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COVID-19: Omicron, Flu Have Health Officials In One South Jersey County On High Alert COVID-19: Omicron, Flu Have Health Officials In One South Jersey County On High Alert
Covid-19: Omicron, Flu Have Health Officials In One South Jersey County On High Alert Camden County health officials in an official Town Hall meeting say there is mounting concern that South Jersey could face a brutal flu season made worse by the new COVID-19 Omicron variant. Commissioner Melinda Kane said there are 262 people in area hospitals being treated for COVID-19, and 9 more deaths were reported last week. “Over the last seven days, we are averaging 115 new cases of COVID each day, and that’s an increase,” Kane said. “Unfortunately residents are still being hospitalized and dying of COVID." Kane, along with several health officials said the best protection against…

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by Joe Gomez
News
GOP Defies 'Hypocritical' COVID Policy At NJ State House, Dems 'Outraged' GOP Defies 'Hypocritical' COVID Policy At NJ State House, Dems 'Outraged'
GOP Defies 'Hypocritical' COVID Policy At NJ State House, Dems 'Outraged' Several Republican state lawmakers ignored a new COVID-19 proof of vaccine policy at the New Jersey State House walking into the state Assembly chambers, accusing the Democratic majority of hypocrisy for allegedly violating their own policy on Thursday, Dec. 2. The new policy that went into effect Wednesday maintains that all people entering the Statehouse show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. When the Republican members of the Democratic-controlled state Legislature realized that state troopers asking for vaccination proof or a negative COVID-19 test wouldn't physically …

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by Joe Gomez & Cecilia Levine
News
COVID-19: Man Who Went To NY Conference Tests Positive For Omicron Variant COVID-19: Man Who Went To NY Conference Tests Positive For Omicron Variant
Covid-19: Man Who Went To NY Conference Tests Positive For Omicron Variant A day after the first case of the new COVID-19 variant was identified in the United States, a man from the Midwest who attended a conference in New York City has tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 strain. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday, Dec. 2 that the Department of Health in Minnesota alerted her that a constituent tested positive for the variant after spending time at the conference held at the Javits Center in Manhattan. Earlier story - COVID-19: First Case Of New Omicron Variant Identified In United States Hochul noted that the person who contracted th…

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by Zak Failla
News
Nearly 60% Of NJ Small Businesses May Call It Quits Due To COVID-19: Survey Nearly 60% Of NJ Small Businesses May Call It Quits Due To COVID-19: Survey
Nearly 60% Of NJ Small Businesses May Call It Quits Due To Covid-19: Survey More than half of New Jersey's small business owners may call it quits due to COVID-19, according to a new survey. The New Jersey Business & Industry Association report found that of the business owners contacted, 28% said they will look to sell or shutdown their business sooner than expected due to continued obstacles, while 31% said they are still determining if their plans will change. “When nearly 60% of employers are either looking to end their businesses sooner, or considering it, due to these continued obstacles, it should be a red flag for our policymakers wh…

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by Joe Gomez
News
NJ COVID Cases Surge To Highest 7-Day Average Since April NJ COVID Cases Surge To Highest 7-Day Average Since April
NJ COVID Cases Surge To Highest 7-Day Average Since April COVID-19 cases continue to climb in New Jersey, the 7-day average surging higher than it's been since April, the state's Coronavirus dashboard shows. New Jersey reported another 2,471 cases and 20 confirmed deaths following Thanksgiving weekend. The uptick in cases come as we enter the busy holiday travel season and as the new Omicron variant has now been detected in the U.S.  Officials say the number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 has also increased, with 1,052 patients confirmed or suspected of having the coronavirus across 70 of New Jersey’s 71 hospitals as of las…

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by Joe Gomez
News
Dr. Oz Show Pulled From Some Networks Amid Run For Senate Dr. Oz Show Pulled From Some Networks Amid Run For Senate
Dr. Oz Show Pulled From Some Networks Amid Run For Senate Television’s Dr. Oz has announced that he is officially running for Pennsylvania’s open US Senate seat and now it looks like he is leaving the show that helped make him a household name. Multiple networks that are currently airing the “Dr. Oz Show” have pulled the plug on the program or will do so in the coming days, according to TMZ. The show has been pulled from airwaves in major cities in and near Pennsylvania-- including the show’s top market-- New York City, the outlet reports citing an insider. Fox 8 in Cleveland, Ohio, which broadcasts to parts of Pennsylvania has announced that t…

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by Jillian Pikora
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 Wedneday 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 experie…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
NYC Health Chief Reinstates Indoor Public Mask Advisory As Omicron Concerns Grow NYC Health Chief Reinstates Indoor Public Mask Advisory As Omicron Concerns Grow
NYC Health Chief Reinstates Indoor Public Mask Advisory As Omicron Concerns Grow New York City's health chief "strongly" recommended Monday that everyone wear masks in indoor public settings at all times -- regardless of their vax status -- as concerns grows over the newest mutated strain of COVID. "Like at your grocery or in building lobbies, offices and retail stores,” Dr. David Chokshi, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told reporters. “When you’re indoors, regardless of whether you’re fully vaccinated or not, everyone should be wearing a mask." It's not a mandate -- just an advisory at this point. Theaters, restaurants, clu…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
North Jersey Gas Station Owner Who Died Of COVID, Pneumonia Was 'Loving Family Man' North Jersey Gas Station Owner Who Died Of COVID, Pneumonia Was 'Loving Family Man'
North Jersey Gas Station Owner Who Died Of COVID, Pneumonia Was 'Loving Family Man' A beloved local North Jersey gas station owner died after a battle with COVID-19, those who knew him said. Anthony Balloutine, 42, of Totowa, died on Nov. 23 after several weeks of fighting COVID-19 and pneumonia, according to a GoFundMe launched for his family. "While quarantined with COVID-19 at home, his lungs were being attacked and his breathing was becoming more labored with every day that passed," the page's founder Kristin Karam wrote.  "He was then admitted to the hospital and about a week later he was in critical condition and needed to be put on a ventilator. Anthony had a trac…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
New COVID Variant Has Scientists Worried New COVID Variant Has Scientists Worried
New COVID Variant Has Scientists Worried Another COVID-19 variant with multiple mutations is the subject of a special meeting called by the World Health Organization for Friday. The meeting on the B.1.1.529 variant detected in South Africa will focus on what the new variant means for treatments and vaccines, the organization said Thursday. The WHO was expected to give the new variant a name on Friday. WHO's technical COVID-19 lead Maria Van Kerkhove said in live Q&A briefing that a virus with many mutations impacts the nature of how it behaves. UK Health Security agent Sajid Javid says much is still unknown about the new var…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Unvaccinated Students Must Quarantine After Thanksgiving Travel, NJ School District Says Unvaccinated Students Must Quarantine After Thanksgiving Travel, NJ School District Says
Unvaccinated Students Must Quarantine After Thanksgiving Travel, NJ School District Says Non-vaccinated students in one New Jersey school district will be required to quarantine after traveling over Thanksgiving break, officials announced. The South Orange-Maplewood School District confirmed the decision in a Nov. 16 letter to the community on its website. “The District will collect information from parents/guardians of unvaccinated students who plan on traveling either domestically (outside of PA, NJ, NY, CT, DE) or outside of the United States during the Thanksgiving break,” reads the letter. “To keep our students, staff and community safe, unvaccinated students will need t…

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by Valerie Musson
News
Tampa Bay Bucs WR Antonio Brown Accused Of Using Fake Vax Cards Tampa Bay Bucs WR Antonio Brown Accused Of Using Fake Vax Cards
Tampa Bay Bucs WR Antonio Brown Accused Of Using Fake Vax Cards Whether Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown will play against the Giants on Monday night has become a bigger question than before. The Tampa Bay Tribune reported Thursday that Brown is accused of obtaining a phony COVID-19 vaccination card so he could avoid NFL requirements. The report sources Brown's personal chef, Steven Ruiz, with whom the 33-year-old Pro Bowl receiver allegedly had a falling out over an uncollected debt. Ruiz said Brown showed him bogus vaccination cards that he'd gotten for himself and his girlfriend before the beginning of the Super Bowl champions' train…

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by Jerry DeMarco