Agriculture - GL

'They need to back off': Farm states push back on Biden’s bird flu response

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is at odds with state officials and the dairy industry over its on-the-ground response to the avian flu outbreak spreading among dairy cows, complicating President Joe Biden’s efforts to track and contain a virus that has the potential to sicken millions of people.

Many farmers don’t want federal health officials on their property. State agriculture officials worry the federal response is sidelining animal health experts at the Agriculture Department, and also that some potential federal interventions threaten to hinder state and local health officials rushing to respond to the outbreaks.

ALSO SEE: A pandemic response that amounts to hoping and praying isn’t nearly enough.

England confirms 34 COVID cases linked to highly mutated variant - UKSHA UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) said on Friday that 34 COVID-19 cases linked to the highly mutated variant BA.2.86 had been identified in England. Reuters Reuters

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The agency said 28 of the confirmed cases were identified from a single outbreak at a care home in Norfolk.

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Nearly 4 million Americans received updated COVID boosters last week - CDC The 11.5-million figure represents only 5.3% of the 215.5 million people in the United States aged 12 or older who are eligible to receive the shots because they have completed their primary vaccination series. The shots are being administered at a slower pace than last year, when the United States initially authorized COVID boosters just for older and immunocompromised people. Around 20 million people received their third shot in the first five weeks of that vaccination campaign. YahooNews

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans any COVID-19 vaccine mandates — including… Abbott also called on the Legislature to pass a law banning the expanded vaccine mandates. Rebekah Allen The Texas Tribune

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued another executive order cracking down on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this time banning any entity in Texas, including private businesses, from requiring vaccinations for employees or customers.