Free Republic

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday issued a "preemptive strike," mandating that all private sector employees in the Big Apple be vaccinated against COVID-19 amid the new threat posed by the omicron variant beginning Dec. 27. De Blasio, whose term is set to expire in a matter of weeks, broke the news during an interview on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" Monday morning. "We’ve got omicron as a new factor, we’ve got the colder weather, which is going to really create additional challenges with the delta variant, we’ve got holiday gatherings," de Blasio said.

Walensky echoed Biden, who said there is 'no excuse' for eligible Americans to refuse a booster ----------------- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday updated agency guidance to advise that anyone over age 18 should receive a COVID-19 booster shot. "Today, CDC is strengthening its recommendation on booster doses for individuals who are 18 years and older. Everyone ages 18 and older should get a booster shot either when they are 6 months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series or 2 months after their initial J&J vaccine," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a press...

The Delta variant of COVID-19 has spawned a new, troubling variant known as Delta-plus that has been identified for the first time in Louisiana, according to officials at Ochsner Health. Delta-plus is thought to have the same higher rate of transmission as the Delta variant, which was originally identified in India and is about two times as infectious as the original coronavirus strain. But it also has a characteristic of variants from South Africa and Brazil that makes it harder for antibodies to block it from entering cells. “It gives you a double whammy,” said Dr. Lucio Miele, who has...