Coronavirus category, Page 274
Spreading coronavirus prompts Catholic bishops to suspend obligation to attend Mass
Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops said Thursday they are suspending the obligation to attend Sunday Mass until further notice. “Following a joint conference call with all the bishops of Pennsylvania, effective immediately and until further notice, I wish to share with you that in union with all my brother bishops I am...
Westmoreland Transit to continue service, step up vehicle cleaning
Westmoreland County Transit officials say the ongoing coronavirus scare for now will not impact local and commuter bus service and the agency’s Go Westmoreland paratransit shared-ride programs will continue at current levels. Transit Authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec said buses and other vehicles will undergo additional disinfection to ensure the...
Stage AE closes because of coronavirus fears; other Western Pa. venues continue scheduled shows
Stage AE on Pittsburgh’s North Shore announced Friday that it will close through May 1, subject to ongoing reassessment. “Our hope is that we are able to reschedule as many of the affected events as possible, but at this time there is limited information on new dates,” PromoWest Productions said...
PIHL suspends Penguins Cup playoffs
Just like the PIAA, the PIHL is suspending its postseason for at least two weeks because of concerns over the coronavirus. While high school hockey does not fall under the PIAA jurisdiction, the PIHL serves as the sport’s governing body for a majority of Western Pennsylvania programs. “Even though we’re...
MLB cancels spring games, delays openers
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is delaying the start of its season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak and suspended the rest of its spring training game schedule. Opening day had been scheduled for March 26. Statement from Major League Baseball: pic.twitter.com/0bWS5VTRPu— MLB (@MLB) March...
NFL cancels annual meeting in Florida because of coronavirus outbreak
The NFL has canceled its scheduled league meeting later this month in Palm Beach, Fla., because of the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement came on a day when the NCAA Tournament was canceled, and the NHL and Major League Baseball followed in the NBA’s lead by suspending their season and spring...
PGA Tour to carry on without spectators for the next month
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The PGA Tour plans to keep playing, just without anyone watching from outside the ropes because of the coronavirus outbreak. Commissioner Jay Monahan said Thursday that fans will not be allowed at the final three days of The Players Championship or three other tournaments —...
WPIAL swimmers leave shortened PIAA Class AAA championships with mixed emotions
A range of emotions, from sadness to frustration, enveloped the faces of Class AAA swimmers and coaches, as well as family members and other spectators, when the PIAA announced Thursday that consolation and championship finals would not take place due to coronavirus concerns. “I made the decision after speaking to...
Travel bans, market chaos: Dizzying reaction to coronavirus spread around the world
ROME — Sweeping travel bans cascaded around the globe Thursday, walling off countries and even entire continents, keeping people inside their homes, and slowing the engines of commerce to stem the coronavirus pandemic. Markets collapsed with the growing realization that there would be no fast end to the uncertainty. After...
USL Championship suspends league play for at least 30 days
The United Soccer League has announced the USL Championship has temporarily suspended the 2020 season for a minimum of 30 days because of health concerns surrounding the coronavirus. USL Championship Temporarily Suspends Play pic.twitter.com/lUwfXvnIbl— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) March 12, 2020 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC was set to begin its season this...
Food banks continue distributions, prepare to reach vulnerable populations in light of coronavirus
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s Empty Bowls dinner is the latest casualty in the fight to stop the spread of coronavirus. The food bank and Just Harvest, the other sponsor of the event, announced the cancellation Thursday. The event was to be held Sunday at Rodef Shalom, but organizers...
Businesses cut customer perks, loosen sick time rules to cope with coronavirus
Some businesses are taking extra precautions amid concerns about coronavirus. There’s the obvious — encouraging employees to stay home if they’re sick and increasing the cleaning of surfaces. But some are going steps beyond in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, which has been classified as a...
NHL suspends season over coronavirus concerns
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The NHL paused its regular season because of concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Via a statement released by the league early Thursday afternoon after a teleconference among league owners and commissioner Gary Bettman, the league cited the NBA suspension of its season after at least one...
Avoiding crowds over coronavirus? You can still have some fun at homeVideo
Everyone gearing up for a fun St. Patrick’s weekend likely is hastily making other plans, as concern grows about coronavirus. Along with other cities across the nation, Pittsburgh officials Wednesday made the call to cancel the popular St. Patrick’s Day parade planned for March 14. In cancelling the parade, @CityPGH...
‘Quiet Place 2’ and ‘Fast & Furious’ delayed, as Hollywood braces for shutdown
NEW YORK — The entertainment industry, a business predicated on drawing crowds in theaters, cinemas and concert venues, is bracing for possible shutdown in the coming weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic, potentially putting on pause the normal hum of TV productions, the bustle of red-carpet movie premieres and the...
Stock market endures biggest drop since crash of 1987
NEW YORK — The stock market had its biggest drop since the Black Monday crash of 1987 Thursday as fears of economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis deepened. The sell-off, which sent the Dow industrials down 10%, came despite supportive steps from the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank....
March Madness: Conferences scrap tourneys; NCAAs in doubt
The most powerful conferences in college sports canceled their men’s basketball tournaments Thursday because of the coronavirus, putting in doubt this month’s NCAA Tournament — one of the biggest events on the American sports calendar. Within minutes of each other, the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern...
PIAA suspends basketball tournament, swimming championships for 2 weeksVideo
The PIAA will reassess the coronavirus situation in two weeks, said executive director Bob Lombardi, and decide then whether to resume the winter sports championships. The state basketball tournaments and the Class AA swimming championship were suspended Thursday as the PIAA joined a growing list of sports organizations impacted by...
Duquesne Light pulls workers from Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show exhibit over coronavirus fears
Duquesne Light, the title sponsor of the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show, is pulling its employees from the event to limit potential exposure to the coronavirus. “We support the decisions of city officials to cancel large events and believe this is the best course of action for us to ensure...
Organizers cancel A-K Cager Classic all-star game over coronavirus concerns
One of the Alle-Kiski Valley’s most popular sports events has become a victim of coronavirus concerns. The A-K Cager Classic, pitting senior high school basketball players from both sides of the Allegheny River, has been canceled, co-founder Glenn Mills said Thursday morning. The 24th annual all-star boys and girls event...
Latest on coronavirus: Pennsylvania up to 22 cases; March Madness called off; Wolf closes eastern Pa. schools
The eastern part of Pennsylvania continues to see an increase in presumed coronavirus cases, according to the state Department of Health. Pennsylvania has 20 presumed positive cases of the virus and two confirmed cases as of Thursday. The highest number of cases — 13 — is in Montgomery County, a...
Move to online classes continues as colleges across the region shutter classrooms
The move to online education at colleges and universities across Western Pennsylvania was nearly universal by the end of Thursday. Residential colleges and universities concerned about the potential for the spread of coronavirus as students returned from spring break were among the first institutions in the nation to react to...
Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert test positive for coronavirus
Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz confirmed Thursday he tested positive for the coronavirus, saying he is personally dealing with the pandemic that has temporarily shut down the NBA and other major sports leagues. Later, his Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert — the first NBA player to test positive, which prompted...
Trump’s ban on travel from Europe escalates pain for airlines
President Donald Trump’s decision Wednesday to impose a 30-day ban on most Europeans entering the United States is the latest calamity for airlines already reeling from falling bookings and cancelled reservations as people try to avoid contracting the coronavirus. The ban, to begin at midnight Friday, won’t apply to Americans...
Colfax Elementary, Brookline K-8 and St. Bede schools close after possible coronavirus exposures
Potential exposures to the coronavirus have prompted Pittsburgh Public Schools to take steps to prevent it from being spread to other people. Colfax Elementary School in Squirrel Hill was closed Thursday after officials learned that a student may have been exposed to the coronavirus from a relative outside the school....
