On Friday, the Supreme Court heard arguments about the constitutionality of President Joe Biden's Wuhan coronavirus vaccine mandates for private companies with more than 100 employees. In September 2021, Biden tasked OSHA with implementing and enforcing the mandates. In the time since, the administration has been sued by multiple parties.
During questioning, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor made a number of false statements about the vaccine's ability to prevent transmission of the virus. While it may protect against death or hospitalization, the vaccine does not prevent transmission.
"They continue to work well for Delta, with regard to severe illness and death – they prevent it. But what they can't do anymore is prevent transmission," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in an interview with CNN over the summer.
Many Supreme Court Justices have falsely stated today that the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine "prevents disease" and transmission in the work place. This is absolutely false and highly alarming they're using that point as fact to make their decision.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) January 7, 2022
Sotomayor falsely claimed the Omicron variant of the virus is just as deadly as the previous Delta version. This is false.
A South African doctor who was one of the first to suspect a different coronavirus strain among patients said on Sunday that symptoms of the Omicron variant were so far mild and could be treated at home.
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, a private practitioner and chair of South African Medical Association, told Reuters that on Nov. 18 she noticed seven patients at her clinic who had symptoms different from the dominant Delta variant, albeit "very mild".
Further, the Justice claimed 100,000 children are in "serious condition" and "on ventilators" for the disease. This is not true, and according to the data from the CDC, children are still at little risk for serious illness or death from the disease.
SOTOMAYOR: “We have over 100,000 children, which we’ve never had before, in serious condition, and many on ventilators.” pic.twitter.com/SyyztlpdDx
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 7, 2022
This is just absolutely astonishing. "100,000 children in serious condition," per Sotomayor. Where do these people obtain their misinformation? The current national pediatric COVID census per HHS is 3,342. Many/most incidental.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) January 7, 2022
Justice Stephen Breyer argued hospitals are at capacity because of the disease, specifically due to unvaccinated individuals getting ill. This is not true.
Breyer: "Hospitals are full almost to the point of the maximum."
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) January 7, 2022
These people know absolutely nothing. Zero. pic.twitter.com/F5z3Hzz6IR
Breyer also said there were 750 million new cases yesterday, that is not remotely true.
Justice Breyer says that there were "750 million new covid cases yesterday"
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 7, 2022
There are 330 million people who live in America which means everyone apparently got covid twice in the last 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/rzMf8OzAlj
A decison on whether to uphold Biden's mandate is expected soon.