Biden slams anti-vax movement, mandates widespread shots, tests

Washington, September 10

President Joe Biden took aim on Thursday at vaccine resistance in America, announcing policies requiring most federal employees to get Covid-19 vaccination and pushing large employers to have their workers inoculated or tested weekly.

The new measures, which Biden laid out in remarks from the White House, would apply to about two-thirds of all US employees, those who work for businesses with more than 100 workers.

"We've been patient," Biden told the tens of millions of Americans who have declined to get Covid shots. "But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us." Taken together, the policies and speech represented Biden's most aggressive steps yet to prod Americans resistant to getting shots as the fast-spreading Delta variant sparks a new wave of sickness and death. The surge has posed increased risk not just to the country but to a president who ran on promises to get control of the pandemic. — Reuters

Greece approves tough penalties for bogus Covid certificates

Athens: Greece has introduced tough penalties for issuing fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates after a worker at a state vaccination centre was suspended for allegedly helping several people acquire bogus documents. Health Minister Thanos Plevris said on Friday that Parliament had approved a legislative amendment to impose a fine of 5,000 euros (USD 5,920) for each vaccination, recovery, or test certificate issued under false pretenses. Private health facilities found to have issued fake documents could be fined up to 50,000 euros. AP

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