Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic updates
The latest news and commentary on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
NOTE: As the world adjusts to COVID-19, research continues on its origins, the effectiveness of masks, vaccines and boosters, new variants, workplace policies, politics and much more. The Washington Times is committed to accuracy in our reporting of the coronavirus. We continue to explore how COVID-19 affects us here in the United States and around the world.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to update its guidance on coronavirus (available here) with information geared toward parents, employers, healthcare professionals and consumers. They also offer a COVID data tracker here where you can explore vaccination trends, levels of community spread and other valuable tools for making healthy choices for you and your family.
For more detailed information on total cases, total deaths, global maps and dashboards, visit the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center here.
Recent Stories
YouTube clamps down on what it calls 'harmful content' about cancer
YouTube is cracking down on cancer information and announced new rules this week.
New Zealand, whose pandemic response was closely watched, removes last of COVID-19 restrictions
New Zealand on Monday removed the last of its remaining COVID-19 restrictions, marking the end of a government response to the pandemic that was watched closely around the world.
Millions of kids are missing weeks of school as attendance tanks across the U.S.
When in-person school resumed after pandemic closures, Rousmery Negron and her 11-year-old son both noticed a change: School seemed less welcoming.
Federal appeals court skeptical of feds' relationship with Big Tech, censorship of COVID-19 material
A federal appeals court cast a skeptical eye on the government's relationship with social media companies Thursday, saying the administration's pressure campaign to shut down certain views raises thorny constitutional questions.
Ex-bakery owner sent to prison for using dead baby's ID in passport, pandemic scam
A former Columbus, Ohio-area bakery owner was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday for using the identity of a dead baby to commit 16 counts of wire and passport fraud.
COVID-19 took a toll on heart health, and doctors are still grappling with how to help
Firefighter and paramedic Mike Camilleri once had no trouble hauling heavy gear up ladders. Now battling long COVID, he gingerly steps onto a treadmill to learn how his heart handles a simple walk.
Nevada governor seeks to use coronavirus federal funds for waning private school scholarships
The long-simmering debate over school choice in Nevada will hit a pivotal moment Wednesday, when the state's Interim Finance Committee decides whether to use unallocated federal money to replace dried-up funds for a private school scholarship program pushed by the Republican governor but rejected by legislative Democrats.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. are on the rise again, but not like before
Here we go again: COVID-19 hospital admissions have inched upward in the United States since early July in a small-scale echo of the three previous summers.
Maryland man convicted of COVID-19 test billing fraud scheme against insurers
An Arnold, Maryland doctor was convicted Friday for a fraud scheme in which his employees were directed to bill for high-level medical visits along with COVID-19 tests, the Justice Department announced.
Federal appeals court upholds Connecticut law that eliminated religious vaccination exemption
A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a 2021 Connecticut law that eliminated the state's longstanding religious exemption from childhood immunization requirements for schools, colleges and day care facilities.
Cyprus allows human COVID-19 medications to be used against deadly virus mutation in cats
Cyprus' veterinarians association on Friday lauded a government decision to allow its stock of human coronavirus medication to be used on cats to fight a local mutation of a feline virus that has killed thousands of animals on the Mediterranean island but can't be transmitted to people.
GOP lawmakers call for investigation into Planned Parenthood COVID-19 relief money
Republican lawmakers are demanding that Planned Parenthood be investigated for possibly falsifying or misleading the federal government in requests for COVID-19 relief money.
Census Bureau finds share of people without health insurance fell in most counties during pandemic
The share of Americans under 65 without health insurance fell in 280 counties and rose in 80 counties from 2020 to 2021 as Medicaid expanded coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau reported Thursday.
Biden, Democrats have a hate affair with the First Amendment
White House officials during the coronavirus years pressed Facebook-slash-Meta censors to strip away memes that poked fun of COVID-19 shots, according to the platform's internal documents. This White House hates the First Amendment.
Virus remains Biden focus as NIH launches long COVID trials
The National Institutes of Health on Monday said it's launching trials to test drugs and other treatments for long COVID, a mysterious condition that affects millions of people after they catch the coronavirus.
Brain fog and other long COVID symptoms are the focus of new small treatment studies
The National Institutes of Health is beginning a handful of studies to test possible treatments for long COVID, an anxiously awaited step in U.S. efforts against the mysterious condition that afflicts millions.
RFK Jr. says he's not anti-vaccine. His record shows the opposite. It's one of many inconsistencies
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic because of his strident opposition to vaccines. Yet, he insists he's not anti-vaccine. He has associated with influential people on the far right - including Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn - to raise his profile. Yet, he portrays himself as a true Democrat inheriting the mantle of the Kennedy family.
GOP bill would force DHS to reopen northern border to pre-COVID hours
GOP lawmakers announced legislation Thursday to force the Department of Homeland Security to restore northern border crossings to the hours they had before the government shuttered them for the pandemic.
Mental health treatment revenue jumped almost 50% in U.S. from 2015 to 2021
Opioid addictions and the COVID-19 pandemic jacked up the collective revenue of U.S. mental health providers from $68 billion in 2015 to $103 billion in 2021, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday.
CDC says infant homicides, fetal deaths were stable during COVID
Fetal deaths and infant homicides were stable during the early COVID-19 pandemic as live births increased nationwide, a pair of government reports has found.
Surge in young buyers boosted homeownership rate during COVID, Census Bureau finds
A wave of younger buyers drove the U.S. homeownership rate up during COVID-19, with numbers rising even higher last year than before the pandemic, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
White House creates office to target future pandemics, ongoing health threats
The White House is launching an office that will prepare for future pandemics and fight current threats such as COVID-19 and influenza.
Democrats try to halt RFK Jr. testimony before House panel
House Democrats attacked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the chief party rival to President Biden in the 2024 race, Thursday by accusing him of trading in antisemitic tropes and spurring doubts about vaccines within the Black community even though he vaccinated his own children.
Feds use pandemic fraud charges to bust Step or Die street gang
They got Al Capone on tax evasion, and now federal prosecutors have managed to bust up a Louisiana street gang by charging two dozen people with pandemic benefit fraud.
In-N-Out Burger to employees: Time to show your faces
A fast-food chain says it will ban employees from wearing masks at locations in five states unless workers can produce a medical note saying they deserve an exemption.
Biden administration cuts off Wuhan lab from U.S. funding
The Biden administration has formally barred U.S. funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and signaled it would cut off the lab permanently.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper tests positive for COVID-19 and will work remotely
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he'll keep to a lower public profile this week after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Watchdog calls for House committee to disinvite RFK Jr. after his comments blasted as antisemitic
A Democratic watchdog group has called for a U.S. House committee to rescind an invitation to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the Democratic presidential candidate was filmed falsely suggesting COVID-19 could have been "ethnically targeted" to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
Gyms enjoy post-COVID boom with older crowd joining midday workout routine, Pickleball craze
Americans are shrugging off home exercise and racing to the gym as the U.S. moves on from the pandemic, with a heavy focus on back-to-basics strength training.
Jab-averse Tucker tangles with Hutchinson over vaccine
Tucker Carlson never got the jab.
Childhood developmental disabilities spiked during COVID-19 pandemic, says CDC
Diagnosed developmental disabilities in children and teenagers soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
Growing share of teen girls visited ER for mental crises during pandemic
The number of teenage girls visiting emergency rooms for eating disorders, self-cutting and suicide attempts soared in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study has found.
Mississippi removes thousands of people from Medicaid as it examines post-pandemic eligibility
Mississippi has removed more than 29,000 people from Medicaid as the program starts reviewing who is eligible to keep coverage now that the federal government has ended a pandemic public health emergency.
Maine moves to drop COVID-19 vaccine requirement for health care workers
A COVID-19 vaccine requirement for health care workers is expected to be dropped soon in Maine, with a state agency saying the mandate met its goal of limiting the spread of the coronavirus at the pandemic's height but is no longer needed based on evolving scientific evidence.
Appeals court says Minnesota governor had authority to impose mask mandate
Gov. Tim Walz had the legal authority to mandate face masks when he declared a public health emergency in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
Woman serving life term for mom's murder sentenced to 7 more years for COVID-19 unemployment fraud
A California woman locked up for life for the first-degree murder of her mother in 2001 was sentenced Monday to seven more years for her role in a COVID-19 unemployment benefits fraud scheme.
China says 239 people died from COVID-19 in June in a significant uptick
China reported Thursday that 239 people died from COVID-19 in June in a significant uptick months after it lifted most containment measures.
Census: Biggest cities lost more than 1M day residents as commuters stayed home during pandemic
The daytime populations of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago plunged to ghost town levels as more commuters worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday.
Former Miami-Dade police officer pleads guilty to over $285,000 in COVID-19 loan fraud
A former officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud connected to his application as an employer for a Paycheck Protection Program loan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spain calls an end to COVID-19 health crisis and obligatory use of masks in hospitals, pharmacies
The Spanish government on Tuesday declared an end to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and says people no longer have to wear masks in health and care centers as well as pharmacies.
Pre-COVID death rates from drugs, guns reached 'national emergency' level, study finds
Death rates for drug overdoses, shootings and all other injuries "increased substantially" nationwide during the two decades heading into the COVID-19 pandemic, a study has found.
Chicago medical supply company owner convicted of price-gouging masks at the beginning of pandemic
A Winnetka, Illinois, medical supply company owner was convicted Friday of price-gouging N-95 masks at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recent Commentary Columns
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DOD's COVID-19 vaccine mandate: Spreading half-truths and political blame
I recently had the privilege of testifying before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic as the only witness qualified to discuss the impact of the Department of Defense's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
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National commission on COVID-19 could protect more Americans in the future
We need some sort of national reckoning with respect to COVID-19. If we don't get a firm grip on what went right and what went wrong and why, we are likely to repeat the lethal mistakes that were made.
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Big Pharma's outrageous, despicable multibillion-dollar tax dodge
Americans who earn well may have to pay as much as 37% of income in taxes each year. But not so the pharmaceuticals. For 2022, eight Big Pharma companies scooped a combined $110 billion in profits, but they only paid a combined $2 billion in U.S. taxes. That's about 2%. They exploit the free market.
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COVID 'surge,' COVID 'uptick' and leprosy -- and so it begins
Headlines are ablaze with alerts about a summertime COVID-19 "uptick," and worse, a summertime COVID-19 "surge," and as the medical experts everywhere are advising: Keep a face mask handy; stay on the COVID-19 shot schedule; listen up for lockdowns. Hmm. An important election must be coming.
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Rand Paul's heroic try to hold lyin' Fauci to the fires of accountability
Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, referred criminal charges against Anthony Fauci to the Justice Department, accusing the good doctor of outright lying -- a crime when it's done during congressional testimony -- about funding gain-of-function research at Wuhan.
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How will America handle the next pandemic?
On July 24, the World Health Organization reported that a male citizen of the United Arab Emirates had been hospitalized with MERS-CoV, a coronavirus variant with a 35% mortality rate.
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Americans started drinking more during endless COVID-19 lockdowns
When COVID-19 hit the U.S., effectively closing down all the fun places like music and sports venues, movie theaters, and even bowling alleys, Americans discovered a new hobby to pass the time: drinking.
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Face masks bans -- finally
In-N-Out, a fast-food burger franchise, sent around a notice to employees -- which was then posted by a critic of the company policy on Twitter -- that said the wearing of face masks was prohibited at work, save for those who could show a doctor's note advocating otherwise. Finally. A return to common sense.
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Climate 'hottest day' lies ratchet, and lockdowns loom again
The news cycle is filled with headlines about the "hottest day ever recorded," and the "Earth's hottest day" -- and so forth, and so on, and so we go. Make way for the spontaneous combustion of earth and with it, all of humanity, right? Not so fast. Pay your mortgage. The hysteria is based on lies.
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Judge calling Biden's COVID-19 censorship 'Orwellian' is a huge win for free speech
A U.S. District Court ruled Tuesday that the Biden administration, including the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services, cannot coerce social media companies to remove content, as it is protected free speech.
