Health News

Which states have dropped mask mandates and why

3,000 in anti-vaccination protest amid COVID rise

What to know about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Europe staggers as infectious variants power virus surge

NYC's Javits Center offering COVID vaccines 24/7

With many vaccinated, Israel reopens economy

Hundreds gather in illegal COVID-19 protest

March 2020, the month COVID gripped the U.S.

Link between mask mandates, COVID-19 spread: CDC

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3 hours ago

With virus aid in sight, Democrats debate filibuster changes

Now that President Joe Biden is on the verge of his first big legislative victory, a key moderate Democrat says he may be open to changing Senate rules that could allow for more party-line votes to push through the White House’s agenda
3 hours ago
FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2021, file photo, reporters question Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., as he arrives for votes on President Joe Biden's cabinet nominees, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
4 hours ago

The Latest: Michigan makes homeless people vaccine-eligible

People who are homeless will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Michigan starting Monday
4 hours ago
An elderly woman receives a dose of Covishield COVID-19 vaccine in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, March 7, 2021. Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli took the COVID-19 vaccine Sunday to start the country's campaign to inoculate the elderly population. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
March 07

Workers worry about safety, stress as states ease mask rules

Workers such as restaurant servers and retail clerks are balancing the anticipation of better earnings with concerns about keeping themselves safe as states lift mask mandates and ease restrictions on businesses
March 07
Leo Carney, kitchen manager at McElroy's Harbor House in Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, said the removal of coronavirus restrictions will disproportionately impact Black residents — many of whom are essential workers, Friday, March 5, 2021. Carney said he would feel better with restrictions being removed if essential workers had access to the coronavirus vaccine. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
March 07

Greek police, protesters clash in Athens suburb

Crowd was protesting police violence, but views of what happened diverge widely.
March 07
March 07

3,000 at Romania anti-vaccination protest amid COVID-19 rise

Protesters from across Romania converged on the parliament building in Bucharest
March 07
Anti-vaccination protesters rally outside the parliament building in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, March 7, 2021. Some thousands of anti-vaccination protestors from across Romania converged outside the parliament building protesting against government pandemic control measures as authorities announced new restrictions amid a rise of COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
March 07

With many vaccinated, Israel reopens economy before election

Move comes just weeks before country’s 4th parliamentary elections in 2 years.
March 07
Audience members wearing protective face masks take a selfie during a performance of Israeli musician Ivri Lider, where all guests were required to show "green passport" proof of receiving a COVID-19 vaccination or full recovery from the virus at a soccer stadium in Tel Aviv, Friday, March. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
March 07

North Macedonia gets first batch of Russia vaccine Sputnik V

North Macedonia has received the first batch of 3,000 doses of Russian vaccine Sputnik V from a total order of 200,000 in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic
March 07
March 07

German lawmaker to resign after his firm profited from masks

A lawmaker with German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party says he will give up his seat in parliament and leave politics after it emerged that his company profited from deals to procure masks early in the pandemic
March 07
March 07

Mass testing, mask wearing help Detroit slow virus' pace

Early last March, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan warned of a virus that already had sickened tens of thousands around the globe, saying it wouldn't be long before a city resident would be infected
March 07
Yvonne Gibbs, 72, receives Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, Jan. 27, 2021, at the TCF Center in Detroit. COVID-19 hit Detroit hard. But fast action by city leaders early in the pandemic may have slowed the rampant advance of the virus among Detroit's largely Black population. Detroit recorded 431 confirmed COVID cases on March 30, 2020, and another 387 two days later, according to the city's Health Department. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
March 07

Rise in anti-Asian American hate crimes may lead to mental health crisis

"He started saying, 'Go back to China,' and started spitting all over me."
March 07
A worker pauses in front of a grocery store in the streets of Chinatown neighborhood of New York, March 02, 2021.
March 07

Spain starts culling of 900 cattle after 2 months at sea

The culling of nearly 900 cattle that were deemed unfit after spending two months at sea has begun in the Mediterranean port of Cartagena
March 07
March 07

UK schools to reopen, backed by frequent virus testing

British children are gearing up to return to school on Monday after a two-month closure
March 07
An empty classroom at Great Academy Ashton, as the school prepares for its reopening on March 8 after the latest lockdown curb the spread of coronavirus, in Ashton-Under-Lyne, England, Thursday, March 4, 2021. The school for approximately 1300 pupils aged 11 to 16 in Greater Manchester will have to conduct around 450 tests per day on pupils and staff in the first 2 weeks after the return of students on Monday. (AP Photo Jon Super)
March 07

Russia scores points with vaccine diplomacy, but snags arise

Russia’s boast in August that it was the first country to authorize a coronavirus vaccine led to skepticism because of its insufficient testing on only a few dozen people
March 07
March 07

Arizona lifts capacity limits; 19% vaccinated

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has signed an emergency order adjusting the minimum distance between performers and audience members that previously challenged the return of productions in Las Vegas
March 07
In this image from video, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., leads a round of applause for support staff as he speaks before the final vote on the Senate version of the COVID-19 relief bill in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, March 6, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)
March 06

Biden, Dems prevail as Senate OKs $1.9T virus relief bill

An exhausted Senate has narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill
March 06
President Joe Biden participates in a roundtable discussion on a coronavirus relief package in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
March 06

Open spaces, no pharmacies: rural US confronts vaccine void

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine has been a challenge for residents of rural U.S. counties without a pharmacy or a well-equipped clinic
March 06
March 06

California OKs reopening of ball parks, Disneyland

California has cleared a path for fans to hit the stands at opening-day baseball games and return to Disneyland nearly a year after coronavirus restrictions shuttered major entertainment spots
March 06
FILE - In this March 13, 2020, file photo, visitors take photos at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. California officials will allow people to attend Major League Baseball games and other sporting events, go to Disneyland and watch live performances in limited capacities starting April 1, 2021. The rules announced Friday, March 5, 2021, coincide with baseball's opening day. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin, File)
March 06

Hundreds in Stockholm protest Sweden's virus restrictions

People who had gathered in central Stockholm to protest coronavirus restrictions
March 06
Anti-lockdown protesters face police during a demonstration against the coronavirus restrictions in Stockholm Saturday March 6, 2021. The protest was disbanded by police due to lack of permit for the public gathering. (Henrik Montgomery / TT via AP)
March 06

Europe staggers as infectious variants power virus surge

Fast-spreading mutant versions of the coronavirus are powering another uptick in infections in Europe
March 06
FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 file photo, people gather at the Darsena dei Navigli, in Milan, Italy. Europe recorded 1 million new COVID-19 cases last week, an increase of 9% from the previous week and ending a six-week decline, WHO said Thursday, March 4, 2021. The so-called UK variant is of greatest concern in the 53 countries monitored by WHO in Europe. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
March 06

Highlights of the $1.9T COVID bill nearing final passage

The Senate has passed a sweeping pandemic relief package over Republican opposition, moving closer to a milestone political victory for President Joe Biden
March 06
In this image from video, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, presides during debate on the Senate COVID-19 relief bill in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, March 6, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)
March 06

A look back at March 2020, when the pandemic first gripped the US

Over 150,000 cases were confirmed during the month.
March 06
A general view of Times Square on March 18, 2020, in New York City. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11th.
March 06

New York City's Javits Center offering COVID-19 vaccinations 24/7

So far, nearly 9% of the state is fully vaccinated.
March 06
Vaccines are distributed as workers and recipients react to a band perform at the Javits Center in New York, Feb. 20, 2021.
March 06

Tennessee panel deemed vaccinating inmates a 'PR nightmare'

A Tennessee advisory panel deciding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine acknowledged that prisoners in the state are high-risk
March 06
FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, file photo, a red tag hangs on a cell door, signifying an active COVID-19 case for its inhabitants at Faribault Prison, in Faribault, Minn. A Tennessee advisory panel tasked with determining eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine acknowledged that prison inmates in the state were high risk, but concluded that prioritizing them for inoculation could be a “public relations nightmare.” (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP, File)
March 06

'Pharmacy deserts' are new front in the race to vaccinate

In some states, those who need the COVID-19 shot the most have no way to get it.
March 06
O'Reilly Street, the main street in the city of Presidio, Texas, is pictured on Feb. 1, 2020.
March 06

New California law aims to put kids in class. Will it work?

California's governor has signed a law aiming to return public school students to classrooms
March 06
FILE - In this March 2, 2021, file photo, socially distanced and with protective partitions students work on an art project during class at the Sinaloa Middle School in Novato, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law Friday, March 5, with $6.6 billion in incentives to try to get more California schools to reopen. The response has been lukewarm support, as teachers resist and parents complain that it doesn't do enough to get kids in the classroom. (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File)
March 06

Highlights: What's changed in the Senate's virus relief bill

Senate Democrats have come out with their version of the $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill
March 06
The sun sets on the U.S. Capitol building, Thursday, March 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
March 06

Senate Dems strike jobless aid deal, relief bill OK in sight

Senate leaders and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin have struck a deal over emergency jobless benefits, breaking a logjam that had stalled the party’s showpiece $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill
March 06
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., carries containers of food as he leaves a Senate Republican policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Johnson insisted that the entire text of the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill be read aloud during its consideration. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
March 05

Highlights: What's changed in the Senate's virus relief bill

Senate Democrats have come out with their version of the $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill
March 05
The sun sets on the U.S. Capitol building, Thursday, March 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
March 05

The Latest: Ontario wants vaccine shot in adults by June 20

The head of the vaccine program for Canada’s most populous province of Ontario expects to get every adult a first vaccine shot by June 20
March 05
Signs reading in Italian "No gathering" hang from a closed gate of the Cesare Battisti primary school, in Rome, Thursday, March 4, 2021. The first anti-pandemic decree from Italy's new premier, Mario Draghi, tightens measures governing school attendance while easing restrictions on museums, theaters and cinemas. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
March 05

Study shows link between mask mandates, reduced COVID-19 spread

The study also examined allowing dining at restaurants.
March 05
Diners eat at a restaurant on the River Walk, March 3, 2021, in San Antonio.
March 05

Dad gets cutting-edge double lung transplant after nearly dying of COVID-19

He was the fourth person in the U.S. to get the transplant due to COVID-19.
March 05
Leo Castillo is recovering from surgery with the help of his family.
March 05

Oregon governor ordering teachers to return to classroom

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will issue an executive order mandating that all public schools provide universal access to in-person learning by the month's end for students up to fifth grade and by mid-April for older students
March 05
FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visits the Marion County and Salem Health COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Salem, Ore. Brown said Friday, March 5, 2021, that she is issuing an executive order mandating that all public schools provide universal access to in-person learning by the month's end for students up to fifth grade and by mid-April for older students. (Abigail Dollins/Statesman-Journal via AP, Pool, File)
March 05

Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 still wait for advice

More than 28 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will have to keep waiting for guidance from federal health officials for what they should and shouldn’t do
March 05
FILE - In this March 1, 2021, file photo, a patient receives a shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine next to a guidelines sign at a CVS Pharmacy branch in Los Angeles. More than 27 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will have to keep waiting for guidance from U.S. health officials for what they should and shouldn’t do. The Biden administration said Friday, March 5, it’s focused on getting the guidance right and accommodating emerging science. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
March 05

Study finds mask mandates, dining out influence virus spread

A new national study adds strong evidence that mask mandates can slow the spread of the coronavirus, and that allowing dining at restaurants can increase cases and deaths
March 05
FILE - In this March 3, 2021, file photo, mariachi perform for diners at a restaurant on the River Walk in San Antonio. U.S. employers added a surprisingly robust 379,000 jobs in February in a sign the economy is strengthening as virus cases drop, vaccinations ramp up, Americans spend more and states ease business restrictions. Texas joined some other states in announcing it will fully reopen its economy. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
March 05

Canada clears Johnson & Johnson vaccine, first to approve 4

Canada is getting a fourth vaccine to prevent COVID-19 as the country’s health regulator has cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two
March 05
People wait in line at a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic at Olympic Stadium marking the beginning of mass vaccination in the Province of Quebec based on age in Montreal, on Monday, March 1, 2021. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP)
March 05

Jump in hiring fuels optimism for US economic recovery

U.S. employers added a surprisingly robust 379,000 jobs last month, a sign the economy is strengthening as virus cases drop, vaccinations ramp up, Americans spend more and states ease business restrictions
March 05
A man walks into a restaurant displaying a "Now Hiring" sign, Thursday, March 4, 2021, in Salem, N.H. U.S. employers added a robust 379,000 jobs last month, the most since October and a sign that the economy is strengthening as confirmed viral cases drop, consumers spend more and states and cities ease business restrictions.  (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
March 05

Detroit mayor turned down J&J vaccine in favor of others

Detroit this week turned down 6,200 doses of the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine
March 05
FILE - In this April 23, 2020, file photo, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan speaks in Detroit. Mayor Duggan this week turned down 6,200 doses of the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, with favoring shots from Pfizer and Moderna for now. "Johnson & Johnson is a very good vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the best," he said Thursday, March 4, 2021. "And I am going to do everything I can to make sure that residents of the city of Detroit get the best." (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
March 05

WHO head wants virus vaccine patents waived to boost supply

The head of the World Health Organization is calling for patent rights to be waived until the end of the coronavirus pandemic so that vaccine supplies can be dramatically increased
March 05
FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 file photo, Michael Ryan, left, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies programme, next to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, right, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), addresses a press conference about the update on COVID-19 at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The emergencies chief of the World Health Organization said on Monday March 1, 2021, it was “premature” and “unrealistic” to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP, File)
March 05

VIRUS TODAY: Vaccinated adults await advice on family visits

President Joe Biden has a 60% approval rating for his job performance and even more backing from Americans for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic
March 05
A sign lists symptoms that would require a rescheduled appointment at a COVID-19 mass vaccination site, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
March 05

Africa welcomes COVAX doses but warns against 'selfishness'

Urgent calls for COVID-19 vaccine fairness are ringing through African countries as more are welcoming or rolling out doses from the global COVAX initiative
March 05
Technicians show a carton of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, inside a cold storage room at the central vaccine depot in Kitengela town on the outskirts of Nairobi, in Kenya Thursday, March 4, 2021. Around 1.02 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the country on Wednesday as part of the COVAX facility. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
March 05

Journal's 'appalling' racism podcast, tweet prompt outcry

A prominent medical journal is apologizing for a tweet and part of a podcast episode about structural racism in health care
March 05
March 05

New SC abortion law remains on hold under judge's order

A new South Carolina law banning abortions will stay on hold following a judge’s order to extend a temporary restraining order
March 05
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster holds up a bill banning almost all abortions in the state after he signed it into law on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Columbia, S.C. On the same day, Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit to stop the measure from going into effect. The state House approved the “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act” on a 79-35 vote Wednesday and gave it a final procedural vote Thursday before sending it to McMaster.  (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
March 05

Equity is key to this county's push to vaccinate teachers

Educators in Dallas' most vulnerable zip codes will get vaccines first.
March 05
A soldier in a face mask prepares to administer a dose of the Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, March 3, 2021, in Dallas.
March 05

Teacher vaccinations go untracked amid school reopening push

As the U.S. prioritizes teachers nationwide for coronavirus vaccines, states and many districts are not keeping track of how many school employees have received the shots
March 05
Granby kindergarten school teacher Christina Kibby receives the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine by pharmacist Madeline Acquilano, left, at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The first shipments of the vaccine arrived at the hospital this morning. Cities and states are rapidly expanding access to vaccines as the nation races to head off a resurgence in coronavirus infections and reopen schools and businesses battered by the pandemic. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
March 05

Swelling after COVID-19 shots may cause cancer false alarms

Anyone getting a mammogram or other cancer check soon after a COVID-19 vaccine should alert doctors, to prevent false alarms from a side effect
March 05
FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 15, 2021 file photo, a syringe filled with the a COVID-19 vaccine is seen alongside its batch number and a patient's vaccination card at a vaccination site in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York. According to recommendations from an expert panel from three cancer centers in the U.S. published in the journal Radiology on Feb. 24, 2021, anyone getting a mammogram or other cancer check soon after a COVID-19 vaccine should alert doctors, to prevent false alarms from a side effect. Sometimes lymph nodes, especially in the armpit, swell after the vaccinations. It’s a normal reaction by the immune system but one that might be mistaken for cancer if it shows up on a mammogram or other scan. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
March 05

Czech state orders students to help at struggling hospitals

The Czech health minister says the government has approved his plan to order medical and other university and high school students to help out at hospitals struggling to cope the record numbers of COVID-19 patients
March 05
Healthcare workers move a patient to the infectious ward of the Bulovka hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. The Czech prime minister Andrej Babis said the pandemic situation in one of the hardest-hit country in the European Union, is "extremely serious" and his government will have to impose more restrictive measures to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
March 05

Australia asks EU to stop blocking vaccine exports

France says it could emulate Italy in blocking the export of COVID-19 vaccines from the European Union if that's what is needed to enforce its own contracts with drugs manufacturers
March 05
FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 file photo, a pharmacist prepares a syringe from a vial of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine during preparations at the Vaccine Village in Antwerp, Belgium. A shipment of a quarter million AstraZeneca vaccines destined for Australia has been barred from leaving the European Union in the first use of an export control system instituted by the bloc over a month ago. An EU official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed a report that first appeared in the Financial Times. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
March 05

AP source: Canada clears Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 shot, giving it a fourth vaccine option

AP source: Canada clears Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 shot, giving it a fourth vaccine option
March 05
March 05

After mixed messages, Europe warns against vaccine shopping

Top French and German officials are urging people to take the AstraZeneca vaccine, amid skepticism from some who fear it's not effective enough
March 05
A nurse receives the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the state of Brandenburg where the first coronavirus vaccinations are given in doctors' surgeries, in Senftenberg, Germany, Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (Hannibal Hanschke/Pool via AP)
March 05

Reports: NY officials altered count of nursing home deaths

The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times report that the true number of people who had died in nursing homes in New York was altered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aides in a July state Health Department report
March 05
FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2020. file photo, families of COVID-19 victims who passed away in New York nursing homes gather in front of the Cobble Hill Heath Center to demand that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo apologize for his response to the coronavirus in nursing homes during the pandemic, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Top aides to Cuomo altered a state Health Department report to obscure the true number of people killed by COVID-19 in the state's nursing homes, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported late Thursday, March 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
Amira Hassan, of Burnsville, Minn., plays in the waiting room at the specialty clinic at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, May 2, 2017. Hassan went to the hospital's clinic for a routine wellness check, but had to wear a mask to protect her from measles after an outbreak has sickened more than 30 children in Minnesota.
Amira Hassan, of Burnsville, Minn., plays in the waiting room at the specialty clinic at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, May 2, 2017. Hassan went to the hospital's clinic for a routine wellness check, but had to wear a mask to protect her from measles after an outbreak has sickened more than 30 children in Minnesota.
In Minnesota's worst measles outbreak, a battle of beliefs over vaccines
May 04
Amy Forliti/AP Photo
A doctor talks to an older patient in this undated photo.
A doctor talks to an older patient in this undated photo.
What patients need to know about new recommendations for prostate cancer screening
Apr 11
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