WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to begin debate on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, after drafting a number of revisions that, among other changes, tweak the aid intended for state and local governments.The legislation approved in the House outlines $350 billion in direct aid to...
The Virginia Department of Health announced Thursday that a child in central Virginia died from COVID-19-related complications.It's the state's first COVID-19 death of a child under the age of 10.In September, the department reported that "an adolescent resident in the Southside Health District” — which includes Boydton, Lawrenceville, and...
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is here, and it’s effective. But Virginia health officials worry some won’t take it.
Kate Masters -
For public health experts across Virginia, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was a more-than-welcome addition to the state’s weekly allocation.The one-dose shot boosted Virginia’s shipments by 69,000 this week, spurring a slew of new mass vaccination events. It doesn’t have the same cold storage requirements, making it easier to...
GOP opposition to state and local aid remains as Senate heads toward vote on COVID bill
Laura Olson -WASHINGTON — As Democrats seek to send President Joe Biden their latest $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill, federal lawmakers remain deeply divided on the question of whether state and local governments need another infusion of federal aid.Supporters of the bill — including numerous Republican mayors — say the answer is a clear...
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is urging states to prioritize teachers for COVID-19 vaccines, setting a goal of ensuring that every pre-kindergarten through 12th grade educator, school staff member and childcare worker is able to receive at least one shot this month.At least 34 states and the District of...
I understand the wariness so many people harbor toward the new vaccines to fight the coronavirus. Some segments of the population, especially Black Americans, can point to a litany of egregious medical incidents over the decades, including sinister neglect, mistreatment and lack of consent for specific medical procedures.There could...
As the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic continue, the Virginia General Assembly has approved an extension of relief to customers of Dominion Energy, Virginia's largest utility, who are behind on their electric bills. Under a provision of the compromise budget released by the House of Delegates and Senate earlier...
Medical providers, first responders, get expanded access to COVID-19 workers’ compensation
Kate Masters -
Virginia’s frontline workers scored a victory on Saturday when the General Assembly nearly unanimously passed two bills making it easier for health care providers and first responders to claim workers’ compensation for contracting COVID-19 on the job.But the issue — a longstanding concern for workers throughout the pandemic —...
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on a nearly party-line vote passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package early Saturday, in a rush to both boost COVID-19 vaccine funding and get legislation to the president’s desk before unemployment benefits expire in mid-March.The package, dubbed the American Rescue Plan, passed...
WASHINGTON — States struggling to provide enough COVID-19 vaccines are likely just a few days away from a pivotal development in the vaccination race: the availability of a shot that requires only one dose.The game-changing Johnson & Johnson vaccine would differ from the two current shots by Pfizer and...