Quincy, MA
Police & Fire
Friends, Family Of Ana Walshe Face Grim Reality As Husband Faces Murder Charges Friends, Family Of Ana Walshe Face Grim Reality As Husband Faces Murder Charges
Friends, Family Of Ana Walshe Face Grim Reality As Husband Faces Murder Charges Ana Walshe disappeared early on New Year's Day, and while her family and friends have held out hope, as the weeks have passed and evidence mounts against her husband, they are forced to face a grim truth. They will likely never see her again.  Norfolk County prosecutors charged Brian Walshe, 47, with Ana Walshe's murder and explained during his arraignment on Wednesday that he likely killed and dismembered her body. Police have found blood in their Cohasset basement, a bloody hatchet, blood on several trash bags, and her Covid-19 vaccination card, authorities have said.  They also found Bri…

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by Josh Lanier
Rivertowns, NY
News
COVID-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns COVID-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns
Covid-19: 'Kraken' Subvariant XBB.1.5 Gaining More Ground Nationally, CDC Warns Omicron strain called XBB.1.5 which accounts for a large majority of COVID-19 cases from the New York tristate area through New England, is gaining more ground nationally. Nicknamed the "Kraken" subvariant, it now makes up 43 percent of cases nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  "XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible form of COVID-19 that we know of to date and may be more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or already had COVID-19," the CDC said in a statement posted on Twitter on Friday, Jan. 13. According to updated CDC data released …

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by Joe Lombardi
White Plains, NY
News
COVID-19: Subvariant XBB Rapidly Spreading Statewide, Prompting NY Health Department Warning COVID-19: Subvariant XBB Rapidly Spreading Statewide, Prompting NY Health Department Warning
Covid-19: Subvariant XBB Rapidly Spreading Statewide, Prompting NY Health Department Warning As the new COVID-19 variant named XBB.1.5 rapidly spreads through New York, officials are urging people to receive their booster shots to protect themselves.  Earlier Report - COVID-19: Subvariant XBB Accounts For 70% Of Tristate NY Cases, Sparking Concerns Of New Wave The variant, which spreads more quickly than other currently circulating strains of the virus, is already making up more than 50 percent of cases in the state, making it the predominant strain, according to the New York Department of Health.  Although it is not yet clear if the XBB.1.5 variant is more se…

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by Ben Crnic
Newburgh, NY
News
Polio Detected In Hudson Valley Wastewater For First Time In Weeks Polio Detected In Hudson Valley Wastewater For First Time In Weeks
Polio Detected In Hudson Valley Wastewater For First Time In Weeks For the first time in weeks, polio has been detected in wastewater in New York. Testing done in December 2022 revealed two new positive samples in Orange County, the Department of Health announced Friday, Jan. 6. Related Report: NY Declares Polio State Of Emergency After Virus Found In Wastewater On Long Island Health officials said the samples are genetically linked to the case of paralytic polio that was identified in Rockland County in July 2022, which marked the first time the disease had been seen in the United States in nearly a decade. In our latest polio wastewater report, 2 …

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by Michael Mashburn
Dorchester, MA
News
Mask Mandate Follows Suffolk County's 'High' COVID Rating Mask Mandate Follows Suffolk County's 'High' COVID Rating
Mask Mandate Follows Suffolk County's 'High' COVID Rating College students in Boston may be having flashbacks to 2020, as soaring COVID-19 infections are causing a reinstatement of mask regulations.  The current COVID-19 community level for Suffolk county is "high," according the the CDC COVID Data Tracker. The case rate per 100,000 residents is 138.7, as of Thursday, Jan. 5. The spike may be the reason behind the University of Massachusetts Boston's decision to reinstate a mask regulation.  Masks will be required indoors beginning Monday, Jan. 9, the university said in an online message. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to monitor the…

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by Morgan Gonzales
White Plains, NY
News
COVID-19: Here's When Boosters For Infants, Toddlers Will Be Offered By Westchester County COVID-19: Here's When Boosters For Infants, Toddlers Will Be Offered By Westchester County
Covid-19: Here's When Boosters For Infants, Toddlers Will Be Offered By Westchester County As cases of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 rise, Westchester County is offering booster shots for young infants and toddlers.  The county began offering Bivalent COVID-19 boosters for children aged 6 months to 3 years old on Friday, Jan. 6, according to county officials.  Related Story - COVID-19: Subvariant XBB Accounts For 70% Of Tristate NY Cases, Sparking Concerns Of New Wave The boosters will be available by appointment on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the County Clinic in White Plains located at 134 Court St. Children who have already received their…

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by Ben Crnic
Brentwood, NY
News
COVID-19: Cases Rising On Long Island, Wastewater Testing Reveals COVID-19: Cases Rising On Long Island, Wastewater Testing Reveals
Covid-19: Cases Rising On Long Island, Wastewater Testing Reveals State leaders are urging people to take precautions ahead of holiday gatherings as new data shows COVID-19 cases are rising on Long Island. Wastewater testing shows that COVID-19 cases are climbing in Suffolk County, the county’s health department revealed Thursday, Dec. 22. Testing found “substantial to high” levels of the virus at sewage treatment plants near Babylon, Gordon Heights, and Mount Sinai, according to a graphic shared by the health department on Twitter. COVID-19 Alert: Wastewater surveillance has indicated COVID-19 is rising in Suffolk County. Increases in wastewater ca…

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by Michael Mashburn
New Haven, CT
News
Child From CT Dies Of Flu In State's First Pediatric Fatality Of Season Child From CT Dies Of Flu In State's First Pediatric Fatality Of Season
Child From CT Dies Of Flu In State's First Pediatric Fatality Of Season Health officials confirmed that a child from Connecticut has died of influenza. The child, a resident of New Haven County, died in December in what is the first pediatric influenza death in the state this flu season, the Connecticut Department of Public Health said. Officials said the child was between the ages of less than a year old and 9 years old. They did not report the child's exact age. “The flu continues to circulate and is particularly dangerous to the very youngest and the oldest people in your life,” DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani said. “The holidays are just around the corner…

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by Nicole Valinote
Mahopac, NY
News
Get Vaccinated: Influenza Cases Jump 'Dramatically' In Hudson Valley, Health Department Says Get Vaccinated: Influenza Cases Jump 'Dramatically' In Hudson Valley, Health Department Says
Get Vaccinated: Influenza Cases Jump 'Dramatically' In Hudson Valley, Health Department Says A Hudson Valley Health Department is urging folks to receive their vaccinations as cases of respiratory viruses skyrocket.  Cases of influenza have jumped "dramatically" for the second straight week in Putnam County, with 404 reported cases between Sunday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Dec. 3, compared to 186 cases the previous week, according to the Putnam County Health Department.  Half of the reported cases are children aged 5 to 17, health department officials said.  Additionally, the department is reporting an increase in COVID-19 cases in Putnam County, with 267 reported cases reported the …

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by Ben Crnic
Massapequa, NY
News
CDC Encouraging Americans To Mask Up For The Holidays Amid Tripledemic Of COVID-19, Flu, RSV CDC Encouraging Americans To Mask Up For The Holidays Amid Tripledemic Of COVID-19, Flu, RSV
CDC Encouraging Americans To Mask Up For The Holidays Amid Tripledemic Of Covid-19, Flu, RSV The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging Americans to wear masks during the holiday season to help prevent the spread of the so-called tripledemic of COVID-19, influenza, and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It's especially important for people living in areas with high levels of COVID transmission to mask up, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Monday, Dec. 5. “The past several years have certainly not been easy, and we now face yet another surge of ailments, another moment of overstretched capacity, and really one of tragic and often preventab…

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by Joe Lombardi
Dorchester, MA
Business
Massachusetts Residents Can Get $75 For Getting Vaccinated, Boosted: Report Massachusetts Residents Can Get $75 For Getting Vaccinated, Boosted: Report
Massachusetts Residents Can Get $75 For Getting Vaccinated, Boosted: Report COVID-19 vaccinations can help prevent hospitalizations and death, and now they also get you a $75 gift card. As part of a program called Get Boosted, Massachusetts residents can receive a gift card to local retailers now through Dec. 31 when they receive a first or second dose of the COVID vaccine, or a booster, while supplies last. The program is designed to improve vaccine access in communities that are most affected by COVID, working with the Vaccine Equity Initiative to target high-need areas with the lowest booster rates and highest BIPOC populations. The Vaccine Equity Initiative…

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by Morgan Gonzales
Drexel Hill-Upper Darby, PA
News
CDC To Test Philly Wastewater For Polio Virus CDC To Test Philly Wastewater For Polio Virus
CDC To Test Philly Wastewater For Polio Virus The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are partnering with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to collect and test wastewater for the polio virus, officials say.  In a statement on Wednesday, Nov. 30, the CDC said Philadelphia is one of several communities taking part in wastewater analysis testing. The findings will help public health officials identify "communities of concern" which may be at risk for contracting polio, and will guide their future vaccination efforts, the agency said.  Polio has resurfaced as a public health concern since July, when officials in…

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by Mac Bullock