Coronavirus

Italian Parents Refuse Vaxxed Blood For Sick Child

Italian wire service ANSA reports: The anti-vax parents of a boy who has to get blood transfusions during a delicate heart operation have refused to allow him to received blood from COVID-vaccinated donors, the Gazzetta di Modena reported Monday. A judge’s ruling is expected later Monday on the boy, who is at Bologna’s Sant’Orsola Hospital. Meanwhile an appeal to set …

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Canada’s Anti-Vaxxers Galvanize Extremists Worldwide

Politico reports: While the Canadian standoff against Covid-19 restrictions paralyzes Ottawa, it’s becoming viral online as a rallying cry for leading U.S. Republican politicians, far-right influencers and white supremacist groups who have transposed the criticism of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to an international audience for their own political gain. Politicians from former President Donald Trump to Rep. Marjorie …

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Spotify CEO: We Won’t Be “Silencing” Joe Rogan

Axios reports: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek told employees Sunday that while he strongly condemns past racial slurs used by Joe Rogan, he won’t cut ties with the platform’s most popular podcaster, according to an internal memo obtained by Axios. Spotify has come under fire in recent weeks for anti-vaccination comments made by Rogan — which prompted boycotts from several musicians. …

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Ottawa Mayor Declares State Of Emergency [VIDEO]

ABC News reports: Canada’s capital declared a state of emergency on Sunday because of trucker-led protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic-related restrictions. The move by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson “reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations and highlights the need for support from other jurisdictions and levels …

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Russia Reports Tenfold Increase In New COVID Cases

The Associated Press reports: Russia is reporting a record daily count of new coronavirus infections, a tenfold spike from a month ago as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads through the country. The figure of 189,071 new infections released by the state coronavirus task force on Sunday was about 2,800 cases more than the previous day and continued a surge …

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Canadian Anti-Vax Group Attempts To Silence Media With Fake “Crimes Against Humanity” Legal Notices

Vancouver Is Awesome reports: Supporters of an anti-vaccine mandate convoy scheduled to drive into Vancouver this weekend have been asked to serve members of the media a document aimed at silencing reporting on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. That document is provided by Action4Canada, a far-right-wing website that endorses several conspiracy theories and peddles misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. The seven-page …

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Ottawa Residents Sue Truckers For Noise Harassment

The Huffington Post reports: A group of fed-up Canadians has filed a $9.8 million class action lawsuit against a mob of anti-vaccine truckers who have packed downtown Ottawa for a week, blasting the ear-piercing air horns of their vehicles day and night. The use of air horns — for up to 16 hours in a 24-hour period — is a …

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Anti-Vax Protests Clog Multiple Canadian Cities [VIDEO]

Reuters reports: Canadian cities, including the financial hub Toronto, faced disruptions on Saturday as protests against vaccine mandates spread from the capital of Ottawa, raising fears of clashes with counter protesters. The so-called “Freedom Convoy” began as a movement against a vaccine requirement for cross-border truckers, but has turned into a rallying point against public health measures and Prime Minister …

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Prominent Italian Anti-Vaxxer Dies Of Something

Perugia Today reports: Franco Trinca, the 69-year-old biologist who had expressed his no-vax and home therapies against COVID, died in the hospital in Città di Castello. The Perugian biologist and nutritionist had been hospitalized for COVID with bilateral pneumonia. Trinca refused intubation. Trinca had been the protagonist of heated TV clashes with Selvaggia Lucarelli, speaking in favor of alternative therapies. …

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GoFundMe Cancels $10M Drive For Anti-Vax Truckers

The CBC reports: The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe says it will stop payments to the organizers of Freedom Convoy 2022 because the protest violates its rules on violence and harassment . The company announced its decision in a blog post Friday evening, just two days after it froze disbursements of the fund. “GoFundMe supports peaceful protests and we believe that was …

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US Death Toll From COVID Surpasses 900,000

ABC News reports: Propelled in part by the wildly contagious omicron variant, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 900,000 on Friday, less than two months after eclipsing 800,000. The two-year total, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Indianapolis, San Francisco, or Charlotte, North Carolina. The milestone comes more than 13 months into a …

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Court Blocks Youngkin’s Ban On School Mask Mandates

The Washington Post reports: An Arlington judge has issued a temporary restraining order barring enforcement of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s mask-optional order for schools — a major victory for the seven school boards that sued to stop the order, and a sharp rebuke for the new governor. “Having addressed all aspects of whether a temporary restraining order should issue, the Court …

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Anti-Vax Dating App Launches In Europe [VIDEO]

France 24 reports: Love in the time of Covid is a complicated affair. In France, dating got trickier this week after a “vaccine pass” came into force on Monday. The new pass requires people aged 16 and above to show proof of vaccination (that is, three doses) to enter public places such as bars, restaurants and cinemas. When it comes …

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Southwest To Resume Booze Sales After Two Year Halt

USA Today reports: Southwest Airlines will resume the sale of alcoholic beverages on Feb. 16 after a nearly two-year absence due to COVID concerns. The move will leave American Airlines as the only major U.S. airline still not serving alcohol in economy. The airline planned to resume inflight cocktails, beer and wine in June 2021 but scrapped those plans after …

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FL Surgeon General Gets Scathing Review From Old Boss: His Batshit Views Caused Stress For Coworkers

MSNBC reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handpicked state surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, is currently doing the job, but he still needs to be formally confirmed by the Republican-led state Senate. To that end, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement did a routine background investigation. It apparently didn’t go especially well. The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper reports that Ladapo’s former supervisor …

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Anti-Vax Truckers Blockade Second US Border Crossing

The CBC reports: RCMP say a second blockade on a highway leading to the main United States border crossing in Alberta has choked off traffic. “Protesters have stopped traffic from going southbound on Highway 4,” RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters said Thursday. “There’s a crowd there. We are advising the public to avoid the area again.” The new blockade is about …

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Italian Catholic Military Chaplain Condemns Anti-LGBT Archbishop For Spreading Deranged Anti-Vax Claims

The Associated Press reports: Italy’s Catholic military chaplain has pushed back strongly against calls by a former Vatican ambassador for the armed forces to resist COVID-19 vaccine mandates, saying the ambassador’s “conspiracy theories” were a source of confusion and disinformation. Archbishop Santo Marcianò penned a letter to Italian law enforcement personnel in response to the latest missive from Archbishop Carlo …

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CDC Study: Gays And Lesbians Have Higher Vax Rates

ABC News reports: Gay and lesbian adults are more likely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 than heterosexual adults, federal officials said Thursday. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 85.4% of gay and lesbian Americans above age 18 had received at least one vaccine dose as of October 2021. By comparison, 76.3% of heterosexuals …

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Anti-Vax Italian Priest Who Claimed COVID Vaccines Contain “Aborted Embryos” Dies Of Something At 51

The Daily Beast reports: An Italian priest who shunned COVID-19 vaccines over the false belief that they contain “aborted embryos” has died at the age of 51 after battling coronavirus for several weeks. Don Paolo Romeo had resisted pleas to get vaccinated from friends and colleagues who tried to talk sense into him, according to the L’Unione Sarda newspaper. Romeo, …

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Medicare To Offer Free Test Kits From Pharmacies

The Washington Post reports: The Biden administration announced Thursday that, starting in early spring, the 64 million people on Medicare will be able to get free coronavirus rapid tests from certain pharmacies. The initiative responds to weeks of criticism from members of Congress and advocacy groups that Medicare, the vast federal insurance system for older and disabled Americans, was left …

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