Merced County officials are concerned about falling back to the most restrictive tier on California's COVID-19 roadmap. So all residents are being urged to get tested frequently. “We are asking all County residents to assist by getting tested every 14 days if possible. Increasing our county’s surveillance testing will allow...
Virus Spikes Have Officials Looking to Shore Up Hospitals
BOISE, Idaho — Hospitals across the United States are starting to buckle from a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, with several states setting records for the number of people hospitalized and leaders scrambling to find extra beds and staff. New highs in cases have been reported in states big and small...
Coronavirus Spreads in Nagorno-Karabakh Amid Heavy Fighting
STEPANAKERT, Nagorno-Karabakh — People who are sick with the coronavirus pack into chilly basements alongside the healthy to hide from artillery fire. The local health minister who tested positive keeps working, despite a fever and pneumonia. Doctors with the virus perform surgery on the wounded. These are the grim realities...
Deadline Looms as Differences Narrow on COVID Relief Aid
WASHINGTON — It's deadline day for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on COVID-19 relief, with the contours of a potential deal taking shape behind the scenes even as President Donald Trump's GOP allies are recoiling at the administration's tolerance for a $2 trillion package. Pelosi negotiated...
UK to Infect Healthy Volunteers in Vaccine Research Trial
LONDON — U.K. researchers are preparing to infect healthy young volunteers with the virus that causes COVID-19, becoming the first to announce plans to use the controversial technique to study the disease and potentially speed up development of a vaccine that could help end the pandemic. This type of research,...
County, State Drop Efforts to Fine Immanuel Schools Over COVID Violations
Fresno County, the state of California, and Immanuel Schools have reached a tentative agreement that allows Immanuel to provide in-person instruction for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The county and state also are withdrawing requests that Immanuel Schools be fined for violating a September court order requiring the schools...
New Zealand’s Ardern Credits Virus Response for Election Win
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — A day after winning a second term in a landside victory, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Sunday she sees the election result as an endorsement of her government’s efforts to stamp out the coronavirus and reboot the economy. Speaking at a cafe near her...
China’s Economy Accelerates as Virus Recovery Gains Strength
BEIJING — China’s shaky economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is gaining strength as consumers return to shopping malls and auto dealerships while the United States and Europe endure painful contractions. Growth in the world’s second-largest economy accelerated to 4.9% over a year earlier in the three months ending in...
World Struggles as Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Pass 40 Million
LONDON — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the planet has surpassed 40 million, but experts say that is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true impact of the pandemic that has upended life and work around the world. The milestone was hit Monday...
When Will COVID Pandemic End? History Shows Diseases Are Often Here to Stay
When will the pandemic end? All these months in, with over 39 million COVID-19 cases and more than 1 million deaths globally, you may be wondering, with increasing exasperation, how long this will continue. Since the beginning of the pandemic, epidemiologists and public health specialists have been using mathematical models...