Coronavirus category, Page 123
Westmoreland Prison on lockdown as two guards test positive for coronavirus
Two guards at the Westmoreland County Prison tested positive for coronavirus and the Hempfield jail was placed on lockdown status Wednesday. “The prison continues to follow all appropriate and currently recommended protocols to mitigate the spread of covid-19 to keep the employees and prison population safe,” according to a statement...
Norwin closes 5 schools because of coronavirus outbreak
Norwin will close its high school, middle school, intermediate school and Hahntown and Sunset Valley elementary schools because of an outbreak of coronavirus among students, the district said Wednesday afternoon. Superintendent Jeff Taylor said the state Department of Health notified the district Wednesday about five new cases, in addition to...
2 Westmoreland Manor residents dead as coronavirus cases surge, 1 victim identified
Two residents at Westmoreland Manor have died after contracting the coronavirus. County officials reported Wednesday the two deaths as well as another significant increase in the number of infections at the county-owned nursing home in Hempfield. Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha confirmed a report that one of the residents who...
Pennsylvania reports 2nd-highest new coronavirus case total since May
Pennsylvania added more than 1,300 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, its second-highest daily total since May. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, there were 1,309 positive cases of covid-19, bringing the state total to 166,552. Besides the two-day total of 2,251 reported on Oct. 3, it’s the highest daily total...
Westmoreland County adds 39 more coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County added 39 more coronavirus cases for the second day in a row. The 39 new cases bring the county’s total to 2,539, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. There were no new deaths reported, leaving the county’s total at 57 for the third day. The county added...
Allegheny County adds 43 new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths
Allegheny County recorded 43 new positive coronavirus test results and three new deaths Wednesday, according to the county’s health department. The 43 new cases — 33 confirmed and 10 probable — bring the county’s total to 12,897. The new cases, which range from 8 months to 70 years old with...
Wisconsin activates field hospital as covid-19 keeps surging
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin health officials announced Wednesday that a field hospital is opening in the coming days at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee as a surge in COVID-19 cases threatens to overwhelm hospitals. Wisconsin has become a hot spot for the disease over the last month, ranking third nationwide...
Republican fundraiser sparks criticism from candidate in 39th District state Senate race
The Democratic challenger seeking to oust incumbent state Sen. Kim Ward in the 39th District issued a strong rebuke on Wednesday of Ward’s decision to hold a campaign fundraiser last week in which one elected county leader who attended has since tested positive for the coronavirus. Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug...
Sheldon Jacobson: Covid-19 vaccine supply chain could be easier than many expect
Anticipation of a covid-19 vaccine is growing. The National Academy of Medicine issued the report “Framework for Equitable Allocation of Covid-19 Vaccine,” offering guidance on vaccine allocation. The process is certain to be fraught with politics, given that equitable, safe and effective all represent critical, albeit subjective criteria to assess...
Protests greet move to impose new virus shutdowns in NYC
NEW YORK — A New York City neighborhood erupted in protests after Gov. Andrew Cuomo moved to shut down schools and businesses and restrict capacity at houses of worship in areas where coronavirus cases are spiking. Many areas that stand to be affected are home to large enclaves of Orthodox...
Clorox develops device for classrooms to detect ‘illness indicators’Video
The Clorox Co. said today it has developed an experimental device to be used in school classrooms that can detect “illness indicators” in real time. “Each year, schools face the challenge of preventing one cough or sneeze from turning into a cold or flu outbreak. For schools that have decided...
Report: White House senior advisor Stephen Miller tests positive for covid-19Video
Stephen Miller, a top aide and speechwriter to President Trump, tested positive for covid-19 on Tuesday, according to NBC News correspondent Hallie Jackson. “Over the last 5 days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday. Today, I tested positive for covid-19 and am in...
Pat Buchanan: Ten days that shook the presidency
What a difference a week can make. Saturday, Sept. 26, was among the best days of the Trump presidency, or so some of us thought watching the president introduce in the Rose Garden his sterling candidate for Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court. Ahead was the Tuesday debate,...
Mother of Jamain Stephens blasts Trump’s statements about covidVideo
The mother of Jamain Stephens, the California University of Pennsylvania defensive lineman and former Central Catholic High School standout, has confirmed that her son died of complications of covid-19. Kelly Allen made the statement about her son’s Sept. 8 death Tuesday on MSNBC. At the time of Stephens’ death, Central...
Gov. Wolf eases crowd restrictions, but not many shows ready to go on
Pennsylvania’s easing of restrictions on large gatherings provides some breathing room to event organizers during the pandemic — but don’t expect to see the likes of concerts, Broadway shows, parades and other crowd-drawing entertainment to resume in force anytime soon. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, one of the region’s largest nonprofit...
White House staff, Secret Service eye virus with fear, angerVideo
WASHINGTON — The West Wing is a ghost town. Staff members are scared of exposure. And the White House is now a treatment ward for not one — but two — covid-19 patients, including a president who has long taken the threat of the virus lightly. President Donald Trump’s decision...
John Hagee, prominent megachurch pastor, ill with covid-19
SAN ANTONIO — Prominent megachurch pastor and conservative activist John Hagee has been diagnosed with covid-19, his son announced during services at the Texas church his father founded. The 80-year-old pastor received the diagnosis Friday and was recovering after the illness was detected early, Matt Hagee said during Sunday morning...
FDA releases high coronavirus vaccine standards despite White House resistance
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration issued long-awaited guidance Tuesday on the data it expects from drug companies seeking emergency authorization of covid-19 vaccines, rejecting White House pressure for lower standards intended to push out vaccines quickly. The 18-page guidance was released a day after reports suggested the White...
Food bank officials hopeful for expanded food stamp benefits
A politically embattled coronavirus relief bill would expand food stamp benefits, which officials at Western Pennsylvania food banks say is vital to support those affected by the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. “When we look at the (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and how much it helps people...
Schools closed in virus hot spots as NYC battles flare-ups
NEW YORK — Hundreds of New York City public and private schools were closed Tuesday in neighborhoods with flare-ups of coronavirus cases as city and state officials continued discussing the possibility of shuttering many businesses in those areas. Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the closing of schools in nine Brooklyn and...
Auditor General: Pennsylvania’s pandemic business waiver program is subjective
During the statewide covid-19 shutdown and business closures this year, there was no consistency in granting waivers to those wishing to stay open, an ongoing investigation by the auditor general has found. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale gave an update Tuesday on an audit started in May. The investigation so far...
Allegheny County reports 4 new covid-19 deaths, 77 new cases
Allegheny County reported 77 new covid-19 cases Tuesday. The new cases, reported by the Allegheny County Health Department, bring the total number of cases to 12,854. Four new deaths and 11 new hospitalizations were also reported, bringing the death total to 390 and total hospitalizations to 1,240 in Allegheny County....
Military leaders quarantined after official tests positiveVideo
WASHINGTON — The nation’s top military leaders were under self-quarantine Tuesday after a senior Coast Guard official tested positive for the coronavirus, the Pentagon said. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and the vice chairman, Gen. John Hyten, were among those affected, U.S. officials said....
FDA discloses vaccine guidelines blocked by White House
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration laid out updated safety standards Tuesday for makers of COVID-19 vaccines after the White House blocked their formal release, the latest political tug-of-war between the Trump administration and the government’s public health scientists. In briefing documents posted on its website, the FDA said...
Staffer at Hempfield middle, elementary schools tests positive for coronavirus
A staff member who works at both West Hempfield elementary and middle schools tested positive for the coronavirus last week, said Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. The staffer, who was not identified, notified school officials of the positive test Thursday. Contact tracing implemented by the state department of health determined that no...
