Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins reported 335 new cases and 17 deaths due to COVID-19 on Friday.
Pfizer says their COVID-19 pill cuts hospitalizations and deaths by 90 percent, The Dallas Morning News reports. Pfizer is seeking FDA approval on their COVID-19 antiviral pill as soon as possible. Merck’s competitor pill that cuts hospitalizations in half is currently under review by the FDA and is already approved for use in the U.K.
COVID-19 travel restrictions on the U.S. borders are set to end today, KERA reports. For 19 months, transportation between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico has been restricted to essential travel. Starting Monday, fully vaccinated foreign nationals are allowed to enter the U.S. regardless of the reason for travel.
Texas Attorney General sues Biden administration over new COVID-19 vaccination regulations for big businesses, The Texas Tribune reports. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is challenging the federal vaccination rules for big businesses: mandatory regular testing or employee vaccinations by Jan. 4.“The Biden Administration’s new vaccine mandate on private businesses is a breathtaking abuse of federal power,” Paxton said in a written statement Friday.
Dallas’ Superintendent Michael Hinojosa says the district will keep mask mandates, The Dallas Morning News reports. The mask mandate will be reconsidered in December after analyzing elementary student vaccinations.
“We know that it takes six-to-eight weeks for the vaccines to take full effect,” Hinojosa said. “We also know that we have two holiday periods that are coming up for us right now. So we are not going to lift the mask protocol at this time.”
