CDC now says to treat COVID like the flu, drops 5-day quarantine, advises gathering outside to prevent getting sick



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidelines regarding COVID-19, including treating coronavirus like the flu and dropping the 5-day quarantine.

"The new guidance brings a unified approach to addressing risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers," the CDC said in a press release on Friday.

"While every respiratory virus does not act the same, adopting a unified approach to limiting disease spread makes recommendations easier to follow and thus more likely to be adopted and does not rely on individuals to test for illness, a practice that data indicates is uneven," the CDC stated.

In a stark contrast to previous COVID guidelines, the CDC significantly dialed back precautions regarding the virus.

The CDC now says people who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to quarantine from others for at least five days, a recommendation established in late 2021. At the beginning of the pandemic, the CDC recommended those who tested positive should subject themselves to a 10-day isolation period.

Now, the government's health agency said people should return to "normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication."

"For people with COVID-19 and influenza, treatment is available and can lessen symptoms and lower the risk of severe illness," the CDC declared.

The CDC advised infected people to wear a well-fitting mask and to keep a distance from others.

The new guidelines also recommended "taking more steps for cleaner air."

The CDC's "active recommendations on core prevention steps and strategies" include "bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors."

The CDC also recommended staying up to date with vaccinations for COVID and influenza.

CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said, "Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19. However, we still must use the commonsense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses — this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick."

The health agency said it is now making updates to the COVID guidelines because the U.S. is "seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV."

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New York AG appealing ruling that prevented Democratic governor from throwing Americans in quarantine camps for indefinite periods without review



Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James is appealing a 2022 court ruling throwing out a state regulation over its glaring illegality. If successful, James' appeal will restore the power to Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration to arbitrarily detain American citizens for indefinite periods and force them into quarantine camps.

What is the background?

The regulation, Section 2.13 "Isolation and Quarantine Procedures," was adopted and enshrined in the New York Code, Rules and Regulation in February 2022. It went into effect April 22, 2022.

This regulation enabled the state commissioner of health to "issue and/or ... direct the local health authority to issue isolation and/or quarantine orders ... to all such persons as the State Commissioner of Health shall determine appropriate."

"For the purposes of isolation orders, isolation locations may include home isolation or such other residential or temporary housing location that the public health authority issuing the order determines appropriate," read the regulation.

Those detained at home or in a New York concentration camp without trial or proof of infection were to be monitored "to ensure compliance with the order."

In April 2022, state Senator George Borrello (R), Assemblyman Mike Lawler (R), and Assemblyman Chris Tague (R) joined pro-freedom citizens' group Uniting NYS in suing Gov. Kathy Hochul, Department of Health Commissioner Bassett, the Department of Health, and the Public Health and Health Planning Council over the New York's forced "Isolation and Quarantine" regulation.

Borrello said, "From the start of the pandemic I was deeply concerned that the expansive ‘emergency’ powers that were given to the Executive Branch would establish a permanent precedent. Unfortunately, that is precisely what we are seeing here in New York State."

"It’s an unconstitutional overreach that violates the required separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government. It must be challenged," added Borrello.

Tague said, "This policy’s aim to forcibly isolate law-abiding citizens is reminiscent of actions taken by some of the ugliest tyrannical regimes history has ever known. It has no place standing as law here in New York, let alone anywhere in the United States."

Their suit claimed that the Hochul administration not only lacked the statutory authority to promulgate 10 NYCRR 2.13 "Isolation and Quarantine Procedures," which had been adopted as an emergency regulation on Feb. 22, 2022, but that it was "not the least restrictive way in which Respondents could try to achieve their goal."

The lawsuit intimated that Hochul and others had acted in a despotic manner, having "exceeded their executive powers, thereby usurping the power of the NYS legislature" and "misleading the public."

They noted that it violated the NYS Administrative Procedure Act, the Separation of Powers doctrine, and Public Health Law and had been enacted "against the will of the NYS Legislature which refused to act on the topic."

New York Judge Ronald Ploetz happened to agree.
In his July 2022 decision, Ploetz noted that "adoption of Rule 2.13 was invalid of the pre-existing provisions adopted by the Legislature."

"Involuntary detention or hospitalization ... triggers Constitutional protections including the right to counsel ... as well as proof of the need for detention by clear and convincing evidence," wrote Ploetz. "No such due process protections are afforded by Rule 2.13. The Commissioner has unfettered discretion to issue a quarantine or isolation for anyone, even if there is no evidence that person is infected or a carrier of the disease. Further, the Commissioner sets the terms, duration, and location of the detention, not an independent magistrate."

Ploetz underscored, "Involuntary detention is a severe deprivation of individual liberty, far more egregious than other health safety measures, such as requiring mask wearing at certain venues," noting that it could result in unemployment and family breakdowns.

The regulation was deemed "null, voice and unenforceable as a matter of law."

Hochul and her administration were also prohibited from both enforcing 2.13 or readopting it.

The Democratic fight to detain Americans on a whim

The Brownstone Institute reported that on March 13, 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) formally submitted an appeal to overturn Ploetz's ruling and restore the illegal quarantine regulation.

Rather than file an appeal before the November elections, during which Hochul and James were on the ballot, the Brownstone Institute noted James waited until the January 2023 deadline came around.

Concerning the belated appeal, Sen. Borrello said in a statement, "It is disappointing, but not a surprise, that state officials have chosen to pursue an appeal of Judge Ploetz’s ruling declaring Rule 2.13 unconstitutional and 'null and void.' Their actions are an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars and an attempt to defend an indefensible policy. The constitutional separation of powers and the right of due process are principles that cannot be compromised."

"This case has been on solid ground from the start and Judge Ploetz’s ruling only confirmed that. The notion that a state agency could unilaterally adopt a policy that mandates authoritarian-style isolation and quarantine procedures would have been unimaginable a few short years ago," said Rep. Lawler. "However, the extreme government control and overreach that was disturbingly normalized during the pandemic has given rise to actions like this one. It has to stop and that is why we won’t give up."

Assemblyman Tague stated, "This unconstitutional power-grab must be stopped in its tracks. If Rule 2.13 is allowed to stand, I guarantee that we will see more frightening intrusions on our civil liberties in the years ahead."

"I am calling on the governor and the attorney general to accept the court’s ruling and stop this waste of taxpayer resources on this futile fight," said Tague.

Bobbie Anne Cox, the attorney instrumental in bringing the lawsuit against Hochul's health regime, wrote on her Substack, "Every New Yorker, every American, should know that our government wants complete and utter control to lock you up or lock you down, with no proof that you are sick, for an indefinite amount of time, regardless of age, and with no path for release once imprisoned."

While James appears keen on enabling the Democratic governor to lock up law-abiding citizens, the attorney general has been an advocate for no-cash bail and a critic of police conducting arrests during traffic stops, in both cases helping to keep criminals on the streets.

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No more quarantines or test-to-stay in schools, CDC reveals sweeping changes to COVID-19 guidance



The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Americans no longer need to quarantine if exposed to COVID-19, a sweeping announcement that rolls back several of the agency's pandemic recommendations.

In new "streamlined" guidance released Thursday, health officials removed the distinction between vaccinated Americans and those who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, meaning the CDC's guidance is now the same for everyone.

The agency says that individuals exposed to someone with COVID-19 no longer need to quarantine and should instead wear a high-quality face mask for 10 days and get tested after five days. Those who test positive for the virus should isolate while they are sick and come out of isolation once they test negative.

Additionally, testing to screen people for COVID-19 is no longer recommended for anyone who does not have COVID symptoms.

Protocols for schools have also been updated. The CDC has ended its "test-to-stay" strategy, which required that children exposed to the virus test negative to continue in-person learning at school. The agency also removed the recommendation that kids in different classrooms avoid mixing.

While health officials emphasized that the pandemic is not over, they said that new vaccines, treatments, and therapeutics have reduced the risk of severe illness to the point that society can now live with COVID.

“We’re in a stronger place today as a nation, with more tools—like vaccination, boosters, and treatments—to protect ourselves, and our communities, from severe illness from COVID-19. We also have a better understanding of how to protect people from being exposed to the virus, like wearing high-quality masks, testing, and improved ventilation," the CDC's Dr. Greta Massetti said in a statement.

"This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives,” she added.

A growing number of Americans say they've already returned to living their lives without disruption from COVID.

Four in 10 Americans say they have returned to their "normal, pre-COVID-19 life," according to a new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center. This is an increase from a prior survey in January when only 16% said their lives were back to normal.

A majority of Americans (54%) also said they never or rarely wear a mask when indoors with people who are not from their household. This is the first time a majority has said they never or rarely wear a mask since the question was first asked in September 2021.

“After more than two years of experience with Covid-19 and its effects, the public is largely aware of the nature and risks of infection,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. “A consistent percentage does not believe a pre-Covid normal will ever be restored. But a growing number have returned to their pre-Covid life. One can only hope that those in each group have accurately calculated the risks and benefits that their decision entails.”

Interestingly, there was a partisan and gender split between who reported they had returned to normal and who said they were still living with pandemic restrictions.

Survey respondents who are male, who report being or leaning Republican, who say they aren't regularly wearing masks, or who indicate they are less worried about getting COVID in the next few months were more likely to say their lives had already returned to normal.

Respondents who are female, who say they are Democrats or lean Democratic, who are 65 and older, who regularly wear masks indoors around non-household members, or who are more worried about catching COVID were less likely to report that their lives have returned to normal.

Belgium introduces compulsory monkeypox quarantines as its spread continues to baffle global leaders



Belgium has become the first country to introduce a compulsory quarantine for people diagnosed with monkeypox, as the disease continues to spread seemingly randomly across the globe.

Belgian health authorities said that if they are diagnosed with monkeypox, Belgian residents will be required to self-isolate for 21 days, the Daily Mail reported.

Belgium recorded its first infection of monkeypox this past Friday, and it is believed that all subsequent cases are connected to a festival that was held in the port city of Antwerp.

The Belgian quarantine policy comes as European doctors have warned that Great Britain is facing a “significant” rise in monkeypox infections and that the British government’s response is “critical” in containing the spread.

This past weekend, 11 British residents tested positive for the virus, bringing the country’s total up to 20. The infected include a child who is currently in critical condition in a London hospital.

There are currently 100 recorded infections in Europe.

Suggesting that the disease might be spreading through sexual transmission, Dr. Claire Dewsnap, the president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said that the recent monkeypox outbreak could have a “massive impact” on access to sexual health services in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Susan Hopkins, a chief medical adviser to the U.K. Health Security Agency, also warned that monkeypox is spreading through community transmission.

Dewsnap recently said that “[Britain’s] response is really critical here. There is going to be more diagnoses over the next week.”

She said, “How many is hard to say. What worries me the most is there are infections across Europe, so this has already spread. It’s already circulating in the general population. Getting on top of all those people’s contacts is a massive job.”

Dewsnap suggested that case numbers could greatly increase in the coming weeks. She said, “It could be really significant numbers over the next two or three weeks.”

President Joe Biden is also concerned about the growing case numbers of monkeypox.

This past weekend, just before he left South Korea, Biden said, “Everybody should be concerned about it.”

He said, “We’re working on it, hard to figure out what we do.”

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Eye-opening poll shows 59% of Dem voters want unvaccinated confined at home, 45% want them in 'designated facilities,' 48% demand fines or imprisonment for anyone who questions efficacy of vaccines



A new poll from the Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports surveyed 1,016 U.S. "likely voters" on Jan. 5. The eye-opening poll detailed the lengths to which a large swath of Democratic voters would go to punish fellow Americans for being unvaccinated against COVID-19.

The survey found that Republican and Democrat voters have completely polar opposite opinions on Dr. Anthony Fauci – chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. The poll noted that 75% of likely Democratic voters had a favorable view of Fauci versus only 21% of Republicans and 38% of unaffiliated voters.

An alarming 48% of Democrats believe that the government should fine and even imprison anyone who questions the COVID-19 vaccine's efficacy on social media, television, radio, or in publications. Meanwhile, only 14% of Republicans and 18% of independent voters say there should be criminal punishments for criticizing the vaccines.

When it comes to COVID-19 policies, nearly half (47%) of Democratic voters favor a government tracking program for anyone who is unvaccinated against COVID-19. There are 66% of all voters who are against governments utilizing digital devices to track people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the survey, 55% of Democrats are in favor of the government fining Americans who do not get the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to just 19% of Republicans. There are 29% of Democratic voters who support removing children out of the custody of unvaccinated parents, while only 7% of Republicans are in favor of this punitive measure.

The poll revealed that 59% of likely Democratic voters want the government to enact a policy requiring unvaccinated Americans to be confined to their homes at all times, except for emergencies. Meanwhile, 79% of Republicans and 71% of unaffiliated voters oppose such severe actions.

There are 45% of Democrats who call for the government to round up citizens who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and force them into "designated facilities." Among voters who have a "very favorable" opinion of President Biden, 51% are in favor of putting unvaccinated Americans in designated facilities. The proposal to require unvaccinated people to be put into special camps is opposed by 71% of all voters and 95% of voters who have a "very unfavorable" impression of Biden.

But it isn't just polls that show the Democrats' desire to confine unvaccinated Americans in their homes. An opinion piece written in the Salt Lake Tribune openly calls for the military to enforce absolute confinement for unvaccinated citizens.

The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board penned an article titled "Utah leaders have surrendered to COVID pandemic" on Saturday. The editorial board calls on Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) to use the National Guard to confine unvaccinated Utahns to their homes, and would not allow them outside, even to go to the grocery store.

"We might have headed off omicron with a herd immunity-level of vaccinations, but that would have required a vaccination mandate, which our leaders refused," the article reads.

"Were Utah a truly civilized place, the governor’s next move would be to find a way to mandate the kind of mass vaccination campaign we should have launched a year ago, going as far as to deploy the National Guard to ensure that people without proof of vaccination would not be allowed, well, anywhere," writes the Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board.