Healthcare

Sens. Cruz, Coons Push For Increased US-Israel Medical Partnership To Combat COVID

Published

2 years ago

April 16, 2020

Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) are joining bipartisan forces to push for an increased medical partnership with Israel in mitigating the coronavirus pandemic. Both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are also asking for $12 million to “enhance partnerships between companies in the United States and Israel to develop innovative medical projects aimed at detecting, treating, and curing COVID-19.”

Israel is not only our friend & ally, but also a global leader in medicine w which we already cooperate on exactly those issues. Proud to push forward w @ChrisCoons to ensure both American & Israeli companies can work together to develop cures and treatments to defeat #COVID19.

TRENDING
Almost 100 Employees At Yale New Haven Health Fired For Being Unvaccinated

— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) April 16, 2020

“I’ve long said that China poses the most significant, long-term geopolitical threat to the United States. Our dependence on China for life-saving medications and treatments is deeply problematic,” Cruz said in a statement. “Israel is not only our friend and ally, but also a global leader in medicine with which we already cooperate on exactly those issues. I’m proud to push forward to ensure both American and Israeli companies can work together to develop cures and treatments to defeat COVID-19.”

International collaboration in the face of this global pandemic is critical. @SenTedCruz and I are pushing for increased cooperation between the U.S. and Israel, world leaders in the medical technology industry, to fight #COVID19. https://t.co/A2liZOmF0Y

— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) April 16, 2020

“The United States and Israel are world leaders in the medical technology industry, and it is in the interest of all Americans, Israelis, and the rest of the world that we work together to fight COVID-19. This virus knows no borders, and our bill underscores the importance of international collaboration in the face of a truly global pandemic,” Sen. Coons said in a statement.

Many Israeli companies are inching closer to a COVID-19 vaccine and have reported success in early trials of a number of therapeutics and treatments. For example, as reported, Israel’s Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.’s treatment had a 100 percent survival rate in patients treated. Researchers at MIGAL, an internationally recognized research institute located in Israel’s Northern Galilee, say they’re years ahead in developing a coronavirus vaccine that could be ready within weeks, as reported.

Click to comment

Healthcare

American and Southwest stand by vaccine mandate, despite Abbott’s ban

Published

2 months ago

October 13, 2021

Staff Writer

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are still planning to comply with President Biden’s executive order regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. The order requires all their employees to be vaccinated by Dec. 8t. As a result, they will be ignoring Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s ban on vaccine mandates.

Folks, vaccination requirements work. pic.twitter.com/XuBsOQxGaN
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 9, 2021

Abbott announced his own executive order, effectively banning mandates even from private employers, on Tuesday. “In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas’ continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster,” Abbott said. “The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced.”

Yet both airlines are requiring their employees to be vaccinated by Nov. 24. This comes despite Southwest’s impromptu cancellation of over 2,000 flights over the weekend. At the time, the airline blamed the cancellations on air traffic control and weather conditions. However, SaraACarter.com was unable to verify that any other airline had to cancel near as many flights for the same reasons. This has left many to speculate that Southwest actually cancelled flights due to their employees walking out as a direct result of the mandate.

Just got passed this flyer from a Southwest employee #FreedomFlu pic.twitter.com/Q5gXGhxoma
— Handbrake Poso (@JackPosobiec) October 13, 2021

Reporter Jack Posobiec tweeted out a flyer circulating among the anti-vaxx Southwest employees. Currently, they are planning a protest outside of Southwest headquarters next Monday. The protest will be called “Freedom Not Force.”

Southwest told Reuters it “would be expected to comply with the President’s Order to remain compliant as a federal contractor.” In addition, American similarly said Abbott’s order does not change anything.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.