In this April 8, 2021, file photo, a woman at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, receives a dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and provided through the global COVAX initiative. COVAX is providing vaccines to countries lacking the clout to negotiate on their own for scarce supplies, but […]
Category: Coronavirus
Posted inOPINION
OP-ED: COVID-19 testing and Black America
Getting tested for important health issues – and understanding the results – empowers people to make informed and sometimes critical healthcare decisions. In fact, 70% of medical decisions are based on results from diagnostic tests. NNPA NEWSWIRE — According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, a majority of Black Americans (61%) now […]
Posted inCoronavirus
City residents, officials voice concerns about equitable vaccine distribution
Covid-19 vaccine packs. (By Skorzewiak_Shutterstock) By Sean Yoes AFRO Senior Reporter syoes@afro.com After several weeks of decreasing numbers in COVID-19 cases and deaths, the numbers in recent days have begun to creep up again. This, perhaps, indicates the possibility of another deadly surge according to several medical and science experts. Those fears make vaccination distribution […]
Posted inCoronavirus
FEMA offers assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses
By Daryl Moore Special to the AFRO Starting April 12, 2021, FEMA will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses through its dedicated call center. To be eligible, the funeral expenses must have been incurred after Jan. 20, 2020 and must meet certain other requirements outlined on the website. Welcome news to be sure. Victor […]
Posted inNEWS
United Ways in Maryland extend deadline to April 12 for statewide Covid-19 survey
United Ways in Maryland Launch COVID-19 Survey to Better Assess Community Needs Baltimore, Md. (March 15, 2021) – United Ways in Maryland today announced a joint effort to survey families affected by the pandemic throughout the state. The COVID-19 Survey will aim to gather information from residents about how their employment, housing and basic needs have […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
As states expand vaccines, prisoners still lack access
In this Jan. 4, 2021, file photo, a red tag hangs on a cell door, signifying an active COVID-19 case for its inhabitants at Faribault Prison, in Faribault, Minn. Fewer than 20 percent of state and federal prisoners have received a COVID-19 vaccine, according to data collected by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press. […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Federal low-income housing grant doubles in size this year
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge speaks at a press briefing at the White House, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) By ASHRAF KHALIL, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Thanks to a coronavirus pandemic-fueled mortgage boom, states will get nearly $700 million in federal grants from a special program for low-income […]
Posted inReligion
Hymns through masks: Christians mark another pandemic Easter
Apostolic Pentecostals celebrate Easter in field in the Johannesburg township of Soweto Sunday April 4, 2021. Such South African independent church consist of small groups of worshippers mixing African traditions and bible study. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) By Frances D’Emilio The Associated Press Christianity’s most joyous feast day was celebrated worldwide with the faithful spaced apart […]
Posted inOPINION
OP-ED: The American Rescue Plan — Changing the course of the Pandemic for all Americans
We will continue fighting to ensure that, in the short term, Black communities have access to all the tools necessary to recover from the economic and personal devastation wrought by this pandemic; and in the long term, address the impacts of historic disparate treatment against communities of color. NNPA NEWSWIRE — The American Rescue Plan […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Expansive COVID-19 bill advancing in Maryland Legislature
A COVID-19 vaccine is administered to a nursing home resident Dec. 23, 2020. (Maryland GovPics) By Callan Tansill-Suddath Capital News Service A bill that would require the Maryland Department of Health to create and implement a two-year plan for COVID-19 recovery by June 1, among other measures, is nearing passage in the Maryland General Assembly. […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Gerontological Society CEO: How to land a Covid vaccine appt
Gerontological Society of America (Courtesy Photo) Five tips for securing Covid-19 vaccine appointments By James C. Appleby In the United States, more than eight in 10 Covid-19 deaths have occurred among those of us aged 65 or above. This sobering statistic sheds light on just how devastating this pandemic has been for older Americans, and […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine protects younger teens
Vaccinating children of all ages will be critical to stopping the pandemic and helping schools, at least the upper grades, start to look a little more normal after months of disruption. (Courtesy of unsplash) By Lauran Neegraard and Matthew Perrone Associated Press Pfizer announced March 31 that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective […]