Coronavirus category, Page 206
Coronavirus pandemic can be alarming for Western Pa. allergy sufferers
For most people, opening a window or stepping outside for a breath of fresh air is a welcome respite, especially during Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home order. But for those with allergies, pollen from trees and grass can bring misery. The allergens can cause a runny nose, malaise, watery eyes and coughing —which...
CDC recommends social distancing for dogs, cats, other animals
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that cats, dogs and other animals keep the same social distancing as recommended for humans. The recommendation was made after a small number of animals — including dogs and cats — were reported to test positive for covid-19 after they...
Ohio’s primary first big test of mail-in voting during coronavirus outbreak
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The first major test of an almost completely vote-by-mail election during a pandemic is unfolding Tuesday in Ohio, offering lessons to other states about how to conduct one of the most basic acts of democracy amid a health crisis. The process hasn’t been smooth as state officials...
Proposed Pa. bill could provide financial assistance to fire, EMS amid pandemic
In an effort to aid fire and EMS companies in financial need during the coronavirus pandemic, state Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Carmichaels, proposed a bill that would provide crisis grants to eligible companies. House Bill 2413 would establish a one-time program to provide grants to first responders in need. To qualify,...
Nearly 70 dead in ‘horrific’ outbreak at veterans’ homeVideo
Nearly 70 residents sickened with the coronavirus have died at a central Massachusetts home for aging veterans, as state and federal officials try to figure out what went wrong in the deadliest outbreak at a long-term care facility in the U.S. While the death toll at the state-run Holyoke Soldiers’...
Forbes Hospital reveals the smiles behind the masks with new ID badges
A smile does a lot of good. But recently, most of those smiles of hospital workers have been totally covered by a protective shield to curb the spread of covid-19. So to make them more visible again, Colleen Scarantine, a manager of patient safety at Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, is...
Public safety officials: Don’t hesitate to call 911 over covid-19 concern
Pittsburgh-area medical personnel and public safety officials don’t want residents hesitating to call 911 if they have an emergency, especially if that hesitation is out of fear of going to a hospital during the coronavirus pandemic. “We don’t want anyone making their personal health situation worse by not calling 911...
Pence comes under fire for going maskless at Mayo ClinicVideo
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask Tuesday during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, an apparent violation of the world-renowned medical center’s policy requiring them. Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with a...
No joke: Tupac Shakur needs unemployment benefits
FRANKFORT, Ky. — It’s no joke — Tupac Shakur lives in Kentucky and needs unemployment benefits to pay his bills. The Lexington man’s name was brought up by Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday night as he spoke about how the state is trying to process all unemployment claims filed in...
Trump orders meat processing plants to remain openVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump took executive action Tuesday to order meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus cases and the impact on the nation’s food supply. The order uses the Defense Production Act to classify meat processing as critical infrastructure to try to prevent a...
Bottleneck continues as businesses seek government relief loans
NEW YORK — Banks trying to submit applications for thousands of small businesses seeking coronavirus relief loans have hit a bottleneck for a second day at the Small Business Administration. Banking industry groups said Tuesday the SBA’s loan processing system is still unable to handle the volume of loan applications...
Carnegie Mellon braces for coronavirus financial losses, potential delay of fall semester
Carnegie Mellon University is freezing hiring and salaries and will reduce executive pay as the Pittsburgh school grapples with uncertainties created by the coronavirus pandemic, President Farnham Jahanian said Tuesday. In a lengthy letter to the university community, Jahanian said officials also developed an array of contingency plans for the...
Pittsburgh announces millions in funding for coronavirus aid programs
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s Office announced plans Tuesday to distribute about $12.6 million in federal grant money to more than a dozen organizations that are helping cash-strapped residents and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The plans include $4.2 million in Emergency Solutions Grants to help fund homeless shelter improvements, homeless...
Uncertainty surrounds hearings for Pennsylvania prison inmates
The coronavirus pandemic could delay freedom for prison inmates scheduled for clemency hearings in June as uncertainty continues over when restrictions will be lifted and how hearings can be held within social-distancing guidelines. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman said in a call with reporters Tuesday that “dozens” of inmates were set...
North Huntingdon woman raises money for Excela staff who saved her husband from covid-19
After her high school sweetheart spent 20 days hospitalized on a ventilator, Karyl Nicholas of North Huntingdon was relieved to finally talk to him by phone. The day the tube was removed — April 19 — is a bright spot in what has been nerve-wracking weeks for the family of...
Woman born during Spanish Flu survives second pandemicVideo
MOHEGAN LAKE, N.Y. — A New York woman who was born during the Spanish Flu pandemic has survived covid-19. Angelina Friedman, who lives in a nursing home in Lake Mohegan, was taken to a hospital for a minor medical procedure on March 21. But her procedure was postponed after she...
Volunteer at Pittsburgh Public Schools tests negative for covid-19
Pittsburgh Public Schools announced Tuesday that a staff volunteer who had been ill has tested negative for covid-19. The district alerted staff and families of a potential exposure to covid-19 over the weekend. A staff volunteer who had distributed laptops and instructional packets at Pittsburgh Milliones in the Hill District...
Mt. Pleasant Area students rally to save prom amid pandemic
As seniors grapple with the idea of missing out on graduation and other end-of-the-year events as the coronavirus spreads across Western Pennsylvania, a group of Mt. Pleasant Area students decided there was one event they weren’t willing to miss — prom. In the days following an announcement that the school’s...
Westmoreland County adds 6 new coronavirus cases, no additional deaths
Westmoreland County added six more coronavirus cases on Tuesday as the county’s total inched toward 400 cases. The 383 Westmoreland cases are among the now 43,264 covid-19 cases diagnosed across the state since the first cases were reported March 6. Westmoreland County saw its first case April 5. Since then,...
Official: Pennsylvania may have passed coronavirus peak, but surges still possible
The state’s top health official said Tuesday she believes Pennsylvania has passed its coronavirus peak but cautioned that outbreaks and surges remain possible. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said the data and trends point toward the state being past the highest point for new cases and deaths, but she...
Companies seek to limit legal liability for virus infectionsVideo
As companies start planning their reopenings, business groups are pushing Congress to limit liability from potential lawsuits filed by workers and customers infected by the coronavirus. They appear to have the White House’s ear. President Donald Trump has floated shielding businesses from lawsuits. His top economic adviser Larry Kudlow said...
Allegheny County reports 8 new deaths, 11 more coronavirus cases
The Allegheny County Health Department on Tuesday reported eight new deaths and 11 additional cases of the coronavirus. Of the total 87 deaths, 78 are listed as confirmed cases of covid-19, while nine are considered probable. The new diagnoses bring the count of total of covid-19 cases to 1,235. Of...
Joel Pfeffer: Now is not the time for Trump’s immigration order
Joel Pfeffer is a Pittsburgh-based attorney with the law firm Meyer, Unkovic & Scott. He works primarily in the areas of immigration, nationality and corporate law. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and former chairman of the organization’s Pittsburgh chapter. President Trump caused a stir when...
Trump urges states to consider opening schools before summerVideo
President Donald Trump says states should “seriously consider” reopening their public schools before the end of the academic year, even though dozens already have said it would be unsafe for students to return until the summer or fall. Trump made the comments Monday in a call with governors discussing how...
10th resident dies from coronavirus at Kane’s Glen Hazel nursing home
A 10th resident has died from the coronavirus at the Kane Regional nursing home in Glen Hazel, according to data from Allegheny County. Of 96 residents tested for covid-19 at the county-owned long-term care facility, 62 have tested positive for the virus. Seven residents have been hospitalized, and 22 have...
