Coronavirus category, Page 50
‘Better and better’: Allegheny County officials hopeful as covid numbers dropVideo
Allegheny County officials took an optimistic tone during a virtual news conference Wednesday, as they predicted the county is “near the end of the pandemic.” “We’re seeing better and better results,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Dr. Debra Bogen, health director, said Allegheny County is now averaging less than 130...
Covid shot not just a day at the beach in New Jersey, but all summerVideo
ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, N.J. — Some say getting the covid-19 vaccination is no day at the beach, but they’re wrong: Getting the shot in New Jersey will get residents an entire summer at one of the state’s most popular beaches, free of charge. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy went...
Pennsylvania surpasses 9,000 covid deaths in 2021, as new cases continue to drop
As new covid cases throughout Pennsylvania continued to decrease, the state on Wednesday surpassed 9,000 deaths recorded in 2021. The Allegheny County Health Department reported 93 additional covid cases Wednesday, bringing its total to 100,460. The county’s seven-day average of new cases dropped to 128, its lowest since 118 on...
‘Free Shot, Free Beer’ covid vaccine incentive offered in Shadyside
Doses of Pfizer vaccines will be offered during a festival on Walnut Street in Shadyside this weekend, and William Penn Tavern will offer free beer to anyone who gets their shot during the event. The event called “Shadyside … The Other Art Festival on Walnut Street” will take place May...
Allegheny County covid case average lowest since Halloween
Both the state and Allegheny County on Tuesday saw covid-19 statistics drop to levels not seen since the fall. Locally and at the commonwealth level, case averages are back to where they were late last year. Cases Allegheny County saw its seven-day average of covid-19 cases drop to lows not...
India vaccine-maker hopes to share shots by end of the year
NEW DELHI — The Serum Institute of India said Tuesday that it hopes to start delivering coronavirus vaccine doses to the U.N-backed effort known as COVAX and to other countries by the end of the year, a delay that will significantly set back global efforts to immunize people against covid-19....
Confused about CDC’s guidance about masks? Here’s what you need to know
The government’s new guidance on masks for vaccinated people has left some Americans confused and sent businesses and states scrambling to adjust their rules. Target and CVS on Monday became the latest retailers to say vaccinated shoppers and workers don’t have to wear masks in stores. New York said it...
‘It’s a personal choice’: Western Pa. residents have mixed reactions to mask guidelinesVideo
Since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, some have embraced face masks while others resisted them. Even now that the CDC says fully vaccinated people can go mask-free in many public settings, masks remain the topic of much debate. In Pennsylvania, the mask mandate now requires fully vaccinated people wear...
Cuomo says vaccinated New Yorkers can go mask-free, adopts CDC guidance
Fully vaccinated New Yorkers can ditch their masks in most circumstances starting Wednesday as the Empire State adopts guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The seismic shift will come the same day that a majority of COVID-19 capacity limits are scrapped and New York takes a...
Coronavirus vaccines for homebound individuals underway in WestmorelandVideo
It was as if a higher power had something to do with getting a coronavirus vaccine into Greg McNaughton’s New Alexandria home on Monday. “Ave Maria” played on the television in McNaughton’s room while his left arm was injected with the vaccine by Lorenzo Garino, director of operations with Mutual...
Biden to boost world vaccine sharing commitment to 80M doses
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will announce Monday that the U.S. will share an additional 20 million doses of covid-19 vaccines with the world in the coming six weeks, according to a senior administration official. The doses would come from existing U.S. production of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson...
Pennsylvania’s covid report dips under 1,000 for 1st time in over 7 months
It hasn’t happened since Oct. 5. That’s the last time Pennsylvania’s daily covid report showed fewer than 1,000 new cases. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health added just 872 new cases. It’s been 225 days since the state posted such a low number — adding 672 on Oct. 5....
Begging for air: India’s oxygen crisis imperils its covid-19 response
MEERUT, India — The men stood shoulder to shoulder in the blazing heat, their chests leaning against empty oxygen cylinders lodged in the dirt. They had come from all over to this makeshift oxygen tank-refilling center in a city 40 miles northeast of the Indian capital of New Delhi in...
South Africa starts vaccination drive for those 60 and older
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa has started its mass vaccination drive with the goal of inoculating nearly 5 million citizens aged 60 and above by the end of June. Shots of the Pfizer vaccine were given to South Africans in a few nursing homes and to some people aged 60 and...
Western Pa. universities weigh covid vaccine requirements for fall
Leaders at colleges and universities in Western Pennsylvania are grappling with how to safely restart classes in the fall — specifically, if requiring covid vaccination should be part of that strategy. Carnegie Mellon University announced last week that it would require students to get a vaccine before returning to campus....
Virus testing strategies, opinions vary widely in U.S. schools
MISSION, Kan. — Children are having their noses swabbed or saliva sampled at school to test for the coronavirus in cities such as Baltimore, New York and Chicago. In other parts of the U.S., school districts are reluctant to check even students showing signs of illness for covid-19. Education and...
CDC’s big mask change went from science to secret to surprise
WASHINGTON — For a nation mired in a pandemic for more than a year, the biggest step toward a return to normal came suddenly, even to President Joe Biden. After warning the country on Monday to stay vigilant amid the threat of coronavirus variants, the president found himself three days...
Florida’s amusement parks loosen pandemic mask requirements
ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida’s major theme parks are adjusting their face mask policies after the federal government loosened its recommendations as more people get vaccinated for the coronavirus. Visitors to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios-Orlando were allowed Saturday to remove their masks when they are outdoors except when they...
Allegheny County surpasses 100,000 covid-19 cases, half-million residents fully vaccinated
Allegheny has become the second county in Pennsylvania to surpass 100,000 cases of coronavirus. In its covid-19 report released Saturday, the Allegheny County Health Department reported 186 new cases of the virus. That brings the county’s total since the pandemic began to 100,039. Only Philadelphia, with 146,238 cases, has more....
Walmart, Sam’s Club to begin offering youth vaccinations
Following recommendation by the Federal Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacy locations will be extending its vaccine supply to children ages 12 to 15, company officials announced Friday. “This is great news, not just for the newly eligible cohort, but for the entire...
Masks no longer required for vaccinated staff, visitors at Westmoreland courthouse
Westmoreland officials on Friday said anyone who is fully vaccinated against coronavirus will no longer be required to wear masks at the courthouse and in most other government buildings. “We are all looking forward to getting back to normal,” county Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher said. According to a memo released...
Cuba rolls out mass vaccines while awaiting study results
The jab didn’t even hurt, and Mabel Aguilera figures it may finally let her see granddaughters on the other side of Cuba who she hasn’t glimpsed during many months of pandemic restrictions. “Sometimes I thought I wouldn’t be able to stand not seeing my granddaughters,” said the 75-year-old woman, who...
The unwitting are the target of covid-19 falsehoods online
Dr. Michelle Rockwell lost a pregnancy in December and shared her heartache with her 30,000 Instagram followers. Weeks later, she received the covid-19 vaccine and posted about that, too. By February, Rockwell was getting past the grief and finally starting to experience moments of joy. But then, to her horror,...
Covid cases continue to drop across Pennsylvania as more get vaccinated
Reported cases of covid-19 and related deaths and hospitalizations continued their downward trend in Pennsylvania as the number of vaccinated residents marched upward. Pennsylvania on Friday added 1,643 cases of covid-19, pulling the seven-day case average down to 1,892, the 14th consecutive drop for the average, according to data from...
Salvation Army, UnitedHealthcare answer your covid questionsVideo
If you have covid-19 questions, UnitedHealthcare and The Salvation Army of Western Pennsylvania have answers. The organizations collaborated on a video that features doctors and health care providers addressing common inquiries about virus vaccines. It’s called “Understanding Your Options: Covid-19 Vaccine Educational Townhall.” The video is below. There is also...
