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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
News
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
News
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
News
Hackensack City Hall, Other Offices Closed To Public Amid COVID-19 Resurgence Hackensack City Hall, Other Offices Closed To Public Amid COVID-19 Resurgence
Hackensack City Hall, Other Offices Closed To Public Amid Covid-19 Resurgence Hackensack officials closed City Hall on Tuesday and said all other city offices will be closed to the public beginning next Monday amid growing concern about the statewide resurgence in COVID-19 cases. "In the interest of public health and safety, we will be closing our city offices to the public due to the rise of coronavirus infections throughout the area," Mayor John Labrosse said Tuesday afternoon. "Unfortunately, this serves as a reminder that we are still very much battling this pandemic, and we need everybody to redouble their efforts to combat the virus," the mayor said. City offi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
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
News
COVID-19: Edgewater Condo Association Institutes Fines, Suspensions For Face Mask Violators COVID-19: Edgewater Condo Association Institutes Fines, Suspensions For Face Mask Violators
Covid-19: Edgewater Condo Association Institutes Fines, Suspensions For Face Mask Violators An Edgewater condominium association has instituted fines and a possible suspension of membership privileges for any residents or guests caught not wearing a face mask in common areas amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in New Jersey. “Although the overwhelming majority of neighbors have been compliant, it has come to our attention that an increasing number of residents and their guests have not been wearing face masks in the common areas,” the Hudson Harbor Condominium Association’s Board of Directors wrote in a letter to owners and tenants. “As we’ve previously reminded everyone, masks are MAN…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
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
Schools
COVID-19: Another North Jersey School District Closes Until January 2021 COVID-19: Another North Jersey School District Closes Until January 2021
Covid-19: Another North Jersey School District Closes Until January 2021 Another North Jersey school district has closed all schools until January 2021. Garfield Superintendent Anna Sciacca sent a letter to parents last week saying the district has reevaluated plans to reopen for in-person instruction. "Garfield has experienced the highest spike in number of positive cases in Bergen County, having recorded 155 positive cases of Covid-19 in the month of October," Sciacca said. "The data also indicates that the positive cases are now more prominent among younger individuals, including schoolaged children. Based upon this information, the local Depa…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
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
News
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
News
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
News
COVID-19: FDU Florham Park Student Tests Positive COVID-19: FDU Florham Park Student Tests Positive
Covid-19: FDU Florham Park Student Tests Positive Several Fairleigh Dickinson University students and staff members are being quarantined after one student tested positive for COVID-19 at the Florham Park campus -- just one day after some classes had resumed in the classroom. The student had lived in the Park Avenue residence halls, NorthJersey.com reports. Students in the hall were made aware of the positive test in an email Tuesday, the report says. The following morning, the positive test was posted to FDU’s website alongside official quarantine procedures. "That student is no longer in the residence hall and is currently in isolation…

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by Valerie Musson