Ongoing COVID-19 coverage is presented in part by Transforming Health–a project examining the future of health in America and in Central Pennsylvania. Transforming Health is an educational partnership of WITF, WellSpan Health and Capital BlueCross.
Here With You: COVID-19 stories
Watch our video series highlighting stories from members of our community. If you are interested in sharing your story, email Keira McGuire.
Health news
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Kimberly Paynter
Duquesne epidemiologist says vaccine distribution is like a ‘train wreck in slow motion’
Less than 42% of the more than 1 million vaccine doses allocated to Pennsylvania have been distributed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Courtesty Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
State prison in Forest County sees outbreak of COVID-19 cases
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections confirmed the outbreak of cases at the State Correctional Insitution Forest, which is located in Marienville.
By Anne Danahy -
Ethan Miller
COVID-19 supply deal lets vaccine maker earmark doses for employees and their families
There’s a limit on how many doses Emergent BioSolutions can retain, but it’s been redacted from the document.
By Sydney Lupkin/NPR -
Robert F. Bukaty
More contagious COVID strain detected in Philly-Bucks County resident
While the new strain is not inherently more deadly, if it indeed causes more infections, some of which become serious, it could ultimately result in more death as well.
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Matt Slocum
‘At war with this virus’ — Biden lays out his COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan
President-Elect Joe Biden shared details of how his administration hopes to tackle the country’s public health crisis. It’s an aggressive plan that he needs Congress to fund.
By Pien Huang and Carmel Wroth/NPR -
Jae C. Hong/AP
Pandemic shortens U.S. life expectancy, study concludes
The deaths caused by COVID-19 have reduced overall life expectancy by 1.13 years, according to the analysis by researchers at the University of Southern California and Princeton University.
By Rob Stein/NPR -
Matt Rourke
Mask-wearing, social distancing improve, but too slowly, survey shows
Americans are being more careful to avoid catching and spreading the coronavirus but are still not being careful enough to slow the pandemic, especially with worrisome, apparently more contagious new variants looming.By Rob Stein/NPR -
Courtesy Primary Health Network
Rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in rural Pa. requires flexibility and trust from communities
A Kaiser Family Foundation report released last week found rural residents are among the most hesitant about vaccines.
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The new U.K. coronavirus variant is in the U.S. Here’s how fast it could spread
It appears to be 50% more infectious, and researchers predict the new coronavirus variant could start to dominate in the U.S. by March. The time to prepare is now, they say.
By Michaeleen Doucleff/NPR -
Katie Blackley
Popular but underfunded hazard pay program helped many, left others behind
The program used $50 million in federal CARES Act money to pay an extra $3 per hour to essential workers who earn less than $20 an hour. It lasted 10 weeks, from late summer to early fall.By An-Li Herring, Kate Giammarise/WESA -
Katie Blackley
UPMC inoculates remote employees, while other frontline workers wait for COVID-19 vaccine
The state’s largest health care system has been vaccinating non-clinical and non-patient facing staff, including those who work at home, employees say.
