Now Nevada institute staff need to get Covid vaccines or face termination

WASHINGTON: After Supreme Court denied an emergency appeal from a group of teachers to block New York City's Covid-19 vaccine mandate for public school teachers and other staff, Nevada has issued a similar policy, requiring employees at all public universities and colleges in to get the vaccinations by December 1 or face potential termination.

All new hires must prove their vaccination status under the new policy. Meanwhile, coronavirus case trends are improving in urban areas but have worsened in most rural parts of the state where vaccination rates are the lowest.

The Desert Research Institute has the highest vaccination rate at 87 per cent, followed by the

University of Nevada Reno

at 82. UNLV reported 75 per cent. Rural Elko-based Great Basin College had the worst rate at 66 per cent.

Nearly 65 per cent of residents aged 12 and older have one vaccination and 56 per cent are fully vaccinated, according to state data.

On Friday, Supreme Court Justice

Sonia Sotomayor

denied the emergency appeal from a group of teachers who had filed for the injunction with her on Thursday to keep the mandate from going into effect.

Under the mandate, the roughly 148,000 school employees had until 5 pm Friday to get at least their first vaccine shot. Those who didn't face suspension without pay when schools open on Monday.

Meanwhile, in Salt Lake City, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints thanked members who have followed its guidance to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Church President Russell M Nelson spoke Saturday at a conference taking place again without full attendance due to the pandemic. For the first time in two years, leaders were back at the faith's 20,000-seat conference center, with several hundred people watching in person and others on television. The

Tabernacle Choir

at Temple Square returned to the conference.

The Utah-based faith has repeatedly encouraged its 16 million members worldwide to limit the spread by getting vaccines and wearing masks. Last week, church officials announced masks will be required inside temples to limit the spread of the virus.

On the other hand, the leader of a Mississippi pediatricians' organization is urging school districts to keep mask mandates in place to slow the spread of the Covid-19.

Dr

Anita Henderson

of Hattiesburg is president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She says about 30 per cent of youngsters aged 12 to 17 in the state are vaccinated, and "now is not the time to let our guard down".

Mississippi has reported nine pediatric deaths from the Covid-19. Some school districts are repealing mask mandates. Among them are the Madison County and Rankin County districts in central Mississippi and the Ocean Springs district on the Gulf Coast.