Category: Covid-19

The New York Islanders will be without several key players ahead of their first-ever game in their new home, UBS Arena, on Saturday night against Calgary. Adam Pelech, Andy Greene and Anthony Beauvillier were added to the COVID-19 protocol list on Saturday, joining captain Anders Lee, Josh Bailey and Ross Johnston.

Beauvillier, a forward, is tied for third on the team in scoring with seven points (3 goals, 4 assists), while Pelech and Greene are mainstays on the blue line. Each has played in all of the team's first 13 games this season, as New York posted a 5-6-2 mark, all on the road.

The Islanders recalled forwards Andy Andreoff and Richard Panik, and defensemen Grant Hutton and Paul LaDue, general manager Lou Lamoriello announced on Saturday afternoon.

Several dignitaries took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for UBS Arena on Friday, as the Islanders prepare to open the $1.5 billion multi-purpose facility next to the Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, N.Y.

(Photo: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)

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Islanders missing several players to COVID-19 protocol ahead of new arena opener - The Athletic

MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO, Italy, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Ski resorts in northern Italy are reopening for the winter season after prolonged shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although a recent rise in infections is spreading worries over possible new restrictions.

Fabio Sacco, the president of the Skirama consortium that brings together several resorts in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, said he had been waiting to restart since March last year, when Italy imposed a lockdown.

"It is really an exciting moment," he told Reuters.

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Europe is being swept by a fourth wave of the pandemic that has already forced Austria, one of Italy's neighbours, to announce a full national lockdown. Germany has not ruled out similar measures. read more

Italy has also seen a rise in daily cases in recent weeks, especially in some northern areas where many ski slopes are located. Hospitalisations remain under control nationwide but operators are aware of the risks rising infections may pose.

"There is some uncertainty and fear due to the worsening of the pandemic trend, but the resorts in our consortium and across Trentino are prepared to handle different scenarios," Sacco said.

A COVID-19 health pass - which shows if someone has completed the vaccination cycle, has recently tested negative or recovered from the disease - is required to access ski lifts along with face masks and social distancing rules.

Skiers, enjoying clear blue skies and perfect skiing conditions, were feeling upbeat about the forthcoming winter season.

"Finally, after a year of closure we are happy. There is a desire to ski. The snow and the day are beautiful. I expect many positive things from this season," said skier Filippo Laureti.

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Reporting by Matteo Berlenga and Flavio Lo Scalzo, writing by Angelo Amante, editing by Christina Fincher

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Ski resorts in northern Italy reopen amid COVID-19 worries - Reuters

Pregnant women with COVID-19 face increased chances for stillbirths compared with uninfected women, and that risk spiked to four times higher after the delta variant emerged, new government data show.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report Friday that examined 1.2 million deliveries in 736 hospitals nationwide from March 2020 through September 2021.

Stillbirths were rare overall, totaling 8,154 among all deliveries. But the researchers found that for women with COVID-19, about 1 in 80 deliveries resulted in stillbirth. Among the uninfected, it was 1 in 155.

Among those with COVID-19, stillbirths were more common in people with chronic high blood pressure and other complications, including those in intensive care or on breathing machines.

These findings underscore the importance of COVID-19 prevention strategies, including vaccination before or during pregnancy, CDC researcher Carla DeSisto and co-authors said.

Theres no information on how many had received COVID-19 shots, although the authors noted that the U.S. vaccination rate among pregnant people after delta emerged this past summer was 30%.

Pregnant people with COVID-19 are more likely than others to develop severe, even fatal, illness and they face increased risks for preterm birth and other complications. Previous studies on stillbirths and COVID-19 had mixed findings, but the report bolsters concerns among obstetricians and anecdotal data.

While the absolute risk for stillbirth is low, anyone who is pregnant shouldnt underestimate the dangers of COVID-19, said Dr. Mark Turrentine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He helped write the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.

Whats really sad is we have 10 months of a vaccine thats been highly effective and we just cant convince people to take advantage of this, Turrentine said.

Some experts have speculated that the virus may cause inflammation in the placenta or other abnormalities that could harm the fetus.

Dr. Joseph Biggio, a specialist in high-risk pregnancies at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, said the study doesnt prove that COVID-19 caused stillbirths. He said its possible some women were so critically ill that physicians trying to keep them alive couldnt intervene on behalf of a fetus that they knew was in trouble.

The researchers relied on medical records, and they noted that they were unable to determine if the COVID-19 diagnoses listed at the time of delivery represented current or past infections.

Generally, stillbirths are more common among Black people, those who become pregnant over age 35 or those who smoke tobacco during pregnancy.

The study didnt include pregnancy outcomes by race, an area the authors said they plan to investigate in future research because COVID-19 has disproportionately affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying.

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Research links COVID-19 in pregnancy with stillbirths - Portland Press Herald - pressherald.com

PORTLAND, Ore. The 76ers will get one of their better defenders back Saturday night.

Matisse Thybulle will play in the Sixers matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. The reserve swingman has been in the NBAs COVID-19 health and safety protocols originally for contact tracing since Nov. 5. He then tested positive for the coronavirus while in quarantine.

Hes not going to play much, Doc Rivers said before Saturdays shootaround. Hes been out, came in [Friday] night. Well play him, but we wont play him much.

Thybulle has been sidelined for the past seven games.

The third-year veteran averaged career highs of 5.1 points and 2.3 steals in nine games with two starts before being sidelined. He was named to the NBAs second-team All-Defensive squad last season.

Meanwhile, Joel Embiid (protocols), Danny Green (left hamstring tightness), and Ben Simmons (mentally not ready to play) remain sidelined. Portland point guard Damian Lillard (abdomen tendinopathy) is listed as probable.

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Sixers Matisse Thybulle will return from COVID-19 for Saturdays game against the Blazers - The Philadelphia Inquirer

The League One match between Wigan Athletic and Oxford United at the DW Stadium has been postponed, after seven of the away teams players tested positive for COVID-19.

The players all tested positive on Saturday morning after falling ill overnight, meaning Oxford were unable to name a squad for the league fixture.

The match was postponed after both clubs consulted with the EFL. A new date will be decided in due course.

Oxford said in a statement: Seven players tested positive this morning after falling ill overnight, meaning the Us cannot raise a squad for the Sky Bet League One game.

United called off the fixture in consultation with Wigan and the English Football League (EFL), which has said it will review the circumstances surrounding the postponement.

Wigan added: We apologise for any inconvenience caused to supporters and wish our colleagues at Oxford United well.

Both sides have started the season impressively. Oxford are sat sixth, with Wigan two points off the top with a game in hand.

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Wigan Athletic vs Oxford United postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak - The Athletic

A new surge in coronavirus cases in Europe is causing concern in the United States, with some doctors and researchers predicting an equally troubling spike in the U.S.

Ive been predicting a pretty bad winter wave again, and it looks like its starting to happen, Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told The Guardian. Theres just too many unvaccinated and too many partially vaccinated [people].

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average of new daily coronavirus cases in the U.S.has surpassed 85,000, a more than 14 percent increase from a week ago.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) projected about 863,000 total deaths from the coronavirus pandemic by March 2022. However, the CDC reports 762,994 people have already died in the U.S. from COVID-19. The IHMEs worst-case scenario projection predictsnearly 2 million coronavirus deaths by March 2022.

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Only 58.9 percent of the U.S. population are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

However, some experts are optimistic, citing the protection from vaccinations, vaccines becoming available to children, as well as the possibility of new treatments, such as antiviral medications.

I do expect to see cases increasing weve started to see this in the last week or so, David Dowdy, an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, told The Guardian. I dont think what were seeing in Europe means were in for a huge surge of serious illness and death as we [saw] here in the US in winter 2020.

People can still get Covid, there can still be breakthrough infections, added Rupali Limaye, an associate scientist at Johns Hopkins University. But the great news is if you have been vaccinated you are very much less likely to be hospitalized or have severe infection.

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Experts predict an alarming surge of US COVID-19 cases this winter | TheHill - The Hill

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Two more Onondaga County residents, including a woman in her 20s, died of Covid-19 over the past day, County Executive Ryan McMahon said.

The other death was a woman in her 70s, he said. Both had underlying conditions.

Since Oct. 1, McMahon said, 66 county residents have died of Covid-19. Of those, he said, 69% -- or 46 patients -- were not vaccinated. The other 20 people who died had been fully vaccinated.

McMahon noted that 84% of county residents 18 and older have been fully vaccinated while 16% have not. That means people in the smaller, unvaccinated group account for a large number of deaths here.

So that 16% is making up 69% of the deaths, he said at a news conference today.

Of the 24 Covid-19 patients in intensive care units today, he said, 79% are unvaccinated.

The vaccine continues to help those who get very sick, McMahon said. They do better than those who are unvaccinated.

The number of people in the hospital with Covid-19 today is 115, about the same as Wednesdays 116.

The county confirmed 271 new cases of Covid-19, the highest level since Oct. 30. The number of new cases over the past week is 50% higher than the previous week.

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all running higher this month than they were at the same time in November 2020. Experts attribute that to the higher contagiousness of the delta variant and to people getting together more and not wearing masks as much as last November.

In other Covid-19 news, McMahon said:

* So far, 2,900 children ages 5 to 11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Thats a little under 10% of children of that age group.

* The county plans to ramp up testing for people with no symptoms next week in anticipation of Thanksgiving, when many residents will want to be tested just before seeing family members.

* Despite rising case numbers here, Onondaga County is faring better than others along the Thruway corridor. Onondaga Countys rate of cases over the past week is 42.6 per 100,000 population. Monroes is 46.6 cases per 100,000. Eries is 57.5 and Oneidas is 59.5.

READ MORE

McMahon to Onondaga County: Adults who feel at risk should get a Covid-19 booster

Covid-19 cases in New York state hit 7-month high

Hochul warns of more Covid-19 protocols if NYs infection numbers dont dip

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Two more Onondaga County residents die of Covid-19, including a woman in her 20s - syracuse.com

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) There were six new COVID-19 deaths reported in Thursdays update from the South Dakota Department of Health, bringing the total to 2,303, up from 2,297 on Wednesday.

The new deaths were four men and two women, all in the 80+ age group.

There were 486 new total COVID-19 cases reported on Thursday, bringing the states total case count to 161,960, up from Wednesday (161,474).

The number of active cases reported on Thursday is at 6,775, up from Wednesday (6,663).

Current hospitalizations are at 246, up from Wednesday (239). Total hospitalizations are at 8,233, up from 8,211 on Wednesday.

Total recovered cases are now at 152,882, up from Wednesday (152,514).

The DOH currently reports total tests each day. There have been 1,673,424 total tests reported as of Thursday, up 4,677 from 1,668,747 total tests reported on Wednesday.

The latest seven-day PCR test positivity rate for the state is 15.7% for Nov. 10 16.

Of South Dakotas 66 counties, 63 are listed as having high or substantial community spread. High community spread is 100 cases or greater per 100,000 or a 10% or greater PCR test positivity rate.

There have been 868 Delta variant cases (B.1.617.2, AY.1-AY.25) detected in South Dakota through sentinel monitoring, an increase of 38 over the previous report.

There have been 172 cases of the B.1.1.7 (Alpha variant), 3 cases of P.1. (Gamma variant) and 2 cases of the B.1.351 (Beta variant).

The DOH announced changes to how it reports vaccinations on the COVID-19 dashboard as of Monday, October 14. It now includes a breakout of how many people have received booster doses. Due to data clean-up efforts, the percentages of people whove received one dose or completed the series have changed. Findthe DOH explanation in this story.

As of Thursday, 70.08% the population 12-years-old and above has received at least one dose while 58.93% have completed the vaccination series. 13.90% of those eligible have completed their booster dose.

There have been 542,436 doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered, 387,000 of the Moderna vaccine and 32,628 doses of the Janssen vaccine.

There have been 165,102 persons who have completed two doses of Moderna. There have been 226,489 persons who have received two doses of Pfizer.

As for booster doses, 59,188 people have received a 3rd Pfizer shot, 39,003 have received a 3rd Moderna dose and 965 have received a Janssen booster.

The state is also reporting data for the number of children under 12 years of age who have received a vaccine. It shows 6,420 have gotten the vaccine, which is 4.38% of that population.

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COVID-19 in South Dakota: 486 total new cases; Death toll at 2,303; Active cases at 6,775 - KELOLAND.com

Children are seen leaving school on a Friday after a nation-wide ban on large public gatherings to avoid coronavirus spreading in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

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AMSTERDAM, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Virologists in the Netherlands have proposed extending holidays over Christmas to slow a surge in COVID-19 cases among children that has forced half of schools nationwide to send classes home, but the government said it wanted to keep them open.

The National Institute for Health (RIVM) reported a record number of over 110,000 cases in the week to Nov. 16, an increase of 44% from the previous seven days. The strongest rise was among children aged 4-12.

Infections among children of primary school age, aged five to nine, jumped almost 85%, and among children aged 10-14 by 76%.

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"Keeping primary schools closed for longer is an effective way to keep the virus under control," immunologist Ger Rijkers told the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. "Children are virus factories and infect adults as well as each other."

However, Education Minister Arie Slob took a different stance, noting that most teachers had been vaccinated and most children only experienced mild symptoms of COVID-19.

"The cabinet has agreed to shield education as much as possible (from restrictions). I am convinced it is responsible to keep schools open," he said on Twitter.

The European Union's drug regulator is likely to disclose its view on the use of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 next week, Austria's health ministry said on Wednesday. read more

Around 85% of Dutch adults have been fully vaccinated, but infections have hit record levels in recent weeks after the government ended social distancing and other measures in September.

Authorities have reintroduced mask-wearing and reimposed a partial lockdown, with bars and restaurants closing at 8 p.m.

All 12 Dutch provinces will be dark red - the highest alert level - for the first time on a weekly chart published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on Thursday.

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Reporting by Anthony Deutsch and Bart MeijerEditing by Gareth Jones

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Dutch weigh options to slow rising COVID-19 infections among children - Reuters

CHARLESTON, W.Va. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported 1,114 new COVID-19 cases and an active case increase of 472 on Thursday. The DHHR also confirmed 1,114 19 additional deaths in its report.

On Wednesday, it confirmed 970 new COVID-19 cases and 22 deaths.

The DHHR has reported 286,249 (+1,114) total cases and 4,717 (+19) total deaths.According to the DHHR dashboard, there are currently 6,934 (+472) active cases.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a73-year old female from Raleigh County, a 58-year old male from Nicholas County, a 74-year old female from Putnam County, a 63-year old male from Webster County, a 45-year old female from Kanawha County, a 62-year old male from Preston County, a 78-year old male from Kanawha County, a 71-year old female from Preston County, a 77-year old female from Ohio County, an 86-year old female from Barbour County, a 56-year old male from Wirt County, a 77-year old female from Marion County, a 62-year old female from Putnam County, a 36-year old male from Marion County, a 54-year old male from Putnam County, an 80-year old female from Wood County, a 68-year old male from Mercer County, an 81-year old female from Wood County, and a 67-year old male from Jefferson County.

With the holiday season approaching, we must do all we can to protect our loved ones and assure many more years of family celebrations, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. COVID-19 vaccination is free and available statewide to every West Virginian ages 5 years and older.

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY:Barbour (94), Berkeley (559), Boone (110), Braxton (53), Brooke (82), Cabell (258), Calhoun (48), Clay (36), Doddridge (14), Fayette (195), Gilmer (19), Grant (94), Greenbrier (88), Hampshire (111), Hancock (85), Hardy (80), Harrison (286), Jackson (85), Jefferson (215), Kanawha (482), Lewis (65), Lincoln (128), Logan (109), Marion (283), Marshall (137), Mason (93), McDowell (70), Mercer (286), Mineral (97), Mingo (121), Monongalia (256), Monroe (36), Morgan (61), Nicholas (165), Ohio (200), Pendleton (46), Pleasants (18), Pocahontas (25), Preston (161), Putnam (292), Raleigh (256), Randolph (101), Ritchie (24), Roane (67), Summers (26), Taylor (76), Tucker (20), Tyler (18), Upshur (125), Wayne (103), Webster (74), Wetzel (77), Wirt (24), Wood (233), Wyoming (67).

According to the dashboard, 1,063,158 first doses of the vaccine have been administered to West Virginians, and 912,460 people have been fully vaccinated. The dashboard also reports that 53,425 fully vaccinated West Virginians have received an additional dose.

West Virginians five and older are now eligible for the COVID vaccine. Most West Virginians who are 18 and over now qualify for the COVID booster vaccine. To learn more about the vaccine or to find a vaccine site near you, visitvaccinate.wv.govor call 1-833-734-0965.

Free COVID-19 testing is available daily to all West Virginia residents.Click hereto view the testing site map and location list.

West Virginians may now register for their COVID-19 vaccinationby clicking here.

Editors note: The numbers received from the West Virginia DHHR include cases that have already been resolved. Therefore, these counts need to be viewed as historical cases, rather than active cases.

Editors note 2: The total number of cases confirmed by the DHHR now includes probable cases, which are individuals that have symptoms and either serologic (antibody) or epidemiologic (e.g., a link to a confirmed case) evidence of disease, but no confirmatory test.

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Active COVID-19 cases continue to rise on Thursday - WBOY.com