Latest Stories
China reports 60,000 COVID-related deaths, says peak passed
Joe Mcdonald, Associated Press | Posted Jan. 14 - 5:58 p.m.
China has reported nearly 60,000 deaths in people who had COVID-19 since early December following complaints it was failing to release data about the status of the pandemic. Those numbers may still underestimate the toll, though the government said the "emergency peak" of its latest surge appears to have passed.
Why Germany is ending COVID mask mandate on trains, buses
Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret News | Posted Jan. 14 - 11:08 a.m.
Train and bus passengers in Germany will soon no longer be required to wear masks on long-distance trips as one of the country's last remaining COVID-19 restrictions comes to an end.
US kindergarten vaccination rate dropped again, data shows
Mike Stobbe, Associated Press | Posted Jan. 12 - 6:23 p.m.
Vaccination rates for U.S. kindergarteners are down again, and federal officials are launching a new campaign to try to bring them up. Usually, 94% to 95% of kindergarteners nationally are vaccinated against measles, tetanus, and certain other diseases.
Pentagon drops COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops
Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press | Posted Jan. 10 - 5:40 p.m.
The Pentagon has formally dropped its COVID-19 vaccination mandate, but a new memo signed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also gives commanders some discretion in how or whether to deploy troops who are not vaccinated.
Why a new version of COVID-19's 'stunning increase' has health officials concerned
Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret News | Posted Jan. 4 - 4:15 p.m.
Utahns may soon see a new COVID-19 surge, thanks to a new subvariant rapidly spreading across the country.
US will require COVID-19 testing for travelers from China
Steve Holland, Reuters | Posted Dec. 28 - 1:54 p.m.
The U.S. will soon require COVID-19 testing for travelers from China. The U.S. joins a few other nations imposing travel restrictions because of a surge of infections in China.
China's COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant
Laura Ungar and Aniruddha Ghosal, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 25 - 7:00 p.m.
Could the COVID-19 surge in China unleash a new coronavirus mutant on the world? Scientists don't know but worry that might happen.
Suspense builds at border over future of US asylum rules
Morgan Lee, Giovanna Dell'orto and Rebecca Santana, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 20 - 7:37 p.m.
Suspense is mounting at the U.S. border with Mexico about the future of restrictions on asylum-seekers after the Supreme Court issued a temporary order to keep pandemic-era limits on migrants in place.
High court temporarily blocks lifting of asylum restrictions
Rebecca Santana, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 19 - 4:01 p.m.
The Supreme Court is temporarily blocking an order that would lift pandemic-era restrictions on asylum seekers. But it is leaving open the prospect of lifting the restrictions by Wednesday.
Utah implements Test to Stay protocols for many schools amid COVID surge
Logan Stefanich, KSL.com | Posted Jan. 12 - 10:52 p.m.
The ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases has led some Utah schools to implement "Test to Stay" protocols, which require students to test negative before they can attend in-person learning.
Fast-spreading omicron to test Beijing Winter Games bubble
Gabriel Crossley and Martin Quin Pollard, Reuters | Posted Jan. 3 - 4:00 p.m.
China's meticulous plans to prevent an Olympics-seeded COVID-19 outbreak by sealing all participants inside a "closed loop" for the upcoming Winter Games will be tested by the emergence of the highly infectious Omicron variant.
Judge blocks COVID vaccine mandate for Head Start program
The Associated Press | Posted Jan. 1 - 10:36 p.m.
President Joe Biden cannot require teachers in the Head Start early education program to be vaccinated against COVID-19, a Louisiana federal judge ruled Saturday, handing a victory to 24 states that had sued the federal government.
Taking a step back: US colleges returning to online classes
Collin Binkley, Associated Press | Posted Jan. 1 - 6:27 p.m.
With COVID-19 cases surging just as students are about to return from winter break, dozens of U.S. colleges are moving classes online again for at least the first week or so of the semester — and some warn it could stretch longer if the wave of infection doesn't subside soon.
Do you have a cold, the flu or COVID-19? Experts explain how to tell the difference
Madeline Holcombe, CNN | Posted Jan. 1 - 7:15 a.m.
Do you have a sore throat, a runny nose and muscle aches? It could be a common cold, a case of the flu — or COVID-19.
When will omicron peak? Utah experts hope it will be soon
Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret News | Posted Dec. 31 - 9:02 p.m.
Omicon is bearing down on Utah and driving up the state's COVID-19 case count to record levels, but health experts are hopeful the incredibly contagious variant will peak quickly.
Omicron even more widespread in Utah as new COVID-19 cases jump dramatically
Lisa Riley Roche, Deseret News | Posted Dec. 30 - 6:20 a.m.
A top scientist at the Utah Department of Health said the omicron variant is likely responsible for more than 70% of the state's COVID-19 cases, a jump from an earlier estimate.
New COVID-19 cases in US soar to highest levels on record
Kathleen Foody, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 29 - 9:53 p.m.
New cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average, a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant.
Global COVID cases up 11% last week, omicron risk high, WHO says
The Associated Press | Posted Dec. 29 - 7:39 a.m.
The World Health Organization says the number of COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide increased by 11% last week compared with the previous week, with the biggest increase in the Americas. The gain followed a gradual increase since October.
Delta turned flight around mid-air, saying China's new COVID cleaning rules are unworkable
Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business | Posted Dec. 28 - 5:25 p.m.
A Delta Air Lines flight originating in Seattle and heading to Shanghai last week turned around midair because of a change in cleaning rules at the China airport, the airline said.
Travel nightmare continues: Another 2,500 flights canceled Tuesday
Chris Liakos and Sonnet Swire, CNN Business | Posted Dec. 28 - 4:47 p.m.
Thousands of flights have been canceled over the past several days as COVID-19 cases surge across the globe.
Fauci: US should consider vaccine mandate for US air travel
Zeke Miller, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 28 - 2:29 p.m.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said the nation should consider a vaccination mandate for domestic air travel, signaling a potential embrace of an idea the Biden administration has previously eschewed, as COVID-19 cases spike.
5 questions for Utah's governor about COVID, omicron, the unvaccinated, and what's next
Katie McKellar, Deseret News | Posted Dec. 27 - 6:15 a.m.
He was asked to answer five questions about the pandemic, if omicron is at all changing his approach, what his message is to health care workers, and what's in store for us in 2022.
Case drop may show South Africa's omicron peak has passed
Andrew Meldrum, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 22 - 7:02 a.m.
South Africa's noticeable drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent days may signal that the country's dramatic omicron-driven surge has passed its peak, medical experts say.
Pfizer tests extra COVID shot for kids under 5 in setback
Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 18 - 10:05 a.m.
Pfizer said Friday it was changing plans and testing three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in babies and preschoolers after the usual two shots didn't appear strong enough for some of the children.
