INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Recipients of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine have strong protection against the delta variant that has been linked to rising coronavirus figures in the U.S., according to a study published this week.

The Clark County Commission voted Monday to require masks for all employees indoors regardless of their vaccination status, but stopped short of requiring them for tourists and the general public.

The Biden administration announced a goal of July 4th as "a return to normal," but small business owners in liberal cities now fear a return to 2020.

A U.S. appeals court late Saturday in a 2-1 ruling put on hold a lower-court decision that said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could not enforce its coronavirus cruise ship rules in the state.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is suing Florida's surgeon general over the state's vaccine passport ban, arguing that they should be able to verify passengers' vaccination status when they set sail from Miami on August 15.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that the Biden administration will not mandate vaccine passports, but it will encourage private businesses to use them as they see fit.

Royal Caribbean announced that unvaccinated passengers from Florida will have to pay testing fees and undergo other restrictions after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that banned businesses from using vaccine passports in the state.

The Department of Defense on Monday announced a $3.3 billion contract was awarded to Moderna last week for the production of hundreds of millions of additional doses of its COVID-19 vaccine.

Lawmakers in Wisconsin advanced a bill this week that would prohibit any public or private entity in the state from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Royal Caribbean clarified its vaccine policy ahead of the cruise line's return to U.S. ports next month, saying Monday that all passengers 16 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, except for on ships setting sail from Florida.

Residents of Columbus, Ohio will be paid $100 for getting the COVID-19 vaccine after city leaders approved a program Monday to give payouts in an effort to boost vaccination rates.

Kroger is offering Americans who get vaccinated at its clinic and pharmacy locations a chance to win a $1 million cash prize and free groceries for a year.

More than 100 employees at Houston Methodist are suing their employer for requiring them to get vaccinated.

“While we have already sent more than 1.1 million notifications to users about available vaccines, in order to protect our users' privacy we don’t track when shots have been received,” a Dr.B spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement on Wednesday.

As the national COVID-19 vaccination drive continues and workplaces navigate reopenings, some question whether businesses and employers can request proof of vaccination given patient privacy laws, like HIPAA.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System has given its employees an ultimatum: get the COVID vaccine before Sept. 1 or get fired.

McDonald’s is using its coffee cops to promote vaccination information.