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COVID-19

Scores of dead bodies found floating in India’s Ganges River

NEW DELHI (AP) — Scores of dead bodies have been found floating down the Ganges River in eastern India as the country battles a ferocious surge in coronavirus infections. Authorities said Tuesday they haven’t yet determined the cause of death. Health officials working through the night Monday retrieved 71 bodies, officials in Bihar state said. Images on social media of the bodies floating in the river prompted outrage and speculation that they died from COVID-19. Authorities performed post mortems on Tuesday but said they could not confirm the cause of death due to the ...

COVID-19 case numbers ‘encouraging’ in Centre County

BELLEFONTE — The Centre County commissioners got a COVID-19 progress report during Tuesday’s regular meeting. Mount Nittany Health Executive Vice President System Development and Chief Strategy Officer Tom Charles addressed the commissioners, speaking at length about the ebbs and flows of the deadly virus and the need to get the community vaccinated. According to Charles, the county has been on a roller coaster of sorts when it comes to the numbers of cases of COVID-19 in the community. “We’ve been at this for some time, I don’t have to tell everybody that. It’s good to ...

US casinos match best quarter ever; post-COVID hopes rise

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — America’s commercial casinos matched their best quarter ever in the first three months of this year, as customers continued returning amid the COVID-19 pandemic and internet and sports betting money helped boost revenue numbers. Figures released Tuesday by the American Gaming Association, the casino industry’s national trade group, show the nation’s commercial casinos took in over $11.1 billion in the first quarter of this year. That matched the industry’s best quarter in history, the third quarter of 2019. The figures do not include tribal ...

LHU students complete CDC mask study on campus

LOCK HAVEN — Lock Haven University recently completed an eight-week study to observe mask use on campus as part of the CDC’s Mask Adherence Surveillance at Colleges and Universities Project (MASCUP). More than 50 colleges and universities across the country participated in the study during ...

States push jobless from virus recession to return to work

STOWE, Vt. (AP) — Eduardo Rovetto is hoping the state of Vermont’s reinstated requirement that people who are collecting unemployment benefits must seek work to qualify will help him hire enough staff for his restaurant in the resort town of Stowe. After more than a year of coronavirus restrictions on his business, Piecasso Pizzeria & Lounge, he’s expecting a breakout summer tourism season, but like employers across the country he’s worried he won’t have enough workers. “We’ve been getting many excuses as to why not to return,” said Rovetto, who is offering a signing ...

Pfizer COVID-19 shot expanded to US children as young as 12

COVID-19 vaccines finally are headed for more kids as U.S. regulators on Monday expanded use of Pfizer’s shot to those as young as 12, sparking a race to protect middle and high school students before they head back to class in the fall. Shots could begin as soon as a federal vaccine advisory committee issues recommendations for using the two-dose vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds, expected Wednesday. Vaccinating children of all ages will be critical to a return to normalcy. Most COVID-19 vaccines rolling out worldwide have been authorized for adults. Pfizer’s vaccine is being used ...