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Veterans Of Any Age Can Get The COVID-19 Vaccine Through Pittsburgh’s VA Health Care System

Keith Srakocic
/
AP
The exterior of the Veterans Affairs hospital in Pittsburgh.

Veterans of any age can contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to see if they’re qualified to receive a shot through the system. Kiley Koscinski reports eligible veterans can book vaccine appointments at 1 of 7 Pittsburgh-area locations.

A clinic at the medical center on University Drive in Oakland is offering walk-up vaccinations for veterans on weekdays, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The VA says it will offer the Pfizer vaccine at the majority of appointments.

PPS to outline how students will return at meeting tonight

This evening, Pittsburgh Public Schools officials will outline how the district will begin allowing students back into the classroom. Kiley Koscinski reports the reopening is expected to take place over the course of four phases.

The phases prioritize students with the highest level of need, such as Pre-K and Kindergarten students, as well as those who have not shown progress in remote learning. The earliest some students could return to in-person classes is Tuesday, April 6th.

In Pennsylvania, 100,000 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19

The vaccinations are part of the state’s initiative to reach Pennsylvania’s teachers and school staff. They’ve taken place over the last two weeks with one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

Gov. Tom Wolf estimates there are about 200-thousand educators and staff within Pennsylvania's schools. But it’s not clear how many of those people may have been vaccinated before the initiative due to a qualifying condition under phase 1A.

Highmark Health maintains strong balance sheet throughout the pandemic

The company reported $18 billion in revenue and an operating gain of $490 million for the year 2020. CEO David Holmberg says telehealth will continue to be part of the company’s growth strategy moving forward.

“This is a very powerful tool to be able to take cost out of the health care system,” Holmberg said. “As we do more virtually, we need less brick and mortar.”

Allegheny Health Network, a subsidiary of Highmark Health, reported an operating loss of $136 million for 2020. Company officials cite decreases in patient volume across the health care sector as a primary cause for the drop.

Latest numbers:

Allegheny County:

  • 364 new cases
  • No new deaths

Pennsylvania:

  • 3,515 new cases
  • 1,577 hospitalizations
  • 335 patients in the ICU
  • 39 new deaths
  • 1,567,116 people fully vaccinated

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