Cloth face masks worn during the coronavirus pandemic should be washed regularly, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As with nearly everything else having to do with COVID-19, the issue of wearing masks has taken on a political turn. A recent poll by Huffington Post/YouGov showed that 71% of self-identified Democrats wear a mask around other people in public “all of the time” or “most of the time” compared…
TALLAHASSEE — The woman who raised questions about Florida’s COVID-19 data after being ousted as the data’s curator had been reprimanded several times and ultimately fired for violating Health Department policy by making public remarks about the information, state records show.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Harnessing today’s technology to the task of fighting the coronavirus pandemic is turning out to be more complicated than it first appeared.
SALT LAKE CITY — Health investigator Mackenzie Bray smiles and chuckles as she chats by phone with a retired Utah man who just tested positive for the coronavirus.
LONDON — Several lawmakers from Britain’s governing Conservative Party on Sunday joined opposition calls for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top aide to be fired for allegedly violating the national coronavirus lockdown rules that he helped to create.
ROME — As nations around the world loosen coronavirus restrictions, people are discovering that “the new normal” is anything but.
ORLANDO — In ordinary times, the beaches and roads along Florida’s Space Coast would be packed with hundreds of thousands of spectators, eager to witness the first astronaut launch from Florida in nine years.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Army Sgt. Antonio Gozikowski was planning to leave the military next month and head to college.
PHOENIX — Like students across the U.S., Christa Schall was working toward graduation when the coronavirus closed her school. But unlike many, she can’t finish her classes online — her cosmetology program, like the coursework at many technical and trade schools, requires hands-on training.
Growing numbers of U.S. colleges are pledging to reopen this fall, with dramatic changes to campus life to keep the coronavirus at bay. Big lectures will be a thing of the past. Dorms will will be nowhere near capacity. Students will face mandatory virus testing. And at some smaller schools,…
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — As couples do all over the world, Darshana Kumara Wijenarayana and his fiance, Pawani Rasanga, spent months planning a grand wedding.
TIJUANA, Mexico — Adrián Alonso Gama lived life on both sides of the border, until he got the coronavirus.
LONDON — David Waugh is putting down barrier tape and spraying yellow lines on the ground outside the main door of his school near Manchester.
Highlands County saw the number of positive COVID-19 cases increase to 113 with the release of numbers by the Florida Department of Health on Sunday morning. The death toll remained at eight.
Memorial Day ceremonies have been a tradition in Highlands County for a number of years, as hundreds of people typically gather at different locations to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. But this year, Memorial Day ceremonies have fallen victim to the cor…
The NBA is in talks with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July, the clearest sign yet that the league believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic.
SEBRING — With 760 new cases on Friday, Florida’s total number of COVID-19 cases passed the 50,000 mark with 2,232 deaths.
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday said he is lifting coronavirus-related restrictions on youth activities, including summer camps and athletic events, because he trusts parents and local governments will make the right decisions for kids.
It’s a word that has become part of the coronavirus conversation in recent months. It is used in a phrase when people are leaving a place and instead of saying “goodbye” it’s now “stay safe.”
As residents anxiously await the start of Phase 2 of Florida’s reopening, the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Highlands County reached 111 as of Friday’s update. No additional deaths have been reported with the total remaining at 8. The number of hospitalizations also remains unaltered …
With jury trials suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady has issued an order that could lead to civil jury trials using remote technology.
As lockdowns ease across the United States, millions of Americans are set to take tentative steps outdoors to celebrate Memorial Day. But public health officials are still concerned that if people congregate in crowds or engage in other risky behavior, the long weekend could cause the corona…
JERUSALEM — Muslims worldwide will celebrate one of their biggest holidays under the long shadow of the coronavirus, with millions confined to their homes and others gripped by economic concerns during what is usually a festive time of shopping and celebration.
NEW DELHI — In the middle of a pandemic, if a cyclone comes hurtling toward you, what should you do?
Something is finally clear in the uncertain NBA: Players believe they’re going to play games again this season.
TALLAHASSEE — Floridians who call the state for help with unemployment claims should expect wait times to surpass an hour.
HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) — A church in Mississippi was destroyed by a suspected arson fire, about a month after its pastor filed a lawsuit challenging the city of Holly Springs on gathering restrictions amid the coronavirus outbreak.
LONDON (AP) — Doubts were growing on Thursday over whether ambitious plans by European governments to use contact-tracing apps to fight the spread of the coronavirus will be able to be implemented with any real effectiveness soon.
BEIJING (AP) — China began its most important political event of the year on Thursday after a two-month delay because of the coronavirus pandemic.
TALLAHASSEE — Florida citrus officials are taking another look at raising a tax on growers as they wait to see if a legislative boost in marketing dollars becomes a victim of the coronavirus.
TALLAHASSEE — Amid a surge in COVID-19 infections in nursing homes and other senior facilities, a watchdog organization wants to know what steps Florida has taken to keep people with developmental disabilities safe in state institutions.
This good news story sponsored by Tyrone Dowden and Staff, 2605 Bayview St., Sebring, FL 33870; 863-385-1546.
The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Highlands County increased by three as of the Thursday update. Highlands County now has a total of 110 confirmed positive cases. The total hospitalizations are 36 with 35 residents and 1 non-resident. The number of deaths remained at eight.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Public health officials in at least two-thirds of U.S. states are sharing the addresses of people who have the coronavirus with first responders. Supporters say the measure is designed to protect those on the front line, but it’s sparked concerns of profiling in minor…
NEW DELHI (AP) — A powerful cyclone slammed ashore Wednesday along the coastline of India and Bangladesh, where more than 2.6 million people fled to shelters in a frantic evacuation made all the more challenging by the coronavirus pandemic.
BEIRUT (AP) — In troubled times, people have been known to hoard currency at home — a financial security blanket against deep uncertainty. But in this crisis, things are different. This time cash itself, passed from hand to hand across neighborhoods, cities and societies just like the corona…
ISTANBUL (AP) — They see themselves as public health detectives, working 24/7 to track the coronavirus’ insidious spread through a country of 83 million, blending door-to-door hoof work with mobile apps, CCTV footage and, if needed, police backup.
TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s surgeon general has acknowledged that a syndrome that attacks children and is associated with COVID-19 has surfaced in Florida, adding a scary new dimension to the battle against the coronavirus in the state.
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration said Tuesday evening that a Department of Health employee who helped create Florida’s COVID-19 information “dashboard” was fired for insubordination, disputing allegations that she was terminated for refusing to manipulate data.
SEBRING — There was no change in local cases of coronavirus in Wednesday’s report, but statewide, the Florida Department of Corrections is reporting that the number of positive cases among prison inmates and staff continue to rise.
SEBRING — Highlands County COVID-19 infections have hit a 45-day doubling rate, which is good, said Emergency Manager LaTosha Reiss.
As with nearly everything else having to do with COVID-19, the issue of wearing masks has taken a bit of a political turn. An article in the May 15 Washington Post showed that 73% of self-identified Democrats wore face masks compared to 59% of Republicans.
TALLAHASSEE — State university system Chancellor Marshall Criser next week will present guidelines for reopening university campuses in the fall, after students were sent home in March to curb the spread of COVID-19.
MOSCOW (AP) — Coronavirus cases are spiking from India to South Africa and Mexico in a clear indication the pandemic is far from over, while Russia and Brazil now sit behind only the United States in the number of reported infections.
NEW DELHI (AP) — President Donald Trump’s declaration that he was taking a malaria drug of dubious effectiveness to help fend off the coronavirus will likely be welcomed in India.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A registry of death certificates in Mexico City suggests there were 4,577 cases where doctors mentioned coronavirus or COVID-19 as a possible or probable cause of death, more than three times the official death toll in the city.
A happy Ivette Perez is seen here smiling despite her hospitalization for COVID-19.
The global coronavirus pandemic has created a huge need for health care in the U.S., but it also is delivering a devastating financial blow to that sector.
NEW YORK — Federal authorities are urging governors to use “extreme caution” in deciding when to resume visits at nursing homes, saying it shouldn’t come before all residents and staff have tested negative for the coronavirus for at least 28 days.
OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) — A company in Baltimore has created “bumper tables” designed to allow people to practice social distancing while eating and talking in outdoor settings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
