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Justin Shafa is a radiology resident in New York who now finds himself on the front lines of fighting the coronavirus. (Video: The Washington Post)

CDC announces coronavirus guidelines for essential workers; New York has highest single-day death toll

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidelines to help protect essential workers in the United States, including taking the workers’ temperatures, wearing masks at all times, and to avoid sharing headsets and other equipment that is used near the face.

In the United States, signs of optimism that the spread of the coronavirus was flattening contrasted with rising death tolls, opposing messages about social-distancing orders, and political frustration.  

Coronavirus: What you need to know

Covid isolation guidelines: Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to routinely stay home from work and school for five days under new guidance planned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The change has raised concerns among medically vulnerable people.

New coronavirus variant: The United States is in the throes of another covid-19 uptick and coronavirus samples detected in wastewater suggests infections could be as rampant as they were last winter. JN.1, the new dominant variant, appears to be especially adept at infecting those who have been vaccinated or previously infected. Here’s how this covid surge compares with earlier spikes.

Latest coronavirus booster: The CDC recommends that anyone 6 months or older gets an updated coronavirus shot, but the vaccine rollout has seen some hiccups, especially for children. Here’s what you need to know about the latest coronavirus vaccines, including when you should get it.