Vaccine passports - Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

Massive Protests Worldwide Against Vaccine Passports

Michelle Edwards — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 00:18:53 +0000

As the 2020 Olympics continue in Tokyo with no spectators in sight, protests against COVID-19 vaccine passports and other draconian measures across Europe and around the world continue to stir unrest and draw massive crowds. The demonstrations highlight the growing global conflict between the flip-flopping advice of the World Health Organization, the CDC, and other public health agencies and individuals fighting to defend their right to make personal health decisions for themselves and their families.

United Kingdom
Thousands of protesters gathered in central London last Saturday to protest government COVID-19 mandates. The London demonstration, part of a global movement against severe coronavirus restrictions known as the Worldwide Rally For Freedom, saw an enormous crowd forming in the city’s Trafalgar Square to protest mask mandates, business restrictions, and vaccines passports, among other government restrictions.

In attendance was David Icke, media personality Katie Hopkins, and Piers Corbyn, whose brother is former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Speakers at the rally compared the government measures to the Holocaust. Referencing the military tribunals for prominent leaders in Nazi Germany known as the Nuremberg trials, Kate Shemirani, a former nurse who was removed from the Nursing and Midwifery Council in June after being accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19, said at the rally, “Get their names [of doctors and nurses]. Email them to me. With a group of lawyers, we are collecting all that. At the Nuremberg trials, the doctors and nurses stood trial, and they hung. If you are a doctor or a nurse, now is the time to get off that bus … and stand with us, the people.”

Italy
Thousands of protesters peacefully gathered in Rome, Milan, Verona, and other Italian cities over the past several days following the Italian parliament’s decision to impose “green pass” restrictions on unvaccinated people in the country, including tourists.

The protesters included families with young children, medical doctors who said they are risking their jobs not to get vaccinated, and people who likened the Green Pass decision to decisions by fascist dictatorships.

The pass, which is a digital or paper certificate, will be available to those who have had at least one vaccine dose. The pass will also be available to anyone who presents proof of a negative test taken within 48 hours before accessing any of the activities under restriction, as well as those who have recently recovered from Covid-19. Beginning Aug. 6th, the pass will be required to go to sports stadiums, gyms, swimming pools, museums, spas, casinos, and cinemas. Eating in indoor restaurants will also require a pass.

France
Hundreds of thousands of people in France are protesting against President Emmanuel Macron and the nation’s parliament mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all health care workers and against a bill taking effect in August requiring everyone to have a special COVID-19 pass to enter restaurants. The demonstrators chanted “Freedom, freedom,” while carrying placards denouncing “Macron, Tyrant,” “Big Pharma shackles freedom” or saying “No to the pass of shame.”

The law declares all workers in the health care sector must start getting vaccinated by Sept. 15th or risk suspension. Currently, visitors going to museums, cinemas, or swimming pools in the country are already denied entry if they cannot produce a pass showing that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have had a recent negative test. The pass has been required for large-scale festivals or to go clubbing.

Huge protests broke out in central Paris against COVID-19 curbs and vaccination

Source: https://uncoverdc.com/2021/07/30/massive-protests-worldwide-against-vaccine-passports/

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‘Sophie’s choice, over and over’: Death panels are the new phase of the pandemic

Danny Westneat - The Seattle Times — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 19:21:29 +0000

Registered nurse Jack Kingsley attends to a COVID-19 patient at St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center in Idaho on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. St. Luke’s Health System has paused certain elective surgeries and procedures because of increasing COVID-19 cases. (Kyle Green / The Associated Press)

Remember “death panels”? Well, they’re back, and this time, they’re real.

“Death panels” was a phrase coined by Sarah Palin, the folksy-talkin’ former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate. She imagined that Obamacare would cause health bureaucrats to ration out medical care, after first sitting in judgment of who was most deserving to receive it.

This was awarded the “Lie of the Year” in 2009, as it was nowhere in any legislation. It was a right-wing fever dream.

But now a version of it has come true — in Idaho. Hospitals in northern Idaho are so flooded with COVID-19 patients that the state has declared an emergency, called “crisis standards of care.” It means when you show up to the emergency room, you may get treated based preferentially on who is most likely to live.

“If your mother has a heart attack, someone will have to assign her a point score designating how likely she is to survive,” the Idaho Falls Post Register wrote, describing the scheme last winter when it was first being contemplated. “If it isn’t high enough, she might not get an ICU bed, and a COVID patient will get it instead.

“We will ask the nurses and doctors who’ve broken their backs trying to save us to make that Sophie’s choice over, and over, and over.”

This past week the 200-bed hospital in Coeur d’Alene had 218 patients — so many it was treating patients in hallways and running out of oxygen to help them breathe, The Associated Press reported.

“What about the people who need emergency care but, because of the exploding COVID crisis here, can’t get it?” asked the Coeur d’Alene Press. “Do we just let them die?”

The answer to that is: “Yes.” Letting them die is actually the plan. The GOP governor of Idaho said it was “an unprecedented and unwanted point in the history of our state.” But he made no moves to try anything else, such as requiring vaccinations for anyone (he earlier had banned the governmental use of “vaccine passports” in the state). It’s a red state, and so for the most part they’re letting the virus rip and run.

Remember years ago when a tea party debate audience cheered the idea of letting someone without insurance die? What’s happening in Idaho is even worse because it’s so preventable.

Doctors in Idaho have said their COVID-19 patients are almost all unvaccinated. “We don’t have any vaccinated patients here,” an ICU doc in Boise told The Associated Press. “Misinformation is hurting people and killing people.”

Idaho ranks last in the percentage of its population having at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, at only 45%. The U.S. is about 63%; Washington state 69%.

But Idaho is not the only place where the “death panel” concept is creeping into the conversation. The main hospital in Yakima is seeing a record number of COVID-19 patients, almost all unvaccinated. They’re raising the specter of rationing care there, too — something the chief medical officer said has never happened at the hospital.

“I sure hope we don’t get there, but that’s where we’re heading,” he warned in The Yakima Herald-Republic on Wednesday.

When I wrote last week about a COVID-19 skeptic and anti-vaxxer who had died of the disease, asking whether society should care, I heard from a slew of readers furious because their own medical care is being delayed or cut off — a diffuse version of the triage going on in Idaho.

“Am I angry? You bet I am,” wrote Mike Morrissey, of Snohomish, who says his cardiac surgery has been put off indefinitely due to a flood of COVID-19 patients. “My heart is failing without intervention. I can’t walk a block without stopping. But their choice [to not get vaccinated] just negated my urgent need.”

Echoed a nurse at a regional hospital: “They’re dying of stupidity by choice, but at the same time taking up space in the hospital and displacing stroke, cancer and cardiac patients.”

“Do I care what happens to those who won’t take a simple step to end this nightmare?” asked reader Jon Kraus, who said his brother-in-law had a surgery to fix a painful back condition put on hold due to COVID-19 levels. “I’m tired of catering to people who don’t care about anyone but themselves.”

This is why Gov. Jay Inslee and President Joe Biden suddenly feel more comfortable mandating the vaccine for groups of workers and businesses. Yes, the right-wing flank of the GOP will sue, march around in tri-corner hats and scream at their local school boards. But people are done. The vaccinated — the majority in most states — have had enough.

Now, as the workplace vax wars rev up, the best point to keep in mind is offered up by reader Michael Andreoni:

“Who I DO feel sorry for are the medical personnel who have to deal with this mess,” he wrote.

It’s the story of our time, how a pandemic that was visited upon us, through no fault of our own, ended up morphing into such a self-inflicted wound for America.

It didn’t take a tyrant or a deep state or a committee of banal bureaucrats to bring death panels to life, as Sarah Palin imagined in her fever dream. We willingly did it to ourselves.

Danny Westneat: dwestneat@seattletimes.com; Danny Westneat takes an opinionated look at the Puget Sound region’s news, people and politics.

Source: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/sophies-choice-over-and-over-death-panels-are-the-new-phase-of-the-pandemic

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The Biden administration is developing a national coronavirus ‘vaccine passport’ scheme for Americans

Thomas Colson - Business Insider via MSN — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 16:41:29 +0000

The Biden administration is reportedly working on a national vaccine passport program.
The scheme will enable people to prove they have received a coronavirus vaccination in order to enter some private venues and businesses.
Possession of a vaccine passport could be an entry requirement to some sports arenas, music venues, or restaurants.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The Biden administration is working on a vaccine passport program that would allow people to prove they have received a coronavirus vaccination, in order to enter venues which have been closed due to social distancing requirements, such as offices or movie theatres. The Washington Post and CNN reported.

Five officials, who spoke anonymously, told the Post that the White House is pushing efforts by federal agencies and private companies to develop the scheme.

Vaccine passports have been widely touted around the world as a way for various industries to start returning to normal whilst minimising the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks and could be an entry requirement for anything from sports arenas, music venues, or restaurants, to international travel.

The passports will likely take the form of a scannable code displayed on smartphones, private developers told the Post, while users without smartphones will be able to print codes onto paper.

New York has already announced an app called the Excelsior Pass which will allow a user to prove they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently tested negative, Forbes reported.

One official suggested to CNN that vaccine passports could be required for people returning to work.

The White House declined to comment to the Post on record but pointed to comments made by Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, who said at a press briefing in March: “As we increase the number of people vaccinated, we know some people may have a need to demonstrate that they are vaccinated.

“The private sector and not-for-profit coalitions are already beginning to work on this.

“Our role is to help ensure that any solutions in this area should be simple, free, open source, accessible to people both digitally and on paper, and designed from the start to protect people’s privacy.”

The idea of vaccine passports is gathering momentum worldwide, too.

Similar schemes are being considered by the United Kingdom’s government and the European Union has announced plans for a “Digital Green Certificate” which will prove whether a carrier has been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from the virus.

“With this certificate, we aim to help member states reinstate freedom of movement in a safe, responsible, and trusted manner,” European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference earlier in March.

The Ada Lovelace Institute, an NGO, said 30 countries around the world including China and the UAE are considering or already using a vaccine passport scheme as they seek to return to normal life, Insider’s Marianna Guenot reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/the-biden-administration-is-developing-a-national-coronavirus-vaccine-passport-scheme-for-americans/ar-BB1f5bwa

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The post The Biden administration is developing a national coronavirus ‘vaccine passport’ scheme for Americans first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Which States Have Banned Vaccine Passports?

Elliott Davis — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 23:49:17 +0000

As inoculations against COVID-19 continue across the country, more governors and state legislatures are taking action to prevent vaccination from being a requirement to access certain goods and services.

© (GRANT HINDSLEY/AFP via Getty Images) A patient receives a card showing when they received their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the Amazon Meeting Center in downtown Seattle, Washington on January 24, 2021. – Amazon is partnering with Virginia Mason for a one-day pop-up clinic on January 24. 2021 that aims to vaccinate 2,000 people at the companys Meeting Center near downtown Seattle. Virginia Mason is handling vaccine administration, while Amazon is providing the location and help with logistics. (Photo by Grant HINDSLEY / AFP) (Photo by GRANT HINDSLEY/AFP via Getty Images)

The concept, broadly referred to as “vaccine passports,” provides proof of vaccination for activities such as traveling or attending concerts. Americans’ level of support for the idea varies by activity, according to a May 7 Gallup survey. A majority of respondents favor mandated vaccination certification for airplane travel (57%) and attendance at crowded events, such as concerts or sports (55%). But a majority of those surveyed also oppose proving inoculation status to go to one’s workplace, stay at a hotel or dine indoors at a restaurant.
Officials in the Joe Biden administration have repeatedly insisted that there aren’t plans for a federal vaccine passport system. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a May 21 press briefing that requiring proof of vaccination is not in the administration’s “intended plan.” Despite that, some governors – mostly Republican – are taking action on vaccine passports.

Here’s where states stand on COVID-19 vaccine passports:

Vaccine Passports in Alabama

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey on May 24 signed a bill that bans businesses and government entities across the state from requiring coronavirus vaccine passports. Among several provisions, the bill states that “an entity or individual doing business in this state may not refuse to provide any goods or services, or refuse to allow admission, to a customer based on the customer’s immunization status or lack of documentation that the customer has received an immunization.” The law limits the requirements to vaccines approved as of Jan. 1, 2021.

Vaccine Passports in Alaska

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy on April 26 issued an administrative order clarifying for the public that the state’s “Executive Branch does not, and will not, require any person to produce their personal vaccine history, also referred to as a ‘vaccine Passport,’ in order to travel to, or around, Alaska.” The order also, however, notes that it will not “infringe on the rights of private businesses” and that the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system is still “allowed to inform passengers on long haul trips of the voluntary choice the passenger can make to provide proof of vaccination and avoid the need for a negative test before boarding.”

Vaccine Passports in Arizona

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, on April 19 issued an executive order prohibiting state and local government agencies from requiring residents “to provide their COVID-19 vaccination status to receive service or enter an area,” according to a news release. There are some exceptions, including health care institutions. Ducey added in a statement, “While we strongly recommend all Arizonans get the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s not mandated in our state – and it never will be. Vaccination is up to each individual, not the government.”

Vaccine Passports in Arkansas

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, on April 28 signed into law various measures that prevent state and local governments from requiring proof of vaccination as a condition of employment or to access goods and services, according to The Associated Press. The ban on requirements related to employment has some exceptions, including state-owned medical facilities. The measure related to goods and services access is tied to the concept of vaccine passports.

Vaccine Passports in California

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly said on May 21 that while the state will not require an official vaccine passport for residents when it lifts restrictions on June 15, it will mandate that indoor events with at least 5,000 people verify inoculation or a negative COVID-19 test, according to The Mercury News.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said on June 11 that California is working on an electronic vaccination verification system for businesses, but also clarified that “there is no mandate, no requirement, no passport,” according to CalMatters.

Vaccine Passports in Colorado

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

While there is currently no vaccine passport program in the state, Colorado health department officials said in early April that they were at least exploring the possibility of it, according to The Associated Press. But Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said that such a program would be unlikely, CPR News reported. “There is no comprehensive way to have a state vaccination passport,” he said, according to the outlet. “It violates people’s privacy. There’s no practical way to implement it.” Legislation was introduced in the state, however, that would have banned discrimination against clients, patrons or customers based on their COVID-19 vaccination status, according to an April 27 memo from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bill failed to pass.

Vaccine Passports in Connecticut

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, has said that he doesn’t see the demand in the state for a vaccine passport system but that programs could be introduced through the private sector, according to The Connecticut Post. “If I had businesses and others saying, ‘Boy it’d really be handy if the state came in and helped made sure some digital platform is in place,’ we’d take a look at it,” the governor said in May, according to the outlet. “I haven’t gotten that request though. I think most businesses are able to do it themselves.”

Vaccine Passports in Delaware

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Democratic Gov. John Carney said during a May 18 coronavirus briefing that, “We’re not going to be in the business of asking people for a so-called vaccine passport,” according to WHYY. The governor also acknowledged that enforcing updated mask-related rules on those who haven’t been vaccinated will be nearly impossible, the outlet reported.

Vaccine Passports in Florida

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis was one of the first governors to issue an executive order related to vaccine passports. His action, issued on April 2, ordered that no state government entity be permitted to issue “vaccine passports, vaccine passes or other standardized documentation for the purpose of certifying an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status to a third party.” The order also prohibits businesses from requiring similar documentation to enter or get services from a business. DeSantis also signed into law a similar bill – as described by the National Conference of State Legislatures – from the state Legislature in early May.

Vaccine Passports in Georgia

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on May 25 issued an executive order prohibiting state-operated vaccine passport programs. The order states “that no state agency, provider of state services or state property shall implement a vaccine passport program or otherwise require an individual to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition to enter the premises of or conduct business with a state agency.” Kemp said in a statement on Twitter that “vaccination is a personal decision between each citizen and a medical professional – not state government.”

Vaccine Passports in Hawaii

Vaccine passports have been implemented in this state.

Starting May 11, fully vaccinated individuals in Hawaii who uploaded their proof of vaccination to the state’s “Safe Travels” system were allowed to travel inter-county without pre-travel testing and quarantine restrictions. Gov. David Ige, a Democrat, said in late May that he is targeting July 4 for allowing vaccinated out-of-state travelers to come to Hawaii and bypass restrictions through a similar system, according to Forbes. Ige later announced in a June 4 news conference that starting on June 15, the state will expand its passport program to trans-Pacific travelers who have been vaccinated in Hawaii, according to Hawaii News Now. The governor later announced on June 24 that travelers vaccinated on the U.S. mainland can skip quarantine requirements without needing to get a COVID-19 test starting on July 8, Hawaii News Now also reported.

Vaccine Passports in Idaho

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Republican Gov. Brad Little on April 7 issued an executive order prohibiting government agencies from producing COVID-19 vaccine passports or requiring such proof as a condition of accessing state services. Within the order, Little said that the state mandating the vaccine or issuing vaccine passports is contrary to his “core values as an Idahoan and conservative.”

Vaccine Passports in Illinois

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said April 30 that the state will not create a way for residents to show they have been vaccinated. Pritzker, a Democrat, did note that for those who want a way to show their vaccination status, the state may “look for some way to have an electronic measure available,” according to NBC Chicago.

Vaccine Passports in Indiana

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

House Bill 1405, signed into law by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb on April 29, prohibits “the state or a local unit from issuing or requiring a COVID-19 ‘immunization passport.'” There has since been some confusion over how it applies to state universities, according to FOX-59.

Vaccine Passports in Iowa

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, on May 20 approved a bill that prohibits businesses and government entities from requiring people to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to enter their premises, and notes that state grants and contracts “shall not be awarded to or renewed” with entities that violate this provision. The law also prohibits government agencies from issuing identification cards that include COVID-19 vaccination status. Reynolds signed the legislation about six weeks after publicly saying she intended to “take a stand” against the use of the so-called vaccine passports, according to the Des Moines Register.

Vaccine Passports in Kansas

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

The Kansas Legislature in May passed a budget that includes language banning vaccine passports from being a requirement for entering a state government building or receiving related services, according to KAKE. Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said previously that she has “no interest” in the state issuing vaccine passports, according to the AP.

Vaccine Passports in Kentucky

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Vaccine Passports in Louisiana

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Louisiana lawmakers have been advancing a bill that takes aim at vaccine passports, even though state officials have not indicated plans for any vaccine requirement, according to the AP. The bill is pending and would prohibit requirements such as having proof of vaccination on driver’s licenses.

Vaccine Passports in Maine

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Vaccine Passports in Maryland

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Vaccine Passports in Massachusetts

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

While no bans have been passed in Massachusetts, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s response to an April question about whether state officials were planning to roll out a COVID-19 vaccine passport was simple, according to The Boston Globe: “No, no, no.”

Vaccine Passports in Michigan

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

The Michigan Legislature is advancing a bill that would ban the state government’s use of a vaccine passport system, Michigan Radio reported in May. The bill passed the Michigan House on June 2 and is pending in the Senate.

Vaccine Passports in Minnesota

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said in April that he has “no intention of doing vaccine passports,” according to KSTP. The state Legislature put forth a bill that would prohibit government entities or businesses from requiring proof of vaccination in order to enter a building open to the general public, according to the NCSL, but it is pending.

Vaccine Passports in Mississippi

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said during an April appearance on CNN that he doesn’t think vaccine passports are necessary or “a good thing to do in America,” according to the Clarion Ledger. A failed bill in the Mississippi Legislature would have prohibited public and private employers from requiring a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the NCSL.

Vaccine Passports in Missouri

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Two separate bills that would have prohibited COVID-19 vaccination requirements have not passed in the Missouri Legislature, according to the NCSL. But Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, on June 15 signed into law a more recent piece of legislation that bans requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to access public transportation or other services, according to the Springfield News-Leader.

Vaccine Passports in Montana

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte on April 13 issued an executive order banning the development or use of vaccine passports, according to the AP. The governor said in a statement that receiving the COVID-19 vaccine “is entirely voluntary and will not be mandated by the state of Montana, nor compelled through vaccine passports, vaccine passes, or other compulsory means.”

Vaccine Passports in Nebraska

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

While no ban has been passed in Nebraska, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a statement on March 31 clarifying that the state “will not participate in any vaccine passport program,” while adding that such a system violates “freedom of movement and healthcare privacy.”

Vaccine Passports in Nevada

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Vaccine Passports in New Hampshire

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

The New Hampshire state Legislature has put forth a bill that would prohibit the state government from requiring people to get vaccinated or possess a vaccine passport, according to CBS Boston. The legislation – Senate Bill 155, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader – is still pending.

Vaccine Passports in New Jersey

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Republican state Sen. Michael Testa proposed a bill in late April that would prohibit New Jersey from requiring businesses to make customers prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to WHYY. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said during a news conference that while he has “been open-minded to” the concept of vaccine passports, he also worries “about the inequities that [vaccine passports] brings, frankly,” the outlet also reported. Officials announced on July 12 a new app that allows residents to access an electronic record of their COVID-19 vaccination, but Murphy said the system is not considered a vaccine passport, according to NorthJersey.com.

Vaccine Passports in New Mexico

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Vaccine Passports in New York

Vaccine passports have been implemented in this state.

New York has introduced a government-sponsored digital vaccine passport program called the Excelsior Pass, according to the AP. The smartphone app shows whether someone has been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19. New York is the first state to implement such a system, according to The New York Times. At least some sports and performance venues, such as Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium, have used Excelsior Pass to prove vaccination.

New York City is taking things one step further. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Aug. 3 that the city would become the first in the country to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for indoor dining, gyms, concerts and performances. The program – dubbed the “Key to NYC Pass” – will be phased in slowly and apply to both customers and employees at applicable venues. “This is a miraculous place literally full of wonders,” de Blasio said during a news conference announcing the plan. “And, if you’re vaccinated, all that’s going to open up to you.”

Vaccine Passports in North Carolina

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Concerned that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper might require a vaccine passport in North Carolina, a group of Republican lawmakers sent a letter to him in April saying such a requirement would be a violation of residents’ constitutional rights, according to WFAE.

Vaccine Passports in North Dakota

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

North Dakota enacted a law that puts a limited ban on vaccine passports in the state after other failed attempts by its Legislature, according to The Bismarck Times. The law bans state and local governments from requiring inoculation proof documents and prohibits businesses – with some exceptions – from requiring vaccination documents of customers and patrons for access, entry or services, the outlet reported. The Legislature also passed a resolution “urging Congress to refrain from issuing a vaccine passport.”

Vaccine Passports in Ohio

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Ohio Health Director Stephanie McCloud said on May 17 that the state is not considering a digital vaccine verification system, according to Spectrum News.

Vaccine Passports in Oklahoma

Vaccine passports are not required in this state. On May 28, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law prohibiting schools from requiring COVID-19 vaccines for students, requiring vaccine passports, or imposing mask mandates on unvaccinated students.

Vaccine Passports in Oregon

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

The Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services said in a May 19 statement, in response to the state Health Authority’s new guidelines for fully vaccinated people, that if an “employer chooses to allow either employees or visitors to the workplace to make use of the vaccine exemption, the employer does not need to enforce the physical distancing and facial covering requirements in relation to those individuals provided that the employer verifies the vaccination status of such individuals.”

The statement also notes that “if an individual who claims to be vaccinated but refuses to provide verification of vaccination status, the employer need take no further action but must enforce the physical distancing and facial covering requirements without regard to the exemption.”

A conservative group called the Freedom Foundation said in a May 26 news release that it is prepared to “fight (Democratic Gov. Kate Brown) in court over this ludicrous vaccine passport” system. Following the backlash against the state’s vaccine status check rules, Senate Republicans introduced a bill on June 3 to ban vaccine passports in Oregon, according to KDRV.

Vaccine Passports in Pennsylvania

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

State Senate Republicans in Pennsylvania in late May were advancing a bill that would ban governments and school districts – but not private businesses – from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for access to services or to enter buildings, according to the AP. The Senate passed the bill on June 9 and it is now over to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, according to WCED.

Vaccine Passports in Rhode Island

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Led by Rhode Island state Rep. David Place, a Republican, lawmakers introduced legislation that would prohibit any proof of vaccine requirement to enter a public building, private business college or university, according to WJAR. The bill was “held for further study” in early April.

Vaccine Passports in South Carolina

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, on May 11 issued an executive order banning vaccine passports in the state.

Vaccine Passports in South Dakota

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem on April 21 issued an executive order banning the development or use of COVID-19 vaccine passports in South Dakota, according to the AP. Noem said in a statement, “We are not going to restrict South Dakotans’ exercise of their freedoms with un-American policies like vaccine passports.”

Vaccine Passports in Tennessee

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

The Tennessee Senate passed a bill in April that would ban government-issued vaccine passports, according to WZTV. Before that, Republican Gov. Bill Lee said on April 6 that he thinks “vaccine passports are a bad idea,” according to the AP.

Vaccine Passports in Texas

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on April 6 issued an executive order banning state agencies or political subdivisions in the state from creating a vaccine passport requirement. The order also “prohibits organizations receiving public funds from requiring consumers to provide documentation of vaccine status in order to receive any service or enter any place.” On June 7, Abbott signed a bill that extends the ban to private businesses, saying on Twitter that the law would prohibit “any business operating in Texas from requiring vaccine passports or any vaccine information.”

Vaccine Passports in Utah

Vaccine passports are partially banned in this state.

A bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox prohibits the Utah state government from requiring people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but private companies are not forbidden from doing so, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Vaccine Passports in Vermont

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

While a bill was introduced in the Vermont General Assembly that would have prohibited the use of COVID-19 vaccine passports in the state, the legislation did not advance.

Vaccine Passports in Virginia

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Vaccine Passports in Washington

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

While such passports are not required in Washington, new workplace guidelines released by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries on May 21 note that fully vaccinated employees do not have to wear a mask or socially distance as long as they “either sign a document attesting to their status or provide proof of vaccination.” Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee has since indicated through a spokesperson, however, that he is “not supportive of vaccine passports” and such a system “is not under consideration” for the state, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Vaccine Passports in West Virginia

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

Vaccine Passports in Wisconsin

Vaccine passports are not required in this state.

A Wisconsin Legislature bill would have prohibited “employers from requiring an employee or prospective employee to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or show proof of having received such a vaccine,” according to the NCSL, but it has not advanced.

Vaccine Passports in Wyoming

Vaccine passports are banned in this state.

Republican Gov. Mark Gordon on May 7 issued a directive prohibiting “state agencies, boards and commissions from requiring ‘vaccine passports’ to access state spaces and state services.” The governor said in a statement that such programs “have the potential to politicize a decision that should not be politicized.”

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/which-states-have-banned-vaccine-passports/ar-AAKug9F

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The post Which States Have Banned Vaccine Passports? first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Frustration grows with 90 million Americans holding out on vaccine

ABC News — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 11:04:23 +0000

The post Frustration grows with 90 million Americans holding out on vaccine first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – 2 April 2021

Mark Armstrong — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 22:04:35 +0000

Greetings from Tyler,

Everybody is in the Easter spirit, wishing each other a happy good Friday and looking forward to the “Easter” holiday. My Dad always asked, “What’s good about good Friday?” He explained that you can’t fit three days and three nights into the period between Friday and Sunday, no matter how you slice it. Many took heart, and now they’re spread out between countless organizations with “leaders,” some of whom claim to be apostles wielding authority far beyond any human government.

Now all the mainstream companies and corporations are doing back-flips to become the enforcers of “woke philosophy.” They are doing what the government can’t do Constitutionally, if that even matters anymore. First we had the “mark” of the mask. Now we’ve got the “mark” of the vaccine. What do you think is coming? It won’t necessarily be on the authority of government (though in some cases, and in some countries it is), it seems that corporations, financial institutions and travel companies can’t wait to impose their “woke” regulations and policies on us all. All the rage now is the “vaccine passport,” making it nearly impossible to participate in commerce or travel unless you’ve got the “marks” they’ve imposed and unless you express fear and dread of whatever the latest craze may be. The Governor of Florida is currently the most visible example of someone bucking the “vaccine passport.”

Very few are standing against the goody two-shoe movement, and the mainstream media ridicules anyone who dares. In some cases, they bring false allegations and bogus prosecutions against those bucking the trend. The military is being emasculated, forced to behave as if they’re enrolled in one of the institutions of “higher learning.” We’re all starting to wonder if there’s a play on words there somewhere. We hope not.

Internationally, it’s as if we’ve returned to the days of Jimmy Carter, meaning nothing but ashamed embarrassment for red-blooded Americans. The world is threatening once again, and the US. is once again the world’s whipping boy. The current administration (regardless of who’s calling the shots) is bending itself into a pretzel trying to appease Iran and get back into the insane nuclear deal. But Iran has conditions, and there are currently “third party” talks on the calendar to satisfy whatever demands the Mullahs impose. Re-entering the “Iran Nuclear Deal” might require another planeload of untraceable cash, and that will seem entirely reasonable to the “team” running American policy. It worked last time.

There have been more examples of the absolute inhumanity taking place on the southern border. Children, sometimes not much more than toddlers, are being used and abused in startling ways. They seem to be little more than currency to be gambled for the benefit and profit of smugglers, or perish the thought, families. Sometimes they’re sent back to be used again. Border enforcement and ICE are “processing” immigrants as quickly as possible so they can get them on a bus or a plane and relieve some of the overcrowded conditions we’re not supposed to see. Meanwhile, the smugglers are able to take advantage of the situation to transport their “products” without being chased down. Enforcement agencies have been overwhelmed, and that was the plan. The Cloward-Piven strategy. Very humanitarian, mind you.

The insanity is such that we can be thankful that God instituted a schedule that takes our minds off much that is going wrong in this world in order to remember how we got here, and the ultimate sacrifice made to secure our place in His kingdom.

We’ve been boosting that message, using means we don’t particularly like while we still can. Our “boosted” message appeared on the screens of 33,858 individuals. Of those, approximately 5000 engaged in some way (some only to wish us a happy Easter, having not understood what was going on,) but 240 actually followed the “link” and read the article.

This weekend entails the last Holy Day of the Days of Unleavened Bread, and the early activities are underway. Last evening we had a get-together at a vacation home acquired by two families that came to visit. We had a good turnout for a luncheon today at a local Mexican restaurant, and the crew is (as I write) bowling at a facility in town. More visitors will be coming for the H. D. service tomorrow, and we hope that everyone far and wide is making use of this annual event. Thanks to all who are with us in these most ignorant of times.

Mark

Source: http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/fridayupdates.php

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The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – 2 April 2021 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.