Vaccine freezer, Christmas cheer, Iditarod trail switch: News from around our 50 states

Alabama

Opelika: At East Alabama Medical Center, located about 60 miles northeast of Montgomery, nurses and doctors who have spent months caring for the ill, are doing what they can to get through the holiday season, which many fear will only spread the disease and add to the U.S. death toll that has surpassed 300,000. That means staff members can hang decorations on patients’ doors in the ICU but cannot attend after-work Christmas parties. A cheerful Santa doll stands atop the desk at a nursing station, but big gatherings with relatives are out. A nurse for five years, Nurse Carla Fallin said Christmas just doesn’t feel right this year. She and her husband did not take their two young sons to local Christmas events that drew hundreds of people, many without masks. The decorations in the ICU help lighten the mental load a little, she said, if only until another patient nears death. The decorations are “a way to let family members know that we’re trying, and we love these patients and we want them to feel like it’s Christmas as much as we can,” Fallin said.

Alaska

Anchorage: The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will follow a revised trail that won’t lead mushers to Nome in 2021. Instead, mushers will make a round-trip run of about 860 miles that begins and ends in Willow and includes two crossings of the Alaska Range. Dog teams will travel a little beyond Iditarod, the ghost town that marks the midway point of the race’s southern route, before turning around. Race organizers announced the shorter route after releasing a COVID-19 plan that includes mandatory and multiple tests for mushers. Anyone who tests positive in rapid tests administered at the start or at the McGrath checkpoint will be removed from the race. The revised route is about 140 miles short of the race’s traditional and much-celebrated 1,000-mile distance. It eliminates 13 checkpoints and doesn’t go near the Norton Sound coast or the burled arch that marks the iconic finish line on Nome’s Front Street. It still includes a ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 6, though how that will work with the city’s COVID-19 mitigation policies remains unknown. “The Iditarod is working with the Municipality of Anchorage regarding the ceremonial start and will provide updates as they arise,” race organizers said by email.

Arizona

Phoenix: The state Senate has announced a new set of COVID-19 safety guidelines for the legislative session in January, including requiring masks. Senate President Karen Fann told the senators and staff on Monday that anyone who enters the Senate building must have their temperature checked and be wearing masks at all times. The guidelines also require 6 feet of social distancing when possible and prohibits handshakes or any physical contact during committee hearings and gatherings. “This was not the scenario I had hoped for the 55th Legislature, but it is necessary to ensure we conduct legislative business and avoid disruption of the process to the best of our ability,” Fann said. Fann warned that failing to comply with the rules could result in an early end of the session. Lawmakers shut down their buildings last month and cut the 2020 session short because of the pandemic. Senate security has been tasked with enforcing the protocols.

Arkansas

Little Rock: As hospitalizations of coronavirus patients hit a daily record high in Arkansas on Tuesday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said two facilities will be constructed to provide more than 100 additional hospital beds if needed. “We have to be ready for whatever comes in January,” Hutchinson said at a news conference. “It is my hope that we will build this out and we will not have to utilize those beds for COVID patients.” He said that although the state’s existing capacity has been able to manage the current caseload, there could be a spike in cases following the Christmas holiday, as there was after Thanksgiving. Hutchinson said there were currently 1,103 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in the state.

California

Sacramento: The state’s health care system is in the throes of a coronavirus crisis stemming from Thanksgiving gatherings, top executives from the state’s largest hospital systems said Tuesday as they put out a “desperate call” for residents to avoid a Christmas repeat they said would overwhelm the state’s medical system. The officials offered what they called a “prescription” for Californians to slow the virus spread, a marketing effort dubbed “Don’t share your air.” The underlying message is to stay away from people from other households, which is what many did not do at Thanksgiving. “We simply will not be able to keep up if the COVID surge continues to increase,” Kaiser Permanente chairman and CEO Greg Adams said. “We’re at or near capacity everywhere.” The officials blamed Thanksgiving transmissions they fear will be repeated if people gather for Christmas and New Year’s and don’t take precautions like wearing masks, socially distancing, staying home as much as possible and not socializing with others.

Colorado

Pueblo: In an undisclosed location in Pueblo County, there is a storage unit the size of a large freezer capable of holding thousands of doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Public health officials hope that these immunizations – the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which arrived in Pueblo on Dec. 16, and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, scheduled to arrive sometime this week – mark the beginning of the end of the pandemic. But the shots must first find their way out of the freezer, into a medical facility and ultimately, into the arms of enough Coloradans to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As one of nine vaccine distribution hubs across the state overseeing storage and dispensation of COVID-19 vaccines, Pueblo County is playing a vital role. “We are a distribution hub for several counties in Southeastern Colorado and in the San Luis Valley,” said Randy Evetts, director of the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment. “It’s really meant to be a distribution point – a place closer to those locations so the vaccine can get out in an expeditious manner and is not allI read th stored or coming out of one place in Denver.” Evetts said Pueblo County was an ideal hub for several reasons, including its size, geographic location, access to major highways and winter weather. And because the Pfizer vaccine must be stored in extreme cold – minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit – each hub also needed ultra-cold storage capabilities, which PDPHE already had.

Connecticut

Hartford: Another prison inmate died from complications of COVID-19 on Tuesday and prisoner-rights advocates called on Gov. Ned Lamont to do more to protect those incarcerated in Connecticut from the coronavirus. It was the 13th death in the state prison system during the pandemic, the second reported this week and the fifth in the last month. The latest fatalities were both 69-year-old men who had been transferred in the last month from the medical ward at the MacDougall-Walker prison in Suffield to an outside hospital. The inmates’ names were not released. The inmate who died Tuesday was serving a 12-year sentence for sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. The inmate who died Monday had been serving a 30-year sentence for sexual assault and kidnapping. There were 431 infected inmates in the system Tuesday, according to the department. There also were 280 staff members currently recovering from the coronavirus, according the department’s website.

Delaware

Dover: Another record has been set in Delaware for the number of people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19. The Delaware State News reported that Monday’s daily update from the Delaware Division of Public Health reported 419 statewide hospitalizations. Health officials said that 67 of those hospitalizations are considered critical. State health officials also reported nine new COVID-19-related deaths. The state’s death toll is now 871. The nine most recent deaths were individuals with underlying health conditions. They ranged in age from 64 to 91. Five of the nine were also residents of a long-term care facility. There have been 51,056 total cases in Delaware since March. And the state’s seven-day rolling average for percentage of positive tests is at 9.2%. That’s still above the World Health Organization’s recommended mark of 5%.

District of Columbia

Washington: A temporary ban on indoor dining in D.C. was set to begin Wednesday night, WUSA-TV reported. A new rule will be in place for at least three weeks in the District as city leaders work to tame coronavirus numbers. Starting at 10 p.m. Wednesday, restaurants and bars in D.C. will not be allowed to seat customers inside to eat. The order by Mayor Muriel Bowser will be in place at least until Jan. 15th. According to D.C. Health, restaurants and bars accounted for about 14% of coronavirus outbreaks between August and November. “Every week we’re watching the news waiting to see what’s going to happen next,” said chef J.R. Robinson, owner of Kitchen Cray, which is located in Northeast D.C.’s H Street Corridor. The concerns for workers who primarily depend on tips to survive were echoed at other restaurants across the city, and some people in the industry feared businesses might not survive the shutdown. Businesses will still be open for outdoors seating and to-go orders. The District announced a $100 million grant program to help businesses and workers who have been impacted by the pandemic and the restrictions.

Florida

Miami: Presidential daughter Ivanka Trump helped load boxes of food into the cars of people who showed up at a South Florida drive-through food distribution event for those in need. “Merry Christmas,” Trump said as she hauled a black box into a car’s trunk in the parking lot of King Jesus Ministry in Miami-Dade County, according to WSVN. Food recipient Vivian Lopez said she had lost her job because of the coronavirus pandemic. “We are living really hard times,” Lopez said. Karla Fuentes, told WSVN that she had gotten to the church more than 12 hours earlier to get in line for the food and slept in her car. “It’s a big help for my house, for my neighbor,” Fuentes said. “We can share with everybody.”

Georgia

Atlanta: Georgia will again use a convention center for patient beds amid a surge in coronavirus cases that is straining hospital capacity, Gov. Brian Kemp said. The Georgia World Congress Center will have 60 beds and should be able to take patients starting next week, Kemp said. He said he expects the center to serve as an overflow hospital through January. The convention center served as a hospital during the pandemic in April, when the state signed a contract to build a 200-bed health care facility at the site. Kemp said the virus remained a threat despite the rollout of a vaccine, and he encouraged residents to meet virtually over the holidays or gather outdoors with just a few people in the same household. The state’s coronavirus infection numbers are soaring above their worst peaks of the summer. Health officials reported more than 6,200 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of people infected in the state since the start of the pandemic to nearly 519,000. The virus has claimed more than 9,500 lives in Georgia.

Hawaii

Honolulu: City officials will no longer count COVID-19 cases among prisoners at Halawa Correctional Facility in metrics used to decide whether to tighten or loosen pandemic restrictions on Oahu. The city will still include infections among prison guards and staff, Hawaii Public Radio reported. Honolulu consults weekly averages of confirmed positive cases on the island to determine whether it’s safe to allow more businesses to reopen or whether it should force more to close. The state Department of Health on Monday reported 104 new cases on Oahu. Of these, 55 were connected to Halawa prison. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the outbreak at the prison is inflating the island’s numbers and that residents and businesses shouldn’t be punished for that. He said the city wants to avoid going back to its most restrictive rules. Subtracting infections among Halawa inmates from Oahu’s numbers would give the island a seven-day average of 82.6 cases, he said. That would put the island below the threshold that requires the city to adopt the most restrictive “Tier One” rules.

Idaho

Boise: Idaho is in a race to get people vaccinated against the coronavirus while simultaneously limiting its spread long enough to avoid running out of health care capacity, Gov. Brad Little said. The Republican governor said during an hourlong call-in program put on by the American Association of Retired Persons of Idaho that the vaccination program is a high priority for him and Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen. “Don’t let your guard down,” Little told listeners. “It’s going to be a while before we get enough people vaccinated.” Idaho’s top public health leaders earlier this month cleared the way for state officials to impose crisis standards of care if the number of COVID-19 patients increases so much that the state’s strained hospitals end up completely overwhelmed.

Illinois

Chicago: Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is touting the benefits of the pandemic and omnibus spending bill passed by Congress, but on Tuesday warned the state’s leaders not to count on federal help to balance the state’s budget. During a conference call with Illinois journalists, Durbin noted the pandemic spending bill passed Monday contains funding for specific programs to help Illinois and Chicago, including mass transit aid, support for airlines, restaurants and entertainment venues. The $900 billion pandemic relief package that includes a $300 federal stipend to unemployment checks and $600 in direct payments to taxpayers along with aid packages for various industries. Durbin said even if runoff races in Georgia give Democrats control of the U.S. Senate, legislation for state and local government pandemic relief would be difficult to pass under a Joe Biden administration. Gov. J.B. Pritzker forecasts a $3.9 billion deficit for the budget year that ends June 30, attributing about half the hole to lost tax revenue because of pandemic restrictions affecting business and jobs.

Indiana

Indianapolis: Indiana’s COVID-19 hospitalizations are down about 10% since peaking Nov. 30 but remain nearly four times higher than in September when the state’s steep increase began for deaths, hospitalizations and new infections. The Department of Health’s daily update showed coronavirus hospitalizations going back above 3,000 as of Monday after falling below that mark on Friday for the first time since Nov. 16. Gov. Eric Holcomb said although the state could celebrate that it didn’t see a surge of cases following the Thanksgiving holiday, Indiana was still at an “abnormally” high rate of virus spread. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said the recent decline in hospitalizations was encouraging but remained “much higher than we would be comfortable with going forward.” “I’m very concerned about what will happen over Christmas, in the new year’s time and really want Hoosiers to be very, very careful and to really follow the social distancing, wearing your mask and, as much as possible, limit your celebration to those individuals that are in your household,” Box said.

Iowa

Johnston: The vaccination of Iowa’s nursing home residents is set to begin next week, after an error in the distribution of vaccines threatened to delay the process. State officials said that to be able to begin vaccinating people at long-term care facilities on Dec. 28, as planned, the state had to have at least 50% of the vaccine needed for its nursing home population held in reserve, according to a federal rule. The government, however, eased that regulation since the state was shorted on its initial vaccine shipment. Iowa initially expected 172,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in December, but that amount was cut last week by 22% to 138,300. Gen. Gustave Perna, the head of logistics for the federal Operation Warp Speed initiative, accepted blame for the error, saying he didn’t realize not all vaccines were ready to ship. Gov. Kim Reynolds called the mistake a bump in the road and asked Iowans to be patient as officials work through the logistics. Iowa Department of Public Health interim director Kelly Garcia said at a news conference that despite the error in initial vaccine delivery, arrangements have been made with pharmacy companies to deliver the vaccine to nursing homes next week.

Kansas

Topeka: Gov. Laura Kelly named the Kansas Department of Labor’s deputy secretary as its top administrator as she works to find another, permanent leader for an agency that struggled for months to process a surge in claims from workers left unemployed by the coronavirus pandemic. Acting Secretary Brett Flachsbarth became the third person to lead the Department of Labor in less than seven months. Kelly’s first labor secretary, Delia Garcia, resigned in June amid problems with the system for distributing unemployment benefits. Her replacement, Acting Secretary Ryan Wright was allowed by law to serve only six months, which ended Tuesday. The Democratic governor credited Wright with improving the Department of Labor’s operations and making “significant progress” in building a system to handle a program created by Congress to provide benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program to independent contractors and other workers who normally don’t receive benefits. But top Republican in the GOP-controlled Legislature said the department continues to struggle and he’s still getting complaints from constituents about their benefits being delayed.

Kentucky

Shepherdsville: State Rep. Thomas Huff, R-Shepherdsville, is in a hospital intensive care unit with COVID-19, according to his social media posts. Huff said Tuesday marked his sixth day in isolation in an intensive care unit, The Courier Journal reported. Huff was not present at a Dec. 14 meeting for an interim committee of which he is a member. House Minority Leader Joni Jenkins, a Democrat, told the newspaper she learned of Huff’s medical condition on social media. “I’m worried about being able to keep our members and our staff safe when we don’t get timely information about others with COVID,” she said. On Dec. 3, Kentucky Democratic leaders released a joint statement calling on Republican House and Senate leaders to enforce public health rules at the Capitol Annex building. Huff has been in the state house since 2018. On social media, he has also expressed doubts about COVID-19 data and has been seen without a mask in the Capitol.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Warning the holidays threaten to exacerbate Louisiana’s latest coronavirus surge, Gov. John Bel Edwards said he’s keeping COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and activities across a Christmas season he’s cautioning shouldn’t look like previous ones. The Democratic governor’s rules, which he toughened in late November, were set to expire Wednesday. Edwards said he renewed them through Jan. 13, announcing the decision as Louisiana reached its highest number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since April. “It remains a very perilous situation for the state with respect to COVID,” Edwards said. “If we insist on traveling and having those holiday-related activities and gatherings like we normally would, then we’re obviously going to be in even more trouble.” The decision to maintain restrictions wasn’t a surprise. Edwards had said he wouldn’t loosen the limits, which include a statewide mask mandate. The only question going into Tuesday’s announcement had been whether he would tighten them further, which he decided against.

Maine

Portland: The Maine Department of Labor has sent one-time payments of $600 to thousands of residents left unemployed by the coronavirus pandemic. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills authorized the payment, which differs from financial relief Americans might receive in the new federal coronavirus relief package. The Maine Department of Labor distributed the state payments to about 40,000 people on Monday. The state used $25.2 million in federal coronavirus aid to make the payments. Mills has said the payments differ from unemployment benefits, and are intended to help residents who were likely to exhaust or lose benefits from federal unemployment programs. Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman said the state will also “work to implement any federal changes to unemployment programs as quickly as possible after they are passed into law.”

Maryland

Towson: Baltimore County has limited the amount of fees third-party food delivery services charge to support restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. County Executive Johnny Olszewski issued an executive order Tuesday slashing fees apps such as Uber Eats and GrubHub can take from the total cost of orders to 15%, news outlets reported. The popular apps typically take commissions from restaurants at about 30% of the total costs of orders. Paolo Romeo, a restaurant owner in the county, told WBAL-TV some services charge higher than that. “It’s a lot of fees, and I know for restaurants that are struggling, it’s another expense on top of everything else,” he said. As patrons have been forced to limit dining out because of state restrictions, restaurants across the country have been calling on them to avoid using the apps in order to boost sales. Other cities like San Francisco have also capped the fees. Olszewski said at a Tuesday news conference the 15% cap will make sure more money “goes into the pockets of restaurant owners and their staff.” The order will last until the end of the county’s COVID-19 state of emergency.

Massachusetts

Boston: Many businesses will be limited to 25% capacity and hospitals have been directed to postpone nonessential surgeries starting the day after Christmas to help curb an anticipated increase in new coronavirus cases that could swamp the state’s health care system, Gov. Charlie Baker said. In addition, social gatherings will be limited to 10 people inside and 25 people outside, the Republican governor said at a news conference. The new restrictions take effect Saturday and are scheduled to run for two weeks. Baker also urged people to avoid large family gatherings at Christmas to prevent a surge in new cases that the state saw after Thanksgiving. “Together, the intent of these restrictions will be to pause activity and reduce mobility so we can reduce the spread of the virus without closing our schools or our businesses,” he said. The rules will create what Baker called a “bridge” to widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the first doses of which have already been administered to 26,000 workers in health care settings. The 25% capacity limit applies to restaurants, health clubs, casinos, museums, theaters, retailers and other businesses, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said. It also applies to houses of worship and libraries.

Michigan

Cheboygan: Nearly two dozen school buses drove past the northern Michigan home of a beloved driver who died from COVID-19. It was a surprise tribute for Dale Wiersum’s wife. He was a driver for seven years in Cheboygan, a rural district near the tip of the Lower Peninsula where buses play a crucial role in getting children to school. “He was a friend first,” co-worker Demi Posh said. “Always giving, thoughtful, generous, sincere. There’s not enough words to describe what kind of man Dale was. Everybody went before him. Always.” His wife, Karen, was overwhelmed when she saw the buses Tuesday. “I’m shocked. It was wonderful to have all those buses come through,” she told 9&10 News. Karen was also given a Navy flag to honor Dale, who was a 69-year-old veteran. He died Dec. 6. “All of the drivers go along with him wonderfully,” Cheboygan transportation director Tammy Cage said. “He has a lot of friends and, well, family – our bus garage family.”

Minnesota

Minneapolis: Minnesota nursing home residents began receiving doses of the newly approved Moderna vaccine this week as the state prioritizes the high-risk population in its vaccination rollout plan. Residents and staff at the St. Cloud VA Community Living Center and an assisted living facility in the Prairie Island Indian Community were among the first to receive doses of the vaccine, which received emergency approval over the weekend. A number of other facilities across the state are planning to begin vaccinations this week, MPR News reported. State health officials expect to receive 94,800 doses in its initial shipment of the Moderna vaccine this week. Minnesota long-term care facilities suffered tremendous losses during the pandemic, with a majority of the state’s death toll of nearly 5,000 people consisting of residents of facilities around the state. State health officials placed residents and staff of the facilities first in line for the vaccine alongside health care workers.

Mississippi

Jackson: The total number of coronavirus cases in Mississippi surpassed 200,000 on Wednesday, two days before the Christmas holiday when health officials said they expect a spike because of social gatherings. During a virtual briefing with the news media Tuesday, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi’s state health officer, pleaded with residents to adhere to state guidelines around masks and social distancing on Christmas. The safest way to celebrate the holiday is to confine gatherings to nuclear family only, Dobbs said. “Be aware of the superspreader at your dinner table,” he said. “Please know how vulnerable we can be when we mix people who are younger and older.” One holiday-related event in the state has caused an outbreak, according to local news reports. The Sun Herald reports that at least 10 people on the Mississippi coast have tested positive after a week of events tied to the Biloxi Yacht Club. The club held the Commodore’s Ball, an evening of dinner and dancing in cocktail attire, inside the yacht club Dec. 12. Organizers said mask-wearing and social distancing was enforced. However, now-deleted social media posts showed attendees pictured without masks dancing shoulder to shoulder, according to The Herald.

Missouri

Jefferson City: Missouri’s tradition-bound Senate is installing an audio monitoring system in its committee hearing rooms so employees, lobbyists and the public can listen to debate in their homes or offices during the pandemic. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Senate Administrator Patrick Baker said the changes could mean fewer people in a building that is often crowded during the nearly five-month annual session. “It’s all because of COVID,” Baker said. Bringing Senate hearings to the internet is notable because the chamber has largely shunned technological innovation, with laptops barred from the chamber and votes cast verbally. The House also is making changes in an attempt to give people an option of staying away from crowded corridors, with video links being installed in committee rooms that will allow people to submit testimony virtually.

Montana

Helena: State health officials reported 556 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, continuing a decline in daily reported cases of the virus. The state totaled 3,877 cases in the last seven days, down from 4,745 cases in the preceding week. Daily case totals peaked in mid-November and have been gradually declining since then. Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock previously attributed the decline to new restrictions that went into place Nov. 20, which expanded an existing mask mandate to the entire state and required bars and casinos to close by 10 p.m. Bullock endorsed on Tuesday guidance for medical providers and staff in the event of scarce medical supplies, space and staff because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hospitals in the state reached peak occupancy in November. More than 200 contracted health care workers were hired by the state and deployed in Montana’s hospitals this month.

Nebraska

Omaha: Nebraska might soon relax its social distancing restrictions again because the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus has continued to decline. Gov. Pete Ricketts has said he will relax those restrictions if there are consistently less than 15% of the state’s hospital beds occupied by virus patients. Currently, 14% of Nebraska’s staffed hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, and that number has remained below 15% for six days in a row. The state said the number of people being treated in hospitals declined again Tuesday to 566 from the previous day’s 582. That total remains well below the record of 987 set on Nov. 20 but it remains high compared to Oct. 1, when 227 people were hospitalized.

Nevada

Las Vegas: A hospital has announced that more than half of its staff, about 2,000 employees, received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. University Medical Center in Las Vegas started vaccinations Dec. 14, once the first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived, officials said. Second doses of the vaccine are scheduled to be administered on Jan. 4. “UMC has provided COVID-19 vaccinations to a significant portion of our workforce, promoting the safest possible clinical environment for our team members and patients,” CEO Mason Van Houweling said in a statement on Tuesday. The facility employs about 4,000 people across its hospital campus and clinic locations. Officials said the first shipment of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine is scheduled to arrive soon. Health officials are expecting tier one vaccinations to be completed before 2021, including front-line health care workers with the highest risk of exposure.

New Hampshire

Concord: A legal fight continues over the collection of income taxes from New Hampshire residents who are employed by Massachusetts companies but have been working from home during the pandemic. New Hampshire asked the U.S. Supreme Court in October to block Massachusetts from collecting such taxes from roughly 80,000 people. On Wednesday, New Hampshire filed a brief responding to an earlier filing in which Massachusetts argued the court should not hear the case. “Massachusetts’ current position is a far cry from our country’s rallying call of ‘no taxation without representation,’ – which they seem to have forgotten originated in their state,” said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. “We remain confident that the Supreme Court of the United States will take up this case of national importance and that the State of New Hampshire will prevail.” Under a temporary rule enacted by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, residents of other states who were working in Massachusetts before the pandemic remain subject to Massachusetts’ 5.05% income tax while they work from home. Although the regulation will expire Dec. 31 or 90 days after the coronavirus state of emergency in Massachusetts is lifted, New Hampshire officials argue it represents a permanent shift in underlying policy and amounts to an “aggressive attempt to impose Massachusetts income tax” beyond its borders.

New Jersey

Trenton: Although many people across New Jersey have cheered the videos of the first hospital workers receiving COVID-19 vaccines, a far greater challenge looms for the state in the weeks ahead. New Jersey is about to embark on the largest immunization program in its history, with limited resources and – so far, at least – insufficient funds. Reaching the goal of inoculating 70% of New Jersey’s population – 4.7 million people – will require manpower and sites with room to do it, a massive expansion of data systems to schedule and track the two-dose vaccines, and a blitz of public information and advertising unlike anything seen before. But public health departments at the state and local levels already are struggling to keep up with the demands of the pandemic. Underfunded for years, their hopes of expansion have dwindled along with tax revenue. Hospitals are grappling with a rising tide of coronavirus cases while their budgets falter because fewer patients seek elective surgeries and other types of care. “We need a lot more help,” Gov. Phil Murphy said, referring to financial assistance from Washington. In October, he predicted that “if we do not receive any additional funds, achieving a 70% vaccination rate will take many years, if it even happens at all.” The coronavirus relief bill approved by Congress on Tuesday is a start, Murphy said. The package includes $103 million for vaccine distribution, planning, promotion, monitoring and tracking in the state. But it is unknown whether President Trump would sign the bill.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: It’s official, at least according to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham: Santa Claus and his reindeer are immune to COVID-19 and can safely visit homes all across the state. Lujan Grisham’s office on Wednesday announced that she had issued a proclamation assuring New Mexico children that health experts had determined that the coronavirus poses no danger to Santa and his hoofed helpers. As for the formalities, the proclamation designates Santa as an essential worker and exempts him from New Mexico’s social distancing and travel requirements. “The good cheer and glad tidings of the holidays are so important this year,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement. “I know we’re all excited to celebrate the holidays we’ve missed because of the pandemic – next year, the moment it’s safe to do so. There is hope, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. However you celebrate this holiday season, please be safe, please tell your loved ones you love them, and hold tight to the hope of next year, a brighter tomorrow, and putting this pandemic behind us,” she added. “Happy holidays, New Mexico!”

New York

New York City: The city will send sheriff’s deputies to the homes or hotel rooms of all travelers coming from the United Kingdom to ensure they comply with the city’s two-week COVID-19 quarantine requirement, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday. De Blasio announced the enforcement action amid concern about a new, fast-spreading strain of the virus detected in the U.K. Airlines flying from London to New York agreed this week to test passengers before they board. All travelers to New York, regardless of where they’re arriving from, are required to fill out forms with contact information and where they will be staying. They will then be sent a quarantine order by certified mail, de Blasio said. People who fail to comply will face a fine of $1,000 a day, de Blasio said.

North Carolina

Raleigh: Gov. Roy Cooper advised residents to avoid traveling over the holidays, saying Tuesday that he would limit his Christmas gathering in Raleigh to immediate family members. Speaking at a news conference, Cooper warned of increases in coronavirus spread similar to the one that occurred over Thanksgiving if people disregard public health guidelines. He did not add any new restrictions on gatherings or travel, however. Residents are currently limited to indoor parties of 10 or fewer people. The Democratic governor pointed to rising case numbers, limited staffing capacities at hospitals and a rise in the share of tests coming back positive, though he said Tuesday that numbers have “plateaued” in recent weeks. All but eight of the North Carolina’s 100 counties are seeing substantial or critical levels of community spread.

North Dakota

Bismarck: The Department of Health said it is reinstating contact tracing for all people who test positive for the coronavirus. The department had cut back on much of its contact tracing among the general public in October as the virus surged, focusing on health care facilities, schools and universities. Officials asked other people to self-notify their close contacts. Contact tracers notify individuals who have been within 6 feet of someone who tested positive for the coronavirus for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period so they can quarantine. “Active cases and hospitalizations across North Dakota continue to decrease, and that’s promising,” Disease Control Director Kirby Kruger said in a statement. “To keep our numbers and hospital capacity manageable, we need individuals to continue to isolate when they test positive and quarantine when they are a close contact.”

Ohio

Columbus: Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a bill limiting the Health Department’s ability to fight the pandemic will stand after Republican lawmakers wrapped up their two-year session without making good on a veto override threat. The bill that DeWine vetoed Dec. 3 would have allowed the Legislature to adopt resolutions to rescind Health Department orders to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. It would also prevent the agency from implementing regional or statewide quarantines for people who haven’t been directly exposed or diagnosed with the disease. DeWine, a Republican, said the bill would hamstring the state from responding quickly to situations that might require a quarantine, such as a bioterrorism attack. The measure was one of several that Republican lawmakers passed this year trying to limit the governor’s coronavirus protection efforts.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: The arrival of doses of the newly approved Moderna vaccine in Oklahoma this week will expedite the state’s effort to quickly deliver vaccinations because it doesn’t require the same ultra-cold storage as the Pfizer shot, health officials said Wednesday. Deputy Health Commissioner Keith Reed said Oklahoma received 66,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine this week that will be distributed to more than 150 federally qualified health centers across the state. “Moderna is much easier on the logistics side,” Reed said. “The Moderna vaccine gives us options to send it to locations that don’t have the storage facilities for Pfizer.” Reed said Oklahoma has received more than 131,000 total doses of both vaccines this week, and health officials have said people in the second phase of the vaccine distribution plan could begin receiving vaccinations as early as next week. That includes first responders such as police and firefighters, adults over 65 or with underlying health conditions, teachers and support staff in schools and health care settings.

Oregon

Umatilla: The Two Rivers Correctional Institution, one of the state’s largest prisons that is experiencing another COVID-19, outbreak has been grappling with a major power outage for the last week. The outage began on Dec. 16 and has affected six housing units and about 600 inmates, or a third of the prison’s population, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Staff and outside contractors have been on site trying to determine the cause and how best to resolve it, according to the Department of Corrections. Prisons officials don’t yet have a firm time frame for when power will be restored. The outage comes as the state’s prison system has been rocked by the pandemic. More than 1900 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus and 20 have died. As of Monday, 85 inmates at the Two Rivers prison were being treated for the virus. Jennifer Black, a spokeswoman for the state corrections department, said backup generators run during the night and are off during the day so crews can work. The inmates “have small battery-powered lights in each cell on the affected units,” Black said.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: Gov. Tom Wolf proposed spending $145 million in a worker’s compensation fund to help businesses cope with the pandemic. The Democratic governor’s plan requires a vote from the Republican-led Legislature to appropriate the money, and there has been no deal to accomplish that. Wolf said he wants the money to go out in the form of grants to businesses that have been most harmed by the pandemic, among them restaurants, bars and gyms. During an online news conference, Wolf said people were worn out by the pandemic, even as vaccines are starting to be administered. House Republican spokesman Jason Gottesman blamed Wolf’s policies for the pandemic’s effect on businesses and urged him to lift those restrictions. It’s unnknown whether legislative Republicans will bite on the governor’s idea; the General Assembly returns to work early in January.

Rhode Island

Providence: The state has agreed to spend $10 million in federal coronavirus stimulus funds to make sure providers of services to the state’s developmentally disabled population can function well into next year. State Sen. Louis P. DiPalma told The Providence Journal that the fiscal health of 30 businesses that provide those services is of grave concern. “What we need to ensure is that when we come out of the pandemic they will still be there,” the Middletown Democrat said. The estimated 4,000 Rhode Islanders living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are among the populations most vulnerable to the virus, with about 1,200 living in group homes and some with preexisting health conditions. As of mid-November, 232 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities had tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the state. The providers have had to suspend services or reduce capacity while incurring expenses related to the pandemic.

South Carolina

Greenville: Vice President Mike Pence will visit Greenville on Thursday to talk about COVID-19 vaccinations before traveling to a campaign rally in Augusta, Georgia. According to his office, Pence is visiting Greenville to take part in a roundtable discussion highlighting the public-private partnership to fight the coronavirus, Operation Warp Speed, and South Carolina’s operational plan for vaccinations once approved. The roundtable is scheduled to begin at 11:35 a.m. Thursday at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine campus in Greenville on Grove Road. Pence will then travel for a Defend the Majority Rally in Georgia, where voters will cast ballots in two U.S. Senate runoffs next month. The outcome of those races will determine which party has the majority in the Senate. Pence's visit to the Upstate comes at a time when new cases of COVID-19 are soaring in the Upstate and across South Carolina. The past four days have marked the highest totals of new COVID-19 cases in the state since the pandemic began in March. The state has recorded a total of 10,136 new cases of COVD-19 since Friday, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

South Dakota

Rapid City: Dozens of Rapid City residents and business owners filed complaints against City Council President Laura Armstrong for her social media posts and supporting a website they said targets those who are opposed to a mask mandate. Tonchi Weaver brought almost 100 complaints to the city attorney’s office accusing Armstrong of “abuse of office, illegal activity and cyber bullying” related to her posts on social media sites. Weaver is asking the city council to remove Armstrong from office, the Rapid City Journal reported. Many of the complaints refer to Armstrong’s support of a Facebook page called “Caring Businesses of Rapid City,” which Armstrong said promotes local businesses that have followed CDC guidelines during the pandemic. Others said Armstrong has posted on sites that include lists of Rapid City businesses to avoid because of mask requirements. Armstrong said many of the complaints are “grossly misstating the facts” about the website that is meant to protect the most vulnerable members of the community.

Tennessee

Nashville: The state is halting most in-person state and local court proceedings for a month as it fights one of the worst recent COVID-19 surges in the nation. The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday that pauses all but a few types of in-person courtroom happenings from Dec. 28 to Jan. 29 and extends a delay on jury trials through Feb. 26. Some exceptions include bond-related matters, preliminary criminal hearings or plea agreements for inmates, orders of protection, emergency child custody, child safety placement, temporary injunction filings, emergency mental health orders, emergency protection of the elderly or vulnerable, and other exceptions approved by the chief justice.

Texas

Austin: Health officials in the state capital again urged people to avoid holiday gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus, as hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients soared heading into the Christmas weekend. There is such a high rate of transmission in Austin that people should consider themselves at risk anywhere they go in the city, Dr. Mark Escott, the interim head of the Austin-Travis County Health Authority, said during a news conference. Most often, people are passing the coronavirus to family and friends who they feel comfortable around without wearing a mask. There has been a 97% increase in positive coronavirus cases and an 80% increase in the seven-day average number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Austin since Dec 1, Escott said. “This is a critical moment for the community,” Escott said. “We must decrease the spread of the virus in the community now. We cannot allow another increase in cases and hospitalizations following the upcoming holidays. Our hospitals will become overwhelmed and people will needlessly die.” Travis County Judge Andy Brown echoed the cries for caution and called on businesses to voluntarily limit occupancy, move to contactless operations and not operate between 10:30 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Utah

Salt Lake City: Health officials in Utah have said the state is in the lowest category of reported flu cases, along with much of the country as coronavirus cases are on the rise. Republican Gov. Gary Herbert made a push for residents to get the influenza A and B vaccine early in the season, KUTV-TV reported. “This year, it is more important than any before to get your flu shot. By getting vaccinated, you are greatly reducing your risk of becoming sick and thereby saving critical hospital space for others,” Herbert said. A weekly map of the U.S. shows the entire country has low-to-moderate flu activity, with the exception of Oklahoma. More than 650 people of all ages have been diagnosed with influenza A or B across the country, officials said. Health officials previously warned of a “twindemic” with coronavirus cases on the rise, but that has not happened with flu cases at record lows nationwide. Flu vaccine doses are also readily available because of low cases.

Vermont

Montpelier: Utility regulators have reinstated a moratorium on the disconnection of electricity, natural gas and landline phone services because customers have not paid their bills. In an order dated Tuesday, the Public Utilities Commission said the moratorium will last through March 31. The commission first prohibited disconnections in March, but that moratorium was lifted on Oct. 15. Since the original moratorium was lifted, utilities were able to work with their customers so they could seek funds through a program designed to help pay the overdue bills of people in danger of having service cut off. But that program ended Dec. 15. The worsening pandemic and winter conditions prompted the commission to reconsider the moratorium. “Vermonters need to be able to keep the lights on, their homes warm, and their phone lines open as they survive the winter months of the pandemic,” said Commission chair Anthony Roisman.

Virginia

Verona: The spread of the coronavirus continues inside Middle River Regional Jail as 60 additional inmates recently tested positive, according to a press release. The newest figure is up from 48 inmates the previous week. Since Nov. 25, 464 inmates at the jail have tested positive, the release said. A total of 71 staff have also contracted the virus since Nov. 13. The jail said out of its 30 inmate housing units, 19 had no inmates that tested positive, and eight of 11 units with positive cases had less than three inmates with the coronavirus. Middle River Regional Jail had 796 inmates as of Monday. Seven tests are still pending. Two inmates released Monday have since have tested positive, the jail said. Both were provided a letter with instructions for self-isolation pending their test results. The health department has been provided their names, the release said. Staff at Middle River Regional Jail are being assisted by Dr. Laura Kornegay, health director for the Central Shenandoah Health District. The jail said another round of testing is planned for next week.

Washington

Kitsap: Passenger-only fast ferry service between Southworth and Seattle has been delayed until 2021, Kitsap Transit said. Southworth service – the final route planned between Kitsap County and Seattle – is being pushed back because of "forces beyond (Kitsap Transit’s) control stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic," the agency said in a statement. Kitsap Transit now plans to start service sometime in the first quarter of 2021. In October, Kitsap Transit riders voted to start Southworth service in 2020 without a backup boat. Although Kitsap Transit has officially taken delivery of the M/V Enetai, a 255-passenger bow-loader that will operate the route, crews have reported several additional issues with the vessel that need fixing. “There’s a handful of things that we need to get in place so that when we do start it, it’s being started correctly and it’s being started with the expectation that it’s going to be as reliable as we can make it,” Kitsap Transit executive director John Clauson said. “We’ll be starting service as soon as we can feel confident that we’re going to be able to operate it safely and dependably.”

West Virginia

Ceredo: American Airlines will be restoring daily service at the Huntington Tri-State Airport. The daily flights to Charlotte, North Carolina, will begin Jan. 6, the Herald-Dispatch reported. American Airlines will offer daily flights to and from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, said Brent Brown, executive director of the airport. He said flight reservations are now being taken at the American Airlines website. The daily flights were suspended in October.

Wisconsin

Madison: The Wisconsin Supreme Court turned away a challenge of Dane County’s ban on indoor gatherings in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In a 4-3 vote, the high court rejected the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty’s request that it bypass lower courts and take up its case. Dane County has since relaxed restrictions on all private gatherings indoors, including sports activities and those in private homes. In his majority opinion, Justice Brian Hagedorn emphasized the Supreme Court isn’t designed to take up cases in the first instance, a job meant for circuit courts. “This court is designed to be the court of last resort, not the court of first resort,” Hagedorn wrote. “That is why we have historically been receptive to original actions only rarely. I hope we return there again.” Three justices wanted to take up the case, saying the high court should not delay in taking up cases that involve fundamental liberties.

Wyoming

Casper: The state could receive 7,000 fewer coronavirus vaccine doses this month than initially estimated because of a production discrepancy, state health officials said. A county-by-county distribution schedule published by the Wyoming Department of Health estimated the state will receive 20,325 vaccine doses by the end of December – a decline of 7,000 from the previous estimate, the Casper Star-Tribune reported Wednesday. The schedule reflects a change because “Pfizer shipments decreased for the last 2 weeks of December due to differences between estimated production and actual production,” department spokeswoman Kim Deti said. The state will also see slightly fewer doses of the Moderna vaccine than expected, Deti said. However, she also emphasized that the numbers could change and the schedule is tentative. About 5,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were delivered to the state last week, officials said, adding that another 2,000 are expected this week. The Moderna vaccine was approved late last week and 10,000 doses are expected to be delivered this week to Wyoming.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 50 States