Coronavirus

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs continue to fall amid a strong job market rebound. Jobless claims fell by 15,000 to 214,000 for the week ending March 12, down from the previous week’s 229,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. First-time applications for jobless aid generally track the pace of layoffs. The […]

While COVID-19 cases have declined, one segment of the population remains especially cautious, and that is cancer patients. In a new research study, researchers set out to learn whether the COVID-19 vaccine could prevent infection or lessen the risk of severe illness in those patients. And, WINK News Health and Medical Reporter Amy Oshier says […]

Former President Barack Obama said Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is “feeling fine” other than a scratchy throat. Both the 60-year-old Obama and his wife Michelle Obama are fully vaccinated and boosted, the former president said. Michelle Obama has tested negative. Obama said his diagnosis is “a reminder to get vaccinated […]

Slightly more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs have settled to the low, pre-pandemic levels seen before the coronavirus recession in 2020. Jobless claims rose by 11,000 to 227,000 for the week ending March 5, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week’s number was 216,000. First-time applications for jobless aid generally […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing guidance that will ease the nationwide mask mandate on airplanes, buses and other mass transit next month, according to a U.S. official, but the existing face-covering requirement will be extended through April 18. The requirement, which is enforced by the Transportation Security Administration, had been set […]

Lee Health and NCH came together to reflect on the last two years of the pandemic. With cases dropping and no known variants on the horizon, doctors and medical leaders reflected on the fight against COVID-19. A Lee Health doctor said back then he wished he had a textbook that could guide him through a […]

Major school districts around the country are allowing students into classrooms without masks for the first time in nearly two years, eliminating rules that stirred up intense fights among educators, school boards and parents throughout the pandemic. New York City became the latest school district to do away with its mask requirement Monday and Philadelphia […]

Scans and cognition tests collected from hundreds of people suggest coronavirus infection is associated with “a significant, deleterious” change in the brain, according to a study published Monday by scientists in the United Kingdom. The paper, published in the journal Nature, draws on data in the U.K. Biobank from 401 people between the ages of […]

The global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 6 million Monday — underscoring that the pandemic, now in its third year, is far from finished. The milestone is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic even as people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe. The […]

Collier County has allocated more than $7 million of the American Rescue Plan Act to help with housing affordability. This money is going to help residents with rent, mortgage, and utilities. To qualify for assistance, you’ll need proof of Collier County residency, proof that COVID-19 caused financial strain, and proof that your income is between […]