Month: January 2021

With a red nose and big smile, a Christmas tree costume worn by a Kaiser employee in a California emergency room on Christmas was meant to spread cheer. Instead it may have help spread COVID-19, infecting more than 40 staff and killing one at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center. NBC Bay Area news reporter Marianne Favro shared an image of the costume on Twitter. It shows a red-nosed smiling Christmas tree strung with red garlands and yellow balls and a star on top. Costumes such as this work via a battery-operated fan that pulls air into the suit and gives it shape. Kaiser is investigating whether the costume, worn briefly by the staffer on Dec. 25, may have contributed to the outbreak by spreading droplets through the air. ...

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4,358 new COVID-19 cases, 60 additional deaths reported in Massachusetts Number of active cases surpasses 81,000 Updated: 5:03 PM EST Jan 4, 2021 The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported an additional 4,358 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the statewide total to 375,455 since the start of the pandemic. State health officials also reported 60 new confirmed COVID-19-related deaths to the state's total, which is now 12,401. An estimated 81,449 cases are active across Massachusetts, according to the report.Click here to see a graphical look at COVID-19 dataLatest town-by-town breakdown released by state The report said 2,339 p...

By Sloane Heffernan and Amanda Lamb, WRAL reporters Raleigh, N.C. — Although North Carolina remains focused on vaccinating health care workers and residents and staff in long-term care facilities against coronavirus, some area counties are also starting to vaccinate people ages 75 and older. But the move, as well as the state's overall vaccine rollout effort, is causing confusion and frustration. The Wilson County Health Department, for example, is using some of the 800 doses of vaccine it has for seniors, but officials told people they had to call and make an appointment to be vaccinated. Phone problems and an overwhelming response snagged that plan on Monday, however, leading many people to show up at the health depart...