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Coronavirus category, Page 73

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Anti-vax at the Vatican? You might lose your job
ROME — The Vatican is taking Pope Francis’ pro-vaccine stance very seriously: Any Vatican employee who refuses to get a coronavirus shot without a valid medical reason risks being fired. A Feb. 8 decree signed by the governor of the Vatican city-state says that employees who opt out of vaccination...
Pennsylvania covid cases down over 50% in past month
Pennsylvania’s covid numbers continue to decline, as the state Department of Health’s latest report shows cases on average have dropped more than 50% since last month. The state reported 3,345 new cases Thursday, with 2,250 of those confirmed through 12,240 new PCR tests. Officials said 1,095 cases were listed as...
Westmoreland County reports 92 new covid cases, 5 deaths
Despite an increase in new cases from yesterday, Westmoreland County continues to see an overall decline in its new case average. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 92 new cases of coronavirus Thursday. It’s the 15th straight day the county’s new case count was in double digits. The last time...
Allegheny County covid numbers continue to decline
Despite surpassing 74,000 cases of coronavirus Thursday, Allegheny County’s overall covid averages continue to decline. The county health department’s latest report added 247 new cases of the virus. Of those, 114 cases were confirmed through 940 new PCR tests, processed from Feb. 8 to Wednesday. Officials said four of the...
China defends use of Twitter, Facebook in virus campaign
BEIJING — The Chinese government defended its use of Twitter and Facebook on Thursday, following a report that it had used its growing social media presence to spread disinformation about the origins of the covid-19 pandemic. When asked about the report, the Foreign Ministry’s top spokesperson, Hua Chunying, didn’t directly...
‘Several’ covid-19 cases prompt Central Catholic High to close Oakland campus, go all-virtual
Central Catholic High School’s campus in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood will close Thursday and students will switch to strictly online classes following multiple newly positive covid-19 cases in recent weeks. Diocesan officials said they made the decision to close the campus through at least next week in response to guidance issued...
Allegheny County plans to administer 2nd covid vaccine doses in timely fashion 
The Allegheny County Health Department is working to ensure people who received first doses of the covid vaccine will get their second dose, as planned, after state officials announced a likely shortage of more than 50,000 doses next week. State officials on Wednesday described a “perfect storm of circumstances” after...
Thousands of service members saying no to covid-19 vaccine
By the thousands, U.S. service members are refusing or putting off the covid-19 vaccine as frustrated commanders scramble to knock down internet rumors and find the right pitch that will persuade troops to get the shot. Some Army units are seeing as few as one-third agree to the vaccine. Military...
Pennsylvania reports 193 covid deaths, while cases remain steady, hospitalizations drop
Pennsylvania on Wednesday added 193 coronavirus deaths, the highest number of deaths reported on a single day this month. The total number of covid-related deaths in the state stands at 23,319. The newly reported deaths come after only seven were added Tuesday and 23 on Monday. The seven-day average of...
Vaccine mix-up prompts rescheduling shuffle in Pennsylvania 
Vaccine providers in Pennsylvania could be short 55,000 first doses of Moderna’s covid-19 vaccine in the coming weeks after a “perfect storm of circumstances” meant some providers spent weeks giving out dedicated second-dose shots as first doses, health department leaders said Wednesday. In addition, 30,000 to 60,000 second-dose appointments could...
Westmoreland County sees 4 additional covid deaths, cases steady
Westmoreland County on Wednesday added four new covid deaths, after two days with none, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The total number of covid deaths in the county now stands at 652 since the pandemic started last March. There have been 47 reported deaths in February....
Excela starting to offer covid vaccines to public when available; most staffers immunized
About 70% of Excela Health’s staff are immunized against the coronavirus and a limited number of appointments are periodically being opened to community members who meet the state’s guidelines. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox said the health system late last week opened appointments on its website to people over...
Kamala Harris calls for teachers to get covid vaccine priority
Speaking in her first sit-down network television interview since taking office, Vice President Kamala Harris stressed the importance of getting educators vaccinated since their work is so important and they work in an environment where protective measures are tough to implement. “Teachers should be a priority,” said Harris on Wednesday....
Allegheny County reports 26 new coronavirus deaths
Allegheny County on Wednesday reported 26 new coronavirus deaths and 215 additional coronavirus cases. The newly reported deaths is a spike in the county data, but most days in February have reported a low number of deaths. Eight or fewer deaths have been recorded on 12 days this month. That...
‘Face diapers not required’: Florida restaurant’s mask policy goes viral
A Florida restaurant’s face mask policy is going viral. On Facebook, BeckyJack’s Food Shack in Weeki Wachee, Fla., reminded its customers that it does not require face masks to be worn inside during the covid-19 pandemic. The post on Valentine’s Day has received more than 2,500 comments and more than...
Japan starts covid vaccinations with eye on Olympics
TOKYO — Japan launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign Wednesday, months after other major economies started giving shots and amid questions about whether the drive would reach enough people quickly enough to save a Summer Olympics already delayed by the pandemic. Despite a recent rise in infections, Japan has largely dodged...
North Huntingdon-Irwin covid cases up slightly as of Feb. 16, 2021
The post-holiday spread of confirmed covid cases in the North Huntingdon-Irwin-North Irwin area rose by 57 from Feb. 8-16, according to state Department of Health data released Tuesday. That translates to an increase of 2.2%. The fact that the increase in cases from Feb. 8-16 was greater than the 43...
Global vaccine gaps could leave Americans vulnerable 
WASHINGTON — Over and over, President Joe Biden has emphasized the need to inoculate as many Americans as quickly as possible, all but staking his presidency on successfully shielding the country from covid-19. Yet the uneven vaccination effort globally is expected to leave large swaths of the planet unprotected for...
Hospitals still ration medical N95 masks as stockpiles swell
Mike Bowen’s warehouse outside Fort Worth, Texas, was piled high with cases of medical-grade N95 face masks. His company, Prestige Ameritech, can churn out 1 million masks every four days, but he doesn’t have orders for nearly that many. So he recently got approval from the government to export them....
Covid deaths reported in Westmoreland County rival October numbers
Westmoreland County on Tuesday reported no additional covid-related deaths, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. With no new deaths reported, the seven-day death total in the county is six, which is the lowest it has been since October. In the last seven days, there have been no deaths reported...
For just 2nd time in 2021, Pa. reports new covid deaths in single digits
Pennsylvania reported seven additional covid-19 deaths Tuesday, per the state Department of Health. The deaths reported Tuesday increase the state’s death total to 23,126, with 1,465 deaths reported in February. Only once before this year have health officials reported such a low number of new covid-related deaths: Feb. 8 when...
Allegheny County reports 1 new covid death; trend continues of low deaths reported
Allegheny County reported one additional covid-related death Tuesday, according to the county Health Department. The individual was in their 80s and died Sunday. That continues a trend in recent days where no or few covid-19 deaths have been reported. In the past four days, four deaths have been reported, with...
S. Korea spy agency: N. Korea hackers targeted vaccine tech
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean hackers attempted to steal information about coronavirus vaccines and treatments, South Korea’s intelligence service said Tuesday, but it denied a lawmaker’s claim that vaccine maker Pfizer Inc. was targeted. Earlier Tuesday, Ha Tae-keung, a member of parliament’s intelligence committee, told reporters that the National...
Gov. Cuomo: New York should have released care home death data faster 
NEW YORK — Under fire over his management of the coronavirus’ lethal path through New York’s nursing homes, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday the state didn’t cover up deaths but should have moved faster to release some information sought by lawmakers, the public and the press. “All the deaths in...
The inside story of how Pennsylvania failed to deliver millions in coronavirus rent relief
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. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — It was late August, just past noon, and time was running out. Bryce Maretzki was in charge of a...


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