RIO DE JANEIRO Brazil has become the latest country to bar flights from the United Kingdom in a bid to prevent contagion from a new strain of the coronavirus. The government announced in an extra edition of the country’s official gazette released late Wednesday that it is temporarily prohibiting flights either originating in the U.K. or passing through. The government also is suspending authorization for foreigners who have been in the U.K. in the preceding 14 days from boarding Brazil-bound flights. The new rules take effect Friday. THE VIRUS OUTBREAK: Cheer will be in short
PORTLAND, Ore. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has set Feb. 15 as a target for when more Oregon students, especially elementary level, will return to in-person learning. The governor also announced Wednesday that beginning Jan. 1, the statewide mandatory metrics for schools to reopen will be advisory. She says that “decisions to resume in-person instruction must be made locally, district by district, school by school.” In an attempt to meet the target date, the governor has directed the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority to implement several new initiatives, including
MEXICO CITY Mexico now has more people hospitalized for COVID-19 than it saw at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic in late July. The Health Department says 18,301 people are in hospitals across Mexico being treated for the disease that can be caused by the coronavirus. That is 0.4% more than in July. Mexico City is the epicenter of the current wave of infections and 85% of its hospital beds are in use. The state of Morelos, just south of the capital, became the fourth of Mexico’s 32 states to declare a “red” alert, which will lead to a partial lockdown and the closure of
Baker offers more help for businesses gloucestertimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gloucestertimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Matt Murphy / State House News Service
State House News Service
A day after announcing new business restrictions aimed at preventing a post-Christmas boom of COVID-19, Gov. Charlie Baker launched a massive new $668 million relief fund to help small businesses build a bridge between now and when commerce can return to normal as vaccines begin to arrive.
The small business relief effort dwarfs the $50 million in grants awarded Monday to 1,158 businesses, and could lead to thousands of new businesses receiving checks as soon as next week.
Baker rolled out the new grant fund two days before Christmas and three days before a new set of business restrictions take effect on Saturday, limiting businesses to 25 percent capacity and further restricting the volume of customers they are able to accommodate at any given time.