Tag: COVID-19

Governor Bill Lee Admonishes Citizens for Their Thanksgiving Gatherings as ‘Selfish, Indifferent, Foolish’ Decisions

Corinne Murdock

Governor Bill Lee called out Tennessee for its recent Thanksgiving gatherings as selfish, indifferent, and foolish decisions. The governor issued these remarks during a press conference as some of the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered at Vanderbilt University.

“We do stand here and celebrate a tremendous breakthrough in this pandemic,” stated Lee. “But there is a darkness before the dawn that’s happening right here in Tennessee – we have to recognize that. Tennessee’s cases are surging. The holidays have caught up with us. Decisions that some made during Thanksgiving have a severe reality in this hospital and all across Tennessee today.”

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Vanderbilt Poll: 88 Percent of Tennessee’s Republican Voters Doubt Legitimacy of Presidential Election

Corinne Murdock

A Vanderbilt University poll suggested that 88 percent of Tennessee’s registered Republican voters doubt the legitimacy of the presidential election. According to the university, the poll’s purpose was to discover any correlation between support of the COVID-19 vaccine and views on the election’s integrity. The poll lasted 21 days, surveying just over 1,000 individuals. Nowhere in their methodology did the research include the exact number of Republicans, Democrats, independent, and “other” respondents.

A supplementary video summarizing the polling results noted that 83 percent of Democrats pose a large public health problem, as opposed to 47 percent of Republicans. After providing that information, the video noted that 97 percent of Democrats believed nationwide votes from the Presidential election were counted fairly and accurately, as opposed to 12 percent of Republicans.

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Tennessee Receives First Shipment of COVID-19 Vaccine, But No Doses Administered

The Center Square

A first shipment of 975 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Tennessee on Monday, but there are no plans to administer the vaccine until larger shipments arrive to hospitals on Thursday.

Instead, the early shipment of the vaccine will be held “as an emergency backup supply, should any receiving hospital’s supply be damaged,” the Tennessee Department of Health announced Monday.

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New Jersey Gym Owner Fined $1.2 Million for Defying COVID-19 Lockdowns Vows Not to Pay

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A New Jersey gym owner who repeatedly defied coronavirus lockdowns and was fined roughly $1.2 million told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he doesn’t plan to pay a cent.

Ian Smith, co-owner of Atilis Gym, has incurred roughly 60 citations and is charged nearly $15,500 per day that he remains open in defiance of Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s COVID-19 closures, he told Fox News. Smith alongside Frank Trumbetti, another owner of the fitness facility, were arrested in late July after the pair refused to close their business following a weeks-long fight with state, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

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US Wants to Double COVID-19 Vaccine Order from Pfizer

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Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on CNN Monday that the U.S. is seeking to double its COVID-19 vaccine order.

“So far, we have an agreement with the U.S. Government to provide them 100 million doses and this is a fixed order and we will provide those 100 million doses starting from now by the end of the first quarter and we will honor this commitment,” Bourla told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on “New Day With Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.”

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Conservatives to Northam: We Earned Freedom of Religion 244 Years Ago

Eric Burk

When Governor Ralph Northam outlined his latest COVID-19 restrictions and a curfew last week, he had a message specifically for religious leaders.

“This year we need to think about what is truly the most important thing. Is it the worship or the building? For me, God is wherever you are. You don’t have to sit in the church pew for God to hear your prayers,” the governor said. “Worship with a mask on is still worship.”

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Defiant: Minnesota Businesses Plan Mass Reopening

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Minnesota Gov Tim Walz

by Anthony Gockowski   More than 150 businesses plan to reopen this week in defiance of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s coronavirus shutdown. The businesses have organized as the Reopen Minnesota Coalition. This group has created a Facebook page and GoFundMe to raise awareness and money for business owners who will likely face legal consequences for their actions. Rural businesses involved in the effort plan to open Wednesday, Dec. 16, while metro businesses will open two days later on Friday. Walz’s current shutdown order is set to expire on Friday, but an extension is possible. Those who choose to participate in the statewide reopening effort are encouraged to indicate their intent and sign up with the Reopen Minnesota Coalition to receive publicity and support. At least three Minnesota businesses were sued in recent weeks by Attorney General Keith Ellison after they reopened. Already, the coalition has raised over $3,000 to support business owners and their employees should legal action against them occur. The group’s founder, Darius Teichroew, assured listeners of this recently on the radio show Justice & Drew.  On the show, Teichroew described his group as “a grassroots coalition” to “get businesses back on their feet.” While he expressed concern for business owners during the interview,…

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Ohio Allows High Schoolers to Wrestle, but Forbids Shaking Hands Before or After Matches

Admin

The state of Ohio is allowing the high school wrestling season to proceed this winter, but with some rather head-scratching COVID-based rules and regulations.

As you may know, wrestling is the one sport which features a very high degree of bodily contact. And in this coronavirus-laden atmosphere, one might think that, of all sports, it should be skipped this year.

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Virginia High School League: Athletes Advised to Wear Masks During Competitions

Jacob Taylor

The Virginia High School League (VHSL) is requiring participating schools to follow health recommendations from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) that strongly advise student-athletes to wear masks at all times while on the sidelines as well as during practices and games, the league said Thursday.

In a press release emailed to media outlets, VHSL Executive Director John “Billy” Haun announced the decision to adhere to the state health department.

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Virginia Parents Start a Petition Demanding for Williamsburg-James City County Students to Return to School

Eric Burk

More than 500 people have signed an online petition created last week asking for students of Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (WJCCPS) to be allowed to return to classes on January 12.

“The devastating impact “virtual learning” has had on some students and parents alike can no longer be ignored and it is time for the WJCC School Board to address these concerns. Many schools in Virginia and around the Country have remained open while following CDC guidelines and it is time for WJCC schools to follow suit,” Joseph Nickerson said on the Moveon.org petition he created.

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Northam Imposes Curfew, New Mask Requirement, Updated Gathering Limits for Virginia

Jacob Taylor

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued increased statewide restrictions during a press briefing Thursday afternoon to combat rising coronavirus numbers in the Commonwealth as the Christmas holiday approaches.

Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, December 14th, a modified stay-at-home order will be in place with a curfew for all Virginians from midnight to 5 a.m. The only exceptions are getting food and goods, seeking medical attention as well as traveling to and from work.

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Virginia Department of Health Adopts CDC Quarantine Guidelines

Jacob Taylor

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced Tuesday that it is adopting newly revised COVID-19 quarantine guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that were released earlier this month.

VDH and the CDC recommends people who test positive for coronavirus or may have been exposed to quarantine for a full 14 days, but the new guidelines have two additional alternatives for a shorter length of isolation.

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Survey: Mental Health Continues to Plummet Amid Pandemic, Hits 20-Year Low

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Americans’ mental health has plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic as lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures remain in effect across the country, according to a survey published Monday.

Mental health is worse than any other point in the last two decades, Gallup reported on Monday. A survey conducted by Gallup showed 76% of Americans reported their mental health as either excellent or good, a decline from past surveys in which more than 80% of Americans reported positive mental health.

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PUSHBACK: 400 Michigan Restaurants Band Together to Fight Whitmer’s COVID-19 Rules

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Hundreds of restaurants banded together to push back against Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent coronavirus mandates, Fox Business reported Monday.

Joe Vicari, president of the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group in a Monday appearance said a total of 400 eateries in the state have joined the push against Whitmer’s lockdowns, Fox reported. Michigan is nearing the end of a three-week pause that shuttered indoor dining and bar service, but the governor has indicated a willingness to re-extend the restrictions that end on Tuesday, according to Bridge Michigan.

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Sheriff Slams California COVID-19 Orders, Says He Won’t Restrict ‘Civil Liberties’

Admin

A California Sheriff criticized recent coronavirus regulations and vowed that his department would not be used as “muscle” to enforce the orders on the residents of his county in a Friday announcement.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco spoke out in a video against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent COVID-19 mandate that restricts businesses and requires residents to stay home if intensive care unit capacity drops below 15% in certain areas. The sheriff also lambasted state authorities who threatened to withhold state funding from counties that defied virus regulations in early September.

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Another California Sheriff Refuses to Send Deputies to Enforce Masks, ‘Social Gatherings, or Stay-at-Home Orders’

Admin

A California sheriff on Saturday joined a growing list of law enforcement leaders in the state who refuse to enforce recent coronavirus orders.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes tweeted an announcement vowing not to send his deputies to enforce mask violations, “social gatherings or stay-at-home” violations. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom had issued a state-wide quarantine order for localities where intensive care unit capacity drops below 15%, according to the New York Times.

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Washington Metro Cuts 1,400 Employees Starting on Christmas

Eric Burk

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is expected to lay off over a thousand employees over a period starting on Christmas, according to layoff notices filed in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. The cuts are the result of low ridership in the current 2021 fiscal year, which ends in June. A Metro official, who was not authorized to talk to the media, said that approximately 1,400 layoffs were expected soon, with an additional 2,400 needed to cover shortfalls in fiscal year 2022.

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Department of Health: Virginia to Receive 480,000 Vaccine Doses by End of December

Jacob Taylor

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced on Friday that the Commonwealth is preparing to receive 480,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of December based on new information from the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed.  

As Governor Ralph Northam noted during a coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted last week to officially recommend healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents as top priority for vaccination.

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Governor Coy on if She Will Extend ‘Pause’ After Next Week

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday addressed an interim report on the Michigan COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities, but would not provide a direct answer to the question of whether she would extend the three-week pause on economic activity in the state.

More than two weeks after imposing a second lockdown of Michigan’s indoor dining facilities, theaters and bowling alleys, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services-imposed pause is due to expire next week.

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Colonial Williamsburg Grand Illumination Canceled due to Recent COVID-19 Restrictions

Jacob Taylor

The annual Grand Illumination special event in Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area will not take place this year.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the city announced the event was cancelled in a news release earlier this week because of current statewide coronavirus restrictions as well as an increase in cases despite efforts to continue with the ceremony during the pandemic.

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Senator Blackburn: Democrats Are Working with Us to Pass COVID-19 Relief

Corinne Murdock

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) shared that the current COVID-19 relief bill is a bipartisan effort closer to $1 trillion. The senator explained in a press conference Thursday that the move is favored by Democratic legislators over efforts by House Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

“The good thing is that there are Democrats that have said to Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Schumer that they think it is wrong to hold out for a $3 trillion dollar deal, and saddle our future generations with that debt. So they’re working with some Republicans on a bill that is closer to a trillion dollars. So, the bill that we as a Republican conference had agreed on was about a $600 billion bill.”

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Fairfax ‘Pill Mill’ Doctor Gets Seven Years

Eric Burk

U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema sentenced Fairfax doctor Felicia Donald to seven years in prison for operating a “pill mill” at For Women OB/GYN Associates and NOVA Addiction Center. According to a Department of Justice press release, from April 2016 to April 2020 Donald distributed over $1.2 million worth of oxycodone and other controlled substances. Donald pled guilty on May 4, 2020.

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Henrico County Public Schools Cancel Winter Sports Over Coronavirus Concerns

Jacob Taylor

Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) announced earlier this week that the district will not be participating in any Virginia High School League winter sports during the 2020-21 academic year because of concerns over rising coronavirus cases in the area.

Andy Jenks, HCPS chief of communications and community engagement, shared the news in an online message to families Monday and noted that all out-of-season conditioning programs are also suspended for the time being.

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Three Nashville Women Charged for Hosting Party on Halloween in Violation of COVID-19 Rules

Jason M. Reynolds

Metro Nashville charged three women for hosting a Halloween party that officials say violated COVID-19 restrictions.

Charged were Madilyn Dennington, Bailey Mills and Olivia Noe, according to a story by WKRN. They are residents at a house on Boscobel Street that allegedly hosted the party; authorities received complaints for a loud party there.

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Moderna Asks FDA for Emergency Approval of COVID-19 Vaccine, Second Company to Pass Milestone

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Pharmaceutical company Moderna announced Monday that it will submit its coronavirus vaccine to the federal government for emergency use authorization approval.

Moderna said it would ask the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval after its large-scale human trial concluded and showed the company’s vaccine to have an overall efficacy of 94.1%, according to NBC News. The vaccine was found to be 100% effective in preventing severe cases of coronavirus, according to Moderna.

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Fauci: ‘Close the Bars and Keep the Schools Open’

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Dr. Anthony Fauci said “close the bars and keep the schools open” during a Sunday interview on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.”

“Martha, that’s a good question. We get asked it all the time. We say it not being facetiously as a sound bite or anything, but you know, close the bars and keep the schools open is what we really say,” Fauci told ABC’s Martha Raddatz.

Fauci was specifically referring to how President-elect Joe Biden’s future administration can have a collective plan to reopen schools. Fauci also specifically referred to New York City schools closing in November.

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Virginia Tech Upsets No.3 Villanova in Overtime Thriller

Jacob Taylor

After trailing by double digits late in the second half, Virginia Tech came from behind and upset No.3 Villanova 81-73 in a thrilling overtime game that wasn’t even supposed to happen in the first place.

Despite some late-game adversity, the Hokies (2-0) defeated one of college basketball’s best teams on Saturday thanks to 23 points and eight rebounds from Keve Aluma, 20 points from Nahiem Alleyne off the bench and a stuffed stat sheet by Tyrece Radford with eight points, five assists and 13 rebounds.

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Nashville Has Arrested 11 Hosts of Large Home Parties During Pandemic, Tennessean Says

Jason M. Reynolds

Under emergency health orders, Nashville police have arrested 47 people as of mid-November, including 11 accused of hosting large gatherings, The Tennessean newspaper said.

The newspaper said it based its report on its research of court documents and other data. Reportedly, 79 percent were in violation of Metro Health orders by failing to wear a mask in public. Some of the hosts allegedly held house parties of up to 600 people at a time, according to police, which could result in up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

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Blount County Mayor Shares Comparison of Mask and No-Mask Counties in Tennessee

Laura Baigert

Mayor of Blount County Ed Mitchell took to Facebook last week sharing a comparison of how Tennessee counties have fared under mask and no-mask mandates.

Blount County, which is not under a mask mandate by Mitchell, has Maryville as its county seat and largest city.  It lies in Tennessee’s eastern grand division adjacent to Knox and Sevier counties, both of which have mask mandates in place.

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Metro Nashville Schools Sending All Students to Distance-Learning After Thanksgiving

Jason M. Reynolds

Citing the “the alarming increase in the spread of COVID-19,” Metro Nashville Public Schools will move all students to distance-learning after the Thanksgiving break.

The district on Monday evening tweeted, “Metro Schools is returning to all-virtual learning following the Thanksgiving break on November 30 through the end of the semester, December 17.”

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‘Not Interfering with People’s Thanksgiving Dinners’: New Jersey Police Chief Vows to Limit Enforcement of Governor’s COVID-19 Orders

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by Jake Dima   A New Jersey police chief vowed to limit enforcement of a recent string of coronavirus orders from Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy ahead of Thanksgiving. Howell Township Police Chief Andrew Kudrick Jr. said he would rely primarily on community judgment rather than law enforcement intervention in response to Murphy’s regulations, according to a statement. The governor’s order limited indoor gatherings to ten people, shuttered restaurants and bars at 10 p.m. and capped the number of attendees at funerals and weddings, among other gathers, NBC Philadelphia reported. “Howell Township Police will rely on the community to be responsible for their own actions without enforcement intervention as they have done in the past,” the chief wrote. “Of course they will respond to egregious violations such as packed house parties, so please think as you plan any gatherings.” “We are not going to be interfering with people’s Thanksgiving dinners or their holiday dinners or their social gatherings, unless it’s something egregious,” Kudrick said, according to NBC News. The New Jersey police boss also criticized Murphy for allegedly exempting those engaged in political activities from the order. “When you exempt certain peoples, especially those who are attending political activities, from the executive orders, I think that same…

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Nevada Governor Orders Indoor Mask Mandate, Limits Private Gatherings Ahead of Thanksgiving

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Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Sunday strengthened the state’s mask mandate and limited attendees in private gatherings ahead of Thanksgiving.

Residents must wear face coverings whether gathering indoors or outside if any member that’s not in their household is present, according to a press release from the governor’s office. Private gatherings are limited to 10 people from a maximum of two separate households and public events will be capped at 50 people or 25% capacity, whichever is less, the order, which will last a total of three weeks, read.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Temperature Requirements Could Create Logistics Challenge

The Center Square

Many states in the U.S. are hinging their COVID-19 mitigation strategies on the availability of a widely available vaccine. An issue bound to arise is the extremely cold temperatures the most promising experimental vaccines need to be kept at and the logistics of delivering them across the country. 

Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is estimated to remain stable at standard refrigerator temperatures of 36° to 46°F for 30 days. Longer storage means a required temperature of mRNA-1273 needs -4°F for up to six months. 

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Faith and Freedom Rally Protests Mayor Cooper Rule of 8: ‘Make America Godly Again’

Corinne Murdock

Monday afternoon in downtown Nashville, a rally of just over 100 people protested the latest gathering limit from Mayor John Cooper. None of the police were present at the Legislative Plaza steps where everyone gathered.

Cooper coined the term “Rule of 8” for the city’s latest pandemic-related order ahead of Thanksgiving. The event description on Facebook described the rule as “ridiculous and unconstitutional.”

Pastor Greg Locke hosted the protest. Locke announced the event during the third “Stop the Steal” rally last Saturday – Trump supporters have pledged to gather every weekend until the general election lawsuits are resolved.

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Ohio Governor Sees Growing Criticism from Fellow Republicans

The Associated Press

For months, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine steered cleared of publicly second-guessing President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican, despite their differences in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, following the governor’s move to shutdown the state over rising COVID cases and remarks urging a swift conclusion to the challenges to the 2020 election irregularities, President Trump suggested another Republican should challenge him in Ohio’s 2022 election.

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Follow the Money: CARES Act Update

Eric Burk

Congress passed the CARES Act last March, sending many taxpayers $1,200, giving $100 billion to health providers, and boosting unemployment benefits by $600 a week, according to Govtrack. The $2 trillion stimulus bill also sent $150 billion to states and localities across the country. Virginia received about $3.1 billion dollars, with a separate $200 million sent directly to Fairfax County.

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Knox County Not ‘Following the Science’ in Limiting Restaurant Business, UTK Law Professor Glenn Reynolds Says

Jason M. Reynolds

University of Tennessee at Knoxville Law Professor Glenn Reynolds is calling out the Metro Nashville Department of Health’s claims over COVID-19 closures, saying they are “not following the science.”

Starting Monday, Nov. 30, Nashville will limit bars and restaurants to 50 percent capacity, NewsChannel 5 reported Monday. They must operate at half capacity with 6 feet of social distancing for a maximum of 100 customers per floor, whichever is less.

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Ohio State Representative Cross Records His Hometown at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday

Jack Windsor

In a video that ends with a plea from Ohio State Representative Jon Cross (R-Kenton) to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Cross asks for Ohio to be opened and his district to be relieved from measures that are choking out businesses and workers.

Cross represents Ohio’s 83rd District, comprised of Findlay, Kenton and an area with over 119,000 Ohioans.

“This is not an attack on the Governor. This is my artistic way of drawing attention to the situation.”

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