state Gov. David Ige announced Wednesday.“Social gatherings will be limited to no more than 10 indoors, 25 outdoors. Patrons in restaurants, bars, establishments must remain seated with parties maintaining six feet of distance. No mingling, and masks must be worn unless actively eating,” the governor said in a statement posted to Twitter.“All high-risk activities, such as bars, restaurants, gyms, and social establishments will be set to 50% indoor capacity,” the governor continued. “Counties will review...

Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) on Wednesday announced that he would be signing an executive order bringing back some coronavirus restrictions in light of the surge of new delta variant cases. "With COVID-19 cases going up, the State of Hawaiʻi is taking precautions now to avert a strain on our healthcare systems. To that end — I’ll be signing an Executive Order that will limit social gatherings, effective immediately," Ige wrote. As per his executive order, social gatherings will be limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. When at restaurants, groups must be seated at least six feet...

Princess Cruises is announced Thursday that the company will take measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus on its ships as the delta variant continues to surge across the globe. On Thursday, the company announced that passengers would be required to wear masks and provide a negative COVID-19 test to board, according to USA Today. "As Princess Cruises continues with its successful restart of cruise operations the line is adapting to the evolving science around worldwide public health by advising booked guests of temporary changes in onboard mask and pre-cruise testing requirements for cruises in the United States," the...

Diners could soon be once again required to wear facial coverings inside restaurants in Illinois. As COVID-19 rates within the state increase, following a trend seen in other parts of the country, the Illinois Department of Public Health wants residents in “areas with substantial and high transmission” — primarily public indoor spaces — to resume wearing facial coverings. There’s no government mandate, though there’s concern that one could be intituted early next week. The health department’s announcement matches recommendations put out earlier on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also stressed that teachers and students...

The US will keep in place COVID-19 travel restrictions for foreigners due to the rising number of cases caused by the Delta variant, a White House official said Monday. The decision to not lift the existing travel rules means non-US citizens from numerous countries, including the United Kingdom, China and India, are still barred from entering the US. “Given where we are today with the Delta variant, the United States will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point,” the official told Reuters. “Driven by the Delta variant, cases are rising here at home, particularly among those who are unvaccinated and...

Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”.. Eric Clapton wants nothing to do with vaccine passports — and that includes at his own concerts. Responding to an announcement from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that anyone wanting to enter nightclubs or other crowded venues will have to show proof of COVID vaccination beginning in September, the legendary rock star issued a statement Wednesday. “Following the PM’s announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021, I feel honour bound to make an announcement of my own: I wish to say...

CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday warned that the city might be forced to reinstate some COVID-19 restrictions if more people don’t get vaccinated against COVID-19, as the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread nationwide. “Part of why we’re here today is to emphasize to folks that we’re starting to see this uptick, and we want to get ahead of this before we see a second surge,” Lightfoot said at a City Hall press conference. Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said COVID cases have been increasing all across the United States...

ATHENS — Greece banned music in restaurants and bars and imposed a nighttime curfew on its popular holiday island of Mykonos on Saturday after a rise in new coronavirus infections there. Known as the party island of the super-rich, Mykonos is one of Greece’s most popular destinations, attracting more than a million visitors each summer, among them Hollywood stars, models and world-famous athletes. Following a “worrying” local outbreak, the Civil Protection Ministry said it was banning music on the island around the clock, including in shops, cafes and beach bars. It also said it would restrict movement between 1 a.m...

The British government on Monday lifted pandemic restrictions on daily life in England, scrapping all social distancing in a step slammed by scientists and opposition parties as a dangerous leap into the unknown. From midnight (2300 GMT Sunday), nightclubs were able to reopen and other indoor venues allowed to run at full capacity, while legal mandates covering the wearing of masks and working from home were scrapped. Prime Minister Boris Johnson—who is self-isolating after his health minister was infected—urged the public to remain prudent and for any laggards to join the two-thirds of UK adults who are now fully vaccinated.

A Conservative MP has warned that “winter is coming” and predicted the government could impose fresh restrictions on Britons in the coming months. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce this evening that all remaining social distancing measures will be lifted on July 19th. While welcoming the prospect, Mark Harper, chairman of the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group (CRG), however, warned that “it’s only a number of weeks until the autumn arrives” and with it the rise in seasonal respiratory diseases, meaning the government could attempt to bring back lockdown and social distancing in the colder seasons.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that President Joe Biden would “certainly support” states re-imposing coronavirus restrictions. A CBS News reporter asked Psaki if “the White House would reimpose” coronavirus “restrictions, as cases tick up, or is it up to the states?” “We certainly support their decisions to implement measures that will make their community safe,” Psaki explained. “States and local communities will have to make evaluations about what is in their interest.” “There are much higher rates of vaccination in some parts of the country versus others,” she continued. “We are at almost 70 percent vaccination rate...

Alberta lifted almost all its remaining COVID-19 restrictions Thursday, but many businesses said they are taking a more cautious approach as things start to return to normal. There are no more limits on indoor and outdoor social gatherings, no more capacity limits on restaurants, stores and places of worship. Weddings and other celebrations are back on. Alberta is also lifting its mask mandate. The exception is in Calgary, where the city has decided to revisit its mandatory mask bylaw on Monday. Shoppers in grocery stores and diners at restaurants are free to go maskless, although it is up to individual...

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon is not happy with the players union’s decision to maintain restrictions on teams whose players are not fully vaccinated for the coronavirus.The National Football Players Association (NFLPA) recently announced an agreement with the NFL to update coronavirus rules to include continued restrictions, masks, and social distancing for players who have not taken the coronavirus vaccination.But Mixon felt that continuing to place restrictions on players over the virus while vaccinated players are allowed a long list of freedoms was not fair, especially since many states are declaring that the crisis is over.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the proposed end to all Chinese coronavirus-related restrictions in England has been postponed from June 21st to July 19th. During a press conference on Monday evening, Prime Minister Johnson said that due to the spread of the Indian variant, the related rise of intensive care cases in hospitals, and sectors of the adult population still not being vaccinated, “we’ve faced a very difficult choice”.