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Hong Kong puts mass testing on hold as COVID-19 deaths rise 03/09/2022 07:11am • HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Wednesday that reducing the skyrocketing number of deaths in the latest coronavirus surge is the city's priority, putting a plan to test the entire population on hold in the latest flip-flop in the government’s pandemic response. Lam said there i WHO Africa’s 1st woman leader helps continent fight COVID 03/09/2022 05:24am • BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (AP) — People stand when Dr. Matshidiso Moeti enters a room at the World Health Organization’s Africa headquarters in Republic of Congo. Small in stature, big in presence, Moeti is the first woman to lead WHO’s regional Africa office, the capstone of her trailbla What to know about South Korea's presidential election 03/08/2022 08:19pm • SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Whoever wins South Korea's presidential election Wednesday will face a host of major issues, including skyrocketing housing prices, threats from nuclear-armed North Korea and a debate about how to heal a nation sharply split along ideological, generational and gender line Masks now optional in Montgomery Co. schools 03/08/2022 04:52pm • As expected, Montgomery County, Maryland's Board of Education has voted to shift to a "mask-optional" policy in schools. With Tuesday afternoon's unanimous vote, Maryland's largest school system joined Virginia in making them optional. Around the D.C. area, masks are required now only inside D.C. WHO says COVID boosters needed, reversing previous call 03/08/2022 12:46pm • GENEVA (AP) — An expert group convened by the World Health Organization said Tuesday it “strongly supports urgent and broad access” to booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine amid the global spread of omicron, capping a reversal of the U.N. agency’s repeated insistence last year that boosters wer As virus cases go from 1 to 24,000, New Zealand changes tack 03/08/2022 12:41am • WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Back in August, New Zealand's government put the entire nation on lockdown after a single community case of the coronavirus was detected. On Tuesday, when new daily cases hit a record of nearly 24,000, officials told hospital workers they could help out on understa Rio relaxes the use of masks as pandemic wanes in Brazil 03/07/2022 08:39pm • BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Rio de Janeiro is relaxing the use of masks as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes in Brazil. “Following the determinations of our scientific committee we will have a decree tomorrow to end the mandatory use of masks indoors and outdoors,” Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Twitter Florida to recommend against COVID vaccines for healthy kids 03/07/2022 07:07pm • TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said Monday that the state will formally recommend against COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children. Ladapo made the announcement at a roundtable event organized by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that featured a g The Future of mRNA Vaccines 03/07/2022 07:00pm • In December 2020, scientists in South Africa sequenced the genome of a variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was causing an aggressive new strain of COVID-19 to start spreading around the world. Just two months later, vaccine maker Moderna said it was ready to test two booster shots to its original COVID vacci Bird flu confirmed in northwest Iowa commercial turkey flock 03/07/2022 03:48pm • DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials announced Monday that they have identified bird flu in a commercial flock of 50,000 turkeys in northwest Iowa, the state's second case of a virus that has been identified in multiple U.S. states. Iowa agriculture officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture c White House: Congress must act soon to replenish COVID funds 03/07/2022 02:50pm • WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will soon begin to run out of money to bolster COVID-19 testing supplies and to guarantee that uninsured Americans keep getting free treatment for the virus unless Congress swiftly approves more funding, the White House warned. Nearly a year after passage of the $1.9 tri Death toll surpasses 6 million for pandemic now in 3rd year 03/07/2022 02:44pm • BANGKOK (AP) — The official global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 6 million on Monday — underscoring that the pandemic, now entering its third year, is far from over. The milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic e White House: Congress must act soon to replenish COVID funds 03/07/2022 02:42pm • WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will soon begin to run out of money to bolster COVID-19 testing supplies and to guarantee that uninsured Americans keep getting free treatment for the virus unless Congress swiftly approves more funding, the White House warned Friday. Nearly a year after passage of the $ Belgium scraps almost all COVID-19 measures as crisis eases 03/07/2022 08:32am • BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium began easing most COVID-19 restrictions Monday in the biggest move to relax measures since the onset of the crisis some two years ago. Gone are the coronavirus passport that allows entry into bars, restaurants, theater and cinemas as well as capacity limits. Facemasks, lo Death toll nears 6 million as pandemic enters its 3rd year 03/07/2022 12:36am • BANGKOK (AP) — The official global death toll from COVID-19 is on the verge of eclipsing 6 million — underscoring that the pandemic, now entering its third year, is far from over. The milestone is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic even as people are shedding ma