Midday News Brief

After a decision earlier this week in Louisiana to halt the Biden administrations vaccine mandate for companies with 100 employees or more the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced it is suspending any work towards enforcing the mandate.  President Biden said that his administration is doing everything it can to get the courts to allow the mandate to proceed.  The 3 judge court that ordered the halt said the mandate “Grossly exceeded OSHA’s statutory authority.”

There is a winter weather advisory for Western NY including Wyoming County tonight from 7pm to 1pm on Friday.  The advisory says lake effect snow of up to 7 inches is possible overnight and into the morning and early afternoon.  Low visibility at times and rapidly changing road conditions are expected.  Remember to drive carefully, take turns slower and give yourself extra time to stop.

Monday is the last day for healthcare workers who received a religious exemption from Governor Hochul’s COVID vaccine mandate.  The state department of health sent a letter to health care providers across the state that said beginning Monday those who were previously granted religious exemptions must have documentation of a first dose COVID-19 vaccination or a valid medical exemption.  In early October a federal judge ruled the state had to allow health care workers to seek exemptions as a lawsuit challenging the requirement proceeded in court.  In late October a federal appeals panel upheld the state’s vaccine mandate for health care workers and reversed the federal judge’s decision.

The Canadian Government is planning to lift the restriction requiring that fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents returning to Canada after trips into the US under 72 hours get a COVID test according to the CBC.  This change is expected to take place at the end of the month.  Congressman Higgins says that getting rid of the test for short visits is step one of three in changing how COVID is handled at the border.  Also Announced yesterday was that NY would start accepting vaccine passports from Canadian provinces and that Canada’s SMART Health Card would be integrated with NY States Excelsior Pass.  The Bills and Sabres have stated that they are ready to accept visitors from Canada with Canadian Vaccine Passports.