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COVID-19: Here's When Americans Can Order Free At-Home Tests COVID-19: Here's When Americans Can Order Free At-Home Tests
Covid-19: Here's When Americans Can Order Free At-Home Tests With the Omicron COVID-19 variant raging, Americans will soon have access to free at-home test kits that will be made available through a federal website. Beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 19, the White House announced that it will be distributing one billion tests that it plans to buy this year that will be provided to Americans in need for free. According to the White House, tests will take approximately seven to 12 days to ship, and can be requested at COVIDTests.gov beginning on Jan. 19. Officials said that "tens of millions” of tests are already on hand, and a half billion will be availabl…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Omicron Now Dominant Variant In US; CDC Reveals Percentage Of New Cases COVID-19: Omicron Now Dominant Variant In US; CDC Reveals Percentage Of New Cases
Covid-19: Omicron Now Dominant Variant In US; CDC Reveals Percentage Of New Cases Less than three weeks after the first case of the highly transmissible Omicron variant was identified in the United States, it's now the nation's most dominant strain of the COVID-19 virus. Omicron accounted for 73 percent of new infections last week, federal health officials announced Monday, Dec. 20. That's nearly a six-fold increase in only one week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The first Omicron-related death in the United States was confirmed in Harris County, Texas - a man in his 50s. It has not been reported whether he was vaccinated or had any pre-exis…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Study Reveals Top 5 Symptoms Of Omicron Variant COVID-19: Study Reveals Top 5 Symptoms Of Omicron Variant
Covid-19: Study Reveals Top 5 Symptoms Of Omicron Variant Click here for an updated story - COVID-19: New Omicron Variant Symptom Emerges, Physicians Say COVID-19 cases are spiking ahead of the holidays, with the Omicron variant now having been identified in 48 states and 89 countries. “We’ve seen cases of Omicron among those who are both vaccinated and boosted and we believe these cases are milder or asymptomatic because of vaccine protection,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House COVID-19 briefing on Friday, Dec. 17. Preliminary lab studies indicate Omicron may not a…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Can You Safely Enjoy The Holidays Amid Surge In Cases Ahead Of Christmas? COVID-19: Can You Safely Enjoy The Holidays Amid Surge In Cases Ahead Of Christmas?
Covid-19: Can You Safely Enjoy The Holidays Amid Surge In Cases Ahead Of Christmas? With many areas in the nation seeing the largest rise in COVID-19 cases since January, coupled with the arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, many Americans are entering the holiday season with uncertainty. Though breakthrough cases are inevitable, health experts agree that if you've been vaccinated and had your booster, whether you're exposed to Delta or Omicron, you should be very well protected against serious disease that could put you in the hospital. “We’ve seen cases of Omicron among those who are both vaccinated and boosted and we believe these cases are milder or asy…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Biden Nominates Caroline Kennedy, Figure Skater Michelle Kwan For Ambassador Posts Biden Nominates Caroline Kennedy, Figure Skater Michelle Kwan For Ambassador Posts
Biden Nominates Caroline Kennedy, Figure Skater Michelle Kwan For Ambassador Posts A pair of prominent public figures have been tabbed for ambassadorships by President Joe Biden. The White House announced that Caroline Kennedy, age 64, the last surviving child of former President John F. Kennedy, has been nominated to serve as an ambassador to Australia after previously filling the same role in Japan for former President Barack Obama. “I am always grateful to the courageous Solomon Islanders and Australian coast watchers who rescued my father during World War 2, and if confirmed, I will work hard to repay this debt," Kennedy said in a statement. "I look forward to collabo…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Head Of President Biden’s Security Detail Leaving To Take Wall Street Job, Report Says Head Of President Biden’s Security Detail Leaving To Take Wall Street Job, Report Says
Head Of President Biden’s Security Detail Leaving To Take Wall Street Job, Report Says The top person tasked with keeping President Joe Biden safe will be leaving his post for a cushy job on Wall Street, according to multiple reports. David Cho, the head of Biden’s security detail, has been hired by an investment firm after being a part of the Secret Service for more than two decades. The news was first reported by Bloomberg, which cited people close to the situation who are familiar with the matter. It is unclear what firm has plucked Cho away from the White House. Cho was the first Korean American to become a special agent-in-charge of the Secret Service’s Presidential Pr…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
First Lady Jill Biden Will Be Back In Connecticut For A New Visit First Lady Jill Biden Will Be Back In Connecticut For A New Visit
First Lady Jill Biden Will Be Back In Connecticut For A New Visit Connecticut is getting ready to roll out the red carpet as the Nutmeg State prepares to welcome First Lady Jill Biden back to visit with Navy families. The White House announced that Biden will travel to Groton in New London County with Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro to visit with US Navy families of the USS Delaware at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9. Following that appearance, Biden and Toro are scheduled to attend a holiday gathering being held by the United Through Reading at the US Submarine Veterans Club in Groton at 5:15. p.m. The trip will mark the First Lady's s…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: US Tightens Travel Testing Requirements, Extends Mask Mandate In New White House Plan COVID-19: US Tightens Travel Testing Requirements, Extends Mask Mandate In New White House Plan
Covid-19: US Tightens Travel Testing Requirements, Extends Mask Mandate In New White House Plan President Joe Biden announced a series of new measures to combat COVID-19 amid the emergence of the Omicron variant. Biden said in an announcement on Thursday, Dec. 2, that early next week the United States will require all inbound international travelers to get a COVID-19 test within one day of departure, regardless of their nationality or vaccination status.  "This tighter testing timeline provides an added degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant," the announcement from the White House reads. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States
Covid-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States Omicron, the new strain of COVID that has caused worldwide alarm the last week, has been detected in the United States for the first time. Health officials had been bracing for the first such Omicron case for days, and early Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 1, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention confirmed a person in California has been infected with the new strain. The San Francisco Department of Health said the individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Monday, Nov. 22, and tested positive for COVID on Monday, Nov. 29. The individual was fully vaccinated and experi…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
COVID-19: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Tests Positive COVID-19: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Tests Positive
Covid-19: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Tests Positive White House press secretary Jen Psaki has tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Psaki, a Connecticut native who is fully vaccinated, grew up in Fairfield County, and graduated from Greenwich High School, said on Sunday, Oct. 31 that she made the decision not to travel with President Joe Biden to Europe after one of her family members tested positive for the virus. Psaki (pronounced Saki), said she made the decision on Wednesday, Oct. 27, after members of her household tested positive for COVID-19.  She tested negative for four days, but on Sunday, she revealed she teste…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
COVID-19: Supply-Chain Issues Causing Shortages Of Items At Supermarkets, Other Retailers COVID-19: Supply-Chain Issues Causing Shortages Of Items At Supermarkets, Other Retailers
Covid-19: Supply-Chain Issues Causing Shortages Of Items At Supermarkets, Other Retailers Supply-chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic are leading to product shortages in stores across the country. According to a report from Bloomberg, the issues have arisen due to factors including rising COVID-19 cases, rising demand for certain products, and labor shortages. The beverage industry has struggled due to a shortage of packaging, including aluminum cans, the news outlet reported. Other products have seen shortages due to rising demand. Lunchables, Kraft Heinz Co.'s packaged snack products, have been in greater demand as children have returned to school. Bloomberg reporte…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: US To Lift Travel Ban For Vaccinated Foreign Nationals COVID-19: US To Lift Travel Ban For Vaccinated Foreign Nationals
Covid-19: US To Lift Travel Ban For Vaccinated Foreign Nationals The United States is planning to open travel for foreign nationals who are vaccinated against COVID-19. The new policy was announced on Monday, Sept. 20 by Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 pandemic response coordinator. Travel ban lifted! Vaccinated, pre-flight tested Europeans will again be able to travel to the US from November, just as vaccinated Americans are today allowed to travel to the EU. https://t.co/XPwtvlMBWw… — Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis 🇪🇺 (@EUAmbUS) September 20, 2021 Unvaccinated American travelers will have stricter testing requirements under the new policy, i…

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by Nicole Valinote