The retail giant is ending its push to have machines developed by Bossa Nova Robotics rove stores to keep track of inventory, after discovering during the coronavirus pandemic that humans can help get similar results.
Walmart Inc. has ended its effort to use roving robots in store aisles to keep track of its inventory, reversing a yearslong push to automate the task with the hulking machines after finding during the coronavirus pandemic that humans can help get similar results.
The retail giant has ended its contract with robotics company Bossa Nova Robotics Inc., with which it joined over the past five years to gradually add six-foot-tall inventory-scanning machines to stores. Walmart had made the robots a frequent topic of conversation…
In the early spring of 2020, the shortage of toilet paper and paper towels made headlines around the nation. For weeks on end, these necessary paper goods simply weren’t available on retail shelves and were even scarce online. On March 12th, the day after the World Health Organization finally declared COVID-19 an official pandemic, toilet paper sales soared 734% compared to sales on the same day one year prior.
Markets as disparate as San Diego, CA and Somerset, MA have seen recent upticks in shoppers buying paper towels and toilet paper in bulk, leaving store supplies low. At some locations, people have again begun lining up outside of stores awaiting opening times so they can stockpile these and other essential goods.
It’s 15 minutes past noon on a sunny October weekday — typically a bustling time for the food court at Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown.
But with the pandemic still raging and much of the city’s office staff working from home, the lunch counters are dark — and it’s eerily quiet.
Instead of the chattering din of a crowd, the only sound that can be heard is the whirring of the escalators rotating in a ghostly, endless loop. A sign declaring “Line Starts Here” at the end of a retractable rope at the shuttered Rosso Pizzeria stands as a mocking reminder of normal times.
Just outside, despite the unusually warm weather, the sidewalks are sparsely peppered with pedestrians.
Let’s talk: High office vacancies forcing landlords to wheel and deal, report finds
Across the street, there are no lines at McDonald’s, while the swanky Eddie Merlot’s restaurant is closed except for takeout until dinnertime. Down the street at the Sly Fox Taphouse, just two outdoor tables are occupied. There are no customers inside.
During these unsettling times, parking garages sit nearly empty, and many restaurants and businesses that rely on the regular swarm of office workers into town have been forced to close, at least temporarily.
Amid a fall surge in COVID-19 cases and with the governor’s mandate to work remotely still in force, the scene is unlikely to change any time soon.
“Closed until further notice” sign posted in a store window in the deserted Fifth Avenue Place on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, in Downtown.(Andrew Rush/Post-Gazette)
One of Pittsburgh’s signature skyscrapers, Fifth Avenue Place is the headquarters for health care giant Highmark Health, which occupies 26 floors in the now largely empty 31-story building.
“We continue to plan for a safe, phased and gradual return to work for our non-clinical employees after Jan. 1, subject to re-evaluation … as we draw closer to that date,” spokeswoman Janice Maszle said recently in an email. “The health and safety of our employees remain paramount.”
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – With restaurants and bars operating at a lower capacity because of the pandemic, not as much food and garbage is going into dumpsters. Without their usual food sources, pest control experts say the rodents are going into the suburbs to find food.
Pest control expert Dan Martin says 2020 has been busy for his pest control company, Budget Pest Control in Ross Township. He says people who live in the suburbs are calling him because they’re seeing rats and mice in their yards or basements, many for the first time
Regeneron’s anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody cocktail has significantly reduced medical visits in ambulatory COVID-19 patients. The phase 2/3 clinical trial linked REGN-COV2 to a 57% decline in medical visits associated with COVID-19 in the 29 days after treatment.
One month ago, Regeneron shared data on the first 275 patients enrolled in the study. That update, which provided early evidence that REGN-COV2 reduces viral load, set Regeneron up to apply for FDA emergency use authorization. Now, Regeneron has shared data on an additional 525 patients to further elucidate the effect of REGN-COV2 on viral load and clinical endpoints.
The primary endpoint looked at average daily change in viral load through to Day 7 of the trial. In patients with a high viral load, REGN-COV2 drove a 0.68 log10 copies/mL greater reduction than the placebo. The effect was particularly pronounced over the first five days of the trial, over which period Regeneron linked REGN-COV2 to a tenfold reduction in viral load. A smaller, but still statistically significant, difference was seen in patients with all levels of viral load at baseline.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered their countries back into lockdown on Wednesday, as a massive second wave of coronavirus infections threatened to overwhelm Europe before the winter.
World stock markets went into a dive in response to the news that Europe’s biggest economies were imposing nationwide restrictions almost as severe as the ones that drove the global economy this year into its deepest recession in generations.
“The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated,” Macron said in a televised address. “Like all our neighbours, we are submerged by the sudden acceleration of the virus.”
“We are all in the same position: overrun by a second wave which we know will be harder, more deadly than the first,” he said. “I have decided that we need to return to the lockdown which stopped the virus.”
Under the new French measures which come into force on Friday, people will be required to stay in their homes except to buy essential goods, seek medical attention, or exercise for up to one hour a day. They will be permitted to go to work if their employer deems it impossible for them to do the job from home. Schools will stay open.
The full reopening of schools in the Norwin School District has been postponed because of COVID-19 cases, Channel 11′s news exchange partners at TribLIVE reported.
For the second week in a row, the Wolf administration says it’s speaking with Westmoreland County school districts because of “substantial” community spread.
People recovering from COVID-19 may suffer significant brain function impacts, with the worst cases of the infection linked to mental decline equivalent to the brain ageing by 10 years, researchers warned on Tuesday.
During coronavirus compliance checks, state police issued one notice of violation and eight warnings to Pittsburgh-area licensed liquor establishments.
China has reported its biggest cluster of asymptomatic coronavirus cases in nearly seven months — which it uncovered during a drive to test 4.7 million people after the discovery of a single infection.
Authorities in the Kashgar area of Xinjiang went into a partial lockdown almost as soon as a 17-year-old girl who works at a garment factory tested positive during routine weekly tests, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.
By Sunday afternoon, more than 2.8 million residents had been tested — with the rest expected to be completed by Tuesday.
The initial results showed 137 positive infections, with another 26 by Monday, Xinhua said. All 163 infected were asymptomatic — the highest number since China began reporting such daily counts on April 1.
The infected teen’s immediate family all tested negative, even though the cluster of cases appeared to be based at a different factory where her parents work, the South China Post reported. Yet all 831 workers at the factory where the girl works all tested negative, the report said.
The scale and speed of the testing highlighted the dramatic push by China to stamp out the contagion. Earlier this month, the port city of Qingdao tested its entire population of 9 million after just 12 cases were detected.
Apartment rents in the D.C. area remain some of the highest in the nation — but they’re slowly coming down as landlords seek to lure tenants as people move out to Canada during the pandemic.
The Innisfil Real Estate is situated in the heart of CANADA, where one can enjoy the magnificent Canadian scenery. The spectacular views of Lake Erie and Niagara Falls are simply mesmerizing. This amazing place has a lot to offer especially to the ones who love to live close to nature. There are plenty of gated communities that are present in the area and all are home to exceptional homes. The most attractive feature about the Innisfil real estate is its gated entrances, which ensures that only the best among the many can enter at any given time.
As it stands now, D.C. ranks seventh highest among big cities for rent — averaging just over $2,100 a month across all apartment sizes in September. However, that is down 1.6% from the average rent a year ago.
Real estate firm Zillow reports that reflects what is happening in mostly large, expensive cities across the nation. Rent erosion has landlords responding to a drop in demand and rising vacancies by lowering rental rates.
The hoarding began slowly in spring as forward-thinking shoppers snapped up masks and hand sanitizer. But once Americans realized the pandemic was serious, they emptied stores of just about everything, from toilet paper to canned soup.
With an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases this fall, panic buying could return as worries of a second lockdown spread. Retailers say they’re already seeing the signs and are hopeful they’ll be ready.
Delta Airlines is grounding hundreds of its fliers — because they refused to wear masks.The airline told employees on Thursday that it has added 460 passengers who refused to mask-up to a
Several residents at a North Huntingdon care facility tested positive for covid-19 this month, officials announced Wednesday night.
Transitions Healthcare posted on their Facebook page that 60 residents had contracted coronavirus in October. Nine of those residents have since recovered and officials said they “anticipate and hope that 51 of the residents will be resolved of all symptoms as of next week.”
Officials at the facility, located on Barnes Lake Road, were not available for comment early Thursday morning.
According to their Facebook post, the cases were discovered following required weekly testing, a measure that was put in place as coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County began to increase. Tests were previously conducted monthly.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf plans to visit Pittsburgh Thursday to announce additional support for the restaurant and bar industry amid the COVID
Wolf will be joined by state Reps. Dan Deasy, Ed Gainey and Jake Wheatley, as well as state Sen. Wayne Fontana, when he makes the announcement on Thursday afternoon
According to a news release, it’s expected the governor will discuss the challenges faced by the restaurant and bar industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that he and the lawmakers joining him will announce a new plan to provide support to the industry.
The district said it was notified at 1 p.m. Tuesday that one additional high school student and one additional middle school student tested positive for COVID-19.
The district said a total of 12 high school students have tested positive since Monday, Oct. 12.
The high school will reopen on Monday, Oct. 26 for students of group “A.”
The district said free meals can continue to be picked up at the high school between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily. High school athletics are canceled for the remainder of this week.
Click here to read the full letter from the district.
Elementary parents, please follow this link to access a survey indicating if you would like your child to receive a
district-issued Chromebook for remote instruction. Please complete this form no later than Friday, October 23,
2020, by 4:00 PM so that Chromebooks can be prepared for distribution in the event of remote instruction.
State and local health officials have not pointed to any events or activities as the reason behind the current surge in cases.
GREENSBURG, Pa. —
With 86 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday, Westmoreland County is continuing to see its largest surge in cases since the pandemic began.
The county has averaged a daily total of more than 65 cases for the past week. The state Department of Health is also reporting 35 people are hospitalized in the county, with four people requiring ventilators.
State and local health officials have not pointed to any events or activities as the reason behind the current surge in cases.
“I think people let their guard down,” said Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer for Excela Health. “I think we went through a phase where there were not a lot of positive cases, and individuals felt more comfortable being without their mask.”
Fox said right now there are no concerns about hospital capacity within the Excela Health system, adding that many cases are not severe.
“We do have less individuals requiring ventilators and intensive care units,” Fox said. “That being said, they are sick enough to be in the hospital and that’s something to be concerned about.”
COVID-19 cases have impacted more than a half dozen school districts in Westmoreland County and outbreaks are currently ongoing at Westmoreland Manor senior care center and the Westmoreland County prison.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to unveil new coronavirus measures on Monday to fight the pandemic in the country.
Johnson plans to announce new COVID-19 protocols that will further involve local leaders, particularly from northern England which has been impacted by a recent increase in cases, Reuters reported.
The U.K. government plans to unveil a tier system to make coronavirus restrictions easier to understand after some in Johnson’s Conservative party have alleged the confusing messaging has led to the rise in cases.
The prime minister is hesitant to call for another national lockdown as the U.K. economy is still attempting to recover from the spring lockdown. The boost in cases leaves Johnson to balance between controlling the surge and limiting the economic effects of any restrictions. England’s deputy chief medical official said the U.K. is at a “tipping point,” and officials need to take action now to prevent a rising death toll, according to Reuters. Britain’s housing minister Robert Jenrick declined to detail Johnson’s expected announcement to Sky News beyond saying it will focus on local areas where “the virus is very strong.” He said the announcement will bring local leaders more involved with contract tracing and will release new guidance about traveling.
New restrictions in Moscow. Deaths surpass 22,000. Vaccine race.
Oct. 10: What you need to know today
Russia confirmed 12,846 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,285,084.
Russia has carried out more than 500,000 coronavirus tests in a single day for the first time since the start of the pandemic, consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said Friday.
Starting Monday, Moscow employers will be required to transfer 30% of their employees to remote work through Oct. 28 due to the city’s coronavirus situation. Workers over the age of 65 and those suffering from chronic diseases will also be required to work remotely. Workers at medical institutions, defense agencies, Rosatom and Roscosmos are exempt from the new rules.
Three inmates at Westmoreland County Prison have tested positive for coronavirus, in addition to the two prison employees whose positive tests were announced Wednesday.The three inmates were from the same unit, and have been quarantined, according to the county.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecast that combines the data from dozens of independent models predicts US deaths from Covid-19 could reach 233,000 by the end of the month.
Two guards at the Westmoreland County Prison tested positive for coronavirus and the Hempfield jail was placed on lockdown status Wednesday.
“The prison continues to follow all appropriate and currently recommended protocols to mitigate the spread of covid-19 to keep the employees and prison population safe,” according to a statement released by county commissioners.
Officials said both guards reported their positive tests on Wednesday. One had not been at the jail since Sept. 24 and the other was last at the facility on Oct. 3.
Wednesday’s cases were the first infections among the jail staff.
The Trump campaign is reportedly “exploring” a visit to Pittsburgh next week.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Reports say this potential visit from President Donald Trump would not be a rally, where typically hundreds or even thousands could be in attendance.
But the possibility of the president being here, while still having the coronavirus, is not sitting well with some local leaders.
Here’s what a New York Times reporter tweeted last night:
Mayor Bill Peduto responded on Twitter, as well.
Mayor Peduto’s assumption is correct.
However, according to the CDC, if you think or know you had COVID-19, you can be around others after 10 days since symptoms first appeared, have had 24 hours with no fever without the use of medications and you find other symptoms of the virus are improving.
On Wednesday, Sean Conley, President Trump’s doctor said the 74-year-old has been fever-free for more than four days and symptom-free for over 24 hours.
At this point, the Trump campaign has not publicly announced a visit to the city.
We’re also hearing from County Executive Rich Fitzgerald about the President possibly stopping by.
President Trump’s physician released a memo early Friday in which he said he expects the commander-in-chief “to continue carrying out his duties without disruption.”
“This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Dr. Sean Conley wrote.
“The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,” he continued.
A viral video capturing comments between Rep. Wendy Ullman and Gov. Tom Wolf Wednesday caught backlash online from Eric Trump and conservative groups.
An exchange between Gov. Tom Wolf and a state House member from Bucks County on Tuesday went viral on social media, drawing the ire of Republican groups and even garnering national attention courtesy of Eric Trump.
The state livestream includes audio of Rep. Wendy Ullman, D-143, of Plumstead, referring to keeping her face mask on while at the podium before and removing it to speak as “political theater” at a press conference in Doylestown Borough.
“Wendy, I’m going to, I’m going to take my mask off before I speak,” Wolf is heard saying to Ullman before her remarks. It was picked up by a microphone at the podium.
“I will as well. I’m waiting so we can do a little political theater,” Ullman responded, laughing with Wolf after she spoke and then returning to the microphone with her mask still on.
The 19-second clip spread online Tuesday afternoon through tweets like one from the Young Republican National Confederation, one video gaining more than 850,000 views by Wednesday morning.
Just an hour before the first Presidential Debate began at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Eric Trump shared the Young Republicans’ tweet, which was then shared by nearly 30,000 people over night.
“While ‘political theatre’ may not have been the best turn of phrase, I’m not going to apologize for wearing a mask,” Ullman said in a statement to this news organization Wednesday afternoon after this story was published online.
Ullman added that wearing a mask on camera should be viewed as setting an example for Pennsylvanians to wear a mask and treat the coronavirus seriously.
Chinese state media has continued its attacks on its rivals over their handling of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, predicting that continued failure to deal with the virus will bring a painful winter wave of new infections and deaths.
The pandemic originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the start of this year, spreading worldwide and to date claiming more than 1 million lives. China was able to bring its own outbreak under control through strict population control measures, but was unable to stop the virus spreading beyond its borders.
Nationalistic Chinese state media has celebrated Beijing’s success and maligned its rivals’ efforts to fight the spread of the disease. State media has been at the forefront of China’s propaganda push to avoid blame for the pandemic and reject accusations that Beijing covered up the severity of the outbreak and failed to adequately warn the international community.
The retail giant is ending its push to have machines developed by Bossa Nova Robotics rove stores to keep track of inventory, after discovering during the coronavirus pandemic that humans can help get similar results.
