National News

COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS

the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to stay OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard, published on November 5, 2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 61402) (“ETS”). The court ordered that OSHA “take no steps to implement or enforce” the ETS “until further court order.” While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation.

Continue reading over at -> OSHA.gov

Donna’s statement:

I’m happy to see the courts decision. But the entire situation is a showcase of government, specifically on this case OSHA overreach.

Whitmer fallout: Audit finds 800 unreported COVID-19 deaths in Michigan nursing homes

Preliminary results from Auditor Doug Ringler first step in longer analysis.

Preliminary results from Auditor Doug Ringler’s analysis of Michigan’s long-term care facility COVID-19 death data found about 800 additional confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths than the state initially counted overall statewide between Jan. 1, 2020, and July 3, 2021.

Ringler responded to a request from the Oversight Committee to investigate the accuracy of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) COVID-19 death data in long-term care facilities. The request followed questions about the accuracy of MDHHS COVID-19 death data.

Ringler told Johnson he used death certificate information from the Electronic Death Record System and COVID-19 case and death data from the Michigan Disease Surveillance System (MDSS). The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services counts total COVID-19 deaths on their pandemic website using data from MDSS.

Continue reading at Just The News ->

DONNA’S RESPONSE

How can we trust any information coming out of our government?

After the damage has been done we find out later the numbers were way higher than originally reported, with no accountability for their abysmally poor decisions. Then they ask us to just be ok with their incompetence, or blatant biased disregard for actual recommendations from, in this case recommendations coming out against it from health care professionals.

The whole situation of putting COVID patients in with our most vulnerable, is inexcusable. There needs to be severe punishment for the damage, death and destruction that has been done to this state. I would love to see a true investigation initiated, not under the current AG, to determine if there is a criminal case.

— Donna Brandenburg

Michigan Business Groups Urge Biden to Reconsider Mandate

Michigan business groups are urging President Joe Biden to reconsider a plan to require most workers to get vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19 but say, if it is enacted, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer should ensure related state rules are no stricter.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan business groups on Monday urged President Joe Biden to reconsider a plan to require most workers to get vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19 but said, if it is enacted, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer should ensure related state rules are no stricter.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce and six local chambers raised a host of concerns and questions over the pending federal mandate, which will apply to employers with at least 100 employees. They cited the cost, the logistical challenge of checking workers’ vaccination status and test results at a time human resources or other staffing is limited, and said the 100-employee threshold is arbitrary.

The organizations also asked how employees will be counted, whether the unvaccinated will be able to work while awaiting weekly test results and how long companies will have to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s rule.

Continue reading on US News & World Report ->