Coronavirus category, Page 264
Editorial: Faith, the faithful and coronavirus
Three parishioners at one East Liberty church have tested positive for coronavirus. The Eastminster Presbyterian Church’s Pastor Paul Roberts and two other members have covid-19, providing sobering evidence of how even the places we feel safest have to be approached with caution in the midst of a pandemic. It’s also...
Stuck home? Planets, moon providing predawn entertainment
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Stuck at home this week? The planets and our moon are providing some early morning entertainment. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and a crescent moon will be clustered together in the southeastern sky just before daybreak. Mercury will peek above the horizon. All this is happening amid the...
Report: Oakmont could be backup plan if June’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot is scrapped
Oakmont Country Club has long carried a reputation for being one of the toughest golf courses in the world. Its members might even be considered braggadocious about it, saying the club could host a U.S. Open any day of the week, any time of year. That sentiment might be put...
Pennsylvania’s porta-potties, highway restrictions rankle truckers; state to reopen some rest stopsVideo
Ohio truck driver Paul Greene said the closure of restroom facilities at 17 Pennsylvania Turnpike service centers and PennDOT’s closure of welcome centers and rest areas was very much on his mind as he carried a duffel bag Wednesday into the Flying J truck stop in South Huntingdon. “They’ve closed...
Western Pa. animal shelters limit services as coronavirus continues to spread
Animal shelters in the region have limited their services as the coronavirus continues to spread, with most reducing their adoption hours to appointment-only. Animal Friends and Humane Animal Rescue have cut programming and fundraising events, leading some officials to worry about what the big picture might look like after virus...
Nonprofits join to combat impact of covid-19 in Laurel Highlands
Four nonprofit foundations that serve the Laurel Highlands and Somerset and Cambria counties will collaborate to provide rapid response to the impact of the covid-19 virus among the region’s most vulnerable residents, officials said Wednesday. The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies (CFA), United Way of the Laurel Highlands, Lee Initiatives,...
Excela Health working on testing center for coronavirus
Excela Health is developing a testing center similar to ones opened this week by hospital systems in Allegheny County to screen patients for the coronavirus, according to Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer. A test at the proposed center would “require an evaluation as well as an appointment,” Fox said....
Pittsburgh first responders say they won’t be notified of exposure to coronavirus
Pittsburgh’s first responders won’t be notified if they are exposed to a person later testing positive for covid-19, and officials said the situation poses a potential public health risk. The problem is federal privacy laws and Pennsylvania’s mounting number of positive covid-19 cases, officials said. Representatives of the Mayor’s Office...
Citing covid-19, Pa. Supreme Court halts evictions, foreclosures statewide
No landlord or bank can evict a tenant because of a failure to pay rent or mortgage payments for at least the next two weeks, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. “The Court is aware that the economic consequences of the covid-19 pandemic may cause individuals to suffer a loss...
Westmoreland County school districts feeding students during prolonged closures
School districts across Westmoreland County scrambled this week to find ways to feed students after classes were canceled for at least two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Volunteers and district employees handed out more than 800 bags of food for breakfast and lunch between...
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra plays on — onlineVideo
In an effort to provide music to its fans while on hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra is introducing its new WSO to Go series. The orchestra website notes the series will “keep the music playing wherever we can.” ”We will be sharing videos from our...
Ottawa player is 1st in NHL to test positive for covid-19Video
An Ottawa Senators player tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first known case in the NHL. The team announced late Tuesday an unidentified player tested positive for covid-19. The Senators said the player has mild symptoms, is in isolation and they were notifying anyone who had close contact with...
Pittsburgh Symphony reschedules ‘Bugs Bunny,’ cancels other dates
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has announced new dates for its previously postponed PNC Pops “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony” concerts, and has issued a new list of cancellations. The “Bugs Bunny” series has been moved to June 30-July 2 in Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall. Information for current ticket-holders includes: March 20 tickets...
Work from home and avoid distractions — it’s a challengeVideo
As people are advised to stay home and avoid crowds during the coronavirus outbreak, many suddenly find themselves working remotely. According to Business Insider, 43 percent of Americans work from home at least part time; 20 percent are primarily home-based. For many, though, telecommuting is a new way of working....
Latrobe Art Center seeks homemade art-making video tutorialsVideo
Latrobe Art Center wants to keep teaching and sharing art during its coronavirus-related closure. The center is asking anyone who would like to participate to share an art-making video tutorial via its social media accounts with the hashtag #HomeStudioLAC. The center is hoping to be able to share “a series...
Get out of jail? Inmates fearful of virus argue for release
NEW YORK — Coronavirus has become a “get out of jail” card for hundreds of low-level inmates across the country, and even hard-timers are seeking their freedom with the argument that it’s not a matter of if but when the deadly illness sweeps through tightly packed populations behind bars. Among...
With venues closed, bands turn to live streams to connect with fans
At their live shows, the Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers’ earning potential is typically limited by the size of the venue they’re playing. On the evening of March 14, the Stragglers live-streamed two sets of bluegrass from a band member’s living room that garnered about 20,000 views — and by inserting PayPal...
Bonnaroo postponed until the fall
Bonnaroo won’t be happening in June. The Manchester, Tenn., music and arts festival announced Wednesday that the annual event, originally set to take place June 11 to June 14, would be moved to the fall. Bonnaroo will be rescheduled to Sept 24-27, 2020. Updates to come. Can’t wait to see...
3 worshippers at Pittsburgh church have coronavirus, officials sayVideo
Three members of the Eastminster Presbyterian Church, including Senior Pastor Paul Roberts, have tested positive for covid-19, according to a letter sent to parishioners. The letter said Eastminster, located in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, is working with the Allegheny County Health Department in response to this development. Services...
Race for Grace at Norwin postponed
The 13th Annual Race For Grace that was to be run on April 4 around the Norwin High School complex, has been postponed because the school district is closed under Gov. Wolf’s orders and it is not known when it will reopen. While the school district is closed, Norwin also...
WPIAL baseball, softball teams bag southern trips over coronavirus pandemic
Knowing the feedback he would get, Aaron Albert could hardly break the news to his players without getting emotional. The Kiski Area baseball coach last week had to tell the Cavaliers their trip to Vero Beach, Fla., was canceled because of safety and travel concerns over the widespread threat of...
Treasury wants to send rounds of checks to Americans, starting April 6Video
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department wants to start issuing direct payments to Americans by early next month as the centerpiece of a $1 trillion plan to stabilize the economy as the coronavirus epidemic threatens a body slam to taxpayers and businesses. In a memorandum issued Wednesday, Treasury is calling for...
WVU Medicine offers drive-up virus test sites, including Morgantown
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia University Medicine on Wednesday opened drive-up coronavirus testing sites for pre-screened patients. The sites will be in Morgantown, Parkersburg, Bridgeport, Wheeling and Martinsburg, according to a WVU Medicine news release. They will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. Patients...
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...
First of 4 AHN drive-up coronavirus test sites opens in PineVideo
The first of four Allegheny Health Network drive-up coronavirus test sites opened Wednesday in Pine, and three more should be operational by the end of the week, officials said. The first to be up and running is in the parking garage adjacent to AHN’s Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion. The...
