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Health

Disney World to require Covid-19 vaccinations for unionized staff

Disney World to require Covid-19 vaccinations for unionized employees

Guests wear masks. upon need. to attend Magic Kingdom’s Official Reopening Day at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on Saturday, July 11, 2020.

Joe Burbank | Orlando Sentinel | Getty Images

Disney has reached an agreement with its unions that all unionized employees at Walt Disney World in Florida will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by October 22, 2021.

The move comes almost a month after Disney mandated that all of its salaried and non-union workers in the U.S. be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by the end of September.

No agreement has been reached with unions on the west coast that look after Disneyland Resort employees.

The Service Trades Council Union, which is made up of six member unions representing about 43,000 Disney performers in Florida, said the company will host on-site vaccine events for employees over the next few weeks.

“Vaccines are safe, effective and free,” the union said in a memo to members on Monday. “As of today, the Pfizer vaccine is FDA approved and offered by the company to get rid of this deadly virus.”

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, making it the first in the US to receive the coveted award and giving even more companies, schools and universities more confidence in accepting vaccine mandates gave.

So far, the mRNA vaccine, now marketed as Comirnaty, has been on the US market under emergency approval granted by the FDA in December.

Workers with illnesses or “sincere” religious beliefs are entitled to an exemption, the union said.

Disney considers its employees fully vaccinated if they are at least two weeks after vaccination is complete, whether after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or after a single vaccination of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Disney has updated its safety guidelines in line with local health regulations since the pandemic began, both domestically and internationally. Most recently, the company required proof of a Covid vaccination or a negative Covid test before entering its Paris amusement park according to French guidelines.

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Health

U.S. to require nursing houses workers get photographs or lose federal funding

U.S. to require nursing homes staff get shots or lose federal funding

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that his government will require all nursing home workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19, the latest move to protect Americans if the Delta variant spreads.

“Today I announce a new step,” said Biden in a speech at the White House. “If you work in a nursing home and care for people on Medicare or Medicaid, you also need to get vaccinated.”

Biden’s remarks came after an administrative official confirmed to NBC News that the government will withhold federal funding from nursing homes that don’t fully vaccinate their employees.

The new policy, which would hold back funding for Medicare and Medicaid nursing homes that fail to comply, could go into effect as early as next month, the official said, although the timing is fluid. This would affect around 15,000 nursing homes, which employ more than 1.3 million people nationwide.

The move comes as the highly contagious Delta variant is causing a surge in new cases nationwide, and federal officials say they are starting to see signs of declining vaccine protection against mild and moderate illnesses.

According to data compiled by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, roughly 60% of nursing home workers nationwide are vaccinated – much less than the 82.4% of residents who received the vaccinations. In some states, the percentage of nurses who have been vaccinated is even lower.

Some medical experts have asked the U.S. government to pressure nursing homes to vaccinate their staff, saying the unvaccinated staff put older residents at greater risk, who are more likely to become seriously ill or have something called a breakthrough infection.

“We have to go faster. So I’m taking vaccination measures where I can, ”Biden said in the speech.

The new rules for nursing homes are “all about keeping people safe and safe,” he said.

“This is no time to let our vigilance down. We just have to finish the job, with science, with facts and with confidence,” said the president.

Earlier in the day, federal health officials announced that they plan to provide booster shots to most Americans from the week of September 20th. They said it was “very clear” that immunity decreased after the first two doses, and with the dominance of the Delta variant, “we are gradually seeing signs of decreased protection against mild and moderate illnesses.”

“Based on our latest assessment, current protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death could decline in the coming months, especially for those at higher risk or who were vaccinated during the earlier stages of vaccination,” said the statement signed by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, White House Senior Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, and other US health leaders.

Nursing home residents, health care providers, and the elderly – the first groups to be vaccinated in December and January – will be targeted, according to Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, likely prioritized to get extra vaccinations.

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Entertainment

Los Angeles to Require Masks at Massive Out of doors Concert events and Occasions

Los Angeles to Require Masks at Large Outdoor Concerts and Events

With coronavirus cases continuing to surge, Los Angeles County said Tuesday that masks must be worn at large outdoor concerts and sporting events that attract more than 10,000 people.

The new rule, which comes into effect Thursday at 11:59 p.m., means that visitors to the Hollywood Bowl, Dodger Stadium, outdoor music festivals and events designated by the county as “mega-events” must now wear masks. The rule applies to people regardless of their vaccination status.

People are allowed to take off their masks while eating and drinking, but only for a short time.

The order came as cities across the country took steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Chicago joined Los Angeles County, Washington, DC, San Francisco, and other areas to require masks in indoor public spaces. New York City Requires Proof of Vaccination for Indoor Dining and Entertainment Activities; Broadway will require proof of vaccination and masks when it reopens.

The new rules requiring masks at major outdoor events in Los Angeles came when the county reported that cases, hospitalizations, and positivity rates have all increased significantly. According to data collected by the New York Times, Los Angeles County is seeing an average of 3,361 new cases per day, an 18 percent increase from the average two weeks ago.

Los Angeles County has been aggressive in introducing masking requirements amid evidence that the Delta variant of the virus has spread. In the past month, people were forced to wear masks in public indoor spaces, regardless of their vaccination status.

Covid guidelines at the Hollywood Bowl have changed repeatedly over the year as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which runs the Bowl, tried to adhere to the county’s changing regulations. It has drawn large crowds for the past six weeks. With a few exceptions, the people in the audience were maskless, as allowed by the district rules. But they tend to put on their masks when they join the hustle and bustle of people walking down the crowded sidewalks after the show.

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Health

Airways break up on whether or not to require workers to get Covid photographs

Airlines split on whether to require employees to get Covid shots

A Southwest Airlines jet lands at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois on January 28, 2021.

Scott Olson | Getty Images

U.S. airlines are increasingly divided over whether their flight attendants, pilots and other employees should be vaccinated against Covid-19.

United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines announced this month that their U.S. employees, a total of around 73,000 people, will need to be vaccinated against the virus. Alaska Airlines is considering a similar mandate for its 20,000 or so employees if the Food and Drug Administration grants full approval to one of the vaccines, a move expected next month.

Other airlines, including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue Airways, have repeatedly said that they are encouraging but do not require staff to be vaccinated. However, Delta Air Lines requires that new employees be vaccinated.

Pilot unions for these airlines say vaccines should remain voluntary for their members. Following announcements by United and Hawaiian, airline unions that do not require vaccines said pilots expressed concern about what would happen if their airlines followed suit.

Delta variant

The concerns highlight potential challenges carriers could face in also mandating vaccinations. The airlines are all struggling with the recent increase in Covid cases in the US, as the Delta variant prevails and weighs on the demand for air travel – just as the ailing industry began to gain a foothold again.

More than a dozen large US companies have prescribed Covid vaccines for some or all of their employees.

A mandate “could bring an airline into conflict with its unions,” said Ben Baldanza, former CEO of Spirit Airlines.

However, higher Covid cases could affect airline reliability if enough employees are sick, at a time when they are already few and far between.

“You don’t want to touch the third rail, but you want to make sure you have an operation,” said Robert Mann, an aviation consultant and former airline manager.

The latest announcements of vaccine mandates or their lack of vaccine mandates by the airlines have received criticism and praise from both sides on social media. Baldanza said he doesn’t think vaccine status will be a determining factor in booking flights.

Infections are increasing

At the same time, some unions argue that airlines could do more to boost vaccination rates, or urge pilots to use incentives such as extra vaccination time off, especially as the fast-spreading Delta variant is driving the new Covid-19 infections.

The Allied Pilots Association, which represents about 15,000 pilots at American Airlines on Thursday, told members that weekly cases of Covid-19 among pilots have hit an “all-time high,” rising to 36 in the first week of August, double that number as before three weeks earlier.

According to the union, five pilots were hospitalized for Covid-19 on August 12.

“It’s worth noting that none of these pilots have been vaccinated against the virus,” the union’s aero-medical group said.

About 60% of American Airlines pilots are vaccinated, according to a union announcement earlier this month. More than 90% of United pilots are vaccinated, the airline said. United previously offered flight attendants and pilots incentives to get vaccinated.

Encouraging, not demanding

Southwest Airlines reiterated to staff last week that it has not changed its stance on encouraging, but not requiring, staff to be vaccinated.

But Southwest Airlines Pilots Association president Casey Murray last week called on the company to discuss its vaccine plans and stated in a letter to the airline that its current policy is “obviously not set in stone”.

Murray told CNBC that some pilots have told the union that they are concerned about possible side effects from the gunshots, including long-term side effects that may take a while to show up and subsequent loss of paid sick leave or even their medical clearance issued to the Flying is required. The Senior Medical Advisor to the White House, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that “almost all” long-term vaccine side effects occur within the first two months of being vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Murray said the number of Covid cases among pilots is increasing but declined to provide numbers.

Corporate incentives

He said the company should establish guidelines and incentives that could include paying a federally mandated 48-hour wait for pilots to fly before they can fly after each dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

“Talking to the company will go a long way towards allaying those fears,” he said.

Murray noted in his letter that Southwest did not offer pilots incentives to vaccinate as Delta, American, and United did, such as extra time off or extra pay. Offering around $ 15 worth of points on an internal platform was “undoubtedly less effective than the real incentives negotiated by the other airlines with their unions,” he wrote to the company, according to a person familiar with the matter .

“Now that we are facing the escalation of the Delta variant crisis, this will prove significant,” he said.

Ed Bastian, Delta CEO, said last week a vaccine mandate would likely not increase vaccine rates, which he believes already account for about 75% of the company’s roughly 75,000 employees. He said five to ten percent of employees likely have a medical or religious exception for a vaccine.

Voluntary vaccinations

The Atlanta-based airline announced to the Air Line Pilots Association last week of its intention to keep vaccines voluntary, according to a union memo.

“We understand that Covid vaccinations have become an emotional issue,” said the pilots union. “Although an overwhelming majority of the pilot group chose the Covid vaccine, please don’t let this issue become a distraction on the flight deck.”

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said the New York airline is “reviewing” a vaccination mandate and debating with unions and employees, but the company is “right now” strongly encouraging employees to get vaccinated.

“I think it’s better that people get vaccinated because they want to get vaccinated,” Hayes said in an interview last week. “I think once the US government [fully] approved [the vaccines]”I think that will bring a huge increase in the number of people being vaccinated.” Pfizer and Moderna both received conditional approval to distribute their vaccines in an emergency in December, pending full approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer’s Covid vaccine is expected to receive full approval in a few weeks.

The union that represents the JetBlue pilots said: “We are certainly all ready for the COVID-19 pandemic to come to an end, but there shouldn’t be any rash decisions that affect our pilots and their ability to make private medical decisions with theirs Meeting healthcare providers, potentially compromising consultation, “the Air Line Pilots Association’s JetBlue chapter wrote to members last week.

Frontier Airlines said its employees who refuse to be vaccinated would instead have to test regularly for Covid. United, on the other hand, said employees will be fired if they refuse to get the syringes, although there are exceptions for medical or religious reasons.

More incentives

Mike Klemm, president of the International Association of Machinists District 141, which, among other things, represents around 28,000 customer and ramp service employees at United, estimates that around a third of them are rejecting the mandate.

“That 35% is much louder than the 65%,” he said, adding that while United asked for a lawsuit against the company, it was “in their legal right.”

United is offering a day off for vaccinated workers, but Klemm said it should offer more.

“If they increased the incentive, more people would be attracted to get the vaccine,” he said. “I understand what the company is trying to do, but they should have just given incentives … instead of intimidating people.”

United CEO Scott Kirby told CNN last week that most of the feedback he has received from employees on the move has been positive.

“It’s a highly explosive decision,” said aeronautical advisor Mann. “One way or another, you invite criticism.”

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Health

Pentagon to require all service members to get Covid vaccine by mid-September

Pentagon to require all service members to get Covid vaccine by mid-September

A U.S. Marine receives the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at Camp Foster on April 28, 2021 in Ginowan, Japan.

Carl Hof | Getty Images

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon said Monday it would try to make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for service members by mid-September at the latest.

President Joe Biden supported the move.

“I am proud that our military and men will continue to take the lead in the fight against this pandemic, as is so often the case, by setting a good example to protect their fellow Americans,” the president said in a statement on Monday afternoon.

In a message to the force, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he had consulted with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, secretaries and chiefs of sister service branches, and the White House Covid Task Force before reaching that decision.

“I have every confidence that the service and your commanders will implement this new vaccination program with professionalism, skill and compassion,” Austin wrote in his memo to all Department of Defense officials.

United States President Joe Biden listens as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, USA on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.

Michael Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images

“We will also keep a close eye on the infection rates that are now increasing with the Delta variant and their impact on our operational readiness President, if I think it is necessary,” wrote Austin.

The decision is made because the delta variant of Covid-19 is spreading rapidly, driving up hospital stays and serious illnesses in unvaccinated people.

The Pentagon says roughly half the U.S. military is already fully vaccinated, with the Navy recording the highest vaccination rates. The Navy says about 73% of sailors are fully vaccinated.

CNBC policy

Read more about CNBC’s political coverage:

The military already requires vaccinations against several other diseases.

The White House welcomed Austin’s decision, saying the vaccines were safe and would “help our service members stay healthy, better protect their families and ensure our armed forces are operational anywhere in the world.”

“These vaccines will save lives. Period. You are safe. They’re effective, ”said Biden.

According to the Pentagon, 28 service members have died as a result of Covid since the outbreak of the corona virus.

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Health

United to require Covid vaccinations for its 67,000 U.S. workers

United to require Covid vaccinations for its 67,000 U.S. employees

United Airlines will require its 67,000 US employees to be vaccinated against Covid by October 25th or risk being fired, a first for major US airlines that is likely to put pressure on rivals.

Airlines, including United, have so far opposed vaccine mandates for all workers and instead offered incentives such as additional pay or time off for vaccination. Delta Air Lines started asking newly hired employees to provide proof of vaccination in May. United followed suit in June.

United’s requirement is one of the strictest vaccination regulations of any US company and involves employees who regularly interact with customers such as flight attendants and gate agents.

US companies like Facebook announced that employees would need to prove they were vaccinated in order to return to the office. Others only ask for it for certain employees. Walmart, for example, said last week that it will be required for company employees, but not warehouse or warehouse workers. Uber said US office staff must be vaccinated to return to personal work, but it was no longer needed to be used by drivers.

Meatpacker Tyson Foods said this week that its 120,000 U.S. employees will need to be fully vaccinated this year, when that is already more than 50,000.

“We know some of you will disagree with this decision to require the vaccine for all United employees,” United CEO Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart said in an employee note Friday. “But we have no greater responsibility to you and your colleagues than to ensure your safety at work, and the facts are crystal clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated.”

Kirby said in January he wanted to make Covid vaccines mandatory and other companies should do the same.

Ending the Covid-19 pandemic is especially critical for airlines, which are among the industries hardest hit by the pandemic. While summer vacation bookings exceeded the expectations of most executives, the rapidly expanding delta variant is weighing on demand.

“In the past 16 months, Scott has sent dozens of letters of condolence to the family members of United employees who have died of COVID-19,” executives said. “We are determined to do everything in our power to prevent any other United family from receiving this letter.”

United Airlines employees must upload proof that they have received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, five weeks after full approval by federal officials or by October 25, whichever comes first have received. Exceptions are made for specific health or religious reasons, United said.

The mandate does not apply to regional airlines flying shorter routes for United.

Many of United’s employees have already reported they have been vaccinated, including more than 90% of pilots and 80% of flight attendants, company officials said. United did not disclose the company’s overall vaccination rate.

By comparison, according to an August 5 letter to members of their union, the Allied Pilots Association, about 60% of American Airlines pilots are vaccinated, encouraging Airmen to get vaccinated.

United didn’t say what the company’s overall vaccination rate is.

The decision was driven in part by concerns about a spike in Covid-19 cases over the past fall and winter, company officials said.

The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents United’s more than 12,000 airmen, believes the mandate is legal. It said the “small number of pilots” who disagree with the policy or plan to remain unvaccinated should contact their chief pilot’s office.

The flight attendants’ union, the Association of Flight Attendants, urged cabin crew to get vaccinated following United’s announcement.

“COVID-19 is a threat,” the union told members. “There are proven strategies to mitigate this threat. Vaccinations are necessary to end the pandemic and the health and economic damage it has caused.”

For its part, American Airlines said it has not changed its policy of promoting, but not mandating, vaccines for employees. Delta Air Lines said it “strongly” encourages workers to get vaccinated, but does not require all employees to do so, except for new hires. More than 73% of the approximately 75,000 employees are vaccinated, it said.

Southwest Airlines didn’t immediately say whether it plans to prescribe vaccines.

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Health

Pfizer would require Covid shot or testing for U.S. staff

Pfizer will require Covid shot or testing for U.S. employees

November 2020, people walk past Pfizer’s New York headquarters.

Hit by Betancur | AFP | Getty Images

Pfizer said on Wednesday all of its U.S. employees and contractors must be vaccinated against Covid-19 or have regular weekly tests.

The new initiative will “best protect the health and safety of our colleagues and the communities we serve,” Pfizer spokeswoman Pamela Eisele said in a statement to CNBC.

“Outside the US, the company strongly encourages all colleagues who can do this in their countries to get vaccinated,” added Eisele. “Colleagues with illnesses or religious objections can look for accommodation. Colleagues must continue to follow all federal, local, and Pfizer security procedures related to COVID-19 while at Pfizer. “

Pfizer, whose Covid vaccine was first approved in the US with German drug maker BioNTech, is just the youngest company to require its employees to be vaccinated. The mandates come again as coronavirus cases in the USA, fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant.

On Tuesday, New York City became the first major city in the United States to require proof of vaccination in restaurants, gyms, and other businesses.

A new CNBC All-America Economic Survey released on Wednesday found Americans are sharply divided over vaccine mandates.

The survey of 802 Americans, conducted July 24-28, found that 49% were in favor of vaccine mandates and 46% were against – a difference that is well within the survey’s margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. Five percent said they were not sure.

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World News

Biden administration has plans to require most international guests to be vaccinated.

Biden administration has plans to require most foreign visitors to be vaccinated.

The Biden administration is developing plans to require all foreign travelers to the United States to be vaccinated against Covid-19, with limited exceptions, according to an administration official with knowledge of the developing policy.

The plan, first reported by Reuters, will be part of a new system to be put in place after the current restrictions on travel into the country are lifted, but officials have yet to determine when that might be done.

President Biden has been under pressure for months to ease restrictions on people wishing to travel to the United States, particularly as other countries, including England, Scotland and Canada, relax their own measures.

But White House officials have said in recent days that there is no plan to lift current restrictions anytime soon, in light of the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

“Given where we are today,” Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters last week, “with the Delta variant, we will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point.”

That stance was reiterated on Wednesday evening by White House officials who said that there was no timetable yet for requiring foreign travelers to be inoculated.

“The interagency working groups are working to develop a plan for a consistent and safe international travel policy, in order to have a new system ready for when we can reopen travel,” the administration official, who was not authorized to publicly detail the plan, wrote in an email. “This includes a phased approach that over time will mean, with limited exceptions, that foreign nationals traveling to the United States (from all countries) need to be fully vaccinated.”

Travelers from Iran, China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, the Republic of Ireland and Europe’s Schengen area — spanning 29 countries, city-states and micro-states — are currently barred from entering the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control, unless they are a U.S. citizen or they spend 14 days before arrival in a country that is not on that list.

The United States began restricting travel by foreigners in January 2020, when former President Donald Trump cut off some travel from China in the hope of preventing the spread of the virus. That effort largely failed.

But health officials pressed the Trump administration to expand travel bans to much of Europe during the first surge of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, and more countries have been added to the ban as the original virus and several variants have spread rapidly from country to country.

This week, the Biden administration said that it would keep in place Title 42, a public health rule that allows the government to turn back people attempting to enter the United States from its southern border.

The decision, confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday, amounted to a shift by the administration, which had been working on plans to begin lifting the rule this summer, more than a year after it was imposed by the Trump administration.

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World News

NY’s Broadway, Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Corridor to require vaccines

NY's Broadway, Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall to require vaccines

If you want to attend a live performance in New York, prepare to show proof that you received your Covid shots.

The Broadway League announced Friday that the owners and operators of all 41 Broadway theaters in New York City will require viewers, performers, backstage crew and theater staff to be fully vaccinated by October.

Young children or people with medical conditions or religious beliefs that prevent vaccinations can still attend shows if they have a negative Covid-19 test. You will need a PCR test within 72 hours of the start of the performance or a negative antigen test that will be performed within 6 hours of the start of the performance in order to be admitted.

“A uniform policy in all New York Broadway theaters makes it easy for our audiences and should give our guests even more confidence how seriously Broadway takes the safety of the audience,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League.

An exterior view of the Palace Theater at the premiere of “West Side Story” on Broadway at the Palace Theater on March 19, 2009 in New York City.

Neilson Barnard | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Audiences in the theater must also wear masks, except when eating or drinking in designated areas.

In September, the league will review these guidelines for November performances.

The Metropolitan Opera also requires guests, performers, orchestras, choirs, and staff to provide proof of vaccination, but face masks are optional. The opera will prohibit children under 12 from attending performances.

“The Met policy states that masks will be optional, this could change depending on prevailing health conditions. Also, unlike Broadway, we will have absolutely no exceptions to the vaccination-only policy, ”a Metropolitan Opera spokeswoman said in an email.

Guests must present proof of vaccination upon entering the theater and be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO approved vaccine. This means that guests have to wait at least two weeks after their last recordings to attend a performance.

Carnegie Hall will also require proof of vaccination from all guests, artists, staff and visitors and will ban children under the age of 12 from attending performances, a statement said.

Younger children are not yet entitled to the Covid vaccine.

The new requirements result from the rapid spread of the Delta variant across the country, especially in areas with low vaccination rates. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines urging people to return to wearing masks, even if they were vaccinated, in areas of the country where cases have increased. This was a reversal of the Agency’s previous policy.

The CDC warns that the Delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox and could make people sicker than the original Covid.

Broadway will begin reopening its doors to the public at full capacity on September 14th, having closed since March 2020. New York City lost billions in tourism dollars as live performances ceased on Broadway, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

The industry received government support through a program called the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, which allocated $ 16.2 billion to keep the entertainment industry alive across the country until performances could safely return to normal.

The surge in Covid cases due to the Delta variant comes at a precarious time for the industry, which has invested in reinstating artists and other workers in preparation for the resumption of performances.

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World News

Disney World Will Require Masks Indoors Once more

Disney World Will Require Masks Indoors Again

Starting Friday, Disney World in Florida will require guests over the age of 2 to wear masks indoors, reversing the policy that allows fully vaccinated guests to walk without them.

The change was announced after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended Americans wear face masks in public indoor spaces in areas with high transmission rates, regardless of vaccination status.

It also came when Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings signed an executive order on Wednesday declaring a local state of emergency as cases soared in the county where Disney World is located.

“I urge residents and visitors – vaccinated and unvaccinated – to wear a mask indoors and follow updated CDC guidelines,” Mr Demings wrote on Twitter.

In the past two weeks, Orange County’s coronavirus infections have increased 184 percent and hospital admissions increased 116 percent, according to the New York Times.

Disney World’s new policy could spark a backlash from Governor Ron DeSantis, who said it was up to parents to decide whether their children should wear masks after the CDC’s announcement.

On Wednesday, Governor DeSantis doubled his comments, saying that wearing masks for children was “bad policy”.

“Parents can best decide whether their children should wear a mask in school,” wrote the governor on Twitter. “Neither Washington bureaucrats nor local authorities should be able to override a parent’s decision.”

Disney World wasn’t the only company to respond to CDC advice. Apple also announced that employees and customers in certain stores across the country will be required to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status under the new CDC guidelines.