Masks and flying: Everything you need to know about new US rules US fliers have been removing face coverings thanks to a new ruling announced on Monday. So what are the new rules? Do they apply to international travel? How safe is flying maskless? Here are the answers to some of the key questions. Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN CNN

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Cheers and fears as US ends mask mandates for travel ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge's decision to strike down a national mask mandate was met with cheers on some airplanes but also concern about whether it's really time to end one of the most visible vestiges of the COVID-19 pandemic. AP NEWS

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White House announces global COVID-19 summit in May The White House on Monday announced it would co-host a global COVID-19 summit in May, in a bid to boost efforts to vaccinate the world.   The announcement comes as efforts to fight the virus g… psullivan The Hill

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The summit, scheduled to be held virtually on May 12, will be co-hosted by the United States; Belize, chair of the Caribbean Community; Germany, the G-7 president; Indonesia, the G-20 president; and Senegal, chair of the African Union...

There's one crucial step to your Covid self-test you may be missing, experts say | CNN Self-testing for coronavirus is convenient, but keeping the results to yourself can impact more than just your community. Whether your test is positive or negative, here's what to do next. Kristen Rogers CNN

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Shanghai reports first deaths in current COVID-19 outbreak BEIJING (AP) — Shanghai authorities on Monday reported the first COVID-19 deaths in the latest outbreak in China’s most populous and wealthiest city. All three people who died were elderly, had underlying diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and had not been vaccinated against the coronavirus, city Health Commission inspector Wu Ganyu told journalists. AP NEWS

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Covid cases are on the rise, yet few precautions have come back. Why? As the BA.2 subvariant spreads, Philadelphia is the only major U.S. city reinstating its indoor mask mandate. NBC News

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New York City’s neighborhoods have been thriving in the pandemic. Should we redefine ‘comeback’? The New York Times

For several weeks now, Mayor Eric Adams has been obsessively pushing a recovery agenda hinged on the return of tens of thousands of workers to offices in Midtown and Lower Manhattan. But the weekly average of new cases in New York has more than tripled over the last month, confirming the sense that every time we decide that the pandemic is behind us, it reasserts its power to obstruct...

China's Xian imposes temporary, partial lockdown to fight Omicron flare-up The northwestern Chinese city of Xian said on Friday it will temporarily impose a partial lockdown to reduce its 13 million residents' movement, after reporting dozens of COVID-19 infections this month, as China fights a record wave of cases. Reuters Reuters

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FDA authorizes first Covid-19 breath test | CNN The US Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to the first Covid-19 test that spots chemical compounds associated with the coronavirus in breath, the agency said Thursday. Katherine Dillinger CNN

The FDA said the InspectIR Covid-19 Breathalyzer, which is about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage, can be used in medical offices and mobile testing sites. It can give results in less than three minutes...

Guatemala: As COVID misinformation spreads, vaccine doses expire Guatemala has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the Americas, as more than half the population has not had a jab. Jeff Abbott

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The lack of coordination of a Guatemalan government-led campaign to overcome vaccine hesitancy has resulted in the expiration of millions of doses across the country this year, critics have said, as more than half of the population remains unvaccinated...

Pfizer says booster in children 5-11 raises antibodies against omicron Can 5 year olds get Covid vaccine: A booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 raised antibody levels, Pfizer said. YahooNews

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The additional shot, given six months after the two-dose primary series, led to a sixfold increase in antibodies against the original strain of the coronavirus...

CDC extends travel mask requirement to May 3 as COVID rises WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is extending the nationwide mask requirement for airplanes and public transit for 15 days as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases. AP NEWS

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“In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC order will remain in place at this time,” the agency said in a statement...

WHO: COVID cases, deaths in Africa drop to lowest levels yet JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Africa have dropped to their lowest levels since the pandemic began, marking the longest decline yet seen in the disease, according to the World Health Organization. AP NEWS

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Administration extends public health emergency for 90 days - Roll Call The administration on Wednesday extended the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days, until around mid July. Roll Call

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