Coronavirus category, Page 70
Gov. Wolf raises capacity limits on event spaces, rescinds travel restrictions
Pennsylvania officials eased some covid-19 restrictions effective immediately, specifically those orders pertaining to occupancy limits on indoor and outdoor events, paving the way for the Penguins and Pirates to allow fans at PPG Paints Arena and PNC Park. The new orders, announced by Gov. Tom Wolf, raised the occupancy limits...
Allegheny County’s covid numbers saw dramatic decline in February
Allegheny County saw its covid numbers drop dramatically in the month of February, recording 53% fewer new cases than in January. February’s total new cases in the county added up to 7,301. In January, that number was 15,559. It was the second largest month-to-month decline during the entire pandemic. The...
Countries urge drug companies to share vaccine know-how
PARIS — In an industrial neighborhood on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s largest city lies a factory with gleaming new equipment imported from Germany, its immaculate hallways lined with hermetically sealed rooms. It is operating at just a quarter of its capacity. It is one of three factories that The Associated...
U.S. panel endorses 3rd vaccine option from Johnson & JohnsonVideo
WASHINGTON — A U.S. advisory panel has endorsed the new one-dose covid-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson as a third option to bolster the national effort against the coronavirus pandemic. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted overwhelmingly to recommend the vaccine for adults 18 years old...
Dr. Fauci worried that U.S. virus cases will stick at 70,000 a dayVideo
The baseline level of coronavirus cases needs to fall further before the U.S. can confidently resume normal activities, even as the vaccine rollout accelerates, Anthony Fauci said. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, made the rounds of Sunday talk shows at a moment when news...
Life during covid: Westmoreland college professor helps students, families juggle demands
Editor’s note: This is an occasional series examining how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of members of our community. It might have been a matter of life experience or natural resiliency, but whatever it was, Cheryl Miller was positioned to thrive before the coronavirus sent the world spinning....
Johnson & Johnson’s 1-dose shot cleared, giving U.S. 3rd covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two. Health experts are anxiously awaiting a one-and-done option to help speed vaccinations, as they race...
Westmoreland County records 94 covid-19 cases
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported 94 new cases of the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, marking the fifth time in two weeks the count neared triple digits. The county last saw a triple-digit count Feb. 3 and 12 of the 24 days since then have remained below 75...
Pennsylvania reports nearly 3,400 more covid cases, 132 deaths
Pennsylvania health officials on Saturday reported 3,361 new coronavirus cases, as hospitalizations and case counts continue to decrease in the Keystone State. The new data bring the total cases to 929,697. That’s a jump of about 18,100 additional cases from this time last week. Two weeks ago, the increase was...
313 new coronavirus cases reported in Allegheny County, 11 deaths
Allegheny County on Saturday recorded 313 new coronavirus cases, as case counts have seen a relative bump up and hospitalizations have significantly increased. Reports haven’t reached 500 cases in nearly six weeks and the county hasn’t reported any 1,000-case days in the past eight weeks, according to data from the...
U.S. advisers endorse single-shot covid-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson
WASHINGTON — U.S. health advisers endorsed a one-dose covid-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson on Friday, putting the nation on the cusp of adding an easier-to-use option to fight the pandemic. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to quickly follow the recommendation and make J&J’s shot the third vaccine...
Pittsburgh-area health experts praise Johnson & Johnson covid vaccine
The likely addition of a third covid vaccine option next month will be a “blessing,” health professionals in the Pittsburgh region said. “It means vaccine will be available to people faster,” said Graham Snyder, medical director of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology at UPMC. “It means that for whatever reason,...
Pa. health official: Still no timeline for next phase of covid vaccination processVideo
There remains no estimate on when Pennsylvania will move to the next phase of its vaccination plan, which includes a slew of essential workers as well as first responders and teachers, a health official said Friday. “I don’t think we’re putting out estimates at this point,” Health Department Senior Adviser...
Pennsylvania reports most new covid cases in over a week
Pennsylvania reported the most additional covid-19 cases in about 10 days on Friday, according to data from the state Department of Health. There were 3,346 additional covid cases (2,722 confirmed, 624 probable), the most since 3,413 were reported Feb. 17. Another 69 covid-related deaths were reported, marking the ninth consecutive...
Westmoreland County covid hospitalizations hold steady over past week
Over the past eight days, the number of covid hospitalizations in Westmoreland County appear to have stabilized, according to data from the state Department of Health. Current covid-19 hospitalizations in the county were 115 on Friday. Since Feb. 19, the number of hospitalizations has not surpassed its current level, dropping...
Allegheny County sees most reported covid cases in a month — 1 from March 2020
Allegheny County reported the most additonal covid cases in over a month Friday, with at least one positive test coming from last March, according to the county Health Department. There were 412 additional covid-19 cases reported, the most since Jan. 23 (464 cases). Cases were mostly confirmed via PCR tests,...
Westmoreland transit to offer free rides for covid vaccines
Westmoreland County Transit will provide free rides on its buses and paratransit vehicles to local covid-19 vaccine clinics. Anyone with a scheduled appointment to receive the vaccine is eligible for the service Mondays through Saturdays in the service area, including Westmoreland County and Downtown Pittsburgh. “We wanted to eliminate a...
Studies suggest people with covid antibodies may only need 1 dose of vaccine
Two new studies suggest that people who have had coronavirus should still get vaccinated, but these studies also argue that one dose of a covid-19 vaccine may be enough to “supercharge” antibodies, The New York Times reported. These two studies join other recent findings that also suggest that people who...
Canadian regulator authorizes AstraZeneca vaccine
TORONTO — Canadian regulators on Friday authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine. It is the third covid-19 vaccine given the green light by Canada, following those from Pfizer and Moderna. Health Canada approved the vaccine for use in people 18 and over. Some countries, including France, have authorized the AstraZeneca vaccine only...
3rd U.S. vaccine could raise question: Which shots are best?
WASHINGTON — The nation is poised to get a third vaccine against covid-19, but because at first glance the Johnson & Johnson shot may not be seen as equal to other options, health officials are girding for the question: Which one is best? If cleared for emergency use, the J&J...
FDA approves storing Pfizer vaccine at standard temperature
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given approval for the Pfizer covid-19 vaccination to be kept at standard freezer temperatures, alleviating some of the storage and transportation issues and making it easier to get the vaccine in arms. “Pfizer submitted data to the FDA to support this alternative temperature...
Giant Eagle fills online appointments for Heinz Field covid vaccination clinic
All online appointments have been booked for a multi-day mass covid vaccination clinic at Heinz Field in March. Giant Eagle announced the clinic late Thursday afternoon, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Appointments could be made starting Friday morning for the clinic days: March 2-5, with a “significant number of...
Allegheny County to administer Pfizer vaccine at Castle Shannon site
The Allegheny County Health Department will start administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at its Castle Shannon distribution site next week. County officials said the health department received four trays of the Pfizer vaccine to be used for first doses. Appointments are required to receive a dose — and individuals must be...
Italy’s Lombardy again in virus crisis as Brescia sees surge
ROME — Italy’s northern Lombardy region, where Europe’s coronavirus outbreak erupted last year, asked the national government Thursday for more vaccines to help stem a surge of new covid-19 cases that are taxing the health system in the province of Brescia. The province’s fast-growing caseload is contributing to another upswing...
New Kensington CVS among 6 in state getting limited covid vaccine shots
The New Kensington CVS was one of six of the pharmacy chain’s Pennsylvania locations administering covid-19 vaccinations in Pennsylvania beginning Thursday. The vaccinations were by appointment only for those eligible at this time. All six Pennsylvania stores were fully booked. Other CVS locations were in Chambersburg, Franklin County; Enola, Cumberland...
