As pandemic ebbs, an old fear is new again: mass shootings
PORTLAND, Ore. — Brianne Smith was overjoyed to get an email telling her to schedule a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Hours later, her relief was replaced by dread: a phone alert — another mass public shooting.
US to restrict travel from India over COVID starting Tuesday
WASHINGTON — The U.S. will restrict travel from India starting Tuesday, the White House said Friday, citing a devastating rise in COVID-19 cases in the country and the emergence of potentially dangerous variants of the coronavirus.
Number of Americans fully vaccinated tops 100 million
DALLAS — Disneyland reopened Friday and cruise lines welcomed the news that they could be sailing again in the U.S. by midsummer, as the number of Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 reached another milestone: 100 million.
US officials: Anxiety drove vaccine reactions in 5 states
NEW YORK — It was anxiety — and not a problem with the shots — that caused fainting, dizziness and other short-term reactions in dozens of people at coronavirus vaccine clinics in five states, U.S. health officials concluded.
Analysis: Expected COVID baby boom might be a baby bust
NEW YORK — When most of the U.S. went into lockdown more than a year ago, some speculated that confining couples to their homes — with little to entertain them beyond Netflix — would lead to a lot of baby-making. But the statistics suggest the opposite.
Girl Scout cookies take flight in Virginia drone deliveries
Missing out on Thin Mints during the pandemic?
A Google affiliate is using drones to deliver Girl Scout cookies to people’s doorsteps in a Virginia community.
CDC says many Americans can now go outside without a mask
NEW YORK — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday eased its guidelines for wearing of masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers.
US jobless claims fall to 547,000, another pandemic low
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell last week to 547,000, the lowest point since the pandemic struck and an encouraging sign that layoffs are slowing on the strength of an improving job market.
COVID-19 hospitalizations tumble among US senior citizens
WASHINGTON — COVID-19 hospitalizations among older Americans have plunged more than 70% since the start of the year, and deaths among them appear to have tumbled as well, dramatic evidence the vaccination campaign is working.
News briefs for April 22
New data reassuring for COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy
Asian Americans wary about school amid virus, violence
BOSTON — A Chinese American mother in the Boston suburbs is sending her sons to in-person classes this month, even after one of them was taunted with a racist “slanted-eyes” gesture at school, just days after the killings of women of Asian descent at massage businesses in Atlanta.
Arizona third-grader holds food drives to help in pandemic
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Neighbors walked by during their morning stroll, passing families waved from their bikes and drivers slowed down long enough to read the hand-drawn sign — “Dylan’s Food Drive.”
Alaska tribal health groups distribute vaccine far and wide
JUNEAU, Alaska — John Waghiyi remembers rushing his cousin to the clinic in the Bering Sea city of Savoonga in December, worried he was having a possible heart attack while out butchering a bowhead whale. Waghiyi arrived to see elders waiting in the lobby for a COVID-19 vaccine.
A jab on the job: Companies, unions offer COVID-19 vaccines
Marie Watson wanted to be among the first in line when she and other essential workers became eligible for the coronavirus vaccine — and with good reason.
Half of US adults have received at least one COVID-19 shot
WASHINGTON — Half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, the government announced Sunday, marking another milestone in the nation’s largest-ever vaccination campaign but leaving more work to do to convince skeptical Americans to roll up their sleeves.
Worldwide COVID-19 death toll tops a staggering 3 million
RIO DE JANEIRO — The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people Saturday amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places such as Brazil, India and France.
As mask mandates end, Oregon bucks trend with permanent rule
PORTLAND, Ore. — As states throughout the country lift COVID-19 restrictions, Oregon is poised to go the opposite direction — and many residents are fuming about it.
With layoffs down and spending up, US rebound gains momentum
WASHINGTON — A much-awaited economic boom coming off the pandemic recession appeared to edge closer to reality Thursday with fresh data showing the pace of layoffs dwindling, consumers spending freely and manufacturing rebounding.
US opens more distance in worldwide race against coronavirus
The United States opened more distance between itself and much of the rest of the world Thursday, nearing the 200 millionth vaccine administered in a race to protect the population against COVID-19, even as other countries, rich and poor, struggle with stubbornly high infection rates and deaths.
J&J vaccine to remain in limbo while officials seek evidence
Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine will remain in limbo for a while longer after government health advisers declared Wednesday that they need more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the shot — and if so, how big the risk really is.
