Coronavirus category, Page 156
CDC extends U.S. ban on cruise ships through September
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are extending the U.S. ban on cruise ships through the end of September as coronavirus infections rise in most U.S. states, including Florida. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that it was extending a no-sail order that had been scheduled to expire...
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp sues to end cities’ defiance on mask rulesVideo
ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is suing Atlanta’s mayor and city council to block the city from enforcing its mandate to wear a mask in public and other rules related to the covid-19 pandemic. Kemp and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, in a suit filed in state court late...
Westmoreland County to cap initial coronavirus grants for small businesses, nonprofits at $25K
Westmoreland County commissioners said the initial round of covid-relief grants for small business and nonprofit agencies will be capped at $25,000. County officials on Thursday unveiled criteria for the first portion of a program to dole out up to $31.5 million in federal funds to repay local entities for expenses...
U.K., U.S., Canada accuse Russia of hacking coronavirus vaccine trialsVideo
LONDON — Britain, the United States and Canada accused Russian hackers on Thursday of trying to steal information from researchers seeking a coronavirus vaccine, warning scientists and pharmaceutical companies to be alert for suspicious activity. Intelligence agencies in the three nations alleged that the hacking group APT29, also known as...
‘Ask a Black Doctor About Covid-19’ series to discuss recent surge in young people
A Facebook event on Thursday called “Ask a Black Doctor About Covid-19” will include a discussion about the recent surge in coronavirus cases in people between the ages of 20 and 29. The “Ask a Black Doctor About Covid-19” series allows people to chat in real-time with medical professionals of...
Nonprofit has recruited 31,000 volunteers willing to undergo human challenge covid-19 vaccination trial
A grassroots group of scientists and researchers has brought together more than 31,000 volunteers worldwide — including from Western Pennsylvania — who are willing to take part in a human challenge trial to test potential covid-19 vaccines. A human challenge trial in this case would involve participants being administered a...
From masks to buses to recess, Pa. unveils guidance for schools finalizing reopening plans
State officials released a slew of recommendations Thursday regarding how Pennsylvania schools can safely reopen in the fall, addressing everything from lunch and recess to busing and extracurricular activities. Whether in-person classes resume will be left to each individual school district, all of which have been charged with creating a...
Gov. Wolf announces $50 million in grants for hazard bonuses to Pa. front-line workers
Pennsylvanians who are working in life-sustaining jobs during the coronavirus pandemic will be getting temporary pay increases, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday. “These people deserve to be paid for the risks they’re taking for all of us,” Wolf said. The state will use $50 million of its federal pandemic stimulus...
Answering The Call: Nurse practitioner discusses spike in Western Pa. coronavirus casesVideo
Steve Benso is a certified registered nurse practitioner who has been an integral part of Allegheny Health Network’s mobile community testing locations. In this edition of the Tribune-Review’s ongoing series “Answering the Call,” Benso, a father of three with another child on the way, talks about the stresses of his...
Brazil nears 2 million coronavirus cases, with 75,000 dead
SAO PAULO — A thousand deaths a day. Since late May, three months after Brazil’s first reported case of the coronavirus, it has recorded more than 1,000 daily deaths on average in a gruesome plateau that has yet to tilt downward. The country hit at least 75,000 confirmed deaths Wednesday...
Adam Marles: Time for state lawmakers, Wolf to fund covid-19 testing
As Pennsylvanians enjoy warm summer days, thousands of older adults living in nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living cannot leave their facilities or receive visits from their loved ones. This has been the reality for many older adults since our commonwealth entered into lockdown four months ago. The...
Florida reports record 156 deaths, plus near-high for new coronavirus cases
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida got a nasty one-two punch of coronavirus news on Thursday: The state reported 156 more deaths and 13,965 more covid-19 cases. The state has never reported more fatalities on a daily pandemic report before, and there’s only been one other day with more infections. Also...
Westmoreland County adds 35 new coronavirus cases, 1 new death
Westmoreland County recorded double-digit coronavirus cases for the 16th straight day. The county added 35 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, bringing the total to 1,089. Of those, 1,057 are confirmed and 32 are listed as probable. One new death was attributed to covid-19,...
Pennsylvania draws closer to 100,000 total coronavirus cases
Pennsylvania inched closer to 100,000 coronavirus cases on Thursday, with 781 additional positive test results reported. That brings the state’s total number of cases to 98,446. The state’s department of health also reported 16 additional deaths, bringing the total attributed to covid-19 to 6,973. In the past seven days, between...
Target, Kohl’s, CVS latest to require masks in all stores
Target, Kohl’s and CVS have now added themselves to the list of stores requiring customers to wear a mask while shopping there. Target and CVS joined in on Thursday, while Kohl’s announced their news Wednesday. USA Today reports Target’s mask requirement will go into effect Aug. 1. The policy does...
Allegheny County reports 140 new coronavirus cases; health officials reviewing restrictions
Reported coronavirus cases in Allegheny County dropped Thursday for the second day in a row after hitting a record earlier this week. The county on Thursday reported 140 new coronavirus cases, 12 new hospitalizations and one death. The county had its highest reported number Tuesday with 331, followed by 246...
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp explicitly voids mask orders in 15 localities
ATLANTA — Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp is explicitly banning Georgia’s cities and counties from ordering people to wear masks in public places. He voided orders on Wednesday that at least 15 local governments across the state had adopted even though Kemp had earlier said cities and counties had no power...
Brazil’s Bolsonaro gets new positive coronavirus test result
SAO PAULO — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday he has tested positive for the new coronavirus for a second time, following his July 7 announcement that he had covid-19. “I did the test yesterday, and at night the result came back that I am still positive for coronavirus,” Bolsonaro...
Allegheny County explains covid-19 backlog, advises priority testing
Allegheny County officials on Wednesday asked residents without covid-19 symptoms not to get tested because of increased demand for testing in the region. Health Director Debra Bogen said those who should get tested include people with covid-19 symptoms; those who have had close contact with a known, positive covid-19 case;...
New pressure on Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, once hailed for coronavirus action
COLUMBUS — Early during the coronavirus outbreak, Ohio’s Republican governor appeared prophetic with his decisive steps to ban spectators from a sports expo, shut down all schools before any other state and put a stop to the presidential primary. Since then, Gov. Mike DeWine has backtracked away from a statewide...
Alabama to require face masks as coronavirus surges in stateVideo
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama will begin requiring face masks in public as health officials try to quell a surge of new coronavirus cases that is filling up hospitals, Gov. Kay Ivey said Wednesday. In an announcement made a day after the state reported a pandemic-high of 40 deaths in a...
Allegheny County Council rejects certain coronavirus testing, ‘less-lethal’ weapons ban
Allegheny County Council voted down two bills Tuesday — one intended to expand coronavirus testing at county facilities, and the other banning the use of “less-lethal” weapons by law enforcement. Both bills were sponsored by council members Liv Bennett, D-Northview Heights, and at-large representative Bethany Hallam, D-Ross. The coronavirus testing...
Coronavirus data is funneled away from CDC, sparking worriesVideo
NEW YORK — Hospital data related to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States will now be collected by a private technology firm, rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — a move the Trump administration says will speed up reporting but one that concerns some public health...
Young Men’s Republican Club of Allegheny County shut down for covid-19 violations
The county health department has ordered the closure of the Young Men’s Republican Club of Allegheny County for violating covid-19 restrictions on serving food and beverages indoors. The club, located on Suismon Street on the North Side, was cited by health officials for patrons consuming beverages while seated at the...
Masks and gowns in short supply, leaving hospital workers exposed
American health care workers still face dangerous shortages of personal protective equipment as the uncontrolled spread of covid-19 fills hospitals across the nation and threatens patients and workers in long-term care facilities. Dayna James, an emergency department nurse in Miami, said some days she’s had to clean patient rooms with...
