April 20, 2020 4:14 am
President Donald Trump says he will use the Defense Production Act to increase manufacturing of swabs used to test for the coronavirus. Many governors have for weeks urged the White House to further evoke federal powers to increase private industry’s production of medical supplies as health officials work to slow the spread of the virus. Trump has generally been reluctant to do so.
April 20, 2020 4:14 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea says it has zero coronavirus infections, but experts doubt it and say it’s likely the virus has already spread in the country. A former North Korean doctor and other defectors tell The Associated Press health workers didn’t have test kits when they dealt with past outbreaks and weren’t even asked to confirm or submit cases to the central government. Experts say the North’s response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is likely similar.
April 20, 2020 4:12 am
TORONTO (AP) – Police have fanned out across more than a dozen crime scenes after a rampage by a gunman disguised as a police officer left at least 18 dead and homes in smoldering ruins in rural communities across Nova Scotia. The weekend attack was the deadliest in Canadian history. Among the dead were a policewoman and the suspected shooter. Officials identified the suspect as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, and say he drove a car made to look like a Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser. Authorities did not provide a motive for the killings, but say they believe he acted alone.
April 20, 2020 4:11 am
A flood of new research suggests that far more people have had the new coronavirus without any symptoms. That means the virus may turn out to be much less lethal than originally feared. But it also makes it tough to know who’s contagious because people who don’t feel sick can still spread the bug. New reports of silent infections have come from an aircraft carrier, pregnant women at a New York hospital, several European countries and a county in California. Experts say the numbers can’t be fully trusted because they’re based on flawed testing. But the results suggest that estimates of total infections are way off.
April 20, 2020 4:10 am
NEW YORK (AP) – A nursing home in an upscale section of New York City’s Brooklyn borough with 55 deaths blamed on the coronavirus has become another example of the struggle to control such outbreaks amid shortages of staff, protective equipment and testing. The CEO of the Cobble Hill Health Center says his facility quickly became overwhelmed after nearly a third of the staff went out sick and those left began wearing garbage bags because of a shortage of protective gear. He said the death toll was based on only the possibility of COVID-19 because not a single resident or staffer has been tested.
April 20, 2020 4:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration and Congress are working toward agreement on more than $450 billion to boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money. It would also include funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing. The Senate met briefly Monday in a pro forma session, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set up another such session for Tuesday and could act on the deal if an agreement is reached. The package is nearly double the $250 billion White House request of almost two weeks ago. It was originally designed as an interim step aimed at replenishing payroll subsidies for smaller businesses.
April 20, 2020 4:06 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Authorities say remains found over the weekend in western Pennsylvania have been identified as those of a woman whose disappearance resulted in a homicide charge against a handyman. Allegheny County police say a Plum Borough officer found human remains Sunday in a garbage bag in an area known for illegal dumping and off-road vehicle use. Police say the remains were positively identified Monday as those of 67-year-old Elizabeth Wiesenfeld, who was reported missing to Whitehall police in April 2019. The county medical examiner’s office hasn’t yet released information about the cause and manner of her death.
April 20, 2020 4:03 am
Transit agencies are asking riders to cover their face while on the vehicle. That includes Freedom transit here in Washington County and Allegheny County Port Authority. “The state’s order clearly means riders should wear face coverings while on transit vehicles,” said Port Authority CEO Katharine Kelleman. “We want to do our part to uphold this statewide order and protect both our customers and employees.” Children ages two or under will also not be required to wear masks. Officials said the change will help keep both passengers and employees safe. (PHOTO: Freedom Transit Twitter)
April 20, 2020 4:00 am
You now won’t be able to go into a pharmacy or grocery store in Pennsylvania if you aren’t wearing a mask. Customers who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask can enter the store without a mask. Employers are also required to provide masks for workers to wear during their shift. Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said customers who enter a business without a mask can be turned away. She said some stores may have masks to give out and she is confident people will follow these new guidelines. Business found in violation of the order could face tickets, fines or license suspensions. The new order went into effect at 8 p.m. Sunday night.
April 20, 2020 2:47 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — Six employers in Washington County are getting emergency loan relief totalling more than $585,000 through a new program created to help small businesses deal with the challenges brought by the COVID-19 Pandemic. State Senator Camera Bartolotta announced the funding that will be awarded through the COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program which is administered by the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority and the Department of Community and Economic Development. The loans will be issued to Big G Tire Company, Fenerb LLC, Dr. Webb and Associates, Model Apparel LLC, Model Dry Cleaners LLC and Michael Scarton DCPC. The program provides the low-interest loans to companies with less than 100 full-time employees. Payments and interest are waived during the first year of the loan. More than $10 million was awarded state-wide in the first round of funding. A total of $60 million will be awarded in the weeks ahead.
