Coronavirus category, Page 106
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine warns of rising covid-19 hospitalizations
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The number of people hospitalized in Ohio because of the coronavirus is growing rapidly and raising the possibility that elective procedures could be postponed, hospital officials and Gov. Mike DeWine warned on Monday. More than 4,300 people are currently in the hospital with covid-19 related symptoms, a...
10 Allegheny County Jail employees test positive for covid, 50 in quarantine
Ten Allegheny County Jail employees tested positive for coronavirus since Saturday and another 50 are quarantining after they were identified as close contacts, officials said Monday. Officials said the cases are the result of community transmission — not exposures in the workplace. “While these steps will impact staffing levels at...
Pa. to ban alcohol sales at bars, restaurants for 1 night
State officials laid out new covid-19 mitigation efforts but stopped short of issuing a statewide stay-at-home order, instead advising Pennsylvanians to stay home and putting a one-night ban on alcohol sales Wednesday. New orders also scale back the maximum capacity for indoor and outdoor gatherings, capping outdoor limits for the...
World Health Organization official urges China visit to study coronavirus origin
GENEVA — The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization says it’s “extremely important” for its international team to visit China to look into the origins of the coronavirus, saying the U.N. health agency has been reassured such a trip will happen “as soon as possible.” Dr. Michael Ryan...
Pittsburgh City Council considers covid sick leave resolution, historical designations
Pittsburgh City Council on Monday introduced a resolution granting paid covid-19 sick leave to city workers. The legislation aims to supplement a federal policy that is set to expire Dec. 1. “Due to failed federal action, workers should not have to choose between their family’s health during a worldwide pandemic...
Allegheny County adds 962 new covid cases in 2 days, no new deaths
Allegheny County on Monday reported a two-day total of 962 new coronavirus cases with no new deaths. The county has seen an average of 508 new cases over the past seven days, adding 3,557 new cases in that time. The county added 576 cases Sunday and 386 on Monday, bringing...
Westmoreland County adds 331 covid cases, 5 deaths in 2 days
Over the past two days, Westmoreland County added 331 new covid-19 cases, according to Monday’s update from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county added 175 cases (87 confirmed) on Sunday and 156 (123 confirmed) on Monday. Since the pandemic began in March, the county has recorded a total of...
Pennsylvania adds nearly 12,000 new covid cases in 2 days
Since Saturday, Pennsylvania has added 11,837 new cases of coronavirus, the state’s Department of Health said Monday. On Sunday 7,075 cases were added, while Monday saw an addition of 4,762 cases. The statewide total stands at 314,401. The seven-day average of new cases rose to a record 6,398 cases; over...
Boris Johnson to end England’s coronavirus lockdown
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says shops, hairdressers, beauty salons and gyms in England will reopen and some fans will be allowed back into sports stadiums when a four-week lockdown comes to an end next week. Johnson confirmed to lawmakers Monday the government will lift the stay-at-home instruction...
Hampton switching to remote learning for 10 days to avoid covid spread
The Hampton Township School District will shift to remote learning for 10 days to address concerns raised by health officials that people traveling during the Thanksgiving break could cause covid cases to spike. Students will return to online instruction from Dec. 1 to 10, school officials announced in a letter...
China tests millions after coronavirus flareups in 3 cities
Chinese authorities are testing millions of people, imposing lockdowns and shutting down schools after multiple locally transmitted coronavirus cases were discovered in three cities across the country last week. As temperatures drop, widescale measures are being enacted in Tianjin, Shanghai and Manzhouli, even though the number of new cases remains...
New Zealand leader Ardern offers virus know-how to Joe Biden
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday became the latest world leader to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden on his election victory, saying she offered to share her nation’s expertise on dealing with the coronavirus. Ardern said the tone of the 20-minute phone call was warm...
Third major covid-19 vaccine shown to be effective — and cheaper
LONDON — Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90% effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of its rivals. The results are based on interim...
Plum closes school buildings through Dec. 1 because of covid-19 outbreak
Plum School District is closing its buildings and moving to remote learning to contain a covid-19 outbreak, district officials announced Sunday. Four employees and three students notified the district they tested positive for covid-19, the district said in a news release. One high school employee and two students were among...
Rep. John Joyce: American innovation promises covid-19 hope
For centuries, America has been the land of promise, and we have led the way in lifesaving advancement. In the span of my medical career alone, I have witnessed remarkable innovation — from groundbreaking discoveries to new therapeutics and even cures for deadly diseases. In 2020, America’s scientists and researchers...
Texas family that got coronavirus warns public to spend holidays at home
ARLINGTON, Texas — Arlington is using one family’s brush with the coronavirus as a warning to others who might be considering big get-togethers this Thanksgiving. Alexa Aragonez told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that her family weighed the risks of catching the virus but decided to get together for a birthday...
Texas National Guard to help El Paso morgues with coronavirus deadVideo
EL PASO, Texas — The Texas National Guard has sent a 36-member team to El Paso to assist morgues in the border region with the number of dead as a result of covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Statewide, the Texas health department on Saturday reported a one-day high...
Inequality ‘baked into’ virus testing access as cases surge
The day after Amanda Serulneck found out she might have been exposed to covid-19, she visited a rapid testing center in New Jersey but was turned away because they ran out of tests. She returned at 7 a.m. the next day. After waiting for an hour, officials said they had...
A look inside schools’ reopening decisions
Gary Peiffer was “cautiously optimistic” at the beginning of this school year. The superintendent of Greensburg Salem School District felt ready for the district’s planned hybrid model. Federal CARES Act funds had been used to purchase laptops, cleaning materials and plastic barriers. Teachers had gone through training for new remote...
FDA allows emergency use of antibody drug Trump received
U.S. health officials Saturday agreed to allow emergency use of a second antibody drug to help the immune system fight covid-19, an experimental medicine President Trump was given when he was sickened last month. The Food and Drug Administration authorized use of the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. drug to try to...
Nathan Benefield: Don’t raise taxes while Pa. families are hurting
Pennsylvanians have made tough decisions amid the profound economic costs of the covid-19 pandemic. Millions of Pennsylvanians lost their jobs temporarily or permanently this year. Sadly, families continue to struggle and sacrifice to stay afloat. In the coming state budget debate, lawmakers and the governor need to back them up...
Sheldon Jacobson: Food and consumer goods supply chains remain resilient
We can all remember the run on consumer goods like toilet paper and cleaning supplies back in March and April 2020. With an unknown, invisible virus circulating among us, any items or surface touched by a human hand were a target for disinfection. Groceries and other items delivered to our...
Nevada facing double-bind of rising covid-19 cases, limping economy
LAS VEGAS — As the coronavirus surges to record levels in Nevada, the governor has implored residents to stay home. But Democrat Steve Sisolak has also encouraged out-of-state visitors, the lifeblood of Nevada’s limping economy, to come to his state and spend money in Las Vegas. The pandemic has put...
Westmoreland County posts 218 new coronavirus cases, 4 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported 218 new cases of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County. Four additional deaths were reported, increasing the death toll to 162. Of the new covid-19 cases, 141 are confirmed and 77 are probable. Saturday’s addition puts the seven-day average at a record-high 200...
Pennsylvania surpasses 300,000 coronavirus cases; reports 112 deaths
Pennsylvania on Saturday reported 6,778 new coronavirus cases, marking a grim milestone of the Keystone State surpassing 300,000 cases. The new data bring the total cases to 302,564. Officials said 20,086 of those are considered probable cases. The state also reported 112 new deaths. Of the new deaths reported Saturday,...
