Changing tiers, cross-border vaccines, contingency plans: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Montgomery: A state hotline for COVID-19 vaccination appointments has been overwhelmed with calls after Alabama announced Friday that the state will begin giving the shots to people 75 years old or older, as well as first responders, later this month. The Alabama Department of Public Health said Saturday that the telephone number received 1.1 million calls in the first day of being open to the public. The Health Department pleaded with people not to call unless they are in the eligible groups. “Due to the overwhelming amount of calls, our target population cannot get through to schedule their appointments,” the health department wrote in a social media post. The state health department said the free vaccinations can be made by appointment only. Eligible people can call the ADPH toll-free phone number at 1-855-566-5333, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. seven days a week. Appointments will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning Jan. 18 at locations throughout the state. Health officials urged people to try again later if they get a busy signal because of the massive influx of calls.

Alaska

Anchorage: Some teachers in the city have asked the school district to delay a return to in-person instruction until they are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. While some educators and school staff are ready to return to classrooms with or without the shot, others said they are being forced to choose between employment or staying safe. State health officials said front-line essential workers likely will not begin receiving vaccines until late February. The Anchorage School District plans to reopen schools Jan. 19 for elementary students in pre-K through second grade and high-needs special education students through the sixth grade. The Anchorage School Board last month directed Superintendent Deena Bishop not to delay reopening plans, which were postponed three times previously during the pandemic. The district has a robust virus mitigation plan and must prioritize its mission to educate children, Bishop said Wednesday. The state’s tiered plan for vaccinating essential workers places teachers 50 years and older in tier 2, teachers under 50 with two or more high-risk health conditions in tier 3, and all other educators in tier 4.

Arizona

Phoenix: A new COVID-19 vaccination site will open Monday at the suburban Phoenix stadium that is home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals as the state with the worst diagnosis rate in the U.S. moves to expand the availability of vaccine doses. The new site at State Farm Stadium in Glendale will be capable of vaccinating thousands of people daily, the state Department of Health Services said Friday. The site will open as Maricopa County, which includes most of metro Phoenix, moves into an expanded eligibility phase that prioritizes people 75 and older as well as groups that include teachers and law enforcement personnel. Arizona remains a national COVID-19 hot spot, with health officials on Sunday reporting more than 11,000 new cases for the third consecutive day plus 105 more deaths. That pushed the state’s grim figures to 618,546 cases and 10,141 known deaths since the pandemic began. It passed the 10,000-death milestone Saturday. As of Saturday, Arizona had the second-highest coronavirus case rate and death rate per capita nationally in the past seven days, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Arkansas

Little Rock: Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday for a legislative session overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic that has killed thousands in the state. Arkansas begins its session tied with South Dakota for the second-largest outbreak in a state legislature. The virus has changed the way the Legislature operates, and a fight over Arkansas’ response to it is expected. “COVID response and recovery are going to bookend the session,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. In between that, lawmakers face a busy agenda. House and Senate leaders have announced steps they’ll take during the session aimed at curbing further outbreaks but still allowing the public to participate. “The very essence of a session deals with us negotiating face-to-face and public participation,” incoming Senate President Jimmy Hickey said. “We’re still going to have our session; we’re just going to move into a fashion that’s safe.” House Speaker Matthew Shepherd left open the possibility of halting the session if a major outbreak occurs but said there’s not a set number of infected lawmakers that would trigger it.

California

San Diego: San Diego County is opening what it calls a “vaccination superstation” that aims to inject up to 5,000 health care workers daily with a COVID-19 vaccine, officials said Friday. The effort that begins Monday is one of the most ambitious yet in California to accelerate the pace of vaccinations that Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week was “not good enough.” Only about 1% of the state’s 40 million residents have been vaccinated against the coronavirus at a time when a surge of infections has pushed hospitals to the breaking point. The drive-thru superstation, staffed by medical crews from the University of California, San Diego, will operate out of a parking lot near the baseball stadium where the Padres play in downtown San Diego. State health authorities reported a record one-day total of 695 coronavirus deaths Saturday. California’s death toll since the start of the pandemic rose to 29,233, according to the state Department of Public Health’s website. Meanwhile, hospitalizations are nearly 22,000, and state models project the number could reach 30,000 by Feb. 1. A surge of cases following Halloween and Thanksgiving produced record hospitalizations in California, and now the most seriously ill of those patients are dying in unprecedented numbers.

Colorado

Denver: As the state moves into its next phase of vaccine distribution, Gov. Jared Polis explained plans for vaccinating adults 70 and up. The goal is to have 70% of Colorado residents ages 70 and older vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of February, Polis said Friday. Across the state, local health officials are feeling frustrated about the lack of clear guidance in the phased distribution and vaccine disparities. They’re also fielding complaints and worries from older Colorado residents who are confused and unaware of how to actually get an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, the Colorado Sun reports. Hospitals are contacting all patients in the 70-year-plus age group who are in their systems to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments, Polis said. Those in the correct age group who are interested in getting the vaccine but have not heard from a local hospital can set up an account online. For those who don’t have access to a hospital, there will be community centers and health clinics distributing vaccines for interested seniors, Polis said. He also said Colorado is developing weekly partnerships with mobile health clinics to bring vaccines to underserved areas.

Connecticut

Hartford: The first round of COVID-19 vaccination clinics held at the state’s 210 nursing homes was completed Friday – a milestone that comes as skilled nursing facilities continue to battle a second wave of infections. LiveWell, a long-term care facility in Plantsville, was the last facility to hold its first clinic. Connecticut is one of the first states in the country to reach this point. Officials hope to have the second round of vaccinations at all nursing homes completed by the end of January. Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said the nursing home vaccinations are especially important now as the state’s overall infection rate is spiking. According to data through Jan. 7 from Johns Hopkins University, the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by 629.9, an increase of 34.9%, over the past two weeks. More than 70% of the state’s nursing homes had an outbreak in the past month, said Matt Barrett, president and CEO the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities/Connecticut Center for Assisted Living. He said the cases appear to be leveling off somewhat now.

Delaware

Dover: Public health officials on Friday reported the first COVID-19-related death of a child in the state. Officials said the under the age of 5 from New Castle County had a significant number of underlying health problems. Also Friday, Democratic Gov. John Carney signed a revised emergency order lifting a 10 p.m. curfew on restaurants and bars starting Friday night. Those establishments must still require patrons to wear masks and post signs on each table stating that only people from the same household may share a table. The revised order also allows all sports contests and competitions to resume, with a maximum occupancy of 30%. That includes athletes, coaches, and other employees or staff. Each athlete may be accompanied by one person, who would not be included in the 30% capacity limit, but additional spectators are not permitted. Meanwhile, officials continue to investigate outbreaks among residents and staff at more than two dozen long-term care facilities throughout Delaware. Residents of those facilities account for more than half of reported COVID-19-related fatalities but only about 3% of positive cases and less than 1% of Delaware’s population.

District of Columbia

Washington: The Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center in Leesburg, Virginia, reported a COVID-19 case Sunday, prompting a temporary closure for cleaning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, WUSA-TV reports. Officials didn’t immediately provide any additional details about the person who tested positive for the coronavirus. While the cleaning is taking place, officials said ARTCC controllers would work from an alternate location. Every ATC facility has a backup plan in case it has to close temporarily, FAA officials said. The backup plans have been in place for years and aren’t related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency said there are scheduled COVID-19 cleanings for the overnight hours.

Florida

Fort Lauderdale: Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows Florida has nearly half the known cases in the United States of a mutated and likely more contagious strain of the coronavirus. The development came Friday as the state reported nearly 20,000 more cases in a single day. A CDC map showed Florida had 22 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant that emerged in Britain. Statistics from the Florida Department of Health showed Friday’s total of new coronavirus cases – 19,530 – almost reached the previous day’s record of 19,816 new daily cases. Florida’s death toll from the virus also keeps climbing, reaching 23,011 deaths Friday. Since the pandemic began in March, about 1.4 million people in Florida have contracted COVID-19. Meanwhile, people 65 and older who are eager for the vaccine have swamped online registration sites in some counties. Florida followed federal recommendations for rolling out the first vaccinations in mid-December to front-line medical workers and the residents and staff of nursing homes. But instead of putting essential workers and people over 75 next in line, as federal recommendations suggested, or fully completing shots for the first group of recipients, Gov. Ron DeSantis moved in late December to open up vaccinations more broadly to those 65 and up.

Georgia

Atlanta: Georgia ranks last among states for the share of available COVID-19 vaccines that it has administered, but Gov. Brian Kemp said the data is misleading because some hospitals have failed to report all the shots they’ve given. Still, the Republican governor acknowledged Friday that the state is struggling with the vaccine rollout that has become his primary focus even as Georgia sets daily records for people hospitalized with the respiratory illness. “Look, I’m not happy with it,” Kemp said of the rollout. “I’m pleased with how hard everybody’s working, but I’m not happy with where we are; we got to keep moving the needle. We’re working on that every single day.” Kemp said the state now has the capacity to administer 11,428 doses a day. At that rate, it would take more than 2¹/₂years to vaccinate every Georgia resident. “Some of it is due to poor planning and execution of a mass vaccination strategy, if Georgia ever actually had one,” wrote Amber Schmidtke, an epidemiologist who reports daily on Georgia’s outbreak. “Instead, the responsibility for vaccinating a population of 10.6 million people has been pushed down to 18 underfunded public health districts, operating with a skeleton crew.”

Hawaii

Honolulu: State House Speaker Scott Saiki plans to introduce legislation to establish statewide COVID-19 travel rules to reduce confusion for residents and tourists. The Democratic speaker said he also likely would introduce legislation to lower the penalty for not wearing a mask in public to a citation or violation, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. The violation is now a misdemeanor carrying a possible maximum penalty of $5,000 and a year in jail. “The misdemeanor offense is too harsh for the mask mandate,” Saiki said. “Convert it to something like a ticket or a violation.” Saiki said he expects opposition from individual counties on making uniform, statewide travel rules. A bill calling for a uniform travel policy “would not allow for the kinds of exemptions that we are currently seeing, such as on Kauai,” Saiki said. He is also likely to introduce legislation allowing inbound passengers to take a COVID-19 test at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu if they do not have a negative test before landing. Passengers testing negative would not be subject to quarantine, he said.

Idaho

Boise: Two Democratic state lawmakers filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court against the Legislature and the Republican speaker of the House contending the Statehouse is unsafe for them and others with chronic health conditions because coronavirus precautions are being ignored. Reps. Sue Chew of Boise and Muffy Davis of Ketchum filed the lawsuit asking a judge to order House Speaker Scott Bedke to allow lawmakers to participate remotely and provide other work accommodations. Chew and Davis said Bedke has refused to follow recommendations set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as guidelines from Republican Gov. Brad Little recommending the wearing of masks where social distancing isn’t possible. The Legislature is scheduled to convene Monday, drawing 105 lawmakers from across the state. Bedke said he’s working with the leadership team from the House Republican Caucus to make a safe and productive environment where lawmakers can wrap up business as quickly and effectively as possible.

Illinois

Springfield: State public health officials on Sunday reported 4,711 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, including 81 additional deaths. The Department of Public Health reported the state has seen 1,028,750 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, including 17,574 deaths. Officials say in the prior 24 hours, 77,775 coronavirus tests were conducted in the state. As of late Saturday, 3,527 people infected with the coronavirus were hospitalized, with 740 patients in intensive care units and 391 patients on ventilators.

Indiana

Indianapolis: Gov. Eric Holcomb will have a low-key start to his second term Monday as the pandemic that has dominated the past year continues looming over the state. The 52-year-old Republican governor, who won a landslide reelection in November, entered office in 2017 with an inaugural ball at a downtown Indianapolis hotel and an inauguration ceremony attended by about 2,000 people at the state fairgrounds coliseum. His oath-taking ceremony Monday will be largely a virtual event in keeping with the COVID-19 precautions that he has urged even as his actions, such as the statewide face mask mandate, have stirred some conservative opposition and will be debated during this year’s legislative session. Holcomb maintains Indiana’s economy is bouncing back quickly. He said he wants to focus during the coming months on distributing COVID-19 vaccines and helping the state’s economy recover further with steps such as boosting rural internet service and grants to help businesses modernize. Democrats have criticized Holcomb for not directing more support toward those struggling with lost income during the pandemic, while backing the protection of businesses from possible COVID-19 lawsuits as a top Republican priority.

Iowa

Des Moines: Visitors to the Statehouse will not be required to wear masks, and employees will not be required to disclose if they have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to safety protocols released ahead of Monday’s start of the 2021 legislative session. House Speaker Pat Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, both Republicans, released the guidelines a few days before the Legislature was due to return. Because Republicans hold majorities in the Iowa House and Senate, they are responsible for setting the rules. The guidelines ask anyone who is sick or has a fever or other symptoms to “please stay home.” They state that anyone in the Capitol building should practice social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet away from others. “If an individual is unable to practice social distancing, a face covering is recommended. Masks and face shields will be made available at the Capitol for those who voluntarily want to wear a mask,” the guidelines state. Members of the public will be required to have their temperature checked and complete a questionnaire administered by Capitol security officers when they enter the building. Those requirements do not appear to apply to lawmakers.

Kansas

Mission: State prisons ravaged by COVID-19 are set to be prioritized for vaccinations next – frustrating news for some lawmakers but welcome by inmates’ families and activists. The state prison system, housing about 8,600 inmates, has reported 5,320 cases among offenders and another 1,076 among staff. Thirteen inmates and four staff members have died. Gov. Laura Kelly confirmed Thursday that inmates would be vaccinated after health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. She said they were being prioritized based on guidance from doctors and public health experts. The second group also will include people 65 and older and critical workers such as firefighters, law enforcement officers, meatpacking employees, grocery store workers, teachers and child care workers. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop, R-Wichita, said if it were “early in the game,” he’d say, “Let’s do it,” since the state pays for inmates’ medical care. But Nadine Johnson, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, said the vaccines were critical, noting in a statement that the virus’s spread in prisons also “continues to threaten corrections staff and officers, their families, and communities statewide.”

Kentucky

Louisville: The state is dealing with a surge in COVID-19 cases caused at least partly by people getting together during the holidays despite warnings not to do so, officials said Friday. “We are now seeing a real and significant increase in cases and positivity rate from people’s gatherings over the holidays,” Gov. Andy Beshear said during a briefing in which he urged the public to follow health guidelines. Dr. Steven Stack, the state’s public health commissioner, said a third virus surge was halted before the holidays, but over Thanksgiving and Christmas, “people socialized, and they spread disease in ways that are now resulting in an increase in our positivity rate.” New coronavirus cases leaped in Kentucky in the week ending Saturday, rising 43.6% as 26,427 cases were reported. The share of test results that came back positive was 26.4% in the latest week, compared with 18.9% in the week before, a USA TODAY Network analysis of COVID Tracking Project data shows. In the latest week, 99,995 tests were administered; a week earlier, that figure was 97,149.

Louisiana

New Orleans: Tulane University has been designated as a COVID-19 vaccine provider. The Louisiana Department of Health announced Friday that it has allowed Tulane to become one of the first universities in the state to administer the vaccine. Under the designation, Tulane will be able to receive doses directly from manufacturers so it can rapidly mobilize staff members to provide the vaccine to those in the university community who are eligible. “As the largest private employer in New Orleans, allowing us to participate in the distribution of the vaccine helps to make the entire community safer,” Tulane President Michael Fitts said. “We are committed to rapidly administering vaccines and will be prepared to support vaccinations for those in the Tulane community and beyond as more become available.” Tulane is expected to receive 5,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine early this week, with more to come later this month. The first groups to receive the vaccine will be those working on the front lines of COVID-19 research and community response. Those who are eligible will receive an email to schedule an appointment.

Maine

Portland: The number of new COVID-19 infections and deaths soared to new heights during a surge of the coronavirus across the state, officials said Friday. The Maine Center for Disease Control reported 41 deaths and 782 infections, both daily records in the state. The rolling 14-day daily average was 476 infections Friday compared to 187 infections Dec. 1. Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, predicted the numbers would grow after holiday travel and gatherings at the end of the year. The number of deaths was more than double the previously daily high of 20 set Dec. 1. The state’s tally of the number of deaths is subject to a lag in reporting. Meanwhile, new unemployment claims have ticked up. The Maine Department of Labor said there were about 3,900 initial claims for state unemployment insurance during the week that ended Jan. 2. That number was an increase from 2,700 new claims the previous week. The labor department said a total of 4,300 people filed a new claim or reopened an unemployment claims. That was an increase of 1,000 from the previous week.

Maryland

Ocean City: Worcester County public schools will return to in-person learning Jan.19 for small groups of students. The move comes as the county’s coronavirus positivity rate remains well above that of the state. Controversy had stirred about a previous return date. Superintendent Lou Taylor announced the return-to-classrooms date in an online message Friday, saying the school system had “lengthy discussions with our local health officials” and had their support. Faculty and staff are due to return Monday. The average positivity rate in Worcester County stood at 12.99% as of Friday, while the state rate was 9.16%, according to the county health department’s website. Worcester schools reluctantly pushed back the restart of in-person learning after the winter holidays as the county’s COVID-19 rate climbed to one of the top in the state. It was 14.83% on Jan. 5. The Worcester County Health Department requested the delay, according to Taylor.

Massachusetts

Boston: The state is preparing to launch a pooled testing program in schools that aims to help expand monitoring for COVID-19 and encourage schools to remain open with students attending in person. Pooled testing is designed to test larger batches of people at a lower cost. Under the program outlined by Gov. Charlie Baker at a news conference Friday, teachers, staffers and students would be tested in batches of 10 using swabs in the front part of the nose. Ten swabs at a time would be placed in a single tube and shipped off to a lab for testing. If the tube is tested and comes back negative, all 10 individuals are presumed to be negative for the coronavirus. If the test for a tube comes back positive, the 10 who contributed swabs to the tube are tested individually to determine who is positive and who is negative. A handful of school districts are already using pooled testing, including Salem, Watertown and Medford. The new program will be available to schools next month. Baker said the goal is to make sure that students can remain in their classes rather than relying on remote learning.

Michigan

Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday strongly encouraged all K-12 schools to offer in-person instruction by March 1 or earlier if possible, but she stopped short of requiring it, saying face-to-face classes should at least be an option. Many schools, including in large districts such as Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, have been fully remote amid the coronavirus pandemic. Teachers and child care staff are among residents who will begin being vaccinated starting Monday as the state transitions to the next phase of its vaccine rollout. Vaccines were first offered to health care workers and nursing home residents. “The value of in-person learning for our kids is immeasurable,” Whitmer said, adding that it is safe if schools require masks and adopt infection-prevention protocols. The Democratic governor last month lifted her administration’s temporary ban on in-person learning in high schools as a spike in COVID-19 infections receded. In December, at least 800,000 public school students – 55% – were in districts that planned to offer only virtual instruction amid the surge, according to a study by Michigan State University. About 453,000, or 31%, were in districts with an option of full in-person learning. Others had hybrid or other setups.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: Health officials have confirmed five cases of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus in the Twin Cities area. The variant, first detected late last year in the United Kingdom, was identified in specimens from residents in four Minnesota counties. Although officials aren’t surprised by the discovery and don’t believe it will lead to more serious cases, it raises the potential for the virus to spread even more rapidly. “It should be a red alert to localities that this variant is now here, and we have to be even more concerned about its potential to cause more infections and what that will do to our health care system,” said Michael Osterholm of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “This will just add to the capacity challenges we’ve already had.” Health officials said they didn’t know if any of the five people had been hospitalized. Two of the five people said they had traveled abroad, and one said they hadn’t left the country. Officials didn’t know the travel histories of the other two people. Minnesota on Saturday reported 2,489 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 43 more deaths from the disease.

Mississippi

Jackson: Gov. Tate Reeves said Friday that the state’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout is not going fast enough, and officials are working behind the scenes to “eliminate roadblocks” so more people can get inoculated quickly. The Republican governor said the state is planning to double the number of sites where people can be vaccinated in the coming days and double the appointment capacity of those sites, as well as the number of days they are open. “If you want a vaccine, you should have quick, simple access,” Reeves said. “Government logistics should not stand in your way.” Mississippi set up 18 drive-thru sites for vaccinations, which opened for health care workers last Monday and individuals 75 and over on Wednesday. About 7,600 coronavirus vaccinations were administered at drive-thru vaccination sites in the state last week, said State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs. However, residents said the process has not been as smooth as they would like. Online appointments were filling up quickly, calls to the hotline to make appointments were backed up, and some said they were not able to make appointments after waiting or had to go to counties far from where they live.

Missouri

St. Louis: As coronavirus cases surge, public health officials are thankful that, so far, the flu has remained largely in check. Health leaders worried about a possible “twindemic” as the severe flu season began in the late fall – something that would leave patients with the flu and COVID-19 competing for ventilators and hospital beds. Missouri’s influenza report shows that by Dec. 26, 681 people had tested positive for influenza, the lowest total by that time of year in at least the past six flu seasons, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Typically, case numbers by the end of December have averaged just under 13,000. There has been one confirmed influenza death in the state since October. In comparison, 3,730 people have died from COVID-19 in Missouri since October. “I think this year shows that the steps we’re taking to drop our COVID numbers are also preventing the flu,” said Dr. Hilary Babcock, an infectious disease specialist with the Washington University School of Medicine and BJC HealthCare. She cited measures such as social distancing and mask-wearing.

Montana

Helena: Legislative leaders are highly recommending but not requiring face coverings for people participating in the Legislature, after Friday’s initial meeting of the body’s COVID-19 panel. The group met less than 14 hours after committee chair Republican Sen. Jason Ellsworth announced that Republican Rep. David Bedey of Hamilton had tested positive for the coronavirus. Bedey came into contact with someone with the virus prior to Monday’s start of the legislative session, Ellsworth said. Bedey, who has been wearing a mask at the Capitol, notified Republican leadership after learning his test results and plans to work remotely while he is quarantined, Ellsworth said. Bedey said he has no symptoms. Despite the positive test, the Republican majority among House and Senate leadership rejected a mask mandate Friday, as Ellsworth noted remote participation in the sessions is allowed. “No one, no legislator, no member of the public has to be in this building if they don’t want to be and don’t choose to be,” he said.

Nebraska

Lincoln: Gov. Pete Ricketts said Friday that he’s reasonably satisfied with the state’s distribution of COVID-19 vaccines despite a slowdown last month but urged residents to remain patient and expect some logistical delays. Ricketts said the state had received an additional 40,000 doses in the past couple of days, but it will take a few more days to get them distributed. “I think this program is really going along as well as can be expected considering we have not done this kind of mass vaccination in this country ever,” Ricketts said a coronavirus news conference. On Thursday, state officials said they were preparing to launch a website that will allow people to register for a vaccination even if they don’t immediately qualify. The first eligible people in Nebraska are front-line health care workers and people who live in or work at long-term care facilities. Nebraska also saw a reported surge in deaths Thursday, but a local public health official said Friday that those numbers weren’t accurate.

Nevada

Las Vegas: Funeral homes and the county coroner in Las Vegas are preparing for a post-holiday spike in coronavirus deaths by adding storage space – including refrigerated trailers with special shelving – for corpses. Michael Murphy, a consultant serving as interim Clark County coroner, said southern Nevada was fortunate in procuring the portable metal containers early in the pandemic because jurisdictions throughout the country are now competing for ways to store bodies awaiting burial or cremation. “If you don’t get them for your community, they are going to another community,” Murphy said. “They’re getting hard to come by.” Nevada has reported more than 2,500 coronavirus-related deaths in Clark County, where most of the state’s population resides. State health officials had reported more deaths last week – 243 as of just Thursday – than any week since March. Murphy said the coroner’s office distributed nine storage containers ranging in length from 20 feet to 40 feet funeral homes and had three more on the way. In case of a surge, one container was left in the coroner’s office parking lot in mid-December. It’s not being used but could add space for up to 60 bodies in addition to the 100 inside the morgue.

New Hampshire

Hanover: Half of the student body at Dartmouth College will be back on campus by Jan. 18, but most undergraduate classes will continue to be taught remotely. In an online community conversation last week, Provost Joseph Helble said confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Grafton County are 10 times higher than they were in October. “If the disease begins to accelerate, and we find that we are getting increasing caseloads that reach the point where they are difficult to manage, we are going to have to very carefully assess our plans,” Helble said. Given the lengthy rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, Helble said, a return to regular operations is unlikely this spring. In the meantime, college officials are expanding wellness offerings and winter activities, including ice skating rinks on the campus green.

New Jersey

Rockaway: Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday toured what’s being called a vaccine megasite at a former Sears store in Morris County where health officials hope to vaccinate more than 2,000 people per day in coming weeks and months. Several first responders received the vaccine Friday, including Thomas Lyons, an EMT with the Pequannock Township fire and rescue squad. “It’s been a long 10 months,” Lyons said. “After months of dealing with sick patients and people who are struggling to breathe, it’s a relief to know that I can go forward and do my job safely. It’s great that we’ve gotten to the point where we can vaccinate health care workers and first responders. Now I’m looking forward to getting to the point when my 80-year-old mother can get vaccinated, too.” Murphy announced Wednesday that police and firefighters would be eligible for the vaccine. Health care workers and patients in long-term care facilities continue to be given highest priority to get the vaccine. Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said the goal is to finish vaccinating health care workers and essential workers – more than 3 million people in all – by May. Ultimately, the state’s goal is to vaccinate 70% of the population, or about 4.7 million people, within six months.

New Mexico

Albuquerque: The state is moving ahead with COVID-19 vaccine distribution, expanding eligibility Friday to people 75 and older as well as residents with underlying medical conditions that place them at greater risk. The expanded list under what is known as Phase 1B of the distribution plan also includes front-line essential workers who can’t work remotely and other vulnerable populations such as the homeless and those in correctional facilities or residential treatment centers. Shots also are still being given to health care workers, first responders, and staff and residents at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins called the vaccination effort critical, saying she was pleased to move to the next stage. State officials said last week that New Mexico is among the leading states when it comes to vaccination rates. They estimated that between 62,000 to 68,500 vaccines had been administered in New Mexico from a supply of more than 106,000 doses. Updated numbers were expected Monday.

New York

Albany: Faced with mounting criticism over the slow pace of the coronavirus vaccine rollout, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that, starting this week, the state will allow a much wider swath of the public to get inoculated, including anyone age 75 or older. The governor warned that the supply of vaccines available to people other than health care workers and nursing home patients would be very limited at first. New York has used roughly half of the 900,000 doses received so far, but Cuomo claimed it hasn’t received nearly enough to vaccinate all health care workers. Cuomo said a beefed-up statewide distribution network will include more than 1,000 pharmacies, doctors’ networks and county health departments. The 3.2 million New Yorkers newly eligible for the vaccine under the “1B” designation include teachers, first responders, firefighters, public transit workers and police. There are 1.4 million people 75 or older who will be eligible. “Caution, caution, caution, because the supply is a major problem,” Cuomo said. “You’ll wind up having 3,000 distribution points in a couple of weeks, but none of them will have nearly enough vaccine.”

North Carolina

Raleigh: Residents of neighboring states are able to come into North Carolina to get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, even though demand has greatly outpaced supply during its sluggish start to administering doses to hospital workers and people 75 years or older. The lack of strict residency requirements makes it possible for somebody from South Carolina or another neighboring state in that profession or age group to get doses that the federal government has allocated for North Carolina residents. “A provider cannot refuse to vaccinate someone that presents for vaccination if they fall into the open prioritization phase and do not have a vaccine contradiction, so a resident of another state could be vaccinated here if they fall into the appropriate open prioritization phase,” the department said in a statement to the Associated Press. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week ranked North Carolina as the sixth slowest in the country per capita in administering doses it has received from the federal government. The state is still working to vaccinate some hospital workers and started inoculating people 75 and up in several counties last week.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford was in quarantine Friday with his family after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus, and he will not be able to fulfill his role of presiding over the Senate as the 2021 legislative session is getting underway. Sanford’s spokesman, Mike Nowatzki, told the Bismarck Tribune that Sanford’s wife is asymptomatic and that Sanford was expected to get tested Friday. Republican Sen. Randy Burckhard of Minot temporarily presided over the Senate on Friday, the session’s second day. Nowatzki said Sanford was not showing any symptoms of the virus and is expected to return around the end of January. Republican Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner of Dickinson said senators haven’t been around Sanford or in meetings with him. Sanford attended a joint legislative session Tuesday when Gov. Doug Burgum presented his State of the State address. Nowatzki said Burgum was not a close contact of Sanford, and Sanford wore a mask the whole time and was socially distanced while seated in the chambers. The Legislature adopted a mask mandate last month, requiring everyone in legislative spaces to wear a face mask or shield.

Ohio

Columbus: New coronavirus cases leaped in the state in the week ending Saturday, rising 12.6% as 56,304 cases were reported. Ohio ranked No. 23 among the states where the coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. The share of Ohio test results that came back positive was 19% in the latest week, compared with 18.3% in the week before, a USA TODAY Network analysis of COVID Tracking Project data shows. Even so, cases fell in 12 counties, with the best declines in Ashland, Hancock and Butler counties. Across the state, 582 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Saturday. In the week before that, 541 people were reported dead. A total of 770,977 people in Ohio have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 9,599 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: A judge has extended a temporary restraining order allowing bars and restaurants across the state to stay open past an 11 p.m. curfew issued in November by Gov. Kevin Stitt in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. District Judge Susan Stallings heard arguments in the case Friday and extended the Dec. 29 order while she considers ruling in the lawsuit by bar owners who argue the governor doesn’t have legal authority to impose the curfew, according to court records. Attorneys for the governor say state law gives Stitt “broad and flexible authority needed” to combat the spread of the virus. On Saturday, Oklahoma had the sixth-most new cases per capita in the nation with 1,218.16 per 100,000 residents, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The state health department on Saturday reported 324,875 total cases and 2,738 deaths since the pandemic began, increases of 4,289 cases and 35 deaths from Friday. Oklahoma’s positivity rate of 26.3% is up from 14.5% on Dec. 25, and the seven-day rolling average of new cases has increased from 2,970.4 per day to 4,235.7, according to the Johns Hopkins data.

Oregon

Salem: Hundreds of people received COVID-19 vaccines Friday at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in a mass vaccination that the doctor in charge called “the most meaningful work of my career.” This week, the operation will be stepped up with the Oregon National Guard having been called up by Gov. Kate Brown to support the mission in Salem. “The goal is to vaccinate 250 people per hour, vaccinating thousands of Oregonians,” Brown announced during a Zoom call with reporters. On Friday, Dr. Ralph Yates, chief medical officer for Salem Health Hospital and regional care system, looked with satisfaction as people received their shots at 24 tables set up in the cavernous, cinder-block main fairgrounds building. “In terms of mass vaccinations (in Oregon) I think we’re it,” Yates said. “This can be replicated easily.” There is space in the building, almost the size of a Costco, to triple the vaccination stations when National Guard medics and other troops arrive as early as Tuesday. Those eligible to receive the vaccination are in the top-priority category set by the Oregon Health Authority, which includes hospitals, health care providers and residents at long-term care facilities; emergency medical service providers; and other first responders.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: The state on Friday released an updated coronavirus vaccine plan that makes more people eligible for shots in the initial phases of the rollout. Health care workers and nursing home residents remain at the front of the line, followed by people 75 years and older and “essential workers” such as police officers, grocery store clerks and teachers. With COVID-19 continuing to rage throughout Pennsylvania, health officials cautioned the state is still months away from having enough doses of the two approved vaccines to inoculate the general public. “I know it is difficult to ask, but we must have patience,” Dr. Rachel Levine, the state health secretary, said Friday. “It will take several months before this vaccine is available for everyone.” To date, the federal government has allocated to Pennsylvania more than 827,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. More than 235,000 shots have been given, though Levine said the actual number is certain to be higher because reporting by hospitals and pharmacies lags by one to three days.

Rhode Island

Providence: The state’s coronavirus response will not be affected by Gov. Gina Raimondo’s imminent departure to join President-elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet, Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee promised Friday. In his first public statement since Raimondo was named Biden’s pick for commerce secretary, McKee said he’s committed to retaining many of the top officials and experts Raimondo has tapped to lead the state’s pandemic response. He also said he plans to meet with the outgoing governor’s team this weekend to start transition planning. The two Democrats have had a strained relationship throughout the pandemic, which has hit the tiny state particularly hard. The 69-year-old former Cumberland mayor would serve the remaining two years of Raimondo’s term. He has also said he plans to run for governor outright in 2022. Raimondo, who Biden formally introduced as his latest Cabinet pick Friday, said she expects to continue running the state until she’s officially confirmed by the U.S. Senate. McKee stressed that the pandemic response would be his top priority upon taking office.

South Carolina

Columbia: As other states trim expenses and borrow money amid the economic fallout prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Henry McMaster is already looking to shore up the state’s rainy day fund with $500 million for a future crisis. McMaster released his spending proposals for next year’s budget Friday, less than a week before legislators will gather for the 2021 session Tuesday. The governor’s so-called skinny budget, at roughly $9 billion, keeps agencies running without any cuts. South Carolina’s relative economic stability was a function of careful budgeting, freezing new spending and keeping state businesses open throughout the pandemic, McMaster’s office said. The state has also avoided dipping into its reserve fund for any pandemic-related purposes, using federal dollars instead. But the pandemic’s effects still whittled down an expected $1.8 billion surplus into the millions. The governor’s proposals include $123 million in grants for small businesses hit with revenue losses during the pandemic and $30 billion to expand broadband across across the state, two areas that federal pandemic relief monies have already touched in the state.

South Dakota

Pierre: Determined to defy the coronavirus, the Legislature will convene for its 96th session Tuesday, when lawmakers will begin trying to settle a state budget flush with one-time money from federal coronavirus funds, as well as figure what to make of voter-initiated measures to legalize both medical and recreational marijuana. But the biggest challenge for lawmakers may be in carrying out their duties while trying to avoid virus infections. Chamber floors will feature plexiglass dividers; mask-wearing rules and rapid testing for lawmakers with COVID-19 symptoms are in the works; and committee meetings are expected to use remote participation. But all 105 lawmakers, in addition to a cast of staff, lobbyists and visitors, are expected in the Capitol at some point. The Legislature is trying to avoid a virus outbreak that cripples the session. That may be difficult. A handful of infections surfaced among lawmakers after they gathered for Gov. Kristi Noem’s budget address last month, and the Statehouse is already notorious for breeding what’s known as the “Capitol crud,” the hacking cough that seems to spread among lawmakers and lobbyists every year.

Tennessee

Nashville: Officials are launching a statewide online scheduling system in the coming days for COVID-19 vaccine appointments. The effort aims to prevent people from having to wait in line for hours, sometimes only to be turned away because there are no doses left, state Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said Friday. That’s been an issue in Chattanooga, for instance, where there have been long lines of people waiting in their cars as Hamilton County opened vaccine eligibility for those 75 and older. Some counties already have been using an appointment-based system. Meanwhile, some larger counties are just starting to schedule vaccinations for people 75 and older. On Thursday, Tennessee reported more than 215,400 COVID-19 vaccinations had been administered so far in the state. That’s about 3% of the state’s population, compared to a 2% national rate reported by federal health officials. More than 4,500 people have received their second doses in Tennessee. The state ranks fourth in the country for new coronavirus cases per capita, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

Texas

Austin: Health officials in Austin and Travis County announced Saturday plans to open space in the Austin Convention Center for COVID-19 patients as hospitalizations in Texas set a record high for the 13th consecutive day. State health officials reported 13,935 patients hospitalized statewide, 14 more than Friday. The Alternate Care Site in Austin was initially established during a summer surge of the coronavirus but has not yet taken patients, according to a statement from the Austin-Travis County Health Authority. “Activating the Alternate Care Site means that we believe that it is inevitable that the health care system in Central Texas will exceed capacity and will soon be overwhelmed,” said Dr. Jason Pickett, deputy medical director of the health authority. The site is for patients who do not need high-level or intensive care, according to the statement. Patients needing that level of care will remain at hospitals. The seven-day rolling average of new cases in Texas has risen from 14,553.7 per day Dec. 25 to 20,396.8, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and the average positivity increased from 14.18% to 20.88%.

Utah

Salt Lake City: New Gov. Spencer Cox unveiled a plan Friday to ramp up the state’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution amid a post-holiday surge in new cases. The Republican governor said he will issue an executive order requiring facilities to allocate their doses the week they are received and have local health departments manage distribution, with an expectation of administering 50,000 doses a week. “This virus does not sleep,” Cox said at his first COVID-19 media briefing as governor. “This virus does not take weekends off. And neither should we.” The state’s 50,000 teachers and in-person school staff will be eligible to receive the vaccine as of Monday, Cox said. School districts will be expected to prioritize people over 65 or with underlying health conditions. Republican state leaders have been pushing the online-only Salt Lake City school district to return to in-person learning. Following the governor’s announcement, Senate President Stuart Adams called on the district to stop making “excuses” and open in-person learning immediately now that vaccines will be available. Meanwhile, new COVID-19 cases continue to rise, and intensive care beds are nearly full. In the past week, Utah’s positivity average has increased from 26.8% to 32.7%, according to state data.

Vermont

Montpelier: The state ranks second in the nation in the pace of receiving and administering COVID-19 vaccines per 100,000 people, Human Services Agency Secretary Mike Smith said Friday. As of Thursday night, 21,000 Vermonters had been vaccinated, he said during the state’s biweekly briefing on the coronavirus. “However we need to keep accelerating our pace of vaccinations, even as supplies remain uneven and often disappointing,” Smith said. The state has now included about 4,500 first responders – such as police and firefighters – among the first group to receive the vaccine, he said. “Primarily because we discovered that often these Vermonters are responding to accident scenes and 911 medical calls. They are administering aid or helping to get individuals ready for transport even before EMS arrives. They are directly involved in patient care,” he said. The next group to be vaccinated will be Vermonters aged 75 and older, followed by 70 and up and then 65 and older. The three groups make up 125,000 people, and it will likely take until the spring to vaccinate them with the current allocation of doses, Smith said.

Virginia

Richmond: Some local health departments will begin offering COVID-19 vaccines this week for limited portions of the general public as the state begins to move into its second phase of vaccine distribution. The Virginia Department of Health said in a news release Friday that 11 local health districts expect to begin gradually adding vaccination opportunities for people who fall into Phase 1b of the state’s distribution plan – a group that includes people over age 75, incarcerated people and certain workers. All of the state is expected to move to Phase 1b before the end of January, the news release said. The 1b category also covers people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters or migrant labor camps, as well as “front-line essential workers.” The state defines that group as people in jobs critical to the functioning of society who are at substantially higher risk of exposure to the virus. Included are police, child care workers and teachers, grocery store workers, and mail carriers. Alena Yarmosky, a spokeswoman for Gov. Ralph Northam, said elected officials would also be included in 1b. “Elected officials are essential to the functioning of government, and many are required to regularly interact with the public as part of their job,” she wrote in an email.

Washington

Seattle: The Washington State Department of Health announced Friday that all eight regions in the state’s new COVID-19 recovery plan will remain in the first phase until at least Jan. 18. Gov. Jay Inslee announced the regional economic reopening plan Tuesday, focusing efforts on reopening regions rather than individual counties. “We know that all people in Washington want to move forward as quickly as possible with respect to COVID-19. However, these metrics show that we are just not ready to do so now,” Dr. Umair A. Shah, Washington’s secretary of health, said in a news release. “We have made progress but need to continue to work together to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 across our state.” The new guidelines require regions meet four metrics – tied to regional case rates, hospital admission rates, ICU occupancy rates and test positivity rates – in order to move to the next phase, at which point indoor restaurant dining and fitness centers can open at 25% capacity, sports competitions can resume with limited spectators, and wedding and funeral ceremonies can increase their number of guests.

West Virginia

Keyser: The Mineral County Health Department reported late last week that the number of active coronavirus cases in the county had taken a steep downturn in just 24 hours. On Thursday, the number of positives was reported as 529, but by Friday’s posting by the health department, that number had gone down by a whopping 351 to a total of only 178 positives in the county. At the same time, the number of people who had recovered from the virus went from 1,567 on Thursday to 1,929 on Friday, an increase of 362. The number of deaths of county residents due to COVID-19-related illness remained steady at 69. The drop in numbers came as the health department and various other entities have worked to administer the vaccine to health care workers, nursing home residents and employees, and Mineral County School employees who are age 50 and older.

Wisconsin

Madison: A state committee looking into COVID-19 shots says it might open vaccinations to people 70 and older and limited groups of essential workers once most health care workers and nursing home residents are immunized. Members of a state vaccine committee agreed on slight departures from federal guidelines, which call for moving next to ages 75 and older and more types of essential workers. However, some disagreed on whether to add group home residents and prison and jail inmates, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. A vaccine distribution subcommittee that advises the state Department of Health Services may vote Tuesday on a plan for phase 1b, the next stage of vaccination. The subcommittee discussed broadening the elderly group to 70 and older but limiting essential workers. If just first responders, educators and corrections workers were included, phase 1b would be about 750,000 people. Workers such as those in public transit, grocery stores and agriculture would add 115,000. Group home residents and inmates would add 100,000. As of now, Wisconsin is getting about 70,000 doses of vaccine a week from the federal government.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: Health officials have reported that the exterior doors of the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department were vandalized with fake blood, a few days after a protest was held at the state Capitol against public health orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Department Executive Director Kathy Emmons said the fake blood, commonly used on Halloween, was splattered on the front and side doors Thursday, likely around 5:30 a.m., The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. Local health and law enforcement officials believe the motivation is tied to opposition to health orders intended to limit the spread of COVID-19. About 250 residents gathered at the Capitol last Monday to protest the orders and burn masks. “My assumption is that it’s probably in part based on Monday, when people were becoming escalated,” Emmons said. “I don’t know that it was necessarily about us, so much as somebody wanting to act out in a really destructive way.” Cheyenne police spokesperson Alex Farkas said the case is under investigation.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports