Covid 19

The White House said Thursday it will begin launching a handful of new efforts to expand so-called "test-to-treat" sites to prescribe and dole out pills to treat COVID-19, starting with the country's first "federally-supported" location in Rhode Island. The Biden administration said it will also "deploy clinical personnel" to some of Minnesota's state-run testing sites into test-to-treat locations over the coming days. New York and Illinois will also get a federally-supported test-to-treat site, the administration announced. "There are now more than 2,500 Test-to-Treat locations across the country at local pharmacies and community health centers—up from 2,200 a month ago," the White House said. The new efforts come amid a growing nationwide wave of COVID-19 cases that has led to surging hospitalizations among the oldest Americans. Overall, the pace of new COVID-19 hospitalizations has accelerated for more than a month, especially among Americans ages 70 and older – the age … [Read more...] about White House touts efforts to expand COVID test-to-treat sites amid latest wave

The final remaining COVID restrictions are expected to be lifted in Wales, the government has said. Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford will announce the update on Friday, with the restrictions to be removed from Monday, 30 May. Wales moved to alert level 0 in January and the majority of measures were removed in March. But there are still some remaining: • Face coverings are legally required in health and care settings (but nowhere else) Advertisement • Workplaces and premises open to the public must continue to carry out coronavirus work assessments • If you have COVID symptoms you must take a lateral flow test More on Covid-19 Monkeypox: COVID-19 a greater worry, says Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla Sue Gray report, part two: How damaged is Boris Johnson? COVID: Spain relaxes entry rules for Britons ahead of summer holidays Related Topics: COVID-19 Wales • If you test positive you … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Wales set to lift final remaining coronavirus restrictions

Published 3 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic The wife of an ambulance driver who died with Covid-19 has said she is "sickened" by a report into parties held at Downing Street in the pandemic. Charlie Goodwin, 61, from Bilsthorpe in Nottinghamshire, died on 20 April 2020. Excessive drinking, mistreatment of cleaners and security staff, and Covid rule-breaking was highlighted in civil servant Sue Gray's report. Julie Goodwin said the prime minister had made a "mockery" of lockdown while the public were making huge sacrifices. Mrs Goodwin said her "amazing" husband Charlie, 61, had been self-isolating from her and his three children so he could continue working and had caught Covid while transporting patients during the pandemic. He was taken to King's Mill Hospital after contracting Covid-19, where he died after … [Read more...] about Bilsthorpe Covid widow ‘sickened’ by partygate report

Friends of a Whitehall cleaner who died of suspected Covid at the height of the pandemic have criticised Downing Street’s “party culture” while they were working without masks on low wages. Emanuel Gomes died with coronavirus symptoms in April 2020 after he continued working as a cleaner at the Ministry of Justice despite feeling ill, for fear of having his pay cut. Although most civil servants had been sent home, Emanuel Gomes and his colleagues were told that, as essential workers, they should keep coming into work. His colleagues have now hit out at Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, over what they said was the disrespectful attitude of some senior Whitehall workers towards Downing Street cleaning staff and security guards, highlighted in Sue Gray’s report. They say they had to carry on working on low wages during lockdown, without face masks or PPE being provided and no sick pay. Cleaners 'disrespected on a daily basis' Colleagues and friends of Emanuel Gomes, who … [Read more...] about Friends of Whitehall cleaner who ‘died of Covid’ criticise Downing Street ‘party culture’

The teen accused of killing 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket once wore a hazmat suit to class when his high school returned to in-person learning after going remote during the Covid-19 pandemic. When Payton Gendron, 18, returned to at Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin, New York after learning from home during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, some of his classmates noticed he developed some peculiar behaviors. ‘He wore the entire suit, boots, gloves, everything,’ former classmate Nathan Twitchell, 19, told The New York Times . ‘Everyone was just staring at him,’ he said. Photos of Gendron wearing the suit in class show the suspected gunman covered from head to toe while sitting at a school desk, notebooks in front of him. Other classmates described him to the newspaper as somewhat of an outcast, and some even knew of his interest in guns. Kolton Gardner, another former classmate, told the paper having an interest in guns was common in their town, … [Read more...] about Buffalo shooting suspect wore hazmat suit to school after remote learning ended during Covid

Published 3 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing There was "no clear evidence" that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had breached Covid-19 rules many times in Downing Street, the Metropolitan Police's acting chief has said. Sir Stephen House said the decisions made by officers investigating lockdown parties at No 10 were correct. The Met Police issued 126 fines to 83 people, including the prime minister. But the force has faced calls to explain why Mr Johnson did not receive fines for other events he attended. At one gathering on 13 November, 2020, Mr Johnson was pictured drinking with staff in Downing Street at a leaving do for the prime minister's former communications chief, Lee Cain. The Met Police has handed out fines for Covid breaches inside No 10 on this date but not to the prime minister. Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie, and Chancellor Rishi Sunak each … [Read more...] about No evidence Boris Johnson was serial Covid rule-breaker, Met Police chief says

Families who lost loved ones to coronavirus have spoken of their fury and devastation at the new revelations of partying by the Prime Minister and staff at No 10 Downing Street in the Sue Gray Report . While those who set the Covid rules were carousing until 4am, singing karaoke and drinking until they were sick, the families were unable to spend those last precious moments with their dying relatives. The 37-page document includes damning details of the revelry that took place at the heart of Government, in flagrant disregard for the rules. Lobby Akinnola, spokesperson for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said: “When they were texting colleagues about getting away with it, we were having to text our families telling them they couldn’t come to their loved ones’ funerals.” Sue Gray's report has been published ( Image: PA) Here some of the families talk of their pain: Colin Jones Tiffany Jones’ father Colin died of Covid late on December 18, 2020, the … [Read more...] about ‘My father died of Covid while Boris Johnson’s staff held a Christmas party’

Published 2 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic The wearing of face masks will no longer be legally required in Welsh health and social care services from Monday. First Minister Mark Drakeford is set to axe the last of Wales' Covid rules, which have been in place in some form since March 2020. Ministers said the public health situation had continued to improve over the last few weeks. Wales was the last part of the UK with Covid restrictions still in place. However most of the rules that impacted people's day to day lives, such as wearing face masks in shops and on public transport and self-isolation rules, ended in March . Numbers testing positive for Covid have fallen in recent weeks , with the number of hospital patients testing positive for the virus also declining, according to recent estimates. … [Read more...] about Covid in Wales: Hospital mask rule ends as emergency law expires

Petr Cech will reportedly play his first competitive game in 19 months on Monday as Chelsea take on Tottenham in a Premier League 2 fixture. Cech returned to Stamford Bridge as technical and performance director last June, just days after losing to the Blues in the Europa League final. The goalkeeper was playing for Arsenal then having previously spent 11 years in west London with Chelsea. Blues boss Frank Lampard registered the 38-year-old in his Premier League squad this season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Cech was not expected to feature though The Athletic report that he will play for Chelsea’s development squad on Monday against Tottenham at Kingsmeadow. It’s reported that the shot-stopper is needed as Lucas Bergstrom, the team’s regular goalkeeper, played for the Under-18 side on Saturday and Chelsea do not want the Finn playing two games in the space of 48 hours. Karlo Ziger would be another option to step in though he is currently with Lampard’s … [Read more...] about Petr Cech to play for Chelsea on Monday in first competitive game in 19 months

New York Times White House correspondent Michael Shear asked whether President Joe Biden might move to “claw back” a pandemic-related business loan obtained by gun manufacturer Daniel Defense. Shear claimed that the 18-year-old shooter who barricaded himself inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas — killing 19 students and two adults before law enforcement officers killed him — had used a firearm made by Daniel Defense. He then asked whether the White House would consider pulling back the $3 million PPP loan in light of the fact that their product had been used to perpetrate a mass shooting. WATCH: . @shearm asks whether the White House plans to "claw back" the PPP loan obtained (legally) by the company that made the firearm used by Uvalde shooter. @presssec asks for the name of the company. pic.twitter.com/gBm6ThIfBb — Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) May 26, 2022 “First, apparently the company that sold the shooter his rifles received a $3 million PPP loan … [Read more...] about NYT Reporter Asks If White House Will ‘Claw Back’ COVID Relief Loan From Gun Manufacturer After Uvalde Shooting | The Daily Wire