Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1517
Westmoreland County first responders safeguard against coronavirus
The coronavirus may be relatively new, but Penn Township Ambulance’s director of operations believes anyone calling for help will notice very little, if any, change in response from emergency workers. “The term coronavirus is certainly new, but we’ve responded to contagious diseases before … hepatitis, tuberculosis cases to name a...
Dow dives 2,997 points on fears coronavirus will cause recession
NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market plunged more than 12% Monday for its worst day in more than three decades as voices from Wall Street to the White House said the coronavirus is likely dragging the economy into a recession. The S&P 500 has plummeted nearly 30% since setting...
Consumers scramble as Pennsylvania liquor stores set to close over coronavirus concerns
All Pennsylvania Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores will close at 9 p.m. Tuesday to help combat the spread of covid-19, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced. Stores in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties in eastern Pennsylvania — among the hardest-hit in the state — already were slated to...
Amazon seeks to hire 100,000 to keep up with surge in ordersVideo
NEW YORK — Amazon said Monday that it needs to hire 100,000 people across the United States to keep up with a crush of orders as the coronavirus spreads and keeps more people at home, shopping online. The online retailer said it will also temporarily raise pay by $2 an...
Pittsburgh college student recounts ‘bizarre experience’ getting screened for covid-19 at Detroit airport
Leah DeFlitch wasn’t sure what to expect when she boarded a plane in Amsterdam bound for her family’s Pittsburgh home early Sunday. She soon learned her pilot wasn’t sure what was in store for the passengers, either. It was only days after President Trump mandated health screenings for the novel...
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...
