Coronavirus

The Associated Press reports: Novak Djokovic arrived in his native Serbia on Monday after being deported from Australia because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, ending his hopes of defending his Australian Open title. But even as one saga appeared to close, another opened as questions arose over whether he would be barred from the next Grand Slam tournament, the …

Washington DC’s WTOP radio station reports: Virginia’s freshly inaugurated governor, Glenn Youngkin, signed executive orders removing school masking requirements across the state on Saturday afternoon. Since that moment, Arlington and Alexandria school systems have joined Fairfax County Public Schools in reminding families that masking policies remain in place. Responding to a question posed by WTOP’s Nick Ianelli — who has …

The Washington Post reports: A federal website where Americans can order free coronavirus rapid tests will be launched Wednesday and allow each household to order up to four tests, senior administration officials said. The website, called covidtests.gov, will require that users provide their names and addresses to receive the tests. The government purchased 500 million rapid tests that will be …

ESPN reports: Novak Djokovic’s final bid to avoid deportation and play in the Australian Open despite being unvaccinated for COVID-19 ended Sunday when a court unanimously dismissed the No. 1-ranked tennis player’s challenge of a government minister’s decision to cancel his visa. Djokovic said he was “extremely disappointed” by the ruling but respected it. He released a statement shortly after …

The Verge reports: Apple now requires store and corporate employees to get a COVID-19 booster shot, the company announced in an internal email seen by The Verge. Once an employee is eligible to get a booster shot, they will have four weeks to comply, otherwise, they will need to take frequent tests to enter a retail store, partner store, or …

The Associated Press reports: Get ready to learn more Greek letters. Scientists warn that omicron’s whirlwind advance practically ensures it won’t be the last version of the coronavirus to worry the world. Every infection provides a chance for the virus to mutate, and omicron has an edge over its predecessors: It spreads way faster despite emerging on a planet with …

CNN reports: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said he was feeling better, two days after a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to a statement from the governor’s office. “Thankfully, I am feeling much better today,” Justice said. “I desperately want to get out of this house and back to serving our state. I am not one to lay around.” The governor continues …

CNN Business reports: People trying to fly from the United States to China may soon be confronted with an unthinkable scenario: Starting next week, there are likely to be no commercial flights bound for the country as Beijing tries to keep coronavirus infections out ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Beginning January 19 and continuing for at least two weeks, …

Via press release from the Justice Department: A Florida man pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of Florida to a $6.9 million conspiracy to defraud Medicare by paying kickbacks and bribes to obtain doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary lab tests that were then billed to Medicare. The defendant exploited the COVID-19 pandemic by bundling COVID-19 testing with other forms …

NBC News reports: Novak Djokovic faces possible deportation from Australia after the country’s immigration minister canceled the unvaccinated tennis star’s visa for a second time on Friday, citing public health. It could end the Serb’s bid for a record 21st major title at the Australian Open tournament, which starts Monday. Djokovic’s lawyers moved swiftly to apply for an injunction that …

NPR reports: President Biden announced Thursday that the administration will be buy another 500 million at-home COVID-19 tests for Americans, in addition to the 500 million already being procured. A website will launch next week so Americans can order the free tests, Biden announced. He also said the White House will make high-quality masks available for free, with details coming …

Religion News Service reports: The Vatican has tightened its COVID-19 regulations by requiring the use of FFP2 masks (similar to N95 masks) inside and making vaccinations and booster shots mandatory for employees and visitors wishing to enter the Vatican Museums and gardens. In an attached document, the Vatican also issued fines for people who do not respect the new regulations. …

The Hill reports: A coalition of doctors and science educators is calling for Spotify to take action against misinformation spread on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. “By allowing the propagation of false and societally harmful assertions, Spotify is enabling its hosted media to damage public trust in scientific research and sow doubt in the credibility of data-driven guidance offered by …

Reuters reports: Anti-vaccine protesters tried to storm the Bulgarian parliament on Wednesday and scuffled with police officers during a massive rally against coronavirus restrictions in downtown Sofia. Tensions rose an hour after about 3,000 people gathered in front of the parliament building, demanding the lifting of a mandatory health pass which they said trampled on their rights and was a …

The Hill reports: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and over 50 Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday introduced legislation to send high-quality masks to every American, amid a push to get the public to wear better masks given the omicron surge. The legislation would send every person in the country a package of three N95 masks, which provide significantly better protection than the …

The Guardian reports: Novak Djokovic could face a fine or even prison in Serbia after his admission that he broke isolation while he had Covid last month, lawyers have said, as the Serbian prime minister warned his behaviour appeared to be “a clear breach” of the rules. Djokovic on Wednesday acknowledged that he knew he had tested positive when he …

The New York Times reports: Facing a potentially lethal threat to his leadership, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain on Wednesday offered a contrite apology in Parliament for attending a garden party at 10 Downing Street while the country was under lockdown. He acknowledged that he had deeply offended the public, even as he claimed that he had not breached …

The Guardian reports: The company’s chief executive, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, said the pandemic had led to customers, whose average age was 43, responding to the reminder of their own mortality by splashing out on luxury cars. “Many people witnessed people in their community dying from Covid and that made them think life can be short and you’d better live now rather …

Reuters reports: World tennis No. 1 and vaccine opponent Novak Djokovic blamed “human error” on Wednesday for a mistake in his Australian immigration paperwork and apologised for breaking isolation for a photoshoot when he had COVID-19 last month. Djokovic’s cause was not helped by a mistake in his Australian entry declaration where the “no” box was ticked saying he had …

West Virginia’s Metro News reports: Gov. Jim Justice has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Governor’s Office late Tuesday announced Justice opted to get tested after experiencing “the sudden onset of symptoms,” including congestion and coughing. Following a positive PCR test, the West Virginia State Lab performed confirmatory testing, which produced another positive result. The governor will receive monoclonal antibody …