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Coronavirus category, Page 95

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Alaska health care worker hospitalized after receiving covid-19 vaccine
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A Juneau health care worker was hospitalized and treated for a serious allergic reaction after receiving the covid-19 vaccine Tuesday, hospital and health officials said Wednesday. The worker felt flush and took an antihistamine around 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. She felt...
Wolf administration says help available for people dealing with isolation, depression
The holidays can be stressful and depressing under normal circumstances. But this year’s pandemic has only added to people’s anxiety, particularly for seniors who may be experiencing extreme isolation and loneliness. On Wednesday, members of the Wolf administration hosted a video conference to discuss resources for older Pennsylvanians and others...
Advocates demand virtual access to Allegheny County criminal courts: ‘It’s not difficult’ 
Two advocacy groups called an Allegheny County court policy requiring the public to attend hearings in person even though proceedings are being held virtually “unlawful,” and threatened to file a federal lawsuit. A letter sent Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy...
Allegheny County’s covid rates still rising as some businesses ignore restrictions 
Allegheny County’s current seven-day average for new infections is 1,000 new cases per day – an increase of about 150 cases from last week, officials said Wednesday. The percent of covid-19 cases returning with positive results has also climbed by 2% from last week – now at 14.6% positivity. County...
Westmoreland covid hospitalizations up but Excela officials say they can handle it
The number of patients hospitalized in Westmoreland County because of the coronavirus jumped 27% in the last few days — from 131 patients on Saturday to 166 on Wednesday, according to state data. That’s a 55% increase from Nov. 30, when the county reported its first triple-digit patient count. Excela...
U.S. angling to secure more of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say they’re actively negotiating for additional purchases of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine after passing up a chance to lock in a contract this summer since it was still unclear how well the shots would work. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and special adviser Dr. Moncef...
Arizona ties, sets records for virus deaths, hospital usage
PHOENIX — Arizona on Wednesday tied a previous record of coronavirus deaths in one day during the current virus surge while its available hospital bed capacity dropped to a record-low since the start of the pandemic. As the state’s vaccination program began to ramp up, the state Department of Health...
Sean Kertes and Doug Chew: Why Excela received $5 million grant
We write in response to the Dec. 4 letter “$5 million grant to Excela wrong.” Transparency in government is important, so we’d like to set the record straight. The basis for a grant to Excela was set as far back as July 6, when Excela’s leadership team met with the...
Westmoreland County surpasses 15K coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County became the state’s 11th county to reach 15,000 coronavirus cases on Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 346 new cases, bringing the county’s total to 15,148. Of those new cases, 210 are confirmed and 136 are probable. In the past month, coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County have...
Pennsylvania reports over 10K coronavirus cases for 5th time in 7 days
Pennsylvania’s coronavirus case total grew by 10,049 on Wednesday, the fifth time in the past seven days with a total above 10,000. The new cases reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health bring the state’s total to 519,369. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania surpassed 500,000 cases, becoming the seventh state to reach...
Allegheny County sees most new coronavirus cases in state
Allegheny County saw the highest total of new coronavirus cases in the state Wednesday. The Allegheny County Health Department reported 1,074 new cases, bringing the county’s total to 43,007. Allegheny County was followed by Philadelphia (807), Luzerne (485), Montgomery (422) and York (421). Of the new cases, 761 were confirmed...
Almost 140,000 people in U.K. have had coronavirus shot so far
Almost 140,000 people in the U.K. have been vaccinated against coronavirus in the first week of the rollout, the government said. Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said there were 108,000 vaccinations in England, 18,000 in Scotland, 7,897 in Wales and 4,000 in Northern Ireland — a total of 137,897 over seven...
Pittsburgh ‘Menorah Parade’ lights up the city 
Despite months of pandemic gloom, the lights of Hanukkah shined bright Tuesday evening on Pittsburgh’s East End. More than 75 vehicles illuminated with menorahs drove through the streets, honking horns and yelling “Happy Hanukkah” to the people lining the course. The annual Menorah Parade celebrates Hanukkah, known as the festival...
Westmoreland Commissioner Gina Cerilli tests positive for covid-19
Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli has tested positive for covid-19, county officials said Tuesday. Cerilli informed the county of her positive test results Tuesday and is following isolation recommendations. Cerilli told the Tribune-Review Tuesday was the second day she experienced symptoms including a “terrible headache” and an elevated temperature. She...
Wolf administration to provide $4 million to communities struggling in pandemic
The state Department of Community and Economic Development has announced it is providing nearly $4 million in support to communities struggling during the covid-19 crisis. The money is part of federal CARES Act funding. Included in the package is funding for four projects, two of them in Western Pennsylvania. In...
More covid cases reported among Allegheny Valley School District staff, students
Five students and staff members at Allegheny Valley School District have tested positive for covid in the past week, the district said. Spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak said those infected were last in a school building more than a week ago, and the cases are unrelated and do not suggest school community...
Voice of Westmoreland to air local public health concerns in Zoom forum
A grassroots activist group will host a public Zoom forum with Westmoreland County commissioners Wednesday evening to air local concerns and urge them to take an active role in battling the region’s growing public health crisis. Although the county does not have an independent public health department, a spokesman for...
Santa took photos with about 50 kids before positive covid test, Georgia officials say
A Santa Claus who took photos with dozens of kids was diagnosed with covid-19, Georgia officials say. The man tested positive for the disease after playing the role of Santa at holiday-themed festivities last week, said Robert D. Parker, chairman of the Long County Board of Commissioners. Mrs. Claus, who...
Westmoreland County preps for vaccine distribution, which could begin Friday
Westmoreland County officials said Tuesday that plans have been formulated to vaccinate nursing home patients and staff and first responders once they are notified that doses are available to distribute locally. Distribution of about 97,500 vaccine doses in Pennsylvania started this week, and the first could arrive in the county...
Sen. Bob Casey, North Huntingdon mother highlight need for continued pandemic relief
Victoria Murrell had her ducks in a row last winter. The 32-year-old from North Huntingdon had spent four years waiting tables and attending classes at Seton Hill University on a full academic scholarship. She was on track to graduate with a degree in human resources. Then the covid-19 shutdown hit....
Pa. officials say winter storm won’t hinder vaccine distribution
Severe winter weather Wednesday won’t delay covid-19 vaccine shipments in Pennsylvania, state officials said, as more shipments of the vaccine arrived at hospitals across the commonwealth. “We’re not making changes (to distribution) according to the forecast, but we will make changes if the weather turns out to force us to...
Talks escalate on new covid-19 relief, top lawmakers to meet 
WASHINGTON — Talks on a long-delayed covid-19 aid package intensified Tuesday as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi summoned other top congressional leaders for a potentially critical meeting. Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for more than an hour, her office tweeted, and Mnuchin will join the make-or-break meeting of...
Over-the-counter home test for covid-19 gets U.S. green light
WASHINGTON — The first home test for covid-19 that doesn’t require a prescription will soon be on U.S. store shelves. U.S. regulators Tuesday authorized the rapid coronavirus test, which can be done entirely at home. The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration represents another important — though incremental —...
U.S. vaccinations ramp up as 2nd covid-19 shot nears
WASHINGTON — Hundreds more hospitals around the country began dispensing covid-19 shots to their workers in a rapid expansion of the U.S. vaccination drive Tuesday, while a second vaccine moved to the cusp of government authorization. A day after the rollout of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus shots, the Food and Drug Administration...
Pa. passes 500,000 covid cases
Pennsylvania reported 9,556 new covid cases and 270 new deaths Tuesday, according to the state Department of Health. Total cases and total deaths in the state are now 509,320 and 12,890, respectively. There have been 147,856 covid-19 cases and 2,507 deaths reported in December. With the state passing 500,00 covid-19...


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