Ticker: Supreme Court denies hospital workers’ vax appeal; Powell: COVID variant clouds inflation, economic outlook

The Supreme Court has turned away an emergency appeal from employees at the largest hospital system in Massachusetts who object to the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds.

Justice Stephen Breyer did not comment Monday in rejecting the request from employees at Mass General Brigham for a religious exemption to the system’s vaccine requirement. Lawyers for the employees said in court papers that six have been fired, one has resigned and another was vaccinated in order to remain employed.

Mass General Brigham, which with 80,000 workers is the state’s largest private employer, told employees they would terminated if they did not receive their first shot by Nov. 5.

The employees who sued contend the requirement violates federal workplace discrimination laws.

Last month, the justices turned away a similar appeal from Maine, over three dissenting votes.

Powell: COVID variant clouds inflation, economic outlook

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says that the appearance of a new COVID-19 variant could slow the economy and hiring, while also raising uncertainty about inflation.

The recent increase in coronavirus cases and the emergence of the omicron variant “pose downside risks to employment and economic activity and increased uncertainty for inflation,” Powell says in prepared remarks to be delivered to the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday.

The new variant could also worsen supply chain disruptions, he added.

In the past two weeks, other Fed officials have said the central bank should consider winding down its ultra-low interest rate policies more quickly than it currently plans. They cite concerns about inflation that has jumped to three-decade highs.

Yet Powell’s remarks suggest that the additional uncertainty raised by the omicron variant may complicate the Fed’s next steps.