Nirav Shah, director of Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will be second in command at the U.S. CDC starting next month.

The Biden administration had previously considered ending the emergency last year, but held off amid concerns about a potential 'winter surge' in cases.

The Food and Drug Administration asked its scientific advisers Thursday to help lay the groundwork for switching to once-a-year boosters for most Americans.

U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot.

Hong Kong, which once had some of the world's strictest COVID-19 rules, has been easing various restrictions to revive its economy.

The state is one of the most vaccinated in the country, but nursing home residents are far more updated for the latest shot than those who care for them.

Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, said a wall of immunity should help prevent the outbreaks experienced last winter.

A record 104,000 people missed work in October 2022 because of child care problems, surpassing early pandemic levels.

The U.S., Japan and some other countries are requiring travelers from China to show a negative test before allowing them to enter, and Taiwan has said it will quarantine positive cases.

EU health officials promise to continue talks on seeking a common approach.

Meanwhile, Japan announces restrictions on visitors from the country as infections surge.

MaineHealth is participating in a national study of long COVID patients that many hope will lead to cures.

Biden ultimately accepted Republican demands in order to win passage of the legislation agreeing with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that lifting the mandate was not in the best interests of the military.

Maine reported 3,275 new cases of flu on Tuesday.

Doctors and other experts say the problem could persist through the winter cold-and-flu season but should not last as long as other recent shortages of baby formula.

There will be several events around southern Maine during the eight-day holiday, which begins at sundown on Sunday.

Since the pandemic began, employment of people with disabilities is up nearly 25%, to more than 7.3 million workers last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

COVID-19 cases have shown a marked increase after Thanksgiving, and further increases are projected from Christmas and New Year's.

But the nation is seeing a rapid rise in new infections, raising concerns that its health system could be overwhelmed.

Hospitalizations for people with COVID-19 rose by more than 30% in two weeks.

Over 26 million people in Shanghai were confined for two months in one of the country's strictest and most visible lockdowns.

The accelerated pace reflects pressure on President Xi Jinping to chart a path out of the crisis and quell public discontent.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that President Biden told House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy he would consider lifting the mandate.

Children ages 6 months through 4 years already are supposed to get three extra-small doses of the original Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Maine is seeing an increase in influenza cases and hospitalizations.

Congress may consider legislation this coming week to end the mandate as a requirement to gather enough support to pass this years’ defense budget, which is already two months late.

Public health officials say its termination could lead to more false claims about the virus or the efficacy of vaccines.

Chinese authorities have eased some anti-virus rules but affirmed their severe 'zero COVID' strategy after protesters demanded President Xi Jinping resign in the biggest show of opposition to the ruling Communist Party in decades

Nationally, new COVID cases averaged around 39,300 a day as of Tuesday – far lower than last winter but a vast undercount because of reduced testing and reporting.

The drop comes as hospitals are packed with RSV patients and facing a difficult influenza season.

Every Maine household is eligible to receive a free, at-home COVID-19 test kit every month. Each kit contains five rapid tests.

COVID isn’t the only threat young children face this fall and winter. U.S. health systems and children’s hospitals are currently grappling with a wave of respiratory viruses.

Reports of flu are already high in 17 states, and the hospitalization rate hasn’t been this high this early since the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

Work on the city's proposed new comprehensive plan, a 260-page document that guides decisions affecting the city, was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public health experts are fretting about a "tri-demic" where RSV, influenza and COVID-19 strain the health care system.

The Chinese city of Shanghai has started administering an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine in what appears to be a world first.

The first comprehensive look at how the nation's students are faring after two years of pandemic learning shows decades of academic progress erased – in Maine and nationwide.

Still, many people are expected to continue receive it for free once the U.S. government stops buying the shots, the drugmaker says.

'One piece of the puzzle': Ten months since Maine launched its wastewater surveillance program, experts are still figuring out the best way to use the data.

The $25 million is the latest in a series of payouts included in the state's supplemental budget approved in April.

The crisis has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women.

But less than a third of 5- to 11-year-olds would qualify.

The results show a decline in preparedness for college-level coursework.

There is no substitute for gathering in person – it can knit us, emotionally, as one.

But public health experts say increased vaccinations and access to treatments mean the situation is not as dire as last winter.

The average cost of an online, remote screening for COVID-19 was $55 in the state.

Supplies are sufficient, and demand is brisk, experts say.

The 'Today" show weatherman is feeling fine, with just mild symptoms according to host Koda Kotb.

Households can now order 1 free COVID-19 test kit per month.

The few cafes, stores and venues in Portland that still require masks say it's to protect their staff and put concerned customers at ease.