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
Kamala Harris announces new minimum staffing requirement for nursing homes
The federal government is for the first time requiring nursing homes to have minimum staffing levels after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed grim realities in poorly staffed facilities for older and disabled Americans.
Toxic: China clamps down on politically charged COVID origin research
Special Report: The hunt for the origins of COVID-19 has gone dark in China, the victim of political infighting after a series of stalled and thwarted attempts to find the source of the virus that killed millions and paralyzed the world for months.
Johns Hopkins-led study finds 'modest' childhood development delays during COVID
Babies and toddlers up to 5 years old experienced "modest" developmental delays during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, according to a federally funded study.
RFK: Trump got 'run over' by Fauci, does not deserve to be president
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says former President Donald Trump does not deserve another term in the White House because he got "run over" by Dr. Anthony Fauci and bowed down to bureaucrats in response to the coronavirus.
Harris to reveal final rules mandating minimum standards for nursing home staffing
The federal government will for the first time require nursing homes to have minimum staffing levels after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed grim realities in poorly staffed facilities for older and disabled Americans.
Biden administration announces new partnership with 50 countries to stifle future pandemics
President Biden's administration will help 50 countries identify and respond to infectious diseases, with the goal of preventing pandemics like the COVID-19 outbreak that suddenly halted normal life around the globe in 2020.
Feds fall short on recovering pandemic fraud; less than 1% has been clawed back
The Justice Department's pandemic fraud task force has recovered just $1.4 billion in money seized or forfeited from people who stole the government's coronavirus cash, just a fraction of 1% of the total lost to theft.
Space evaders: Pandemic-related remote work leads to vacant downtown offices, real estate panic
Remote work, a holdover from the pandemic, is leaving downtown office space empty and depressing property values even as billions in loans come due. Interest rates are sky-high. And a regional banking crisis spurred tighter lending standards, making it harder for property owners to borrow.
Study links pandemic supply chain issues to drug shortage
Supply chain issues connected to a dearth of drugs for cancer and other chronic illnesses surged at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a federally funded study found.
President of EcoHealth Alliance to testify to Congress; firm tied to risky research at Wuhan lab
The president of EcoHealth Alliance, which used taxpayer money to fund research at the Wuhan virus lab, will appear before Congress next month to defend his firm's work.
IRS claws back money given to businesses under fraud-ridden COVID-era tax credit program
The IRS says it's making progress with initiatives to claw back money improperly distributed under the Employee Retention Credit.
Supreme Court rejects fired AstraZeneca employee's appeal over refusal to take COVID-19 shot
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from a former AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals employee fired in 2022 for not taking the COVID-19 shot, which she declined on religious grounds.
Full disclosure: GOP voters likelier than Dems to report side effects from COVID vaccines
Republican voters are more likely than Democrats to report side effects after receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, a study has found.
States confront tough budget choices as federal pandemic relief dries up
States across the U.S. are in a budget crunch as billions in federal pandemic relief funds sunset at the end of the year.
Military chaplains ask Supreme Court to hear case against DOD over COVID-19 shots
A group of military clergy is asking the Supreme Court to uphold their First Amendment rights, which allow them to reject taking the COVID-19 vaccine despite orders from the Department of Defense.
Stuck at home during COVID-19, Gen Z started charities
Kate Nelson was in Los Angeles pursuing her passion for stand-up comedy and theater when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The senior at Emerson College had just spent a few hundred bucks on headshots and through her internship had made some connections at HBO.
Supreme Court weighs how far federal officials can go to combat controversial posts on hot topics
In a busy term that could set standards for free speech in the digital age, the Supreme Court on Monday is taking up a dispute between Republican-led states and the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security.
U.S. airport nasal swabbing expanding to Chicago and Miami
The nation's top public health agency is expanding a program that tests international travelers for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
New House bill would eliminate liability protections for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers
Legislation introduced Tuesday in the House would strip pharmaceutical companies of liability protections for COVID-19 vaccines.
Congress subpoenas Andrew Cuomo to testify about New York's COVID-19 nursing home deaths
A House panel called on former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to explain why he mandated nursing homes and long-term care facilities house potentially contagious and untested COVID-19 patients at the height of the pandemic.
Free at-home COVID test program to end Friday
The government will stop sending free COVID tests to American homes after Friday, the U.S. Postal Service said on its website.
Scientists discover the major culprit in long COVID cases
Researchers have pinpointed iron deficiencies as a key factor in prolonged recovery from COVID-19, commonly referred to as long COVID.
White House no longer requiring COVID-19 testing for those in contact with President Biden
The White House on Monday lifted its COVID-19 testing requirement for those who plan to be in close contact with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses, bringing to an end the last coronavirus prevention protocol at the White House.
The CDC has relaxed COVID guidelines. Will schools and day cares follow suit?
Four years after the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and upended child care, the CDC says parents can start treating the virus like other respiratory illnesses.
'Smoking gun': Scientist claims evidence COVID-19 created by researchers in Chinese lab
COVID-19 may have been intentionally created in a Chinese lab, a Rutgers University professor told the United Nations this week, and another expert says the evidence has reached "the level of a smoking gun."
CDC drops five-day quarantine period for those who have COVID
People who test positive for COVID-19 no longer have to quarantine for five days, new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say.
Report finds transfers from community colleges to 4-year schools rebounding from pandemic
Transfers from community colleges to four-year schools have started recovering from the one-two punch of the pandemic and runaway inflation.
Court dings Pelosi's pandemic vote-by-proxy scheme, rules spending bill was illegally passed
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stretched the Constitution beyond its breaking point with her pandemic-era voting rules that allowed lawmakers to vote on bills without even being present.
Pandemic karma: Fraudsters now stealing from people who stole COVID relief money
Fraudsters who bilked the U.S. of hundreds of billions of dollars in pandemic relief have found a new target: other scammers.
Study finds up to 134,395 cancer cases went undetected during COVID restrictions
Up to 134,395 cancer cases went undetected as COVID-19 restrictions kept older adults home during the first 10 months of the pandemic, according to an analysis of federal statistics published Thursday.
Supreme Court rejects challenge over docked pay for violating COVID-19 masking
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to take up a challenge from three GOP House members who had their pay docked over violating the chamber's COVID-19 mask mandate.
Study of 99 million COVID-vaccinated people finds links to brain, heart problems
In what stands as one of the most comprehensive vaccine safety studies across the globe, scientists have singled out unusual conditions that have surfaced after receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.
Urban transit agencies fear 'death spiral' as fewer people ride public transportation after COVID
Urban transit agencies are losing riders and increasingly fear the "death spiral" -- cutting rail and bus services and driving away more passengers than they have already lost since the pandemic.
D.C. restaurant visited by Biden received $600K in COVID relief. Now it's closed.
Taqueria Las Gemelas, a District restaurant that received $600,000 in pandemic stimulus money and a visit from President Biden in 2021, has sold its last taco.
Not wearing mask during COVID-19 public health emergency isn't protected speech, appeals court says
A federal appeals court shot down claims Monday that New Jersey residents' refusal to wear face masks at school board meetings during the COVID-19 outbreak constituted protected speech under the First Amendment.
Biden aides pressed Amazon on 'vaccine misinformation,' reducing 'visibility' of COVID-related books
Senior Biden administration aides summoned Amazon officials to the White House during the height of the pandemic to discuss "propaganda and misinformation" in books for sale on the retail giant's website that questioned the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
Two-thirds of hotels report staff shortages despite record wages
More than two-thirds of U.S. hotels have experienced staff shortages in 2024 despite raising wages to an all-time high since the COVID-19 pandemic, an industry survey shows.
Tumultuous economic change coming as COVID recedes
A new economy is emerging as COVID recedes. Gross domestic product and job growth are slowing as pandemic-era savings run down.
COVID shot study shows mo' myocarditis, mo' myocarditis, mo' myocarditis
A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety indicates the "COVID-19 vaccination is strongly associated with a serious adverse safety signal of myocarditis, particularly in children and young adults resulting in hospitalization and death." Ruh-roh, Scooby.
Lawmakers press Pentagon watchdog on federal funds to COVID-linked Wuhan lab
Two key lawmakers are pressing for more answers as the Pentagon inspector general prepares to investigate funding of risky virus research in China, a probe mandated under the defense authorization law signed last month by President Biden.
New York judge postpones testimony in Trump-Carroll defamation trial, citing COVID-19 scares
A New York judge on Monday postponed testimony in E. Jean Carroll's defamation case against former President Donald Trump due to COVID-19 concerns among courtroom participants.
Davos and the great 'Disease X' deception
Davos bureaucrats say the world needs to be prepared for the next pandemic -- and what they mean by that, of course, is that the world's governments need to hurry up and hand the elites in the global bodies all the power to declare, monitor, surveil and dictate all-things-next-pandemic.
GOP faults Fauci's memory in private hearing on his pandemic policies, China research
A House committee examining the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic questioned Dr. Anthony Fauci behind closed doors Monday, but lawmakers said the former chief medical adviser to the president couldn't remember many details about his advocacy of lockdowns, his flip-flopping of mask mandates and his decision to allow government funding of gain-of-function research in China that might have led to the pandemic.
Flu, COVID infections got worse over the holidays, CDC says
The flu season in the U.S. is getting worse but it's too soon to tell how much holiday gatherings contributed to a likely spike in illnesses.
Average COVID hospital stay cost more than $11,000, study finds
COVID-19 hospital admissions cost an average of $11,275 per stay in medical costs that mounted steadily during the pandemic as fewer patients died, a study has found.
Flu and COVID infections are rising and could get worse over the holidays, CDC says
Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.
China emerged from 'zero-COVID' in 2023 to confront new challenges in a changed world
China's prospects for 2024 look uncertain, as a year that opened free of COVID-19 lockdowns winds down without the dreamed of robust recovery for the world's No. 2 economy.
States trashing troves of masks and pandemic gear as huge, costly stockpiles linger and expire
When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in an unprepared U.S., states scrambled for masks and other protective gear.
As 2023 holidays dawn, face masks have settled in as an occasional feature of the American landscape
The scene: A crowded shopping center in the weeks before Christmas. Or a warehouse store. Or maybe a packed airport terminal or a commuter train station or another place where large groups gather.
They earned more than a million dollars -- and still took unemployment
The crisis days of the pandemic were easing in 2021, but plenty of people still rushed to collect unemployment, including more than 300 people the IRS says made at least $10 million in income that year.
Switch from selling COVID-19 drugs on market rather than to governments continues to sting at Pfizer
Pfizer heads into 2024 with a lower-than-expected sales forecast for its COVID-19 vaccine and treatment after weaker demand had already forced it to trim 2023 projections.
Senators demand rollback of Biden 'slush fund' rule on pandemic spending
Six Republican senators are demanding the Biden administration rescind a new rule that gives states and municipalities more time to find ways to spend billions in unused federal COVID-19 relief despite the pandemic having ended.
Tough week for Rishi Sunak as he faces grilling on COVID decisions and revolt over Rwanda plan
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces one of the toughest weeks of his 13 months in office as he's grilled by lawyers about his decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic while fending off a rebellion from lawmakers over his signature immigration policy.
White House says it will grab patents if companies set exorbitant prices for taxpayer-funded drugs
The Biden administration on Thursday said it will take control of patents for drugs that were developed with public funding but are priced too high, setting up another clash with the pharmaceutical industry.
GOP senators file bill to reinstate pilots ousted by vaccine mandate
A pair of Senate Republicans filed legislation that would reinstate airline pilots who were fired for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Students around the world suffered huge learning setbacks during the pandemic, study finds
Students around the world suffered historic setbacks in reading and math during the COVID-19 pandemic, with declines in test scores so widespread that the United States climbed in global rankings simply by falling behind less sharply, a new study finds.
Biden turns COVID-19 relief into 'slush fund' for state, local spending sprees
The Biden administration is giving states and municipalities more flexibility to hoard money from a $100 billion pot of unspent pandemic relief through 2024 after billions have been spent on golf courses, lottery prizes in New Mexico for people vaccinated for COVID-19 and legal services for asylum-seekers in Illinois.
Texas sues Pfizer over COVID-19 vaccine: 'The pandemic did not end; it got worse'
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in state district court in Lubbock County, state Attorney General Ken Paxton accused Pfizer of promoting the vaccine and its boosters by making "unsupported claims."
Anthony Fauci to testify before Congress on COVID-19 origins, U.S. pandemic response
Anthony Fauci, former chief White House medical adviser, is expected to testify before Congress early next year as part of Republicans' yearslong investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and the U.S. response to the disease.
Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' pulled until next week as host recovers from surgery
First this fall, another round with COVID-19 shuttered Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show." Now the show is again sidelined as the host recovers from a burst appendix.
Recent Commentary Columns
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Reflections on the COVID panic
Four years have passed since the fateful decision to shut down the nation over the virus that emerged from Wuhan, China.
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COVID-19 government censorship: How the medical deep state operates
If there were any doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed widespread corruption in America's health care establishment, a federal lawsuit should put it to rest.
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Post-pandemic COVID-19 vaccine distrust
An autumn chill always precedes the annual period of cold-weather maladies.
