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New Jersey man charged with stealing N95 masks from health care workers

Prosecutors in New Jersey have now charged a second man with helping steal roughly 1,600 N95 masks that were bound for hospital workers.

Why it matters: Hospitals have struggled to provide enough surgical masks for their workers during the coronavirus outbreak, let alone upgraded personal protective equipment (PPE) like N95s.

"Stephen Milligan, 54, faces counts of theft by unlawful taking and conspiracy to commit theft," WashPost reports.

  • "Prosecutors allege he used his access as an on-site electrical contract or at a Prudential Financial building in Iselin, N.J., to sneak into a storage area and steal cases of N95 respirator masks intended for health-care workers dealing with an influx of coronavirus patients."
  • "Another electrical contractor, 49-year-old Kevin R. Brady, was charged in late April in the alleged theft. It was not immediately clear if either had retained an attorney."

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 22 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Health: CDC director defends agency's response to pandemic — CDC warns highly transmissible coronavirus variant could become dominant in U.S. in March.
  2. Politics: Biden readies massive shifts in policy for his first days in office.
  3. Vaccine: Fauci: 100 million doses in 100 days is "absolutely" doable.
  4. Economy: Unemployment filings explode again.
  5. Tech: Kids' screen time sees a big increase.
  6. World: WHO team arrives in China to investigate pandemic origins.
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Rebecca Falconer
Aug 10, 2020 - Health

New York reports new low positive coronavirus test rate

People physically distancing at tables in New York City's Times Square in June. Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Sunday 515 people, or 0.78% of those tested, returned a positive reading for COVID-19 the previous day.

Why it matters: It's the lowest single-day positive rate since the start of the pandemic. It's another sign that the state that was once a global coronavirus epicenter is curbing the spread of the virus. "Our daily numbers remain low and steady, despite increasing infection rates across the country, and even in our region," Cuomo said in a statement. "But we must not become complacent: Everyone should continue to wear their masks and socially distance."

Rebecca Falconer
Aug 10, 2020 - Health

97,000 children test positive for coronavirus in two weeks

A boy has his temperature checked as he receives a free COVID-19 test in South Los Angeles in July. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

At least 97,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in the final two weeks of July and there's been an estimated 338,000 cases involving kids in the U.S. since the pandemic began, a new report finds.

Why it matters: The report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association comes as schools and day cares look to reopen in the U.S.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow