By Swati Pandey SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia s second-most populous city will enter a five-day snap coronavirus lockdown, authorities said on Friday, banning spectators for much of the Australian Open tennis tournament. A fresh COVID-19 cluster linked to a quarantine hotel in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state, reached 13 cases as of Thursday midnight, as authorities rushed to quash the spread of the virus. All of those infections were linked to the highly contagious UK variant. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced the lockdown for the state, starting at midnight on Friday, calling it a short, sharp circuit breaker banning public gatherings, home auctions, weddings and religious gatherings. We must assume that there are further cases in the community than we have positive results for, and that it is moving at a velocity that has not been seen anywhere in our country over the course of these last 12 months, Andrews told reporters, noting the high transmission rate of the UK v
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan s first batch of COVID-19 vaccine arrived on Friday, local media reported, with official approval for the Pfizer Inc shots expected soon as the country races to control a third wave of infections ahead of the Olympic Games. A government health panel is due to deliberate on the vaccine later on Friday. Kyodo News reported that approval would come on Sunday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said vaccinations would begin from the middle of next week, starting with some 10,000 health workers. The government hopes to secure enough supplies for the whole populace by mid-year. About 400,000 doses arrived at Narita International Airport, near Tokyo, on Friday morning aboard a flight from Brussels, Kyodo reported. There had been concern that the European Union could block exports of the shots, prompting Japan s vaccine chief to warn against growing nationalism over supplies. The European Commission said on Thursday it has so far approved all requests for the export of C
As a business reporter, I write about small businesses opening and closing, manufacturing, food and drink, labor issues and economic data. I particularly love writing about the impact of state and federal policy on local businesses. I also do some education reporting, covering colleges in southeastern Connecticut and regional K-12 issues.
Erica Moser
As a business reporter, I write about small businesses opening and closing, manufacturing, food and drink, labor issues and economic data. I particularly love writing about the impact of state and federal policy on local businesses. I also do some education reporting, covering colleges in southeastern Connecticut and regional K-12 issues.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Health authorities in Australia s Victoria state ramped up contact tracing and prepared for more mass testing of residents in Melbourne after a new COVID-19 cluster linked to a quarantine hotel grew to ten cases on Thursday. More than 22,500 test results were conducted in the past 24 hours in Australia s second most populous city Melbourne and authorities urged residents to get tested amid fears of community transmission from a worker at the Holiday Inn in the city. Victoria reported a total of 4 cases on Thursday, of which two are primary household contacts of Holiday Inn staff. Other cases include returned travellers who were in quarantine at the hotel. The new outbreak in Melbourne, where the Australia Open tennis tournament is underway, has stirred fears of a fresh wave of infections in the state hardest hit by COVID-19. Victoria had more than 20,000 cases last year and over 800 deaths, forcing authorities to implement a strict lockdown lasting more than 100 days
$1,641,830
Education Cost Sharing grants, road aid, capital improvements grants and payments in lieu of taxes for nontaxable property remained stable in the budget, while nearly all local towns would see additional aid through federal stimulus grants. Only Lyme and Old Lyme are left out of that mix, according to state budget documents.
New London, Norwich, Montville and Preston are among 25 designated distressed municipalities that would receive a collective $100 million in one-time per-capita grants next year. Norwich would receive $3.5 million, New London, $2.4 million, and Preston, $421,000. Lamont proposed funding half of the $100 million with revenue from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, and the other half through bonding.