Latest Pandemics News

Notre Dame Cathedral's restoration has been a 5-year journey of dedication and recovery

Mar. 19, 2024 01:18 AM EDT

PARIS (AP) — The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following a tragic blaze in April 2019 is a story of dedication and recovery. The iconic medieval monument immortalized in history, film and literature has been gradually rebuilt over the past five years, through...

Marriages in the US are back to pre-pandemic levels, CDC says

Mar. 15, 2024 18:06 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. marriages have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels with nearly 2.1 million in 2022. That's a 4% increase from the year before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the data Friday, but has not released marriage data for last year. ...

South Carolina's top public health doctor warns senators wrong lessons being learned from COVID

Mar. 14, 2024 15:04 PM EDT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s top doctor came before a small group of state senators on Thursday to tell them he thinks a bill overhauling how public health emergencies are handled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has some bad ideas, concerns echoed by Gov. Henry McMaster. ...

Report: New Jersey and US were not prepared for COVID-19 and state remains so for the next crisis

Mar. 11, 2024 14:25 PM EDT

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey and the nation were not prepared when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the state “remains underprepared for the next emergency,” according to an independent report examining New Jersey's response to the pandemic that sickened nearly 3 million people statewide and...

Candy companies pitch gum as a stress reliever and concentration aid to revive stale US sales

Mar. 07, 2024 09:11 AM EST

Candy companies want to know: What will make Americans start chewing gum again? Gum’s bubble burst during the COVID-19 pandemic, when masks and social distancing made bad breath less of a worry and fewer people spent on impulse buys. The number of packages of gum sold dropped by...

White House lifting its COVID-19 testing rule for people around Biden, ending a pandemic vestige

Mar. 04, 2024 17:36 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday lifted its COVID-19 testing requirement for those who plan to be in close contact with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses, bringing to an end the last coronavirus prevention protocol at the White House. ...

Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor's ban on school mask mandates

Feb. 27, 2024 22:09 PM EST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal court on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ policy prohibiting schools from instituting mask requirements, which was brought by families of students with disabilities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The...

Seth Meyers is in his comfort era as 'Late Night' turns 10

Feb. 23, 2024 12:34 PM EST

Time flies when you're hosting a late-night show four times a week. But Seth Meyers admits it took a while to feel comfortable as host of “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” which is marking its 10th anniversary. “It's a journey everyone takes when you get a show like this,” he...

Alaska's chief medical officer, a public face of the state's pandemic response, is resigning

Feb. 19, 2024 15:29 PM EST

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Dr. Anne Zink, who was a public face of Alaska's pandemic response, is resigning as the state's chief medical officer. Zink plans to continue working full-time in the role until early April, the Anchorage Daily News reported. An email...

Dubai International Airport had 86.9 million passengers last year in a post-pandemic surge

Feb. 19, 2024 03:24 AM EST

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The number of passengers flying through Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, surged last year beyond its total for 2019 — just before the coronavirus pandemic grounded global aviation. While still shy of its...