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COVID-19

Judging the safety of virus vaccine

Q: How do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe? A: Scientists look for safety issues during the testing phase and continue their monitoring as shots roll out around the world. So far, the only serious warning to emerge is a rare risk of severe allergic reactions. Different types of COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized and it’s possible side effects will differ for each — although there’s more public data on the vaccines being rolled out in Western countries than elsewhere. Countries also vary in their vaccine standards, with some allowing the use of shots before final-stage ...

Experts warn against COVID-19 variants

NEW YORK — As states lift mask rules and ease restrictions on restaurants and other businesses because of falling case numbers, public health officials say authorities are overlooking potentially more dangerous COVID-19 variants that are quietly spreading through the U.S. Scientists widely agree that the U.S. simply doesn’t have enough of a handle on the variants to roll back public health measures and is at risk of fumbling yet another phase of the pandemic after letting the virus rage through the country over the last year and kill nearly 500,000 people. “Now is not the time ...

Yellen: Relief package needed

Treasury secretary says ‘we are digging out of a deep hole’ The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that recent signs of improvement in the U.S. economy are no reason to scale back the administration’s $1.9 trillion relief plan because the economy remains in a “deep hole” with many people still hurting. Yellen said in a CNBC interview that in addition to the relief plan’s $1,400 stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits, the Biden administration is planning to unveil later this year an infrastructure program also aimed ...

Blair virus rates falling

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County’s COVID-19 cases have been declining, creating reasons for optimism, Public Safety Director Mark Taylor told commissioners Tuesday. Taylor, who stays in touch regularly with local health care providers, emergency responders and others affected by the ongoing pandemic, said Tuesday that he has been noticing improvements. “On Friday, only 28 people with COVID were in the hospitals, and that’s far better than we’ve seen in the previous months and weeks,” Taylor said. Facilities such as local nursing homes, the county prison and schools have ...

State approves Blair grant request for $1.38M

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The state has notified Blair County that it will receive a $1.38 million grant to help local hotels, restaurants and bars offset financial losses linked to COVID-19. Six days ago, commissioners authorized submission of an application for the state COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program grant that lawmakers authorized with an allocation of $145 million, to be divided among counties, based on population. During Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, Chairman Bruce Erb announced that the county’s application was approved. “Why so fast when normally, processes ...

COVID-19 funds available

Money is still available through the City of Altoona’s Economic Recovery Grant Program for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for the hiring or rehiring of employees, according to Patrick Miller, executive vice president of the Altoona-Blair County Development Corp., and information on the ABCD website. For-profit businesses with fewer than 50 employees are eligible for grants of $3,000 per full-time-equivalent, up to a maximum of three FTE employees, or $9,000. The hirings had to occur after Sept. 8, the employees must be paid less than $36,350 a year and the ...