The British government plans to burn billions of dollars in unusable protective equipment purchased during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Green Bay Packers were fined $300,000 and quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Allen Lazard were fined $14,650 by the NFL for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols.

Thailand’s already locked down capital shut parks and the few remaining public places available to residents Friday, as the country registered a new high of coronavirus infections.

Across the border from a devastating surge in India, doctors in Nepal are warning of a major crisis as daily coronavirus cases hit a record and hospitals are running out of beds and oxygen.

Discarded masks and gloves worn by people to protect against the coronavirus pandemic are turning up on beaches around the world.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – One year after COVID-19 hit our area, Centra Health leaders recalled Friday how the pandemic has impacted their care. But COVID-19 was a storm Centra couldn’t forecast, a health care hurricane forcing them to change course. A panel of frontline workers said looking back on a full year of the pandemic, they had to assess how they’d deal with the volume. Centra reports they finished summer 2020 with 45 positive cases, though another wave brought more patients and a record-high of 133 positive cases in January. While cases and COVID-related deaths are decreasing, Dr. Cook said the biggest challenge is making sure people maintain precautions as vaccines rollout.

Von der Leyen also announced during the meeting an additional 100 million euros ($121.4 million) to support vaccination campaigns in Africa in partnership with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The funding will be used to strengthen health systems, ensure the cold chains, buy equipment and train staff," von der Leyen said. She added that the EU would discuss with drugmakers how they can ramp up their COVID-19 vaccine production capacity in Africa. COVAX hopes to deploy some 336 million doses by the end of June, and around 2 billion doses by the end of the year. In addition to its COVAX contribution, the EU said it wants to share some of its doses with neighbors in Europe and Africa.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY— Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. hit another one-day high at over 4,300 with the country’s attention focused largely on the fallout from the deadly uprising at the Capitol. The country is now in the most lethal phase of the outbreak yet, even as vaccines are being rolled out. — An ongoing study suggests that older American adults are showing resilience and perseverance despite struggles with loneliness and isolation during the pandemic. THE NUMBERS: The U.S. is averaging about 249,000 new cases per day, and about 3,300 deaths. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

California health authorities reported Thursday a record two-day total of 1,042 coronavirus deaths as many hospitals strain under unprecedented caseloads. The virus is surging in several states, with California hit particularly hard, reporting on Thursday a record two-day total of 1,042 coronavirus deaths. On Wednesday, the day a horde of protesters breached the U.S. Capitol, disrupting efforts to certify the election of Joe Biden, the U.S. recorded 3,865 virus deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. “Real life turned out to be much worse.”In California, health authorities Thursday reported 583 new deaths, a day after 459 people died. Florida broke its record for the highest single-day number of cases with over 19,800, while its death toll reached 22,400.

The competitive scramble by states to buy personal protective equipment this spring stuck some businesses with big bills. An Associated Press analysis of state purchasing data during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic found that states canceled billions of dollars in PPE orders. Many of the cancellations occurred when businesses couldn't get the products to states under tight deadlines or when prices rose. Many businesses that jumped in to help this spring soon found themselves facing delays from suppliers and, in some cases, having orders canceled by states too impatient to wait. For other companies, their first venture into selling personal protective equipment is still causing headaches.

The AP tallied more than $7 billion in purchases by states this spring for personal protective equipment, or PPE, and high-demand medical devices such as ventilators and infrared thermometers. Some governors described the early personal protective equipment marketplace as the Wild West, where supplies often went to the highest bidder, even if they had already been promised to someone else. This spring, states paid an average of $3 each, according to the AP's analysis. The largest supplier of personal protective equipment to states this spring had never sold a single mask before the pandemic. Others, however, were more than willing to describe how personal protective equipment sales provided a lifeline at the onset of the pandemic.

California spent the most during the pandemic's initial months — at least $1.5 billion in the AP's data — followed by Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington. Traditional safety equipment suppliers also saw a surge in PPE sales, offsetting their losses from other products amid the sudden recession. Many of the companies in the AP's data set are not publicly traded and thus can keep their financial figures private. Others, however, were more than willing to describe how PPE sales provided a lifeline at the onset of the pandemic. The AP's data for the spring includes just over $50 million in PPE sales to states by the Salem, New Hampshire, company.

Roanoke, Va. – From PPE to at-home tests, scammers are still preying on people during this pandemic. Better Business Bureau Western Virginia is warning people to not purchase coronavirus vaccines, especially online. She said scammers are taking advantage of people’s vulnerability during this pandemic. “I mean it’s just given them the perfect storm because obviously people are concerned,” Wheeler said. Instead, she urges people to rely on the state government’s distribution announcements and personal primary physicians.

Britain's public spending watchdog says the government spent billions, without proper transparency, in a scramble to secure protective equipment early in the coronavirus outbreak. Like many countries, the U.K. was caught without enough masks, gowns, gloves and other items to keep health care workers and the public safe as coronavirus cases skyrocketed. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)LONDON – The British government spent billions without proper transparency in a scramble to secure protective equipment early in the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s public watchdog said Wednesday. Like many countries, the U.K. was caught without enough masks, gowns, gloves and other items to keep health care workers and the public safe as coronavirus cases skyrocketed. In more than half the cases, contracts had not been published by Nov. 10.

They include Nebraska and South Dakota, where the number of new cases topped previous highs for each state. But this fall's resurgence of the virus, despite being far more widespread, has brought a decidedly more limited response in many states. Most are led by Republican governors backing a president who insists, falsely, that the country is getting the virus under control. “At the end of the day, personal responsibility is the only way. “I believe in personal responsibility and that it is our responsibility as American citizens to choose if we want to wear it or not,” she said.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The City of Lynchburg is partnering with local nonprofits and Virginia’s Health Equity Taskforce to provide COVID-19 relief to residents. Nearly 20,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and masks will be distributed at Miller Park Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.About a dozen nonprofits will also be on hand to help residents with financial obligations including utilities, rent and job assistance. A group called Lynchburg Cares is spearheading the event and organizers want residents to know that assistance is available to them. “We really want to target those communities and people who are traditionally underserved and have a harder time getting access to these things,” said Piper VanDePerre of Lynchburg’s Department of Emergency ServicesCOVID-19 protocols will be followed and attendees are asked to wear masks.

FILE - In this May 22, 2019, file photo, Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president, speaks to the media during the owners meetings in Key Biscayne, Fla. The NFL will consult an advisory committee made up of former coaches, general managers and players on such issues as postponing, moving or even canceling games this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Vincent said Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020 that the advisers, who will report to Commissioner Roger Goodell, will help avoid any inequities in those decisions. Vincent did not identify any members of the panel, saying he was awaiting their approval to do so. Dr. Allen Sills, the league's chief medical officer, noted that setting firm schedules for anything during the pandemic is foolhardy.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)FULLERTON, Calif. Theres red tape running along the floor of the coronavirus unit at St. Judes Medical Center in Fullerton, California. The Associated Press spent several days in the coronavirus unit at St. Judes and followed four nurses and their families after their shifts were over. She started a new job at St. Judes in March, returning to a field very different from the one she had left before giving birth. Eleanor gave up her own part-time night nursing shifts at St. Judes so she could stay home with the kids. They felt safe with St. Judes preparations and plans, and the feared shortage of protective equipment hadn't hit Southern California.

RADFORD, Va. The United Way of the New River Valley awarded Radford City Schools $1,000 for personal protective equipment. Thursday, the nonprofit delivered a check to Superintendent Robert Graham, which the district will use to buy masks for students. Appalachian Power gave $5,000 in grant money to the United Way. Floyd and Montgomery County schools will also get a $1,000 donation. The rest of the grant money Davis says will likely go to other nonprofits in the New River Valley.

Ford Motor Company donated face masks and face shields to the Wytheville Fire & Rescue Department. The department plans to share the 18,000 face masks and 2,000 face shields with other first responders and public safety agencies in Wythe County. Ford Motor Company donated face masks and face shields to the Wytheville Fire & Rescue Department. (Wytheville Fire & Rescue Department)Wytheville Fire & Rescue plans to deliver the masks from their 1919 Ford Model T American La France fire engine, which they showcased on Thursday along with the donations. The Virginia State Police, Wytheville Police Department and Wythe County Community Hospital are among the agencies who will be receiving donations.

A doctors association warns that physicians offices are closed because they cannot get masks and other supplies. In general, supplies of protective gear are more robust now, and many states and major hospital chains say they are in better shape. As of mid-June, for example, Montana had received 1,125 items of protective gear per case, compared with 32 items per case in Massachusetts, an early hot spot. States including California, Iowa and Nebraska, all of which have seen a surge in confirmed infections, received among the lowest amounts of protective gear from FEMA per case, according to the AP analysis. A nonprofit group called #GetUsPPE was established in March by physicians to help distribute donated protective gear.

SALEM, Va. A local man is getting creative to quickly distribute PPE to local health care workers. Nathan OKane organized a drive-thru distribution event at the Salem Civic Center. In April, 10 News introduced you to Nathan when he created a Facebook page for people who wanted to 3-D print face shields for health care workers. Nathan O'Kane (WSLS)Since then, hes distributed thousands of face shields and mask holders. About 1,500 face shields and several thousand mask holders will be available at the drive-thru event.

SALEM, Va. – All staff and healthcare providers within the LewisGale Regional Health System will now be required to wear masks. Originally, masks were only required for anyone who came in contact with a suspected or confirmed positive case of coronavirus. Officials with LewisGale say they are confident that they will have enough masks and gloves for all staff members and healthcare providers to use throughout this health crisis. Masks will also be optional for staff in non-patient care areas who maintain a social distance of at least six feet. While officials say there is enough personal protective equipment (PPE) within the LewisGale health system, they will take steps to conserve PPE, including reusing PPE when appropriate.