Coronavirus Vaccine Updates: Arizona rescinds mask orders for schools, no vaccine passports

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Arizona's Governor Doug Ducey is rescinding orders for masks in K-12 classrooms.

Instead, he's leaving the decision up to the school districts.

Ducey says this is in line with CDC guidance.

He's also banning state and local government agencies from requiring proof of vaccinations to receive services or enter a facility.

Private businesses that get state money will have to follow the same rule.

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Here are more of today's headlines:

Some dealing with 're-entry anxiety' as COVID restrictions ease, experts say

After a year of isolation and strict measures to avoid Covid-19, cities across the country are slowly beginning to reopen. Many are starting to experience what medical experts are calling "re-entry anxiety."

With more and more people getting vaccinated, many are starting to feel comfortable being out in public places with others. But there are still many others who don't feel comfortable at all.

Doctor says there's 'good evidence' COVID-19 booster shots may not be necessary

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both have been proven to be effective for at least six months. Many are just weeks away from reaching that benchmark left wondering, will I need a booster shot?

"No, I don't think so," said UCSF Dr. Monica Gandhi. "We may not need booster shots."

Aside from the promising trial data, Gandhi says all three COVID-19 vaccines are also producing a high level of T cell immunity, which is effectively fighting variants.

"I'm very hopeful that we won't need these booster vaccines, but if we do, the technology will make this very easy for us to get them in the future if we have outbreaks pop up," she said.

How some Republican lawmakers are fighting conservatives' COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

In his eastern Maryland congressional district, conservative GOP Rep. Andy Harris is vaccinating his constituents against COVID-19.

He's part of a cohort of physicians-turned-lawmakers on Capitol Hill volunteering to give shots to Americans in their communities, as part of the broader effort to bring the country closer to herd immunity.

The work of Harris, an anesthesiologist by training, Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, and other members of the GOP Doctors Caucus is particularly important given the high rate of vaccine hesitancy observed in conservative Americans.

EU regulator recommends warning on labels for Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Experts at the agency that regulates drugs for the European Union said Tuesday that they found a "possible link" between the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and very rare blood clots after a small number of cases were reported in the United States.

The European Medicines Agency said a warning about very unusual blood clots should be added to labels for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine. The agency these rare blood disorders should be considered as "very rare side effects of the vaccine."

US warns against visiting 80% of world due to COVID-19

The State Department on Monday urged Americans reconsider any international travel they may have planned and said it would issue specific warnings not to visit roughly 80% of the world's countries due to risks from the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States hasn't had a global advisory warning against international travel since August, when guidance was revoked by the Trump administration.

Over-the-counter COVID-19 rapid tests to be sent to major pharmacies this week

Store shelves at pharmacies across the county will soon be filled with affordable, quick, at-home coronavirus test kits.

BinaxNOW, a rapid COVID test made by Abbott Laboratories, was shipped Monday to major pharmaceutical chains, including Walgreens, CVS and Walmart, to be sold over the counter. The tests will be sold in two-count packs for $23.99.

Oscars 2021: Here are the COVID-19 safety measures for ceremony attendees at Union Station

As the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony approaches, more details are emerging about the measures being taken to keep attendees safe in the midst of the pandemic.

This year, the base of the show won't be the ceremony's usual home, the Dolby Theatre (though the Dolby is still a key location), but Union Station, the railway hub in downtown Los Angeles.

According to a report from Variety, the Academy is not asking attendees to wear face masks while they're in front of the camera. Academy representatives and nominees reportedly discussed it during a Zoom meeting Monday.

In-person learning delayed until September in Jersey City, superintendent says

Even as Jersey City public school teachers had already returned to their classrooms, getting them ready for an expected resumption of in-person learning next week, the superintendent announced a big delay.

In a robocall to parents Sunday night, Superintendent Franklin Walker said that in-person learning would not restart until September. Walker said there was not enough staffing to reopen the schools.

Connecticut to lift most mandates on businesses, outdoor gatherings

Connecticut is planning to phase out many COVID-19 restrictions affecting businesses next month while keeping the mandatory indoor mask-wearing rules in place, Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont announced this week.

The announcement came as the state surpassed 8,000 COVID-associated deaths, but Connecticut currently ranks second in the nation for most vaccines administered per capita.

Can you get vaccinated if you have COVID-19? Doctors explain what to do

All U.S. adults in all 50 states became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine Monday, but with the virus still widespread, it is inevitable that some people will test positive for COVID-19 or have a known exposure right before their first vaccine appointment or between their first and second shot.

Experts interviewed by ABC News say if you develop COVID-19, or even if you are exposed, you should probably delay your appointment.

Yale will require students to be vaccinated

Yale has joined a growing list of universities that are requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning in the fall.

The university's president and provost made the announcement Monday in an email to the Yale community. They urged students to get their shots as soon as possible, calling inoculation "the strongest tool for preventing transmission of the virus."

Reasonable exceptions will be made for religious or medical reasons, and Yale will vaccinate any students in the fall who could not get access to the vaccine this summer.

How many people in your area are hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

Most states have opened up COVID-19 vaccination to everyone 16 and older, but not everyone is lining up to get the shot. With the recent temporary pause on the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, doctors worry about an increase in vaccine hesitancy that may not be warranted. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, the CDC found that as many as a third of adults in some areas reported being hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. These rates are highest in the states of Wyoming and North Dakota, and lowest in Massachusetts, Vermont and California.

When did you realize the COVID pandemic changed everything?

Many of us had a moment, most often occurring in March 2020, when we realized that COVID-19 had completely changed our lives forever. Even though we've managed to move forward and adapt to a new normal, that memory still sticks with us. Tell us: What was that moment to you?

Top 7 COVID vaccine questions answered

You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side is getting you answers from doctors on the front line of the pandemic.

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