COVID-19

Despite the general easing of restrictions, the pandemic isn’t over. Most vaccinated people will find the biggest risk is reinfection this winter.

COVID-19 learning gap: How students and teachers are still playing catch-up after pandemic COVID-19 learning gap: How students and teachers are still playing catch-up after the pandemic (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — We may be leaving the pandemic phase, but the impacts it has had on children and teens are something that continue with them in and out of the classroom. Eyewitness News Source: COVID-19 learning gap COVID-19 learning gap: How students and teachers are still playing catch-up after pandemic (WFTV)Before COVID-19, English language arts grades showed that about 20% of students needed substantial help. READ: Teachers voice concerns after Orange County previews ‘Don’t Say Gay’ impact to classroomsOne reason is that many teachers are stuck playing catch up. Modesto admits it’s not easy with the extra work involved between parents, students and teachers to get kids to pass. READ: Local school district rejects proposal to randomly search students, visitorsMore students are in summer school now.

A Q&A with top Japanese virologist Hitoshi Oshitani about reopening tourism, future strains of Covid and the post-pandemic world.

With immunity waning and the super-contagious omicron family of variants getting better at dodging protection, the Food and Drug Administration decided boosters intended for fall needed an update.

Tests available FILE PHOTO: Free at-home COVID-19 tests sent by the federal government are now available for visually impaired people. (Aimur Kytt/Getty Images/iStockphoto)The federal government is making sure that people who have impaired vision are able to take an at-home COVID-19 test. >> Read more trending newsThe accessible rapid self-tests for those who are blind or have low vision can now be ordered through covidtests.gov, CNN reported. Each address is allowed to order one package, which consists of two rapid at-home antigen COVID-19 tests. For more information, visit the USPS website dedicated to the accessible test kits.

A state senator from Orlando is teaming up with the Roth Jewish Community Center to open a COVID-19 vaccination site for young children.

Wimbledon Virus Outbreak Tennis FILE - Italy's Matteo Berrettini wears a mask at the end of the third set during the men's singles quarterfinals match against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime on day nine of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 7, 2021. I feel bad for people who test positive. And then once you’ve tested positive, that’s where it comes in that you just say you have it," Tomljanovic said. But for me, I thought it was worth the risk.”For others tennis players, it was more about ensuring they could continue to make a living. Asked after her victory Thursday what her level of concern is after the recent run of positive tests, No.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic might be playing in his last Grand Slam tournament for a while because he isn't vaccinated against COVID-19.

COVID-19 in zoo and farm animals: What you need to know. >> Read more trending newsJupiter died Sunday at the zoo after he developed pneumonia caused by COVID-19, zoo officials said on social media. We're sad to share that 14-year-old Amur tiger, Jupiter, passed away on June 26 after developing pneumonia caused by the COVID-19 virus. An 11-year-old snow leopard at Miller Park Zoo in Illinois also died after contracting COVID-19 and developing pneumonia, CNN reported. The total number of animals who have died due to COVID-19 is not known but there have been several reports of animals contracting the virus, USA Today reported.

The infectious-disease expert was feeling "really poorly" and began a second round of Paxlovid.

Virus Outbreak China Visitors pose for photos outside the Disney Resort theme park, Thursday, June 30, 2022, in Shanghai. Shanghai is moving to allow in-person dining and reopening its Disney Resort theme park as domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19 in China's largest city remain at zero following a more than two-month lockdown. In remarks carried by the official Xinhua News Agency, Xi on Wednesday said China's policies against the virus have “protected people’s lives and health to the greatest extent." Xi also warned against “any tendency to let down guard, grow weary of the fight, or slacken prevention and control efforts." Despite the loosened restrictions, a negative test result on your mobile phone is still required for access to most public spaces in Shanghai and other cities.

Shanghai is reopening its Disney Resort theme park and getting ready to allow in-person dining.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — U.S. health officials said Wednesday they have agreed to purchase another 105 million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in anticipation of a fall booster campaign. Federal officials said the purchase agreement includes the option to purchase a total of 300 million doses, including a mix of doses for both adults and children. The first shots would be delivered by early fall, pending a decision by the Food and Drug Administration to authorize new versions of the shots. The current vaccines retain strong protection against hospitalization and death, but their ability to block infection dropped markedly when omicron appeared. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.

Cruz first thanked Sesame Street for showing a parent asking questions about the vaccine, but then turned his attention to Elmo.

How teachers are addressing the pandemic learning gap The COVID-19 pandemic has affected children and teenagers in and out of the classroom. (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — The COVID-19 pandemic has affected children and teenagers in and out of the classroom. 9 investigates examines what teachers are now doing to address the learning gap at 5 p.m. Thursday on Channel 9 Eyewitness News. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Read: Coronavirus: Sesame Street’s Elmo discusses his 1st COVID-19 vaccine shot in new PSACOVID-19: CDC recommends Moderna vaccine for children and adolescents The CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, ratified the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendation on Moderna’s vaccine.

Emerging research suggests that could put them at higher risk for health problems. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they got COVID-19 for the second time, and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi said he tested positive a third time.

Cassidy Hutchinson testified on former President Donald Trump's rage during and after the Capitol riots directed at all his administration staff.

COVID-19: Natural immunity vs. vaccine-induced immunity (NCD)The Food and Drug Administration recommends updating the COVID-19 booster shots for the fall. >> Read more trending newsAccording to the Associated Press, FDA advisers voted Tuesday that it’s time to get the COVID-19 booster shots “tweaked” to protect against the most recent variants of the virus so that adults in the United States can get an updated one in the fall. Some of the FDA panelists believe that the “tweaked” booster shot doesn’t mean everyone would get one but encourage older adults or those who are at high risk, according to the AP. According to the AP, both Pfizer and Moderna tested updated shots to match omicron when it surged over the winter. Both Moderna and Pfizer both found that “tweaked” shots can boost antibodies against the “omicron cousins” but not as many, according to the AP.

Vaccinating children under 5 is crucially important in the country's fight against Covid, experts say. Just don't expect the virus to disappear overnight.

China’s government is cash-strapped with Covid-19, tax breaks and a property downturn pulling down income while spending keeps rising to pay for economic stimulus and containing virus outbreaks. One option Beijing has to fill the gap is to sell special sovereign bonds, a rarely used financing tool it last dusted off in 2020 to help lift the economy without inflating the budget deficit. Before that, they were employed during the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s and to help seed China’s soverei

The new order means a block on the mandate imposed in January by a Texas-based federal judge remains in effect, while the full court's 17 judges take up the appeal.

Cook County is back at high level of COVID-19 transmission and hospitalizations, the CDC said. The county had been moved to "medium" in mid-June.

Inflation Corporate Price Gouging FILE - Wallace Reid purchases fuel for the vehicle he drives to make a living using ride-share apps, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in the Queens borough of New York. Yet for all the public's resentment, most economists say corporate price gouging is, at most, one of many causes of runaway inflation — and not the primary one. For a while at least — before profit margins at S&P 500 companies dipped early this year — the inflation surge coincided with swelling corporate earnings. Bivens conceded that neither corporate greed nor market clout has likely grown significantly in the past two years. Yet many economists aren’t convinced that corporate greed is the main culprit.

Inflation Corporate Price Gouging FILE - Wallace Reid purchases fuel for the vehicle he drives to make a living using ride-share apps, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in the Queens borough of New York. Yet for all the public's resentment, most economists say corporate price gouging is, at most, one of many causes of runaway inflation — and not the primary one. For years, inflation had remained at or below the Fed’s 2% annual target, even while unemployment sank to a half-century low. For a while at least — before profit margins at S&P 500 companies dipped early this year — the inflation surge coincided with swelling corporate earnings. Then they were slow to recognize the gathering threat of high inflation pressures, dismissing them at first as merely a temporary consequence of supply disruptions.

Furious about surging prices at the gasoline station and the supermarket, many consumers feel they know just where to cast blame: On greedy companies that relentlessly jack up prices and pocket the profits.

"What he said to me was that the reason why he was sort of scared of COVID was essentially because he knew people who had died of COVID," British filmmaker Alex Holder said.

Pfizer says tweaking its COVID-19 vaccine to better target the omicron variant is safe and boosts protection.

Virus Outbreak Army Guard Vaccine FILE - Ohio Gov. Every soldier that is pending an exemption, we will continue to support them through their process,” said Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army National Guard, in an Associated Press interview. “That’s a significant chunk.”Overall, according to the data obtained by the AP, about 85% of all Army Guard soldiers are fully vaccinated. And every Wednesday, Guard members could make appointments for shots in the middle Tennessee region, in Smyrna. “We held a big, mass event,” said Army Guard Col. Keith Evans.

Dozens of South Florida pharmacies, community health centers, children’s hospitals and pediatricians received delivery this week of the first COVID-19 vaccines available for children as young as 6 months old — much earlier than anticipated after state officials missed a deadline for pre-ordering the shots.

The CDC Friday announced it was endorsing a panel’s recommendation that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine be made available to children and teenagers ages 6-17. >> Read more trending newsThe endorsement allows the U.S. government to begin rolling out Moderna’s vaccine for children and teenagers. The CDC had previously approved Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children 6 months through 5 years, and adults 18 and older. “It is critical that we protect our children and teens from the complications of severe COVID-19 disease,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “Today, we have expanded the options available to families by recommending a second safe and effective vaccine for children ages 6 through 17 years.

United is the first of the major U.S. airlines to reach a contract agreement with a pilots labor union.

Verity failed to provide in spite of being paid millions

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) (Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, says his COVID-19 recovery is an “example” for the nation on the protection offered by vaccines and boosters. Speaking during a White House briefing, Fauci, 81, said he began experiencing virus symptoms on June 14 and tested positive a day later. He was prescribed the anti-viral drug paxlovid, which has proven to be highly effective at preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, on June 15. “I think I’m an example, given my age, of what we’re all talking about today," Fauci said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, says his COVID-19 recovery is an “example” for the nation on the protection offered by vaccines and boosters.

Moderna's request had been stalled for months as regulators studied whether it posed a higher risk of rare heart inflammation side effects.

Austria’s health minister says the country is scrapping a dormant coronavirus vaccine mandate, saying the measure risked polarizing society and could even lead to fewer people getting the shot.

The White House's proposed budget, released in March, suggests allocating $82 billion towards preparing for future pandemics.

Tested positive: Actress Mayim Bialik said she is feeling better after an "exhausting" experience with COVID-19. (Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)“Big Bang Theory” and part-time “Jeopardy!” host Mayim Bialik said she has tested positive for COVID-19 and said she is feeling better after an “exhausting” battle with the virus. “I have COVID and it’s no joke over here,” Bialik wrote. “No one said that you wouldn’t get COVID if you were vaccinated and boosted,” Bialik said in her video. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 31 Photos: Mayim Bialik through the years From "Blossom" to "The Big Bang Theory," see photos of memorable moments from actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik's career.

BA.2 coronavirus variant: What you need to know (NCD)Officials with Massachusetts biotechnology company Moderna said Wednesday that an updated version of the company’s COVID-19 booster shot appears to be effective against a pair of omicron subvariants that last week accounted for more than a third of COVID-19 infections nationwide. However, officials noted that the 50-micogram shot was most effective against the original omicron strain, with antibodies that were about threefold lower for BA.4 and BA.5. Still, Moderna officials said the data released Wednesday suggests that the booster shot could produce “lasting protection against the whole family of omicron variants,” Reuters reported. Officials have confirmed more than 86.4 million COVID-19 infections and reported over 1 million deaths nationwide, according to numbers compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 540.8 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, resulting in 6.3 million deaths, according to the university.

In 2021 600,000 Americans bought an RV. Are they sorry now that gas prices have reached $5 per gallon. Not really.

But digital behavior, including negative Yankee Candle reviews, can offer some clues

COVID-19 continues to flood across Central Florida, but even a recent tsunami of virus-related event cancellations hasn't halted this month's rebound of area arts and...

Krystina Burton and Gabriel Solberg told Insider that engaged couples should let traveling guests know upfront which costs they're happy to cover.

Pediatrician, Annette Nielsen’s office, Tree House Pediatrics, is waiting for a shipment of 450 Moderna and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines for children under 5.

On Monday, some Illinois providers began giving the first COVID-19 vaccines to children under the age of 5.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Biden administration is lying about his state ordering COVID vaccines for young children, and the media played along

The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for children as young as 6 months old.

In anticipation of approval for their use, state health departments were allowed to preorder the vaccines for children. Forty-nine states met the deadline for the pre-order with one state, Florida, not preordering pediatric vaccines. “COVID-19 vaccine ordering — including for the 6 month to 5 year age group — has always been available to providers. Children ages 6 months to 6 years would get two shots of Moderna’s vaccine four to eight weeks apart, with a third coming later. Children ages 6 months to 5 years would get Pfizer-BioNTech’s second of three shots eight weeks after the first.

An Orlando pediatrician is encouraging parents to get their young children vaccinated against COVID-19 after the U.S. opened the shots to young children on Saturday.

This expands coronavirus vaccine offerings to children as young as 6 months.

— (AP) — White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan tested positive on Saturday for COVID-19, according to the White House. Sullivan typically has frequent contact with President Joe Biden but last was in contact with the president early in the week, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Sullivan had been keeping his distance from Biden after “a couple” of people he had been in close contact with had tested positive for the virus, the official said. Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said Sullivan “is asymptomatic and he has not been in close contact with the president.”The White House confirmed on Thursday that Biden had tested negative that day. White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden has been tested more recently.

Roughly 18 million kids will be eligible, but it remains to be seen how many will ultimately get the vaccines.

Virus Outbreak Vaccines Kids This May 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows production of the Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 in Puurs, Belgium. U.S. regulators on Friday, June 17, authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers, paving the way for vaccinations to begin next week. (Pfizer via AP) (Uncredited)NEW YORK — (AP) — The U.S. on Saturday opened COVID-19 vaccines to infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The shots will become available next week, expanding the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 6 months. However, exactly how well they work is hard to pin down, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine.

CDC advisers are recommending the use of two separate COVID-19 vaccines for the youngest children made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, paving the way for vaccine rollout as early as next week.

Virus Outbreak Vaccines Kids This May 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows production of the Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 in Puurs, Belgium. U.S. regulators on Friday, June 17, authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers, paving the way for vaccinations to begin next week. (Pfizer via AP) (Uncredited)NEW YORK — (AP) — U.S. health officials on Saturday recommended COVID-19 vaccines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers — the last group without the shots. However, exactly how well they work is hard to pin down, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine. But problems have not been identified in older children or adults when COVID-19 shots and other vaccinations were given together, and the CDC is advising that it's safe for younger children as well.

The final signoff is expected later in the day from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

Virus Outbreak Vaccines Kids This May 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows production of the Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 in Puurs, Belgium. U.S. regulators on Friday, June 17, authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers, paving the way for vaccinations to begin next week. (Pfizer via AP) (Uncredited)NEW YORK — (AP) — U.S. health advisers on Saturday recommended COVID-19 vaccines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers — the last group without the shots. However, exactly how well they work is hard to pin down, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine. But problems have not been identified in older children or adults when COVID-19 shots and other vaccinations were given together, and the CDC is advising that it's safe for younger children as well.

U.S. health officials have opened COVID-19 vaccines for infants, toddlers and preschoolers — the last group without the shots.

President Biden’s COVID czar talks about his public-health philosophy, his Twitter threads, his unlikely path to the White House, and where we go from here.

As the U.S. finally rolls out coronavirus vaccines for small children, Cuba is celebrating an unlikely achievement: Most of its youngsters got shots months ago.

Video: Lawsuit challenging Orange County’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate dropped A group of first responders has dropped its lawsuit challenging Orange County’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — A group of first responders has dropped its lawsuit challenging Orange County’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. READ: FDA authorizes 1st COVID-19 shots for infants, preschoolersThe attorney handling the lawsuit filed it last October. It came in response to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings issuing a vaccine mandate for county employees last summer. READ: Officials: Millions of COVID-19 shots ordered for youngestThe attorney voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit because it’s no longer valid.

Federal regulators capped a work week of productive meetings with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers by giving final approval on Friday to their lower-dose shots for children younger than 5 years old.

In an abrupt change of course, the White House is now declining to comment on the frequency of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 testing regimen.

Following the announcement of a COVID-19 vaccine aimed at children five years of age or younger last month, the Florida Department of Health has stated that it has not preordered any of the pediatric vaccine for Florida doctors and hospitals.

The Rolling Stones have canceled their concert in Amsterdam, just hours before it was due to start after lead singer Mick Jagger tested positive for COVID-19.

A review by federal health officials says that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine appears safe and effective for children under 5, the only group not currently eligible for vaccination.

The Biden administration announced that, as of midnight on June 12th, international travelers coming to the United States will no longer need a negative COVID-19 test to get into the country.

The Biden administration is lifting its requirement that international air travelers to the U.S. take a COVID-19 test within a day before boarding their flights.

Thousands of COVID-19 testing sites have popped up on sidewalks across Beijing and other Chinese cities in the latest twist to the country’s “zero-COVID” strategy.

White House officials say orders have been coming in for COVID-19 vaccine doses for small children.

The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported globally fell everywhere except the Middle East and Southeast Asia, according to the World Health Organization.

Moderna says its experimental COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection against the omicron variant appears to work.

A more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine is a step closer to becoming the fourth option for U.S. adults.

The Biden administration is planning to roll out COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 this month, if federal regulators authorize them, officials said.

With gas prices soaring yet again in Florida, one expert has stated that residents of the state shouldn’t expect relief anytime soon.

The Biden administration says children under 5 may be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination doses as soon as June 21, if federal regulators authorize shots for the age group as expected.

The World Health Organization assumes the coronavirus outbreak in North Korea is “getting worse, not better,” despite the secretive country’s recent claims that COVID-19 is slowing there.

Pulse oximeters are small boxy devices that are clipped to a finger and used to measure a patient’s blood oxygen levels using light wavelengths.

After being canceled for two years because of COVID-19, Altamonte Springs’ massive Fourth of July event is making a colorful return.

The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States spreads faster than its omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease.

The World Health Organization says the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths are still falling globally after peaking in January.

In between mass shootings killed and wounded people attending school, grocery shopping and simply living their lives, the nation marked a milestone of 1 million deaths from COVID-19.

This week's guest on "Getting Better with Kirstin O'Connor" is Monica Barreto, PhD, a pediatric psychologist with Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

Research in U.S. veterans provides fresh evidence that long COVID-19 can happen even after breakthrough infections following vaccination.

Pfizer says it will provide nearly two dozen products at not-for-profit prices in some of the world’s poorest countries.

After a reprieve of months, confirmed cases of COVID-19 are surging in the southern tip of South America.

China is trying to navigate its biggest coronavirus outbreak without a tool it could have adopted many months ago, the kind of vaccines that have proven to offer the best protection against the worst outcomes from COVID-19.

Parents hoping to get their youngest children vaccinated against COVID-19 have some encouraging news.

A federal appeals court is being asked to reconsider its decision allowing the Biden administration to require that federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Seminole County medical director Dr. Todd Husty explained on Monday what most of us are asking: What is monkeypox?

Pfizer says three small doses of its COVID-19 vaccine protect kids under 5.

The Pride (2-1-2, 7 points) fell behind by three goals, and despite two late tallies, suffered a 4-2 defeat to Chicago at Exploria Stadium.

Federal health officials are warning areas in the U.S. where COVID-19 cases are rising to consider indoor masking once again.

U.S. health advisers are urging a booster dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11.

The number of coronavirus deaths globally dropped by about 21% in the past week while cases rose in most parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Germany’s health minister is warning that the coronavirus pandemic is not over yet.

Two Kissimmee residents who attempted to defraud several banks over COVID-19 relief funding were sentenced to prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Another member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet has tested positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19 cases are increasing in the United States – and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned in urging areas hardest hit to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking.

Eric Clapton, a critic of coronavirus vaccines and pandemic restrictions, has tested positive for COVID-19 and canceled two upcoming European gigs.