Coronavirus category, Page 52
Republicans in Maine eye 5-year mandatory covid-19 shot ban
PORTLAND, Maine — A proposal from a group of Maine Republicans to ban mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for five years is up for consideration by a legislative committee this week. The lawmakers, led by Rep. Tracy Quint of Hodgdon, have based their proposal in part on the theory that coronavirus vaccines...
Confidence grows that covid-19 vaccines hold their own against variants
Confidence is growing that covid-19 vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. are holding their own against the coronavirus variants now in circulation. “Everything we’ve seen with the variants should provide marked reassurance, as far as the protection that is afforded by vaccines — particularly the vaccines that we have...
State posts lowest number of new covid cases in 7 months
Not since early October has the daily covid case report for Pennsylvania been so low. New case numbers were down across the state, with Allegheny and Westmoreland counties posting their lowest numbers of the year — marks not seen for seven months. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health posted...
Cautious cuddling? England to OK hugs as lockdown eases
LONDON — In England, it’s going to be time to hug again. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to give the go-ahead for that much-missed human contact when he announces the next round of lockdown easing later Monday in the wake of a sharp fall in new coronavirus infections....
Dr. Anthony Fauci says ‘no doubt’ U.S. has undercounted its covid-19 deathsVideo
WASHINGTON — There’s “no doubt” the U.S. has undercounted its number of deaths from covid-19, which now stand at more than 581,000, President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser said. But Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that a...
Tearful reunions mark second Mother’s Day under pandemic
Joyous reunions among vaccinated parents and children across the country marked this year’s Mother’s Day, the second one celebrated during the coronavirus pandemic. Some families separated by worries of transmitting the virus saw each other for the first time in over a year, emboldened by their vaccinations. Jeanie Codianni of...
Pa. politicians walk fine line on vaccine endorsements to hesitant constituentsVideo
As vaccine rates slow with the threat of a new surge looming this fall, elected officials on both sides of the aisle are stepping forward to encourage constituents to get a covid-19 vaccine — even as they acknowledge this is a personal decision. While experts say such efforts could be...
Covid vaccination clinic set at Jeannette High School for students, community
Jeannette City School District will play host to a covid-19 vaccine clinic Thursday for older students, their families and other community members. The clinic is set for 1 to 5 p.m. in the high school gym. Doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered by Hayden’s Pharmacy. According to Superintendent...
Pennsylvania’s covid cases, hospitalizations continue to drop as more get vaccinated
Cases of covid-19 continue to trend downward in Pennsylvania, decreasing related hospitalizations and deaths. The state on Saturday added 2,610 cases, staying below 4,000 for the eighth consecutive day, according to data from the Department of Health. The seven-day average sank to 2,598 cases, the lowest since it was 2,570...
Thailand wants to buy more vaccines as surge worsens
Thailand’s prime minister said he wants to secure more vaccines for his country and give as many first doses as possible, as it battles a surge of the pandemic with Bangkok reporting a record number of cases. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced Friday night it will extend restrictions that were...
Slow reporting from labs can hinder coronavirus response, create doubt
More than a year into the covid-19 pandemic, some virus cases identified during the first outbreak across Western Pennsylvania only recently were reported in Westmoreland County. The cases were part of a data dump on Wednesday from one lab that included cases from March 2020 to March 2021, causing the...
NYC still storing covid-19 victims in refrigerated trucks
New York City is still using refrigerated trucks to store bodies of coronavirus victims, more than a year after they were first set up as temporary morgues as deaths surged at at the height of the pandemic. The city’s medical examiner’s office said Friday that 750 bodies are being kept...
Pa. Department of Health moves to new federally run vaccine locator map
Pennsylvania has revamped the map used to help residents locate covid-19 vaccine providers, moving to a federally run search tool that will let users narrow their search to a specific brand of vaccine, officials said Friday. It is another move in the state’s push to get 70% of adults vaccinated....
Allegheny County’s average of new covid cases hits low not seen since November
Allegheny County’s seven-day covid-19 case average dropped to 210 on Friday, a low that hasn’t been seen since November. The Allegheny County Health Department reported 191 additional coronavirus cases. The last time the county’s current seven-day case average was this low was 207 on Nov. 8. The overall number of...
WHO panel OKs emergency use of China’s Sinopharm vaccine
GENEVA — The World Health Organization on Friday gave its authorization for emergency use of a covid-19 vaccine manufactured by China’s Sinopharm, potentially paving the way for millions of the doses to reach needy countries through a U.N.-backed program rolling out coronavirus vaccines. The decision by a WHO technical advisory...
What you need to know about covid vaccine for kids 12-15
As covid-19 vaccination efforts ramp up, many are beginning to wonder whether children should be vaccinated and when. Dr. Joseph Aracri, chair of Allegheny Health Network’s pediatric institute, answers questions about vaccinating younger populations. Children are less susceptible to severe illness from covid-19, so should children get the covid-19 vaccine?...
New York City aims to offer coronavirus vaccinations to touristsVideo
NEW YORK — See the sights — and get a shot. New York City hopes to begin offering coronavirus inoculations to tourists by stationing vaccination vans at Times Square and other attractions, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. The city needs state approval to vaccinate visitors and hopes to get...
Covid cases in Allegheny, Westmoreland, state remain steady; vaccine efforts inch along
Allegheny County saw a second day of under 200 covid cases reported, while cases in Westmoreland County dropped after a data dump inflated cases for Wednesday. On Thursday, the Allegheny County Health Department reported 177 additional covid-19 cases — 148 confirmed and 22 probable. This is down 17.2% from last...
India’s government eases hospital oxygen shortage as demand jumps
Under order by the Supreme Court, India’s government agreed on Thursday to provide more medical oxygen to hospitals in the capital, potentially easing a 2-week-old shortage that worsened the country’s exploding coronavirus crisis. Government officials also denied reports that they have been slow in distributing life-saving supplies donated from abroad....
Republican Sen. Kim Ward endorses covid vaccine for return to normalcyVideo
State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward is encouraging constituents to get the covid-19 vaccine. The Hempfield Republican, who has been at odds with Democratic leaders over the covid-19 shutdown for the past year, went public with her endorsement in a radio interview with 90.5 WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR news station. “It’s...
Allegheny County officials cite equity and hesitancy as barriers to vaccinations
Vaccine hesitancy, equity and general access remain barriers to getting Allegheny County residents inoculated against covid-19, Dr. Debra Bogen, health director, said at a Board of Health meeting Wednesday. State data shows that 445,578 people in Allegheny County are fully vaccinated, but with around 1.2 million residents, Bogen said there...
Allegheny County officials support lifting of restrictions, tackle covid vaccine mythsVideo
A day after Gov. Tom Wolf announced the imminent removal of covid restrictions in Pennsylvania, Allegheny County officials said it was right move. “That’s really good news as we start to get back to normal,” County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said at a virtual news conference. “Everybody has been eligible for...
West Virginia sets new targets in sluggish vaccine campaign
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice made an array of promises Wednesday to turn around the state’s lagging coronavirus vaccination campaign as it trails over a dozen states. The state is confronting vaccine hesitancy, Justice has said, amid a focus on vaccinating residents aged 16 to 35. The Republican...
National parks will still require masks in some outdoor areas this summer
WASHINGTON — National parks will still require visitors to wear masks in some outdoor settings entering the summer season, an Interior Department spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last month that people could safely walk, run or bike without wearing masks — whether they...
Mt. Pleasant Area, Yough schools to host covid vaccine clinics following similar events in Greensburg, Hempfield
Hayden’s Pharmacy will conduct covid-19 vaccine clinics at additional Westmoreland County schools after administering doses of the Pfizer vaccine to several hundred recipients Tuesday at Greensburg Salem Senior High. A voluntary clinic on Thursday at Mt. Pleasant Area School District will be available only to students age 16 and older....
