Covid 19

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — There are at least 35 instances where Connecticut Department of Correction employees potentially misused a COVID-19 program that provided workers with hotel rooms during the height of the pandemic, including a staffer who booked a room to attend a wedding, according to continuing state investigations. So far, 14 of the 35 investigations have been closed, DOC confirmed Tuesday, and $40,787 has been returned to the state. DOC said about $104,000 is still owed. All employees under investigation were allowed to reimburse the state. Some have faced additional discipline, including a five-day suspension for several individuals. “As the investigation is still ongoing, and several of the incidents have yet to be resolved, keep in mind that nearly all those involved have protections and protocols afforded to them through their collective bargaining agreements,” according to a statement from DOC. The Connecticut Mirror first reported investigations into the federally … [Read more...] about Reviews find misuse of COVID-19 hotel stays by prison staff

San Francisco’s seven-day test-positivity rate for COVID-19 has climbed to more than double what it was when it dropped to a low in October following the summer surge, city data shows. In addition to COVID, very high levels of early flu and RSV are causing a shortage of hospital medical cribs across the nation. The triumvirate of illness is also making the case for people to stay up to date on their vaccinations and start masking up again in indoor public spaces, the CDC director says. Latest updates: With potential ‘terrible holiday season,’ CDC urges renewed masking The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling on Americans to once again wear masks in indoor public spaces, as the nation contends with a triple threat of COVID-19, flu and RSV. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director, told reporters on Monday that everyday precautions are needed to prevent spread of viruses as hospitals quickly reach capacity. “One need not wait on … [Read more...] about COVID in California: Crib shortage hits U.S. as ‘tripledemic’ takes hold among kids

close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for December 5 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Boston is planning to establish 11 wastewater testing sites across the city to help monitor for spikes in the COVID-19 virus . The head of the Boston Public Health Commission said the city is partnering with vendors to create the sites as COVID-19 levels in wastewater across the region have begun rising. Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston's public health commissioner, said the city will be sampling water from the sites on a weekly basis. Ojikutu said the testing will also help the city monitor for the appearance of new variants of the disease. POLICE DISCOVER REMAINS OF 4 INFANTS IN BOSTON APARTMENT Ojikutu made the comments during a Boston City Council meeting Monday according to The Boston Globe. The city is currently receiving information pulled together from Boston and 22 other nearby … [Read more...] about Boston planning to open 11 wastewater testing sites across the city to help monitor COVID-19 spikes

4 Health & Fitness Here's what Wisconsinites should know about the three viruses currently affecting much of the country. John Quinnies , Patch Staff Posted Replies WISCONSIN — As families across Wisconsin gather for the holidays, some may be coming home with more than warm memories as Americans are being sickened by three viruses — seasonal flu, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and COVID-19. RSV detections declined nationally during the week ending Saturday, after sharp rises since mid-October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the same time, seasonal influenza cases are ticking up in all but a handful of states, and COVID-19 cases , hospitalizations and deaths are all trending upward as well. As of Wednesday, RSV continues to be a predominant virus in Wisconsin , according to a weekly report from the state Department of Health Services. There were around 2500 positive tests for … [Read more...] about RSV, Flu And COVID-19: How 3 Viruses Are Affecting Wisconsin

close Video Sen. Rand Paul: Fauci will be remembered for one of the worst judgments in modern medicine Sen. Rand Paul. R-Ky., says there is no public health figure who has made greater error in judgment than Dr. Anthony Fauci on 'Jesse Watters Primetime.' NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Halfway across the world, we watch as protestors take to the streets in China, rebelling against the draconian mandates and lockdowns that are sweeping their country once again. We cheer and hope they will prevail, but we also know our so-called leaders did a lot of damage here with their abuse of power. In very few places was the contrast over freedom as clear as it was in the military, where the very men and women we count on to protect our freedom were stripped of theirs. bolster military readiness , the effects of the mandate are antithetical to readiness of our force, and the policy must be revoked. However, before we move forward with … [Read more...] about It’s time to end the military’s COVID vaccine mandate

Months ago, in what now feels like another era, publishers planning their 2020 schedules hoped to avoid releasing books in the fall, typically the industry’s biggest season. Editors and writers worried that new releases would be lost in the deluge of political news leading up to the presidential election, so publishers jammed some of their biggest titles into the spring. Now, a reverse exodus of sorts is taking place. Publishers are pushing back the release of dozens of books to summer and fall, in hopes that by then the coronavirus outbreak will be waning, bookstores will reopen, and authors will be able to tour and promote their work. Some of the most anticipated titles of the spring have been delayed by weeks or months — including the latest by the best-selling children’s book author Jeff Kinney, literary novels by Graham Swift and Ottessa Moshfegh, and nonfiction books by Representative Eric Swalwell of California, the Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings and the comedians and … [Read more...] about They Were Meant to Be the Season’s Big Books. Then the Virus Struck.