Charlotte-Mecklenburg County votes in favor of county wide mask mandate
The Charlotte Mecklenburg County board voted in favor of an indoor mask mandate county wide. The vote was made in mid-August with the rule going into effect on August 31st. There was some confusion about where exactly the indoor mask mandate was required; here is a brief rundown. In Mecklenburg County all schools, private or public, are mandated to wear masks indoors. Children as young as 5 are required to wear masks indoors. Ages 5 and up are also required to wear masks inside all businesses and buildings, public and private. Board members during the meeting said the rule was to help stop the spread or covid 19 and protect the vulnerable in the county. County Health Director Gibbie Harris said during the meeting that the masks protect and the shots work, encouraging county residents to get the covid shot. Churches, wedding events and funerals and residential homes are the only areas exempt from mask mandate requirements. Many board members previously voiced concern that churches in the Charlotte area would sue and win just like churches nationwide. The mandate passed 6-2 with only Pat Cotham and Ella Scarborough voting against it. Cotham in her comments said she wanted other towns in the county to choose for themselves. The mandate is supposed to be lifted if Mecklenburg County stays under 5 percent positive cases and stays under that for 30 days. A month after the mandate the county is at ten percent positive rates. (Critics at the board meeting and by live stream pointed out that the board acted on emotions, not science. Some continued by referencing accredited institutions - ex. Harvard University that conducted studies with proof that masks do not work as well a previously thought. Many commented that masks and rules are now about control and not stopping the spread of the illness).
NY Governor says God wants people to take covid shot
The new governor of New York is pushing the covid shot and using some inspirational words to appeal to skeptics. Governor Kathy Hochul recently spoke with parishioners at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. During the speech the governor encouraged those present to convince others to receive the shot. Governor Hochul said,” I need you to be my apostles. I need you to talk about it and say (to skeptics) we owe it to each other. There are people out there who are not listening to God and what God wants. You know who they are.” She continued claiming because Jesus taught us to love one another people should get the shot to show they care. Hochul also called those who received the shot smart people, and that God sent smart men and women to create this shot to combat the virus. The governor also boasted about a necklace she wears that has the word “Vaxed” on it. The comments by the governor were made after mandates for healthcare workers became mandatory in New York in September. Several employees have walked off the job in New York making some hospital departments short staffed as a result. The New York Times is reporting thousands of employees did receive the shot ahead of the mandate. New York is one of the strictest states in the nation for employees requiring covid shots. Despite the governor’s claims about her faith, the state government will not be allowing religious exemptions for state and private business employees. The state’s former governor forced all religious institutions closed over the past year claiming the spread was mainly due to churches and synagogues refusing to close. Governor Cuomo later resigned after several sexual harassment claims by several women.
Video streaming service bans Covid “anti-VAX” content
Social media giant YouTube has announced the company will ban all videos that are in opposition to the covid shot. The company says it will ban anti-covid shot advocates. The ban will go into effect immediately. YouTube executives said in their statement that the ban is to help combat “false information and those who are spreading false claims about vaccines in general. The company also said bans will include claims of the covid shot causing cancer, infertility, and other side effects. YouTube will allow videos against the covid shot if the author is talking about a personal experience, but they still must follow the platform’s guidelines. The ban has been widely criticized by critics who call it an infringement on first amendment rights. Dr. Joseph Mercola one of those banned says his channel was immediately taken down without notice and called the ban an override of free speech. Among those banned: The National Vaccine Information center, Mercola.com, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s channel, Children’s Health Defense organization.
SNBC Health report: Researchers’ find link between Vitamin D and Albumin
Researchers continue to find more benefits from Vitamin D this time when combined with albumin. Researchers studied the two nutrients concerning building natural immunity against viral illnesses. In their studies it was found that patients who were deficient in Vitamin D were also deficient in albumin. This discovery was important because albumin is found in the liver and helps the body absorb vital nutrients into the bloodstream. The researchers concluded their study verifying that Vitamin D was significant in defense of the body from viral illnesses. Including sunlight Vitamin D can be naturally found in foods such as herring, mackerel, liver, and egg yolks. Albumin is used in the body to help with nutrient absorption and helps replenish the body’s blood supply in addition to its benefits to the vascular system. It can naturally be found in eggs, nuts, and dairy.