Tom Howell Jr.

White House sending 25M masks to health centers and food banks to fight COVID-19

The Biden administration said Wednesday it will send 25 million masks to health centers and tens of thousands of food pantries and soup kitchens between March and May as part of the COVID-19 fight.

February 24, 2021

FDA: J&J one-shot COVID-19 vaccine meets standards

The Food and Drug Administration endorsed a single-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson for emergency use in a staff report issued Wednesday, putting the U.S. on track to having a third weapon in the COVID-19 fight by next week.

February 24, 2021

Massive COVID-19 vaccine-sharing push kicks off in Ghana as part of COVAX program

A shipment of 600,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses landed in Ghana on Wednesday, kicking off a global effort to supply 2 billion shots to countries that risk being nudged aside by wealthy nations who secured early doses from drugmakers.

February 24, 2021

U.S. leads in rolling out COVID-19 vaccine with 1 in 20 fully protected

The U.S. is a global leader in rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine, with 1 in 20 Americans fully protected, but its record on controlling the virus is mixed compared to global powers and Western peers.

February 23, 2021

Biden, Trudeau lavish praise upon each other in Zoom bilateral

President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged Tuesday to unite in fighting COVID-19, but the United States' northern neighbor is being left behind in a key way -- despite buying enough doses to vaccinate its population several times over, it is a global laggard in getting shots in arms.

February 23, 2021

Xavier Becerra hope to avoid fate of OMB pick Neera Tanden by rallying Democrats

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Tuesday he will help President Biden build on Obamacare and confront the "enormous challenges" of the COVID-19 pandemic if he's confirmed as health secretary, as he sought to lock down the Democratic votes needed to stiff-arm vocal GOP opposition.

February 23, 2021

Joe Biden memorializes 500,000 Americans killed by coronavirus

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday memorialized the half-million Americans killed by the coronavirus, a staggering toll that eclipses U.S. combat deaths from major wars of the 20th century.

February 22, 2021

COVID-19 deaths surpass 500K in U.S.

President Biden ordered the White House flag lowered to half-staff late Monday as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 exceeded 500,000.

February 22, 2021

White House on COVID-19 toll: Flags to fly at half-staff for five days

President Biden on Monday will order American flags on federal property to be lowered to half-staff for five days as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 nears 500,000.

February 22, 2021

Joe Biden, at Michigan plant, says U.S. is on track to surpass 100 million vaccinations in 100 days

President Biden said Friday that the country is on track to surpass his goal of getting 100 million coronavirus vaccines administered in his first 100 days in office.

February 19, 2021

White House: Summer school, proposed by Biden, up to local districts

The White House said summer school could be a possibility if districts decide it's needed to help children whose routines were upended by COVID-19.

February 17, 2021

White House invests $1.6 billion in virus testing, sequencing

The White House said Wednesday it is investing $1.6 billion to keep America's eyes on the coronavirus, including an expansion of testing in schools and sequencing efforts that can spot fast-moving variants.

February 17, 2021

Dr. Anthony Fauci: Studies show vaccinated persons less likely to transmit the coronavirus

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday evidence is growing that people who receive COVID-19 vaccines will not only be protected from disease but also will be less likely to spread the pathogen to others.

February 17, 2021

Joe Biden vows vaccines available for all Americans by midsummer

President Biden on Tuesday said any American who wants a vaccine should be able to get one by midsummer, setting a clear marker for the immunization campaign that will define the first year of his presidency.

February 16, 2021

Winter storm upends coronavirus vaccine rollout

A massive winter storm is disrupting the U.S. coronavirus vaccine rollout, with governors in hard-hit states postponing appointments and others facing delays in weekly shipments despite recent progress in getting shots into arms.

February 16, 2021

White House commits to fighting Ebola in Guinea

The White House said Tuesday it will do "everything in its power" to ensure a new Ebola outbreak in West Africa doesn't spread within the region or world at large.

February 16, 2021

Feds increase COVID-19 vaccine shipments to pharmacies, states; rollout disrupted by storms

The White House on Tuesday said a federal pharmacy program will receive 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine week, or double the 1 million dispatched to launch the direct-to-drugstores initiative last week.

February 16, 2021

Massachusetts companion rule for COVID-19 vaccines sparks concerns

Massachusetts is rolling out a plan to get more of its seniors vaccinated for COVID-19 — a caregiver who brings someone 75 and older to mass-vaccination sites like Fenway Park can get their own shot during the visit.

February 15, 2021

WH launching $50M Obamacare awareness campaign

The Biden administration will launch a $50 million awareness campaign to advertise a special Obamacare enrollment period that begins on Monday.

February 12, 2021

Biden lauds scientists for rapid vaccine development, chides Trump for slow distribution

President Biden praised National Institutes of Health scientists Thursday for their sacrifice in developing COVID-19 vaccines while taking several jabs at former President Donald Trump, who presided over the lightning-fast development of the shots.

February 11, 2021