KSAT got a special tour of the protocols at Texas Biomedical Research Institute, which studies and houses some of the most dangerous diseases in the world.

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

Spain’s medical community has scored a victory after a court ordered that a regional government compensate doctors with up to 49,000 euros ($56,000) for having to work without personal protection suits during the devastating early months of the 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.

Stuck between Biden's and Abbott’s competing vaccine rules for employees, public hospitals consider their next move even as most private systems already require vaccination for employees.

In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with James, Patrick and Joshua about COVID-19 overwhelming hospitals again and efforts to restore a quorum in the Texas House.

The health system is overwhelmed, nurses are exhausted, and the pandemic is adding to a growing nurse shortage.

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.

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.

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.

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.

SAN ANTONIO San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenbergs office is helping local businesses be better equipped to keep safe during the pandemic. As part of the event, hundreds of business owners lined up at the Alamodome parking lot to receive free personal protective equipment. I just want to thank everybody here today for volunteering their time and helping businesses get right back on track, Paradus said. More than 400 business owners pre-registered to receive a free PPE kit. Mayor Ron Nirenberg distributes free PPE to local businesses Saturday morning.

SAN ANTNIO Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will travel to San Antonio on Tuesday for a briefing on personal protective equipment supply in Texas. Texas has confirmed 430,485 coronavirus cases and 6,837 fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic. On Saturday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 9,539 news cases of COVID-19 and another 268 deaths. Greg Abbott says school districts should decide when, how to reopen

SAN ANTONIO Blessed Angels, a local nonprofit, hosted a PPE giveaway Wednesday for small business owners. The PPE kits included face masks, a non-contact thermometer and hand sanitizer. Nonprofit officials hope the giveaway will help small business owners offset some of the new costs theyve taken on in order to run their businesses and keep customers and employees healthy. City officials said these kinds of events also serve to lift peoples spirits.

SAN ANTONIO During an ever-changing pandemic, there is a constant race to weed out faulty personal protective equipment that ends up in our medical system. Last month, KSAT shared an investigation done by nonprofit consumer watchdog ProPublica, which revealed a Silicon Valley investor was paying workers to repackage non-medical KN95 masks to sell to Texas emergency workers. Thankfully, those masks were denied by a San Antonio team with a lifesaving job. We went to our higher (education) and university systems to make sure that what we were buying was, in fact, quality masks, Kidd said. As the pandemic rages on, PPE will continue to come into the South Texas region from multiple places, and the San Antonio TDEM team will continue to process it before it is handed out.

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.

TEA officials said the personal protective equipment is expected to start arriving at public schools between mid-July and early August. But officials said school districts arent required to use PPE, which is a big problem for a school workers union in San Antonio. The state has given the option for remote learning for families with health concerns, which Lopez said is a positive. Lopez said going forward, she hopes that the state listens to teachers, staff and students who will be impacted during the new normal in an effort to keep everyone safe. RELATED: Texas teachers union president wants students to wear masks in classroomLopez said keeping funding flexible is key to safety.

SAN ANTONIO Hospital officials across Bexar County said theyre ready to face a second wave of the coronavirus should there be a need for hospital space and supplies to treat patients. Tents set up for overflow outside hospitals have been taken down, but they can be installed in just hours. We were lucky in that we did not get hit with a very high number of patients very early on, Bird said. We feel good about keeping our patients safe, she said. I mean, whether youre in the hospital or when youre outside, wearing this does help.