Wuhan Virus Watch: Justice Department Warns CA Coronavirus Rules May Violate Religious Freedoms
CA nail and hair salons push to reopen. Oregon restrictions kept in place. Gov. Mike DeWine lifts Ohio’s ‘Safe At Home’ order. VA Ditches Beach Restrictions After Thousands Defy Order. Oxford vaccine may only offer ‘partial protection’.
Today’s update begins with some significant developments from the West Coast.
The U.S. Justice Department has just issued a warning that California could be violating religious freedoms in its plan to reopen the state after the coronavirus stay-at-home order.
The letter from the Justice Department’s civil rights division to Gov. Gavin Newsom listed several objections both to the original order and the plan to slowly reopen the economy.
The Justice Department questioned why religious work was not considered “essential” while other sectors, including the entertainment and e-commerce industries, were allowed to continue operating.
Federal officials also criticized the reopening plan for allowing restaurants, shopping malls, offices and manufacturing facilities to open under Phase 2 while religious institutions could not reopen for in-person services until Phase 3, which would occur later.
In fact, the Justice Department indicates that the houses of worship should be allowed to reopen during Phase 2:
DOJ’s letter to CA Gov. Newsom on civil rights and the covid-19 pandemic.
“We believe that the Constitution calls for California to do more to accommodate religious worship, including in Stage 2 of the Reopening Plan.” pic.twitter.com/8A4D95QKxs
— KerriKupecDOJ (@KerriKupecDOJ) May 19, 2020
Salons, Spas Across California Call On Governor To Re-Open Early
Not only do Californians want to return to their places of worship, but they would also like to get their hair and nails done before heading to services.
Nail and hair salons across California are pushing to reopen early.
There were hundreds of protesters outside of the state Capitol on Monday demanding a speedier coronavirus recovery plan in their favor.
In Huntington Beach, business owners held a virtual town hall with Orange County Congressmember Harley Rouda, citing the financial strains of being forced to stay closed.
“They need to pay their rent. Technicians need to get back to work,” said Johnny Ngo of Whale Spa Salon Furniture. “The industry is ready to do what needs to be done to get this moving forward.”
Ngo and other salon owners have started the campaign, Nailing It For America, suing Gov. Gavin Newsom for the right to reopen and raising money to buy personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.
Oregon Coronavirus Restrictions Kept in Place
Oregon remains on lockdown, despite a judge’s recent order.
The Oregon Supreme Court late Monday halted a rural judge’s order from earlier in the day that tossed out statewide coronavirus restrictions imposed by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown. Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff had ruled that Brown erred by not seeking the Legislature’s approval to extend the stay-at-home orders beyond a 28-day limit.
The Supreme Court’s ruling stays Shirtcliff’s decision pending a review by all the high court justices.
Gov. Mike DeWine Lifts Ohio’s ‘Safe At Home’ Order
In the Midwest, it appears Ohio is opening up. It seems the governor there prefers recommendations over dictates and orders.
More of Ohio’s mandatory restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including the state’s “stay-at-home” order and two-week self-quarantine period for travelers entering the state, will be cut short, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday.
However, some key social-distancing rules, including a ban on most mass gatherings and restrictions on bars and restaurants, will remain mandatory.
The current “Safe At Home” order will be replaced with an “Urgent Health Advisory: Ohioans Protecting Ohioans” order, the governor said during his daily coronavirus briefing.
“We are now moving from orders to strong recommendations,” DeWine said. “This is a new phase in our battle against the virus.”
Virginia’s Democratic Gov Ditches Beach Restrictions After Thousands Defy His Order
Virginia’s governor has eased the state’s Coronavirus restrictions on beaches and water activities after thousands of flocked to the shoreline this past weekend.
On Friday, Northam, a Democrat, gave the green light for houses of worship and some businesses to operate at 50 percent capacity. Outdoor dining – with different parties spaced 6 feet apart – resumed with some staff required to wear masks.
…Following the weekend crowds, Northam announced during a press conference Monday that Virginia Beach would be allowed to reopen May 22 at the start of Memorial Day weekend, which normally kicks off the coast’s busy summer tourism season.
The governor said that although Virginia Beach will join Phase One of his reopening plan on Friday, other beaches in the state would remain restricted to just exercise and fishing until at least Phase 2, WWBT reported.
Oxford Vaccine May Only Offer ‘Partial Protection’ After Results of Monkey Trial
While the Moderna vaccine trial proved highly successful, the results weren’t nearly as good for the Oxford version.
Scientists have cast doubts over the coronavirus vaccine being developed by University of Oxford researchers, suggesting “concerning” results of trials in macaque monkeys indicated it might only offer “partial protection.”
The government pledged a further £65.5m for the research on Sunday, announcing it had struck a global licensing deal with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, which will see up to 30 million doses produced by September if the vaccine is successful.
Human trials of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine are already underway, after trials on mice and rhesus macaques at the US National Institute of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratory, the full results of which were made public last week in a non-peer-reviewed preprint.
The researchers found a single dose of the vaccine prevented all six vaccinated monkeys from developing pneumonia, but did not prevent infection outright.
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Comments
May ????
Not May, but Gretchen.
Gretchen Whitmer Negotiating With Biden Team for Vice President Position… – the Last Refuge
“Oxford vaccine may only offer ‘partial protection’.”
Guess what will give near 100% protection – actual exposure to the virus – So let the kids get exposed especially since the virus has little to no effect on the young.
Much more effective
Much less costly
You only get partly pregnant.
This is a dress rehearsal for single-payer healthcare.
By any means necessary.
The ends justify the means.
Vote Democrat! (Of course, if we have mail-in ballots, I won’t even need to vote Democrat as that will be done for me)
“This is a dress rehearsal for single-payer healthcare.”
Also gun control, “climate change”, fighting discrimination, population control – you name it. Large segments of the American population have gone from screaming “Keep your laws off my body!” to “Control every aspect of my life!”.
The drivers:
“Keep your laws off my body!” – facts and logic
“Control every aspect of my life!” – fear and trust me to think for you (while I am lying to you with comforting lies)
Of all the forced closings, I think the inability of the faithful to gather and pray might cause the most stress. Spirituality has saved many souls and brought peace to those who are struggling to find peace in their own lives.
Me? I would have kept churches open the whole time. Perhaps only ask parishioners to keep a safe distance but allow anyone who so chooses to pray the ability to get inside their house of worship.
I hate to say this, but one of the disturbing ironies of the Wuhan virus is that although speaking results in more significant virus projection than breathing, singing results in much more projection than speaking. What do we do in churches? Sing!
Since myself and two others in my household are possibly at risk, I’ll be doing my singing from home for a while.
Is it wrong that I’m hoping they come at this one with a “disparate impact” claim?
“Oxford Vaccine May Only Offer ‘Partial Protection’ After Results of Monkey Trial”
We need more details on the this monkey trial’s scope.
“Scopes” isn’t it?
I’ll show myself out…
“The researchers found a single dose of the vaccine prevented all six vaccinated monkeys from developing pneumonia, but did not prevent infection outright.”
But it’s the pneumonia that kills you, isn’t it? I can put up with the headache and stiff muscles.