PA expands vaccine eligibility to ages 65 and older; UPMC vaccinates workers serving vulnerable populations
As total U.S. Covid deaths pass 400,000 with several effective vaccines developed the puzzle is figuring out where the first limited doses will do the most good.
In a multipronged effort to prioritize the biggest impact among Phase 1A groups, UPMC vaccinated workers with The Violence Prevention Initiative, the Neighborhood Resilience Project and Casa San Jose at their South Side clinic on Tuesday afternoon.
By getting these community advocates inoculated, they hope to fight vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable, often minority populations, where Covid has had a disproportionately terrible effect.
Kristina Serafini | Tribune-Review
Director of the Allegheny County Health Department Dr. Debra Bogen takes questions during a press conference about the rising number of local covid-19 cases at Point State Park on Nov. 12.
Kristina Serafini | Tribune-Review
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Echoing the concerns of health professionals across the region, the Allegheny County Health Department director said it is not prepared to accommodate Pennsylvania’s expansion of covid-19 vaccine distribution.
“I would love to tell you that we can vaccinate all of you who now meet these expanded criteria today,” Dr. Debra Bogen said during a Wednesday news conference. “But the reality is that the current vaccine supply makes this unachievable at this time.”
Allegheny County on Saturday recorded 526 new coronavirus cases, as recent numbers continue to drop below the 1,000 case mark. Reports haven’t reached 700 cases in more than a week. The county has reported nine days of at least 1,000 new cases, but hasn’t posted one in the last two
Courtesy of Lindsey Shuey
A toco toucan, a member of the largest and probably best-known species in the toucan family, seen at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh’s North Side.
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Travel may not be an option right now because of the coronavirus, but visiting the National Aviary can make you feel like you’re on a tropical retreat, said Jennifer Torpie, the aviary’s curator of education and public programs.
The aviary’s in-person and virtual programming allows visitors to see unusual bird species in immersive habitats.
Posted on 8419
A study analyzing area traffic and ambient air quality data from an air quality monitoring station near U. S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works found
that there was a 40% decrease in particulate matter (PM2.5) ambient air concentrations when comparing
readings from before and after the COVID-19 stay-at-home order in Spring 2020.
In the study, environmental consulting firm Trinity Consultants verified U. S. Steel’s finding that included an analysis of data collected from the Liberty Monitor, along with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) traffic data taken from within a 40-mile radius of that site. Over the period reviewed, there was no change in production at the Clairton Plant, while the number of total vehicles on southwestern Pennsylvania roadways in the area examined fell by 50%.