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N.J.’s Largest Hospital System Mandates Masks Again as Infections Rise
Masks are again mandatory for visitors at the largest hospital system in New Jersey.
Since Monday, all guests at RWJ Barnabas Health’s 14 medical centers “are expected” to wear an appropriate mask, the healthcare system said. People are also asked to stay away if they’re sick or experiencing flu or COVID-like symptoms. Anyone who has tested positive for the virus or been exposed to someone who had it in the past 10 days should also stay away, RWJ Barnabas Health said.
Masking is also “strongly encouraged” for staff and visitors at RWJ outpatient and medical group facilities. Although vaccines have been widely available for almost four years and COVID-related deaths are now minimal, more than 100,000 people in New Jersey have tested positive for COVID-19 this year, according to the state’s online dashboard. The state said it stopped tracking how many people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Nov. 1.
People Injured by COVID Vaccine May Get New Chance at Getting Money
The timeframe for people injured by COVID-19 “countermeasures,” such as vaccines, to file a claim for compensation is set to be extended under the new government spending bill. The bill, which is more than 1,500 pages, also permits some previously denied claims to be refiled. Individuals who file claims under section 319F-4 of the Public Health Service Act, which created the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), may be eligible for financial compensation if they suffered injuries caused by “countermeasures” including vaccines, during a public health emergency.
The new continuing resolution — a temporary spending bill that Congress will use to fund the federal government in the short term — extends the deadlines for filing, which under the CICP are set to one year from the date of administered countermeasure that allegedly caused injury. The bill widens the window for claims, writing that they “shall be filed within 3 years of the administration or use of the covered countermeasure, or 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, whichever is later.”
Under the new bill, if it passes — which it is likely to do this week — people would have up until December 2025 to file their claims.
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Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case Over TikTok Ban
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether a controversial ban on the social media app TikTok violates the First Amendment, adding a major case to its docket this term just before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The high court agreed to expedite the case and hear arguments on Jan. 10.
TikTok’s appeal to the Supreme Court thrusts the justices into a high-profile fight between Congress, which has cited national security concerns over China’s control of the app, and the platform’s users and executives, who argue that the ban violates the First Amendment.
Congress passed the ban with bipartisan support earlier this year, and President Joe Biden signed it into law in April. The law came in response to years of concern in Washington that TikTok’s Chinese parent company poses a national security risk, though Congress has said the app could still operate in the U.S. if it divests from Chinese ownership.
UK Data Regulator Criticises Google for ‘Irresponsible’ Ad Tracking Change
Britain’s data protection regulator has labelled Google as “irresponsible” for allowing advertisers to track customers’ digital “fingerprints,” amid fears even privacy-conscious users will find the online monitoring technique difficult to block. The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office has warned the practice will undermine consumers’ control and choice over how their data is collected and used, and Google’s plan to allow its deployment departs from its “expectation of a privacy-driven internet.”
Fingerprinting involves gathering signals from a device’s software or hardware that together uniquely identify a user or device — a kind of supercharged version of cookies.
Fingerprinting is harder to spot and block and users cannot consent as easily as they do with the cookie windows that pop up often when browsing the internet, the data watchdog said.
