Mc complete state national

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A new, $30 million state laboratory is being named for a former state health officer who now serves as president and chief executive of the Alabama Hospital Association. A dedication ceremony was held Thursday for the Donald E. Williamson, M.D., State Health Laboratory, located in Prattville about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Montgomery. The event was held virtually to guard against spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Williamson worked for the Alabama Department of Public Health for 29 years, including serving as head of the department from 1992 to 2015, after which he moved to the hospital organization. During the pandemic, Williamson has publicly advocated public health measures including vaccination and mask-wearing to help stem the spread of illness and reduce the strain on the state's medical system. The new laboratory, which opened in 2020, is part of a national network of facilities that perform testing and health surveillance. Besides … [Read more...] about New Alabama lab named for former state health officer

CHICAGO (AP) — There is some good news for Illinois motorists who have been waiting all month for the Secretary of State's office to resume in-person services. Secretary of State Jesse White's office said offices — including driver services facilities — that have been closed since Jan. 3 because of the surge in positive COVID-19 cases across Illinois are opening up again on Monday. Those offices that operate on a Tuesday-Saturday schedule will reopen on Tuesday, according to a news release. White's office said people who come to the offices will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing when they arrive. Also, those residents who want to schedule appointments at one of the facilities where appointments are required can do so beginning the morning the facilities reopen. But his office said people can continue to conduct a lot of their business online, such as renewing license plate stickers, obtain duplicate driver's license or identification cars, and file … [Read more...] about In-person services resuming at Ill. driver’s license offices

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation officials have distributed masks and hand sanitizers in the community of Shiprock, New Mexico to help keep local residents safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile Saturday, tribal health officials reported 330 new cases and four more deaths on the vast reservation that covers 27,000 square miles and extends into parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. On Friday, the tribe had reported 500 new cases and two deaths. The latest numbers pushed the tribe’s totals since the pandemic began to 47,959 cases with 1,607 known deaths. “Our elders, our grandparents, always tell us that the safest place to be is at home and that remains true during this pandemic,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said Saturday in a statement. “Our elders also have the highest vaccination rate among any age group on the Navajo Nation. “With over 87% of elders vaccinated for COVID-19, they are leading the way and setting a great example. Take … [Read more...] about Navajo officials distribute masks and sanitizers in Shiprock

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s public health agency plans to start handing out thousands of free coronavirus tests kits for residents to use at home. The state Department of Health and Environmental Control says it has about 140,000 at-home rapid antigen tests that it will begin distributing Monday. That’s a fraction of the 2 million total tests the agency has ordered, with the rest expected to arrive in the coming weeks. Half the kits will go public health departments, where residents can each pick up one kit containing two tests, The State newspaper reported. The other half will go to first responders, school districts, correctional facilities, nursing homes and state agencies. Demand for COVID-19 tests has been overwhelming during the latest surge, with new infections reaching record highs because of the highly contagious omicron variant. Store-bought tests have all but vanished from retail shelves, and South Carolina's free public testing sites have seen long lines … [Read more...] about S. Carolina agency to distribute free home COVID-19 tests

5 MOSCOW (AP) — New coronavirus infections in Russia reached an all-time high on Sunday, the third consecutive daily record as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads through the country. The national coronavirus task force reported 63,205 new infections tallied in 24 hours — a spike of more than 25% since the record set on Friday. The task force reported 679 deaths, similar to other daily death counts in the past week. The omicron variant has been detected in 64 of the country’s 89 regions and Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova says that authorities expect it to become the dominant variant. Just about half of Russia’s 146 million people have been fully vaccinated despite the fact that Russia was among the first in the world to approve and roll out a COVID-19 vaccine. In Russia, everyone who received their primary vaccination more than six months ago has been eligible for a booster shot since July. Gogov.ru, an independent … [Read more...] about Russia sets another daily virus record amid omicron surge

CHICAGO (AP) — The nation's third-largest school district has quietly changed how it tracks COVID-19 in schools, renewing concerns about the accuracy and transparency of data used to make decisions during the pandemic. Chicago Public Schools officials recently acknowledged the district altered how it notes school infections after an outside observer found discrepancies with an online tracker, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. Jakob Ondrey, a parent and former children’s hospital employee, runs a website tracking school COVID-19 cases by getting raw data from district servers. His analysis posted Thursday on social media found district-wide totals were updated as usual, but school-level cases were going unreported, making infections at individual schools appear lower. Parents have been complaining for weeks that infection updates they receive from principals at individual schools don't appear in the district's online tracker. CPS officials responded by saying the change made … [Read more...] about Chicago schools change COVID data tracking raising questions

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Several landowners have gone to court to challenge the county board's approval of a massive solar farm that is planned just east of Lincoln. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that attorneys for four landowners have said they are appealing the decision approving the project in Lancaster County District Court. The landowners argue that the project shouldn’t have been approved because the zoning decision would violate state law and wasn’t consistent with the facts. Chicago-based Ranger Power wants to build a 250-megawatt solar farm on roughly 2,800 acres just east of Lincoln between O Street and Havelock Avenue. The county approved the company’s plan to put solar panels on agricultural land that previously could only be used for agricultural purposes or as green spaces. In some places, the solar panels could be placed 450 feet from homes of landowners who didn’t sign a lease to be part of the project. Attorney Dennis Tegtmeier said the new zoning rules … [Read more...] about Several landowners challenge approval of Nebraska solar farm

26 BRUSSELS (AP) — Police fired water cannons and thick clouds of tear gas Sunday in Brussels to disperse people protesting COVID-19 vaccinations and government restrictions that aim to curb the fast-spreading omicron variant. Police said the protest in the Belgian capital drew an estimated 50,000 people, some traveling from France, Germany and other countries to take part. Protesters yelled “Liberty!” as they marched and some had violent confrontations with police. Video showed black-clad protesters attacking a building used by the European Union’s diplomatic service, hurling projectiles at its entrance and smashing windows. A much smaller number of anti-vaccination demonstrators marched in Barcelona. The protests followed demonstrations in other European capitals on Saturday against vaccine passports and … [Read more...] about Water cannon, tear gas at COVID-19 protests in Brussels

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — A fire erupted at a popular nightclub in Yaounde, Cameroon's capital, setting off explosions and killing at least 16 people, government officials said Sunday. The tragedy comes as the country hosts thousands of soccer players, fans and match officials from across the continent for the month-long African Football Cup of Nations tournament. “We are still at the level of investigations to find out the names and nationalities of the dead and the wounded," said government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi. Authorities say the fire started at a nightclub in the Bastos neighborhood of the Cameroonian capital and soon spread to a place where cooking gas was being stored. “There were loud explosions from six gas bottles, causing panic in the neighborhood.” the government statement said, adding that eight others were injured and taken to Yaounde's Central Hospital. In a statement, Cameroonian President Paul Biya called for calm and assured players and fans of their … [Read more...] about Authorities: 16 dead in nightclub fire in Cameroon’s capital

8 INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Four people were killed and one was wounded when multiple shooters opened fire at a house party near Los Angeles early Sunday, authorities said. Police responded around 1:30 a.m. to reports of shots fired at a home in the city of Inglewood, Mayor James Butts told reporters. Two women and two men were shot and killed and another man was hospitalized in critical condition and expected to survive, CBS2 reported. Butts called the shooting an “ambush” involving multiple weapons including a rifle and a handgun. The mayor described the incident as the worst single shooting crime in Inglewood since the 1990s. The victims appear to have been targeted, he added. Butts urged the suspects to turn themselves in. “We will find you and prosecute you,” he said. Authorities are searching for multiple suspects, he said. Officers interviewed witnesses and canvassed the neighborhood looking for … [Read more...] about 4 killed, 1 hurt in ‘ambush’ shooting at house party near LA