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COVID-19

Landlords look for an exit amid federal eviction moratorium

NEW YORK (AP) — When Ryan David bought three rental properties back in 2017, he expected the $1,000-a-month he was pocketing after expenses would be regular sources of income well into his retirement years. He also was counting on the rent money from the properties in Dupont, Pennsylvania, to help with the cash flow of his business buying and selling distressed properties, launched early last year. But then the pandemic hit and federal and state authorities imposed moratoriums on evictions. The unpaid rent began to mount. Then, just when he thought the worst was over, the Centers ...

PA teachers unions: Schools should require masks

Pennsylvania’s two statewide teachers unions on Wednesday urged K-12 schools to require masks in school buildings, a measure that state officials are encouraging but have not mandated as students prepare to return to class. The Pennsylvania State Education Association cited the threat of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, which is spiking infections and hospitalizations across the state and nationally, including among children. “Masking up is essential to keeping in-person learning going all year,” said Rich Askey, PSEA president. “If we’re going to be ...

COVID-19 numbers tick upward locally

The COVID-19 numbers continue to increase in the region. On Wednesday, Clinton County added 13 cases and Centre County added 21 cases of the deadly virus. Centre County also added a death to its tally, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Centre County now has 17,329 cases of the deadly virus, followed by Lycoming County (12,254) and Clinton County (3,837). Pennsylvania added 2,332 positives — the commonwealth’s highest single-day increase since May 11 — to bring the statewide total to 1,256,324. With 25 new COVID-19 deaths, Pennsylvania’s total is now ...

With no beds, hospitals ship patients to far-off cities

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Many overwhelmed hospitals, with no beds to offer, are putting critically ill COVID-19 patients on planes, helicopters and ambulances and sending them hundreds of miles to far-flung states for treatment. The surge in the delta variant of the virus, combined with low ...

AP Source: Biden to require vaccines for nursing home staff

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. Biden will announce the move Wednesday afternoon in a White House address as the administration continues to look for ways to use mandates to encourage vaccine holdouts to get shots. A senior administration official confirmed the announcement on condition of anonymity to preview the news before Biden’s remarks. The new mandate, in the form of a forthcoming regulation to be ...

Disney World tweaks face mask policy, optional for outdoors

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Walt Disney World is tweaking its face mask policy. Starting Thursday, the theme park resort in Florida will allow visitors to choose whether or not to wear face coverings in outdoor lines, outdoor theaters and outdoor attractions. Masks had been required previously. Face coverings will remain optional in outdoor common areas. They will still be required for visitors age 2 and up at all indoor locations, such as restaurants, theaters and transportation with the exception of ferry boats. Disney World closed for two months last year at the start of the COVID-19 ...