Coronavirus

ABOVE PHOTO: In this April 18, 2021 photo provided by Jennifer Sampson, her son Zach Sampson, 16, poses in his Florida yard. Sampson was hospitalized twice during the pandemic after feeling suicidal. Relentless months of social distancing, online schooling and other restrictions left many kids feeling the pandemic’s toll and now facing new challenges navigating…

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ABOVE PHOTO: A healthcare worker prepares to test patients for COVID-19 at the Lancet Laboratories in Johannesburg. Africa is facing a devastating resurgence of COVID-19 infections whose peak will surpass that of earlier waves as the continent’s countries struggle to vaccinate even a small percentage of the population, top health officials said Thursday June 24,…

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By Aniruddha Ghosal ASSOCIATED PRESS  What should I know about the delta variant? It’s a version of the coronavirus that has been found in more than 80 countries since it was first detected in India. It got its name from the World Health Organization, which names notable variants after letters of the Greek alphabet. Viruses…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Fourth of July fireworks explode over the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol along the National Mall in Washington. President Joe Biden wants to imbue Independence Day with new meaning in 2021 by encouraging nationwide celebrations to mark the country’s effective return to normalcy after 16 months of pandemic disruption….

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ABOVE PHOTO: Aja Purnell-Mitchell, left, stands with her three children, Kyla, 13; Kyra, 15, and Cartier, 14, right, at a local food hub in Durham, N.C., on Friday, May 28, 2021, where they often help their mother. The teenagers have been learning remotely since last March but now plan to attend summer school after being…

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ABOVE PHOTO: This Thursday, June 4, 2020 file photo shows a row of cabins at a summer camp in Fayette, Maine. On Friday, May 28, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted guidance saying kids at summer camps can skip wearing masks outdoors, with some exceptions. Children who aren’t fully vaccinated should still…

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ABOVE PHOTO: A person holds a mask while walking outside in Philadelphia, Friday, May 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) By Stephen Groves ASSOCIATED PRESS  New coronavirus cases across the United States have tumbled to rates not seen in more than 11 months, sparking optimism that vaccination campaigns are stemming both severe COVID-19 cases and the…

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By Sarah Reyes  Board of Health, Department of Public Health After 14 months of Philadelphians working together to slow the spread of COVID-19 and due to the continuing drop in newly reported cases, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) announced a further relaxation of the current Safer-at-Home restrictions beginning May 21.  Additionally, PDPH announced that…

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ABOVE PHOTO: A COVID-19 patient has his temperature taken, at the Farcha provincial hospital in N’Djamena, Chad, Friday April 30, 2021. While the world’s wealthier nations have stockpiled coronavirus vaccines for their citizens, many poorer countries are scrambling to secure enough doses, and some, like Chad, have yet to receive any. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) By…

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By Mike Stobbe ASSOCIATED PRESS  NEW YORK — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines Tuesday on the 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. And those who are unvaccinated can go outside without masks…

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