Coronavirus category, Page 40

First, many called it simply the coronavirus, then covid or covid-19. Now, we are keeping track of descriptors like alpha, beta and gamma, the variants of covid-19. The World Health Organization created this naming system to make them easier to publicly discuss. Viruses are constantly changing through mutation, which results...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — As the delta variant of the coronavirus sweeps across the United States, a growing number of colleges and universities are requiring proof of covid-19 vaccination for students to attend in-person classes. But the mandatory requirement has opened the door for those opposed to getting the...

WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy says he disagrees with GOP governors in Florida and Texas who are blocking mask mandates even as covid-19 cases spike higher. Cassidy, a Louisiana physician, said Sunday that “local officials should be listened to” if hospital ICUs in a community are full because of...

The U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Sunday that he was hopeful the Food and Drug Administration will give full approval to the coronavirus vaccine by month’s end and predicted the potential move will spur a wave of vaccine mandates in the private sector as well...

The light at the end of the covid-19 tunnel might be dimming as the more contagious delta variant surges, vaccination rates wane and experts say the long-sought herd immunity might be beyond reach. Herd immunity has been a buzzword and, for many, the end goal, since the pandemic began sweeping...

The U.S. is now averaging 100,000 new covid-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge in another bleak reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread through the country. Health officials fear that cases, hospitalizations and deaths will continue to soar if more...

Pittsburgh officials announced that vaccination will be required for any new hires on Friday, a day after Allegheny County leaders announced a similar mandate for new county employees. In addition, any current employees who are not vaccinated will have to wear masks at all times inside city facilities. Officials said...

CHICAGO — Alison Goodwin was eager to attend Lollapalooza, excited for both the live music lineup and the strict pandemic protocols that she had assumed would keep the event safe for her and her wife, who traveled here from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yet she became increasingly worried during the four-day festival,...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— An Arkansas judge on Friday temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its ban on mask mandates after lawmakers left the prohibition in place despite a rising number of covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox issued a preliminary injunction against the law that Gov....

ROME — Pompeii’s archaeological park is offering free swab tests, the Vatican Museums posted refund instructions and tourists whipped out smartphones to show QR codes along with admission tickets Friday as a new covid-19 certification rule took effect in Italy as part of the government’s plan to rein in a...

State prison inmates who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus no longer will be allowed to have in-person visits from friends and family, according to Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel. Also, inmates now will be housed in Pennsylvania’s prisons based on their vaccination status. The new policy takes effect...

United Airlines will require employees in the U.S. to be vaccinated against covid-19 by late October, perhaps sooner, joining a growing number of big corporations that are responding to a surge in virus cases. Company leaders called it a matter of safety and cited “incredibly compelling” evidence of the effectiveness...

NEW YORK — CNN has fired three employees who violated company policy by coming to work unvaccinated against the covid-19 virus. CNN chief Jeff Zucker told staff members of the firing in a memo sent Thursday that reminded them that vaccines were mandatory if they report to the office or...

WASHINGTON — Moderna officials say while its covid-19 vaccine’s protection is holding up, it’s planning for booster doses to help fight the highly contagious delta variant. With “the rising force of infection” from that variant and eventual waning immunity, a “booster will likely be necessary to keep us as safe...

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State University will require students, staff and visitors at all its campuses to wear masks while indoors, the school announced Wednesday, responding to a statewide surge in coronavirus cases. The masking rule will apply to everyone, regardless of vaccination status, Penn State officials said. “As we...

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is taking the first steps toward requiring nearly all foreign visitors to the United States to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, a White House official said Wednesday. The requirement would come as part of the administration’s phased approach to easing travel restrictions for foreign citizens...

Springfield and St. Louis area health leaders are asking adults to wear masks and get the covid-19 vaccine to protect children as hospitals report admitting more young patients with the disease, including some in intensive care. Spring Schmidt, deputy director of the St. Louis County health department, said Wednesday about...

Mt. Lebanon School District notified parents Wednesday that everyone inside district buildings will be required to wear masks starting Monday. The mandate applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. The letter sent to parents said the district hopes “to maximize in-person learning and minimize any disruptions caused by covid outbreaks...

NEW YORK — The U.S. nursing home industry’s resistance to forcing workers to get vaccinated against covid-19 for fear that too many of them might quit began to crack this week when its biggest player announced its employees must get the shot to keep their jobs. The new requirement at...

As the delta variant pushes covid-19 case counts upward again, people are being more careful about wearing masks and distancing indoors. But what about the outdoors, which has been a refuge from the pandemic isolation because of reduced transmission risk? Last weekend, photos of maskless revelers at Lollapalooza, an outdoor...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Crowds of bikers are rumbling their way toward South Dakota’s Black Hills this week, raising fears that covid-19 infections will be unleashed among the 700,000 people expected to show up at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The rally, which starts Friday, has become a haven for those...

A top medical facility and university are joining in a study looking at covid-19 vaccines, pregnancy and postpartum. UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine will participate in a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases study of the immune response to covid-19 vaccines among pregnant...