The U.S. Supreme Court has stopped the Biden administration from enforcing a requirement that employees at large businesses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask…
Coronavirus
Biden Directs U.S. to Procure 500 Million More COVID Tests to meet demand
U.S. President Joe Biden is directing the U.S. government to procure an additional 500 million COVID-19 tests to help meet surging demand across the country amid the spread of the…
Most Serious Covid Patients Over 60 with Out-of-Date Vaccinations
Most of Israel’s coronavirus cases currently requiring hospitalization consist of people over 60 whose vaccinations have lost effectiveness over time. Coronavirus commissioner Prof. Salman Zarka said on Thursday that there…
Fed Survey Finds Economy Growing Modestly Despite COVID
The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that the economy was growing at a modest pace at the end of 2021 but was still being held back by ongoing supply-chain disruptions and…
Court Dismisses Louisiana Pastor’s Virus Restrictions Suit
A Louisiana pastor’s lawsuit over Gov. John Bel Edwards’ past COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings was rejected for a second time Wednesday by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Brian…
White House: 1,000 Military Health Workers to Deploy to Hospitals
Another 1,000 military health workers are deploying to six U.S. states to help hospitals overwhelmed by a surge in omicron-related COVID-19 cases, the White House said on Thursday. The teams…
U.K. Government Cuts COVID Isolation Period to 5 Days
British officials said Thursday the self-isolation period for people in England who test positive for COVID-19 will be reduced from next week to five full days, instead of seven. Health…
U.K. Ministers Rally Around Embattled Johnson, for Now
With varying degrees of enthusiasm, senior British government ministers on Thursday expressed support for Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson and rejected demands he resign for attending a garden party during…
Biden Highlighting Federal ‘Surge’ to Help Weather Omicron
President Joe Biden is highlighting the federal government’s efforts to “surge” military medical personnel to help overwhelmed medical facilities weather the spike in coronavirus cases and staff shortages due to…
France Makes Travel Easier for Vaccinated British Tourists
France announced it was slightly easing COVID-19 protocols for vaccinated travelers from Britain, dropping a requirement for proof of an essential reason for the trip and for obligatory self-isolation upon…
WHO Official: Omicron Probably Caused COVID-19 Surge in Mideast in Early Jan.
A “shocking” surge in COVID-19 cases across the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean region is probably due to the omicron variant, a WHO official said, warning that some countries in…
New Data Finds AstraZeneca Booster Generates Higher Antibodies Against Omicron
AstraZeneca said on Thursday preliminary data from a trial it conducted on its COVID-19 shot, Vaxzevria, showed it generated a higher antibody response against the omicron variant and others, including…
Nearly 50,000 New COVID Cases
The Health Ministry reported Thursday morning that 48,095 new coronavirus cases had been diagnosed the previous day. With 401,747 tests conducted on Wednesday, the infection rate stands at 11.97%. The…
Minister Urges Quarantine be Shortened to 5 Days
As the quarantine period for the asymptomatic shortens as of midnight from 10 days to 7, Economy Minister Orna Barbivai said on Wednesday evening that she wants it shortened even…
Coronavirus Sweeps Through Knesset
The coronavirus crisis made itself felt in the Israeli government on Wednesday, as at least 14 lawmakers and ministers infected with COVID-19 were absent from the Knesset and their offices,…
Bennett, Netanyahu Spar Over Reliability of Rapid Tests
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday launched an online attack against opposition leader MK Binyamin Netanyahu over a video in which the former prime minister questions the reliability of rapid…
Pfizer Study Shows COVID-19 Booster Can Be Given Along With Pneumonia Shot
Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday booster doses of its COVID-19 vaccine can be administered along with its pneumonia vaccine and produced strong safety and immune responses in people aged 65…
U.K.’s Johnson Apologizes for Attending Lockdown Party
Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized Wednesday for attending a garden party during Britain’s coronavirus lockdown in 2020, saying there are things his government “did not get right.” Johnson is facing…
Researchers: Israel Could See Up to 2M COVID Cases Within Two Weeks
A team of researchers from Hebrew University of Yerushalayim who are advising the Coronavirus Cabinet presented on Tuesday updated models that show that if the current wave of transmission continues,…
Gov’t to Increase COVID-19 Tests for Schools by 10M Per Month
The Biden administration announced on Wednesday a new set of measures to keep schools open, including increasing access to COVID-19 tests, as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads rapidly through…