Coronavirus origins still a mystery 3 years into pandemic
WASHINGTON — A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab?
Catching COVID may increase chances of developing an autoimmune disease, study says
A coronavirus infection may make it more likely for someone without an autoimmune disease to develop at least one in the months after the infection subsides, new research suggests.
County reports two new COVID-19 deaths
Hawaii County reported two new COVID-19 deaths this week, according to data from the state Department of Health.
DOH reports 11 new state COVID deaths
Six more COVID-19 deaths were reported in Hawaii County since Dec. 31, according to the state Department of Health.
President Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden informed Congress on Monday that he will end the twin national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, as most of the world has returned closer to normalcy nearly three years after they were first declared.
FDA’s advisers back plan to simplify COVID-19 vaccinations
The U.S. is poised to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like a yearly flu shot, a major shift in strategy despite a long list of questions about how to best protect against a still rapidly mutating virus.
US proposes once-a-year COVID shots for most Americans
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot.
HCCC reports uptick in COVID cases: Origin of outbreak ‘difficult to pinpoint’
Hawaii Community Correctional Center appears to be on the mend after an uptick in COVID-19 cases at the facility following the holidays.
China reports 60,000 COVID-related deaths, says peak passed
BEIJING — China on Saturday reported nearly 60,000 deaths in people who had COVID-19 since early December, offering hard numbers for an unprecedented surge that was apparent in overcrowded hospitals and packed crematoriums, even as the government released little data about the status of the pandemic for weeks.
As COVID surges in China, US begins testing more travelers
NEWARK, N.J. — Shubham Chandra knows how dangerous the coronavirus can be: He lost his dad during the pandemic. So when he cleared customs at Newark Liberty International Airport and saw people offering anonymous COVID-19 testing, he was happy to volunteer.
COVID in 2022: Vaccines, at-home tests help lower infections
Fifty-six Big Island residents died in 2022 from COVID-19, according to state Department of Health data.
White House reveals winter COVID-19 plans, more free tests
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is once more making some free COVID-19 tests available to all U.S. households as it releases its contingency plans with coronavirus cases ticking upward this winter.
Bivalent boosters headed to Hawaii for keiki as young as 6 months old
The Hawaii Department of Health has ordered 9,200 doses of bivalent COVID-19 vaccination boosters for children as young as 6 months old, with 1,500 being shipped directly to Hawaii Island.
Hospitalizations signal rising COVID-19 risk for US seniors
Coronavirus-related hospital admissions are climbing again in the United States, with older adults a growing share of U.S. deaths and less than half of nursing home residents up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations.
House passes defense bill scrapping COVID vaccine mandate
WASHINGTON — A bill to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military and provide nearly $858 billion for national defense passed the House on Thursday as lawmakers scratch off one of the final items on their yearly to-do list.
FDA clears updated COVID-19 vaccines for kids under age 5
U.S. regulators on Thursday cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than age 5.
Keep COVID military vaccine mandate, defense chief says
ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he wants to keep the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place to protect the health of the troops, as Republican governors and lawmakers press to rescind it.
Big Island reports 128 new COVID cases
Hawaii Island reported 128 new COVID-19 cases and one new coronavirus-related death between Nov. 15 and Monday.
Feds sentence Hilo man for COVID fraud scam
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Hilo man to 42 months in prison for a COVID-19 fraud scam.
2 COVID deaths reported in Hawaii County
Two new COVID-19-related deaths were reported in Hawaii County this week by the state Department of Health.
