Coronavirus category, Page 75
Putin pitches Russia’s covid vaccine but still won’t take it
While Vladimir Putin this week hailed international recognition of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against covid-19, the Kremlin says the president still hasn’t taken the inoculation that he enthusiastically recommends to other world leaders. Putin is following a vaccination schedule that requires him to take other shots first, including against flu...
Westmoreland commissioners plan for vaccine registryVideo
The Westmoreland County commissioners, bowing to public pressure and a growing frustration among residents, said Thursday they will create a county registry to assist residents to receive coronavirus vaccines. “We are doing something at this point to assist and make sure that the residents of Westmoreland County who want a...
Biden says U.S. is securing 600 million vaccine doses by JulyVideo
BETHESDA, Md. — President Joe Biden visited some of the nation’s leading scientists on the frontlines of the fight against covid-19 on Thursday, as he announced the U.S. will have enough supply of the vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans. Biden toured the Viral...
Covid cases down to zero at Westmoreland courthouse
Coronavirus is on a break at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. It’s been two weeks since a new case among employees was reported at the courthouse and, as a result, temperature screenings at the building’s entry points were halted Thursday. “We’ve seen a downward trend,” said Alexis Bevan, the county’s human...
White House says it will defer to CDC on reopening schoolsVideo
Facing criticism that President Joe Biden has not acted aggressively enough on reopening schools, the White House on Thursday said it’s aiming for a full reopening but will defer to science experts on how to achieve it in the middle of a pandemic. The White House drew criticism this week...
Covid hospitalizations in Pennsylvania drop again
For the second day in a row, hospitalizations in Pennsylvania dropped by more than 100 patients. According to the state covid-19 dashboard, the number of residents hospitalized for the virus is 2,687, down 102 from Wednesday, which was down 101 from Tuesday. Hospitalizations in the state have been on a...
Reported covid cases in Westmoreland County remain steady
Westmoreland County on Thursday added 86 additional covid cases and one death, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported. Of the 86 new cases reported, 49 are confirmed and 37 probable. The total number of cases in Westmoreland County now stands at 25,602 with 18,306 confirmed and 7,296 probable since the...
Allegheny County reports no new deaths, reassigns 1 to another county
Allegheny County on Thursday reported 270 additional coronavirus cases and no new coronavirus deaths. Though the county did not add any deaths in the new report, one death previously reported was reassigned to a different county, which was not identified, resulting in a reduction in the total number of deaths...
Fauci: Virus shot categories to open up by April
WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci predicts by April it will be “open season” for vaccinations in the U.S., as supply boosts allow most people to get shots to protect against covid-19. Speaking to NBC’s “Today Show,” Fauci, who serves as science adviser to President joe Biden, says the rate of...
White House looks at domestic travel restrictions as virus variant surges in Florida
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is considering whether to impose domestic travel restrictions, including on Florida, fearful that coronavirus mutations are threatening to reverse hard-fought progress on the pandemic. Outbreaks of the new variants — including a highly contagious one first identified in the United Kingdom, as well as others...
U.K. covid variant detected in Allegheny County, officials sayVideo
Allegheny County officials announced Wednesday the covid-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom has been detected in the county. Dr. Debra Bogen, the county’s health director, said the case is the first and only U.K. variant reported in the county thus far. The health department has completed a case...
Government investigating massive counterfeit N95 mask scam
Federal authorities are investigating a massive counterfeit N95 mask operation in which fake 3M masks were sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies. The foreign-made knockoffs are becoming increasingly difficult to spot and could put health care workers at grave risk for the coronavirus....
CDC study finds 2 masks are better than 1 vs. covid-19
NEW YORK — U.S. government researchers found that two masks are better than one in slowing coronavirus spread, but health officials stopped short of recommending that everyone double up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported the results of a lab experiment that spaced two artificial heads...
Westmoreland County adds 84 covid cases, 3 deaths
Westmoreland County on Wednesday added 84 new coronavirus cases and three deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county’s totals now stand at 25,516 cases and 645 deaths associated with covid-19. Of those newly added cases, 26 are confirmed and 58 are probable. According to the state’s covid-19...
Pennsylvania adds 3,378 covid cases; Fayette County surpasses 10,000 cases
Fayette County became the 27th county in Pennsylvania to surpass 10,000 coronavirus cases on Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 29 additional cases to bring Fayette’s total to 10,022. In the region, Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland have already surpassed that mark. Overall in the state, 3,378 additional...
WHO expert group recommends use of AstraZeneca vaccine
GENEVA — Independent experts advising the World Health Organization on Wednesday recommended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine even in countries that turned up worrying coronavirus variants in their populations. There had been doubts about the vaccine’s effectiveness against a variant that emerged in South Africa. The advice is used by...
Allegheny County hits lowest covid hospitalization number since November, adds 35 deaths
Covid-19 patient hospitalizations in Allegheny County decreased by 27 on Wednesday, bringing the total to 249, the lowest since Nov. 11. According to the state’s covid-19 dashboard, there are currently 249 coronavirus patients hospitalized in the county. For perspective, there were 542 patients hospitalized a month ago (Jan. 10) and...
Poll: A third of U.S. adults skeptical of covid shots
NEW YORK — About 1 in 3 Americans say they definitely or probably won’t get the covid-19 vaccine, according to a new poll that some experts say is discouraging news if the U.S. hopes to achieve herd immunity and vanquish the outbreak. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for...
Gov. Wolf announces new covid vaccine task force
Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday announced the creation of a joint task force aimed at improving the state’s vaccine rollout, including several members of the General Assembly from both sides of the political aisle. “We have a good working relationship with our legislators, and we know they are the eyes,...
Allegheny Health Network adjusts visiting policy, other hospitals still have limits
With covid rates and hospitalizations dropping, Allegheny Health Network is changing visitation policies at its hospitals. The hospital system announced Tuesday that effective immediately its hospitals are allowing multiple people to visit a patient one at a time. Patients can have only one visitor in a facility at a time...
Pennsylvania tool lets you know when it’s your turn to get covid vaccine
The Pennsylvania Department of Health launched another new online tool to help with covid-19 vaccine information, and residents now can sign up for alerts as to when they’re eligible. The website, called Your Turn, first will determine whether a person is eligible for the vaccine and, if they aren’t, give...
Covid exposure closes 2 Greensburg Salem schools through Feb. 18
Two Greensburg Salem School District buildings will be closed through Feb. 18 because of “the number of faculty, staff and students who were in close contact with a positive covid case,” according to district officials. Students at Amos K. Hutchinson Elementary School and Greensburg Salem Middle School will learn remotely...
Ex-Wisconsin pharmacist pleads guilty to vaccine tampering
MADISON, Wis. — A former Wisconsin pharmacist pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to charges that he tried to spoil dozens of vials of covid-19 vaccine. Federal prosecutors charged Steven Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, in late January with two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products. He pleaded guilty...
WHO team: Coronavirus unlikely to have leaked from China lab
WUHAN, China — The coronavirus most likely first appeared in humans after jumping from an animal, a team of international and Chinese scientists looking for the origins of covid-19 said Tuesday, saying an alternate theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab was unlikely. A closely watched visit by...
Pa. reports 4,088 additional covid cases, 149 deaths
Pennsylvania on Tuesday continued its current trend of reporting less than 5,000 additional covid-19 cases, per the state Department of Health. There were 4,088 covid cases added, bringing total cases to 876,913 in the state. There have been 33,689 cases reported in February to this point. Since Jan. 31, there...
