Public Health

Florida Blue, the state's Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 50 percent by making its facilities entirely powered by solar energy, the payer announced Dec. 2. 

Six states in the Midwest and East Coast account for more than half of the nation's total COVID-19 hospitalizations confirmed in recent weeks, NBC News reported Dec. 7.

At least five states have set new, all-time high COVID-19 records over the last week. 

The CDC is now requiring air travelers entering the U.S. to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of their flight to help prevent the omicron variant's spread. 

Despite both Missouri and Oklahoma expanding Medicaid in 2021, each state is seeing vastly different results.

The omicron variant appears to spread more than twice as quickly as delta, according to preliminary findings cited by The New York Times.

The nation's seven-day average for COVID-19 cases and deaths fell this week, while hospitalizations increased slightly, according to the CDC's COVID data tracker weekly review published Dec. 3.

CVS Health is investing $9.2 million in a 41-unit affordable housing complex in Washington, D.C. 

For the week ending Nov. 27, New Mexico reported high flu activity for the fourth consecutive week, according to data from the CDC's FluView report published Dec. 3.

As more information emerges about the omicron variant — which has now been detected in five states — public health experts nationwide say the delta variant is still the main threat, The Washington Post reported Dec. 2.