Analysis: 'No Mandates! Mandates!' Cries the Republican Religious Right

We at the Justice Integrity Project are pleased to present another guest column on a timely topic by Dr. Steven Jonas, right, MD, MPH, MS, a professor emeritus of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook Medicine (NY) and author / co-author / editor / co-editor of over 35 books. He has been published also on many current affairs news sites. His own political website,stevenjonaspolitics.com, will eventually archive the close to 1,000 political columns he has published since 2004.

He was also a career triathlete (36 seasons, 256 multi-sport races), who is now retired from the sport.

His latest book is Ending the ‘Drug War’; Solving the Drug Problem: The Public Health Approach, Punto Press Publishing, (Brewster, NY, 2016). It is available on Kindle from Amazon, and also in hardcover from Amazon. In 1996, he published a ‘future history’ of the United States entitled The 15% Solution: How the Republican Religious Right Took Control of the U.S., 1981-2022: A Futuristic Novel (Third Edition published by Trepper & Katz Impact Books, Punto Press Publishing, 2013, and also available on Amazon.

By Dr. Steven Jonas

“No Mandates! No Mandates!! No Mandates!!!” This seems to be the common approach to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic adopted by the vast bulk of the Republican Party, elected and otherwise. “It’s my body. They’re my children,” and “And I get to decide,” etc.

That is the common response emanating from the Right whether we are dealing with company- or government-mandated COVID-19 vaccination for their employees, or mandatory mask-wearing in schools and restaurants, and everything in-between,  (By the way, while I have not seen any calls from any responsible sources calling for mandatory vaccination of the population in general, the far extremes of the anti-vaxx movement, both Right and Left — [and yes there is a small, but very vocal, left-anti-vaxx movement] — scream about that possibility on a regular basis.)

As many of the readers of these columns know, it happens that I come to this subject from a career as a public health physician.

In that light, a couple of weeks ago my oldest son asked me if I knew of any other major pandemic in history that had been politicized the way this one has been. I replied that while I certainly had not studied the history of pandemics in any detail, I certainly did not know of any major one in which political forces had intervened to promote interventions or lack thereof that would actually end up promoting the spread of the disease. Which the anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers, let’s-wait-until-people-get-sick-and-then-treat-them crowd do. Although COVID-19 is a particularly challenging type of viral respiratory disease, the public health basics for dealing with it are still very straightforward: “social distancing,” masking, testing-contact-tracing-isolation, and, when available, vaccination.

But what we have here — and it started with Donald Trump — is on the Right the politicization for electoral purposes of the responses or non-responses to it. (For example, see the first ten paragraphs or so of my recent column on this same subject, “Why Anti-Pandemic Control: from the Right” for a summary of my writings over time on that subject.)

This is all precisely what Republicans from Texas Gov. Greg Abbot to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are doing. Florida recently suffered its highest increase in number of COVID-19 deaths yet. And they intend to go beyond their own states in spreading their disease-spreading policies.

In a fund-raising letter of August 9, 2021, DeSantis, left, made this very clear, when he said: “The Left is currently doing everything they can to take [your] God-given rights away from you.” (Further, on a different note, do note there that DeSantis is talking about “God-given” rights, not those that are protected by, say, the Constitution, for all Americans, believers or not.)

• Editor’s Note: See below in an appendix for a daily update of pandemic news and views, beginning Sept. 1.

Killing People

Of course, their policies are killing people in their states, “believers” or not. These policies are producing excess numbers of cases and deaths and thereby overwhelming hospital systems. That affects not only those infected with COVID-19 but also other persons who might need, say, an important surgery, but cannot get admitted because all of the beds are full.

Concerning masking and turning to Texas as an example, while Health authorities and university researchers have said masks are an effective way to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Gov. (and GOP Presidential nominee-wanna-be) Abbott has argued that his executive order prohibiting mask-mandates allows Texans to rely on “personal responsibility rather than government mandates.”

Now this is an absolutely fascinating statement in the context of “when Abbott does believe in one particular mandate.” It is one that happens now to be firmly implanted in Texas law and Abbott, right, led the charge to put it there, a subject to which we shall return shortly.

In any case, these COVID-spreading policies are adopted because as noted by me and many other observers, as Republican politicians they’ve got their eyes on all those “anti-vaxx/anti-mandates” Republican primary voters, and then on to all those minority-majority anti-vaxx/anti-mandates Republican voters in all of the gerrymandered/voter-suppressed states, who they are setting up for hopefully (for them) easy wins in 2022 and 2024. And so on and so forth.

Funnily enough (actually, it is not funny at all), their “no-mandates” position applies only to this particular preventable disease. Although they have not made themselves clear on this one, as school comes back into session in their states, they do not seem to have taken a position against the mandating of the standard set of required vaccinations for school children over time (wait for it), most if not all of: diphtheria / tetanus / pertussis / polio /measles / mumps / rubella / hepatitis B / varicella / meningococcus / hepatitis.

Hm. That is odd, is it not? Anti-one-kind-of-infectious-disease-protectve-mandate-but-not-a-whole-bunch-of-others (even though no one is calling for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for student school attendance, just mask-wearing). And then what about mandates on such public health matters as the prohibition against defecation into a public water supply. Presumably Abbott would support that mandate (but, I do have to say “Hey, you never know”).

Well even odder in this context is what kind of government-mandates-concerning-health-and-personal issues they, and every other Republican Governor with whose position I am familiar, are for, beyond the arena of preventable infectious disease. And what would that be? Why the mandate that every pregnant woman carry every pregnancy to term, whether they want to or not. And Abbott is hell bent for leather on this one. NO abortions after 6 weeks (at which time most pregnant women don’t even know that they are pregnant). Absolutely not. None.

How does Abbott justify his position? Well, pregnancies are “gifts from God,” don-cha-know. As he has said: “Life is a gift from God, and we must do everything we can to defend Texans’ most basic rights endowed by our Creator and guaranteed in the Constitution.” Can’t interfere with that, don-cha-know. And that “right” applies to a fetus that has been in existence for as little as six weeks (when it is approximately the size of a blueberry). And how does Abbott know that? Well, he just does, and that’s that.

Which brings us right into the classical position of the Republican Religious Right: that their religious beliefs can determine, with the force of law, the constraints and restraints in terms of pregnancy and its outcome on any woman, whether or not that woman a) believes in “God,” and b) even if she does, if she believes that “God” does not prohibit abortion when she decides that having one is in her best interest (that is, in my view, up to the time of fetal viability), and perhaps of the fetus too. As regular readers of mine know, I have written regularly on this issue: how the Republican Religious Right wants to establish a political system based on religious authoritarianism and impose it on the entire population, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof.

And so, it can be seen that there is an open attack line on these Republican governors in particular, and the Republican Religious Right voters in general, of which one would guess many are also “no-maskers/anti-vaxxers.” (I have no idea how many of the of the latter are also anti-abortion-rights, but a good guess is: many.) Their side is for no mandates when it comes to protecting the health of the public in general (and even themselves in particular). But when it comes to mandates concerning the outcome of pregnancy when the fetus is still in the womb, they are all for them.

And as for the argument against we public-health-mandates supporters that “OK, if you are going to be for no mandates when it comes to the outcome of pregnancy then you too are being totally contradictory when it comes to supporting mandates to promote the health of the public.” Well, no. First, for mandates to protect the health of the public, there are many and they are a) already in widespread use and b) they are supported by science. Second, mandates for, say, mask-wearing, are conditional: you don’t have to wear a mask everywhere and anywhere, only when you want to, or have your child be eligible to, engage in activities that put others at risk. These are public health/health-of-the-public considerations.

On the other hand, as noted above every proposed mandate for carrying pregnancy to term regardless of the wishes of the pregnant woman is based on some concept of “God” and related religious doctrine, such as the notion that “life begins at the moment of conception.” That is, the mandate that every pregnancy should be carried to term regardless of the beliefs of the pregnant woman is based entirely on someone else’s religious belief, the imposition of which on the general population just happens to be prohibited by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

So, some mandates (such as forcing any pregnant woman to carry the pregnancy to term, as it happens is in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment because any such mandates are always promoted on a religious basis) are OK with the Republican Religious Right and indeed are found at the center of their doctrines. But others, such as those dealing with the health of the public, are not OK. It seems to me that this might provide a good opening for an expansion of the bases for the campaign to maintain that the decision on the maintenance or not of a pregnancy is to be left entirely with the control of the pregnant woman, up until the time-of-viability, and beyond it if the life of the mother or the fetus is threatened.

 Editor’s note: This column was previously published here by BuzzFlash, which also published extensive links for reference purposes as well as a reader comment section.

Contact the author Andrew Kreig

  Related News and Commentary

Chris Mora of California sits amid the art installation “In America: Remember,” which features flags representing every death from covid-19 in the United States, on the National Mall on Sept. 24. (Craig Hudson/For the Washington Post). The symbolic heart of Washington has been covered by nearly 700,000 white flags, each about a foot tall, representing the American lives lost to covid-19 and holding written memories from loved ones. The flags have been packed tightly into 60-foot-by-60-foot quadrants on 20 acres near the Washington Monument and the National Museum of African and African American History and Culture.

Washington Post, Opinion: What the 700,000 flags I put on the National Mall really mean, Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg (a social practice artist), Oct. 1, 2021. Twenty-five years of hospice volunteering has taught me that the most important thing we can afford people is their dignity.

That lesson formed the backbone of “In America: Remember,” my art installation that for the past three weeks blanketed Washington’s National Mall with 700,000 fluttering white flags, each one representing an American lost to the coronavirus pandemic. The art is an effort to reclaim the dignity of 700,000 people who have become reduced to a single number, a number too large to fathom.

My project began with outrage. I was outraged we had elected officials who would devalue the lives of the elderly, the poor and people of color in their approach to managing the pandemic. I was outraged we had allowed the death toll here in the United States to become so large as to be incomprehensible.

But the deeper meaning came when I heard the stories. In person, they poured out. Many visitors used the Sharpies we offered them to write their own dedications directly onto the flags. With each of their stories, my anger gave way to their outcries of grief.

 

 Recent health-related news and comment is provided below in reverse chronological order via selections by the Justice Integrity Project. Dr. Jonas is not responsible for the selections:

November

Nov. 6

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, U.S. cancels deal with covid vaccine maker that ruined Johnson & Johnson doses
• Washington Post, New York City cuts vaccine mandate deal with unions
• Washington Post, Aaron Rodgers lashes out against NFL, ‘woke mob’ in defense of vaccination status
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 774,673
• Washington Post, 222.9 million U.S. vaccinated

Nov. 5

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, U.S. children start getting vaccines as appointment rush begins
• Washington Post, Another U.S. milestone in pandemic: 750,000 deaths
• New York Times, Administration Sets Jan. 4 Vaccination Deadline for Private Companies
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 772,315
• Washington Post, 222.6 million U.S. vaccinated

Nov. 4

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, U.S. children start getting vaccines as appointment rush begins
• Washington Post, Another U.S. milestone in pandemic: 750,000 deaths
• New York Times, Live Reports: Administration Sets Jan. 4 Vaccination Deadline for Private Companies
• New York Times, How did Tyson Foods get 60,500 workers vaccinated so quickly?
• New York Times, The center of Italy’s anti-vaccine protests is home to a worrying spike in coronavirus cases
• Raw Story, Fireworks erupt at Senate hearing as Fauci clashes with ‘egregiously incorrect’ Rand Paul over ‘gain of function’ research
• Washington Post, Live Updates: New York mayor-elect to ‘revisit’ vaccine mandate
• Washington Post, Covid study finds some 28 million extra years of life lost in 2020, with U.S. male life expectancy badly hit
• Washington Post, British regulators approve pill for covid-19 treatment, world’s first authorization for Merck’s molnupiravir
• Washington Post, Perspective: Aaron Rodgers is entitled to stay unvaccinated. He’s not entitled to lie about it, Sally Jenkins
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 770,854
• Washington Post, 222.3 million U.S. vaccinated

Nov. 3

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, C.D.C. Recommends Covid Vaccine for Children Aged 5 to 11
• Washington Post, CDC finds immunity from vaccines is more consistent than from infection, but both last at least six months
• Washington Post, White House finalizes vaccine requirement rule, expects to release details this week
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 768,847
• Washington Post, 222 million U.S. vaccinated

Nov. 2

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, CDC finds immunity from vaccines is more consistent than from infection, but both last at least six months
• Washington Post, White House finalizes vaccine requirement rule, expects to release details this week
• New York Times, Opinion: No, Vaccine Mandates Aren’t an Attack on Freedom, Paul Krugman 
• New York Times, N.Y.C.’s vaccination rate for city workers climbs to 91 percent, and 9,000 are put on unpaid leave
• New York Times, Judge Blocks Chicago’s Police Vaccine Mandate, For Now
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 767,436
• Washington Post, 221.8 million U.S. vaccinated

Nov. 1

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Anti-vaccine protesters warn of possible violence over mandates for children
• Unz Review, Investigation and Commentary: What America’s 17 Intelligence Agencies Won’t Say About the Origins of Covid, Ron Unz
• New York Times, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, tested positive for the coronavirus
• Washington Post, FDA delays decision on Moderna vaccine for adolescents
• New York Times, Opinion: Not Everyone in New York Wanted the Coronavirus to Lose, Mara Gay
• New York Times, Live Updates: New York City Begins Enforcing Vaccine Mandate
• Charlotte Observer, Editorial: Richard Burr shouldn’t be NC’s senator
• Washington Post, Firefighters threaten New York state senator over mandate as city braces for possible staff shortage
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 766,299
• Washington Post, 221.5 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, Maryland man pleads guilty to operating fake Moderna website, charging people to buy advance vaccines

October

Oct. 31

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Firefighters threaten New York state senator over mandate as city braces for possible staff shortage
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 766,117
• Washington Post, 221.5 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 30

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, F.D.A. Clears First Coronavirus Vaccine for 5- to 11-Year-Olds
• New York Times, Supreme Court Won’t Block Maine’s Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers
• New York Times, Live Updates: Vaccines offer more protection than prior infection, a C.D.C. study found
• New York Times, Children Drive Britain’s Longest-Running Covid Surge
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 765,722
• Washington Post, 221.3 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 29

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Live Updates: Case numbers in Europe are surging as winter approaches
• New York Times, Opinion: Cowards, Not Crazies, Are Destroying America, Paul Krugman
• Washington Post, Air Force is first military branch to face rejection of vaccine mandate as thousands avoid shots
• New York Times, Judge rejects a police union’s bid to suspend a vaccine mandate for N.Y.C. employees
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 763,784
• Washington Post, 221.3 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 28

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Live Updates: White House suggests flexibility in vaccine deadline for federal workers, contractors
• Washington Post, U.S. economy grew at annual rate of 2% in third quarter, a sharp slowdown, as delta held back progress
• Washington Post, Opinion: Stop the false narrative about young children and covid. They need vaccines, Leana S. Wen
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 761,856
• Washington Post, 220.9 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 27

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Merck Will Share Formula for its Covid Pill With Poor Countries
• Washington Post, Covid cases and deaths grossly underestimated among meatpackers, House investigation finds
• New York Times, Live Updates: Judge rejects a police union’s bid to suspend a vaccine mandate for N.Y.C. employees
• New York Times, F.D.A. Advisory Panel Recommends Pfizer Vaccine for 5- to 11-Year-Olds
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 759,932
• Washington Post, 220.6 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 26

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Live Updates: FDA advisers review vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11
• Washington Post, Opinion: Why is Anthony Fauci trying to kill my puppy? Dana Milbank
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 757,849
• Washington Post, 220.4 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 25

Virus Victims, Responses

• Press Run, Opinion: Who cares if anti-vaxxers quit their jobs? Eric Boehlert
• New York Times, Live Updates: Vaccinations for U.S. Children Might Start Soon, if Parents Consent
• New York Times, An Unexpected Pandemic Consequence Frustrates Florida’s Biggest City
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 756,362
• Washington Post, 220.3 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 24

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Their Jobs Made Them Get Vaccinated. They Refused
• New York Times, Live Updates: Cases grow in Germany, as a national state of emergency is set to expire next month
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 756,215
• Washington Post, 220.1 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 24

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, What Previous Covid-19 Waves Tell Us About the Virus Now
• New York Times, Live Updates: Struggles over vaccine mandates, the death of Colin Powell: the week in Covid news
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 755,721
• Washington Post, 219.9 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 22

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, CDC signs off on Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters
• Washington Post, U.S. communities want to share unused vaccines with Mexico, but the White House won’t let them
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 753,747
• Washington Post, 219.6 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 21

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, FDA authorizes Moderna and J&J boosters, says people can get a shot different from original dose
• Washington Post, As White House tries to finalize vaccine mandate, dozens of groups seek last-minute meetings
• New York Times, Small Needles, Short Lines: Biden’s Plan to Vaccinate Young Children
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 751,815
• Washington Post, 219.4 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 20

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Covid Live Updates: New York City Will Require Vaccinations for Municipal Workers
• New York Times, Brazilian Leader’s Pandemic Handling Draws Explosive Allegation: Homicide
• Washington Post, GOP Rep. Andy Harris, a doctor, says he’s prescribed ivermectin as a covid-19 treatment
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 748,652
• Washington Post, 219.2 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, In-N-Out Burger chain refuses to comply with San Francisco vaccine mandate

Oct. 19

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Washington State Fires Football Coach for Refusing to Get Vaccinated
• Washington Post, A trooper defying his state’s vaccine mandate uses his final dispatch to tell off the governor
• Washington Post, Powell had been treated for a cancer that can lower vaccine effectiveness
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Talk-show host Dan Bongino threatens to quit over Cumulus vax mandate
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 746,509
• Washington Post, 219 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 18

Virus Victims, Responses

• Ars Technica, Analysis: Disinformation guru “Hacker X” names his employer: NaturalNews.com, Nate Anderson,
• Washington Post, Live Updates: Fauci urges vaccines for police amid union protests
• New York Times, Live Updates: Covid cases are rising in the northernmost U.S. states as cold weather sets in. Here’s the latest on the pandemic
• New York Times, Threats, Resignations and 100 New Laws: Why Public Health Is in Crisis
• Washington Post, Miami school says vaccinated students must stay home for 30 days to protect others, citing discredited info
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 744,546
• Washington Post, 218.8 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 17

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, They Resisted Getting Vaccinated. Here’s Why They Changed Their Minds, Joseph Goldstein
• Washington Post, Some of nation’s largest hospitals say vaccine mandates are working
• New York Times, Live Updates: Short on Staff, Some U.S. Hospices Ask New Patients to Wait
• Washington Post, In Russia, experts challenge official pandemic figures as too low. They refuse to be silenced
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 744,385
• Washington Post, 218.8 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 16

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, F.D.A. Panel Recommends Johnson & Johnson Boosters
• New York Times, They Resisted Getting Vaccinated. Here’s Why They Changed Their Minds, Joseph Goldstein
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 743,880
• Washington Post, 218.3 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 15

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, F.D.A. Panel Recommends Moderna Boosters for Many Who Got That Vaccine
• Washington Post, Weekly jobless claims fall below 300,000 for first time since pandemic
• Washington Post, Biden to meet with pope to discuss coronavirus, climate change, caring for poor
• Daily Beast, Fully Vaccinated 21-Year-Old Student Dies of COVID-19
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 739,783
• Washington Post, 218 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 14

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times,‘Lurching Between Crisis and Complacency’: Was This Our Last Covid Surge?
• Washington Post, Weekly jobless claims fall below 300,000 for first time since pandemic
• Washington Post, Chicago police union urges officers to ‘hold the line’ over vaccine mandate. Mayor says ‘bring it on,’
• New York Times, Live Updates: F.D.A. Panel Is Scrutinizing Data on Moderna Boosters
• Washington Post, Biden to meet with pope to discuss coronavirus, climate change, caring for poor
• Washington Post, The WHO has a bold new plan to find covid-19’s origins. China could get in the way
• New York Times, Covid Has Killed Hundreds of Police Officers. Vaccines Remain a Hard Sell
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 739,783
• Washington Post, 217.4 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, Kyrie Irving breaks silence on decision to remain unvaccinated: ‘It’s bigger than the game’

 Oct. 13

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Covid Has Killed Hundreds of Police Officers. Vaccines Remain a Hard Sell
• New York Times, Live Updates: U.S. to Open the Canada and Mexico Borders for Fully Vaccinated Travelers
• Washington Post, Nearly 3% of U.S. workforce quit their jobs in August
• New York Times, Consumer Prices Jumped Last Month, Worrying Washington and Wall St.
• Washington Post, As supply chain troubles mount, Biden to tout longer hours for L.A. port
• New York Times, Nets Bar Kyrie Irving From All Practices and Games
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals: U.S. Deaths: 737,589
• Washington Post, 217.4 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 12

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Merck requests emergency use authorization for pill to treat covid
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 734,611
• Washington Post, 216.9 million U.S. fully vaccinated

Oct. 11

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Live Updates: Merck requests emergency use authorization for pill to treat covid
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 733,575
• Washington Post, 216.9 million U.S. fully vaccinated

Oct. 10

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Moderna, Racing for Profits, Keeps Covid Vaccine Out of Reach of Poor
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 733,058
• Washington Post, 216.9 million U.S. fully vaccinated
• Associated Press via Washington Post, Allen West, Texas GOP gubernatorial hopeful, has covid-19

Oct. 9

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Economy added 194,000 jobs in September, another weak month heading into final stretch of 2021
• New York Times, Opinion, The New Jobs Numbers Are Pretty Good, Actually, Neil Irwin
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 732,477
• Washington Post, 216.6 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 8

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Opinion: What if Things Are About to Get Better? Paul Krugman
• Washington Post, Live Reports, San Francisco to ease indoor masking rules as cases fall
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 730,210
• Washington Post, 216.3 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 7

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Pfizer asks FDA to authorize vaccine for children 5 to 11
• Washington Post, Opinion: The three actions that could end the covid-19 pandemic, Leana S. Wen
• New York Times, Los Angeles requires proof of vaccination to enter many businesses, one of the nation’s strictest rules
• New York Times, Trudeau sets deadlines for employees of Canada’s federal government to be vaccinated
• New York Times, How a Vaccine Mandate Could Worsen a Shortage of Home Care Aides
• Washington Post, Live Updates: HHS: Vaccines likely kept 100,000 seniors out of hospitals
• Washington Post, Workers with unvaccinated spouses will pay more for insurance, a Louisiana health system says
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 727,710
• Washington Post, 216 million U.S. vaccinated
• New York Times, Opinion: What if Things Are About to Get Better? Paul Krugman

Oct. 6

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Live Updates: HHS: Vaccines likely kept 100,000 seniors out of hospitals
• Washington Post, Republicans gird for battle, business braces for details of Biden’s new vaccine rule
• Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise (TX), Doctor fired for spreading COVID misinformation finds supportive crowd in Bartlesville 
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 724,728
• Washington Post, 215.9 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 5

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Live Updates: Pfizer vaccine 90% effective against hospitalization, death six months later, study says; Johnson & Johnson asks FDA to authorize booster shot
• Washington Post, Hospital system says it will deny transplants to the unvaccinated in ‘almost all situations’
• Washington Post, Workers with unvaccinated spouses will pay more for insurance, a Louisiana health system says
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 722,268
• Washington Post, 215.7 million U.S. vaccinated
• New York Times, Francis Collins, Who Guided N.I.H. Through Covid-19 Crisis, Is Exiting

Oct. 4

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, In Alaska’s Covid Crisis, Doctors Must Decide Who Lives and Who Dies
• Washington Post, Serendipity and foresight prepared the world to fight the coronavirus
• Washington Post, As students with long-haul covid return to school, many districts don’t fully know how to help
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 719,933
• Washington Post, 215.1 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 3

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Opinion: What the 700,000 flags I put on the National Mall really mean, Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg
• New York Times, U.S. Covid Death Toll Surpasses 700,000 Despite Wide Availability of Vaccines
• New York Times, In Alaska’s Covid Crisis, Doctors Must Decide Who Lives and Who Dies
• Washington Post, Serendipity and foresight prepared the world to fight the coronavirus
• Washington Post, As students with long-haul covid return to school, many districts don’t fully know how to help
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 719,674
• Washington Post, 214.8 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 2

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Merck Says Covid Antiviral Pill Is Effective in Trial
• Washington Post, New York sees rise in vaccination rates for health-care workers after mandate
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 718,984
• Washington Post, 214.6 million U.S. vaccinated

Oct. 1

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Analysis: Turns out a lot of those never-vaxxers were really ‘I’ll get it if required,’ Philip Bump
• New York Times, Opinion: Of Vaccine Mandates and Facing Reality, Paul Krugman
• Washington Post, Portugal has nearly run out of people to vaccinate. What comes next?
• Washington Post, West Virginia was a vaccine success story. Now it’s a covid-19 hot spot
• Washington Post, Opinion: Covid-19 is sticking around. Time to stop pretending it’s not your problem, Eugene Robinson
• Washington Post, Lawsuit seeks to halt Biden’s vaccination mandates for federal workforce
• Washington Post, Messy, incomplete U.S. data hobbles pandemic response
• Washington Post, Live Updates: CDC says it’s ‘urgent’ that pregnant women get vaccinated
• Washington Post, YouTube is banning prominent anti-vaccine activists and blocking all anti-vaccine content
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 716,847
• Washington Post, 214.4 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, Anchorage mayor defended anti-maskers wearing yellow Stars of David, claiming it’s ‘actually a credit to’ Jews
• Washington Post, Koch-backed group fuels opposition to school mask mandates, leaked letter shows
• Washington Post, Calif. will require all students to get vaccine when it gets full FDA approval
• Washington Post, Mississippi aid program gave little help to renters, but millions to a top law firm
• Washington Post, Federal agencies’ vaccine mandate may begin as soon as Nov. 9

September

Sept. 30

Virus Victims, Responses

• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 713,953
• Washington Post, 214.3 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, Sen. Feinstein introduces bill to require vaccine or negative test for domestic flights
• Washington Post, Analysis: Turns out a lot of those never-vaxxers were really ‘I’ll get it if required,’ Philip Bump

 Sept. 29

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Opinion: The booster shot debate shows that public health is not only about science. It’s about values, Leana S. Wen
• Washington Post, Live Updates: Third coronavirus vaccine shot’s side effects echo those from second dose, CDC says
• New York Times, Analysis: Red Covid, David Leonhard
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 711,222
• Washington Post, 213.8 million U.S. vaccinated
• New York Times, Retailers’ Latest Headache: Shutdowns at Their Vietnamese Suppliers

Sept. 28

• Washington Post, Pfizer, Live Updates: BioNTech tell FDA vaccine trial had favorable results in young children
• New York Times, Thousands of New York Health Workers Got Vaccinated Before Deadline
• Washington Post, N.Y. faces health staffing crisis over vaccine requirement
• Washington Post, N.C. hospital system fires about 175 workers in one of the largest-ever mass terminations due to a vaccine mandate
• Washington Post, New U.S. travel rules close door on those fully vaccinated with Russia’s Sputnik V
• Washington Post, ‘Covid hit us like a cyclone’: An Aboriginal town in the Australian Outback is overwhelmed
• New York Times, Analysis: Red Covid, David Leonhard
• Wayne Madsen Report, Analysis: Voters in four elections reject anti-public health parties, Wayne Madsen
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 709,119
• Washington Post, 213.7 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, Opinion: Kyrie Irving wants to leave a legacy. With his stance on vaccination, he just might, Sally Jenkins

Sept. 27

Virus Victims, Responses

• Palmer Report, Opinion: Donald Trump’s legacy of death, Robert Harrington
• New York Times, Analysis: Red Covid, David Leonhard
• New York Times, These health care workers would rather get fired than get vaccinated
• New York Times, Live Updates: U.S. Vaccine Mandates Face Early Test in New York
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 706,317
• Washington Post, 213.2 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 26

Virus Victims, Responses

• Palmer Report, Opinion: Donald Trump’s legacy of death, Robert Harrington
• New York Times, Editorial: This Is No Way to End a Pandemic
• Washington Post, Idaho morgues are running out of space for bodies as covid-19 deaths mount
• New York Times, ‘I Need an Army’: Across America, Schools Cram for Their Covid Tests
• Washington Post, Changes in booster shot guidance lead to confusion for doctors, patients
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 706,058
• Washington Post, 213.2 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 25

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, ‘I Need an Army’: Across America, Schools Cram for Their Covid Tests
• New York Times, States Begin a Complex Booster Shot Rollout for Pfizer Recipients
• Washington Post, Changes in booster shot guidance lead to confusion for doctors, patients
• Washington Post, Doctor who has lost over 100 patients to covid says some deny virus from their deathbeds: ‘I don’t believe you’
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 705,293
• Washington Post, 213.2 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 24

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Doctor who has lost over 100 patients to covid says some deny virus from their deathbeds: ‘I don’t believe you’
• New York Times, People with serious conditions are waiting weeks for non-Covid surgeries as hospitals are inundated once again
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 699,748
• Washington Post, 212.6 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 23

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Live Updates: C.D.C. Is Set to Decide Who Qualifies for Booster Shots After F.D.A. Approval
• New York Times, For Parents ​of Disabled Children, School Mask Wars Are Particularly Wrenching
• New York Times, Pressure Grows on U.S. Companies to Share Covid Vaccine Technology
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 699,748
• Washington Post, 212.5 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 22

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Second dose of J&J vaccine increases covid protection, company says
• New York Times, People with serious conditions are waiting weeks for non-Covid surgeries as hospitals are inundated once again
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 696,918
• Washington Post, 212.5 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, Brazil’s health minister tests positive for coronavirus at U.N. General Assembly

Sept. 20

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Low dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe, effective in children ages 5-11, companies’ study finds, a key step toward approval
• Washington Post, GOP maneuvers to block vaccine mandates, undercutting a key policy
• Washington Post, As covid patients fill hospitals, health workers fight fear and exhaustion: ‘Here we go again’
• Washington Post, Lawyer’s rise shows how vaccine misinformation can fuel fundraising and far-right celebrity
• Washington Post, Rationing care becomes a reality as covid-19 patients crowd hospitals in some areas
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 691,880
• Washington Post, 212 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 19

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, They Shunned Covid Vaccines but Embraced Antibody Treatment
• Washington Post, Covid hospital bills arrive as insurers restore co-pays and deductibles
• Washington Post, Pandemic marks another grim milestone: 1 in 500 Americans have died of covid-19, Sept. 19, 2021 (print ed.). 
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 690,714
• Washington Post, 211.5 million U.S. vaccinated
  

Sept. 18

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, F.D.A. Panel Recommends Pfizer Boosters for Those Over 65 or at High Risk
• New York Times, Live Updates: C.D.C. Study Shows Pfizer Vaccine’s Protection Wanes
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 690,714
• Washington Post, 211.5 million U.S. vaccinated
  

Sept. 17

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, FDA advisers to meet on highly charged issue of recommending coronavirus vaccine boosters
• Washington Post, Live Updates: Biden says GOP governors are risking lives as 24 states threaten legal action over vaccine mandate plans
• New York Times, F.D.A. Publishes First Analysis of Pfizer Booster Shot Application
• Washington Post, California is seeing covid-19 cases drop. Has the state turned the tide on the delta variant?
• Daily Beast, Laura Loomer, Who Once Said ‘Bad Fajitas’ Were Worse Than COVID, Says She’s Tested Positive
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 688,488
• Washington Post, 210.7 million U.S. vaccinated
  
• Al.com, Alabama Pickers, couple known for reselling and vaccine opposition, both dead of COVID

Sept. 16

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, U.S. hospitals in crisis as Idaho rations care
• Washington Post, 1 in 500 Americans have died of covid-19 in another grim pandemic milestone
• Washington Post, Thousands of LAPD employees seek vaccine exemptions, police officials sue city over mandate
• Washington Post, This pastor will sign a religious exemption for vaccines if you donate to his church
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 685,023
• Washington Post, 210.7 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 15

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, U.S. hospitals in crisis as Idaho rations care
• Washington Post, Thousands of LAPD employees seek vaccine exemptions, police officials sue city over mandate
• New York Times, F.D.A. Publishes First Analysis of Pfizer Booster Shot Application
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 685,023
• Washington Post, 210.4 million U.S. vaccinated
• New York Times, ‘Just Disheartening’: Schools Face a Shortage of Essential Workers
• Daily Beast, Unvaxed Teen Councilman Who Attacked Mask Mandates Now Battling ‘Terrible’ COVID Pneumonia

Sept. 14

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Live Updates: Americans support vaccine mandates for office work and schools, poll shows
• New York Times, New York City Schools Reopen Fully After 18 Months 
• Washington Post, California couple dies of covid, leaving five kids behind. Their newborn is three weeks old
• Federal News Network, November deadline for vaccine mandate
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 680,274
• Washington Post, 210 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 13

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Live Updates: Americans support vaccine mandates for office work and schools, poll shows
• New York Times, West Virginia, once a vaccination pacesetter, is struggling against the Delta variant
• New York Times, Live Updates: New York City Schools Reopen Fully After 18 Months 
• Washington Post, California couple dies of covid, leaving five kids behind. Their newborn is three weeks old
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 677,988
• Washington Post, 209.4 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 12

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Ala. man dies after being turned away from 43 hospitals as covid-19 packs ICUs, family says
• Washington Post, At-home testing is becoming part of Biden’s plan for managing the pandemic
• Washington Post, Analysis: The GOP’s halting, uneven journey toward becoming the anti-vaccine mandate party, Aaron Blake
• Washington Post, A hospital says it won’t deliver babies after staffers resigned over coronavirus vaccine mandate
• Washington Post, GOP lawmaker who refused to follow mask mandate while flying says she can’t get to Alaskan capital
• New York Times, Vaccine Resisters Seek Religious Exemptions. But What Counts as Religious?
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 677,737
• Washington Post, 209.1 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 11

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Biden thought he could persuade vaccine skeptics. He couldn’t. So he embraced mandates
• Washington Post, Fla. school mask fights heat up as appeals court backs DeSantis and Biden administration opens civil rights investigation
• Washington Post, Liberty University returns to in-person classes, with hundreds of new covid cases
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 677,017
• Washington Post, 208.7 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 9

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, As experts debate boosters to protect against covid, vaccinated people are calling their own shots
• Washington Post, Live Updates: Biden to outline new strategy to battle delta variant surge
• Washington Post,  U.S. pediatric cases surge as kids return to school
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 671,183
• Washington Post, 207.6 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 8

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, As experts debate boosters to protect against covid, vaccinated people are calling their own shots
• Washington Post, Live Updates: U.S. pediatric cases surge as kids return to school
• Washington Post, Two teachers die, and a small Texas town rethinks masks
• New York Times, ‘An Emotional Hellscape’: Frayed Nerves for the Teachers of Unmasked Students
• New York Times, U.S. Surpasses 40 Million Covid Cases
• Washington Post, Ohio judge reverses colleague’s decision on covid patient’s ivermectin treatment: ‘Judges are not doctors’
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 669,027
• Washington Post, 207.6 million U.S. vaccinated
• Press Run Podcast, Opinion: Sorry Chuck Todd, America is not hopelessly “divided” over Covid, Eric Boehlert

Sept. 7

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, ‘An Emotional Hellscape’: Frayed Nerves for the Teachers of Unmasked Students
• New York Times, Live Updates: U.S. Surpasses 40 Million Covid Cases
• Washington Post, Ohio judge reverses colleague’s decision on covid patient’s ivermectin treatment: ‘Judges are not doctors’
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 666,559
• Washington Post, 207.6 million U.S. vaccinated
• Daily Beast, FL Councilman Who Mocked Fauci Is Hospitalized With COVID

Sept. 6

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Live Updates: Oregon and Idaho Are Running Out of I.C.U. Beds as Covid Cases Hit Records
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 666,219
• Washington Post, 206.9 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, ‘Vaccine snob’ travelers head to Guam for sun, sea — and shots

Sept. 5

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Why America has 8.4 million unemployed when there are 10 million job openings
• Washington Post, Opinion: Doctors should be allowed to give priority to vaccinated patients when resources are scarce, Ruth Marcus
• Washington Post, The covid endgame: Is the pandemic over already? Or are there years to go?
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 665,858
• Washington Post, 206.9 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 4

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, Health Officials Advise White House to Scale Back Booster Plan for Now
• Washington Post, Some Biden aides alarmed as millions head over jobless benefits cliff
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 664,935
• Washington Post, 206.9 million U.S. vaccinated
• Washington Post, Coronavirus booster shots initially may be limited to Pfizer recipients, U.S. officials warn
• HuffPost, Charles Barkley Hits Anti-Vaccine Sports Stars With A Blunt Reminder

Sept. 3

Virus Victims, Responses

• New York Times, U.S. Adds 235,000 Jobs in August, an Unexpected Slowdown
• Washington Post, Live Updates: Fauci: U.S. ‘keeping a very close eye’ on Mu variant
• Washington Post, Joe Rogan has covid-19, is taking unproven deworming medicine
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 662,853
• Washington Post, 205.9 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 2

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, Texas district closes schools after covid kills two teachers in one week
• Washington Post, Four conservative radio talk-show hosts bashed coronavirus vaccines. Then they got sick
• Washington Post, Georgia professors are quitting over their universities’ lax mask rules: ‘This is a matter of life and death,’
• Washington Post, FDA to hear from outside experts on coronavirus boosters just days before shots become available
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 659,927
• Washington Post, 205.9 million U.S. vaccinated

Sept. 1

Virus Victims, Responses

• Washington Post, A hospital refused to give ivermectin to a covid patient. A judge ordered doctors to administer it
• Washington Post, Opinion: Yes, you can get some immunity from having covid-19. But no one should wait to get vaccinated, Leana S. Wen
• Worldometer, World & U.S. Coronavirus Case Totals, U.S. Deaths: 657,910
• Washington Post, 205 million U.S. vaccinated
• New York Times, Opinion: The Buying of the American Mind, Paul Krugman

Source: https://www.justice-integrity.org/1886-analysis-no-mandates-mandates-cries-the-republican-religious-right