Jamie Martines stories, Page 6
JCC of Greater Pittsburgh works to fight blood shortage during covid-19 outbreak
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh is responding to the need for blood donations during the covid-19 outbreak by holding nine blood drives at its Squirrel Hill and South Hills locations in the coming weeks. The blood drives will be held in cooperation with Vitalant Pittsburgh, formerly known locally...
Allegheny County reports 8 new cases of covid-19, total now at 48; 6 people hospitalized
There are 48 confirmed cases of covid-19 in Allegheny County, according to figures released Monday by the Allegheny County Health Department. Of those cases, six people are hospitalized. The county recorded its first coronavirus death Saturday, a person in their late 60s who was being treated at Jefferson Hospital. The...
Pittsburgh Diocese offers parishioners virtual updates
With weekday and Sunday Masses canceled due to the spread of the coronavirus, Bishop David Zubik and other priests of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh are turning to YouTube and social media to update parishioners on events taking place in their churches. “This is going to be an important week...
State, Pittsburgh police to start enforcing Pa. business closures
Pennsylvania State Police will begin enforcing the closure of “non-life-sustaining” businesses starting 8 a.m. Monday, said Col. Robert Evanchick, state police commissioner. Pittsburgh police also announced Sunday that officers will be responding to 911 calls and other complaints about nonexempt businesses that ignore orders to shut down. Officers will investigate...
UPMC stands ground, will continue elective surgeries despite Wolf’s orderVideo
UPMC doctors on Friday defended their decision to keep performing elective surgeries throughout its hospitals during the covid-19 outbreak, saying the procedures cannot always be safely delayed. “This is not northern Italy. We are not Wuhan right now,” Dr. Graham Snyder, UPMC chief of infection prevention, said during a news...
At-risk cancer patient pleads with community to heed coronavirus warnings
Nurses lined a hallway of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood, clapping and cheering as Sherry Williams reached out with a blue-gloved hand to ring a bell, celebrating the completion of her 16th and final chemotherapy treatment Wednesday. Williams, 50, of Mt. Lebanon, laughed and smiled, looking...
Allegheny County reports 6 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 18
The Allegheny County Health Department on Thursday reported six new cases of covid-19, increasing the number of cases in the county from 12 to 18. Some of those patients have acquired the virus through community spread, health department Director Dr. Debra Bogen said during a press call. “Similar to what...
Allegheny County Council to limit attendance, live stream meetings
Allegheny County Council will limit attendance at regularly scheduled council meetings but will accommodate both live streaming and written public comment amid the covid-19 outbreak, council President Patrick Catena, D-Carnegie, announced Wednesday. “The coronavirus pandemic has forced all of us to adjust our schedules and routines for the safety and...
1st death related to coronavirus reported in PennsylvaniaVideo
The first death related to coronavirus was recorded in Pennsylvania on Wednesday as cases increased sharply in the state. The patient was an adult from Northampton County and was being treated at a hospital, according to the state Department of Health. No further details were available. In a brief, live-streamed...
Pitt postpones spring commencement ceremonies
The University of Pittsburgh has postponed all in-person spring commencement ceremonies at the main campus in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher announced Tuesday. “This decision was not made lightly,” Gallagher said in a statement. “We know this news will be upsetting both to graduates, who have worked so hard...
UPMC shuns health experts’ calls to cancel elective surgeriesVideo
Pittsburgh-based health giant UPMC on Tuesday rejected calls from county and state health experts to stop doing elective surgeries at its hospitals. While acknowledging that some elective surgeries can be postponed, UPMC said they “cannot be delayed for long.” “This is not the time for UPMC to diminish services to...
Allegheny County dentists urged to delay nonemergency procedures
The Allegheny County Health Department is encouraging all dental providers and patients to delay nonemergency dental services and procedures during the covid-19 outbreak. This is due to “the close proximity between patients and their dental service providers,” according to a statement Tuesday by Dr. Debra Bogen, health department director. The...
Allegheny County confirms 1 new coronavirus case, 3 presumptive positives
Another new case and three presumptive positive cases of covid-19 have been confirmed in Allegheny County, officials announced Tuesday morning. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Allegheny County to seven. The new confirmed case is a patient in their 60s who is hospitalized. The health department said...
Pitt, Duquesne move to online classes over coronavirus concerns
The University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University are altering spring class schedules in reaction to concerns over covid-19, university officials announced Wednesday. Pitt is extending spring break and will move to online instruction at all five campuses, according to a statement from the university. Classes will be...
Allegheny Health Network limits visitation at hospitals
Allegheny Health Network is making changes to its visitation policy at area hospitals in response to the rising cases of the novel coronavirus across the United States. The temporary restrictions were announced Wednesday and limit the number of visitors for a patient to one person at a time in the...
Western Pennsylvania school districts prepare for coronavirus
Western Pennsylvania school districts are making plans to continue instruction in the event schools close temporarily because of the spreading covid-19 coronavirus. “We are not in a position at this point to say that there’s a need to send kids home,” said Jenny Webb, spokeswoman for South Butler County School...
Coronavirus cases in Pa. up to 10; Carnegie Mellon researchers to work into summer forecasting spread
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University will be working to forecast the spread of covid-19, the university announced Monday. The Delphi Research Group, one of two Influenza Forecasting Centers of Excellence designated last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, typically does most of its work forecasting the flu...
Allegheny County Jail prepares for coronavirus possibilities
Allegheny County Jail officials are working with the county health department and emergency services to prepare for a potential coronavirus outbreak at the jail, Warden Orlando Harper and Chief Deputy Warden Laura Williams said during a Jail Oversight Board meeting. “As we know, a confined environment is something where we...
2 with presumed positive cases of coronavirus quarantined in Eastern Pa.
Two people with presumed positive cases of the coronavirus are under quarantine in Delaware and Wayne counties, Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said during a news conference Friday. “We have two individuals with presumed positive cases of covid-19,” Levine said. “They are both at home....
Allegheny County Health Department names new director
A search committee made up of members of the Allegheny County Board of Health and the community has selected Dr. Debra Bogen as its nominee to lead the county Health Department. Bogen, the vice chair for education in the UPMC Children’s Hospital pediatric department, will replace Dr. Karen Hacker, who...
Mike Bloomberg to campaign in Pittsburgh on Thursday
Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is scheduled to campaign in Pittsburgh on Thursday, according to a statement from the campaign Monday. Bloomberg opened a brick-and-mortar campaign office on Broad Street in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood over the weekend. “Mike is running for president to...
League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh seek to intervene in voter-roll lawsuit
Four groups on Monday requested to intervene in a federal lawsuit accusing Allegheny County officials of failing to maintain county voter rolls. The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and of Pittsburgh, along with One Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, filed a motion in...
Police: 5-year-old stable after hit-and-run in East Hills
Pittsburgh police are investigating a hit-and-run in the city’s East Hills neighborhood involving a five-year-old boy. Police and EMS responded to the scene in the 2100 block of Park Hill drive around 5 p.m. Sunday. The boy, who had been struck by a gray sedan that fled the scene, was...
Highlands boys hoops team credits fans for support that propelled them to WPIAL titleVideo
This one’s for the fans — the friends, family, classmates and community members who carried the Highlands boys basketball team to their first WPIAL title in 25 years. Top-seeded Highlands beat sixth-seeded Belle Vernon, 72-54, on Saturday at University of Pittsburgh Peterson Events Center during the WPIAL Class 4A championship,...
Bridge dedicated to Air Force staff sergeant killed in line of duty
A Beaver County serviceman killed in the line of duty was honored Saturday with a bridge dedication in his name. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan Elchin, a Special Tactics combat controller, had deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He was killed Nov. 27, 2018 when his...
