Coronavirus category, Page 150
Pennsylvania coronavirus case total breaks 110,000
Pennsylvania surpassed 110,000 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to a report from the state’s Department of Health. A total of 834 new positive results brought the state’s total to 110,218. The state also reported 16 additional deaths to bring the total to 7,162 attributed to covid-19 since the state’s outbreak...
Allegheny County hits triple digits of new coronavirus cases for 7th straight day
Allegheny County recorded new coronavirus cases in triple digits for the seventh straight day on Wednesday. The Allegheny County Health Department reported 125 new cases, along with five additional deaths and 10 new hospitalizations. The five deaths attributed to coronavirus happened from July 14-24 and ranged in age from 70...
Catholic Diocese of Greensburg unveils school reopening plans
The Catholic Diocese of Greensburg intends to have its students return to the classrooms of its 12 parochial schools in four counties for the new school year, but those plans could change depending on government mandates. The reopening plan, developed over the summer through a school safety task force, will...
California withholds coronavirus money from 2 defiant cities
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom is using new powers to withhold money from two cities in California’s Central Valley that are defying his health orders by allowing all businesses to open during the pandemic. Newsom blocked nearly $65,000 from Atwater in Merced County and more than $35,000 from Coalinga in...
In meeting with Jill Biden, Pittsburgh schools union leader supports delay for in-person instruction
While school districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania finalize their fall reopening plans, some educational leaders are advocating for stronger safety guidelines and a delay to in-person instruction. On Tuesday, in a virtual campaign stop for the Joe Biden presidential campaign, Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and U.S. Sen Bob Casey, D-Scranton,...
U.S. officials: Russia spreading coronavirus disinformation
WASHINGTON — Russian intelligence operatives are using a trio of English-language websites to spread disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to exploit a crisis that America is struggling to contain ahead of the presidential election in November, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Two Russians who have held senior roles in Moscow’s...
Dr. Rachel Levine responds to transphobic comments: ‘I do not have time for intolerance’
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine on Tuesday broke her silence about people who have harassed and directed transphobic comments at her in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. At the start of a news briefing, Levine said she felt compelled to “personally respond to the multiple incidents of...
Keeping Pa. private colleges closed will hurt small communities, officials say
The covid-19 pandemic has upended procedures for colleges and universities throughout the country, and many of Pennsylvania’s private institutions are struggling to find the best path forward, officials said Tuesday. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has hosted Facebook Live conversations with industry leaders semi-regularly during the pandemic. On Tuesday, he met...
Trump again touts hydroxychloroquine as coronavirus cure despite FDA warningVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump issued a stout defense Tuesday of a disproved use of a malaria drug as a treatment for the coronavirus, hours after social media companies moved to take down videos promoting its use as potentially harmful misinformation. The president, in a marked shift from the more...
Covid-19 testing of all nursing home residents, staff complete, Pa. health department says
All of Pennsylvania’s 693 nursing homes have completed at least one round of covid-19 testing for all residents and staff, Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine announced Tuesday. This first round of testing will help to prevent further spread of the virus by detecting residents and staff who...
Columbus schools, Ohio’s largest district, going virtual
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Children attending Columbus city schools, Ohio’s largest district, will take classes virtually at least through October, city officials announced Tuesday. The district had considered a blended approach involving online and in-person learning for students through middle school, but worsening public health conditions led to the decision to...
Florida man allegedly spent almost $4M in coronavirus relief aid on Lamborghini, dating sites
A Florida man accused of blowing nearly $4 million in coronavirus relief aid on dating sites, hotel getaways and a brand new Lamborghini has been arrested and charged with three felonies. David Hines is facing one count of bank fraud, one for making false statements to a financial institution and...
State: Brighton Rehab nursing home failed to get proper approval to use hydroxychloroquine on residents
Residents of a Beaver County nursing home that is the site of one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country were given an experimental drug without approval from the state health department, inspection records show. Hydroxychloroquine, typically used to treat malaria, was administered to 205 of the 435 residents...
Westmoreland probation office closed in wake of positive coronavirus test
The adult probation office at the Westmoreland County Courthouse was closed Tuesday after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus. Commissioner Doug Chew confirmed the positive test and said the employee had not been at the courthouse since July 21. “It will take 48 hours to sanitize the office and...
Twitter gives Trump’s son Don Jr. a tweet timeout
CHICAGO — Twitter has temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s son from tweeting on its site after he shared a video riddled with unsupported claims about the coronavirus Monday. Many Republicans reacted with outrage, filling social media with cries of “censorship,” after Donald Trump Jr.’s account was put on a timeout...
Pennsylvania reports 1,120 new covid-19 cases, 24 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,120 new coronavirus cases and 24 new deaths Tuesday. The number of new reported state covid-19 cases was the second highest this month, with the highest coming July 24 with 1,213 cases. Total coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania now sit at 109,384. The state surpassed...
Westmoreland County adds 1 new covid-19 death, 14 new cases
Westmoreland County has 14 new coronavirus cases and one new death Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. New reported cases all are confirmed, bringing the county’s covid-19 case total to 1,327. The county started the month with 38 deaths from coronavirus and has not seen more than one...
Allegheny County reports 20 new covid-19 hospitalizations, 7 new deaths
Allegheny County Health Department reported 20 new hospitalizations and seven new deaths from the coronavirus Tuesday. The county added 119 new covid-19 cases to the running total, which now stands at 7,593. There have been only three other times in July that new cases have been lower. Tuesday’s near-record number...
Air travel expected to not recover before 2024
FRANKFURT, Germany — Global air travel is recovering more slowly than expected and will take until 2024 to return to pre-pandemic levels, the trade association for the airline industry said Tuesday. The International Air Transport Association pushed back its prediction by one year due to the slow containment of the...
‘Second wave’ virus fears strike blow to tourism industryVideo
LONDON — Concerns over a “second wave” of coronavirus infections brought on by returning holidaymakers is wreaking havoc across Europe’s tourism industry, particularly in Spain, following Britain’s effective ban on travel to the country. In a move that reflects the continent’s piecemeal approach to keeping the virus at bay, the...
Trump again pushes unproven drug hydroxychloroquine as covid-19 treatment
WASHINGTON — A week after appearing to project a more serious tone about the coronavirus, President Donald Trump is back to pushing unproven claims that an anti-malaria drug is an effective treatment and challenging the credibility of the nation’s leading infectious disease expert. Dr. Anthony Fauci pushed back Tuesday, saying...
Pa. school leaders to state officials: We need specifics, not guidance, for reopening plans
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s existing reopening guidance for schools is too vague, and superintendents and school boards need more specifics from the state Department of Health about how to do it safely, a superintendents group said Monday following a call with Wolf administration officials. The superintendents asked for more concrete recommendations...
Florida judge upholds coronavirus ordinance requiring masksVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Florida judge on Monday upheld a county’s coronavirus ordinance that requires masks be worn in public places like stores, saying government officials have the authority to protect their residents from the spread of infectious diseases. Circuit Judge John Kastrenakes, noting Palm Beach County’s recent spike...
Texas reports nearly 700 more coronavirus deaths with new data
AUSTIN — Texas reported an increase of nearly 700 additional deaths from the covid-19 virus due to a change in how the state collects fatality data, representing a grim surge in the state’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The new figures released Monday show the state now with 5,713 covid-19-identified...
Westmoreland County allows furloughed workers to pay into pension accounts
Westmoreland County workers furloughed this spring in response to the coronavirus pandemic will have an opportunity to restore their pension benefits. The county’s retirement board on Monday unanimously voted to allow employees who since have returned to their jobs to buy back time lost while off the payroll because of...
