Coronavirus category, Page 71
New coronavirus grants for small Pa. businesses aim for inclusivity, but can’t track success
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. HARRISBURG — Applications open next month for $145 million in state grants for small hospitality businesses, with a significant change by lawmakers intended to ensure the money...
Pennsylvania adds fewer than 3,000 covid cases 7 days in a row
Pennsylvania has reported fewer than 3,000 additional cases of covid-19 each day for a week. The state on Thursday added 2,356 coronavirus cases to bring its total to 922,990 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The seven-day average of new cases in the...
Westmoreland County adds fewer than 100 daily covid cases for 3 weeks
Westmoreland County on Thursday reported fewer than 100 new covid-19 cases for the 22nd straight day. The county reported 53 additional cases to bring its case total to 26,550 since the pandemic began nearly a year ago, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Of the new cases, 39 are...
Disease expert Dr. Paul Offit talks about vaccines, variants and a year of pandemicVideo
The U.S. is approaching one year since the covid-19 pandemic became a nationwide problem, shutting down almost all of American society as we know it. The covid-19 vaccines that have been developed are giving people hope that things may soon return to normal. But coronavirus variants are creating uncertainty about...
Allegheny County adds fewer than 300 covid cases for 12th day in a row
Allegheny County on Thursday reported fewer than 300 additional cases of covid-19 for the 12th consecutive day. The county added 224 cases to bring its total to 75,724 since the pandemic began last March. Of the additional cases, 174 are confirmed via 1,065 new PCR tests and 50 are recorded...
Republicans rally solidly against Democrats’ coronavirus relief package
WASHINGTON — Republicans rallied solidly against Democrats’ proposed $1.9 trillion covid-19 relief bill as lawmakers awaited a decision by the Senate’s parliamentarian that could bolster or potentially kill a pivotal provision hiking the federal minimum wage. Despite their paper-thin congressional majorities, Democratic leaders were poised to push the sweeping package...
Pfizer studying effects of 3rd vaccine dose
NEW YORK — Pfizer announced Thursday that it has begun studying a third dose of its covid-19 vaccine, part of a strategy to guard against mutated versions of the coronavirus. Health authorities say first-generation covid-19 vaccines still protect against variants that are emerging in different parts of the world. But...
Allegheny County officials ask for vigilance as 3 cases of UK variant identifiedVideo
Allegheny County officials said there are at least three cases of the U.K. covid-19 variant in the county — but they remain optimistic about overall case numbers and the increasing rate of vaccination. “We continue to see good levels of drop,” county Executive Rich Fitzgerald said. “There’s a lot of...
White House aims to distribute masks to millions in ‘equity’ pushVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden plans to distribute millions of face masks to Americans in communities hard-hit by the coronavirus beginning next month as part of his efforts to ensure “equity” in the government’s response to the pandemic. Biden, who like Donald Trump’s administration considered sending masks to all Americans,...
Pennsylvania reports 76 new covid deaths, while cases, hospitalizations slow
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday reported 76 new coronavirus deaths and 2,786 additional coronavirus cases. The total number of deaths in the state because of the coronavirus stands at 23,787. The state’s seven-day average is at 2,569 cases, and the state’s seven-day case total is 17,984, both down...
Westmoreland County sees slowing of additional covid cases
Westmoreland County has seen a decline in covid cases since the start of the year. While January had 24 days with over 100 cases reported, February has only seen two days with reported covid cases above 100 (on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3). The county on Wednesday continued that trend...
Allegheny County reports 24 new covid deaths, 250 more cases
Allegheny County on Wednesday reported 24 new coronavirus deaths and 250 additional coronavirus cases. There have been several days scattered in February with a spike in the county data for deaths reported. In the four days before Wednesday, the county data shows a net of zero new deaths reported. During...
FDA says Johnson & Johnson’s 1-dose shot prevents covid; final decision soonVideo
WASHINGTON — Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine offers strong protection against severe covid-19, according to an analysis by U.S. regulators Wednesday that sets the stage for a final decision on a new and easier-to-use shot to help tame the pandemic. The Food and Drug Administration’s scientists confirmed that overall the...
China ponders approving 2 more covid vaccines
BEIJING — China is moving ahead with two more covid-19 vaccines in the regulatory process, one from state-owned company Sinopharm and another from a private company CanSino. Both vaccines have been submitted to regulators for approval this week. CanSino said that Chinese regulators are reviewing its application for its covid-19...
Johnson & Johnson’s covid vaccine could get green light by the end of the weekVideo
An advisory panel from the Food and Drug Administration will meet Friday to consider approving Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose coronavirus vaccine. The company has applied to the FDA for emergency authorization. The panel is expected to grant that as early as this weekend, after it discusses the effectiveness and safety...
Nearly 40 inmates at Allegheny County Jail test positive for covid
Terrell Leonard is being held at Allegheny County Jail on a probation violation. In late January, he learned that one of the correctional officers who worked on his pod, 2D, tested positive for covid-19. A short time later, he said in a court declaration, pod workers and then inmates on...
Officials: More than 600 Pa. nursing homes have received 2nd covid vaccine doses
State officials said they have surpassed an “important milestone” in the mission to vaccinate long-term care residents in Pennsylvania. As of last week, Walgreens has conducted first-dose clinics in nearly 100 locations, while CVS Health has conducted both first- and second-dose clinics at all of its participating skilled nursing facilities....
Organ transplant patient dies after receiving lungs infected with covid-19
Doctors say a woman in Michigan contracted covid-19 and died last fall two months after receiving a tainted double-lung transplant from a donor who turned out to harbor the virus that causes the disease — despite showing no signs of illness and initially testing negative. Officials at the University of...
Washington taps pastors to overcome racial divide on vaccineVideo
WASHINGTON — Stately and deliberate, with a distinctive white streak in his black hair, the Rev. Wallace Charles Smith started his Valentine’s Day sermon at Shiloh Baptist Church by talking about love and vaccinations. “That’s what love’s all about. When you get a vaccination, you are saying to everyone around...
Pa. reports nearly 1.5 million at least partially vaccinated for covid
Pennsylvania reported 2,830 additional covid cases and 97 deaths Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health. Total cases in the state are now 917,848, with 74,624 cases reported in February. Total deaths in the state are now 23,711, with 2,050 deaths reported this month. As of Tuesday, the state...
Westmoreland County covid averages continue decline, lowest since October
Covid case averages continue to decline in Westmoreland County, according to new data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. As of Tuesday, the seven-day average of cases was 62 and seven-day case count was 436 in the county. Those numbers are the lowest since October, when the seven-day average was...
Allegheny County reports 10th straight day with covid cases below 300
Allegheny County on Tuesday reported 274 additional covid cases, the 10th consecutive day reported cases have been below 300. Tuesday’s reported cases (149 confirmed and 125 probable) were the second most among that 10-day span, with the most (285) coming Feb. 20. Cases range in age from 2 months to...
Drug executives: Big jump in vaccine supply is coming soon
Covid-19 vaccine makers told Congress on Tuesday to expect a big jump in the delivery of doses over the coming month after a rocky start to inoculations, and the companies insist they will be able to provide enough for most Americans by summer. By the end of March, Pfizer and...
Westmoreland vaccine registry on hold
Westmoreland County commissioners’ plan to create a covid-19 vaccine registry is on hold as county leaders search out a potential third party to help craft a waiting list for inoculations. Commissioners said Monday Excela Health will not participate in the creation of a registry and that it is unlikely the...
Ohio governor: Up to 30% of fans for spring pro teams
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s major league sports teams beginning their seasons this spring could be allowed up to 30% of fan capacity under approved pandemic plans, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday. Permitting 30% of fans into stadiums would be contingent on social distancing and continued mask wearing, the governor...
