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2 Cases Of New Highly Contagious COVID-19 Variant Detected In North Jersey, Jersey Shore 2 Cases Of New Highly Contagious COVID-19 Variant Detected In North Jersey, Jersey Shore
2 Cases Of New Highly Contagious Covid-19 Variant Detected In North Jersey, Jersey Shore Two cases of the highly-contagious COVID-19 variant initially found in the U.K. have been detected in New Jersey, state officials announced. The first case involves an Ocean County man in his 60s with no travel history or clear exposure to those who were ill, Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said during Friday's COVID-19 briefing. The man presented symptoms compatible with COVID-19 on Dec. 29, 2020 and was tested with a PCR test on Jan. 6 at a commercial lab, Persichilli said.  The results were suggestive of the variant and were sent to another lab for sequencin…

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by Cecilia Levine
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COVID-19: Pennsylvania Health Officials Roll Out New Vaccine Phases Amid Statewide Delay COVID-19: Pennsylvania Health Officials Roll Out New Vaccine Phases Amid Statewide Delay
Covid-19: Pennsylvania Health Officials Roll Out New Vaccine Phases Amid Statewide Delay Pennsylvania health officials announced a clearer, multi-phase path toward statewide vaccine distribution Friday, in the midst of a statewide inoculation delay. "There is a delay of about 24 hours through the hospitals, and both through Walgreens and CVS, our partners in the long-term care mission by up to 72 hours," Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said.  "We expect that more vaccinations have been given, but that's the data we have right now." The largest concern for the state's health department was when the shipment of the second dose of vaccinations w…

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by Nicole Acosta
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COVID-19: Pennsylvania Averages Record 5,000 Hospitalizations Daily COVID-19: Pennsylvania Averages Record 5,000 Hospitalizations Daily
Covid-19: Pennsylvania Averages Record 5,000 Hospitalizations Daily Nearly 6,000 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized in Pennsylvania, which has seen record levels of cases across the state this past week, authorities said. . The Keystone State has averaged more than 5,000 patients in the hospital every day during the past week due to COVID-19, state officials said on Tuesday. That's an all-time high for the state since the coronavirus epidemic arrived in  In fact, it's nearly double the state's last peak in spring, officials said. It also coincides with the nation's peak for hospitalizations which was recorded on Monday, according to The Hill.  A total of…

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by Jon Craig
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COVID-19: Bucks County Businesses Defying Governor's New Orders COVID-19: Bucks County Businesses Defying Governor's New Orders
Covid-19: Bucks County Businesses Defying Governor's New Orders A brewing company and a pair of gyms were among dozens of health clubs, restaurants and bars defying new COVID-19 orders in Pennsylvania. The new orders went into effect Saturday and will be in place until Jan. 4. For some, that date isn't soon enough. The Proper Brewing Company on Dec. 12 announced they will be open for business as usual. "We’ve taken everything to date into consideration and have decided that we will continue to operate with inside dining, takeout and outside dining in our heated tent, while following the CDC and state Covid guidelines that we have implemented since Jul…

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by Cecilia Levine
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COVID-19: Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Has Coronavirus COVID-19: Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Has Coronavirus
Covid-19: Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Has Coronavirus Just as his state is encountering record daily spikes in positive COVID-19 cases, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced that he has contracted coronavirus. Wolf said he is in isolation at his home. In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Wolf said: “During a routine test yesterday, I tested positive for COVID-19. I have no symptoms and am feeling well." Wolf said he is following CDC and Department of Health guidelines. Wolf said his wife, Frances, has been tested "and, as we await the result, is quarantining at home with me." During a news briefing on Monday, as reported here,…

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by Jon Craig
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COVID-19: Virus Spreads To 100 Hospital Workers On Jersey Shore COVID-19: Virus Spreads To 100 Hospital Workers On Jersey Shore
Covid-19: Virus Spreads To 100 Hospital Workers On Jersey Shore Coronavirus has spread to at least 100 workers from Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township, officials said.  A memo posted on the hospital parent company’s website on Monday attributed the recent outbreak to “colleagues socializing outside of work.” The memo has since been removed. Benjamin Goldstein, a spokesman for.Hackensack Meridian Health, which owns the 318-bed hospital in Ocean County, said in a statement that  visits with patients have been suspended with the exception of labor and delivery, end-of-life care, pediatrics and adult patients with special needs,  “We con…

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by Jon Craig
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NJ's Top Health Official Judy Persichilli To Isolate After COVID-19 Exposure NJ's Top Health Official Judy Persichilli To Isolate After COVID-19 Exposure
NJ's Top Health Official Judy Persichilli To Isolate After Covid-19 Exposure New Jersey's top health official will be quarantining for 10 days after being exposed to COVID-19. Judy Persichilli will be voluntarily quarantining in her home until Dec. 8 "out of an abundance of caution and in line with the Department’s guidance," a statement from a DOH spokesperson said. The news comes after a member of Persichilli's office tested positive for COVID-19, officials said.  The employee was last in the building on Nov. 24, and is isolating at home. According to the CDC, 71-year-old Persichilli is at higher risk of severe effects from the virus. She will not be partic…

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by Cecilia Levine
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COVID-19: Pfizer Boasts Vaccine Candidate That's More Than 90% Effective COVID-19: Pfizer Boasts Vaccine Candidate That's More Than 90% Effective
Covid-19: Pfizer Boasts Vaccine Candidate That's More Than 90% Effective More reliable than the flu shot? Pfizer on Monday trumpeted a COVID-19 vaccine candidate as more than 90% effective – nearly three times better than the effectiveness of last season’s influenza vaccine. Pfizer said it hopes to have 50 million doses of the free vaccine ready by the end of this year and as many as 1.3 billion doses available next year to fight the deadly global pandemic. Two doses per person of BNT162b2 would be necessary, said the Manhattan-based drug maker, which teamed up with BioNTech of Germany to develop the booster. Pfizer plans to ask the federal Food and Drug Admini…

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by Jerry DeMarco
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CANCELLED: Risky Halloween Activities Banned In These North Jersey Towns CANCELLED: Risky Halloween Activities Banned In These North Jersey Towns
Cancelled: Risky Halloween Activities Banned In These North Jersey Towns While Gov. Phil Murphy gave trick-or-treating the green light this year, some towns are giving it the red light amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Halloween activities such as trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treating, parties, carnivals, or festivals with large crowds were banned in several towns. The first to do so was Bound Brook. The borough's OEM coordinator on Oct. 7 put out a memo saying trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treating, hay rides, haunted houses, parties and large gatherings would not be permitted. Virtual activities, drive-thru events and family activities were allowed, though. The f…

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by Cecilia Levine
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LAWSUIT: 65 Atlantic City Firefighters Exposed To COVID-19 Followed 'Ineffective' Approach LAWSUIT: 65 Atlantic City Firefighters Exposed To COVID-19 Followed 'Ineffective' Approach
Lawsuit: 65 Atlantic City Firefighters Exposed To Covid-19 Followed 'Ineffective' Approach The Atlantic City firefighters union has filed a lawsuit saying the city took an "ineffective approach" to handling the COVID-19 pandemic after 65 firefighters were exposed to the virus. The city arranged rapid tests for firefighters directly exposed to six others who tested positive, and instructed those who tested negative to return to work, according to the suit filed in Atlantic County Superior Court. Filed by Local 198, the suit calls the approach to handling the virus "ineffective," and " jeopardized the health and safety of all firefighters, their families, and the general publi…

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by Cecilia Levine
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COVID-19: CDC Releases Halloween Guidelines For Trick-Or-Treating COVID-19: CDC Releases Halloween Guidelines For Trick-Or-Treating
Covid-19: CDC Releases Halloween Guidelines For Trick-Or-Treating New guidelines for trick-or-treating on Halloween have been released by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). The guidance was published on the CDC website Monday night, Sept. 21. "Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses," the CDC said. "There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween.  "If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters." The CDC offered several …

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by Joe Lombardi
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Justice Department Considers Whether Murphy, Cuomo COVID Nursing Home Policies Killed Thousands Justice Department Considers Whether Murphy, Cuomo COVID Nursing Home Policies Killed Thousands
Justice Department Considers Whether Murphy, Cuomo COVID Nursing Home Policies Killed Thousands U.S. Justice Department officials said they are trying to determine whether COVID-19 policies of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo “may have resulted in the deaths of thousands of elderly nursing home residents." Federal authorities said they hadn't launched an investigation. Rather, they said, they're conducting preliminary inquiries into COVID policies in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan while considering a possible civil rights investigation under a federal law that protects the rights of residents in state-run nursing homes, among others. Letters…

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by Jerry DeMarco