The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is thinking to approve a second Covid-19 vaccine booster for people above 50 years of age amid concerns about a new Omicron subvariant that could hit the US. The authorisations for second Pfizer and Moderna boosters can be done by next Tuesday, according to media reports.

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Hawaii became the last US state to remove the indoor masking need as the Omicron cases reduced. The state also suspended its Safe Travels program and allowed travellers from other states to enter without giving proof of vaccination. Idaho also passed a bill to stop businesses from requiring a Covid-19 vaccination for employment or service and prevent unvaccinated individuals from being treated differently. According to the bill, to receive a vaccine or not is a very personal and individual decision and one that public or private sectors should not mandate.