Updates: FL School Walk-Back, Ladapo Also a Mask-hole, AZ Workplace COVID Safety Fail

 

Here are updates on three recent Corona-zona posts for your reading enjoyment.

Florida School Walks Back Vaccination Quarantine Policy

Last week I blogged about a private school in Miami that established a policy saying kids must be quarantined for a month after a COVID-19 vaccination. They claimed the policy was a result of careful deliberation even though this apparently included no research on whether COVID-19 vaccines can cause "virus shedding" (they can't).

Yesterday there came word that they changed their mind after receiving notification from the Florida Department of Education that their policy was being investigated. Wait, a Florida government agency is actually doing something to promote vaccination and public health?!? Somebody tell DeSantis—he must put a stop to this immediately!

Florida Surgeon General Nominee is a Mask-hole Too

Last Saturday I blogged about an appointment by Governor Ron "Florida Man" DeSantis of an anti-vaxx doctor to be the state's surgeon general. He is opposed to any mandates, thinks vaccines aren't all that effective, and says we don't know enough about them yet (for some reason). His appointment has to be confirmed by the legislature and he is making the rounds with lawmakers. 

One of his appointments was with state Sen. Tina Polsky, who asked he and his staffers to wear masks because of a medical condition she has (since revealed to be a breast cancer diagnosis). They refused and were kicked out.

She is quoted as saying "it was so shocking to me that he treated me in this manner." It shouldn't be shocking, Tina. He was appointed by your governor and has to prove he's as big of an asshole as his boss.

Feds to Arizona: Enforce Workplace COVID Safety or Else

I've recently written about AZ Governor Doug Ducey's efforts to resist federal rules about COVID-19.  This summer OSHA issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) intended to protect health care workers from COVID-19. 

States could enact their own plans for meeting the standard as long as they covered basic requirements—i.e. were as good as or better than the federal plan. Most states complied, but not Arizona (or Utah or S. Carolina)! 

Now the feds are threatening to come in and enforce the standard themselves. Apparently the hope is that the idea of federal agents making workplace visits to the state will be so abhorrent to Ducey he will finally comply on his own.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

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