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Coronavirus

California, Colorado and NM expand virus booster access

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is among three U.S. states now allowing coronavirus booster shots for all adults even though federal health officials recommend limiting doses to those considered most at risk. The nation’s most populous state, along with Colorado and New Mexico, instituted their policies to try to head off a feared surge around the end-of-year holidays when more people are gathering inside. Colorado and New Mexico have among the nation’s highest rates of new infections, while California — lowest in the nation earlier this fall — now joins them in the ...

‘Strong’ start to kids vaccine campaign, but challenges loom

WASHINGTON (AP) — The campaign to vaccinate elementary school age children in the U.S. is off to a strong start, health officials said Wednesday, but experts say there are signs that it will be difficult to sustain the initial momentum. About 900,000 kids aged 5 to 11 will have received ...

Salvation Army kicks off seasonal campaigns at mall

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Salvation Army kicked off its annual Giving Tree and Red Kettle initiatives Thursday at the Ohio Valley Mall. For more than 30 years the Salvation Army has held the campaigns, both of which benefit those in need in the county, inside the mall. Like ...

U.S. reopens to international travel, allows happy reunions

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Parents held children born while they were stuck abroad. Long-separated couples kissed, and grandparents embraced grandchildren who had doubled in age. The U.S. fully reopened to many vaccinated international travelers Monday, allowing families and friends to reunite for ...

Feds urge schools to provide COVID-19 shots, info for kids

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is encouraging local school districts to host clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to kids and information to parents on the benefits of the shots as the White House looks to speedily provide vaccines to those ages 5 to 11. First lady Jill ...

More vaccines, fewer mask rules as U.S. keeps fighting COVID

The United States is steadily chipping away at vaccine hesitancy and driving down COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to the point that schools, governments and corporations are lifting mask restrictions yet again. Nearly 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated and the nation’s over-65 ...