By The Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines â The Philippine government extended a lockdown by another week Monday after an alarming spike in coronavirus infections continued to surge and started to overwhelm many hospitals in the capital and outlying regions.
President Rodrigo Duterte placed Metropolitan Manila and four outlying provinces, a region of more than 25 million people, back under lockdown last week as daily infections breached the 10,000-mark. Leaders of the dominant Roman Catholic church shifted its Holy Week and Easter events online after all public gatherings, including in places of worship, were temporarily banned.
The government-run Lung Center of the Philippines became the latest hospital in the capital region to announce over the weekend that it can no longer accept walk-in patients after its COVID-19 ward reached full capacity while its emergency room was now handling twice its capacity.
WASHINGTON — The White House was forced to scratch the annual White House Easter Egg Roll for the second straight year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that didn’t stop
GAINESVILLE, Fla. â Starting Monday, any adult in Florida is eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
In addition, the state announced that teens ages 16 and 17 can also get the vaccine with parental permission.
In an effort to get students inoculated, the University of Floridaâs Athletics Department is working with UF Health and the local health department to administer the vaccine at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. University and health officials plan to inoculate up to 5,000 people, starting at 11 a.m. Monday.
Officials hope to meet a goal of vaccinating 20,000 per week, a news release said.
The event is open to anyone eligible for the vaccine.
By The Associated Press
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. â The Navajo Nation on Saturday reported 18 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and four more deaths.
The pandemic totals on the tribeâs reservation that includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah increased to 30,164 cases and 1,257 deaths.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez encouraged people to celebrate the Easter weekend safely while following COVID-19 protocols. Nez said those including staying home as much as possible, wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, avoiding large in-person gatherings, and washing hands often.
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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
VACCINES: More than 104.2 million people, or 31.4% of the U.S. population, have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some 59.8 million people, or 18% of the population, have completed their vaccination.