Kentucky’s governor has suffered a major legal defeat in his efforts to fight COVID-19.

On Saturday, the state’s highest court allowed laws to be enacted that restricted his emergency powers. A lower court was ordered by the state Supreme Court to dismantle an injunction that blocked new Republican-backed laws restricting Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has emergency powers.

This ruling is based on a dispute between Beshear’s GOP-led legislature and Beshear over the extent of the governor’s executive authority during times of emergency. This decision comes at a time when Kentucky’s COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases are increasing.

In June, the governor relaxed most of his pandemic restrictions. He signed an executive order in June that imposed an indoor mask requirement in Kentucky’s K-12 schools, child care, and pre-kindergarten programs. This was due to COVID-19 cases rising because of the delta variant.

Unanimously, one of the contested laws restricts the governor’s executive orders during times of emergency to 30 day unless extended by legislators.

Here’s WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING.

LA CROSSE (Wis.) — Officials at a Wisconsin shrine have reported that a high-ranking Roman Catholic cardinal has been taken off a ventilator. He is now out of intensive care.

Cardinal Raymond Burke would be returning to a regular hospital room at an undisclosed place on Saturday, according to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of La Crosse.

Burke, 73-year-old Burke was one of the most outspoken Catholic Church conservatives and a vaccine skeptical. He had been put on a ventilator and sedated after he tweeted Aug. 10 that the coronavirus had infected him.

He opposed mandatory vaccinations for May 2020 and stated that some people want microchips to be implanted in their bodies.

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PARIS — Protesters again march in France’s cities and towns against the COVID-19 health card that allows them to access cafes and restaurants, as well as cultural and sporting venues.

Opponents decried what they consider a restriction on their freedom for the sixth consecutive Saturday. Many criticised the measure, saying that the French government impliedly made vaccines mandatory.

Four demonstrations were held in Paris by various groups. Over 200 protests took place elsewhere in the country.

Despite protests, polls show that the majority of French support the health pass. France has more than 40.5 million residents, which is 60% of the population, who are all fully vaccinated.

France has been experiencing a rise in infections since last month — around 22,000 per day.

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MONTGOMERY (Ala.) — U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, of Alabama, has revealed that he and his wife were diagnosed with coronavirus. In a social media post, the congressman revealed his diagnosis. He said he will continue to work as much as possible while he recovers in quarantine.

Representative for the Republican Party encouraged citizens to talk with their doctors about vaccines and treatment options. Alabama is experiencing an increase in viral cases and hospitalizations. This is due to the high-contagious delta variant of the virus and low vaccination rates.

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BERLIN — Austria’s government has stated that it could restrict access to nightclubs for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, if there is an increase in infections.

As with many European countries, Austria is experiencing an increase in coronavirus infection, especially among young people who have not been fully vaccinated.

To be allowed to enter nightclubs, you must have had a recent negative PCR test or been vaccinated.

Saturday’s joint statement by the chancellery, the health ministry and the health ministry stated that a fall vaccination-only policy may be required if the infection rate continues to rise and the number vaccinated young adults remains low. The “particular Risk of Superspreader Events” was highlighted by the chancellery and the health ministry. This is because social life will move indoors in the fall.

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WASHINGTON — Americans have a less favorable view of President Joe Biden’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Their job approval rating has dropped to 58 percent.

According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, this is the result. According to the survey, Biden’s overall approval rating for his job has fallen from 59% to 54% last month. Even worse, the public’s opinion of Biden’s handling of the pandemic is now 54% down from 66% support in July.

This coincides with an increase in COVID-19 cases and stagnant vaccination rates in the United States. Jeanette Ellis-Carter (69) wants Biden to push for more vaccine mandates in the country. The Cincinnati resident, who is fully vaccinated but has recently been diagnosed with COVID-19, worries that if there are no vaccine mandates, there will be more Americans at risk.

“When I was a kid, the school required us to get the measles shot and polio shots. She said, “What’s the difference?”

Republican officials led the opposition against the mask and vaccine measures that the Biden administration put in place this year. Some Republican governors oppose the use of masks in schools.

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MONTGOMERY (Ala.) — As the highly contagious delta variant spreads through unvaccinated people, health officials in Alabama are reporting a rise in cases among children and young adults.

Christina Tidmore encouraged people to get vaccinated following the death of her husband, COVID-19. The 36-year old spouse of Christina Tidmore was healthy and young, but she died from the disease three weeks later. After hearing contradictory messages, the couple did not get vaccinated.

The state’s COVID deaths have increased by 14% in the last month to include people aged 25-49. Between 50 and 64, 29% of all deaths occur.

Scott Harris, State Health Officer, stated that “there is no doubt that the average age people are being hospitalized” is declining. According to the Alabama Hospital Association, 85% of COVID-19 hospitalized patients are not vaccinated.

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EUGENE (Ore.) — Oregon State and Oregon were the first Power Five schools that announced they would require proof of vaccination or a negative test for coronavirus to allow people over 12 years old to attend football games.

Oregon officials say the decision was reached with public health authorities in Oregon and “peer institutions within the state”. This comes after a week of warnings from state officials about the need to quickly fill hospitals, as the number of daily reported cases has reached record levels.

The Oregon football team will open its season in Eugene’s 54,000-seat Autzen stadium on Sept. 4, against Fresno State. Oregon State will open its home schedule against Hawaii at Reser Stadium in September.

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NEW YORK — A concert featuring superstars will be held in Central Park to celebrate New York City’s recovery from the coronavirus.

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson are some of the performers at the “Homecoming Concert”.

The concert takes place despite the good intentions. However, there are concerns about the contagious delta version of COVID-19. New York City has seen an average of just under 2000 cases per day of coronavirus in the last week, according to statistics. All concert attendees must provide proof of vaccination.

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ORLANDO (Florida) — Orlando’s mayor has asked residents to stop watering their yards and washing their cars for a minimum of a week.

Mayor Buddy Dyer believes water consumption must be reduced due to the recent rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations. The Orlando Utility Commission treats water in the city with liquid oxygen. Supplies that normally go towards water treatment were diverted to hospitals for patients with the virus.

The city’s utility normally uses 10 trucks of liquid oxygen per week. However, its supplier recently stated that it could use five to seven trucks per week to accommodate hospitals.

Officials from one of Orlando’s largest health systems reported this week that they had 1,620 COVID-19-positive patients, double the number during AdventHealth’s peak winter.

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SYDNEY — More than 250 people were arrested in Australia as they protested the coronavirus lockdowns. Many were fined for violating health orders.

Protests were held in many cities across the country on Saturday, with the largest and most violent demonstration taking place in Melbourne. After skirmishes at one of the protests, seven police officers sustained injuries.

Sydney was in lockdown for over two months while Melbourne and Canberra were placed into lockdown earlier in the month. The lockdown rules restrict people’s social interaction and places them in isolation at home.

Protestors say lockdowns must end. Authorities however insist that they are needed to stop the spread of the virus.

Sydney, New South Wales reported a record 825 daily community infections on Saturday despite the restrictions. Many cities are currently fighting the highly contagious delta variant.

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BERLIN — The number of coronavirus infections has risen steadily in Germany, with new cases reaching their highest point in three months.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, 51.6 new cases per 100k residents have been reported in the past seven days. This is the highest infection rate since May 25, but it has been rising since the low of 4.9 in July.

According to the disease control center, 8,092 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. This is an increase of 5,644 cases a week ago. As summer vacations wind down and some children return to school in Germany, more cases are being detected.

German authorities are trying to reenergize the country’s vaccination drive which has been slowing down. Official data showed that 63% had received at least one dose of vaccines by Thursday, while 58% were fully vaccinated.

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HANOI (Vietnam) — The Vietnamese government has announced that it will send troops to Ho Chi Minh City in order to deliver food and assistance to the local population. This is amid a worsening coronavirus epidemic.

According to a report by the government, the army will be deployed to assist with logistics in the city of 10,000,000 people. Residents are asked to “stay put” for two consecutive weeks beginning Monday.

This comes as Vietnam, which has suffered from a lot of the pandemic, had more than 10,000 new cases and 390 deaths Friday. 3500 of these infections were in Ho Chi Minh City.

Since June, Ho Chi Minh City has been enacted strict coronavirus policies. This includes preventing more than two people from gathering in public places and limiting people’s ability to leave the home to purchase food or work in permitted businesses. People in high-risk areas are not allowed to leave their homes under the new measures.

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HONOLULU — The hospital that serves a Honolulu suburb is now full because of a high number of COVID-19 patients.

Jason Chang, CEO of The Queen’s Health Systems, stated that all 104 beds at The Queen’s Medical Center West Oahu have been filled.

Some patients were transferred from the Ewa Beach hospital to its sister facility in downtown Honolulu. It has also requested assistance from staff from other parts the Queen’s health system.

A triage tent has been set up outside the hospital. It has 25 cots. Although the hospital might add beds in hallways or other areas, not all patients will be able to get rooms.

Chang claims that the hospital saw 63 patients in its emergency department at once, which is quite a number considering the hospital has only 24 ER beds. 26 of the patients in the ER had COVID-19 infection.