New COVID-19 variant found in Vietnam is hybrid of India, UK strains

Vietnam's health minister said the new variant could be responsible for a recent surge, which has spread to 30 of the country’s 63 municipalities and provinces.

Facebook ends ban on posts claiming COVID-19 is man-made

Facebook will no longer ban posts suggesting COVID-19 was man-made amid mounting calls to further investigate the pandemic’s origins, marking a reversal for the social media giant.

Workers slowly trickle into offices as state meets vaccination benchmark

After 55 percent of Michiganders received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the *Vacc to Normal* plan allows people working from home during the pandemic to return to in-person work two weeks after the benchmark is met.

Teen saves toddler from drowning at pool party

Randy Brown, a Henry County 13-year-old, saved a 2-year-old boy whose body was spotted by the child's mother at the bottom of a pool.

When do I still need to wear a mask?

Whether you still need to wear a mask depends mostly on whether or not you're vaccinated.

Store mask policies: Best Buy, Lowe's, Walgreens, ALDI say masks optional for vaccinated customers

Walgreens, Aldi, Best Buy, Kohl's and Lowe's are the latest retailers to change course and drop face mask requirements for vaccinated customers after the CDC changed its guidance last week.

Monthly child tax credit payments to begin July 15, officials say

Nearly 88% of U.S. children are set to receive the monthly benefits under the expanded child tax credit without their parents needing to take any additional action, administration officials said.

CDC to ease indoor COVID-19 mask requirements for fully vaccinated people

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday will ease indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places, according to a person briefed on the announcement.

'Stressed' Italian nurse accidentally gives 4 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in single shot

Italian health authorities initially said the woman had received six doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but later clarified that it had actually been four doses, according to news reports.

Chamber of Commerce calls for end to enhanced jobless aid

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is calling for Washington to immediately stop paying out-of-work Americans an extra $300 a week in unemployment benefits, saying the boost in government aid is giving some recipients less incentive to look for work.

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine effective against worrisome coronavirus variants, studies find

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was found to be highly effective at protecting against infection, severe disease and death in two new studies published this week out of Israel and Qatar.

Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine appears safe, 96% effective in teens 12-17

Recent data from an ongoing trial of Moderna’s vaccine in teenagers found that it was 96% effective against COVID-19, and no serious safety concerns were present, according to the company.

Woman who survived Holocaust, pandemic celebrates 100th birthday

A Long Island woman, who was born as the world was recovering from the last pandemic in the 1920s and escaped Nazi Germany, is now celebrating her 100th birthday.