Top Stories category, Page 1534
Trump administration tells older Americans to stay home, all ages to avoid crowdsVideo
WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday urged all older Americans to stay home and everyone to avoid crowds and eating out at restaurants as part of sweeping guidelines meant to combat an expected surge of coronavirus cases. President Donald Trump, in a marked shift in tone about a crisis...
Gun and ammunition sales soar; permits issued more than double in Western Pa.
In 100 years, the Army Navy & Indoor Pistol Range in Latrobe has seen just about everything, said owner Mark Boerio. But nothing like coronavirus. Boerio is not planning to close the store as the virus spreads across Western Pennsylvania. As of Tuesday, Allegheny County reported seven confirmed cases while...
Westmoreland County special election for House 58th District still scheduled Tuesday
Tuesday’s special election to fill the vacant 58th District state House seat is expected to be held as scheduled, despite widespread cancellations and shutdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic. The health scare has resulted in two polling locations, one in Rostraver and another in South Huntingdon, being moved at the...
Gov. Wolf orders nonessential Pennsylvania businesses to shut down
Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday ordered nonessential Pennsylvania businesses to shut down to help curb the spread of coronavirus. Wolf said he expects the closures beginning Tuesday to last at least two weeks, but “we will be constantly reevaluating.” Wolf’s order came hours after New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and...
Coronavirus in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia children’s hospital doctor tests positive; cases jump again
All nonessential business activity and city government operations will be halted for two weeks in Philadelphia, Mayor Jim Kenney announced Monday, in an effort to contain the coronavirus from spreading in the city of 1.6 million people. In issuing the order, Kenney asked that residents and businesses observe the restrictions,...
Pa. Turnpike suspends cash toll collection for now
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced Monday afternoon that it will temporarily stop accepting cash at tollbooths in an effort to safeguard employees and travelers in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The change takes effect at 8 p.m. Monday. Drivers are instructed not to stop at tollbooths. Tolls will be assessed...
Bored kids can take a virtual field trip via zoo websites
Spring is the time for school field trips and outdoor activities — but maybe not this year. How to replace those favorite activities for the kids while they’re on their extra-long “spring break”? One idea comes from zoos around the country. Kids can take a virtual animal safari via various...
YMCA closes all 8 branches in Western Pa. in response to covid-19 outbreak
The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh announced it will close all eight of its branches beginning Monday night. “This is not a decision we wanted to make. We are a community organization that thrives on bringing people together and creating personal connections that change lives through membership and programs,” the YMCA...
Westmoreland County to limit courthouse business, close senior centers
A partial shutdown of the Westmoreland County Courthouse operations will start Wednesday, commissioners have ordered. Beginning mid-week only “essential” personnel will report to work to maintain government operations, Commissioners Chairman Sean Kertes said. “We don’t want people coming to the courthouse,” he said. The scaling back was delayed to accommodate...
IUP, Robert Morris go online for rest of spring semester
More area universities have extended online instruction for the rest of the school year, as hopes of returning to normal operation all but fade away during the covid-19 pandemic. Indiana University of Pennsylvania has suspended all face-to-face instruction for the remainder of the spring semester and has asked students living...
As coronavirus spreads, 5 important things to know right now
Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician, fielded a range of questions from the Tribune-Review on Monday morning. Adalja is a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He works on pandemic preparedness, emerging infectious diseases and hospital preparedness. What are the most...
Western Pa. patients line up for drive-by coronavirus testing
Patients concerned they might have been exposed to covid-19 were able to take advantage of drive-by testing at three locations Monday across Western Pennsylvania, and the testing is expected to be offered Tuesday, as well. Central Outreach Wellness Center, with locations on the North Shore, Aliquippa and Washington, had about...
Police: 2 men shot at South Side gas station
Two men were shot shortly after midnight Monday during an argument at a South Side gas station, Pittsburgh police said. The shooting was reported around 12:30 a.m. in the 3200 block of East Carson Street. Police said when they arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been...
Stocks nosedive on Wall Street, triggering trading halt
NEW YORK — Stocks dropped 8% in the first minutes of trading Monday on Wall Street and triggered another temporary halt to trading as huge swaths of the economy come closer to shutting down, from airlines to restaurants. Emergency actions taken by the Federal Reserve late Sunday to prop up...
Coronavirus vaccine test opens as U.S. volunteer gets 1st shot
SEATTLE — U.S. researchers gave the first shot to the first person in a test of an experimental coronavirus vaccine Monday — leading off a worldwide hunt for protection even as the pandemic surges. With a careful jab in a healthy volunteer’s arm, scientists at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research...
Excela, Western Pa. hospitals tighten visitation rules to slow spread of coronavirus
Allegheny Health Network, Excela Health and UPMC facilities have tightened their visitation policies to help prevent the spread of covid-19. Excela Health announced on Monday that visitors are limited to one adult per patient in the ER and other areas of the hospital. For obstetric patients (new or laboring mothers),...
Allegheny County ordered to stop dine-in service at restaurants and barsVideo
Gov. Tom Wolf on Sunday ordered Allegheny County bars and restaurants to stop dine-in service for 14 days to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The order, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, came on the same night Allegheny County officials urged all non-essential businesses to close...
Pittsburgh Diocese cancels all Masses to help slow spread of coronavirus
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has canceled all weekday and Sunday Masses starting Monday to prevent the spread of covid-19. “Although in many ways it saddens me to make this decision, given the best advice from health experts on federal, state and local levels, I feel it is a necessary...
U.S. moves nearer to shutdown amid coronavirus fears
CHICAGO — Officials across the country curtailed elements of American life to fight the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, with governors closing restaurants, bars, and schools and a government expert saying a 14-day national shutdown may be needed. At the same time, long airport lines for virus screenings raised doubts that...
Pitt, Duquesne go online only for rest of semester; Duquesne closes dorms
The University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University announced Sunday that they have committed to online-only classes for the remainder of the semester amid the coronavirus pandemic. Duquesne also announced it is closing dorms for the rest of the semester and asked students living on campus to return home. “We have...
Government official: Coronavirus vaccine trial starts Monday
WASHINGTON — A clinical trial evaluating a vaccine designed to protect against the new coronavirus will begin Monday, according to a government official. The first participant in the trial will receive the experimental vaccine on Monday, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the trial has not...
Planes on time, few lines, facilities clean at Pittsburgh airport, travelers say
Jackie Whitaker and her husband didn’t have much trouble traveling Sunday afternoon from Phoenix to Pittsburgh, but the Elk County woman said at least one thing was striking: The planes and airports have never looked cleaner. “Even as we were still getting off the plane, they were wiping off the...
Several shops in Ross Park Mall close, modify hours due to coronavirus
Wayne Christ, 79, sat alone in the food court of Ross Park Mall. Christ, who lives in Ross, said he’s been keeping his distance from others and frequently washing his hands. But he still came to the mall — he didn’t want to halt his entire life because of the...
Fed slashes rate to near zero, eases lending rules
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve took emergency action Sunday and slashed its benchmark interest rate by a full percentage point to nearly zero and announced it would purchase more Treasury securities to encourage lending to try to offset the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The central bank said the effects...
Pittsburgh’s paid sick leave requirement goes into effect
An ordinance requiring employers in Pittsburgh to provide paid sick leave went into effect Sunday, guaranteeing many employees who work within city limits will still get paid and accrue sick time as coronavirus cases continue to grow. Under the ordinance, employers with 15 or more employees must give them up...
