3rd major COVID-19 vaccine shown to be effective and cheaper

LONDON (AP) — Drugmaker AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective, buoying the prospects of a relatively cheap, easy-to-store product that may become the vaccine of choice for the developing world. The results are based on an interim analysis of trials...

AstraZeneca says late-stage trials of its COVID-19 vaccine were “highly effective’’ in preventing disease

Some GOP governors shift on mask mandates as hospitals fill

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — After Republicans expanded their control of Iowa’s Legislature this month, Gov. Kim Reynolds said the outcome was a validation of her small-government approach to managing the coronavirus pandemic. But as Iowa hospitals rapidly filled up in the days after the election, the GOP...

20 farms fined for not protecting workers from COVID-19

RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) — Three Mid-Columbia farms are among those receiving the biggest fines in the state from the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries for serious violations of agriculture regulations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. More than 20 farms have been cited for...

Gov. Jay Inslee urges public to forego holiday gatherings

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and his wife, Trudi, on Thursday urged people to forego gatherings and holiday travel plans as COVID-19 cases spike across the state, and the governor said further measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus will be announced in the coming days. The...

Fever, symptom screening misses many coronavirus cases

Temperature and COVID-19 symptom checks like the ones used at schools and doctor's offices have again proved inadequate for spotting coronavirus infections and preventing outbreaks. A study of Marine recruits found that despite these measures and strict quarantines before they started training, the recruits...

US hits record COVID-19 hospitalizations amid virus surge

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. hit a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations Tuesday and surpassed 1 million new confirmed cases in just the first 10 days of November amid a nationwide surge of infections that shows no signs of slowing. The new wave appears bigger and more widespread than the surges that...

Cambodia bans state-organized events in capital over virus

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia on Wednesday banned all state-organized events in the capital and a neighboring province for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after a number of people connected to a Hungarian official's visit tested positive. The Interior Ministry did not elaborate on...

The Latest: Hong Kong, Singapore plan 'air travel bubble'

HONG KONG — Hong Kong and Singapore will establish an "air travel bubble" Nov. 22 allowing travelers from the two cities to visit the other without having to serve quarantine in a first step to stimulate tourism amid the coronavirus pandemic. Under the plan, tourists from either city must take nucleic acid...

Do masks with antiviral coating offer more protection?

Do masks with antiviral coating offer more protection? It’s an intriguing idea, but there haven’t been enough rigorous independent studies to establish whether antiviral masks are better at protecting wearers or preventing the spread of the virus. Their specifics vary, but many antiviral masks are...