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New York’s Largest Healthcare Provider Fires 1,400 Unvaccinated Workers

Reuters reported:

New York State’s largest healthcare provider, Northwell Health, has fired 1,400 employees who refused to get COVID-19 vaccinations, according to a spokesman, Joe Kemp.

As with other healthcare companies that have recently terminated workers for not complying with vaccine mandates, the fired employees represent a small percentage of Northwell’s workforce of more than 76,000, all of whom are now inoculated.

Every Airline to Mandate COVID Vaccines for Their Employees

Newsweek via MSN reported:

Many airlines fall under President Joe Biden‘s sweeping order that companies with more than 100 employees must ensure workers are vaccinated or undergo weekly testing for the virus.

Many airlines are also government contractors that must meet a December 8 deadline set by Biden to enforce vaccination requirements, without the testing option.

Among the major U.S. carriers, only Delta Air Lines has held off on mandating vaccines for employees, but the airline has said unvaccinated employees enrolled in the company’s health care plan will face a $200 monthly surcharge.

Andrew Wiggins Says He Was ‘Forced’ to Get COVID Vaccine ‘Or Not Play in the NBA’

USA Today reported:

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins explained why he got the COVID-19 vaccine, saying he felt “forced” to receive the shot.

Wiggins had been hesitant to take the shot, and risked forfeiture of half his $31.5 million salary for the 2021-22 season if he didn’t.

Where Does Natural Immunity Stand in Fight Over Vaccine Mandates?

Yahoo!News reported:

With the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate deadline fast approaching, and many states and private employers continuing to require vaccination, many unvaccinated American workers could soon lose their jobs if they don’t comply with these inoculation requirements. That has already been the case for hundreds of health care workers and airline workers across the country who have refused the vaccine.

Among some of the arguments against the COVID-19 vaccine mandates is that immunity from a previous coronavirus infection should count as an alternative to vaccination. This topic has received a lot of attention of late, with NBA players and healthcare workers speaking out and citing “natural immunity” as what they believe to be a valid reason for refusing to get the shot.

How Mass Tech Surveillance Could Turn Us All Into Britney Spears

The Federalist reported:

News reports about Britney Spears being a one-woman surveillance state are troubling on many levels. A recent New York Times investigation uncovered the details. According to a whistleblower, the pop star’s father monitored her every move, then used that information to manipulate or directly control her. This was done under the guise of a court-ordered conservatorship and implemented by Black Box, a private security firm.

The public was shocked by the degree of invasion Spears endured. But considering how thoroughly each of us is digitally tagged, tracked, and fed into the algorithmic mill, her story should be all too familiar. The only difference is, for the moment we still have a choice.

Thousands Protest Washington State’s Vaccine Mandate, Sing National Anthem

Fox News reported:

Thousands gathered outside of Washington state’s Capitol Building to protest the state’s vaccine mandate, and were heard belting out the national anthem at one point.

“We’re adults and we know how to take care of ourselves,” Kelly Coyle, former state Department of Transportation employee, told The Olympian. “I don’t believe you should force someone to inject something in their body that they don’t want and lose your livelihood.” Coyle said she was forced into early retirement over Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate for state workers.

Between 2,500 and 3,000 people attended what was dubbed the “No, you move” Rally Against the Mandate, on Sunday to protest Inslee’s vaccine mandate for the roughly 63,000 state workers in Washington. State workers are required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18.

Five-Year Breach Gave Hackers Access to Billions of Text Messages

Apple Insider reported:

A company that handles text messaging and general telecommunications infrastructure for carriers around the world has confirmed it has been hacked, with introducers potentially gaining access to some sensitive customer information for years.

Disclosed in an SEC filing on September 27, Syniverse advises an “individual or organization gained unauthorized access to databases within its network” and that its systems accessed by 235 customers had been compromised.

COVID Vaccine Mandate for CT State Workers Goes Into Effect

NBC Connecticut News reported:

As of this morning, Connecticut state employees have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or those who are exempt need to begin getting tested weekly.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 23,600 employees, or 78%, of state employees were are fully vaccinated and 5,500, or 18%, will receive weekly testing, state officials said.

That leaves around 1,200 workers, or 4%, who are still non-compliant with the order.

“Some of those are inadvertent and we treat them with leniency. Some of those are defiant just won’t do it and they’ve gotta go home,” Gov. Ned Lamont said.

Why Are Americans Still — Still! — Wearing Cloth Masks?

The Atlantic via MSN reported:

At this point, cloth masks are so ubiquitous in the United States that it can be easy to forget that they were originally supposed to be a stopgap measure. In April 2020, when surgical masks and highly coveted N95s were first in short supply, the CDC released its initial mask guidance and said cloth masks were the way to go for most people — noting that they could be sewn at home from old T-shirts.

Even at that point, when the pandemic was full of unknowns, we knew that cloth masks, although far better than going maskless, weren’t as protective as other types.

Colorado Officials May Weaken Coronavirus Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

The Colorado Sun reported:

Colorado health officials have proposed weakening the state’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for health care workers, meaning some employees at hospitals and nursing homes might be able to remain on the job while unvaccinated even if they don’t have a valid exemption.

The proposal comes after the deadline has already passed for workers to receive their first dose of vaccine, and it is causing chaos at some health facilities that have been having difficult conversations with workers who refused vaccination and would have to leave their jobs as a result.