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COVID-19

Japan’s vaccine push ahead of Olympics looks to be too late

TOKYO — It may be too little, too late. That’s the realization sinking in as Japan scrambles to catch up on a frustratingly slow vaccination drive less than two months before the Summer Olympics, delayed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, are scheduled to start. The Olympics risk becoming an incubator for “a Tokyo variant,” as 15,000 foreign athletes and tens of thousands officials, sponsors and journalists from about 200 countries descend on — and potentially mix with — a largely unvaccinated Japanese population, said Dr. Naoto Ueyama, a physician, head of ...

UK hits vaccine milestone, warns of ‘deadly’ misinformation

LONDON — Three-quarters of Britain’s adult population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the government said Wednesday, as it warned that “deadly” misinformation was undermining the global inoculation effort. The Department of Health said that 75.2% of people 18 and over in the U.K. have received a shot, and 49.5% are fully vaccinated after two doses. Britain is racing to vaccinate all adults and curb a more contagious delta variant of the virus, which was first identified in India and is spreading rapidly in the U.K. The U.K. has recorded almost ...

Fully vaccinated Centre employees can go maskless

BELLEFONTE — Centre County Government employees who are fully-vaccinated no longer have to wear a mask in county office buildings. Centre County administrator Margaret Gray announced the policy during Tuesday’s Centre County commissioners’ meeting. “In accordance with CDC guidelines, employees working in our building who have been fully-vaccinated are able, if they would opt so, to not wear a mask,” Gray noted. On Monday, June 28, the county will leave its “rotation” status and return to office. County buildings will then be open to the public on Tuesday, July 6. ...

US Chamber of Commerce launches ‘America Works’

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today launched America Works, a new nationwide initiative mobilizing industry and government to swiftly address America’s deepening worker shortage crisis. “As we stand on the cusp of what could be a great American resurgence, a worker shortage is holding back job creators across the country,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark said. “Together, we can and we must address our nation’s workforce challenges. When you lead the world in talent, you lead the world in ...

Despite vaccines, nursing homes struggle with outbreaks

By SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press Jeannie Wells had hoped that regular visits would resume at her elderly mother’s New York nursing home once all the residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Around Easter, her wish finally came true, and she was able to hold the ...

New Mexico offers largest single vaccination prize in US

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico bet big Tuesday that cash can persuade people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, offering the largest single cash prize among the growing number of states staging lotteries to promote inoculations. Vaccinated residents who register on New Mexico’s “Vax 2 the Max” portal can win prizes from a pool totaling $10 million that includes a $5 million grand prize, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced. “Getting vaccinated is the right thing to do — for yourself, for your family and for your state,” Lujan Grisham said. “I’m excited to ...