Coronavirus category, Page 262
Some Pa. school districts stop mandatory instruction, grading during closure
Some school districts have stopped assigning mandatory work during the state’s mandatory 10-day closure after a conference call with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and district leaders. After Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement last week that schools should close to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, Woodland Hills Superintendent James Harris...
Allegheny Health Network suspends patient visits
Allegheny Health Network is suspending all patient visitation at its hospitals, outpatient clinics and ambulatory surgery centers until further notice, the network announced Thursday. The health system said the policy, which goes into effect at 7 p.m. Thursday, aims to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes covid-19...
Layoffs spike in U.S., Europe as virus shuts businesses
WASHINGTON — Just a couple of weeks ago, Erika Vega hoped her temp job at a cafeteria would soon become permanent. But instead, the viral outbreak shut down the building where she worked and left her wondering where her next paycheck will come from. Like millions of Americans and people...
Derry Area sends Grandview Elementary staff home as it awaits coronavirus test results
Derry Area School District on Thursday closed Grandview Elementary School to essential workers and others after a family member of a support staff member was tested for covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. “Acting prudently and with an abundance of caution, we have decided to close Grandview Elementary...
Officials team up to combat secondary outbreak of fraud, price-gouging amid coronovirus pandemic
The Pittsburgh region’s top state and federal law enforcement authorities announced Thursday they are teaming up to form the Western Pennsylvania Covid-19 Fraud Task Force to investigate and prosecute those committing fraud during the coronavirus outbreak. “Our goal is simple: We seek to ensure there is no gap between the...
Pitt part of international effort to develop covid-19 vaccine
The Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is investing $4.9 million in a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh and others to develop a covid-19 vaccine. The consortium that includes Pitt is led by the Pasteur Institute in Paris and includes Themis, an Austrian bioscience company. CEPI funding will...
Disaster declaration brings low-interest loans for small businesses in Pennsylvania, elsewhere
Small businesses that have lost revenue as a result of the coronavirus will be able to apply for low-interest loans now that Pennsylvania has received a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The action came a day after Gov. Tom Wolf asked for the declaration for all 67...
‘Like a ghost town,’ Downtown Pittsburgh is empty
Jerry Kennedy has been selling hot dogs on Grant Street in Downtown Pittsburgh for a dozen years. He’s never seen the streets so deserted on a weekday. Kennedy, owner of Newman & Marley’s, who parks his stand outside the Steel Plaza T Station on Grant Street, said his business has...
‘Significant hospitalization rates’: Coronavirus taking a toll in Pa.
As coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly across Pennsylvania, the state is seeing “significant hospitalization rates,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Thursday. “It really is varying day to day,” Levine said during a daily covid-19 update. The reported average hospitalization rate is about 10%. Levine said Pennsylvania’s rate...
Life during coronavirus pandemic: How this McCandless 5th-grader stays busy (and safe for her mom)Video
We invite Trib readers to share stories about their lives during coronavirus. Write to Director of Content John Allison at jallison@triblive.com. Please include your full name, neighborhood and phone number. Send photos, too, of what you are doing and seeing. Here’s a story from Jenna Parker of McCandless Township, a...
After public criticism, Pa. turnpike to reopen restrooms at service plazas Friday
After four days of public criticism, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission reversed course Thursday and announced it will reopen all 17 of its service plazas beginning at 7 a.m. Friday In a news release, the agency said restrooms inside all service plazas will be open 24 hours. The outdoor portable toilets...
UPMC doctor on coronavirus: ‘Fear can be a very healthy thing’
The fear and anxiety that is gripping the nation as coronavirus cases soar is not necessarily a bad thing, a top UPMC doctor leading preparations at the Pittsburgh-based health giant said Thursday. “Fear can be a very healthy thing,” Dr. Don Yealy, UPMC’s chair of emergency medicine, told the Tribune-Review....
There’s no toilet paper or hand sanitizer, but here’s what we’re not buying
Call it stocking up or panic-buying, the first wave of coronavirus-driven shopping seems to have subsided. While toilet paper is still on the endangered species list, a survey of Greensburg-area supermarkets, big box stores and pharmacies reveals limited supplies of paper towels, napkins and facial tissue. The demand for canned...
PHEAA issues temporary waivers for some student grant programs, extends application deadlines
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) Thursday moved to acknowledge sweeping changes that have forced colleges to shutter classrooms and move to online instruction due to coronavirus fears. Thursday, the agency’s board of directors moved to loosen the restrictions on about a half-dozen grant programs that affect about 210,000...
Italian death toll overtakes China’s as virus spreadsVideo
ROME — The death toll in Italy from the coronavirus overtook China’s on Thursday in a stark illustration of how the outbreak has pivoted toward Europe and the United States. Italy, with a population of 60 million, recorded at least 3,405 deaths, or roughly 150 more than in China —...
U.S.-Canada border to close late Friday to non-essential trips
TORONTO — The Canadian government said Thursday the Canada-U.S. border will be closed to all non-essential travel in both directions Friday night. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said it will take “weeks to months” for social-distancing measures in his country to be lifted amid the coronavirus pandemic. Both the U.S....
Trump weighs controls on companies that take coronavirus bailouts
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday the government should take an equity stake in some companies that need bailouts because of devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the U.S. economy. Trump told a briefing he has executive authority to curb the impact on businesses. “There’s a lot of...
Stuck-at-home cooks can channel Julia Child’s ‘The French Chef’Video
Cooks, or wannabe cooks, suddenly homebound due to the coronavirus pandemic can learn from the queen of television cooking. Julia Child’s cooking show, “The French Chef,” is still a fond memory for many who watched the live tapings. Child’s distinctive voice, easy-to-follow instructions and ability to laugh at her own...
Changes coming to census as officials limit face-to-face contact in midst of coronavirus
Census officials are limiting face-to-face contact with people residing in nursing homes and those who utilize soup kitchens and shelters as the coronavirus continues to spread. In an effort to keep the public safe while obtaining a complete count, census officials are asking nursing home administrators to help residents reply...
Celebrities get coronavirus tests, raising concerns of inequality
WASHINGTON — Celebrities, politicians and professional athletes faced a backlash this week as many revealed that they had been tested for the coronavirus, even when they didn’t have a fever or other tell-tale symptoms. That’s fueling a perception that the wealthy and famous have been able to jump to the...
Virus concerns close Greenbrier resort in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia governor’s lavish resort, which served as a secret Cold War-era bunker for the federal government, closed Thursday over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs said on its website that it shut down at noon Thursday and plans to...
California governor: 60,000 homeless could get virus
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As worries about the spread of the coronavirus confine millions of Californians to their homes, concern is growing about those who have no homes in which to shelter. Gov. Gavin Newsom estimates up to 60,000 homeless could end up infected. California has more than 150,000 homeless people,...
2 confirmed coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County has its first two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, the state Department of Health announced Thursday. The cases were among 52 new confirmed positives reported statewide, bringing the total number of Pennsylvania cases to 185. It’s an increase of 39% over the previous day and comes as...
Conan O’Brien to return to air, with an iPhone from home
NEW YORK — With iPhones and Skype, Conan O’Brien is going back on the air. The late-night host said he will resume putting out new episodes of TBS’ “Conan” on March 30. His staff will remain at home, and the show will be cobbled together with O’Brien on an iPhone...
Long-standing religious gatherings canceled, some services continue
For the first time in its 48-year history, the Christian Businessmen’s Connection Good Friday breakfast is canceled over concerns about the coronavirus. “We’re considering maybe a fall event. We’re not going to walk away from it until all options are depleted,” said Boice Bailey, chairman of the Greensburg Christian Businessmen’s...
