COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

The Biden administration will end the last remaining federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements next week when the national public health emergency for the coronavirus ends.

The Pentagon has formally dropped its COVID-19 vaccination mandate, but a new memo signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also gives commanders some discretion in how or whether to deploy troops who are not vaccinated.

The mandate was lifted under an $858 billion defense spending bill passed by Congress and signed into law Friday by President Joe Biden.

More than 8,000 active-duty service members were discharged for failure to obey a lawful order when they refused the vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military would be rescinded under the annual defense bill heading for a vote this week in Congress, ending a directive that helped ensure the vast majority of troops were vaccinated but also raised concerns that it harmed recruitment and retention.

The Canadian government will no longer require people to wear masks on planes. Government officials also confirmed Canada is dropping the vaccine requirement for people entering the country at the end of the month.

Canada will likely drop the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for people who enter Canada by the end of September, an official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Novak Djokovic will not play in the U.S. Open because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and thus is not allowed to travel to the United States.

The Chinese capital Beijing appears to have backed off a plan to launch a vaccine mandate for entry into certain public spaces after pushback from residents.

In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans reversed a lower court and ordered dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the mandate.

France is lifting most COVID-19 restrictions.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said county board 'couldn't care less' about residents' public safety concerns, predicts 'referendum on woke-ism'

Elementary school student Maci Young declined to wear a mask and was sent home — now, she tells the governor: 'I don't want to wear the mask anymore.'

Thousands of protesters are refusing to leave after setting up camp on the grounds of New Zealand's Parliament to rail against the country's COVID-19 vaccine mandate -- a move inspired by the Canadian trucker protests.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic said he would skip the French Open and Wimbledon rather than get vaccinated against COVID-19, if forced to choose.

A government official in Canada says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will invoke emergency powers to quell the COVID-19 mandate protests.