Newsom wanted California to cut ties with Walgreens. What ...

Samantha Young

KHN

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared in March that California was “done” doing business with Walgreens after the pharmacy chain said it would not distribute an abortion pill in 21 states where Republicans threatened legal action. Since then, KHN has learned that the Democratic governor must compromise on his hard-line tweet.

California is legally bound to continue doing business with Walgreens through the state’s massive Medicaid program, health law experts said. And according to a public records request, the state paid Walgreens $1.5 billion last year.

Newsom’s administration confirmed it will “continue to comply” with federal law by paying Walgreens through Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage to roughly 15 million residents with low incomes and disabilities. Were California to stop covering Medi-Cal prescriptions filled at Walgreens stores, legal scholars warned, the state would run afoul of federal law, which allows patients to get their medications at any approved pharmacy.

“California has no intention of taking any action that would violate federal Medicaid requirements, or that could undermine access for low-income individuals,” said Tony Cava, a spokesperson for the California Department of Health Care Services, in a statement.

'We're done':Why California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered the state to cut ties with Walgreens

Walgreens cuts sales:Walgreens says it won't sell abortion pills in 20 GOP-led states, even where it is still legal

What did Gavin Newsom say about Walgreens?

On March 6, the governor tweeted “California won’t be doing business with @walgreens — or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at risk,” after the second-largest U.S. pharmacy chain said it would not dispense mifepristone in states where it is illegal to dispense the pill or where the company faced potential lawsuits if it did so.

Newsom spokesperson Anthony York said, “Tweeting is not policy.” He added the governor will not “take any action that hurts people who need access to care.” Walgreens has even been invited to apply for a specialty drug contract that Newsom pulled back on renewing last month, York said. Walgreens has received about $54 million from the state under the contract.

The dust-up with the Illinois-based pharmacy chain illustrates Newsom’s panache for sweeping announcements on social media, where he garners national headlines but offers few specifics and little follow-through, political strategists said. Newsom has raised his national profile — and speculation of a presidential bid — by traveling to red states and launching a new political action committee.

“It’s much more about appearances and style and approach than it is about substance,” said David McCuan, political science department chair at Sonoma State University. Newsom and his administration “oversell their pronouncements and don’t actually deliver.”

Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio said continuing to pay Walgreens through Medi-Cal doesn’t take away from Newsom’s support of abortion rights.

“He’s going to get the headline for protecting abortion rights, and this he can chalk up to a technical difficulty,” Maviglio said. “He will be rewarded for standing up to a corporation.”

Federal law is designed to ensure Medicaid patients have choices in where they get health care, including prescriptions. Approved providers like Walgreens are protected by Medicaid statute, which states that no health plan or entity can “restrict the choice of the qualified person from whom the individual may receive services.” Legal and Medicaid experts said that makes it extremely difficult for the Newsom administration to disqualify Walgreens.

“As long as Walgreens is performing for Medicaid beneficiaries as it should, dispensing all legal drugs in a manner that is consistent with permissible pharmacy practice, then I don’t see the basis for excluding them,” said Sara Rosenbaum, a professor of health law and policy at George Washington University.

The federal regulations that protect Walgreens are the same that have allowed Planned Parenthood to offer health care services to Medicaid enrollees in conservative states, where leaders have sought unsuccessfully to exclude the network of clinics from receiving taxpayer funding.

An approved pharmacy company can be excluded from state networks only if it has committed fraud or other contract violations, added Edwin Park, a research professor at Georgetown University with expertise in Medicaid law.

“Certainly, that wouldn’t be the case for Walgreens,” Park said.

It’s unclear whether Newsom was aware of how difficult it would be for California to unwind its Medi-Cal provider agreement with Walgreens, said Daniel Schnur, a Republican-turned-independent strategist who also teaches political science at the University of Southern California.

“The original announcement sounded like a seminal step for the state of California to take on principle, even at great financial expense,” Schnur said. “They’ve quietly backed away.”

Through a records request, KHN learned the state paid Walgreens $1.5 billion last year to buy and dispense prescriptions to Medi-Cal enrollees. The bulk of the payment, $1.4 billion, reimbursed Walgreens for the prescriptions it distributed. And the remaining $123 million went to dispensing fees, a payment to pharmacists for each prescription they fill. The federal government covers at least half the state’s payments, which are also offset by rebates from drug manufacturers.

A Walgreens spokesperson declined to comment on its business with California, referring to the same statement it issued in March: “Providing legally approved medications to patients is what pharmacies do, and is rooted in our commitment to the communities in which we operate.”

Is Walgreens not selling abortion pills in California?

Walgreens said it plans to dispense mifepristone “in any jurisdiction where it is legally permissible to do so.” The company was responding to an FDA rule finalized in January that allows certified pharmacies to dispense the abortion pill, which is the most common way people terminate pregnancies. Walgreens isn’t proposing to limit abortion pill sales in California or other states where abortion is legal and pharmacies are allowed to dispense it.

Democrats have urged pharmacy chains to sell the abortion pill even as GOP attorneys general threaten legal action. But many, including Walmart, Costco, Albertsons, and Health Mart, have not waded into the fight. Only Rite Aid and CVS have said they plan to begin certification to dispense the pills.

Had Newsom been able to sever Medi-Cal’s relationship with Walgreens, he would have contradicted one of his signature health initiatives. When he took office in 2019, Newsom proposed the state take over prescription drug coverage for Medi-Cal patients, many of whom had been covered through managed-care plans.

Part of Newsom’s pitch: Patients could go to nearly any pharmacy in California.

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Top White House advisers predict as many as 240,000 US deaths from coronavirus

March 31: Members of President Donald Trump’s administration laid out dire estimates Tuesday to underscore the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, a grim prediction they said was at the center of the president’s decision to extend strict social distancing guidelines through the end of April.

Federal public health officials said that between 100,000 and 240,000 could succumb to the virus by the end of the year — making it one of the nation’s worst public health crises — said Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator.

Without intervention, Birx said, as many 2.2 million could have died.

Presented to the president over the weekend, the data explains why Trump backed down from an earlier notion of “reopening” the country by Easter, or potentially opening parts of the nation that were less hard hit, officials said. Trump announced Sunday he would extend social distancing guidelines through April 30.

Americans abroad urged to come home

March 31: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is making his advice to U.S. citizens still overseas during the coronavirus crisis simple: "Americans who wish to return home from abroad should so immediately and make arrangements to accomplish that," he stressed during a Tuesday briefing.

While Pompeo said his repatriation task force remains committed to bringing all Americans home, he said the window to do so is closing.

"We do not know how long the commercial flights in your countries may continue to operate," he said as airlines have already slashed international service. "We can't guarantee the U.S. government's ability to arrange charter flights indefinitely where commercial options no longer exist."

In the meantime, he urged Americans to register with their nearest embassy or consulate or do so online via STEP, the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

At-home coronavirus tests halted despite progress

March 31: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration abruptly shut down sales of at-home coronavirus test kits earlier this month but some companies say they haven’t given up.

The scarcity of tests in general, coupled with consumers' desire to take control, makes the idea both intriguing and controversial.

Critics say home tests may be unreliable, might delay necessary treatment and could soak up scarce resources. Proponents say at-home test kits could save money and resources – and in the near future could play a critical role in tracking COVID-19.

The FDA leaped into action on March 20 when several startup companies started selling or preparing to sell at-home kits.

In strong language, the agency called at-home test kits “fraudulent.”

Feds launch inquiry of 4 lawmakers who sold off stock

March 30: Federal authorities are reviewing the stock sales of four lawmakers just before the market slide triggered by the coronavirus outbreak, a person familiar with the matter said Monday.

Financial disclosure statements indicated that Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C.; Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.; Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga.; and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; their spouses or advisers sold large chunks of stock around the time lawmakers received behind-the-scenes briefings about the severity of the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 2,900 lives in the USA.

The senators denied any wrongdoing, and Burr asked the Senate Ethics Committee to review his transactions involving up to $1.6 million. The federal inquiry, which was in its early stages, was first reported by CNN.

Gov. Ducey issues stay-at-home order

March 30:Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday issued a statewide "stay-at-home" order to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, preventing Arizonans from leaving their residences except for food, medicine and other "essential activities."

The directive, which also allows for outdoor exercise, will take effect at the close of business Tuesday and apply through at least April 30.

"Already, things have shut down to a large degree," the Republican leader said at an afternoon press briefing, with Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ at his side. "They're going to shut down even further."

Ducey indicated he did not consider the mandate a "shelter-in-place" order, however, saying that phrase is reserved for nuclear attacks or active shooter situations.

"Our goal here is to protect the lives of those we love most and to ensure the health care system has the capacity to provide them with the care and comfort they deserve," he said. "We want people to stay at home."

Arizona schools closed for the rest of the school year

March 30: Gov. Doug Ducey has extended the closure of all Arizona schools through the end of this school year.

In a joint statement Monday with Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, Ducey wrote that the decision was made to align with guidance from the federal government.

"These efforts are crucial, and we recognize that schools are making every effort possible to continue providing instruction during closures," they wrote in the statement.

On Friday, Ducey signed legislation to allow students to finish the school year from home.

The plan mandates that schools offer classes in an alternative format, presumably online, so students could finish out the school year from home. It also includes provisions to ensure seniors in high school graduate.

Gov. Ducey holds 2 p.m. press conference

Summer Olympics to kick off in July 2021

March 30: Less than a week after announcing that the Summer Games in Japan would be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers have decided on a new start date of July 23, 2021, according to an International Olympic Committee spokesman. The closing ceremony will be held on Aug. 8. The Tokyo Olympics had previously been set to start almost exactly one year earlier, running from July 24 through Aug. 9.

Arizona coronavirus cases now surpass 1K, with 20 deaths

March 30: Arizona cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, now number more than 1,000, with 20 known deaths, new numbers posted by the Arizona Department of Health Services on Monday show.

The total identified cases in Arizona is 1,157, according to the latest state figures, with every one of the state's 15 counties now recording at least one case.

That's an increase of confirmed 238 cases, or 26%, since Sunday.

Arizona's new coronavirus cases increase to 912; deaths rise to 16

March 29: The number of identified new coronavirus cases in Arizona rose to 912 on Sunday — a roughly 17% increase from the day before, according to data released by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The number of reported deaths related to COVID-19 also increased by one to a total of 16 on Sunday.

More than 2,000 coronavirus patients have died in U.S.

March 28: Just one day after the U.S. surpassed 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, the nation witnessed another grim figure: More than 2,000 COVID-19 patients have died.

Testing continues to expand across the nation, and the U.S. is seeing daily spikes in the number of reported cases. Nearly 500 coronavirus-related deaths were reported Saturday, up from 1,544 confirmed deaths 24 hours earlier, according to Johns Hopkins University's data dashboard.

The death toll was 2,010 Saturday shortly after 6 p.m. ET. That number is expected to rise steadily in the coming days and weeks, and health officials say the number of cases is likely higher due to lack of testing. Nearly 18,000 new cases were reported on both Wednesday and Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins.

More than 120,000 cases have been reported in the U.S.

Cases have been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. New York has reported the most deaths, followed by Washington, New York and Louisiana, according to Johns Hopkins.

FDA authorizes 5-minute coronavirus test the size of a toaster

March 28: CHICAGO – A five-minute, point-of-care coronavirus test could be coming to urgent care clinics next week, and experts say it could be "game-changing."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued Emergency Use Authorization to Illinois-based medical device maker Abbott Labs on Friday for a coronavirus test that delivers positive results in as little as five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes, the company said.

The company expects the tests to be available next week and expects to ramp up manufacturing to deliver 50,000 tests per day.

Days before closing, Caesars Entertainment said 3,200 workers would lose jobs

LAS VEGAS – Four days before closing nine hotel-casinos along the Las Vegas Strip to slow the spread of COVID-19, Caesars Entertainment notified state officials that 3,200 workers would lose their jobs, according to documents obtained by the Reno-Gazette Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

In a March 14 letter to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, the company announced the cuts would happen the following day.

"Given the unknown certainty surrounding COVID-19," wrote Servando Lara, Caesars' director of labor relations, "we are unable to make a determination as to whether the layoff will be temporary or permanent."

One day after the letter arrived, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered that all non-essential businesses across the state shut down to arrest the spread of COVID-19.

Arizona COVID-19 deaths up to 15; reported cases rise to 773

March 28: Arizona's death toll related to the new coronavirus rose to 15, according to data released by the Arizona Department of Health Services on Saturday morning.

The number of reported cases around the state also rose to 773.

As of Friday, there were 13 deaths and 665 reported cases around the state. Cases grew from Friday to Saturday by roughly 16%.

On Saturday, Pima County announced an additional coronavirus-related death, bringing the county total to five.

The man was a hospice patient between the age of 18 and 40, the county said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the Pima County death was one of the two additional deaths announced by the state Saturday morning.

Maricopa County reported a growth of 53 cases, with 96 of the 452 cases in the county requiring hospitalization.

Member of Alhambra school community infected

March 28: Alhambra Elementary School District announced Friday that someone who attended the school's non-sponsored trip to Magic Mountain has tested positive for COVID-19.

The news was shared via an email to parents from Richard Stinnett, the school's principal. The email did not reveal whether the infected person was a student or other party.

Stinnett relayed in the email that the trip took place from March 6-8, more than two weeks removed since the person in question received their positive test. School has not been in session since the trip, Stinnett wrote.

Still, the email communicated that the infected person is recovering at home while quarantined and that no other cases have been linked to this case.

Disney World, Disneyland to stay closed indefinitely

March 27: Citing an "increasingly complex crisis," Disneyland and Disney World are going to stay closed "until further notice" due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Walt Disney Company said Friday.

The company's decision dashes hopes that the fabled theme parks would reopen by next month, as had been previously announced. Earlier this week, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood announced they were extending their closures through April 19.

For Disney, the concern was about making sure park-goers and employees aren't exposed to the virus.

"While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our guests and employees remains the Walt Disney Company’s top priority," the company said in an email statement. It said the decision was "in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials."

Trump signs $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus intended to halt economic meltdown

March 27: WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion bipartisan stimulus package Friday that is intended to address the threat of economic disaster posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump signed the measure – the largest stimulus in U.S. history – in the Oval Office hours after it was approved by the House of Representatives, an unusually rapid approval that underscored dire warnings of a recession as companies began to lay off workers and U.S. consumers hunkered down in their homes to avoid spreading the virus.

"I want to thank Democrats and Republicans for coming together and putting America first," Trump said at the signing.

While the president’s signature ended the legislative effort on Capitol Hill, it marked a beginning to the government’s work managing the crisis. Now the Trump administration must rapidly pump hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy in the form of direct payments, loans and grants to hard-hit industries such as the airlines.

The stimulus package will provide $1,200 checks to many Americans – and more for families – while making available hundreds of billions of dollars for companies to maintain payroll through the crisis. It significantly expands the nation’s unemployment safety net and it directs a huge infusion of cash to hospitals and other medical facilities on the front line of fighting the pandemic.

Markets rallied in recent days on the news that Republicans and Democrats had reached a deal on the stimulus, recovering some of the staggering losses of the past several weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average remained down Friday in midday trading.

House approves historic coronavirus package, sending $2 trillion bill to Trump’s desk

March 27: WASHINGTON – The House voted to pass a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package – the largest emergency aid bill in history – that will offer $1,200 checks to Americans, extensive unemployment benefits for those out of work and financial relief to businesses and the health care industry hard-hit by the worsening crisis.

The House’s vote allows the bill to head to President Donald Trump’s desk for final approval. Trump has signaled he will sign the bill.

The vote comes one day after the U.S. reached two grim milestones, becoming the country with the most coronavirus cases in the world and reporting a record 3.28 million workers who applied for unemployment benefits in one week – the highest number in history since the Department of Labor started tracking data in 1967. The massive package aims to offer a financial lifeline to Americans and businesses that are hurting while also offering reassurance to the markets, which have been battered by fears that shutdowns related to the pandemic could throw the economy into a deep recession.

US neglected its medical stockpile, whistleblowers say

March 27: A secretive cache of medical supplies to save Americans from deadly disasters for years lacked the funding to prepare for a pandemic as widespread as the coronavirus, former managers of the stockpile told USA TODAY.

Overseen by a cadre of scientists, disease specialists and others at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Strategic National Stockpile houses roughly $8 billion in inventory for rapid deployment to anywhere in the nation in under 12 hours.

But its inadequate supply of ventilators, respiratory masks and other personal protective equipment will leave critical shortages for U.S. hospitals scrambling to respond to the mounting coronavirus pandemic.

The stockpile had just 16,600 of the breathing machines and an estimated 12 million N95 masks at the start of the pandemic – not enough for the country, USA TODAY reports.

The latest: US COVID-19 count

US passes Italy, China as nation with the most confirmed cases of COVID-19

March 26: The U.S. surged past China and Italy to become the planet's most infected nation Thursday, a stark milestone in the coronavirus era - and a reminder of its deadly, culture-changing effects on American life.

The Johns Hopkins University dashboard showed the U.S. with 82,404 COVID-19 infections as of 6 p.m., ET, moving past Italy (80,589) and China (81,782). More than 1,100 people have died in the U.S.

Part of the reason for the nation's top ranking is cause and effect: The U.S. has drastically ramped up its testing protocols in order to identify infected people and those who may be carriers of the virus. As testing has increased, so has the number of confirmed cases.

Watch: Trump speaks on coronavirus

March 26: On a day when jobless claims smashed a record and U.S. deaths surged past 1,100 as the coronavirus tightened its grip on America, the prospect of a stimulus package soon becoming reality helped propel a third consecutive stock market rally Thursday.

The Labor Department, in announcing the unemployment claims numbers for last week, said what Americans already knew – that layoffs hit the hospitality and food service industries particularly hard. Other industries that struggled included health care and social assistance, arts, entertainment and recreation, transportation and warehousing, and manufacturing industries, Labor said.

Congress was trying to supply a ray of hope. The House is scheduled to take up a Senate-passed, $2 trillion emergency aid proposal Friday. Swift passage was expected – after an initial hangup, the package flew through the Senate on Wednesday night by a vote of 96-0. President Donald Trump has expressed a willingness to sign the measure.

Dow posts best 3-day gain since 1931

March 26: U.S. stocks notched their first three-day rally in six weeks Thursday on hopes that Congress will quickly approve a coronavirus rescue package for the economy while the outbreak in China shows signs that it has been largely contained.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1,351.62 points, or 6.4%, to close at 22,552.17. The blue-chip average has advanced 21.3% over the past three days, its biggest three-day gain since 1931. Those gains helped push the Dow back into bull market territory after ending its 11-year historic run this month.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 added 6.2% to finish at 2,630.07. It has gained 17.6% over the past three days, its best percentage gain since 1933.

The gains came even as data revealed a record number of Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week after a wave of layoffs from the coronavirus pandemic.

Arizona coronavirus cases top 500, with 8 known deaths

March 26: Confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, topped 500 on Thursday, with eight known deaths, state numbers show.

Identified cases now total 508 across the state. Maricopa County has just shy of 300 cases.

The level of community spread, as listed on the state health department’s website, went from moderate to “widespread.” Community spread means the patient had no history of traveling to regions of the world affected by new coronavirus, and also had no known contact with anyone infected by it.

Here's the difference between shelter-in-place and quarantine, and what police can enforce

March 26: On March 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all 40 million people in the state to shelter in place as health officials battle the new coronavirus. Two days later, Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker ordered his state's 12.7 million residents to also shelter in place.

Since then, millions of people across at least 20 states have been given orders to shelter in place, restricting them from leaving their homes except to go to work if they can't work from home, get food or see a doctor.

But Arizona, with a population of seven million, isn't one of them.

Congress on track to add $600 per week to jobless checks

March 26:The U.S. Senate approved an additional $600 a week in jobless benefits for laid-off workers on Wednesday as the number of people applying for help nationwide hit an all-time weekly record of 3.28 million because of the economic carnage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Arizona also set a new one-day record this week for the number of jobless claims filed.

Benefits currently are capped at $240 a week in Arizona, the second-lowest amount in the nation. The change would increase the figure to $840 per week for people laid off because of the outbreak.

Jobless claims surge to 3.3M

March 26: Layoffs are skyrocketing as the coronavirus upends the U.S. economy.

The number of Americans filing initial applications for unemployment benefits jumped nearly twelvefold to a record 3.28 million last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, offering the most vivid evidence yet of the outbreak's widespread damage to the economy.

The total was well above the 1.5 million claims economists had forecast, according to the median estimate of those surveyed by Bloomberg.

Illnesses from coronavirus could peak in April with hospitalizations topping out in May, health officials say

March 25: Arizona's governor and top health official on Wednesday shared mixed updates on the state's new coronavirus response, reporting a sizable increase in testing but warning of continued medical supply shortages as the virus spreads.

If infections continue at their current pace, illnesses would peak in April and hospitalizations would peak in May, state Health Director Dr. Cara Christ said at a Wednesday press briefing.

"Arizona is still in the opening stages of its COVID-19 outbreak, and the number of cases within the state will increase significantly," Christ said.

Arizona could be short 13,000 beds in treating coronavirus patients

March 25: The new coronavirus pandemic could leave Arizona short 13,000 hospital beds for sick patients, a top health official said Wednesday.

The state's modeling has shown if there's a big wave of illness here — what state officials emphasize is a worst-case scenario — it would hit in mid- to late April, with a high rate of hospitalizations in May, Dr. Cara Christ, the Arizona Department of Health Services director, told reporters during a news briefing with Gov. Doug Ducey.

"We must continue to increase our bed capacity. With a potential surge of COVID-19 patients, we expect it to be above and beyond our current capacity of beds," she said.

Senate passes historic $2 trillion stimulus package

March 25: The Senate approved its largest emergency aid package in modern history that will offer $2 trillion to help Americans, hospitals and businesses weather the effects of the coronavirus. The vote late Wednesday night was 96-0.

The bill will now go to the House for approval before it’s sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.

House Majority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., announced that the House will vote on the $2 trillion bill Friday, and that they will convene at 9 a.m.

"We expect the bill to pass by voice vote," he said.

Among the provisions offered in the measure are one-time $1,200 checks to individuals, $367 billion in loans and grants to small businesses, over $130 billion for hospitals and community health centers and financial help to airlines and other industries hit hard by the virus.

U.S. death toll surges past 1,000

March 25: The U.S. death toll was at 1,031 late Wednesday afternoon after eclipsing 600 on Tuesday. Globally, more than 21,000 people have been killed by the virus, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard.

Gov. Ducey to hold press conference at 2 p.m. Wednesday

Most Americans to get $1,200 checks

March 25: People earning less than $75,000 per year will get $1,200 checks under the stimulus agreement. Married couples earning less than $150,000 will get $2,400 and children will be worth another $500 each under the deal. The final language is still being crafted, but the package includes $367 billion for small businesses, $500 billion for loans to larger industries, $100 billion for hospitals and the health care system and $600 more per week in unemployment benefits for those out of work.

Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer said the goal is to ensure that every worker who is laid off or furloughed can pay their bills.

"And because so many of them will be furloughed rather than fired, if they have benefits, they can continue, and – extremely important – they can stay with the company or small business," he said.

Identified cases in Arizona now top 400, with 6 known deaths

March 25: Coronavirus cases in Arizona continue to rise, with 401 identified cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, reported by the state Wednesday.

Mohave County reported its first identified case, which means the county will start restricting businesses. Maricopa County reported it now has two cases in people under age 18.

Identified cases have increased by 23% since Tuesday morning's numbers update from the state. The percentage increase was lower Wednesday than it was on Monday and Tuesday.

On Tuesday, there were at least 326 identified cases and five known deaths reported by the state in its morning numbers update. The state's database now reflects the sixth death, which was announced by Coconino County late Tuesday.

Three known deaths have occurred in Maricopa County, according to county data, as well as one in Pima County and one in Coconino County. It is unclear in which county one of the deaths happened. Coconino County's first known death related to COVID-19 was announced on Tuesday.

New symptom of COVID-19?

March 24: A loss of a sense of smell or taste may be a symptom of COVID-19, medical groups representing ear, nose and throat specialists have warned.

Citing a growing number of cases around the globe, the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and ENT UK each issued warnings about patients who tested positive for the new coronavirus with the only symptom being a lost or altered sense of smell or taste.

"Anecdotal evidence is rapidly accumulating from sites around the world that anosmia and dysgeusia are significant symptoms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic," the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery wrote in a statement.

Anosmia is the loss of smell while dysgeusia is an altered sense of taste.

Trump sets Easter as possible date to lift restrictions

March 24: President Trump said Tuesday that he would like to have the government restrictions on travel and social gatherings eased by Easter, which comes on Sunday, April 12.

“We’re going to be opening relatively soon,” Trump said during a Fox News town hall Tuesday. “I'd love to have it open by Easter ... It's such an important day for other reasons but I'll make an important date for this too. I would love to have the country, opened up and just raring to go by Easter.”

Asked if it’s possible for the country to return to normal by Easter, Trump said, “I think it’s absolutely possible. Now, people are going to have to practice all of the social distancing and things we’re doing now. … But we have to get our country back to work.”

Trump seemed to suggest Americans could both go to work and adhere to social distancing practices but did not specify how that would work.

Shortly after Trump’s remarks, three major U.S. health organizations – representing the nation’s doctors, nurses and hospitals – issued a public plea to Americans to stay home.

“Staying at home in this urgent moment is our best defense to turn the tide against COVID-19,” wrote the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, and American Nurses Association in an open letter.

Arizona's known coronavirus deaths increase to 5, total cases to 326

March 24: Arizona's COVID-19 cases are accelerating quickly as more testing becomes available, with 326 identified cases and five known deaths reported Tuesday.

The number of cases increased 39% since Monday.

Gov. Doug Ducey first announced the state now had five total deaths known to be from COVID-19 on a KTAR (92.3 FM) radio show Tuesday morning.

2020 Tokyo Olympics officially postponed due to coronavirus outbreak

March 24: For thousands of athletes around the world, it would have once been considered a nightmare scenario.

And on Tuesday, it finally became official.

In an unprecedented and unavoidable move, the International Olympic Committee and Japanese government agreed to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics "to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021" due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Arizona Legislature approves $50 million for coronavirus relief, adjourns for 3 weeks

March 23: The Arizona House of Representatives broke through a political logjam on Monday, approving a $50 million relief package as the state faces the economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and adjourning for three weeks as a public health precaution.

The spending package allows Gov. Doug Ducey's administration to use the funds for housing assistance, aid for businesses, nonprofits and health care providers with fewer than 50 employees, and assistance for food banks as well as organizations serving people experiencing homelessness.

With this, the Legislature finished work on a basic budget that will keep state government operating into the new fiscal year that starts in July.

Gov. Ducey holds 1 p.m. press conference

IOC member says that 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed

March 23: Veteran International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told USA TODAY Sports Monday afternoon that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are going to be postponed, likely to 2021, with the details to be worked out in the next four weeks.

“On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” Pound said in a phone interview. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know."

Arizona coronavirus cases rise to 234, mostly in Maricopa County

March 23: Arizona now has 234 identified cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, a database from the Arizona Department of Health Services showed on Monday.

That's an increase of 55% from Sunday.

On Sunday, the department reported 152 total identified cases, an increase of 48 cases from the day before.

Banner Health launches drive-thru COVID-19 testing at 4 Arizona sites

March 23: Banner Health, Arizona's largest health system, on Monday is launching drive-thru COVID-19 testing for prescreened patients at four sites, three in Phoenix and one in Tucson.

Patients will not need a doctor's order, but they will need to speak by phone with a Banner clinician before being scheduled for a testing appointment.

That's why Phoenix-based nonprofit Banner Health isn't publicly sharing the addresses of the sites: Patients need to call ahead. People who arrive at a testing site without an appointment won't be tested, officials said.

Arizona Diamondbacks to donate $550K to help Arizona in pandemic

March 23: The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation announced that it is donating to local charities to help during the coronavirus pandemic.

The team released a statement on Monday announcing the donation of $550,000 to Arizona-based nonprofit organizations "that will immediately assist in helping those most vulnerable during the current national emergency."

“Over the past 10 days, we have watched the heroic efforts of so many Arizonans who are helping those in need – from medical professionals to local food banks and childcare operations that have opened their doors to those working long hours to keep our community running,” D-Backs Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick said in the statement.

Arizona's first coronavirus death: Phoenix learned employee had COVID-19 after he died

March 23:Phoenix officials and managers in the city's Aviation Department first learned that an aviation employee had COVID-19 when the Maricopa County Department of Public Health called to inform them of that several days after the man had died.

On March 17, the employee's family notified the aviation department that the man had died. On March 20, the health department notified the city that the man died of COVID-19 brought on by the new coronavirus.

In the wake of this news, the city and aviation department scrambled to inform coworkers and close contacts that they may have been exposed to the virus, as well as to publicly acknowledge that Arizona's first coronavirus victim was a city employee.

Amid outbreak, Arizonans find little social distance on crowded hiking trails

March 22: When Gov. Doug Ducey warned people to avoid large gatherings and close contact with others, the state and Phoenix park systems came up with a healthy alternative: Get outdoors, they announced. Come hike our trails.

It has worked. So well that, at peak times in some parks this weekend, avoiding large gatherings and close contact on narrow trails was as challenging as, for instance, finding a parking space — even in a dry stream bed near the Superstition Mountains.

Arizona National Guard activates 700 to help grocery stores and food banks this week

March 22: The Arizona National Guard is sending out more than 700 Citizen-Soldiers this week to support grocery stores and food banks as part of Gov. Doug Ducey's activation, the Arizona National Guard said in a press release.

On Sunday, a group of 12 Citizen-Soldiers worked at a food bank in Gilbert loading pallets with boxes of food.

“Our efforts are intended to reduce the concern that builds in the public when they see empty shelves,” said Maj. Gen. Michael T. McGuire, Arizona’s Adjutant General.

Arizona reports 2nd coronavirus death as state's total case count rises to 152

March 22: Arizona had its second new coronavirus-related death Saturday as the number of identified cases throughout the state increased by 48, the Arizona Department of Health Services announced in a press release Sunday.

The man who died was in his 70s with underlying health conditions, the press release said.

Officials said the number of identified cases of coronavirus increased by 48 throughout Saturday to a total of 152, the release stated.

Arizona's 1st death from coronavirus is a Maricopa County man in his 50s

Arizona's first death tied to the new coronavirus is a Maricopa County man in his 50s, state and Maricopa County health officials said Friday night.

The man, who had underlying health conditions, died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health said in a joint statement.

Maricopa County is notifying close contacts of the man and will ask them to monitor for symptoms, health officials said.

As of Friday, Arizona had 76 reported cases of COVID-19, including 35 in Maricopa County.

Pence staffer tests positive for coronavirus

A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for coronavirus, the White House said Friday, marking the first such infection within the top rungs of the administration.

Katie Miller, a spokeswoman for Pence, did not identify the staffer, nor did she say specifically where the individual worked. Pence is leading the administration’s coronavirus task force and has been a regular presence at the president’s side in recent weeks.

“This evening we were notified that a member of the Office of the Vice President tested positive for the Coronavirus,” Miller said in statement. “Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual.”

Miller said contact tracing was being conducted in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pence said Monday that he had not been tested for the virus. Trump was tested and said his test was negative.

Arizona school closures extended to April 10

March 20: Arizona schools will stay closed until April 10, Gov. Doug Ducey and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced Friday.

They had originally announced school closures until March 27. The state leaders said the two-week extension would help schools and parents plan ahead.

"Our goal is to get kids safely back in the classroom as soon as possible," Ducey said in a video with Hoffman posted on Twitter. "The safest place for children during this time is at home."

Arizona's coronavirus case count rises to 75; 10 of state's counties

March 20: The reported statewide count of coronavirus cases climbed to 75 with 11 additional cases and a "shelter-in-place" order announced on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona.

The new positives indicate the illness is spreading throughout the state. Ten of Arizona's 15 counties now have presumed positive or confirmed cases. Yuma County and Cochise counties announced their first presumed positive cases.

The Navajo Nation announced 11 cases late Thursday night, bringing the tally in Navajo County to 14. Tribal President Jonathan Nez issued a "shelter-in-place" order for the community of Chilchinbeto, where seven of the 11 new patients lived.

Arizona coronavirus: County-by-county look at COVID-19

March 20: The Republic is tracking coronavirus cases across Arizona and updating this county-by-county map daily. For all the latest news about coronavirus in Arizona, visit coronavirus.azcentral.com.

Here's how Phoenix tattoo shops are responding to coronavirus and COVID-19

March 20: As cities across the Phoenix area declare states of emergency due to the new coronavirus outbreak and call for the closure of entertainment venues and gathering places, there are few places to watch movies, work out and convene with friends and family.

One activity you can still do during this pandemic? Get new ink.

Some Phoenix tattoo shops have opted to close to slow the spread of COVID-19, at the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the White House. Others remain open while stepping up their sanitizing efforts, temporarily refusing walk-in appointments and imposing no penalties for rescheduled appointments.

Trump to close US-Mexico border

March 20: The U.S.-Mexico border will be closed to nonessential travel to further help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, Trump announced Friday.

"As we did with Canada, we're also working with Mexico to implement new rules at our ports of entry to suspend nonessential travel," Trump said. "These new rules and procedures will not impede lawful trade and commerce." Trump said that Mexico is also suspending air travel from Europe.

The expected announcement follows the closure of the border between the U.S. and Canada to nonessential travel, which was announced Wednesday. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the closure would happen at midnight Friday.

Tax Day delayed until July 15

March 20: Tax Day was moved back to July and governors in California and Pennsylvania took the boldest action yet to slow the spread of coronavirus as the pandemic continued Friday to dramatically alter lives.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Friday that the deadline for Americans to file their taxes would be moved back from April 15 to July 15. "All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties," Mnuchin tweeted.

Meanwhile, Californians awoke to a new order to stay inside and shelter-in-place as Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out a sobering, staggering prediction that more than half the 40-plus million California population would contract COVID-19 in the next eight weeks.

Ducey orders closure of bars, theaters and gyms in some Arizona counties; National Guard to help grocery stores

March 19: Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday announced he would limit restaurant service and close bars, theaters and gyms in counties with confirmed cases of COVID-19, stepping up Arizona's efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

The directive will take effect upon close of business Friday.

The Republican leader also:

Called on the National Guard to help grocery stores and food banks restock shelves to protect food supplies.

Halted all elective surgeries "to free up medical resources and maintain the capacity for hospitals and providers to continue offering vital services."

Delayed expiration dates for Arizona drivers licenses, so that residents who are 65 or older don't need to wait in line at state offices to renew them.

Authorized restaurants to deliver alcoholic beverages alongside food, and allowed manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to buy back unopened products from restaurants, bars and clubs.

Phoenix VA sets up medical tent, bans visitors to prepare for coronavirus

March 19: Nurses in protective gear stood at the entrance of the Phoenix VA hospital Thursday afternoon, directing everyone to wash their hands in portable sinks set up under a small canopy.

It’s part of a new screening protocol requiring everyone who enters the hospital to wash their hands and answer questions on whether they are experiencing symptoms and if they’ve had contact with someone confirmed to have the new coronavirus.

"We have not had any positive cases. We have tested some folks based on a clinical assessment ... but at this point we have seen no positive cases," Cindy Dorfner, a spokeswoman for the Phoenix VA Health Care System, told The Arizona Republic on Thursday afternoon.

Phoenix area hospitals restrict visitors due to the new coronavirus outbreak

March 19: As COVID-19 continues to spread, some Phoenix area hospitals are implementing restrictions on visitors.

As of 7 a.m. Thursday, Banner Health and Dignity Health no longer allow visitors in their hospitals, according to statements from each organization.

"We understand this will be challenging, but we're committed to take the necessary precautions to protect our patients, health care workers and the community," the Banner Health statement said.

Tempe closes all city facilities, shutters some businesses to curb spread of coronavirus

March 19:Tempe declared a state of emergency on Wednesday and shut down bars, dining in restaurants and other businesses on Thursday amid growing coronavirus concerns.

The city has closed all city facilities, canceled city-sponsored events and was the first Valley city to announce it would hold City Council meetings without the public physically there. The city’s first virtual meeting was on Wednesday.

Cities across metro Phoenix are taking steps to mitigate the spread of the new coronavirus as the number of cases in Arizona increases.

Using robots to speed up testing, ASU hopes to open drive-thru coronavirus testing

March 19: Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute hopes to dramatically increase available coronavirus testing by using robots that can process a high volume of samples simultaneously, with a goal of opening a drive-thru testing site for the general public as early as Monday.

By using robots to process the samples, Biodesign Institute executive director Joshua LaBaer said, ASU can offer testing at a faster rate than state and hospital labs.

Faced with a testing kit bottleneck, health care officials and the state have lacked the ability to conduct widespread testing to screen for the virus, even among those who may be exhibiting symptoms or who are at risk already. If successful, ASU believes it could provide a crucial service that could start to turn the tide in fighting this outbreak.

Love in the time of coronavirus: Couples at home find friction instead of sparks

March 19: Suddenly, in the age of coronavirus, WFH is all the rage.

It stands for Working From Home, but it might as well stand for Wives Fight Husbands, or vice-versa.

We've only been at the social distancing and self-quarantining thing a short time, but already people are getting on each other's nerves, especially spouses who no longer have to ask how their partner's day was because their partner's day happened right in front of them.

Oh, it's a thing.

Long lines at Luke AFB pharmacy after switching to curbside assistance only

March 19: A long line of cars surround Luke Air Force Base's pharmacy after the base made it serve customers curbside only.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Candice Dillitte, a spokeswoman for the base, said the base has taken measures to reduce the amount of contact between service people and their families amid the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"Our medical group here on base closed down the normal pharmacy (where people) could physically go into the building," Dillitte said. "They've limited it to just the drive-thru pharmacy."

Dillette said those visiting the pharmacy should expect a longer wait, as the base serves airmen, their families and veterans.

State Department tells Americans: 'Do not travel' abroad, come home if overseas

March 19: The State Department told Americans not to travel abroad at all, the strongest U.S. alert yet as novel coronavirus continued its steady march across the globe.

The department on Thursday issued Level 4 advisory for travel abroad — "do not travel" — only four days after it issued a Level 3 advisory — "reconsider travel."

"In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period," the advisory said. "U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel."

The advisory came as the number of cases have multiplied: More than 11,000 in the United States out of 236,000 worldwide. The global death toll also neared 10,000 on Thursday, including 157 in the United States.

Grim milestone: Italy's coronavirus deaths surpass China's

March 19: Italy marked a grim milestone Thursday as its number of deaths from the rampaging global coronavirus outbreak surpassed those in China.

The country's death toll hit 3,405 as of Thursday, an increase of 427 compared to Wednesday, according to Italy’s Civil Protection Department.

Italy has been staggering under the effects of the pandemic for weeks. Hospitals and even some morgues in the hard-hit northern Italian city of Milan are stretched beyond capacity.

Health officials are searching for new ways to get more doctors in the field, ranging from calling recent retirees back to work to rushing as many as 10,000 soon-to-graduate students into low-leverage situations before they finish with exams as a way to free up more experienced colleagues.

The entire population of more than 60 million is under lockdown, allowed to leave home only for "essential" activities like visits to grocery stores or pharmacies. Police and the military are roaming the streets on the lookout for people breaking quarantine. Everything from open restaurants and coffee bars to weddings and funerals is prohibited.

Coronavirus case count in Arizona climbs to 45; 6 Arizona counties now have cases

March 19:Arizona's reported coronavirus case count was 45 on Thursday morning, with six of the state's 15 counties reporting infected patients, state data shows.

The tally of confirmed and presumptive positive cases of the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, is at 22 in Maricopa County, which is the highest case number of any county in the state. The case count in Maricopa County doubled between Wednesday and Thursday morning.

The state data showed Pinal County has 10 cases, Pima County has seven, Navajo County has three, and Coconino and Graham counties each have one. A second Coconino County case was listed on the county's website later Thursday morning but is not reflected in the state data.

4 resources for metro Phoenix restaurant and bar workers unemployed due to coronavirus

March 19: Aspen Bingham used to work as a bartender at Josephine and The Churchill, both in downtown Phoenix.

On Tuesday afternoon, however, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego declared a state of emergency, immediately shutting down all bars and requiring restaurants to switch to takeout and delivery at 8 p.m.

Now, like many others in the bar and restaurant industry, Bingham finds herself unemployed.

Many people across metro Phoenix can't work at home during coronavirus outbreak

March 19: The guidelines from the government to combat the spread of the new coronavirus are clear: Work from home whenever possible.

But, for some people, those who make food, repair cars, deliver mail or put out fires, that is not possible.

Instead, these employees continue working as usual, even though the environment around them has changed dramatically.

Arizona's count rises to 31 as Coconino County, Luke AFB confirm cases

March 18: Arizona's count of reported presumptive positive and confirmed coronavirus patients rose to 31 on Wednesday after new cases were confirmed in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties and the Navajo Nation, Coconino County announced its first case and Luke Air Force Base announced two cases.

That number is up from the 18 cases reported in the Tuesday morning update from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The state announced it had 27 total presumptive positive and confirmed coronavirus patients in its morning report. Four other cases were reported by other entities later in the day.

Trump signs coronavirus emergency aid package

March 18: President Donald Trump signed a sweeping multibillion-dollar emergency aid package Wednesday night that will provide paid sick leave for Americans who are in quarantine, helping a family member who is infected with COVID-19 or have children whose schools have closed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The bill also offers free testing for coronavirus and boosts unemployment insurance, food assistance and federal funding for Medicaid as part of an ongoing effort by Washington to combat the rapid spread of the pandemic.

"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 6201, the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (the "Act")," the president said in a statement. "The Act makes emergency supplemental appropriations and other changes to law to help the Nation respond to the coronavirus outbreak."

Trump noted a provision in the measure that requires the secretary of agriculture to submit a report to Congress that includes legislative recommendations. The president said he would "treat this provision in a manner consistent with Article II, section 3 of the Constitution," which provides him "exclusive authority" to make recommendations to Congress.

Dow plummets 1,300 points despite promises for coronavirus aid

March 18: U.S. stocks collapsed Wednesday and were briefly halted for trading as coronavirus lockdowns and travel restrictions expanded, rattling investors despite Washington’s promises for economic aid.

The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled more than 1,300 points, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 sank 5.2%, briefly triggering an automatic shock absorber for 15 minutes in afternoon trading. That marked the fourth time in eight trading sessions that circuit breakers were triggered.

Arizona's coronavirus count rises to 27 as new cases reported in 3 counties

March 18: Arizona's count of reported presumptive positive and confirmed coronavirus patients rose to 27 Wednesday morning after new cases were confirmed in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties.

That number is up from the 18 cases reported in the Tuesday morning update from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Stocks rebound after historic sell-off

March 17: U.S. stocks rebounded Tuesday after the White House laid out additional plans to help cushion the economy from the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin say they are exploring the idea of legislation that would include sending checks to Americans to help them manage through the economic impact of the virus disruptions.

The gains follow the market's worst sell-off in more than three decades on Monday.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 1,048.86 points to close at 21,237.38. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 6% to finish at 2,529.19. Both averages had their worst day since the “Black Monday” stock market crash of 1987 the prior day.

Trump looking at 'big, bold' stimulus

March 17: President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin say they are exploring the idea of legislation that would include sending checks to Americans to help them manage through the economic impact of coronavirus disruptions.

"We're looking at sending checks to Americans immediately," Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said at a news conference Tuesday by the administration's coronavirus task force.

Trump added he believed lawmakers and the administration could come together for a "big, bold" package. Mnuchin has been meeting with Democrats and Republicans as the White House and Congress attempt to pass more legislation aimed at addressing the impacts of coronavirus.

Some Phoenix area nursing homes restrict even family visitors to protect the elderly

March 17:Phoenix-area assisted living facilities and nursing homes are restricting visitors and retirement communities are closing swimming pools and other recreation centers to better protect older adults against the new coronavirus pandemic.

Older adults face higher risk with the respiratory illness, as the early outbreak in Washington state showed. One Seattle-area nursing home has had 29 deaths linked to coronavirus, according to King County.

Banner Health officials on Monday said the death toll from the coronavirus could be higher in Arizona over the coming months because of the state's large retirement population. Nearly 22% of Arizonans are over 60, according to U.S. Census figures.

Arizona to expand testing as doctors raise concerns about lack of preparation

March 17: Arizona's health officials are planning to ramp up coronavirus testing by opening community testing sites for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new virus, sometime "this week," they said at a press conference Monday afternoon.

Limited testing is troubling for Arizona doctors who expect to see a surge in cases as the illness spreads among the community. The Arizona Medical Association issued a statement of concern Friday.

Arizona retailers, suppliers grapple with shortages and disruptions as public responds

March 17: More production. Round-the-clock shifts. Additional hiring in some cases.

Businesses that supply everything from beef to toilet paper in Arizona say they're striving to get more products out to consumers amid supply-chain disruptions caused by the new coronavirus, while also cutting back hours in some cases to restock shelves and make sure stores and other facilities remain clean.

The Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, which represents supermarkets and other food companies, acknowledged that high demand for paper towels, bathroom tissue, bottled water, sanitizing products and various other items has put a strain on the system.

Arizona's coronavirus count still at 18, but health official predicts cases to 'skyrocket'

March 17: Arizona's count of reported coronavirus cases remained at 18 on Tuesday, for the second consecutive day, but the tally likely does not reflect the actual number of cases in the state.

So far, the state has reported eight presumptive positive or confirmed cases in Maricopa County; five in Pinal County; four in Pima County; and one in Graham County.

Trump seeking stimulus package

March 17: President Donald Trump is expected to ask Congress for a large stimulus package to stem the blow to the economy from massive shutdowns related to the coronavirus.

Senators later today will hear more about the next package and hope to get a precise dollar figure from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at a Republican lunch at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump has been pushing the idea of a payroll tax holiday to get cash into Americans' pockets. He said Monday that he believes help for the beleaguered airline industry is also crucial. Democrats and some Republicans are wary of the payroll tax idea, saying it won't help some of the people hit hardest by the disruptions, such as those who have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY. has unveiled a proposal to spend $750 billion.

Stocks open quietly after darkest day

March 17: U.S. stocks opened mildly higher but quickly gave a way those gains Tuesday after the Trump administration said it planned financial support for an airline industry devastated by a drop in travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The gains following the market's worst sell-off in more than three decades on Monday. Futures tied to the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 surged 5% overnight, triggering a trading halt but later gave back most of those gains. That came hours after both averages suffered their worst day since the “Black Monday” stock market crash of 1987.

Bay Area under near-lockdown, affecting nearly 7 million

March 16: Six counties across the Bay Area in California issued a “shelter in place” order on Monday for all residents – requiring roughly 6.7 million people to stay in their homes – in an attempt to slow the coronavirus outbreak.

For the next three weeks, people living in San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda counties will be restricted from all “non-essential travel” by “foot, bicycle, scooter, automobile, or public transit” outside their homes. Also, most businesses will be forced to close until April 7, starting at midnight on Monday.

"Because of the risk of the rapid spread of the virus, and the need to protect all members of the community and the Bay Area region, especially including our members most vulnerable to the virus and also health care providers," the order states, "this Order requires all individuals anywhere in San Francisco to shelter in place – that is, stay at home – except for certain essential activities and work to provide essential business and government services or perform essential public infrastructure construction, including housing."

Sinema says Ducey isn't doing enough to halt spread

March 16: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema called Monday on Arizona to take far more aggressive actions than it has so far to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

Arizona's strategies to prevent spread of COVID-19 remain less aggressive than those taken by other states, even after Gov. Doug Ducey reversed course Sunday and ordered schools to close through the end of the month. In making her statement on Twitter, Sinema, D-Ariz., shared an Arizona Republic story detailing Ducey's less aggressive approach.

"Arizona can and should take action NOW to reduce spread, keep our hospitals from getting overwhelmed, and save lives," Sinema said in a written statement. "It is time to temporarily close clubs, bars, museums, libraries, gyms, and other places where large groups congregate."

In response to Sinema's statement, Ducey spokesman Patrick Ptak said: "We will continue to follow the recommendations of the CDC and public health officials in making our decisions."

Trump tells nation to hunker down

March 16: President Donald Trump issued guidelines on Monday for Americans to follow over the next 15 days to help avoid spread of the novel coronavirus but did not take drastic measures such as imposing a national quarantine or curfew.

The new guidelines call called on Americans to avoid social gatherings involving groups of 10 or more.

The guidelines also call for governors in states with evidence of community transmission to close schools in affected and surrounding areas. Bars, restaurants, food courts, gyms and other venues where groups of people congregate should also be closed in states with evidence of community transmission, according to the guidelines.

“If everyone makes these critical changes and sacrifices now, we will rally together as one nation and we will defeat the virus,” Trump said.

Coronavirus relief stalls on technicalities

March 16: The sweeping coronavirus relief bill the House rushed to pass early Saturday is being delayed over technical issues and could take days to reach President Donald Trump's desk.

A bill to fix some of the language related to the paid family leave portion of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is being held up in the House while negotiations on the issue are resolved.

The measure passed the House 363-40. But it's unclear when the Senate will vote or when it will reach Trump's desk.

The House bill to make the technical corrections would be brought up on what’s known as “unanimous consent,” or UC, meaning only one member would have to object to force a full vote by the House. A vote by the full House could remedy that but lawmakers are back in their districts on recess.

Idris Elba reveals he tested positive for coronavirus despite having no symptoms

March 16: Idris Elba revealed on Twitter Monday that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

"This morning I tested positive for COVID-19. I feel OK, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus," the actor captioned a video announcement. "Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing 👊🏾👊🏾 No panic."

Arizona governor takes less-aggressive approach to coronavirus than many other governors

March 16: Arizona's strategies to contain the new coronavirus remain less aggressive than those adopted by several other states, even after Gov. Doug Ducey changed his tune on school closures and public gatherings in rapid succession Sunday.

By the time the Republican leader decided to shutter schools for two weeks, for instance, more than 30 of his peers had closed or shared plans to close schools in their states.

Las Vegas Strip resorts closing

Major resorts on the Las Vegas Strip are now closing in response to the spread of coronavirus.

Wynn Resorts will close its two luxury hotel-casinos on the Strip for two weeks starting Tuesday. MGM Resorts will cease casino operations on Monday and will completely close its 13 properties on Tuesday.

The company announced the closures of Wynn Las Vegas and Encore after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered that all K-12 public schools in the Clark County School District close.

After two weeks, Wynn Resorts will evaluate the situation, according to a release sent to investors. Some employees will stay at the properties to maintain facilities and security.

MGM will not take reservations for new arrivals prior to May 1.

Arizona's reported coronavirus case count is now at 18

March 16: The number of reported cases of new coronavirus in Arizona was 18 as of Monday morning.

Six new cases of the illness, which is also called COVID-19, tested positive over the weekend.

The total number of cases in Maricopa County is now eight. There have been five cases reported in Pinal County, four in Pima County and one in Graham County, state data shows.

White House says coronavirus curfews not under consideration

March 16: The White House is pushing back on news reports that it is considering imposing curfews and a national quarantine in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.

"This is not correct," tweeted Katie Miller, a spokeswoman for Vice President Mike Pence, who is heading up the coronavirus task force appointed by President Donald Trump.

Miller re-tweeted a CNN report that there are "active discussions" to encourage a possible nationwide curfew in which non-essential businesses would have to close by a certain time each night.

Asked about rumors that the administration is considering some kind of national quarantine, Miller said: "Consider it shot down."

The White House announcement follow a National Security Council tweet late Sunday about text messages floating around the Internet.

Said the NSC: "Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19. #coronavirus.

Fed cuts rate to zero, launches more bond purchases

March 15: The Federal Reserve unleased much of its arsenal Sunday to combat the economic damage caused by the coronavirus, cutting short-term interest rates to zero, renewing its crisis-era bond purchases to lower long-term rates and encouraging more bank loans to households and businesses.

Central bank policymakers agreed to lower the Fed’s benchmark federal funds rate by a full percentage point to a range of zero to 0.25% — where it hovered for years during and after the 2008 financial crisis.

“The coronavirus outbreak has harmed communities and disrupted economic activity in many countries, including the United States,” the Fed said in a statement. ““The effects of the coronavirus will weigh on economic activity in the near-term and pose risks to the economic outlook.“

Arizona coronavirus cases rises to 13; latest case in Pima County

March 15: A third person in Pima County was identified by county health officials as having the new coronavirus, bringing the state's total of coronavirus cases to 13.

The person was presumptive positive with COVID-19, the Pima County Health Department announced in a press release on Sunday. The person was described as "an older adult" who was recovering at a hospital in the area.

The case is the county first positive as the result of commercial testing performed by a private laboratory, the press release said.

American Airlines suspends flight to London from Phoenix

March 14: American Airlines announced Saturday that it will temporarily suspend its flight from Phoenix to the United Kingdom in response to decreased demand and changes to U.S. government travel restrictions due to coronavirus.

President Donald Trump's recent order added the United Kingdom and Ireland to the places from where travel is restricted and require extra screenings through designated airports. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is not currently one of the 13 airports approved to conduct additional screenings on passengers arriving from those countries.

The final eastbound flight from Phoenix will be Sunday, while the final westbound flight returning to Phoenix will depart Monday.

Havasupai Falls closes temporarily because of coronavirus threat

March 14: The Havasupai Tribal Council on Saturday announced a temporary suspension of hiking and tourism to the tribe's wildly popular waterfalls in a remote part of northwestern Arizona.

Tourism will be suspended from March 16 through April 14, according to an email from the tribe's publicist, Abbie Fink.

Trump tests negative for coronavirus, White House doctor says

March 14: President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, the White House announced on Saturday evening.

The president’s physician, Sean P. Conley, said in a memo released by the White House that Trump decided to get tested on Friday after they conferred about the matter.

“Last night after an in-depth discussion with the president regarding COVID-19 testing, he elected to proceed,” the president’s physician, Sean P. Conley, wrote in a memorandum released by the White House Saturday evening.

“This evening I received confirmation that the test is negative,” Conley wrote.

Flights to Europe from Sky Harbor likely paused

March 14: President Donald Trump’s order to add the United Kingdom and Ireland to the places from where travel is restricted and require extra screenings through designated airports will likely temporarily pause Phoenix’s flights to Europe. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is not currently one of the 13 airports approved to conduct additional screenings on passengers arriving from those countries.

American Airlines was still evaluating how the order will affect its schedule. Curtis Blessing, a spokesman for American said, “We are in contact with the federal government to comply with this directive which now applies to Ireland and the United Kingdom. The health and safety of our customers and team members remains our highest priority.”

The Arizona Republic has reached out to Sky Harbor and will update when it responds.

Condor already pushed back the start of its seasonal service to Frankfurt to April 18. Lufthansa’s Eurowings flights are not scheduled to begin until April 29.

A spokesman for British Airways says the airline is evaluating the situation. In addition, the airline has a new booking policy it launched yesterday. Customers who booked flights before May 31 and want to change their dates can either re-book or receive a voucher for the value of the fare.

Pac-12 cancels all sports competition through end of 2019-20 school year

March 14: The Pac-12 is canceling all conference and non-conference sport competitions and championships through the end of the school year.

That announcement was made Saturday following a meeting of the Pac-12 chief executive officer group and athletic directors.

The decision is an extension of an earlier suspension of all sports until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. The NCAA also canceled all remaining winter and spring championships.

Trump says he was tested for virus

March 14: President Donald Trump has been tested for the coronavirus and is awaiting results, he said Saturday at a press briefing, a day after he declared the coronavirus pandemic to be a national emergency.

The president has had multiple direct and indirect contact with people who have tested positive for the pandemic virus. Test results typically take at least 24 hours.

Trump adds UK, Ireland to travel restrictions

March 14: Trump on Saturday said the United Kingdom and Ireland will be added to the Europe travel restrictions that went into effect late Friday. This means residents of those countries will not be allowed to travel to the United States for 30 days beginning Monday.

U.S. residents and legal permanent residents won't be banned but they will face airport screenings upon their return and will be asked to self quarantine for 14 days.

In response to the broadened ban and the resulting falloff in travel demand, airlines are likely to sharply cut flights between the U.S. and London and Ireland.

Mexico holds off canceling mass gatherings

March 14: Supporters mobbed Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador as he entered the Hermosillo airport on Thursday, having arrived on a commercial flight. On Friday, the man known as AMLO flew to Acapulco to address the annual bankers’ convention, where social media video showed hugs and hand-shaking.

He then set out for a quartet campaign-style rallies — events rife with opportunities for presidential selfies — in the Afro-Mexican communities to the southeast of Acapulco.

Mexico’s popular president continues gladhanding. His administration, meanwhile, has taken a wait-and-see approach to the coronavirus, preferring not to provoke panic — or inflict economic hardship — by closing schools, restricting public events or imposing travel restrictions.

The approach is stirring angst in Mexico, where efforts such as screening travelers from high-risk countries and widespread testing have been scant.

New case in Graham County brings Arizona total to 12

March 14: The newest case is from Graham County. The county posted on its Facebook page that there were possible exposures at Pima Elementary School. The health department will set up a testing clinic for students who are impacted and present symptoms at Pima Junior High School on March 16, 17 and 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The department asks 5th and 6th graders to voluntarily stay home until March 25.

"Like many communities across the world, our community has been challenged by this new virus," the Graham County release said. "It will take a community-wide effort to fight COVID-19."

Department of Defense restricting domestic travel for service members

March 14: The Department of Defense has issued domestic travel restrictions for service members and their families that includes travel in and out of NAS Pensacola to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus.

The biggest impact on base is likely to be a delay of Permanent Change Station and Temporary Duty orders, said NAS Pensacola Public Affairs Officer Jason Bortz.

“Basically we’re saying that if it’s not necessary, we’re not letting people travel and that even includes regular leave,” Bortz said. “We’re just kind of reviewing everything.”

Under the DoD order, personal travel to areas with high coronavirus cases would be restricted, for example. Other domestic travel may be allowed after a thorough review.

“The biggest emphasis is on overseas travel or traveling to areas with coronavirus,” Bortz said.

Layoffs hit casinos on Las Vegas Strip

March 14: Layoffs and furloughs are starting next week at one of Las Vegas' largest casino operators, MGM Resorts International, in response to a slowdown in demand due to COVID-19 fallout.

“We just don’t know to what extent,” said Rocky Colavito, Jr., a Bellagio blackjack dealer who got news of the cuts before walking onto the casino floor for his Friday night shift.

A letter to employees Friday announced that workforce reductions and furloughs would begin next week.

Laid off workers will maintain benefits through June 30, the letter said.

All Arizona prison visits suspended

March 13: The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry announced on Friday that it suspended all visits to Arizona prison complexes for at least the next 30 days as concerns over coronavirus continue to swell.

"The suspension of visitation includes non-contact visits and applies to facilities operated by the Department as well as third-party operated facilities," according to the press release. "Our policies for phone calls and written letters remain in effect, and inmates will have access to two 15-minute phone calls per week free of charge during this period."

The illness can spread quickly in enclosed spaces, particularly among individuals with chronic health problems. Prisons have become outbreak hot spots in other countries affected by the virus.

2nd person infected with coronavirus in Pima County, bringing Arizona total to 10

March 13: A second presumptive case of new coronavirus has been identified in Pima County, bringing the total number of cases in Arizona up to 10.

The Pima County Health Department announced the new case on Friday evening. The department is still investigating how the person contracted the virus and whom they may have exposed.

"The Health Department was notified Friday afternoon and is working hard to learn more about this individual’s potential exposure to the virus," the statement reads. "At this time there is no clear link between this case and the presumptive case identified in Pima County on March 9th."

Major cruise lines suspend operations

March 13: Major cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and MSC will suspend sailing operations to and from U.S. ports for 30 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cruise Lines International Association announced Friday.

Viking and Disney cruises announced similar measures on Thursday.

“CLIA cruise line members are voluntarily and temporarily suspending operations from the U.S. as we work to address this public health crisis,” said Kelly Craighead, CLIA president and CEO in a statement. “This is an unprecedented situation."

Craighead said that the association was working with the Centers for Disease Control. "This has been a challenging time, but we hope that this decision will enable us to focus on the future and a return to normal as soon as possible."

The suspension will take effect at midnight Friday. CLIA said it will focused on the "safe and smooth return" of those currently at sea on ships.

Trump, lawmakers reach deal on coronavirus economic relief package, Pelosi announces

March 13: Democratic congressional leaders and the Trump administration reached a deal on an economic package to help Americans cope with the impact of the coronavirus, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who spent days negotiating it with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

The legislation would ensure sick leave for affected workers and include money for testing for Americans, including the uninsured. Trump and lawmakers have been under pressure to ease fears over the spread of coronavirus, which has halted many parts of public life, forced the closure of schools and pummeled financial markets.

President Donald Trump, who has declared a national emergency, is expected to sign off on the deal. Later Friday, the House overwhelmingly passed the legislation. The bill now heads to the Senate for an expected vote on Monday.

Trump said he encouraged Republican and Democratic lawmakers to "VOTE YES" on the package.

Dow soars 1,900 points after US acts

March 13: Stocks recovered Friday following a brutal week of selling after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the fast-spreading coronavirus, a move that will free up about $50 billion in federal aid to combat the global pandemic.

Trump also announced new efforts to expand testing for the virus. Investors were anticipating an aid package from Washington, a move that investors hope can stem the economic damage from the virus.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 1,985 points to close at 23,185.62, a day after plunging 2,352 points, or 10%, for its worst loss since its nearly 23% drop on Oct. 19, 1987.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 soared 9.3% to end at 2,711.02, following record losses Thursday.

Trump declares national emergency

March 13: President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Friday to free up billions of dollars to combat the coronavirus as he sought to persuade anxious Americans and battered financial markets that he was responding forcefully to the crisis.

"I am officially declaring a national emergency. Two very big words," Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden. As the outbreak has shuttered schools, sporting events and even Broadway, Trump has come under intense criticism for his handling of the pandemic, including an Oval Office address he delivered Wednesday that was marred by factual errors. Medical experts say there’s an acute shortage of coronavirus testing kits, the number of infections has soared and Wall Street suffered its worst day Thursday since the financial crash of 1987.

The emergency declaration would enable federal officials to direct billions of dollars in disaster money to responders fighting the virus.

House to vote on sweeping aid package

March 13: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House would move forward with a vote Friday on a sweeping package to confront the coronavirus.

The bill would include free virus testing for all Americans, including the uninsured, as well as two weeks of paid sick leave for those who have to skip work due to the virus. It would also included expanded federal food assistance, such as seniors’ meals, student lunches and food banks.

"The three most important parts of this bill are: testing, testing, testing,” she said in her televised remarks at the U.S. Capitol.

Arizona's case count holds at 9

March 13: The number of presumptive positive and confirmed cases of new coronavirus in Arizona remained at nine Friday — the same number it has been since Wednesday.

Testing is increasing. A total of 143 people in the state have been tested for the new virus, also called COVID-19, the state's numbers say. Forty test results were pending as of Friday morning and test samples belonging to 94 people have been ruled negative.

A COVID-19 information hotline has been set up at 1-844-542-8201.

These schools have closed despite state's advice

March 13: Several Arizona school districts have so far announced closures amid coronavirus concerns.

The Osborn School Distirct and the Cartwright School District, both in Phoenix, announced their decisions Thursday night to close schools until further notice. Kyrene School District, which has schools in Ahwatukee, Tempe and Chandler, also announced its decision to close, as did the Tempe Elementary School District.

"We believe this proactive measure will keep our families safe," Cartwright Superintendent LeeAnn-Aguilar Lawlor wrote in a statement. "As you already know, during spring break we are disinfecting all schools and district facilities and we will continue to use sanitary methods to keep our school community safe."

Alhambra Elementary School District made a similar announcement earlier in the day.

Student debt relief, airline help on table for next US deal

March 13: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said debt relief for student loans and help for the hard-hit airline industry are under consideration for the next coronavirus rescue package. Speaking to CNBC as a deal was imminent on a separate, near-term package that includes paid emergency leave, Mnuchin said President Donald Trump has no intention of closing financial markets.

Mnuchin also said:

Congress and the administration have "100 things on our list” for the next possible package, and added “The president wants a stimulus package."

Financial authorities are ready to provide liquidity to parts of the economy taking a hit from shutdowns.

A “big rebound” in economic activity could come by the end of the year, drawing a contrast with the Great Recession that began after the 2008 market meltdown.

"This not like financial crisis where people don't know when this will end...By the end of the year, we're going to expect we're going to have a big rebound in economic activity," he said.

Asked about suspending student debt of three months, Mnuchin said: "That's on our list of 50 different items we're bringing to the president for a decision." He added. “We're like in the second inning of getting things done. We'll be passing more legislation."

He’s spoken to the airlines: "That is the next priority on my list," Mnuchin said while also mentioning hotels, the cruise industry and small businesses.

Tariff rollbacks are not under consideration by Trump.

March 13: Amid concern over coronavirus, Arizona Public Service Co. will not shut off power to customers who are unable to pay their utility bill, the company announced in a statement on its website.

“Our focus is on continuing to provide reliable electricity while supporting customers struggling to pay their APS bill,” the utility said.

APS acknowledged the impact of COVID-19 and said the policy will remain in effect for the immediate future.

Here's how Arizona schools and universities are responding

March 12: Arizona officials have not recommended widespread closures of K-12 schools, but at least three school districts have decided to close.

Alhambra Elementary School District said schools would not return from spring break on Monday and would remain closed indefinitely. Osborn School District said its schools will be closed for a minimum of two weeks starting Monday, and Cartwright School District will be closing all of their schools until further notice.

Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, told statewide school leaders Arizona was experiencing "minimal transmission," which contributed to the recommendation to keep schools open.

She said, "there may come a time" when state officials recommend closure but for now, it might contribute to the spread of disease by putting children in contact with people who are not in their school community.

Meanwhile, all three state universities and Grand Canyon University have temporarily moved classes online or extended spring break to lessen the spread of the new coronavirus, affecting hundreds of thousands of students.

Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University announced they would move classes online for at least two weeks. The University of Arizona announced it would delay its return from spring break and move mostly to online classes.

All three universities' campuses remained opened with residential halls and food services operational.

Maricopa Community Colleges, which serves more than 100,000 students across 10 locations, is extending the school system's spring break through March 20 and is considering moving classes online, while many smaller Arizona colleges were monitoring the situation.

Canada's Justin Trudeau in isolation after wife tests positive for coronavirus

March 12: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, has tested positive for coronavirus.

Cameron Ahmad, communications direction for the Prime Minster, released a statement, Thursday saying: "Following medical recommendations, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive. Also following medical advice, she will remain in isolation for the time being. She is feeling well, is taking all recommended precautions, and her symptoms remain mild."

The statement continued that Prime Minister Trudeau "is in good health with no symptoms. As a precautionary measure and following the advice of doctors, he will be in isolation for a planned period of 14 days. Also on the advice of doctors, he will not be tested at this stage since he has no symptoms. For the same reason, doctors say there is no risk to those who have been in contact with him recently."

Wynn Resorts uses thermal cameras to screen guests

March 12: Wynn Resorts is using thermal cameras to monitor the temperatures of guests in Las Vegas.

“We will be screening for temperature using non-invasive thermal cameras at all our entrances,” Wynn CEO Matt Maddox said in a statement.

The USA TODAY Network asked the company how it will use temperature readings:

"Any person registering a temperature of 100.4F or higher will be discreetly informed by a trained member of the security team and not be permitted to remain inside the resort," a company statement said.

The casino gaming company will also cancel all nightclub and theater events.

Pelosi, White House struggle to come together on deal

March 12: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were working into the night Thursday to find common ground on a measure to stem the economic damage from the coronavirus.

Democrats want to vote on legislation to offer paid sick leave for workers, additional food assistance, free coronavirus testing and bolstered unemployment insurance among the provisions. But the proposal has been met with skepticism from President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans who raised concerns about some of the provisions and the costs incurred by businesses.

After at least seven phone calls between Pelosi and Mnuchin, a deal appeared closer.

One hurdle that appears to have been crossed was Republican opposition to sick leave because of the costs to businesses that implement a mandatory leave due to the coronavirus. A aide familiar with the discussions said Democrats were able to keep in paid sick leave by offering additional tax credits that will help small and medium-sized businesses pay for the policy.

If a deal is struck, the House could vote to approve the bill as early as Thursday night.

Prospective jurors who are sick advised to call the court's Jury Office

Maricopa County Superior Court is asking prospective jurors who are sick to call the Jury Office to discuss postponing their service, according to spokeswoman Amy Love.

Court employees who are sick are being asked to stay home, according to Love. Employees were asked to voluntarily notify human resources if they traveled internationally, have been on a cruise in the past two weeks or are scheduled to do so in the future.

The court also increased its cleaning frequency for public areas, including restrooms, elevators, jury assembly rooms and courtrooms.

Prospective jurors who are sick should call the Jury Office to discuss postponing service at 602-506-5879.

Disneyland shuts its doors until end of March

March 12: Disneyland announced Thursday it would be shutting its doors starting Saturday through the end of March in the wake of growing concerns in the U.S. and around the world about the coronavirus pandemic.

"While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California’s executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park," the theme park said in a statement.

"The Hotels of Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16 to give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements; Downtown Disney will remain open," the statement continued. "We will monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state officials and health agencies. Disney will continue to pay cast members during this time."

"Disneyland Resort will work with guests who wish to change or cancel their visits, and will provide refunds to those who have hotel bookings during this closure period," the statement said. "We anticipate heavy call volume over the next several days and appreciate guests’ patience as we work hard to respond to all inquiries."

NCAA cancels March Madness

March 12: The NCAA announced that all its winter and spring championships — including March Madness — have been canceled, following moves by other major sports leagues.

"Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships," a statement from the NCAA said. "This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.

This is the first time a men's basketball champion will not be decided since NCAA postseason play began in 1939, and a first for women since the NCAA took over that tournament in 1981-1982.

RELATED:Conference basketball tournaments canceled, too

MORE:MLB cancels rest of spring training

It's official: US stocks are in bear market

March 12: The stock market rout intensified on Thursday, with the Standard & Poor's 500 tumbling into a bear market for the first time since the financial crisis.

The S&P 500 dropped 9.5%, the day after President Donald Trump banned travel from Europe to stem the economic fallout from the virus. A series of distressing headlines followed, including suspension of the NBA and NHL seasons. The MLB delayed opening day games. New York state, meanwhile, will ban events of 500 people or more and impose restrictions on other gathering venues.

The S&P 500, which professional investors watch closely as a gauge for the health of the markets, fell into a bear market, or a drop of 20% from its peak, ending the longest bull market in Wall Street history.

The Dow Jones industrial average, which fell into bear market territory Wednesday, plunged 2,200 points, or 10% -- its biggest one-day percentage drop since the 1987 market crash.

UA delays return from spring break, goes mostly online until April

The University of Arizona will delay the start of classes after spring break and move mostly to online classes, the university announced Wednesday night, although dorms and food halls will remain open.

The move comes after universities around the country, including Arizona State University, have moved online to confront COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The situation around the virus escalated dramatically Wednesday, as the U.S. said people from Europe, excluding the United Kingdom, could not enter the country for 30 days.

UA will not start classes on Monday as planned. Instead, classes will resume next Wednesday, March 18, and move from in-person classes to online instruction "wherever possible," an email to the university community from UA President Robert Robbins said.

Cruise ships bringing 100K people to U.S. ports this week

March 12: Dozens of cruise ships were poised to hit U.S. cities as some port authorities, including those in Monterey and Santa Barbara, California, close their docks to large passenger ships.

At least 30 cruise ships at sea list port destinations in the U.S. this week, according to a USA TODAY satellite tracking analysis of 380 of the world’s largest cruise ships.

That means upward of 100,000 people – 70% of them passengers – could look to come ashore at a range of U.S. ports, based on the average capacity of the ships from cruisemapper.com.

None of the ships at sea has reported passengers with symptoms of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19. Such a report could, as was the case with the Grand Princess, trigger changed itineraries, port delays, helicopter evacuations and long quarantines.

Navajo Nation declares state of emergency

March 11: The Navajo Nation declared a state of emergency amid concerns of the new coronavirus spreading throughout the world.

"There are no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus on the Navajo Nation, however the declaration is a proactive measure to help ensure the Navajo Nation preparedness and the health and well-being of the Navajo people," the tribe said in a written statement.

The tribe added that it was restricting all work-related travel off the reservation for executive branch employees until further notice.

Glendale shutting down adult center, senior classes

March 11: The city of Glendale announced on Wednesday that it is shutting down the Glendale Adult Center on Saturday, along with senior classes and gatherings amid growing concerns surrounding the new coronavirus.

"The most vulnerable members of our community are our senior population," the city said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Glendale will also suspend senior adult classes and senior gatherings at Foothills Recreation & Aquatics Center and city libraries.

NBA shuts down after Utah center tests positive for coronavirus

March 11: The NBA announced Wednesday night it is suspending its season after a Utah Jazz player preliminarily tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).

The league said it is halting operations “following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”

Trump restricts Europe travel for 30 days

March 11: Trump said the administration would restrict “all travel” to the U.S. from Europe, which is reeling from the epidemic, for the next 30 days. The United Kingdom will be exempt from the new limits, which Trump said will go into effect on Friday at midnight.

“These restrictions will be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground,” the president said of the European Union travel curbs.

Italy has been hit the hardest, with more than 12,000 confirmed infections and more than 800 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. France, Spain and Germany each have about 2,000 confirmed cases.

The administration has already restricted travel from China and Iran. Trump has repeatedly trumpeted his early move to limit travel from China, saying the decision saved lives. Experts say it likely slowed the arrival of the virus in the United States.

ASU goes online-only for 2 weeks

March 11:Arizona State University announced Wednesday that its classes will move online for two weeks starting March 16 as a wave of universities across the country have made similar changes to address the new coronavirus, known as COVID-19, pandemic.

Last week, ASU, one of the largest universities in the U.S., started testing programs for faculty to move their classes online via video-teleconferencing software called Zoom.

Despite one of the country’s first confirmed cases being a member of the ASU community, the university did not immediately move courses entirely online. Students posted on social media complaining about classes continuing as normal, and an online petition to cancel in-person classes drew more than 25,000 signatures.

Beyond the logistical complexities of moving an entire student body to fully online classes, many students rely on universities for housing, food and employment, making a transition away from in-person college life difficult.

5 polling places for presidential primary relocated

March 11: The Maricopa County Elections Department will move five polling places from senior living facilities for next week's Presidential Preference Election in light of concerns about the new coronavirus.

The five locations — one in Scottsdale, one in Sun City, one in Phoenix and two in Chandler — have been relocated to nearby community spaces.

"Because they were at the homes of older adults and those with serious chronic medical conditions, we made the decision to relocate these polling locations to nonresidential facilities," Maricopa County Elections Department spokeswoman Megan Gilbertson said in a statement.

Target, Walmart and others are limiting purchases of supplies

March 11: Shoppers hoping to stock up on hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes are running out of options as more coronavirus cases continue to surge.

Many stores including Target, Walmart, Kroger and Publix are restricting shoppers by placing limits on how many of these COVID-19-related items that shoppers can buy with signs citing "high demand" or "increased demand."

Walmart said that store managers have been authorized to "manage their inventory, including the discretion to limit sales quantities on items that are in unusually high demand." The limits can vary by location.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signs emergency health declaration

March 11: Gov. Doug Ducey declared a public health emergency on Wednesday afternoon in response to the new coronavirus, hours after health officials announced a ninth case in the state.

The governor said the declaration will allow the state to tap into emergency funding and give health officials additional authority to procure needed medical supplies as Arizona authorities expect additional cases of the virus to emerge.

Ducey also issued an executive order that calls on insurance companies to cover the full cost of testing and on heightened prevention measures at nursing homes.

The virus first emerged in Arizona in January when a person connected to Arizona State University and who had traveled to Wuhan, China, tested positive for the virus. Eight more cases have emerged since March 3, including in people who have not traveled recently.

Thirty-two tests were pending as of Wednesday morning.

Dow tumbles into bear market as coronavirus fears intensify

March 11: Stocks tumbled again as fears about the economic damage from the coronavirus intensified and investors questioned whether any economic response from Washington would be enough.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,464 points, dragging it 20% below the record set last month and putting it in a bear market. The broader S&P 500 index, which professional investors watch more closely, is a single percentage point away from falling into its own bear market, which would end the longest bull market in Wall Street history.

The decline has been one of the swiftest sell-offs of this magnitude. The fastest the S&P 500 has ever fallen from a record into a bear market was over 55 days in 1987.

Wednesday's day’s loss wiped out a 1,167-point gain for the Dow from Tuesday and stan

Coronavirus in Arizona: Your COVID-19 questions answered

Republic Staff

The new coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed many with worries, concerns and changes to their daily lives.

The Arizona Republic staff has answered some frequently asked questions, but we know that as things change, new questions might arise. We want to know what is on your mind and we want to be as accurate, helpful and clear in our coverage as possible.

What are you wondering? Have you seen something you don't understand? How has the new coronavirus affected your daily life? We've got a helpline established here, and our team will get you answers as best we can. (En espanol aqui)

We're also answering questions you may have for scientists and researchers, in partnership with AZBio.

Can a business force workers to wear masks? What about customers?

"OSHA allows companies to require employees to wear a mask," employment attorney Julie Pace said. "They can make you do that."

They also can ask the same of customers, though it is less clear how strict enforcement will be for such policies. Major chains are beginning to enact such policies, she said.

The wearing of masks and adhering to social-distancing protocols like standing six feet apart could present a thorny issue around the workplace, as people vary in terms of how much they agree with these policies, said Karen Stafford, Arizona president of the Employers Council in Scottsdale.

But if employers establish these practices as company policy, then they would want to enforce them as they would any other policy, she said.

When will public and community pools be open?

Gov. Doug Ducey said in a press conference on May 4 that he is still seeking proper guidance for reopening pools and gyms.

At this time, there is no expected date for pools to reopen, according to previous reporting from The Republic. Updated information will come soon, Ducey said.

Can you get coronavirus from a pool or water slide?

Getting on a water slide may come with some risks, but contracting the new coronavirus from the water is unlikely to be one of them. Chlorine kills the virus.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, there is no evidence that COVID-19, can be spread through water.

“There is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas or water play areas," according to the CDC's website. "Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water.”

When they reopen, visitors should still remain vigilant at a park or pool. Maintain social distancing - at last 6 feet. Current research shows the coronavirus can be transmitted via surfaces. People should be careful to not touch railings and other shared surfaces.

Will to-go cocktails still be allowed when bars reopen?

The governor's executive orders have not changed any of Arizona's liquor laws. Instead, the orders relax police enforcement of those laws.

At this point, the governor has not announced an end date for the new rules allowing takeout cocktails.

"This order shall remain in place until further notice, and shall be reconsidered for repeal or revision every two weeks," the March 19 executive order concludes.

But for takeout cocktails to be allowed permanently, liquor laws would need to be changed.

My dentist postponed my dental surgery. Can I reschedule it now?

Possibly. Gov. Doug Ducey announced April 22 that dental offices can resume surgeries if they meet certain safety requirements.

One requirement is that a patient must test negative for COVID-19 before the procedure.

You should contact your dentist to ask if the office has applied to the Arizona Department of Health Services for approval to resume surgeries, whether the office can schedule you, and how to receive a test.

Are non-essential businesses such as barbers, hair salons and gyms opening soon?

Ducey announced April 29 that closed retail businesses can begin delivery and curbside pick-up on May 4 and in-person operations on May 8 as long as they implement social distancing and sanitation measures.

The governor also hopes to allow restaurants to offer dine-in services sometime in May, but he has not set a date.

All other non-essential businesses — such as barbers, hair salons, nail salons and gyms — are required to stay closed until at least May 15. They could be closed longer if the governor extends the stay-at-home order again.

Does having an overactive immune system protect me from COVID-19?

COVID-19 may come with an all-new set of complications for those with an overactive immune system response, according to The New York Times. In normal cases, the immune system shuts off once it has fought the virus. However, an overreaction called a cytokine storm can happen when the body continues to produce cytokines, the molecules that fight off viruses, after the infection poses little to no threat.

During a cytokine storm, the body remains on high alert and cytokines may attack other organs, sometimes resulting in death. This reaction may help explain why some otherwise completely healthy people die after getting COVID-19 and others only show mild symptoms.

Doctors and other medical professionals are currently exploring potential cures for both COVID-19 and this reaction, as well as the connection between the two, according to The New York Times.

Is it safe to eat meat that was processed at plants that have closed because of the virus?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19 is unlikely to spread through food products.

"Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food," the federal agency said. "In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures."

The Los Angeles Times asked Dr. Stephen Berger, co-founder of the Global Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology Network: Can you acquire COVID-19 from food?

"The bottom line answer is ... no," he said.

Do I have seasonal flu or Covid-19?

Testing could confirm which virus you might have.

Anyone who thinks they could be infected with COVID-19 or who has been exposed can get tested, the Arizona Department of Health Services said on April 23.

COVID-19 is more contagious, and evidence so far shows it's also more deadly than seasonal flu.

But some symptoms of the coronavirus are similar to the flu, and both can cause pneumonia and both can be deadly.

Symptoms, from coughing to fever, are similar, but the flu often appears more rapidly after exposure than COVID-19. In other words, you'll know more quickly that you're sick (and contagious) with the flu.

The incubation period for COVID-19 is thought to be between three and 14 days, compared to one to four days with the flu, according to the CDC.

Why is it taking so long for the IRS putting up the link to the website to enter my direct deposit information? I don't want to wait for payment in mail.

The IRS currently has a payment portal online. Get My Payment allows those who qualify to set up direct deposit rather than waiting for payment via mail. In order to use the portal, you may need your 2018 and 2019 tax returns. The portal also can be used to track the status of payments and is updated once per day.

For more information about eligibility, payment amounts and the application process, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page. The Republic also shares need-to-know information, such as how much to expect.

I am a seasonal resident in Arizona. Is it legal/safe to travel back to my other home?

For snowbirds and other seasonal residents, "home" may not be located in just one state. Gov. Doug Ducey's order for Arizona residents to stay at home does not ban road trips outright but does say to avoid unnecessary travel.

If one plans to make a trip that crosses several state lines, they should observe the rules of those states. Some parts of Arkansas, for example, limit travel from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to The New York Times.

South Carolina restricts travelers coming from hot spots — New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Travelers must quarantine for 14 days if they plan to stay, and hotels and motels cannot rent to travelers from those states, according to the Naples Daily News, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

One azcentral reader question was specific to traveling home to Denver, Colorado, with an overnight stay in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This may prove difficult. The Colorado Official State Web Portal explicitly tells state residents not to visit their second homes and warns that local law enforcement agencies can decide whether to pull over people for driving on the roads. Roads will not be closed, according to the website, but use should be limited.

"You should only travel if it is essential to your work or health or that of your household members, family, or animals," according to the website.

An overnight stay in New Mexico also may be a challenge. Hotels and other lodging only can operate at 25% capacity, according to the state's Public Health Order.

Anyone taking a trip that would require an overnight hotel stay should research their options before they leave, as some hotels have closed entirely or limited operations. Airports also should be researched as some only are open for domestic travel and have limited flights.

In terms of safety, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends asking the following questions before beginning your trip:

Is COVID-19 spreading in the area where you’re going?

Will you or your travel companion(s) be in close contact with others during your trip?

Are you or your travel companion(s) more likely to get severe illness if you get COVID-19?

Do you have a plan for taking time off from work or school, in case you are told to stay home for 14 days for self-monitoring or if you get sick with COVID-19?

Do you live with someone who is older or has a serious, chronic medical condition?

Is COVID-19 spreading where I live when I return from travel?

The CDC does not generally issue travel advisories, but health officials have repeatedly said older adults, a demographic that makes up many of Arizona's snowbird residents, are at a higher risk of health complications from COVID-19. More information regarding travel and COVID-19 can be found on the CDC's website here.

Which kind of face mask should someone wear who is not infected but is at high risk?

Public health officials now say most people should wear nonmedical masks if they go out in public, such as a homemade cloth mask, bandanna or close-fitting scarf. However, children under 2 and people who can't wear one safely, for instance because of breathing problems, should not.

Surgical and N95 masks should be reserved for medical professionals, unless you've been ordered by a doctor to wear one, officials said.

Here are some tips on how to wear your mask and where to buy one.

Beware that there are still risks associated with wearing a mask. Don't touch your mask while wearing it, including pulling it down to speak to someone or adjusting the fit, because you could contaminate your hands.

When you come home, take the mask off carefully, put it directly into your washing machine, avoid touching your face and wash your hands thoroughly.

Although masks may provide some protection from catching COVID-19, experts say it is more useful for protecting others, since you could have COVID-19 without symptoms.

How should I clean my mask?

Masks should be washed and dried on high heat after every use. If you do not have a washing machine at home, some have suggested boiling your mask for five minutes.

Do not microwave your masks. Microwaving masks can be especially dangerous if there is metal sewn into the material.

Additionally, don't use bleach, alcohol or household cleaners to disinfect masks as ingesting or inhaling these chemicals can be harmful.

Before using a mask, inspect it for wear and tear. If the cloth has eroded from washing, there is a higher risk that the coronavirus could penetrate the mask.

Can cats get coronavirus?

A 4-year-old Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo was confirmed to have COVID-19 after she was seen dry coughing and wheezing. Zookeepers think Nadia got it from an infected human, and half a dozen other lions and tigers were also ill.

A North Carolina pug was believed to be the first dog in the U.S. confirmed to have the virus in late April.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that there is no evidence that pets can spread COVID-19 to people, or that they could be a source of infection. But it says more research is needed to understand if and how different animals could be infected.

"We are still learning about this virus, but we know that it is zoonotic and it appears that it can spread from people to animals in some situations," the CDC stated.

It recommends individuals who are sick with COVID-19 restrict contact with their pets, just like they would around people. If you must care for your pet, wash your hands before and after you interact with them and avoid petting, snuggling, being licked and sharing food.

Are swimming pools safe?

A myriad of public swimming pools around the Valley, most of which are operated by their respective towns, are not currently open. It may have less to do with concerns about spreading COVID-19 through water and more about stunting community gatherings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and tubs."

Moreover, should someone with the virus use a swimming pool, the CDC added that "proper maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19."

Will families who receive food stamps be eligible for the stimulus check?

Yes, families who receive food stamps are eligible to receive a stimulus check.

The $2 trillion stimulus plan includes one-time payments of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, $367 billion for small businesses, $500 billion for loans to larger industries, $100 billion for hospitals and the health care system, and $600 more per week in unemployment benefits for those out of work.

I'm a foster parent. Can I claim the $500 child stipend approved by Congress?

It depends how long the child was/has been in your home, according to the Children Need Amazing Parents organization, which promotes healthy parenting.

Foster parents qualify if they claimed the child tax credit on their most recent federal tax filing and if the child was in their care for more than six months for the same year as their most recent IRS filing.

"It's not a perfect fit for a lot foster families," said Hope Cooper, who directs the organization.

For example, foster parents caring for an infant would not qualify if the baby came into their care after they last filed taxes.

How many tests are available in Arizona? Can anyone get tested?

COVID-19 testing now is allowed more broadly.

Anyone who thinks they could be infected with COVID-19 or who has been exposed to it can now get tested, the Arizona Department of Health Services said on April 23.

Previously, the state discouraged widespread testing because of a lack of tests, although Gov. Doug Ducey has consistently said he wants more testing to be done.

Here's information on testing sites.

Despite calls for more coronavirus testing in order to safely reopen the economy, COVID-19 testing in Arizona has trended downward for weeks, according to the state's official tally through mid-April.

The high-water mark for tests came during the week that ended March 28, when 12,728 tests were conducted. Since then, weekly testing numbers fell to 11,864, and then 10,684 for the week ending April 11.

For more questions about testing, isolation and quarantine guidance, call Arizona Poison Control at 1-844-542-8201.

Does Arizona have a curfew due to the coronavirus?

Arizona does not have a curfew, although the hard-hit Navajo Nation in the northeastern part of the state implemented one.

Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered businesses such as bars, gyms and theaters to close and limited restaurants to takeout. He issued a statewide "stay-at-home" order that took effect March 31 to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, preventing Arizonans from leaving their residences except for food, medicine and other "essential activities.

The Navajo Nation implemented a curfew on March 30 as the number of COVID-19 cases climbed. The curfew is 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the weekends through April. The reservation, which covers much of northeastern Arizona and two other states, had 1,282 identified cases with 49 confirmed deaths as of April 22.

How many people in Arizona have recovered from COVID-19 and how many are past the 14-day isolation period?

ADHS is not reporting the number of patients who have recovered from the new coronavirus.

Is my 70-year-old wife on oxygen more susceptible to the coronavirus? How dangerous is coronavirus for a 72-year-old man with mild COPD and a heart attack years ago?

The American Lung Association warns that older adults with underlying health conditions are most at risk for severe symptoms, including people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and other lung diseases.

The association says it is vital for these people to practice social distancing and avoid public places when possible. Be on the watch for symptoms, such as fever and worse coughing or shortness of breath than usual. Continue taking your medications and make sure you don't run out.

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease says people with COPD have been amongst the worst affected by COVID-19 and should carefully follow the advice of public health officials. The initiative says oxygen therapy should be provided if needed, according to physician recommendations.

People with questions about COVID-19 and other lung-related concerns can call the American Lung Association's free Lung HelpLine, which is staffed by medical professionals and offers more than 250 languages. Call 1-800-586-4872 or submit a question online at www.lung.org/support-community/lung-helpline-and-tobacco-quitline/submit-your-question.

I’m 74 and have had a pneumonia shot. Will this prevent me from getting pneumonia if I contract COVID-19?

A pneumonia vaccine won’t protect you from getting COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization. But it is highly recommended to protect your overall health.

Studies not related to the new coronavirus have shown vaccines prevent about 45-70% of pneumonia infections, depending on the type of vaccine and the strain of pneumonia, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

So if you already received a pneumonia vaccine, that’s a good thing. If you haven’t gotten one, call your doctor or local pharmacy to ask if you should. It’s possible that going into a busy office or pharmacy, where you might encounter the new coronavirus, is not worth the risk.

The CDC recommends routine pneumococcal conjugate vaccination for all babies and children younger than 2, and for people 2 years or older with certain medical conditions. It recommends routine pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination for all adults age 65 or older, younger people with certain medical conditions, and adults age 19 through 64 who smoke. Read more here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/index.html.

What is the average length of hospitalization for patients with the new coronavirus?

Scientists are still collecting data to understand the disease, but one study from China found people with COVID-19 stayed in the hospital an average of 11 days.

Another Chinese study found about a third of patients who were hospitalized were discharged after 10 days, while about 60% of patients remained in the hospital at the time of the study’s publication.

Should I still play tennis? Golf?

The general guidance is to make sure you're not in groups larger than 10, and at least six feet apart. Several public golf courses have taken measures to limit social interaction and the use of shared equipment.

Arizona Biltmore Golf Club in Phoenix instituted social-distancing measures to "navigate these challenging times," according to its website. These guidelines include encouraging guests to pay online or over the phone, carrying one's own clubs and meeting with service members outside the shop, among other things.

The website says that golf carts are sanitized after each use and implores guests to avoid using ball washers and touching flagsticks.

How much food should I buy when grocery shopping?

Toilet paper, pasta and other essentials have been difficult to get. But for most of us, it’s not necessary to hoard right now. Stockpiling, however, might be smart.

Think about having enough goods and food to last about a week or two.

Here’s a shopping list for your own preparedness kit.

Can I travel to California by car from Arizona?

While there have been no definitive travel bans to California, the state is under a mandatory shelter-in-place order. This means that, yes, you can travel to California via car, but options are limited once you get there.

On March 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that shut down non-essential services and directed residents to stay at home whenever possible, with some exceptions, including acquiring food or healthcare.

When out walking our dog, people frequently pet him. Can a dog’s fur retain the virus and spread it to others?

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, it is unclear how long the virus can live on surfaces like fur.

Gail Golab, the AVMA’s chief veterinary officer, told The Washington Post that pet fur is porous, making it more difficult to contract the virus via touch as opposed to a smooth surface like countertops or doorknobs.

The AVMA recommends washing your hands before and after petting domestic animals. If you have symptoms that align with COVID-19, the AVMA recommends that you avoid contact with pets whenever possible. If someone is concerned about spread of the virus while walking their dog, they may refrain from petting other animals or letting others pet theirs.

The Arizona Humane Society is urging pet owners to think about what to do with their animals if they become sick, such as designating a friend or family member to care for the pets, researching temporary housing options for them, compiling vet records, ensuring they are up to date on vaccines and setting aside extra food and supplies for them.

An emergency checklist can be found at www.azhumane.org/disaster.

Is it safe to handle letters and packages delivered to my house?

The U.S. Postal Service said the risk is low that the new coronavirus can be spread from products or packages shipped from overseas because the virus dies within hours or days on surfaces. The agency said there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods.

The postal service has increased cleaning at its facilities, is providing hand sanitizer and encouraging employees to wash their hands. It is asking employees who feel sick to stay home.

According to the CDC, the likelihood of someone getting COVID-19 from mail or packages, even domestically, is low. This is because packages and mail take time to ship, which decreases traces of the virus.

Although chances of contracting COVID-19 from mail or packages are unlikely, washing your hands is a good way to prevent spread from surfaces like paper or cardboard.

How much toilet paper do you need?

Georgia-Pacific calculated how many rolls each household needs based on IRI data and the U.S. Census. Each household represents 2.6 people.

The data found that the average U.S. household uses approximately 400 rolls per year.

But, as millions of Americans begin working and learning from home to stop the spread of COVID-19, average daily use increases 140%.

According to their data, "to last approximately 2 weeks, a 2-person household would need 9 double rolls, or 5 mega rolls. A 4-person household would need 17 double rolls, or 9 mega rolls to last approximately 2 weeks."

Or calculate the number of rolls you need to survive the pandemic at https://howmuchtoiletpaper.com.

What does COVID-19 stand for?

On Feb. 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the novel coronavirus outbreak. The new name was coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, CO stands for corona, VI stands for virus, and D stands for disease. The 19 is for the year was first identified.

I understand local schools are providing pack lunches. However, I don’t have a car. I also am not comfortable walking with my child to a school to receive, as he has low immunity. What can be done for someone in our situation?

Call your school principal to see if they can make special accommodations. Most schools are eager to assure all students get the free meals, and are willing to help make that happen.

Some districts are delivering free breakfasts and lunches to children using the school bus routes so families don't have to go to school.

Also, you don't have to go to the school your child attends. If there is a school — elementary, middle or high school — that's closer than your child's school, you can see if they are offering free meals.

With businesses closing and people out of work, what happens with rental payments and evictions? What about utility bill shut-off?

Many utility companies have promised to help customers during this unprecedented time.

You can see a full list of utilities and what they're pledging here.

On March 13, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced no evictions would take place in city housing.

On March 24, Gov. Doug Ducey issued a 120-day order delaying the enforcement of evictions for renters impacted by COVID-19 because they are sick, can’t work or lost jobs.

The order calls for tenants eligible for eviction delays to contact their landlord in writing and include documentation to support their cause.

The state housing department launched a Rental Eviction Prevention Assistance Program with $5 million in state funding. Arizona renters can fill out applications to get help paying rent at housing.az.gov.

Are borders with Mexico closed?

For nonessential travel, yes. On March 21, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to close the border to nonessential travel, such as tourism.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency in charge of enforcing the travel restrictions, has warned visitors to stay away unless they have an essential reason.

Does the flu shot prevent the coronavirus? If we already got one, should we get another dose?

There is currently no vaccine to protect against COVID-19.

A flu shot can help in an indirect way, according to Dr. Albert Ko of the Yale School of Public Health. As more people have immunity to influenza, fewer will need treatment, causing less confusion about whether an infected person has COVID-19 or flu, and leaving more hospital beds open for coronavirus patients.

Children age 6 months to 8 years may need a second flu shot because their immune systems aren't as developed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For adults, a vaccine is recommended once a year, in October, before the peak of flu, the CDC said.

Although the flu season is coming to an end, you can still get a flu shot, said Dr. Gregory Poland, of Mayo Clinic. But call your doctor first. Many medical facilities are limiting non-essential visits.

Who should I call if I might have symptoms but don’t have a primary care physician?

You can call a nearby urgent care or a community health clinic, such as Mountain Park Health Center at 602-243-7277.

Should I be worried about riding the light rail?

We checked in early March, and like many services, Valley Metro light rail has stepped up cleaning.

"With the advent of COVID-19 in the U.S., we are enhancing the cleaning and disinfecting regimens on public transit," Valley Metro said in a statement.

Can you catch the virus from someone who died?

There is no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But you should avoid touching, kissing, washing or shrouding the body, even after it has been prepared, especially if you are older or have a severe underlying health condition, the CDC said.

If washing or shrouding the body is important to your religious or cultural practice, the agency encourages families to work with religious and cultural leaders and funeral home staff to reduce exposure as much as possible, such as wearing disposable gloves, gowns, goggles, masks or other protective equipment.

Funeral home workers should wear full protective gear while preparing a body and wash their hands and disinfect surfaces afterward, the CDC said.

My husband and I are scheduled to fly from Ohio to Phoenix soon. We are 69 and 70. Should we cancel our trip?

The CDC recommends people who are at higher risk of getting sick avoid non-essential travel. Those at higher risk are older adults and people of any age with serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, the CDC said.

Some airlines have offered to waive change fees for travelers who want to delay trips. Check with your airline carrier for details.

When will the outbreak lose momentum?

Projections for Arizona's peak caseload vary by nearly two months from one model to the next, depending on factors such as social distancing. A May 22 prediction of the state's hospital peak takes the midpoint of two predictions: one if mitigation strategies continue, and one if they do not.

But data shows preventing transmission early on slows the spread so patients don't overwhelm hospitals and fewer people die. That’s why events in the U.S. have been canceled, travel has been postponed and companies have told employees to work from home.

Researchers can't say with any certainty whether warmer weather will impact COVID-19. Of the seven different coronaviruses, four are more common, seasonal and found often in children. The two other novel coronaviruses, which cause MERS and SARS, have not been seasonal.

Can the new coronavirus be sexually transmitted?

Although scientists do not believe the illness is sexually transmitted, kissing and touching an infected person increases your risk of exposure, according to Anna Muldoon, a former science policy adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The virus is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, said Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins University. People may inhale the invisible droplets in the air or touch the droplets after they land on surfaces around the infected person.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying 6 feet or more from an infected person.

If your spouse has COVID-19, health officials recommend sleeping in a different room, not sharing dishes or towels, washing your hands frequently, cleaning common surfaces such as doorknobs and bathrooms with a household disinfectant and asking the infected person to wear a mask when in a shared room, the MIT Medical School said.

How are COVID-19 symptoms different from allergies?

People with COVID-19 have symptoms almost identical to the flu, except that the symptoms come on more gradually, within two to 14 days after exposure, the CDC said.

Allergies caused by pollen, grass or ragweed may cause similar symptoms, such as congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath and tiredness, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and Mayo Clinic.

But COVID-19 is not associated with common allergy symptoms such as an itchy nose, eyes or mouth; watery, red or puffy eyes; or rashes, officials said.

And allergies don't usually cause fever, aches, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea, which can come with the new coronavirus.

The CDC recommends that anyone who thinks they've been exposed to COVID-19 and develops a fever and respiratory symptoms such as coughing or difficulty breathing call their doctor immediately.

If I feel sick, at what point should I get tested and how?

If you start having flu-like symptoms, such as fever and cough, you should call your primary care doctor, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Your doctor will work with local and state officials to determine if you need to be tested, ADHS said.

Don't visit an urgent care or hospital without first calling your family doctor, unless it's an emergency, such as if you are having difficulty breathing, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. This will help prevent spreading the virus to other patients.

Symptoms include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, aches, chills, tiredness, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea.

How much will it cost me to get a COVID-19 test?

Medicare, Medicaid and major U.S. health insurers — including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and Humana — announced they will cover some or all of the costs of coronavirus testing and treatment. Several announced additional benefits, such as free telemedicine.

The IRS also clarified that high-deductible health plans can cover coronavirus testing and treatment before patients have met their deductibles.

But it's best to call the 800 number on the back of your insurance card to make sure about the costs before undergoing coronavirus testing and treatment, so you're aren't caught by surprise fees.

How do people without insurance get tested?

Uninsured patients may be able to receive free COVID-19 testing and treatment from a public health clinic or health care provider that agrees to write off the cost of care, according to Berkeley School of Public Health professor Stephen Shortell. But it's best to call ahead.

To find a free or low-cost health clinic near you, go to https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/ or call the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration at 877-464-4772 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET weekdays.

Do not show up at a clinic, urgent care or hospital unless it is an emergency, such as if you are struggling to breathe. Instead, call the clinic, describe your symptoms and follow the doctor's instructions.

If you go to a doctor's office or hospital that does not write off the cost of care, you may be charged $500 to $1,000 for a test, according to Johns Hopkins University professor Gerard Anderson.

Hospital leaders have urged the Trump administration to use a national disaster program to fund coronavirus care for the nation's 27 million uninsured people, but federal officials have not done so yet.

If you become infected with the new coronavirus, can you get it again?

Scientists don't know for sure.

In a small number of cases, patients who appeared to have recovered from the illness experienced a second onset of symptoms and tested positive for the virus again.

However, experts say this doesn't prove people can get reinfected.

It's possible that testing was inaccurate, people were not fully recovered or people's immune systems did not develop enough antibodies during the illness to ensure immunity.

Another possibility: The disease could have several phases that scientists are only now observing, a period of symptoms followed by dormancy followed by more symptoms. More research is needed to provide an answer.

At 2 medical appointments last week, doctors extended their hands to shake mine. They seemed surprised when I declined. Isn't there a protocol in place for health care providers?

You get kudos from the experts.

"I congratulate your reader because that's very good," said Pima County Public Health Interim Director Bob England. "What we're trying to navigate is doing rational things to decrease risk without disrupting our society so much. But the one thing we all agree on to do is the personal stuff, the individual prevention of transmission: Washing your hands, keeping your hands away from your face" and not shaking hands.

England said he meets with dozens of people a day and "everybody's been doing the elbow bump," which is both safer and keeps things "light-hearted."

He thinks family physicians should use this as a teaching moment.

"I would encourage docs as a teaching tool, when they come into a room, not to shake the patient's hands, as a way to drive home the point" of practicing good hygiene, England said. "Finally, maybe people will listen because it's the same message every flu season."

Consumer reporter Rebekah L. Sanders investigates issues of fraud and abuse involving businesses, health-care entities and government agencies. Contact her at rsanders@azcentral.com or follow her on Twitter at @RebekahLSanders.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Teen climate activists, highway bagel roast: News from around our ...

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Tuscaloosa: The city is getting $3 million in federal grant money to help remove lead contamination from low-income homes. The Tuscaloosa News reports the money will be used for safety improvements in 250 homes in the city. Tuscaloosa is the only Alabama city to receive money under a $314 million program overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Money is going to 77 state and local agencies nationwide. Lead paint is sometimes found in the paint that’s in older homes, and exposure to the metal can cause damage to the brain and nervous system in children. Officials in Tuscaloosa will work with housing agencies, medical and social service providers to identify homes with lead-based hazards.

Alaska

Juneau: A new report by a nonpartisan watchdog group says the U.S. Forest Service has lost nearly $600 million through its management of the Tongass National Forest. Coast Alaska reports the study by Taxpayers for Common Sense calculates the service’s losses through roadbuilding and timber sales. The report says the average net loss has been about $30 million annually over the past 20 years. The group cites a 2016 report by the Government Accountability Office detailing the average annual cost of the Tongass timber program without factoring the cost of building access roads. The group projects a net loss of at least $180 million despite the Forest Service projecting the availability of an additional 300 million feet of boards in the next four years.

Arizona

Flagstaff: A Colorado River tributary in northeastern Arizona is being eyed for power generation. A newly formed Phoenix company wants to put up dams on the Little Colorado River. Pumped Hydro Storage LLC is seeking approval from the federal government to study sites on the Navajo Nation. Nothing would happen without the tribe’s approval. Tribal President Jonathan Nez says the Navajo Nation would need to consider the impacts of the proposals on water, the economy and the environment and hear from those living in the area. Environmentalists say the protection of sacred sites, an endangered fish and the serenity of the larger Grand Canyon region is at stake. The hydropower industry says there’s renewed interest in pumped storage facilities to supplement wind and solar energy.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The mayor on Monday proposed returning local control to the city’s schools after a state plan to grant only limited authority sparked fears that the district could revert to a racially divided, “separate but equal” system 62 years after the desegregation of Central High School. Mayor Frank Scott proposed forming a temporary school board appointed by the city and state to run the district from January until a local board is elected in November 2020. Arkansas has been in control of the 23,000-student district since January 2015, when the district was taken over because of low test scores at several schools. Scott asked the state Board of Education to take up the proposal when it meets this week and said he also has discussed it with Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Education Secretary Johnny Key.

California

Sacramento: Pharmacists in the state will be able to dispense HIV prevention pills to patients without a doctor’s prescription after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday that supporters say will greatly reduce the spread of infection. Advocates of Senate Bill 159 say California is the first state to authorize pre-exposure prophylaxis, also called PrEP, and post-exposure prophylaxis, known as PEP, without prescriptions. California is already considered a leader in AIDS prevention, they say. PrEP is a once-daily pill for HIV-negative people, while PEP is a medication that people take to prevent the virus from taking hold. Supporters say PEP significantly reduces the risk of infection, but only if started within 72 hours of exposure to the virus. Not everyone can get to a doctor in that time frame, says Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California.

Colorado

Aurora: A group of demonstrators against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement disrupted a City Council meeting after breaking out in chants. The Sentinel reports that the Aurora City Council meeting was briefly suspended Monday after some council members left their seats while police escorted demonstrators outside. Authorities say anti-ICE protesters made multiple demands of the city during public comment, including ending the use of city resources to help ICE, prohibiting participation in ICE functions and barring police from profiling prior to making stops. Officials say the city doesn’t invest funds in private prisons, and officers do not participate in ICE arrests, according to department policy.

Connecticut

Windsor: Authorities exhumed the bodies Monday of two victims of the 1944 Hartford circus fire in the hopes of determining whether one of them is a woman who is among five people still listed as missing after the tragedy. The exhumations at Northwood Cemetery in Windsor occurred about 2 miles from the site of the big top fire that killed 168 people and injured 682 others. Forensic experts at the chief medical examiner’s office will try to determine whether one of the two unidentified women was 47-year-old Grace Fifield, of Newport, Vermont, who was never seen again after attending the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus on July 6, 1944. Officials will compare DNA samples taken from the remains to ones provided by Fifield’s granddaughter, Sandra Sumrow.

Delaware

Wilmington: Five of the state’s previous governors and two of its former chief justices are backing Gov. John Carney in his attempt to preserve a Delaware law that requires a political balance among state court judges. The former officials have filed legal briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Carney, who has asked the court to reverse a federal court decision that struck down the state constitutional provision that requires Carney to split judicial nominations and judgeships between the two major political parties. Former Govs. Jack Markell, Ruth Ann Minner, Tom Carper, Dale Wolf and Michael Castle filed a brief to back Carney. Former Delaware Chief Justices Myron T. Steele and E. Norman Veasey filed a separate brief in support of Carney. Seventeen law professors from across the country filed a third supporting brief.

District of Columbia

Washington: Lawmakers in the district are considering a tax on sugary drinks containing “natural common sweeteners.” The Washington Post reports the bill proposed Monday by council member Brianne K. Nadeau would levy a 1.5 cent-per-ounce excise tax on the sweet drinks. It wouldn’t apply to alcohol, milk, all-natural juices or drinks with artificial sweeteners, such as diet soda. The newspaper notes this would be one of the highest taxes on sugary drinks in the nation. The bill would replace the city’s recently passed 2% additional sales tax on soft drinks. Researchers say higher sales taxes don’t affect consumer decisions, as the extra cost is added at the register, after a consumer has already picked their product. An excise cost would be imposed on distributors, who would then raise sticker prices.

Florida

St. Petersburg: Scientists say toxic red tide is back in the waters off the state’s southwest coast after fading away earlier this year following a 15-month bloom. Biologists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute said Friday that samples taken from the waters off the shore of Collier County found high concentrations of the toxic algae where they also received reports of dead fish and cases of respiratory irritation. Red tide is a natural occurrence that happens due to the presence of nutrients in salt water and an organism called a dinoflagellate. The 15-month bloom caused respiratory irritation in people and killed sea turtles, manatees, dolphins and fish. Scientists also observed low concentrations of the red tide algae in Lee County, according to the institute’s red tide status report.

Georgia

Atlanta: Oprah Winfrey says she’s giving $13 million to increase a scholarship endowment at a historically black college. Winfrey announced her plan Monday at Morehouse College, adding to the $12 million she gave to the all-male college 30 years ago. She was meeting with 47 students already benefiting from the existing endowment. Morehouse President David Thomas says Winfrey’s endowment has paid to educate almost 600 students over the past three decades. Winfrey’s announcement came weeks after Morehouse announced it would cut some employee salaries and retirement contributions to increase student aid and would also eliminate some jobs. Billionaire Robert Smith won wide notice earlier this year when he promised to repay all student and family loans accumulated by Morehouse’s class of 2019. That one-time gift will be worth $34 million.

Hawaii

Kailua-Kona: A county agency has found nearly 10% of tsunami warning sirens on Hawaii Island are inoperable. West Hawaii Today reports Hawaii County Civil Defense made the determination following an Oct. 1 test of the Big Island’s outdoor warning system. Civil Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno says nine of the 92 sirens installed in communities around the island did not work during the test. The sirens warn people to move to high ground when an approaching tsunami is detected. Civil defense sends tsunami alerts via cellphone, but not all areas have reliable service, nor are all residents registered. Magno says the state Emergency Management Agency is responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of sirens across Hawaii.

Idaho

Boise: The city has closed a day shelter for homeless families and plans on moving some funding to Interfaith Sanctuary Shelter, which will begin offering day-shelter services seven days a week this month. Interfaith Sanctuary Jodi Peterson-Stigers told the Idaho Statesman shelter officials hope to reduce the trauma families experience from having nowhere to go on the weekends. Boise spokesman Mike Journee says attendance at the city day shelter has been declining since Interfaith Sanctuary opened its day shelter in late 2017, so it made sense to close the city facility and rely on Interfaith Sanctuary for the service. The city plans to lease the site of its former shelter to Jesse Tree, a private nonprofit that provides assistance to low-income people struggling to pay rent or facing eviction.

Illinois

Aurora: An overnight fire has destroyed a historic Masonic temple that was abandoned more than a decade ago. The fire began about 10 p.m. Monday in the Lincoln Masonic Temple in the Chicago suburb about 40 miles west of Chicago. A portion of the building collapsed onto power lines, cutting power to some homes as firefighters worked to douse the flames. Aurora Fire Chief Gary Krienitz tells WLS-TV the building’s structural integrity was a big challenge for crews. The 50,000-square-foot building was built in 1922 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It’s been empty since 2008, when it was last used as a banquet hall. Aurora officials then shut the building down due to potentially hazardous conditions.

Indiana

Rensselaer: Thousands of bagels went from frozen to toasted Sunday evening after a semi hauling the beloved breakfast item went up in flames. An off-duty Indiana State Police trooper saw a semi driving north on I-65 that was smoking heavily from its rear axle, according to the Indiana State Police. By the time the trooper arrived at the truck, its brakes were engulfed in flames, and the fire was spreading to the trailer itself. The rear tires of the semi also exploded due to the heat from the brake fire, state police said. The driver was eventually able to disconnect the tractor from the trailer, and the fire was extinguished. The semi was carrying 38,000 pounds of frozen bagels, state police said. The fire closed the right lane of northbound I-65 near Rensselaer until about 1 a.m. Monday.

Iowa

Waterloo: The city has become the first in the state to approve a measure banning the city and many businesses from asking about applicants’ criminal records in early stages of the hiring process. The City Council approved the so-called ban-the-box ordinance, which doesn’t let employers ask about an applicant’s criminal history until after making a conditional job offer, according to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. The measure is intended to ensure people with criminal convictions get a fair chance of getting jobs by encouraging employers not to discard applications only because potential workers check a box stating they have been convicted of a crime. Similar measures have been passed in dozens of cities around the country, but Waterloo is the first city in Iowa to approve such an ordinance.

Kansas

Overland Park: The state’s second-largest city has passed an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. KCUR reports that the City Council in this Kansas City suburb passed the measure Monday with a 10-1 vote. The new ordinance prevents residents and employees from being denied housing, employment or services from businesses because of sexual orientation or gender identity. Backers were overjoyed. Brett Hoedl, of Equality Kansas of Metro Kansas City, said it could create pressure for adoption of a statewide law. Nearly two dozen states outlaw discrimination against someone because they are LGBTQ. Missouri and Kansas aren’t among them. Council Member Dave White voted for the ordinance but said he wanted more teeth in the legislation. The ordinance allows fines of up to $1,000.

Kentucky

Louisville: A young elephant calf born this summer has just about everything he needs, except a name. But he’s a step closer to getting one. The Louisville Zoo has announced three finalists: Fitz, Rocket and Walt. A Monday zoo statement says that more than 15,000 names were submitted for the calf born Aug. 2. Kristin Hays of Prospect submitted “Fitz” after her great-grandfather, who loved elephants. Tatyana Malkin’s 9-year-old daughter, Sofia, asked her to submit “Rocket” to go with the zoo’s recently named bongo, “Groot,” both from the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and Taylor Barr of Meade County submitted “Walt” after Walt Disney. Zoo visitors can drop coins or bills in a kiosk to vote at the zoo, or vote online with credit card donations.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Gov. John Bel Edwards is battling to hold onto the Democrats’ only governorship in the Deep South, with an onslaught of national GOP firepower aimed at ousting him. Republicans see Edwards’ 2015 victory as a fluke and believe they can recapture the governor’s mansion in a state with no other Democratic statewide elected officials. But the moderate Edwards is an anti-abortion, pro-gun former Army ranger. And he is proving remarkably resilient deep in the heart of Trump country. Edwards is leading in the polls, within striking distance of outright victory in Saturday’s primary, when all candidates run against each other on the same ballot. National Republican leaders are barnstorming the state trying to energize GOP voters and keep Edwards from claiming enough cross-party support to top 50%.

Maine

Portland: Marijuana enthusiasts in the Pine Tree State will probably be able to purchase their preferred products in retail stores by March 2020 after years of waiting. Voters approved legal adult-use marijuana at the polls in November 2016, and the road to legal sales has been long and bumpy. The state’s Office of Marijuana Policy says a key act passed by the Legislature is now in effect, and that means the office is in a position to complete final adoption of Maine’s marijuana rules. The act made tweaks to Maine’s Marijuana Legalization Act that were necessary for the marijuana office to adopt the rules, which it is expected to do within two months. That means it will probably be able to accept applications for retail marijuana sales by the end of 2019.

Maryland

Baltimore: A City Council committee has modified a proposed ban of plastic bags to focus on particularly thin plastic. The Baltimore Sun reports the Judiciary Committee voted 4-2 Monday to amend the proposed ban to apply only to bags thinner than about two-thousandths of an inch. The newspaper says the move upset bill sponsor Councilman Bill Henry and environmentalists, who say the bags are barely distinguishable from thinner grocery bags. Retailers argue the thin bags are reusable. Henry says retailers could just continue to use plastic bags under the amended language, and the added thickness of permitted bags wouldn’t be enough to encourage their reuse.

Massachusetts

Boston: Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts has been scrambling to make amends since black students were mistreated on a class trip in May. The world-class museum was accused of racism after students said they were harangued by white patrons and a staff member who allegedly told the children: “No food, no drink and no watermelon.” Makeeba McCreary, MFA’s chief of learning and community engagement, says the museum has doubled down on efforts to be a more diverse, inclusive place. In addition to banning two patrons and launching an internal investigation and an independent review, the MFA has created a new position: senior director of inclusion. It’s given over an entire wing to female artists in “Women Take the Floor,” an exhibition timed to coincide with next year’s centennial of U.S. women winning the right to vote. And this month, for the first time, it’ll open its doors for free to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day.

Michigan

Detroit: At its darkest hour, in the early 1950s, fewer than 20 male Kirtland’s warblers were counted in the world. Today, after a concerted recovery effort by federal and state wildlife management agencies, conservation groups and the timber industry, the black-and-gray songbird with a yellow underbelly, a uniquely Michigan-centric species, has more than 2,000 nesting pairs. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday removed the bird from the federal list of endangered species. Kirtland’s warblers have historically nested in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The birds require very specific conditions – large stands of young, dense jack pine forest. If the trees are older, the birds, for some reason, won’t use them.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: President Donald Trump’s campaign is threatening to sue the city for trying to force it to pay $530,000 in security costs for this week’s rally. Trump’s campaign accused Mayor Jacob Frey, who has been critical of the president, of “conjuring a phony and outlandish bill for security” at Thursday’s rally at Target Center. The campaign said arena management attempted to pass the costs to the campaign under threat of withholding use of the arena. It also said the sum was far more than that for a 2009 health care rally at the building by President Barack Obama. The Star Tribune says the city based its estimate on methodology for past major events like the 2018 Super Bowl and Final Four. Frey said when Trump’s rally was announced last month that Trump’s “message of hatred” was unwelcome.

Mississippi

Jackson: A federal court that rejected the state’s 15-week abortion ban should have let the state present evidence about whether a fetus experiences pain, an attorney for the state argued Monday. But a lawyer for Mississippi’s only abortion clinic said the Supreme Court has been clear that a woman has a right to have an abortion before the fetus is viable. The arguments came during a hearing at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It’s one of many laws pushed by conservative states in recent years, aimed at trying to persuade the increasingly conservative Supreme Court to further restrict the amount of time when abortion is legally available, or even to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Missouri

Columbia: The city has banned so-called conversion therapy for minors. The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the City Council voted unanimously Monday to become the first in the state to ban the practice. “Conversion therapy” is the scientifically discredited practice of using therapy to “convert” LGBTQ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations. A Democratic state lawmaker proposed a statewide ban on the practice during this year’s annual legislative session. But the bill didn’t get a hearing in the Republican-led Legislature. Columbia is home to the University of Missouri System’s flagship campus and trends more liberal than many other areas of the state.

Montana

Harlem: The City Council has voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. The Billings Gazette reports Harlem passed a resolution last month to join Missoula, Bozeman and Helena as Montana cities that have changed the name of the federal holiday that will be marked next Monday. Harlem is located just outside the Fort Belknap Reservation. Columbus Day recognizes Christopher Columbus, whose 1492 voyage spurred European colonization of the Americas. Native Americans say celebrating Columbus ignores the atrocities and violence inflicted on their ancestors. The Montana House passed a bill in 2019 to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day statewide, but it died in a Senate committee.

Nebraska

Terrytown: City Council members have decided to put off indefinitely a proposed ordinance that would have barred anyone from feeding geese or other wild critters inside city limits. The council had scheduled a third and final reading and vote last week. But City Attorney Libby Stobel told the council Thursday that the proposal conflicts with a proposed zoning change that would allow residents to keep up to eight hens, either chicken, duck or turkey. The Scottsbluff Star-Herald reports that Stobel says the proposed ordinance defines ducks as waterfowl, so if the proposal were to be passed, people would be allowed to own ducks but not feed them. Stobel recommended that before more discussion, council members should determine whether the ordinance was worth pursuing. They voted 4-0 to stop any further consideration of the measure.

Nevada

Reno: Maintaining the state’s status as keeper of the highest year-round highway pass in the Sierra Nevada might get a little more difficult this winter, but the Nevada Department of Transportation insists it is up to the task. The department has concerns about the reliability of a remote-operated system that uses propane-powered blasts to trigger controlled avalanches on Nevada State Route 431 at the Mount Rose Summit. The human-triggered avalanches clear the snow load from slopes overhanging the highway, thus making the roadway safer for drivers once the avalanche debris is cleared. But that system is showing its age, NDOT spokesperson Meg Ragonese says, and the department is making contingency plans in the event the system can’t operate during the upcoming winter.

New Hampshire

Concord: The state’s Democratic congressional delegation says New Hampshire will be getting more than $600,000 in federal funds to help law enforcement agencies fight the opioid crisis. U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen says the state is receiving $664,673 through the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services program. Of that, $489,674 will go to the New Hampshire Department of Safety for the state’s Anti-Heroin Task Force and $174,999 to Dartmouth College for a program supporting the hiring of law enforcement officers and expansion of community policing. State Police Col. Chris Wagner welcomed the funding, saying it will drive cross-border initiatives to disrupt drug trafficking organizations that fuel the opioid epidemic.

New Jersey

Seaside Heights: The New Jersey Historic Trust is providing a $750,000 grant to help refurbish a 109-year-old carousel. The money will go toward restoring the 1910 Dr. Floyd L. Moreland Dentzel-Looff Carousel at the Casino Pier arcade in Seaside Heights. But the funds won’t be made available until the grant is approved by the Legislature and receives Gov. Phil Murphy’s signature. The carousel was shut down in early April and will be dismantled later this month. The ride will be temporarily moved into storage, and its mechanical parts will be inspected. Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz says he hopes the refurbished carousel is running by 2021.

New Mexico

Albuquerque: About a quarter of Navajo women and some infants who were part of a federally funded study on uranium exposure had high levels of the radioactive metal in their systems, decades after mining for Cold War weaponry ended on their reservation, a U.S. health official said Monday. The preliminary findings from the University of New Mexico study were shared during a congressional field hearing in Albuquerque. Dr. Loretta Christensen – the chief medical officer on the Navajo Nation for Indian Health Service, a partner in the research – said 781 women were screened during an initial phase of the study that ended last year. Among them, 26% had concentrations of uranium that exceeded levels found in the highest 5% of the U.S. population, and newborns with equally high concentrations continued to be exposed to uranium during their first year, she said.

New York

Albany: Brook trout have been discovered in a high-elevation Adirondack Mountains lake for the first time since the lake was declared fishless due to acid rain 32 years ago. The Department of Environmental Conservation says the breeding population of trout in Lake Colden in the High Peaks Wilderness demonstrates the effectiveness of clean air regulations enacted since the 1980s. Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from fossil fuel combustion mix with moisture in the air to produce sulfuric and nitric acid. In the 1960s, scientists determined it was causing tree die-offs in higher elevations of the Catskills and Adirondacks and had made many lakes and streams too acidic to support fish. Ongoing sampling has shown improving water quality since air pollution emissions have been reduced.

North Carolina

Statesville: The star of CNBC’s “The Profit” has settled a yearlong dispute with the city over a huge American flag at the reality TV star’s recreational vehicle store. News outlets report Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh announced the settlement with Marcus Lemonis on Monday, allowing the flag to continue flying outside Lemonis’ Gander RV company. At 40 feet by 80 feet, the flag violates a city ordinance limiting flags to 25 feet by 40 feet. The settlement requires Gander RV to pay about $16,000 for fines and legal costs and the council to change the ordinance to allow the flag. The council voted against that in June but unanimously agreed to it this time, just ahead of Tuesday’s elections.

North Dakota

Bismarck: State environmental regulators have signed an agreement with the federal government that permits companies to self-report infractions in exchange for exemption from fines. The Bismarck Tribune reports the state Department of Environmental Quality signed a memorandum with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday. The agreement follows a North Dakota law passed in 2017 that gives companies the choice of conducting self-audits at power plants, oil and gas sites, and waste facilities and then reporting issues they identify to the state. Environmental Quality director Dave Glatt says the types of infractions could include companies forgetting to submit paperwork or neglecting to secure a necessary permit for a facility.

Ohio

Dayton: Books on a young white supremacist’s awakening and on Iranian refugees in Sweden are winners of awards celebrating literature’s power to promote peace and understanding. Dayton Literary Peace Prize officials say Eli Saslow’s “Rising Out of Hatred” won for nonfiction, and Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde’s “What We Owe” won for fiction. Runners-up are Wil Haygood’s “Tigerland,” about an inner-city Ohio school’s 1969 athletic triumphs, in nonfiction and Richard Powers’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Overstory,” about human impact on forests, in fiction. Winners receive $10,000 each and runners-up $5,000 each. A Nov. 3 gala is planned in Dayton. The literary peace prizes grew out of the 1995 Bosnia peace accords negotiated in the southwestern Ohio city.

Oklahoma

Tulsa: A committee overseeing a project to find the remains of victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre says more areas should be investigated. The Oklahoma Archaeological Survey used ground-penetrating radar to search north Tulsa’s Oaklawn Cemetery on Monday. It also plans to search another cemetery and a park for the victims of the violence that left as many as 300 dead on Tulsa’s Black Wall Street. Oversight committee member and state Rep. Regina Goodwin says searchers should also look under U.S. Highway 75, adjacent to the cemetery, where she believes bodies may have been buried. Officials say Monday’s search was largely inconclusive because nearby cameras and cellphones interfered with scanning equipment. Bystanders are asked to stay at least 300 feet away. The area will be searched again.

Oregon

Salem: If state lawmakers again fail to pass a law regulating greenhouse gas emissions next year, voters could be called on to do it. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports three initiative petitions filed with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office on Monday would require the state to phase out electricity sources that contribute to global warming and transition to a carbon-free economy by 2050. If they proceed to the November 2020 ballot, the measures would likely usher in a bruising ballot fight. But one of the organizations spearheading the efforts, clean energy coalition Renew Oregon, is hoping the measures instead add urgency to next year’s legislative session. The carbon cap bill has been in the works for over a decade and was the focus of a tussle in the Legislature this year, flaming out amid a walkout by Senate Republicans.

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh: The University of Pittsburgh is moving to block a new election seeking to unionize graduate student workers that has been proposed by a state labor board official. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the university said in a statement Tuesday that it disagrees with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board official’s finding of unfair labor practices. A university statement Tuesday said the institution “acted appropriately leading up to and throughout the April 2019 election,” which left the United Steelworkers 37 votes short. The union and student organizers accused university officials of tactics including coercion that discouraged the vote. The university had 20 days to respond to the hearing examiner’s Sept. 18 proposed ruling and order for a new election. The matter is now expected to go before the full labor board.

Rhode Island

Providence: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $12.4 million in the state to protect low-income families from lead-based paint and home health hazards. The agency and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, announced Monday that RIHousing is getting $8.4 million, and the city of Woonsocket is getting $4 million. Reed says lead poisoning remains a real problem that affects too many kids. RIHousing, created by the General Assembly, provides mortgage loans and other assistance to homebuyers. It will address lead hazards in 340 homes for low-income families with children and perform assessments in another 118 units. The work will be targeted in Pawtucket and Central Falls.

South Carolina

Walhalla: A police officer killed in the line of duty in 1928 is finally being remembered at a national law enforcement memorial. Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said research by his employees showed Officer William Henry Talley confronted two men disrupting a church service near Salem on Oct. 11, 1928. The men beat him in the head with a club or stick, and he died the next day at age 52. Crenshaw says one man was sentenced to life in prison and the other to 10 years. Crenshaw said in a statement that the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C., reviewed the research and will place Talley’s name on its memorial. Talley worked for the Oconee County Rural Police Department, the predecessor to the sheriff’s office.

South Dakota

Rapid City: Two 16-year-old activists, one from Pine Ridge Reservation and one from Sweden, urged politicians Monday to listen to indigenous people on climate change. At a rally in Rapid City that attracted hundreds of people, Greta Thunberg spoke out against the proposed path of the Keystone XL pipeline through South Dakota, which she said is “not morally defensible.” “Indigenous peoples have been leading this fight for centuries,” the Swedish teen said. “They have taken care of the planet, and they have lived in balance with nature, and we need to make sure that they’re voices are being heard.” Tokata Iron Eyes planned the rally and invited Thunberg to speak at the Pine Ridge and Standing Rock reservations. “We are marching for our lives, we are marching for climate justice, and we are marching for indigenous rights at the same time – because those two things go hand in hand,” Iron Eyes said.

Tennessee

Memphis: A group of voters is appealing a judge’s dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the security of voting machines in the state’s largest county and calling for a switch to a handwritten ballot and a voter-verifiable paper trail. Lawyer Carol Chumney says Shelby County Advocates for Valid Elections has filed an appeal to U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker’s ruling last month that their lawsuit failed to show any harm has come to them and that they have no legal standing. The lawsuit claims the outdated touchscreen voting machines are not secure because they do not produce a voter-verifiable paper trail, and security safeguards are needed to shield the system from outside manipulation. The voters’ group says Parker disregarded that “there is circumstantial evidence that election tampering has occurred” in the county.

Texas

Austin: Texas A&M University officials decided to ban e-cigarettes from all campuses because of the health risks associated with smoking them. Chancellor John Sharp announced Tuesday in a memo that the ban will go in effect “as soon as possible” on all A&M system campuses across the state, including the flagship university in College Station and Tarleton State University and Texas A&M University-Commerce in North Texas. The ban is applicable to students, faculty and staff at 11 universities and across eight state agencies. “This health threat is serious enough that I want to see the ban include every building, outside space, parking lot, garage and laboratory within the Texas A&M System,” Sharp said in the memo. He noted smoking is prohibited in most areas of the A&M system.

Utah

St. George: Zion National Park visitation set records this summer, averaging more than a half-million visitors per month. Yearly park visitors have more than doubled over the past decade at the southern Utah park known for its red-rock cliffs and narrow slot canyons. Park officials have been struggling with how to handle the crowds, and this year they limited the number of people who could hike two of the most popular trails on holidays. Park spokesman Eugenne Moisa says visitors to Angels Landing and the Narrows were kept waiting in the shade, instead of on the narrow, sunny trails. The nonprofit Zion Forever Project is also accepting donations to expand access to the east side of the park in hopes of dispersing visitors to that less-visited area.

Vermont

Burlington: The City Council has passed a resolution that aims to let noncitizens vote in city elections. Councilors voted in favor of the resolution 10-2 on Monday. Councilor Adam Roof, who wrote the resolution, says everyone in Burlington should get a vote because they’re all affected by the decisions of local government. He tells WCAX-TV that expanding voting rights would “build a more inclusive community” and make it easier for everyone in Burlington to participate in the democratic process. Council President Kurt Wright says he voted against the proposal because he believes only American citizens should have the right to vote. The resolution needs ultimate approval from the Legislature before it can become law.

Virginia

Charlottesville: The city is preparing to appeal its defeat in a lawsuit over two Confederate monuments. The Daily Progress reports the City Council on Monday night authorized the city attorney to appeal once a judge delivers his final ruling against removing statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore ruled last month that monuments don’t send a racially discriminatory message. He also issued a permanent injunction preventing the city from removing the statues. A group of residents sued the city, citing a state law that protects war memorials. The only outstanding issue is their request for more than $600,000 in attorneys’ fees. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 15.

Washington

Spokane: Gov. Jay Inslee is seeking ways to reduce the number of wolves killed by the state. Inslee sent a letter Tuesday to the Department of Fish and Wildlife saying the statewide wolf management plan does not appear to be working in the Kettle River Range area of Ferry County, where the state has killed about two dozen wolves that were preying on cattle. His efforts come as wildlife experts say the vast majority of the predators are causing no trouble. The Ferry County situation is unique, experts said. “About 90% of wolf packs are co-existing in our state without livestock conflicts,” the agency said in a statement. The Kettle River Range is different because the lush, steep terrain is ideal wolf habitat that is also shared with large cattle ranches, making predation an issue.

West Virginia

Charleston: The U.S. Supreme Court says it will leave in place a court decision that derailed the impeachment trials of three West Virginia Supreme Court justices accused of corruption. The case was one of a long list of those the high court announced Monday that it wouldn’t hear. In question was a decision by five acting justices of West Virginia’s highest court who ruled last year that prosecuting then-state Chief Justice Margaret Workman in the state Senate would violate West Virginia Constitution’s separation of powers clause. That ruling in Workman’s case was later applied to also halt impeachment proceedings against two other justices who have since left the court: Robin Davis and Allen Loughry. Davis retired after the House approved impeachment charges against her. Loughry resigned after being convicted in federal court of felony fraud charges.

Wisconsin

Madison: A paralyzed state lawmaker would be allowed to call into committee meetings he can’t attend in person under rule changes Republicans unveiled Tuesday that are designed to meet demands the Democrat made nearly a year ago. But Democrats and Rep. Jimmy Anderson, who is paralyzed from the waist down, objected to Republicans tying the accommodations with several other rule changes that would strengthen GOP power in the Assembly. One of the most significant would allow Republicans to take multiple votes on overrides of vetoes made by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. “I don’t know why these are all being mixed together,” Anderson said. Republicans didn’t include Anderson in discussion of the accommodations, which he called “offensive, disappointing and frankly really frustrating.”

Wyoming

Cheyenne: A hunting advocacy group seeks to eliminate mountain biking and all-terrain vehicles in two wilderness study areas in the western part of the state. The group Mountain Pursuit sued the U.S. Forest Service in federal court in Casper on Sept. 26. The lawsuit targets mountain biking in the Palisades Wilderness Study Area and biking and ATVs in the Shoal Creek Wilderness Study Area. The group claims that the Forest Service allows bikes and ATVs but that the law that established the areas doesn’t. Wilderness study areas are candidates for designation as wilderness, where mechanized transportation is prohibited. Forest Service spokeswoman Mary Cernicek declined comment Friday, citing policy not to comment on litigation.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Turtle power, lotto mania: News from around our 50 states

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Montgomery: Groups representing landlords on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to end the federal moratorium on evicting tenants who aren’t paying rent during the coronavirus pandemic. The Alabama Association of Realtors is leading the petition that argues that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority in issuing the order regarding evictions and that any health concerns have since dissipated since people are now gathering in public without masks. The eviction ban, initially put in place last year, provides protection for renters out of concern that having families lose their homes and move into shelters or share crowded conditions with relatives or friends during the pandemic would further spread the highly contagious virus. The order is now set to expire June 30. The emergency petition asks for a lower court decision blocking the order to go into effect immediately. “Landlords have been losing over $13 billion every month under the moratorium, and the total effect of the CDC’s overreach may reach up to $200 billion if it remains in effect for a year,” the emergency petition says. There have been multiple lawsuits over the eviction ban.

Alaska

Juneau: Supporters of efforts to limit cruise ship traffic in the city said they failed to gather enough signatures to qualify their proposals for a vote. A group of Juneau-area residents behind the effort needed to collect signatures from nearly 3,000 registered Juneau voters for each of the three proposed measures to qualify the questions for an Oct. 5 municipal election. Karla Hart, a leader of the group, said the group failed to do so. She declined to say how many signatures were collected, KTOO Public Media reports. Wednesday was the deadline to turn in signatures. One of the proposed measures sought to prohibit cruise ships that carry more than 250 passengers from docking or anchoring in Juneau between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., and another sought to ban them from docking or anchoring on Saturdays. The third proposal sought to bar cruise ships larger than 100,000 gross tonnage from being at dock or anchor after Jan. 1, 2026. The proposed ballot questions were the subject of vigorous debate in Juneau, where tourism is a major industry, and state and local officials and businesses pushed for cruise ship travel to resume after the pandemic halted cruises last year.

Arizona

Phoenix: The state’s top health official expressed cautious optimism Friday that Arizona can reach a goal of getting 70% of adults partially vaccinated in the next month. “I just am fearful with our slowdown and decreased demand, it’s going to make it harder to reach that 70%, but I’m hopeful Arizona would,” Dr. Cara Christ, director of the state Department of Health Services, said during a virtual briefing. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced a “month of action” to urge more Americans to get vaccinated before the July 4 holiday. In Arizona, less than half of the state’s population eligible to receive vaccines has actually been inoculated. Unlike some other states, Arizona has not created any vaccine incentive programs. However, officials are open to partnering on one-time events. The state teamed up with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona for a family vaccine clinic Saturday at Chase Field offering free tickets for shots. There have been other incentives at the local level. In Pima County, the local health department gave out Arizona Lottery scratcher tickets at two vaccination sites over the Memorial Day weekend. A local chain of marijuana dispensaries in Mesa is offering “Snax for Vaxx,” a free pre-rolled joint and an edible gummy for getting vaccinated.

Arkansas

Little Rock: One of the state’s largest courthouses is set to reopen to the public after access was limited due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock is scheduled to reopen Monday. Restrictions on entry into all county facilities by the public have been lifted. All visitors will be required to wear a face mask and have their temperature checked upon entry. Social distancing will also be mandatory in all areas of the courthouse. “We appreciate the support and patience of Pulaski County citizens with our temporary operational area during the last 15 months. It wasn’t ideal, but my office was determined to remain open for business and provide the essential services. We look forward to serving the public inside the various offices once again,” said Pulaski County Circuit and County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth. Coronavirus cases in the state rose by 253 on Friday, while those hospitalized with COVID-19 dropped by two to 178, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. “While we are seeing hopeful COVID-19 progress, let’s continue this trend by ensuring we all play a role in protecting others,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted Thursday.

California

Sacramento: Gov. Gavin Newsom played game show host Friday in a drawing for 15 winners of $50,000 prizes for getting vaccinated. “If you’re on the fence, if you’re just a little bit hesitant, or you just were unwilling in the past, but all the sudden you think, ‘Wait a sec, I could really use $50,000,’ we’re doing all of this to encourage that and to get you to think anew and hopefully act anew,” Newsom said at the California State Lottery headquarters, where he was flanked by a machine used to randomly choose winners and a Wheel of Fortune-style colored wheel for show. It was the first in a series of drawings for $16.5 million in prize money aimed at encouraging Californians to get their COVID-19 shots ahead of June 15, when the state plans to lift almost all virus-related restrictions. So far, 67% of eligible people 12 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The state’s goal is to fully vaccinate at least 75% of people. Newsom announced the prize money last week, warning the state’s vaccination rates were about to go off a cliff without an intervention. State officials said rates had dropped at the time by 18% from the week before. This week, another 15 people will win $50,000, and on June 15 there will be 10 grand prize winners who will get $1.5 million each.

Colorado

Denver: The state has picked its first $1 million winner in a new lottery aimed at inspiring residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that Sally Sliger of the Weld County town of Mead won the first of five $1 million prizes for residents who have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Sliger is a clinical data analyst at Tru Community Care, a Lafayette-based nonprofit health organization that offers hospice and other care. Sliger recounted how she and the community at large have suffered both personally and professionally the loss of neighbors and loved ones during the pandemic. “Like all the rest of us, we have postponed family events,” she said. “We’ve postponed memorial services. … So when the wait was over, there was no doubt I would get my vaccination.” She said she and her husband, Chris, initially planned to bolster their retirement savings and help their children with the winnings. “I am hoping that you all get the vaccine because this is the gift we have right now. This is the gift that keeps on giving,” Sliger said. Every resident who was vaccinated by the end of May was entered in the first of five weekly drawings. Residents needed to be 18 years old and have received at least one dose to be eligible. They didn’t need to register for the drawing, conducted by the Colorado Lottery.

Connecticut

Hartford: The city’s Puerto Rican Day parade returned to the streets Saturday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started, with colorful floats winding their way through neighborhoods. People on the floats and in vehicles in the caravan waved the red, white and blue flags of Puerto Rico and played music as hundreds of onlookers cheered and displayed their own flags. This year’s procession was smaller than in previous years. Last year’s parade was canceled because of the pandemic. Saturday’s event also honored health care workers, first responders and other essential personnel for their work during the pandemic. Parade watcher Juliany Polar said the parade had the atmosphere of a neighborhood party. “People are happy,” Polar told the Hartford Courant. “People are ready to get out and about and enjoy the better weather, the better rates against COVID.”

Delaware

Wilmington: The state has seen a 35% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the past year, though local experts say the total is likely far higher due to the challenges of counting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost 60% of that increase is among children, according to a recent report from the Housing Alliance Delaware, a statewide nonprofit that performed the count and aims to alleviate issues facing the homeless population. The count didn’t include unsheltered people living in cars and encampments due to COVID-19 precautions and logistical challenges this year – communities that would drive up the total number of people experiencing homelessness across Delaware. “Even though they didn’t count the unsheltered, which should have brought the count down, the count went up by 35%,” said Stephen Metraux, director of the University of Delaware’s Center for Community Research and Service. Experts say the increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness is due to a variety of factors, including a lack of affordable housing and COVID-19 safety concerns that led people to stay in hotels and motels for extended periods of time. In response, increased funds and rapid rehousing programs in the state are helping members of the homeless population find and maintain stable housing.

District of Columbia

Washington: With the resumption of full parking enforcement, residents have been scrambling to find available appointments at the Department of Motor Vehicles, WUSA-TV reports. After a 14-month hiatus due to the pandemic, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that ticketing wound resume again, including for expired parking meters, expired residential parking permits and expired vehicle tags. Vehicles must also display valid registration stickers. However, due to public health protocols, the DMV currently doesn’t allow walk-ins, and spots must be reserved online. Residents have until July 1 before enforcement for expired driver licenses will resume, according to the city. The mayor announced the plans weeks in advance, but some residents say it was still a struggle even to find a reservation.

Florida

Tallahassee: The state’s chief justice says Florida’s justice system will soon be allowed to resume in-person court proceedings without masks and social distancing rules put in place last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The administrative order issued Friday by Chief Justice Charles Canady would also require courts to take steps to resume rules guaranteeing speedy trials, which were suspended amid the logistical challenges the pandemic posed. The chief justice, however, directed courts to continue conducting most proceedings remotely, such as jury selection, unless an in-person hearing is required. Some proceedings, including hearings to determine whether an individual should be involuntarily committed, would have to be conducted in person unless the requirement is waived by the subject of the hearing. The order said criminal jury trials will be given priority for in-person hearings, while less serious cases will continue to be conducted remotely as part of the transition to pre-pandemic operations. Florida Supreme Court officials said the restrictions are being lifted because of increased vaccination rates and updated guidance from health officials. Chief judges across the state may drop the mask and distancing requirements in courtrooms as soon as June 21 and no later than Aug. 2.

Georgia

Atlanta: The Biden administration is reevaluating a plan by Georgia officials to overhaul how residents buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act as federal officials try to boost former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. In a letter to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services raised concerns about the state’s proposal to have the private sector, not the government, engage in outreach to get residents to sign up for insurance under the ACA. “In its application, Georgia neither quantified the size of the expected investment by the private sector nor indicated any specific commitments by the private sector to engage in outreach and marketing,” the letter sent Thursday said. It asked the governor to reassess his plan to bypass healthcare.gov and have residents shop for federally subsidized health insurance through private agents. Former President Donald Trump’s administration approved that plan last year, and state officials have touted it as a way to boost insurance coverage. A spokeswoman for the governor’s office, Mallory Blount, said Friday that the letter was still being reviewed.

Hawaii

Honolulu: Gov. David Ige said Friday that the state will drop its quarantine and coronavirus testing requirements for travelers once 70% of the population has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Hawaii will also lift its requirement that people wear masks indoors once that level has been reached, he said. The state Department of Health website said 59% of Hawaii’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 52% have finished their dosing regimen. The state is using its own figures, not those provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to calculate thresholds for lifting restrictions. Health Department Director Dr. Libby Char said that’s because Hawaii’s numbers are more accurate. She said it appears the CDC has been counting some of Hawaii’s doses twice. Right now, travelers arriving from out of state must spend 10 days in quarantine, or, to bypass that quarantine, they must show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken before departure for the islands. Once 60% of Hawaii’s population is vaccinated, Ige said, the state will allow travelers to bypass a quarantine requirement as long as they can prove they were vaccinated in the U.S. Restrictions on travel between the islands will open up before that.

Idaho

Boise: Schools didn’t report the majority of coronavirus cases among the state’s K-12 students in the most recent academic year, the Idaho Capital Sun reports. While state officials count more than 16,000 cases among school-age kids from September through May 22, a website showing cases by school listed only 8,660 known cases in that time period, causing concerns about whether districts and schools are armed with the information they need to prepare for the fall semester. Dr. David Pate, an adviser to Gov. Brad Little and some schools on handling the pandemic, said underfunding, privacy issues, and a lack of coronavirus testing – compounded by Idaho legislators’ rejection of federal funding to expand surveillance – combined to make the already complicated task of tracking COVID-19 outbreaks even more difficult, according to the newspaper.

Illinois

Springfield: The state announced Friday that it will officially enter Phase 5 of its reopening plan on schedule this week, marking the end of 15 months of capacity restrictions and mandates brought on to help defeat the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a press release that with hospitalizations and caseloads declining, not to mention having more than half of the population vaccinated, the time was right to commence the move to full reopening next Friday, June 11. “After a tremendously challenging year, Illinois has now reached a defining moment in our efforts to defeat COVID-19,” Pritzker said. “Thanks to the hard work of residents across the state, Illinois will soon resume life as we knew it before – returning to events, gatherings and a fully reopened economy, with some of the safety guidelines we’ve adopted still in place.” The new guidance means that businesses, sporting events, conventions, theme parks and other events can return to full capacity and attendance, with vaccinated people being allowed to go without their masks, a sign of a return to normalcy that so many across the state have anticipated. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said that “the vaccine is giving us our freedoms back and allowing us to move to Phase 5.”

Indiana

Indianapolis: A judge will hear arguments this month over whether the governor can go ahead with a lawsuit challenging the power legislators have given themselves to intervene during public emergencies. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb asked a judge in April to block the new law passed by the GOP-dominated Legislature following criticism from many conservatives over COVID-19 restrictions that Holcomb imposed. Attorney General Todd Rokita, also a Republican, has argued he has the authority to stop Holcomb from taking the dispute to court after the Legislature overrode the governor’s veto of the new law. His office’s court filings have called the private lawyers working for Holcomb “unauthorized counsel” in asking for them to be removed from the case. Marion County Judge Patrick Dietrick on Thursday set a hearing about that dispute for June 16. Holcomb and some legal experts maintain the state constitution only allows the governor to call the Legislature into special session after its annual session ends. They argue the constitution doesn’t allow the new process under which legislative leaders could call the General Assembly into what it calls an “emergency session.”

Iowa

Des Moines: A spontaneous scene of joy erupted downtown Friday as the Lauridsen Fountain in Cowles Commons was switched on for the first time since fall 2019. The signature fountain’s jets of water sprang to life in mid-morning Friday. Within the hour, a shirtless, barefoot boy was running amid them and rolling in the shallow pool. By midday, as many as eight other children and two dogs had joined the revelry as the temperature climbed above 90 degrees. The fountain had been shut off for the winter, as usual, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020. With public gatherings forbidden and shows at the adjacent Des Moines Civic Center postponed or canceled, Des Moines Performing Arts left the fountain shut down throughout summer 2020. Now, with the coronavirus infection rate waning, the Willis Broadway Series at the Civic Center rescheduled, and free public events planned over the summer on the commons, DMPA has revived the landmark water feature. Completed in 2015 as part of a major redo of the former Nollen Plaza, the so-called zero depth fountain is comprised of 17 arcing jets of water rising from the pavement of Cowles Commons. Lighted at night, they provide a colorful contrast to the illuminated sculpture “Swirl,” by artist Jim Campbell, that dominates the opposite side of the plaza.

Kansas

Topeka: The state ordered less than 1% of its vaccine allocation from the federal government for last week, the state health department reported Friday. The disclosure came as the department’s data showed that Kansas still had nearly 593,000 unused doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Friday, about 21% of the 2.8 million shipped to the state. Demand for inoculations has dropped, prompting the state and county health departments to increase mobile clinics and bring vaccines to churches and work sites. The state, Wyandotte County and the University of Kansas Health System partnered with Kansas Speedway to promote vaccinations Thursday and Friday at the Kansas City, Kansas, NASCAR track. The speedway offered people who got vaccinated two laps around its track and entered them in a raffle for prizes that included tickets to the NASCAR Cup Series race there in October. The state health department said it ordered only 1,020 doses, or 0.7% of its federal allocation of 147,660, for last week. Its data showed that an average of 4,348 vaccine shots a day were administered during the seven days ending Friday, its lowest seven-day average since Jan. 21. The department said 42.5% of the state’s 2.9 million residents had received at least one vaccine shot as of Friday.

Kentucky

Frankfort: The state joined the giveaway bonanza Friday to entice more people to get COVID-19 vaccines, with Gov. Andy Beshear offering $1 million prizes and college scholarships. Three Kentucky adults will win $1 million prizes, and 15 students ages 12-17 will be awarded full-ride scholarships to a Kentucky public university, college, technical or trade school, he announced. The Democratic governor is hoping the chance at landing a lucrative prize is enough to overcome vaccine hesitancy keeping many Kentuckians from rolling up their sleeves for the shots. “If you’re on the fence, how about a free ride to college?” Beshear said at a news conference. “Or how about the best odds that you will ever have at winning $1 million? All you’ve got to do is the right thing that every public health official in America says you ought to be doing anyway.” To enter the three drawings, Kentucky adults vying for the $1 million prizes must have received at least the first dose of a Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Kentucky youngsters 12-17 must have received at least their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to be eligible for the scholarships, which will cover tuition, room and board, and books. Drawings will be July 1, July 29 and Aug. 26, with winners announced the next day.

Louisiana

New Orleans: The state is adding free entry to all 21 state parks as a perk for getting vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday. Unlike the free drinks available this month at some bars and restaurants around the state, the free admission runs through July for anyone who can prove full vaccination, no matter when, he said. About 32% of all eligible residents have been fully vaccinated, he said. That compares with 41.2% nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under “A Shot for a Shot,” announced earlier in the week, participating establishments are offering a free drink this month to anyone who shows proof of full vaccination within the previous seven days. The state parks freebie is for visitors as well as state residents. It is part of Louisiana’s “Bring Back the Summer” initiative, Edwards said. He also noted that there are numerous nationwide incentives listed at www.vaccines.gov/incentives.html. “Stay tuned for more incentives and rewards that will be offered in the near future,” he said.

Maine

Portland: The state’s mobile COVID-19 vaccine unit is being redirected to parts of southern Maine later this month and will wrap up service in two weeks. The state has used the mobile unit to provide vaccines to rural and underserved communities. It’s scheduled to continue that effort in Madawaska in far northern Maine through Monday. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Nirav Shah said the mobile unit will then come to Portland and Old Orchard Beach. Its final day in service will be in Old Orchard Beach on June 18. That represents a shift in strategy for the unit, Shah said. Moving it to high-population centers in its final days will allow it to serve many people before it closes, he said. The unit will also be able to offer some of the numerous hospitality workers in southern Maine a shot, Shah said during a Maine Public appearance Thursday. “For much of the mobile vaccination unit’s drive through Maine, it has focused on rural Maine,” he said. The unit can administer about 500 shots a day, Shah said. It has provided more than 9,000 vaccinations, mostly to rural Maine residents, he said.

Maryland

Westover: Eastern Correctional Institution inmates harvested 13,000 pounds of produce in 2020 despite the constraints of a pandemic. A Somerset County Health Department initiative that started in 2014 aims to address food insecurity and childhood obesity in Somerset County, which has just two grocery stores and a Dollar General, making options for fresh fruits and vegetables slim. Sixteen inmates at ECI work daily throughout the year tilling, weeding and watering – their three gardens have no irrigation system – to grow plants including kale, cabbage, beets, tomatoes, yellow onions, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, zucchini and bell peppers. Their first harvest of the 2021 season weighed in at 764 pounds, which is believed to be the gardens’ largest yield yet for the start of a season. Project director Sharon Lynch of the Somerset County Health Department explained that the boxes will be divvied up among roughly 20 community partners. From there, they will reach family tables in Somerset and Wicomico counties. The program started with a three-quarter-acre plot on the prison property but has since expanded to place a garden on each side of the main prison compound and at the annex.

Massachusetts

Boston: Four communities that state officials say were shortchanged in federal pandemic relief aid will receive a total of $109 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday. The communities were among those hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic but, due to shortcomings in the federal funding formula, were set to receive disproportionately smaller amounts of funding compared to other hard-hit communities, the Republican said. “Our Administration committed additional funds to Chelsea, Everett, Methuen and Randolph to ensure all of the Commonwealth’s communities received the funding they deserved from the federal relief package,” Baker said in a statement. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden this spring, allocated direct aid to some municipalities based on the federal Community Development Block Grant program formula, while aid to other communities was allocated on a per capita basis. The Baker administration said the use of these two different formulas created disparities in distributions. Chelsea, Everett, Methuen and Randolph are the four designated hardest-hit communities to receive disproportionately smaller levels of federal funding compared to other hardest-hit communities.

Michigan

Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday vetoed Republican-sponsored legislation that would have exempted high school graduation ceremonies from COVID-19 restrictions on crowd sizes. The veto, which was expected, came two days after her administration’s order was loosened to end outdoor capacity limits and limit indoor gatherings to 50% occupancy. “This bill is a solution in search of a problem,” the Democratic governor wrote to the GOP-led House. “Rather than sending me half-baked and punchless legislation like HB 4728, I encourage the Legislature to join me in eradicating this pandemic and making transformational investments in our economy.” When the measure won final passage more than two weeks ago, Michigan was restricting crowds at many outdoor stadiums to 1,000. At most indoor arenas, the limit was 375. Also Thursday, Whitmer vetoed a bill that would have prohibited a governor from issuing an emergency order extending response times for public-records requests or otherwise limiting a public body’s duties under the Freedom of Information Act. She did so for two months early in the pandemic. The since-expired order, Whitmer said, was designed to protect government officials’ lives during the first surge. She said she will not sign bills that constrain the governor’s ability to protect people.

Minnesota

St. Cloud: U.S. Sen. Tina Smith met with child care leaders and providers Friday to talk about the toll of the pandemic on child care in Central Minnesota. At Blooming Kids Care Center, she toured the facility and talked with owner Abdi Daisane, who said he’s seen a drastic drop in attendance during the pandemic. Affordability of child care, access to culturally sensitive staff and operating costs are significant problems for Minnesotans that have become even more exacerbated in the pandemic, Smith said at the meeting. During a roundtable discussion with Smith at the United Way of Central Minnesota, many of those present talked about the high cost of child care in the area, the need for more centers that are affordable for families, and benefits of public prekindergarten education. Others talked about the high costs associated with operating child care centers, which often leave owners like Daisane to take on second jobs and don’t motivate new people to enter the industry. A Minnesota family can spend tens of thousands of dollars a year on child care costs, equivalent to a semester’s tuition at the University of Minnesota, Smith said, and two-thirds of Minnesota counties are “child care deserts,” meaning there is one spot available at a child care center for every three children in the state.

Mississippi

Jackson: The state’s top health official said Friday that lack of access isn’t the reason Mississippi is last in the nation for COVID-19 vaccinations – it’s apathy. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said he guarantees the state is among the easiest in the country to get a vaccine, but many people refuse because they don’t think they need it. “I think that’s something that we really struggle with because it’s part of our health care culture here,” he said during a virtual conversation with the Mississippi Medical Association. “It’s really sad because people in foreign countries would saw off their small toe to get a COVID vaccine, and … we’re not going to take five minutes as we walk by the Kroger pharmacy.” Only about 27% of the population is fully vaccinated. Vaccines are available at state-run sites throughout Mississippi that don’t require appointments and can be accessed at dozens of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals, all listed on the Department of Health website. “It’s almost like you need to try to not get the vaccine,” Mississippi Medical Association Executive Director Dr. Claude Brunson said Friday. Dobbs said he has been doing at-home visits personally to vaccinate homebound residents, and he said the Department of Health is exploring incentives and other measures to encourage more vaccinations.

Missouri

Springfield: Health officials in Springfield and Joplin are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations amid relatively low vaccination rates and more people gathering for social events without masks or social distancing. CoxHealth’s flagship hospital in Springfield had between 35 and 40 COVID-19 patients, more than double the number two weeks ago, CEO Steve Edwards said Thursday. And nearly 20% of patients tested at CoxHealth facilities in southwestern Missouri are testing positive for the coronavirus, up from just 5% two weeks ago, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Three hospitals in Joplin reported a total of 39 COVID-19 patients Wednesday. That figure hovered around 15 in early May, The Joplin Globe reports. The city straddles Jasper and Newton counties, which have relatively low vaccination rates. About 38% of Joplin residents have completed vaccinations, but only 19% of Jasper County residents and 16% of Newton County residents have been vaccinated, according to state data. Edwards said more people have been gathering for events such as graduations, and fewer people are wearing masks or social distancing. He said nurses tell him patients say that they did not think COVID-19 was real and that they wish they had been vaccinated.

Montana

Missoula: A record number of residents are enrolled in the state’s Medicaid expansion program, which provides health insurance for low-income adults, according to the state health department. Nearly 99,000 people were being served by the program in April – 18,300 more than the nearly 80,500 enrolled a year earlier, according to state data. The state stopped disenrolling people from Medicaid programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the higher enrollment numbers, Chuck Council, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Health and Human Services, told Montana Public Radio. The department will resume taking people off the programs if they’re no longer eligible once Montana’s public health emergency ends, Council said. Republican Rep. Ed Buttrey of Great Falls, who co-sponsored the Medicaid expansion legislation, said the program is working as it should. “When we get into hard times, people get into hard times, this is a safety net measure to make sure that folks are not neglecting their health care and that providers are getting paid for the services they provide,” Buttrey said. The previous enrollment high was 96,656 people in August 2018. Medicaid expansion in Montana, which requires participants to pay premiums, is funded with 89% federal money and 11% state money.

Nebraska

Omaha: The University of Nebraska Medical Center will require faculty, staff and students to document whether they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning June 21. Documentation is required because medical students work with patients in clinics and hospital wards, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Faculty, staff and students who choose not to get vaccinated will be required to wear masks at medical facilities, and students who are not inoculated might miss out on clinical placements outside University of Nebraska partners. The documentation is only required for the medical center and not other campuses in the University of Nebraska system, said Jane Meza, interim executive director for the office of health security at UNMC and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Creighton University will require all students to be fully vaccinated at the Omaha and Phoenix campuses starting July 7, said the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, the university president. Creighton faculty and staff are encouraged but not required to get vaccinated.

Nevada

Reno: The Washoe County School District will offer $2,000 hiring and retention bonuses, earmarked from federal pandemic relief funds, to school bus drivers in the wake of a critical shortage ahead of summer school and the 2021-22 school year. A returning driver could make as much as $3,000 in bonuses for returning to the job and referring someone who is hired. District bus drivers get paid between $14.18 and $25.04 per hour and are full-time benefitted employees who are eligible for Nevada’s Public Employees’ Retirement System. The district and the union representing bus drivers have already signed on to a memorandum of understanding for the $2 million proposal. The agreement is slated to go in front of the school board for final approval Tuesday. Meanwhile, Washoe County School District Superintendent Kristen McNeill said the district was working on contingency plans if bus drivers and other support staff don’t show up for work Monday, after rumors that bus drivers and others who were paid for snow days and are expected to work this week without additional pay might not show up. The school year originally was scheduled to end Friday, but three days were added after schools closed for snow and smoke last year.

New Hampshire

Concord: The state House on Friday rejected an attempt to introduce legislation aimed at protecting workers from being punished for getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Rep. Joshua Adjutant, D-Bristol, sought to suspend the rules and introduce a bill prohibiting employers from firing or docking the pay of workers who take up to three days off in connection with vaccination appointments. The goal, he said, was to eliminate a key concern for those who have yet to get inoculated. “I hope this will still do some good for some folks,” he said. Republicans argued the bill was unnecessary given the state’s high rate of vaccination. Rep. Al Baldasaro, R-Londonderry, was particularly scornful. “There comes a time and a place where we all come together and say enough is enough,” he said. During the pandemic, the 400-member House has met at the UNH ice arena, outside on an athletic field, in a parking lot from their cars and, for the past several months, at a Bedford athletic complex. Former House Speaker Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack, died in December, a week after being sworn in at the outdoor ceremony. “We’ve played enough games,” Baldasaro said. “We’re sitting here when we should be in our Statehouse. I hope everyone stands tall and says no.”

New Jersey

Trenton: Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bill to end the state’s public health emergency stemming from the coronavirus in the next 30 days. Murphy, a Democrat, signed the bill just a day after the Democrat-led Legislature passed it over objections from Republicans and a loud crowd outside the Senate chamber calling for the measure to be killed. The measure does away with some 100 executive orders, retaining just over a dozen, including one that created moratoriums on evictions and utility shutoffs. It leaves in place an executive order barring the garnishment of stimulus checks and extending certain rulemaking deadlines, among other directives from the governor. “Today’s lifting of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is a clear and decisive step on the path toward normalcy,” Murphy in a statement. “The past 15 months have been a challenge, and I thank every New Jerseyan who stayed home, masked up, took precautions to keep this virus in check, and got vaccinated for allowing us to get to this point.” The public health emergency goes back to March of last year, when the first cases were detected in New Jersey, and the state soon became a hot spot. The new law says the state’s mask and distancing requirements cannot be more restrictive than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: State finance authorities have said demand appears to be building for minimum-interest loans aimed at helping small businesses that lost income or experienced major disruptions during the coronavirus pandemic. New Mexico Finance Authority CEO Marquita Russel told a panel of state legislators Wednesday that about 865 businesses have applied for loans worth a combined $65 million since the program was overhauled in March. Reforms to the state’s small-business recovery loan program, signed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in early March, doubled the maximum individual loan amount to $150,000 and broadened eligibility after businesses expressed a limited appetite for the original program. “That program, as a result of the changes made to it, really had some traction, and we’ve seen a great deal of interest,” Russel said. The federal government has closed out its Paycheck Protection Program that provided forgivable loans to businesses beginning in April 2020. Restaurants are still in line for federal relief under the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package. New Mexico’s small-business recovery loans are repaid at half the prime rate of interest that commercial banks charge their most creditworthy customers, with zero interest accrued during the first year.

New York

Albany: The state failed to provide desperately needed protective gear, testing, and help with staffing for group homes serving residents with developmental and intellectual disabilities at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders of those homes and family members told lawmakers at a legislative hearing Thursday. Staffing levels in New York’s system supporting individuals with disabilities have dwindled since the beginning of the pandemic, which advocates say threatens the quality of care for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers faced calls Thursday to boost pay for group home workers, require routine coronavirus testing and ensure people with disabilities are a priority in response plans. Among advocates’ concerns is that group homes, unlike nursing homes, aren’t required to regularly test staff for the virus or launch rounds of testing after a resident or staffer tests positive. At least 577 people have died due to confirmed COVID-19 infection at group residences overseen by the state’s Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, according to the agency’s latest data. That tally doesn’t include the number of residents who died at hospitals, or deaths of residents who likely died of COVID-19.

North Carolina

Raleigh: For the first time since COVID-19 vaccines became available in December 2020, the state declined to accept any more supplies last week. Instead, last week’s requests from North Carolina providers were being fulfilled through transfers from other providers or through requests to local health departments, according to state health officials. “We are currently focusing on prioritizing the in-state inventory of vaccine by using a first-in, first-out strategy so that providers use vaccines by date of expiration in chronological order, as well as transferring vaccine between providers who can use them,” the state Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement Friday. The move comes as North Carolina nears an announcement on additional financial incentives to boost vaccine participation amid a sizable drop in vaccine demand over the past two months. North Carolina had returned more than 1.2 million doses to the federal government as of Friday. Nearly all states have contributed to the federal pool, according to the state Health Department. Data the department released Friday shows a surplus of nearly 2.4 million COVID-19 vaccines waiting for residents to take. The state has also turned down nearly 2.4 million additional shots from its federal allocation.

North Dakota

Bismarck: The state is accepting applications for its Medical Marijuana Advisory Board after changes to the panel’s membership by the 2021 Legislature. The Bismarck Tribune reports the deadline to apply is June 30. Current board members’ terms will expire July 31. New membership of the nine-member board includes six people appointed by the governor: a health care provider, a state Health Department representative, a manufacturing representative, a dispensary representative, a registered qualifying patient and a licensed pharmacist. Voters approved medical marijuana in 2016. The 2017 Legislature implemented the program, which has 5,392 active patient cards and eight dispensaries operating in the state, including one in Bismarck.

Ohio

Columbus: The state’s firefighters, officers, nurses, doctors and child care providers all worked outside the home throughout the coronavirus pandemic. But who among them deserves a $1,000 bonus check from federal pandemic relief funding allocated to the state has become a heated debate. Three Republican representatives and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost introduced a plan to give first responders $1,000 checks if they worked full time throughout the pandemic and weren’t disciplined during that time period. Part-time first responders and volunteer firefighters would get $500 checks. But Rep. Erica Crawley, D-Columbus, said she thinks all front-line workers deserve these “hero pay” checks. “I don’t think we should be pitting one essential worker against another,” Crawley said. “We all needed them in their respective fields as we navigated COVID-19.” Shannon Jones, a former Republican state senator who now runs early childhood advocacy group Groundwork Ohio, went a step further, calling it a “punch to the gut” to see the Senate put lines in its budget proposal to prohibit Ohio from giving child care workers these kinds of bonuses. “The average wage for child care professionals is $10.60 per hour,” Jones said. “They could have earned more money on unemployment during the pandemic.”

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: More than 51,700 residents have qualified for Medicaid since enrollment began last week under an expansion of the program that voters approved last year, state officials said Friday. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority, which oversees the Medicaid program, reported that 51,708 Oklahomans have already qualified for benefits, including about 30,000 from urban areas and more than 21,000 from rural Oklahoma. Benefits will begin July 1. After a decade of Republican resistance, Oklahoma voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment last year to expand eligibility for benefits. Now, an individual who earns up to $17,796 annually, or $36,588 for a family of four, qualifies for Medicaid health care coverage. The Health Care Authority has projected that about 215,000 residents would qualify for expanded Medicaid for a total annual cost of about $1.3 billion. The estimated state share would be about $164 million. But those numbers could be considerably higher given the number of Oklahomans who lost their jobs and work-related health insurance because of the economic shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Oregon

Portland: Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday that the state is close to lifting masking, physical distancing and capacity restrictions statewide. Last month, Brown set a vaccination goal of 70% of Oregon adults receiving at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine before reopening the economy. As of Friday, 66% of residents 18 and up had been vaccinated. “I want to be very clear that we are able to reopen like this because of the efficiency of the vaccines,” Brown said. “However, there are still Oregonians who need to take extra precautions to feel and stay safe.” For more than a year, Oregon has faced some of the nation’s strictest safety measures – county risk levels, mask requirements inside and outside, limited gatherings and restaurants closed for indoor dining. But as vaccination numbers increase, restrictions have been loosened as the state shifts from emergency response to recovery. Last month, Brown set statewide and county vaccination targets, with the hope of reopening the state’s economy by the end of June. Another 127,000 people must be vaccinated to reach the goal of 70%. “This has really become a tale of two pandemics. If you are vaccinated, then you’re safe; you can carry on safely without wearing a mask and social distancing,” Brown said. “If you are not vaccinated, this virus still poses a very real threat.”

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia: Bike riders won’t need their shirts, pants, skirts or even underwear – just a mask. Organizers of the annual Philly Naked Bike Ride say this year’s event will take place Aug. 28 and will require masks, based on the city’s earlier coronavirus restrictions. The city lifted most of its COVID-19 rules last week, citing an increase in vaccinations and a decrease in cases. But ride organizers said they hadn’t had a chance to chat since the city’s guidelines changed, so for the time being, they’re “going to stick with our initial mask guidance.” Lead organizer Wesley Noonan-Sessa said they’ll keep an eye on what the city says in the next month or so. Ride participants, sometimes in the thousands, usually gather in a park to strip off their clothes and paint each other’s bodies before carefully hopping on their bikes. The naked ride aims to promote positive body image, advocate for the safety of cyclists and protest dependence on fossil fuels. Riders pedal a 10-mile course while taking in sights including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s steps, featured in the “Rocky” movies. The coronavirus pandemic slammed the brakes on the ride that had been planned for last year. Organizers said then that canceling the 2020 event was “the most responsible thing to do.”

Rhode Island

Providence: The state’s restaurant industry, with the backing of some lawmakers, wants to extend a pandemic state-of-emergency rule that allows eateries to sell alcohol along with takeout orders. With indoor dining banned or limited for long stretches during the crisis of 2020, it was a way for restaurants make up for lost sales. Sam Glynn, owner of Chomp Kitchen & Drinks in Providence, said when restaurants were first reopening after last spring’s lockdown, takeout drink orders made up as much as a quarter of his sales. That has dropped to closer to about 10% as indoor dining has returned to near-normal. He would like to see the rule made permanent. “I remember when it first passed, people were concerned it would get taken advantage of, but it hasn’t been a problem, and now it just allows people to have some of the experience of going out for drinks when they are home,” Glynn said. The House passed a bill in March that would allow beer, wine and cocktails to be sold with takeout orders through the end of this year. An initial Senate version of the legislation would have made the last call for takeout drinks the end of 2022, but that was dialed back to March 2022 in a revised version that passed the Senate special legislation committee Wednesday.

South Carolina

Columbia: People who get vaccinated against COVID-19 at breweries in the state this month will receive a free beer as part of an effort to get shots into the arms of young adults, the health department announced Thursday. The “Shot and a Chaser” events are scheduled throughout June at participating breweries across the state as part of a partnership between the Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Brewers Guild. Trained medical professionals will offer the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine; people who get their shot on site can get a free beer or soda. Some sites will also offer the two-dose Moderna vaccine. “Young adults are often busy travelers and incredibly social, so we want to make sure they get their shot to protect themselves and others while visiting restaurants, vacationing and attending various events,” Dr. Edward Simmer, the agency’s director, said in a statement. The campaign targets young adults in the state, health officials said. Fewer than 16,000 people between the ages of 20 and 24 have been vaccinated in the state, according to DHEC data – equaling less than 1% of all vaccinated people in South Carolina.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: In a sign of meatpacking workers becoming emboldened by the pandemic’s health threats and economic repercussions, the union at a local pork processing plant that experienced a bad coronavirus outbreak last year has overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer from Smithfield Foods and will next move to bring the prospect of a strike to the negotiating table. The Sioux Falls chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union said 99% of union members who voted on the new contract offered from Smithfield Foods rejected it. Throughout the pandemic, workers have organized around pushes for workplace safety and are now navigating an economy where some slaughterhouses, desperate for employees, have suddenly boosted wages. Smithfield Foods downplayed the contract rejection, saying it was a “routine” part of negotiations. But the UFCW plans to vote Monday on whether to authorize a walkout. Union leaders said they view striking as a last resort, as they push for a base wage of $19 an hour to match the rate at a JBS pork plant 70 miles away in Minnesota. Slaughterhouse jobs usually offer elevated wages and benefits in exchange for the bloody, back-breaking work on butchering lines. But the wage gap is closing between meatpacking jobs and those at fast-food chains or retail stores, union leaders warned.

Tennessee

Nashville: Summer concerts returned in the city’s post-pandemic restriction era with the OUTLOUD Music Festival over the weekend. “It feels good to be back out,” said Jack Davis, founder of Good Neighbor Festivals. The two-day festival Friday and Saturday featured 18 solo acts, music groups and bands and was billed as “a celebration of LGBTQ+ artists and allies.” OUTLOUD is not to be confused with the annual Nashville Pride Festival, which is traditionally held in June. This year’s event was postponed until September due to the pandemic. Friday’s OUTLOUD lineup featured Japanese Breakfast and Tank and the Bangas as the headliners. The latter headlined again Saturday along with Todrick Hall. It was OUTLOUD’s fifth year holding a concert series, with similar events to this weekend’s held from 2017 to 2019. Organizers held a drive-in concert in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. “It was a good learning experience that I never want to do again,” Davis joked. OUTLOUD serves as one of many unofficial ends to the COVID-19 era in Nashville. For weeks the city has lowered restrictions at restaurants, bars, sporting events and concert venues as the vaccinated population rose to nearly 1 of every 2 Nashvillians having received at least one dose.

Texas

Austin: After a hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Eric Munscher of Houston returned to the Austin lakefront restaurant County Line over the weekend – not for its barbecue but for its turtles. On Saturday morning, Munscher of the Turtle Survival Alliance and a handful of other volunteers gathered at the restaurant, which sits on Bull Creek near Lake Austin, to resume a study of the abundant turtles in the area. “It’s just neat to finally be out again and getting people to come see the turtles,” said Munscher, director of the alliance’s North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group. With fishnets in tow, they dived into the water to catch, identify and tag turtles. They returned Sunday to continue their work and to celebrate the six different local species at the Turtlemania fundraiser, where people can drink beer and save turtles. Proceeds from the event, featuring discounted beer from the Celis Brewery, are earmarked to help fund the Turtle Survival Alliance’s research. Munscher, who occasionally watched the turtles through the restaurant’s online “turtle cam” during the pandemic, said the group plans to return again in the fall, when he said they hope to open the volunteer opportunity to more members of the public after further progress in vaccinations in economic reopening.

Utah

Ogden: If not for a special pot of federal COVID-19 relief funding meant to help foster kids and young adults who have left the system, Olivia Kilfoyle worries about what could have been. Thanks to the funding, she recently moved into an apartment and has a place to call home. Without the help – part of some $343.5 million in all meant to help foster kids and former foster youth around the country contend with the fallout from the pandemic – she worries she may have joined the ranks of the homeless, the Standard-Examiner reports. “It put me in a safe place,” said Kilfoyle, 21, a former foster child now living on her own. Now, state officials who help foster kids and those who have aged out of the system are putting out a call. Utah received $2 million, and funds are still available for those in need. “Please get in contact if you’re out there and need help,” said Aubrey Adams, who aids the population as a program administrator with the Utah Department of Human Services’ Division of Child and Family Services. Funds can help with back rent, apartment deposits, car repairs, some schooling-related expenses and more, she said. The program is meant for those 14 and older in foster care but is also geared to some adults as old as 27 who no longer receive care but did at some point after the age of 14.

Vermont

Montpelier: The state has launched an economic recovery program for businesses that have not received prior state and federal pandemic-related funding and for others that continue to suffer pandemic-related losses. The program is expected to deliver $30 million in federal financial relief to businesses that were ineligible for state and federal funding and to businesses that can show a continued loss of revenues, Gov. Phil Scott said. “As we move out of the pandemic emergency and into our long-term recovery, it’s so important that we support Vermont’s small businesses and employers, who are the backbone of our economy,” Scott said Thursday. “These grants will provide critical relief in the short term, allowing them to rebuild a stable foundation for their economic futures.” The state will start taking applications for the Economic Recovery Bridge Program on Monday. Grants will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. In the first 30 days, priority will be given to businesses that have not received or do not have a pending application for any state or federal financial assistance in 2020 or 2021, officials said. More information is available online on the Agency of Commerce and Community Development Recovery Resource Center website.

Virginia

Mount Solon: After a year’s hiatus due to the coronavirus, Red Wing Roots music festival is back and set to sell out quick, according to festival organizers. “We are thrilled to be coming together after such a long, difficult time,” said Michael Weaver, co-founder of the festival. “We anticipate a lot of emotion. For sure, it will be a year unlike any other.” The festival, the brainchild of local band The Steel Wheels, is focused on finger-picking, bluegrass and American roots music. It is also a way to bring the band back home to the area each summer. The music festival, which takes place at Natural Chimneys Park in Mount Solon, will be held July 9-11. In addition to The Steel Wheels, other 2021 headliners include Yarn, Asleep at the Wheel, The Mavericks, Dustbowl Revival and Tim O’Brien Band. Since it began in 2013, Red Wing has emphasized great music, great food and great fun for the entire family in the great outdoors, a release said. This year, the festival will have featured musical performances on five stages, along with regional food trucks with options for craft beer, cider and wine.

Washington

Olympia: The state is joining the trend of offering prizes to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announcing a series of giveaways that includes lottery drawings totaling $2 million, college tuition assistance, airline tickets and game systems. The incentive program, called “Shot of a Lifetime,” applies to those who start the vaccination process this month, as well as residents who are already inoculated. “This is a very, very commonsense investment to save lives,” Inslee said. Starting Tuesday, the state lottery will hold two drawings a week for four weeks, one for adults and another for those ages 12-17. The lottery cash prize will start out with a weekly prize of $250,000 through the end of June. On July 13, a final $1 million drawing will be held. In addition, the state’s public four-year universities and two-year community and technical colleges will receive nearly $1 million to run their own drawing for free tuition and expenses for vaccinated students. The state lottery will also hold drawings to offer 30 prizes of one-year of tuition college credits to 12- to 17-year-olds through the state’s Guaranteed Education Tuition program, with the credits going directly to the students’ families.

West Virginia

Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice has called a special session of the Legislature aimed at allocating federal pandemic relief funding and increasing funds for road improvements. Justice announced that the session will begin Monday at noon. Lawmakers were already scheduled to be in Charleston for June committee meetings, he said. The Legislature will consider allocating federal relief funds to the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Education, Justice said in a statement. The funding was received after the end of the regular legislative session, he said. He also wants lawmakers to consider allocating $150 million from the state’s general fund to the Division of Highways for road projects. Justice said it would fund 702 miles of road paving and projects on 40 bridges across all 55 counties. West Virginia’s aging infrastructure often receives a failing grade. Voters approved a $1.6 billion bond measure called Roads to Prosperity in 2017 that the governor championed to improve public works.

Wisconsin

Madison: Gov. Tony Evers made it official Saturday, announcing his bid for a second term in the battleground state where he stands as a Democratic check on the Republican-controlled Legislature. Evers, 69, said he decided to run again because he has unfinished business and needs to remain able to stop Republicans through his veto powers, especially as they advocate for election law changes that would make it harder to vote by absentee ballot. “Even though I haven’t played much hockey, I have come to appreciate the role of being a goalie,” Evers said. He announced his plans during the Wisconsin Democratic Convention, which was held virtually Saturday for a second year in a row. The first 31/ 2 years of Evers’ term have been marked by clashes with the GOP-led Legislature and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans brought successful lawsuits accusing Evers of overstepping his authority with closures, capacity limits and mask orders meant to slow the spread of the virus. Evers said his handling of the pandemic saved lives, and he listed it as “easily the most important thing that we’ve done.” Wisconsin Republican Party spokeswoman Anna Kelly accused Evers of a multitude of failures, including not getting kids back to school sooner and not getting benefits to the unemployed quickly enough.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: Health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic have changed how ticketing will be handled at this year’s Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. The “World’s Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration” is switching to a mostly virtual system for the July 23-Aug. 1 event, which was canceled last year for the first time in its 125-year history. Digital tickets can be scanned via an app or browser on a smartphone, and those who opt for printed tickets will face steep surcharges, according to the newspaper. Few other pandemic-related precautions are planned, with crowds allowed at full capacity and no mask requirements.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Preaching vaccines, bonnet scheme: News from around our 50 states

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Montgomery: The state health officer said Friday that he is cautiously optimistic about improving COVID-19 numbers but urged people to maintain precautions such as wearing masks and avoiding crowds. “This is the most optimistic we’ve been, I think, maybe since this all began,” Dr. Scott Harris said. Three major barometers of the pandemic’s severity – hospitalizations, daily new cases and coronavirus test percent positivity – have fallen to levels the state last saw in fall or summer. “We are not out of the woods, but we see how to get out of the woods. Please don’t stop doing the things that you are doing. This is not the time to ease up wearing your mask. It’s not the time to go be in large groups of people,” Harris said. The number of COVID-19 patients in Alabama hospitals Friday dipped below 1,000 for the first time since October. Harris said there may be increased immunity both from vaccinations and from temporary natural immunity in people who have been exposed to the virus. The end of the holiday season and related large gatherings likely also plays a part, he said. “Frankly, it has been a breath of fresh air for all of us in health care. This has been a tremendous burden for all of us,” said Dr. Sarah Nafziger, vice president for clinical services at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.

Alaska

Juneau: Gov. Mike Dunleavy said his administration will no longer respond to or participate in hearings led by state Sen. Lora Reinbold, telling the fellow Republican in a withering letter that she has used her position to “misrepresent” the state’s COVID-19 response and that her demands for information have gone beyond checks and balances and are “not based in fact.” “It is lamentable that the good citizens of Eagle River and Chugiak are deprived of meaningful representation by the actions of the person holding the office of Senator,” Dunleavy wrote in the letter dated Thursday. “I will not continue to subject the public resources of the State of Alaska to the mockery of a charade, disguised as public purpose.” Reinbold has criticized the governor for issuing pandemic-related disaster declarations while the Legislature was not in session and taken aim at health restrictions imposed by local governments, airlines and the Legislature, including mask requirements. On social media, Reinbold has accused the Dunleavy administration of being “wild” about “these experimental” COVID-19 vaccines, “bragging over 100,000 have gotten them in Alaska,” and characterized the administration as seeking disaster declarations to get mass vaccination clinics. Health officials say the vaccines are safe and effective, and no steps were skipped during the clinical trials.

Arizona

Phoenix: The state on Friday announced it would provide $100 million of federal funding to counties for coronavirus testing and related work. The state Department of Health Services said the $100 million initial allocation is being provided for staffing, laboratory testing “and other activities critical to combating COVID-19.” The announcement followed Pima County officials’ recent declaration that they might have to suspend testing as of Monday because of a lack of funding. Arizona received $418.9 million in January from the federal government for virus testing and related work and must submit a budget by mid-March to detail how it will spend the money, the department said. In addition to allocations to counties, the state will use some of the money for statewide testing programs, including testing done by Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, the department said. Of the $100 million to counties, $60.6 million is being sent to Maricopa County and $14.4 million to Pima County, which include most of metro Phoenix and most of the Tucson area, respectively.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The number of coronavirus cases in the state rose by more than 500 on Saturday, and the death toll increased by 12, the Department of Health said, as the averages of both numbers continued to decline. According to the department, 5,348 Arkansans have died of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. The number of people hospitalized in the state with the virus fell by 25 to 605. Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases in Arkansas has decreased by nearly 75%, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University researchers. Gov. Asa Hutchinson planned to visit vaccination clinics over the weekend, a senior citizen’s center in Lavaca and a pharmacy in Bryant, after urging vaccine providers on Friday to schedule extra weekend hours to make up for a slowdown because of last week’s snowstorms. “It is critical to get our vaccines out as quickly as possible, and we have to catch up on the missed appointments and slow vaccine distribution over the last week,” he said in a statement. Hutchinson has said the state needs to vaccinate more people age 70 and older before expanding the vaccine program to others.

California

Sacramento: The state plans to set aside 10% of first vaccine doses for educators, school staff and child care providers starting in March to help get children back in classrooms, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday. The move is aimed at jump-starting in-person learning after nearly a year of distance learning for most of California’s 6 million K-12 students. The announcement came a day after legislative leaders announced a $6.5 billion proposal aimed at reopening schools this spring. Newsom said that’s not fast enough and suggested he could veto it. “I can’t support something that’s going to delay the safe reopening of schools for our youngest kids,” he said. Lawmakers didn’t appear deterred by Newsom’s comments and still planned to take up the school legislation Monday, said Nannette Miranda, a spokeswoman for Assemblyman Phil Ting, a Democrat who heads the chamber’s budget committee. California on Friday also announced a more rapid return to athletic playing fields for youth sports, while Newsom recently said more counties will soon be able to allow various businesses to reopen and expand customer volume. But school districts in many areas of the state such as San Francisco and the city of Los Angeles remain closed to in-person learning.

Colorado

Denver: Out-of-work residents are able to reopen and file new claims after a program distributing pandemic unemployment assistance ended in December, officials said. Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Director Joe Barela said residents could begin filing Saturday, marking the second launch of federal extended jobless benefits this year, Colorado Public Radio reports. The first phase began in February for people who still had money remaining on their account in December, when federal programs funded through the coronavirus relief bill ended. “They will be able to begin certifying their weeks or the payments filing new claims and reopening if they were moving into programs,” Barela said. “That’s really exciting.” The state does not know exactly how many people qualified over the weekend but said about 289,000 were contacted with information on how to sign up for the benefits. The state was delayed in revamping the benefits because it upgraded its system and needed to reprogram the benefit options. Phil Spesshardt, benefits services manager with the department, said the delay was caused in part by Congress, which waited until the program ended to take any action and then waited for additional information from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Connecticut

Hartford: The state is partnering with a Hartford-based nonprofit organization that advocates for health equity across the state to reach out to more than 10,000 minority residents over the next three months and dispel myths about the COVID-19 vaccine. The arrangement announced Friday is part of the state’s efforts to reach out to Black and Latino communities that have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus and may be reticent to get vaccinated. “We want to ensure that communities at highest risk have equitable access to the vaccines that will protect them and allow everyone to return to a sense of normalcy,” Dr. Deidre Gifford, the state’s acting public health commissioner, said in a statement. “The team at Health Equity Solutions will strengthen and enhance our outreach efforts in the Black and Latino communities.” The organization plans to focus on faith- and education-based networks to reach the widest audience possible with information about the vaccine. There will be a particular focus on issues concerning distrust of the medical system within the state’s Black community. Health Equity Solutions already hosted webinars that have reached more than 3,000 people, and more than 20 events have been scheduled, with more being planned.

Delaware

Wilmington: With coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continuing to plummet, Gov. John Carney on Friday announced a loosening of the restrictions for indoor gatherings at businesses and other indoor spaces. The new rules allow for a maximum of 25 people or 50% of the stated fire occupancy restrictions, whichever is lower, though organizers may submit a plan to the Division of Public Health to host larger events up to 150 people. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people or up to 250 with an approved plan from DPH. “I don’t think anything else is imminent after today’s announcement,” said Jonathan Starkey, a spokesman for Carney. “We are continuing to see positive trends in the numbers – hospitalizations, percent positive and cases. That’s good news. We are also still moving down from the winter peaks, which is why the governor and the public health team are taking a cautious approach as we see sustained decreases in spread. We’ll continue to follow the numbers and ask everyone to do their part.”

District of Columbia

Washington: The Rev. Wallace Charles Smith started his virtual Valentine’s Day sermon at Shiloh Baptist Church by talking about love and vaccinations. “When you get a vaccination, you are saying to everyone around you that you love them enough that you don’t want any hurt, harm or danger to befall them,” he said. “In the spirit of love, keep at it until you get your vaccination. That’s the only thing that’s going to erase this terrible scourge.” Health officials in the nation’s capital are hoping Smith and other Black religious leaders will serve as community influencers to overcome what officials say is a persistent vaccine reluctance in the Black community. Smith and several other local ministers recently received their first vaccine shots. Black residents make up a little under half of Washington’s population but constitute nearly three-fourths of the city’s COVID-19 deaths. D.C. is now offering vaccinations to residents over age 65, but numbers show seniors in the poorest and blackest parts of Washington are lagging behind. Officials partially blame historic distrust of the medical establishment, especially among Black seniors, who vividly remember medical exploitation horrors such as the Tuskegee syphilis study. The D.C. government is giving priority for vaccine registration to predominantly Black ZIP codes and running public information campaigns. “There’s distrust in our community. We can’t ignore that,” said the Rev. James Coleman of All Nations Baptist, who was vaccinated along with Smith. “The church, and particularly the Black church, is essential. … That’s what pastors do.”

Florida

Orlando: Two women who dressed up to make themselves appear older to get COVID-19 vaccinations were turned away and issued trespass warnings, officials said. Dr. Raul Pino, state health officer in Orange County, said the women disguised themselves Wednesday with bonnets, gloves and glasses. Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Michelle Guido told the Orlando Sentinel the women altered their birth years on their vaccination registrations to bypass the state system, which prioritizes people 65 and older. It appeared the women had gotten the first shot, but it was unclear where. “Their names matched their registration but not their dates of birth,” she told the newspaper. The women were 35 and 45 years old, officials said in a news release. Health Department officials asked deputies to issue trespass warnings. In a video provided by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy could be heard saying, “You’ve stolen a vaccine from somebody that needs it more than you.” Guido said the warning means the women can’t return to the convention center for any reason – including a vaccine, coronavirus test, convention or show. If they do return, they could face arrest.

Georgia

Atlanta: The state is renewing its request to again be exempted from federal requirements to administer standardized tests. State Superintendent Richard Woods announced Thursday that he and Gov. Brian Kemp had resubmitted a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in September that she would deny waiver requests for the 2020-2021 school year, after granting them last year. Woods argues that tests are useless because they’re supposed to measure instruction in a regular learning environment. “This unprecedented school year has been anything but traditional, and experts know tests cannot be completely redesigned and revamped overnight,” Woods said in a statement Thursday. Most Georgia school districts have been offering in-person instruction for most of the year, but a substantial portion of students have chosen to learn remotely from home. A handful of districts have offered no in-person instruction. It’s unclear how the Biden administration will receive renewed waiver requests, which are being submitted by a number of states. Miguel Cardona, Biden’s nominee for education secretary, has yet to get a confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate. Woods said it will be hard for all students to take tests in-person, as testing security rules required.

Hawaii

Lihue: More than 200 people gathered on Kauai last week to show support for reopening tourism on the island amid the pandemic. The group outside Vidinha Stadium on Wednesday primarily consisted of business owners, The Garden Island reports. Attendees said they wanted to express concerns to county and state officials about the continued economic impact of restrictions on tourism. Kauai requires visitors to take part in the Safe Travels Hawaii pre-travel testing program. Those who stay at a county-approved resort can bypass the state’s mandated 10-day quarantine with a negative coronavirus test taken after at least three days on the island. Cynthia Keener shared the struggles she and her husband have experienced under travel restrictions while trying to operate their business, Ohana Fishing Charters. “Just like many in the business community, we had a thriving growing business before COVID,” she said. “As a result of these policies, we have almost lost 100% of our revenue and acquired mountains of debt from government loans just to hang on.” Keener said there is “no transparency” from the Kauai County Council or the office of Mayor Derek Kawakami about future plans. “Keep me alive; (don’t) kill my dream. Don’t kill that,” said David Stewart, who owns a landscaping business he hopes to pass on to his children..

Idaho

Boise: A bill to outlaw demonstrating at a person’s residence headed to the full state House on Friday, after a series of demonstrations at the homes of officials and police officers spurred by frustration with restrictions on gatherings or mask-wearing mandates to slow coronavirus infections and deaths. The House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee voted 11-4 to approve the bill backers say is needed to prevent mobs from trying to intimidate and even terrorize families in their homes. Backers say allowing the demonstrations will tear the social fabric by causing people to avoid public service or join police agencies. “When we turn the volume up this high on political discourse, we crowd out anybody not willing to be equally as confrontational, angry, loud or violent,” Republican Rep. Greg Chaney said. He is a co-sponsor of the legislation with Rep. Brooke Green, a Democrat from Boise. In the past year, “a new playbook has been written, and several groups of individuals across the spectrum used it to terrify families in their homes,” Green said. The public hearing drew so many people wanting to testify that comments were taken Wednesday and Friday. After Wednesday’s raucous hearing, torch- and pitchfork-wielding protesters gathered outside Chaney’s house that evening.

Illinois

Chicago: The state’s top doctor has vowed wide availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to residents but said it’ll take months for supply to meet demand. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike’s comments in a weekend Chicago Tribune opinion piece come amid complaints of shortages and difficulties in obtaining appointments. A recent blast of winter weather also delayed shipments, leading to canceled appointments. “It will be months before our supply comfortably outpaces demand – an obstacle we always expected, and the very reason we have devoted so much time and thought to the phases of prioritization,” Ezike wrote. “Everyone deserves their turn to get the vaccine, and it’s my promise to Illinois that we will get there – as efficiently, quickly and equitably as we can.” Currently, health care workers, residents 65 and older, and essential workers are eligible in Illinois. State officials announced an expansion starting later this month to include people with underlying health conditions, but Chicago and other areas are delaying, citing a vaccine shortage. More than 2.1 million doses have been administered in Illinois, according to state officials. Overall, Illinois has reported more than 1.1 million COVID-19 cases and more than 20,000 deaths.

Indiana

Indianapolis: Legislators are supporting proposals that would permanently allow members of local government boards to participate virtually in public meetings. Similar bills approved by the state House and Senate would permit boards to adopt policies allowing members to vote virtually as long as they can be seen and heard. State and local government boards have generally been allowed to hold all-virtual meetings since Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an exemption to the current state law requiring in-person meetings last spring as part of COVID-19 public health measures. The proposals would require that at least half of board members attend public meetings in person and that members participate virtually in no more than half of the meetings except for limited reasons such as illness or military service. The House-passed version would require meetings with virtual participation to also allow the public to observe the meeting online starting in July, while the Senate version would delay that requirement until January 2023.

Iowa

Des Moines: Seventy-six of the state’s 82 critical-access hospitals ended the last fiscal year with negative operating margins, an IowaWatch analysis of their most recently reported financial data shows. Only six critical-access hospitals – facilities with 25 or fewer beds and designated by Congress as essential for rural communities – brought in more revenue from patient care than what they spent on providing that care, the data shows. “If you were vulnerable before this, you’re more vulnerable now,” said Kirk Norris, the Iowa Hospital Association’s president and CEO. The new data includes the distribution of federal stimulus money to stem revenue losses after the onset of COVID-19. Stimulus money helped 37 of the 50 hospitals ending their fiscal year in June 2020 to report net income, IowaWatch’s analysis showed. But COVID-19 clearly disrupted hospitals forced to switch from offering their main revenue producer – outpatient services – to focusing on patients with COVID-19 last spring. The Iowa Hospital Association reported last year that 17 hospitals already were at financial risk more than a year before COVID-19 hit the state. The association reported in December that Iowa hospitals, overall, lost an estimated $433 million in March through October because of COVID-19.

Kansas

Mission: Gov. Laura Kelly has announced plans to fix issues that have led the state to underreport the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19. Kansas’ vaccination rate consistently ranks among the lowest in the country, and Kelly has blamed technical problems with the tracking system, called KSWebIZ. As of Friday, 11.1% of the state’s population, or 456,093 people, had received at least the first of two required doses, state health data showed. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed the state had administered only 72% of 581,975 doses received, up from 60.2% a week ago. The state’s data showed that 78% of 581,975 doses had been administered. Dr. Lee Norman, the head of the state health department, said last week that 100,000 doses administered had not been registered as such because of system glitches. Kelly said in a statement released Thursday evening that the state is working on addressing underlying data transfer problems with KSWebIZ. In the meantime, providers are required starting Monday to report daily on the number of doses received, administered, in inventory and transferred.

Kentucky

Frankfort: The state is relaxing coronavirus-related restrictions at some of its long-term care facilities. Indoor visitation will resume at non-Medicare-certified facilities that have been through the COVID-19 vaccination process, Gov. Andy Beshear said. Group activities, communal dining and visitations among vaccinated residents will resume, he said. Included in the updated protocols are assisted living facilities, personal care homes, intermediate care facilities for people with intellectual disabilities and independent living centers, Beshear said. “It’s been a long journey, and it’s exciting to be able to relax some restrictions,” said state Cabinet for Health and Family Services inspector general Adam Mather. People will be expected to schedule their visits with the facility, and up to two visitors from the same household can visit a resident at one time, state officials said. Visitors will need to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of the visit. The new protocols took effect Saturday. Beshear said Friday that more than 550,000 Kentuckians had received at least one dose of the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

Louisiana

New Orleans: The state is asking President Joe Biden’s administration to establish one of its planned federal COVID-19 vaccine sites at the New Orleans convention center, but state officials would like that site to come with extra doses of the shots rather than a reshuffling of current supply. Negotiations continue with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Key questions remain unanswered about how such a site could be financed and whether that would help Louisiana get new doses of the vaccine, said Dr. Joe Kanter, the top public health adviser to Gov. John Bel Edwards. Kanter said New Orleans is prepared to staff the vaccination site itself, working with LCMC Health, which operates six hospitals and urgent care centers in the region. But Kanter said the city “would like some financial reimbursement on it. And the doses would be important to all of us. So those are the two biggest things.” The Biden administration said it intends to open 100 federal vaccination sites by the end of the month in an effort to speed the immunizations. But governors and health officials around the country are mixed on the offer because they don’t necessarily need more places to administer the vaccine – just more doses overall.

Maine

Manchester: Pediatricians are reminding parents to get their children caught up on routine immunizations, which many students have missed during the coronavirus pandemic. The Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics said Thursday that a Blue Cross Blue Shield analysis found a 26% drop in vaccine doses last year. The analysis also found 40% of parents surveyed said their children missed shots because of the pandemic. The chapter called on parents to get in touch with their pediatricians to schedule visits to keep their children up to date. Data indicates adolescents in Maine are behind on vaccines for certain cancers, pertussis and meningitis, the organization said in a statement. The chapter said parents have delayed or skipped vaccination appointments because of fear of catching the coronavirus, economic hardship, and greater demands on their time and attention. Immunizations are required to attend school in Maine, and a new law goes into effect this year that takes away philosophical and religious exemptions.

Maryland

Annapolis: The state Senate voted Friday to expand a tax credit for low-income workers to include immigrants, including those living in the country illegally, who work and pay taxes in the state in a measure that adds to a broader pandemic relief initiative already enacted last week. The measure, now in the hands of the House of Delegates, is a follow-up to more than $1 billion in relief that passed with bipartisan support this month and was signed into law last Monday by Gov. Larry Hogan. The House had added the provisions but withdrew them over the Republican governor’s opposition. Democrats, who control the General Assembly, are moving forward now in separate legislation. The measure, which extends the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income residents to people who use individual taxpayer individual numbers rather than Social Security numbers, was approved 32-15, largely along party lines. Sen. Justin Ready, R-Carroll County, noted that the measure would cost about $60 million in each of the next three years. But supporters say the workers covered under the measure pay more than $100 million in taxes annually without being eligible for most tax credits or public assistance programs.

Massachusetts

Boston: The medical director of the city agency coordinating Boston’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been working remotely from Hawaii for several months, and even though she has permission to do so, some critics say it may hinder her effectiveness. Dr. Jennifer Lo relocated with her family in November with approval from Rita Nieves, the Boston Public Health Commission’s executive director, NBC10 Boston reports. Since then, the city has had to deal with a post-holiday surge in cases and the vaccine rollout. As medical director, Lo’s job is to advise the commission on medical policy issues. Lo, in an email to the station, said she and her husband made “the difficult decision” to temporarily relocate to Hawaii for personal reasons, including to take care of two sets of aging parents. She said plans on returning to Massachusetts this summer. She offered to resign, but the commission “determined I would be able to effectively continue my work remotely while maintaining the same level of responsibilities required in this role,” she wrote. Nieves said she consulted with other city leaders before approving Lo’s work arrangement. She said it took about a year to fill the position the last time it opened, and she didn’t want to risk being without a medical director during an emergency.

Michigan

Lansing: A $2.5 million federal grant will be used to address health care staffing shortages in the state’s rural communities. Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity said the grant will support the addition of more than 430 new health care workers over the next four years. The agency will lead MiREACH, a network of employer-led collaboratives, to identify targeted health care occupations based on employer demand and feedback. The grant program aims to help individuals gain the skills necessary to provide needed services, fill vacancies and allow employers to find skilled workers more readily. The coronavirus pandemic has increased the need for health care workers, particularly in rural areas, according to the state.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: Public school enrollment in the state dropped by about 17,000 students as families turned to home schooling, private schools and delaying entry into kindergarten amid the coronavirus pandemic, education officials announced Friday. The enrollment figures from the Minnesota Department of Education represented a 2% drop from the previous year. The state allocates school funding based on enrollment, and districts stand to lose about $10,164 for every student they failed to keep. Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed education budget includes $25 million in one-time money to compensate. “COVID-19 has already robbed our students of so many milestones that make school memorable,” Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker said in a statement. “Now, our schools are potentially facing a huge loss in funding and resources, which will mean schools faced with eliminating learning opportunities and experiences for our students, especially students who need them most.” The “vast majority” of the decline in public school enrollment was among white students, the department said. It said the change was driven mostly by younger students, with public kindergarten enrollment dropping 9% even as private kindergarten enrollment rose 12.4%. And 49.5% more students were home-schooled.

Mississippi

McComb: Neither rain, snow nor waterless pipes could prevent Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center from helping patients in need, as employees carried buckets of water drawn from a well to clean and sanitize during the city’s water crisis last week. The hospital’s clinics closed ahead of the winter weather and remained closed when the water shortage hit. “Water is for sure vital to the operation of the hospital,” hospital CEO?Charla Rowley said, noting that cleaning and sanitation is impossible without it and that many operations in the hospital could not function either. She said she was proud of the hard work of the maintenance staff for keeping the hospital operating during the storm and outage, noting that the dietary department also played a huge role in the hospital’s operations. With the closure of clinics and the cancellation of elective surgeries, Rowley said the hospital has taken a half-million-dollar hit a day, which could come back with some serious repercussions in the long run. “We have had tornadoes, hurricanes, COVID and now this freeze,”?she said. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kevin Richardson said the lack of water could not stop the hospital from serving the community. “Mother Nature’s challenges were not enough to dampen the grit of our front-line providers,” he said.

Missouri

St. Louis: The city’s NAACP chapter filed federal civil rights complaints against the state over the lack of COVID-19 vaccinations for prisoners. No Missouri prisoners had been inoculated, a state corrections department spokeswoman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday. The St. Louis NAACP filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division over the lack of vaccinations, the chapter president said in a Thursday news release. “While we are well aware that the CDC makes recommendations with respect to who should be offered COVID-19 vaccine first, and each state has its own plan for deciding who will be vaccinated first and how they can receive vaccines; that ‘Does Not’ exempt the State from long-standing civil rights nondiscrimination requirements when utilizing Federal assistance,” St. Louis NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt said in a statement, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said about 8,000 Missouri inmates, or roughly a third of the total imprisoned population, now qualify for the vaccine. Of those, 6,000 said they would like to be vaccinated.

Montana

Great Falls: Cascade County residents ages 16-69 with underlying health conditions are now eligible to sign up for COVID-19 vaccination appointments. People eligible for the vaccine in Phase 1B include people 70 and older, people 16-69 with qualifying health conditions, and Native Americans and other people of color. Qualifying health conditions in Phase 1B include cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Down syndrome, heart conditions, immunocompromised state from solid organ transplant, severe obesity, sickle cell disease, diabetes and other conditions on a case-by-case basis determined by medical providers. Proof of medical conditions is not required to make an appointment. As of Friday, 12,749 total doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Cascade County, and 3,514 residents had been fully immunized, meaning they had received both doses. For more information and to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, visit www.benefis.org/COVIDvaccine.

Nebraska

Omaha: Gov. Pete Ricketts on Friday defended the state’s decision to prioritize the elderly for vaccination shots over people with underlying health conditions, noting that most residents who have died so far were at least 65 years old. Ricketts’ administration amended its COVID-19 vaccination plan last week. People who have cancer, diabetes and other major health problems were previously eligible in the current phase of the state’s vaccination plan, but they were removed from their spot on the list so health officials could focus on older residents. Essential workers such as first responders, teachers and corrections employees also qualify, but state officials have ordered local public health districts and pharmacies to give at least 90% of their available doses to senior citizens. Approximately 82% of the 2,043 people who have died from the coronavirus in Nebraska were at least 65 years old, according to the state’s online tracking portal. Age isn’t the only risk factor, however. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that people with ailments such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, heart disease or obesity are at greater risk of getting severely ill. Ricketts said giving too many of the state’s limited doses to people besides seniors is a “less efficient” approach.

Nevada

Carson City: Restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus in the Legislature have changed the nature of lobbying and raised new questions about how to regulate it. Public access to the legislative building has been restricted since lawmakers reconvened Feb. 1, leaving the normally bustling corridors empty aside from staff and reporters. But that hasn’t stopped advocates from pursuing their usual work, lobbying for and against the hundreds of bills that have already been introduced. Unlike other states, Nevada’s Lobbying Disclosure and Regulation Act only requires lobbyists to register if they lobby in person. With the building closed, no lobbyists have registered since lawmakers reconvened three weeks ago. Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson and Assemblywoman Brittney Miller introduced a bill last week that would require lobbyists to register whether they advocate on behalf of their clients in person or remotely. Many lobbyists say they support the bill. But Melissa Clement of Nevada Right to Life and three other lobbyists for conservative groups and causes filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming the closure of the legislative building violates their First Amendment right to petition government.

New Hampshire

Concord: A federal judge heard arguments Friday on whether medically vulnerable lawmakers should be given remote access to state House sessions this week or whether separate entrances for Democrats and Republicans and other safety measures would suffice. Seven Democratic lawmakers sued Republican House Speaker Sherm Packard last week, arguing that holding in-person sessions without a remote option violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the state and federal constitutions. It also forces them to choose between risking their lives and not performing their duties as elected officials, attorney Paul Twomey said at a hearing Friday. If all 28 lawmakers with medical disabilities stayed home, nearly 100,000 residents across the state would lose representation, he said. Republican House leaders have said fully remote sessions are not possible because no rules exist to allow them, while blocking attempts to create such rules. But the Senate has been meeting remotely without an explicit rule, and the House has been holding “hybrid” committee hearings that allow for remote participation. Judge Landya McCafferty gave the parties more time to provide more background material.

New Jersey

Newark: As debate mounts over how to reopen schools during the pandemic, some parents are taking to federal court, arguing that their children’s struggles with remote learning represent a violation of constitutional rights. The South Orange and Maplewood district joined the legal parade late last month, with parents asking a judge to end nearly a year of online-only instruction for its 7,000 students. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Newark stood out not only for its wrenching stories of students slipping behind as they study in isolation but also for the full-scale reversal it seeks: Parents asked the court to force the K-12 district for both towns, known locally as SOMA, to resume full-day classes, five days a week. The “arbitrary” closures during the pandemic violate students’ constitutional rights and have wreaked havoc on their psyches and academic performance, the lawsuit says. Two parents said their 7-year-old has struggled with digital lessons and “often says he is ‘stupid’ and ‘the dumbest kid in the class.’ ” But two Rutgers University law professors questioned whether the heartbreaking anecdotes will be enough to convince the courts that constitutional violations had occurred or that a judge should overrule local officials.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: Legislators are sprinting amid the pandemic to come up with a framework for regulating and taxing recreational marijuana after voters ousted key opponents of pot legalization in 2020 elections. Four Democrat-backed proposals with a social-justice bent are competing for traction at the Legislature, along with a Republican proposal aimed at stamping out the illicit pot market. The Legislature has until March 20 to send a cannabis bill to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, an enthusiastic backer of marijuana as a tool of economic development and fiscal security for the state. The primary election in 2020 unseated several staunch legalization opponents, including the former top-ranked Senate Democrat. The New Mexico Constitution doesn’t allow for ballot initiatives, leaving cannabis legalization to the legislative process. A House panel last Monday advanced a bill that places an emphasis on economic and social issues by subsidizing medical marijuana for poor patients, underwriting grants for communities affected by drug criminalization, and expunging convictions for cannabis use and possession. Senate committees are poised to vet at least three separate proposals. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, an arbitration attorney by trade, said he’s eager to bring a compromise bill to the floor.

New York

New York: The city’s restaurants will be allowed to serve more customers indoors starting this Friday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced late last week that New York City indoor dining will be able to expand from 25% capacity to 35% capacity – in line with New Jersey’s current limit. His announcement came as the state sees a continued drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations. The rate of New Yorkers testing positive for the coronavirus has fallen to the lowest mark since before Thanksgiving, state officials said Saturday. Cuomo said the state’s seven-day rolling average positivity rate had fallen 43 straight days, hitting 3.5% on Friday. The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus, meanwhile, fell below 6,000 for the first time since Dec. 14. The state said 97 New Yorkers died of the coronavirus Friday, bringing the state’s official death total to 37,776. Cuomo asked New Yorkers to remain patient with vaccinations, as the state’s distribution network and population of eligible recipients – 10 million – continues to far exceed supply coming from the federal government. The state now has the resources to vaccinate up to 100,000 New Yorkers every day, he said, but not nearly enough vaccines to do so.

North Carolina

Raleigh: President Joe Biden’s administration told the state Friday afternoon that it will see further delays in shipments of COVID-19 vaccine doses. North Carolina public health officials said they now expect more deliveries of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to resume at the start of the week. The state health department also warned that some providers may choose not to go forward with plans to vaccinate teachers and school staff once eligibility opens up to that group Wednesday. Severe winter weather has fueled delays across the country, causing tens of thousands of North Carolinians scheduled to be vaccinated last week to have their appointments pushed back. “What we are being informed by Operation Warp Speed is that shipments are being held by the producers and distributors until they are sure shipments won’t be delayed,” the department said in a statement. “To our knowledge, operations are being planned to help ensure spoilage isn’t an issue.” The delay could affect North Carolina’s transition to its third phase of vaccine distribution, which expands eligibility Wednesday to child care workers, pre-K-12 educators and school staff. A far more expansive group of “front-line essential workers” ranging from mail carriers to elected officials is scheduled to become eligible starting March 10.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Visitation to the state’s No. 1 tourist attraction fell last year, but it wasn’t all because of the coronavirus pandemic. Theodore Roosevelt National Park saw about 558,000 visitors in 2020, the fewest since 2013. Visitation fell 20% from 2019, but some months last year spiked substantially over the previous year – including December, which saw a 173% jump. Visitation is measured in an algorithm counting people who stop in visitor centers combined with an average of people in vehicles. Park Superintendent Wendy Ross said she sees “so many variables, especially this past year.” “I don’t put much stock in the fact that we were down 20%; in fact, I’m a little surprised we weren’t down more, but it was a very busy year. It felt like a ‘normal’ year,” Ross said. Annual visitation averaged about 700,000 people from 2015 to 2019. The emerging pandemic and reduced oil and gas activity likely brought more people to the park in February, March and April, according to Ross. Visitation in February and March leapt 253% and 106%, respectively, over the same months in 2019, The Bismarck Tribune reports.

Ohio

Columbus: Legislative testimony made Wednesday in support of a GOP-backed effort to limit public health orders made by the governor was removed from YouTube after the service deemed it contained COVID-19 misinformation. The Google-owned platform said it removed content that was uploaded last week to the Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom channel for violating the company’s terms of services. The video showed Thomas Renz, an attorney for Ohio Stands Up, a citizen group, making the opening testimony during a House committee hearing on a bill that would allow lawmakers to vote down public health orders during the pandemic. In the more than 30-minute testimony, Renz made a number of debunked or baseless claims, including that no Ohioans under the age of 19 have died from COVID-19 – a claim that has been debunked by state data. “We have clear Community Guidelines that govern what videos may stay on YouTube, which we enforce consistently, regardless of speaker,” said Ivy Choi, a spokesperson for Google. “We removed this video in accordance with our COVID-19 misinformation policy, which prohibits content that claims a certain age group cannot transmit the virus.”

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: More than 681,000 Oklahomans have now received COVID-19 vaccine shots, including more than 204,000 who have received both required doses, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The state ranked 12th in the nation Saturday with 14.3% of the population having received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control, and the state health department scheduled vaccination clinics over the weekend to replace those canceled because of a winter storm. There have been a reported 418,318 total coronavirus cases and 4,155 deaths due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, increases of 973 cases and 23 deaths since Friday, according to the health department. The seven-day rolling average of new cases in the state has fallen below 1,000 in the past two weeks, dropping from 2,215.7 per day to 932.4, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The seven-day rolling average of deaths declined from 34.1 per day to 24.7 during the same period.

Oregon

Portland: Despite historic winter weather across the country causing shipment delays and forcing mass vaccination sites to reschedule appointments, health officials said Friday that the state’s vaccination timeline remains on schedule. While more than 10,000 vaccine appointments were canceled earlier this month, beginning Monday people 70 and older will be eligible to receive doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and people 65 and older will be eligible March 1. “I want to reassure every Oregon senior – nothing that’s happened in the past week will slow down our schedule,” Pat Allen, the director of the Oregon Health Authority, said during a news conference Friday. “It seems like every season brings a new test on top of the pandemic. Oregon’s vaccination clinics were no exception.” However, health officials said they do not expect that “these problems will have a long-term impact on our vaccination schedule.” During the past week, Oregon averaged more than 14,000 vaccinations per day. As of Thursday, 12% of the state’s population has been vaccinated with first doses, and 5% of residents had been fully vaccinated.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: The state Department of Health announced a change Friday in its vaccine distribution plan that aims to ramp up the number of COVID-19 inoculations by distributing more doses to large hospitals and removing smaller physician practices and clinics from the provider list altogether. Tried-and-true distribution methods in Pennsylvania are insufficient for vaccines that require subzero transportation and storage temperatures and require people to come back for a second dose. Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said the four groups handling distribution going forward would be hospitals, federally qualified health centers, county health departments and pharmacies. Primary care doctors, long the mainstay of vaccination efforts, are being left out and left in the dark when it comes to battling the coronavirus, said Dr. Tracey Conti, a physician and president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians. They have no information for the patients calling daily with pleas for the vaccine. Yet they believe their involvement is essential to counter the misinformation that could undermine the whole effort. “People would rather get vaccinated by their doctor,” Conti said. “It’s not clear they’ll accept it from anyone else.”

Rhode Island

Providence: As part of the state’s plan to get vaccines to residents who cannot leave their homes, health officials on Friday launched a website to gather information about the housebound. The site does not allow people to sign up for a vaccination appointment – it is simply to collect information for planning purposes, the Department of Health said in a statement. The information in most cases is already being provided by cities and towns and home health agencies, but the state wants to make sure everyone limited to their homes is covered. Health care providers or family members can help fill out the form, the agency said. The state has been vaccinating residents 75 and older, and starting Monday, people 65 and older are eligible to make appointments. Also, the number of retail pharmacies in the state offering the vaccine will increase significantly by the end of the week, the agency said. CVS should be vaccinating at 14 locations, up from the current seven, while Walgreens should be vaccinating at 24 locations, up from the current 15. Nearly 127,000 people have received a vaccine first dose in Rhode Island, while 57,000 people have been fully vaccinated, according to health department data released Friday.

South Carolina

Columbia: The leader of the state agency that provides services for people with disabilities has been fired without explanation. After meeting privately and with no discussion Thursday, the board of the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs voted 5-1 to immediately fire Director Mary Poole, The Post and Courier of Charleston reports. She had been at the agency for less than three years and made $171,400. Commissioner David Thomas of Greenville made the motion to dismiss Poole. A former state senator, Thomas told the newspaper he couldn’t say why she was fired because it was a personnel issue. He said Poole’s firing is for the good of the agency and hopefully will lead to the agency serving more people and serving them better. Poole said she has worked honestly and diligently for more than 30 years with people with disabilities and was not given an opportunity to discuss with the board any concerns with her work. “We found and corrected many long-standing and significant issues within the agency and provider network,” Poole said in a statement. “My only regret is that these efforts were cut short with so much work left to be done.” When Poole was hired in mid-2018, the department was suffering from years of abuse allegations with its providers, financial problems and long waiting lists.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: State health officials said Sunday that the number of hospitalizations due to the coronavirus continues to fall, although a virus research group ranks the state among the top 10 for the number of deaths relative to population. The state reported 140 new cases and four new deaths in the past day, raising the totals to 111,309 known cases and 1,863 fatalities since the start of the pandemic. The COVID Tracking Project ranks South Dakota seventh in the country in the number of deaths per capita. The update showed that the number of hospitalizations fell from 95 to 90. Of those patients, 17 were being treated in intensive care units, and nine required ventilators. There were about 230 new cases per 100,000 people in South Dakota over the past two weeks, which ranks 38th in the country for new cases per capita, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. One in every 919 people in South Dakota tested positive in the past week.

Tennessee

Nashville: Residents bought more guns in 2020 than ever before, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found. The state law enforcement agency found 740,580 gun transactions were performed last year, a 53% jump compared to 2019. Tennessee outpaced the national average in gun purchases, which saw about a 40% increase. TBI personnel track gun purchases and perform background checks on prospective gun buyers. Pam Beck, assistant director of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division, pointed to four main causes in the spike of firearms purchases: the coronavirus pandemic, talks of defunding the police, bouts of civil unrest and the 2020 election. “People feel like they have to protect themselves,” she said. According to data provided by TBI, the state saw the biggest jump in gun purchases in March, when residents purchased more than 77,000 firearms. This came at the start of the pandemic, when the first coronavirus case was discovered in Tennessee and when then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency because of the virus. Some states began announcing lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, and grocery store shelves emptied as panic buying ensued.

Texas

Austin: The number of COVID-19 deaths across the state increased by more than 200 on Saturday, while the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus declined, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. There were an additional 227 COVID-19 deaths, more than 4,900 new cases and 7,535 hospitalizations, a decline of 222 people hospitalized, the department reported. Texas has recorded more than 2.5 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began and more than 42,000 deaths due to COVID-19, the third-highest death count in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. The seven-day rolling average of new cases has fallen from nearly 18,980 per day to nearly 5,041, and the average of daily deaths has dropped from 305.7 per day to 127.3, according to the Johns Hopkins data. During the past two weeks, the rolling average of daily new cases in Texas has fallen by 13,849.3, a decrease of 74.7%, according to the Johns Hopkins figures.

Utah

Salt Lake City: Utah State Parks has reported park visitation increased by 2.6 million between 2019 and 2020 despite safety restrictions implemented during the coronavirus pandemic. “Our state parks saw elevated visitation numbers throughout the traditional summer season,” Utah Division of Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Rasmussen said. “Not only that, but record-breaking visitation continued into the fall and winter and has not tapered off like it normally does.” The agency reported that the 44 parks across the state recorded 10.6 million visitors combined last year compared to the 8 million recorded in 2019, according to KSTU-TV. Officials said popular boating and off-highway vehicle areas statewide also saw increase use. Park officials announced in April last year that many state parks would reopen after weeks of being restricted to in-county residents to limit the spread of COVID-19. Some stayed closed based on local public health orders. “We never closed our doors to the public. While there was a time when visitation was restricted due to local health orders, we were always open,” Rasmussen said. Utah State Parks expects visitation to remain high this year as people continue to find outdoor spaces to escape during the pandemic.

Vermont

Montpelier: The state is easing travel restrictions for Vermonters and visitors who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 starting this week, Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday. Two weeks after receiving their second dose of the vaccine, Vermonters do not have to quarantine after travel starting Tuesday, Scott said during his twice-weekly virus briefing. Out-of-state visitors also are exempt from quarantining if they can prove they have been fully vaccinated. “Of course they’ll still need to comply with all our other health guidance like masking and distancing,” Scott said. The state is also easing restrictions for fully vaccinated residents of long-term care facilities in areas where there are no current outbreaks beginning this Friday. The state is encouraging full vaccination status as a factor in planning for activities, such as eating together and participating in other group activities, and for having indoor visitors, said Human Services Secretary Mike Smith. Residents of all skilled nursing facilities have received the second dose of the vaccine, Smith said. A total of 93% of residents of all skilled nursing, assisted living and residential care facilities have gotten their first dose, and 74% have received their second dose, he said.

Virginia

Richmond: Lawmakers have passed bills that allow certain first responders to file workers’ compensation benefits for being disabled from COVID-19, but legislators still need to reach agreement on some differences. The measures would make COVID-19 an occupational disease for firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, and law enforcement or correctional officers and allow these individuals to file for workers’ compensation benefits. The workers’ dependents also would be eligible for benefits if the workers die from COVID-19. Occupational diseases arise out of and in the course of employment, according to state law, and include hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis or HIV. Senate Bill 1375, sponsored by Sen. Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax, and House Bill 2207, introduced by Del. Jay Jones, D- Norfolk, had mostly unanimous support. The main difference is that the House bill would extend the compensation to regional jail officers. The Senate also rejected an amendment by the House that would allow compensation for cases going back to March 2020. The bills would apply to persons diagnosed with COVID-19 on or after July 1 whose death or disability from COVID-19 occurred on or after that same date, Del. Kaye Kory, D-Falls Church, said in an email.

Washington

Olympia: More than $2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding will be allocated across the state under a measure signed into law Friday by Gov. Jay Inslee. The legislation, which received strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate this month, spends $2.2 billion on various efforts, including vaccine administration, rental assistance and money for school districts. “The focus this year is relief, recovery and resilience, and this legislation will make big progress in all three,” Inslee said before signing the bill. It stipulates that $714 million will be allocated to schools as they move toward welcoming students back to the classroom. An additional $618 million will go toward vaccine administration, contact tracing and testing, and $365 million will go toward rental assistance to help renters and landlords affected by the pandemic. The bill also allocates $240 million to small-business assistance grants that will be administered through the state Department of Commerce and $70 million to assist undocumented immigrants affected by the pandemic who do not qualify for federal or state assistance. An additional $50 million is for grants to help child care businesses stay open and expand capacity, and $26 million is for food assistance.

West Virginia

Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice has ordered the loosening of pandemic restrictions on businesses after a decline in coronavirus deaths and cases, and he sought the return of all elementary and middle school students to in-person learning. In a flurry of announcements, the governor on Friday said small businesses and grocery stores can double their allowed capacity, and the limit on social gatherings will go up from 25 to 75 people. Bars and restaurants can allow 75% of seating capacity, up from 50%, if social distancing is possible. Hours later, the state health department announced that the first three cases of the coronavirus variant from the United Kingdom have been detected in West Virginia. It is among one of three variants already found in other states that researchers believe may spread more easily. “While the presence of this COVID-19 variant in West Virginia is not surprising, it’s a good motivator for us to double down on the prevention efforts we’ve had in place for many months now,” Dr. Ayne Amjad, the state health officer, said in a statement. Justice said all teachers and school workers over age 50 who accepted the offer for a vaccine will be given their second doses this week. He said he is asking the State Board of Education to bring all students from kindergarten to eighth grade back to classrooms.

Wisconsin

Madison: The University of Wisconsin-Madison warned of a recent spike in coronavirus cases Friday, a day after a more contagious variant of the virus was detected in the county, and the university system’s president said he wanted students to attend nearly all classes in person this fall. The warning emailed to students, faculty and staff told of a “significant increase” in COVID-19 cases among students on and off campus. There were 112 newly confirmed cases reported Wednesday and 99 more Thursday, according to the email from Jake Baggott, the head of University Health Services. “Equally concerning, contact tracing suggests that many of the students who have tested positive had attended gatherings, sometimes without wearing masks,” Baggott said. The seven-day average of new cases both on and off campus was up 13.2%, according to the UW dashboard. Although no immediate mitigation steps were being taken on campus, Baggott said the university was preparing to take action if necessary. He said that could include limiting access to or temporarily closing recreational facilities; placing residence halls under quarantine; increasing testing frequency for students off campus; and directing students to stay at home except for attending class and work.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: National weather issues prevented some shipments of vaccines against COVID-19, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. WDH said last week that it was not expecting any Moderna vaccine doses to be delivered to Wyoming locations due to weather problems in other states. Wyoming was slated to receive 5,700 first doses and 3,700 second doses for its distribution process. Shipments to the Walmart locations involved in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program were also affected. “At this point, we are awaiting updates from our federal partners about next week’s shipments,” said Angie Van Houten, Community Health Section chief with WDH. More than 93,000 residents have received their first dose so far when state and special federal counts are combined. Each of the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines requires two doses for maximum effectiveness. Because some of the affected vaccine shipments included second doses, Van Houten said individuals who are delayed in receiving their second dose can still receive the vaccine when it is available. “There will not be a need to ‘start over,’ ” she said.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Retail thefts, shoplifting becoming more brazen in California

Retailers have been clamoring for help when it comes to organized retail thefts

75% of retailers reported seeing some increase in organized retail thefts throughout 2020

California's Proposition 47 raised the felony threshold for shoplifting from $450 to $950

LOS ANGELES – The man laid a large black garbage bag on the ground of a Walgreens and nonchalantly grabbed products from shelves and threw them in before he hauled the goods out of the San Francisco store on his bicycle.

Footage of the incident and viral videos of thefts in stores in the area are examples of what retailers call a rise in the boldness of retail thefts nationwide.

California has two of the top five cities most targeted by organized retail thefts. Some of the largest shopping chains have been taking unprecedented steps in hopes of stunting the phenomenon, from cutting store hours, beefing up security measures and even closing locations entirely.

Smithsonian exhibit, summer camp boom: News from around our 50 ...

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Tuscaloosa: The city’s schools will continue their Monday-through-Thursday schedule of in-person classes for the rest of the 2020-21 school year, according to Superintendent Mike Daria. He said Tuscaloosa City Schools will resume five days of face-to-face instruction next fall for the 2021-22 school year. “As we’ve worked to make the decision for the last part of the school year, we’ve looked at everything from our employee vaccinations, the needs of our virtual students, balancing the needs of educators and the needs of our students,” Daria said. “We want to make sure the instruction is robust and strong.” Keeping the status quo will help virtual students and provide TCS the opportunity to continue meal distribution for families on Fridays, according to a news release from the school system. About one-third of TCS students take virtual classes full time, many instructed by educators who are teaching face-to-face classes during the week as well. “Our virtual students’ schedules are important,” Daria said. “It’s important that they have access to their instructors at the times they have access to (them) now, and that includes time on Friday.” Keeping classrooms empty on Fridays also allows for deeper cleaning of school facilities. And TCS has plans for a Monday-Friday summer learning program.

Alaska

Anchorage: Gov. Mike Dunleavy has said he’s feeling better after contracting the coronavirus last month. Dunleavy said Friday that while his voice still gets slightly hoarse if he talks for too long, his other symptoms are now mild. He said he had a bad headache, fever, chills and body aches for several days. Dunleavy was scheduled to finish his isolation period last Saturday. There have been more than 56,000 coronavirus cases and 301 virus-related deaths in Alaska as of Friday, according to data from the state Department of Health and Social Services. Dunleavy, a Republican, said his experience with the virus has not changed much about how he thinks the state should respond to the pandemic. He encouraged people without allergies to receive vaccines to mitigate the spread of the virus, KTOO-FM reports. “If you get the virus, you’re out of commission for 14 days,” Dunleavy said. “You don’t want to spread this to others – you don’t want to be part of that. If you get the vaccination – after your first shot, you’ve got a pretty good dose of immunity for the most part, if everything works out. And then you don’t have to end up under house arrest.”

Arizona

Phoenix: Restaurant workers may have to wait a little longer for their chance to sign up for COVID-19 vaccines, despite the fact that their jobs often require interaction with customers. The Arizona Department of Health Services classifies restaurants as “essential services.” This previously meant restaurant workers would be able to sign up for vaccines once their county reached Phase 1B of distribution. But the state switched away from its phase-based distribution plan Monday and started an age-based plan for access to shots. State-run vaccination sites are now welcoming anyone 55 and up. The next age bracket includes those 45 and older. The new plan, however, isn’t uniform across the state. Individual counties are each developing their own plans, merging aspects of the original and the new to form hybrid plans. These plans allow counties to prioritize essential workers as they choose. Holly Poynter, public information officer for the Arizona Department of Health Services, said while the state receives federal recommendations on who should be prioritized, “local allocators may further subprioritize populations in each phase based on vaccine supply.” Restaurant owners can help employees get vaccinated by submitting a Phase 1B Employer Vaccine Request Form, available through ADHS.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The state on Monday expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to another 180,000 people, including manufacturing workers and essential government employees. Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Arkansas would fully open up access to the remainder of the 1B category under the state’s vaccination plan. The move also opens up the vaccine to those working in public transportation and grocery stores, as well as people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Arkansas had previously made the vaccine available to those at least 65 years old, teachers, health care workers, law enforcement, and workers at poultry plants and other food manufacturing facilities. Hutchinson said demand was less than expected when the state held vaccination clinics over the weekend. He also announced Arkansas was setting up a statewide vaccination scheduling system. Up to 30 employees will be staffing a call center to help residents make appointments, the governor said. The expanded eligibility does not include food service workers, despite the state last month lifting most of its restrictions including capacity limits on restaurants and bars. They are currently in the 1C category, which Hutchinson said he hoped to make eligible by next month.

California

San Jose: Santa Clara County will not participate in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to have Blue Shield control COVID-19 vaccine distribution, a newspaper reports. County Executive Jeff Smith said late Monday that the county will not sign a contract with the health insurance company because it would not improve speed or efficiency, The Mercury News reports. The state’s switch to a vaccine appointment and delivery system administered by Blue Shield was expected to be completed by March 31. Skepticism, however, has surfaced among the state’s 58 counties. So far, Kern County is the only county to sign a contract with Blue Shield. But 41 federally qualified health centers, 28 hospitals, four large medical groups, three pharmacies and three tribal clinics have signed on, according to the company. In Santa Clara County, Smith characterized Blue Shield’s role as “adding bureaucracies.” The state turned to Blue Shield to create uniform rules and increase the rate of vaccinations, with the state’s My Turn system serving as the central portal for getting appointments. Blue Shield is also tasked with improving targeting of hard-hit communities.

Colorado

Buena Vista: Three cases of the coronavirus variant originating in South Africa have been reported at a correctional facility in the town, officials said. The Colorado State Public Health Laboratory said two employees and one inmate tested positive after being randomly selected for tests intended to detect potential variants, KDVR-TV reports. They are now in isolation. The state lab is expected to check all confirmed coronavirus-positive results for the variant. People who test negative are expected to receive vaccinations, including family members and those who have been in close contact with workers at the facility. The vaccinations at the facility are part of a health department policy that has prioritized people “for emerging risk of rapid spread of COVID-19,” health officials said. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is investigating an outbreak that began in October at the Buena Vista Correctional Complex, a state prison for men about 100 miles west of Colorado Springs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the virus variant from South Africa spreads quickly and is more contagious.

Connecticut

Hartford: The state is on track to receive more than $10 billion in federal COVID-19 funding in the Democratic coronavirus relief legislation before Congress, including $4 billion worth of stimulus payments, members of the state’s all-Democratic House delegation said Tuesday. Eligible residents among an estimated 1.5 million Connecticut households are set to receive up to $1,400 in direct payments under the massive 628-page bill, which is now awaiting final approval in the House of Representatives. “That relief is going to be seen at the dinner table and assisting in terms of the day-to-day, ongoing efforts, on behalf of our citizens to make ends meet,” said U.S. Rep. John Larson, who represents the state’s 1st Congressional District. The federal lawmakers said Connecticut is set to receive funds for a variety of COVID-19-related needs. Those include expanded food assistance, rental and mortgage assistance, statewide and community-based vaccination clinics and outreach, health insurance subsidies, school safety improvements, child care tax credits, and an estimated $276 million in direct aid to financially struggling child care providers.

Delaware

Dover: The state says it’s reviewing new federal guidance that eases restrictions for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The Delaware Division of Public Health told the Delaware State News on Monday that it will determine how to incorporate the federal updates into the state’s guidance for residents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says people who are fully vaccinated can gather indoors with others who’ve been fully vaccinated without wearing a mask or social distancing. Vaccinated people can also come together in a single household with people who are considered at low risk for severe disease. For instance, fully vaccinated grandparents could visit healthy children and grandchildren. A person is considered fully inoculated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of the vaccine. However, the CDC is continuing to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks and maintain social distancing when in public.

District of Columbia

Washington: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has acquired the vial that contained the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine administered in the United States as part of its plans to document the global pandemic and “this extraordinary period we were going through.” The acquisition, along with other materials related to that first vaccine dose, was announced by the museum Tuesday to mark the upcoming one-year anniversary of the pandemic. Associated Press journalists were given an exclusive backstage look at the newly obtained materials, which include vials, special shipping equipment, and the medical scrubs and ID badge of the New York City nurse who was America’s first COVID-19 vaccine recipient. “We wanted objects that would tell the full story,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum’s director. “Everything from the scrubs to the freezer unit that shipped the vaccines.” Although there are a host of coronavirus-related anniversaries taking place, the museum is choosing to mark Thursday – March 11, the day last year that the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. That’s also the week that much of American life shut down as the coronavirus made inroads into offices, homes and sporting events.

Florida

Miami Beach: Local faith leaders and the fire department have joined resources to expedite vaccination of older adults starting with the homebound and those in low-income housing. Through late February the initiative was responsible for delivering 5,466 shots in the city, where a relatively high 17% of its 92,000 residents are 65 and over, including hundreds of Holocaust survivors. “We’re not responding with lights and sirens, but we are responding to a need in the community,” Miami Beach Fire Chief Virgil Fernandez said. Firefighters already have an “evacuation list” of people they need to get to safety during hurricanes. To go beyond that, they turned to temples and churches that minister to and are familiar with many of the neediest in the community. Rabbi Mendy Levy of the Chabad Hasidic movement helps train health care providers who treat Holocaust survivors, some of whom can be retraumatized by triggers such as injections and white coats after being subjected to experiments carried out by doctors in concentration camps. It’s crucial that firefighters and nurses take the vaccines to a welcoming setting, such as a synagogue or a patient’s home, and visit with them and their families. “Though it’s a trigger, so in general they are afraid, they recognize this is a God-given gift,” Levy said.

Georgia

Atlanta: Every hospital or nursing home patient could designate at least one person who would have at least one hour of access each day under a bill approved by the state House on Monday. The legislation – a response to hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities banning visitors for months at a time during the coronavirus pandemic – now moves to the Senate for more debate. Gov. Brian Kemp implemented a ban on visitors at long-term care facilities in April by executive order. In September, Kemp eased those restrictions by putting in place a phased approach to allowing visitors based on the severity of a COVID-19 outbreak in a particular area. House lawmakers held multiple hearings during which they heard emotional testimony saying people were suffering because of loneliness and avoiding medical care to avoid being cut off from loved ones. “People have things they need to say,” said Rep. Bonnie Rich, R-Suwanee, who recounted her own severe illness in the hospital with her husband by her side. “What kind of society denies this? How many people have died in the last year with things they needed to say to loved ones? Is there anything really more important?” Hospital representatives raised concerns that the measure could heighten the risk of the virus spreading among vulnerable populations.

Hawaii

Honolulu: The state Department of Health has launched a mental health crisis counseling hotline to provide residents support amid the coronavirus pandemic. The new program, called “Ku Makani – The Hawaii Resiliency Project,” offers counseling, education and information for people experiencing mental health crises during the pandemic, Hawaii News Now reports. The program has trained counselors on each island and serves people who speak multiple language, with staff fluent in Ilokano, Spanish, Hawaiian, Tongan, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Japanese, Palauan and Samoan. The state Department of Health received a $2.1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to create the program. Residents can access it by calling Hawaii CARES 1-800-753-6879 and selecting option No. 1. Calls can be made between 4 and 9 p.m. on weekdays and state holidays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The service is available for children, teenagers and adults.

Idaho

Boise: A state House panel on Tuesday approved legislation banning anyone under 21 from buying cigarettes or electronic smoking products. The House Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday approved the measure that will bring Idaho in line with the federal smoking age. Former President Donald Trump signed a law last year that bars tobacco sales to anyone under 21. Supporters said Idaho stores are already abiding by federal law, but state law needs to be changed to avoid confusion and confrontations in stores. Opponents said the law will limit local governments in prohibiting specific types of smoking products. Opponents also said young people ages 18 to 20 who can legally do such things as join the military or buy a house should be able to buy cigarettes or vaping products. There was concern among some lawmakers that the legislation could prevent local leaders from banning smoking in parks. But backers of the legislation said the ability for cities and towns to do that is found in other areas of Idaho law. “We are not trying to stop anyone from saying where you can and can’t smoke,” Pam Eaton, of the Idaho Retailers Association, told lawmakers. “We’re just trying to make uniform the laws retailers have to follow.”

Illinois

Chicago: Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday said the mass vaccination site at Chicago’s United Center will be limited to city residents because the federal government wants to ensure people most in need are being vaccinated. According to officials, more than 40,000 people 65 and older booked appointments at the United Center since registration began Thursday, but fewer than 40% were Chicago residents. Lightfoot said Monday that the disparity prompted discussions about ensuring the appointments were open to more Black and Latino city dwellers. Pritzker said as a result of weekend negotiations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency over the United Center vaccination policy, the state is securing additional doses on top of its usual allotment to be used at federally run mobile vaccination sites outside Chicago. Those who made their appointments prior to Sunday’s eligibility change can keep their appointments, Pritzker said. A second website is being established so suburban Cook County residents can eventually sign up for vaccine appointments at the United Center. Chicago public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the site may eventually be open to all Illinois residents.

Indiana

Indianapolis: While customers of 317 Burger are devouring truffle fries and burgers ordered through a delivery app, the locally owned restaurant is eating a chunk of the cost. Delivery services are both a blessing and a curse for the local restaurant industry, which has been relying on providers such as Uber Eats, Grubhub and DoorDash to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. “Takeout works if you are at full capacity, and you couldn’t fit another person in the restaurant, but you still have a person making food and whatnot,” said 317 Burger owner Bill Ficca. “But if you’re only allowed to operate at a fraction of your capacity, and then you pay someone 30% of your retail price or your menu price, you lose money.” A new proposal making its way through the Indianapolis City-County Council would temporarily limit the fees that third-party food delivery services charge to restaurants, an attempt to protect a local food industry already struggling to stay afloat. The ordinance, which is up for a council vote March 15, would restrict fees to 15% of the pretax cost of the meal for delivery services and 5% for other services such as credit card processing or online pickup fees. The restrictions would sunset 90 days after Marion County eliminates restrictions for indoor dining, which is now limited to 75% capacity.

Iowa

Des Moines: Des Moines Public Schools is giving middle and high school students who might otherwise have received failing grades this school year the chance to raise their grades this summer or next school year. “It felt like an F wasn’t necessarily representative of students necessarily not learning,” said Sarah Dougherty, Des Moines schools director of secondary teaching and learning. “It could represent a whole lot of things, a whole lot of hardships on our community and our families and our students during the pandemic.” The solution is to give students incompletes and the chance to either make up the classes this summer or retake them during the 2021-22 school year. The move, described as for one year only, was prompted by the learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. School officials opted to start the 2020-21 school year completely online despite a state mandate that districts offer at least 50% in-person instruction, and the district continued instruction online in November through January after receiving a waiver from the state due to the high number of coronavirus cases in Polk County. As of Feb. 12, 15.3% of middle schoolers and 59.1% of high schoolers in the district had a D or F in at least one course.

Kansas

Wichita: Middle and high school school students in the state’s largest school district will be able to return in person five days a week after spring break as more staff members are vaccinated and coronavirus numbers improve. The Wichita Eagle reports the Board of Education in the 47,000-student district voted 6-0 Monday to make the change, which will take effect starting March 29, though the district will continue to offer a virtual learning option. Elementary students already had been learning in person five days a week. But older students are attending classes in a hybrid mode in which they learn at home part of the time and and in person the rest of the time. School data on COVID-19 cases and quarantines has been improving. As of Friday, the district reported 307 employees were in active quarantines, down from 622 as of Jan. 8. The district has administered 4,590 first doses of a vaccine to school staff as of Sunday. Meanwhile, the community has begun vaccinating more essential workers. About 30,000 workers in the aviation supply chain, 3,500 public safety officials, 1,700 licensed child care providers and 1,100 meatpacking workers may begin scheduling appointments through the county’s website Tuesday, Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz said.

Kentucky

Frankfort: About a quarter of the state’s adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Monday, and he expects that number to rise as more vaccination sites open and supplies increase. “This is, in many ways, a race against time against the variants,” Beshear said at a virtual news briefing. “If we can continue that downward trajectory while increasing the number of people vaccinated, then we can hopefully get to the end of this thing sooner rather than later.” Kentucky reported 331 new confirmed coronavirus cases, the lowest number of new cases since Sept. 14. Beshear also announced 10 coronavirus-related deaths. Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s public health commissioner, advised that fully vaccinated Kentuckians should continue wearing face coverings and follow social distancing guidelines in public. The state’s test positivity rate is 4.06%. The positivity rate is an indicator of the extent of the spread of the virus, according to the World Health Organization. If the rate is less than 5% for two weeks, and testing is widespread, the virus is considered under control. Fifteen of Kentucky’s 120 counties are reported to be in the red zone – the most serious category for COVID-19 incidence rates.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: On the one-year anniversary of its first confirmed COVID-19 case, the state widened COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older who has among two dozen high-risk medical conditions, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday. The broader eligibility sweeps hundreds of thousands of additional people onto the access list starting immediately. The Democratic governor’s decision adds anyone with hypertension asthma, cancer, diabetes, sickle cell disease, chronic kidney or liver disease, chronic pulmonary disease, Down syndrome, heart conditions, a weakened immune system or one of several other preexisting conditions. Smokers and people who are overweight also are eligible. In addition, people who work at homeless shelters, jails and group homes now have access. Those who are 16 or 17 will have access to the Pfizer vaccine because it is the only vaccine currently authorized for younger people. The hopeful news about broadened vaccine access fell on the same day Louisiana marked a more somber benchmark. Exactly a year prior, the state received confirmation of its first coronavirus case in the New Orleans area. Since then, 9,044 deaths from COVID-19 have been confirmed across the state, and hundreds of additional deaths are suspected.

Maine

Portland: There are going to be more happy campers this summer as more camps choose to reopen despite the pandemic, providing millions more kids an opportunity to gather around a campfire. Most camp directors sat out last summer as the coronavirus raged across the country, either because of state restrictions or because of concerns about keeping kids healthy. But with cases declining and more people vaccinated each day, many are feeling more confident about reopening this season. Parents are scrambling to get their kids signed up before slots are filled in Maine, where at least 100 overnight camps will be open. “Given all that kids have gone through, it’s an amazing opportunity for them that gives them a glimpse of normal life in a world that’s far from normal,” said Elisabeth Mischel, of Short Hills, New Jersey, who’s sending her two boys, 11 and 13, to camp in Maine. At Camp Winnebago, owner Andy Lilienthal said camp directors know how to keep kids safe – there were no infections at his camp last summer – and they’ll make adjustments needed to carry on. His biggest concern at this point is that there’s so much demand amid worries about the emotional toll the pandemic is taking on kids. “It makes me sad to turn people away,” he said.

Maryland

Annapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan is proposing a $1,000 bonus for state employees. The Republican governor submitted a $74 million supplemental budget Monday to provide for the bonuses. The governor’s office said the bonuses are made possible in part by the early and aggressive budget actions taken last year in response to projected revenue impacts from COVID-19. Hogan said the bonuses recognize the hard work of state employees, who have overcome significant challenges to deliver essential services to Marylanders during this public health emergency. The supplemental budget for the bonuses will need approval by the General Assembly. If they are approved, they would take effect April 14 for most employees and April 21 for University System of Maryland employees.

Massachusetts

Boston: Unions representing teachers and firefighters have proposed having firefighters administer COVID-19 vaccines to educators, who become eligible to sign up for their shots later this week. Union leaders are scheduled to meet Wednesday with the state’s health and human services secretary to discuss the plan, which they say would make the process of inoculating teachers faster and more convenient. “Our educators are working during the day, and the majority of them are already in schools … and they can’t be at a computer all day hitting ‘refresh’ trying to get an appointment,” Beth Kontos, president of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, told The Boston Globe. “It would be much better if we could deliver our vaccine to school sites.” Unions have already met four times with Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders about the proposal, she said. About 400,000 teachers, school staff and day care workers are eligible to sign up for vaccinations starting Thursday. The proposal is based on the process that was used to vaccinate first responders, many of whom got shots in their workplaces. Kate Reilly, a state COVID-19 Response Command Center spokesperson, said in a statement that Sudders “has recurring meetings” with education officials and unions.

Michigan

Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking Michiganders to turn on the lights outside their homes for an hour to remember thousands of people who have died from COVID-19. The remembrance will occur from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, one year after the state first confirmed coronavirus cases. Michigan has seen more than 16,600 confirmed or probable deaths tied to the disease and more than 658,000 infections, spurred by surges last spring and in the fall and winter. Whitmer said Monday that turning on porch lights will “remember those we’ve lost and remind ourselves that even in times of darkness, we’re in this together. As we mark this occasion, we also look towards the light at the end of the tunnel.” The authorization of three vaccines will protect people from COVID-19 and help the country and economy return to normal, she said.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: The state is expanding eligibility for vaccines after reaching its goal of inoculating at least 70% of people ages 65 and older, Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday. The state will expand eligibility to the next two phases at once starting Wednesday to include people with underlying health conditions and those at a risk of workplace exposure, including about 45,000 people who work at food processing plants. Walz said the state expects to have 70% of seniors vaccinated by Wednesday, weeks before an earlier projection of the end of March. The governor said he feels a “real sense of urgency” to ramp up vaccination efforts to diminish the impact of coronavirus variants spreading across Minnesota. The next two phases include about 1.8 million people. Providers are encouraged to prioritize vaccinating individuals with underlying health conditions who would be most at risk of hospitalization or death due to the virus. They include Minnesotans with sickle cell disease or Down syndrome, those in cancer treatment or who are immunocompromised from organ transplant, and those who have oxygen-dependent chronic lung and heart conditions. Front-line workers in food service, food retail, food production, manufacturing, agriculture and public transit, among others sectors, are also eligible.

Mississippi

Jackson: The state’s top public health official is urging people to continue wearing masks in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus, even after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves lifted a mask mandate. Dr. Thomas Dobbs, the state health officer, said during a news conference Monday that Mississippi has seen a significant decrease in hospitalizations from COVID-19 in recent weeks, but “we’re not done with the COVID pandemic.” “Just like in a baseball game, if you’re up a run or two in the sixth or seventh inning, you don’t just lay down and let the other team just go at it on offense,” Dobbs said. “It’s time to continue with some of the safety measures we have in place. Continue to mask in public. Continue to avoid indoor social gatherings. And get vaccinated when it’s your turn.” The Health Department said Monday that more than 488,000 people in the state of 3 million have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 276,000 are fully vaccinated. Dobbs said Mississippi is closing the gap on racial disparities in vaccinations. Black people, who comprise 38% of the population, now represent 25% of those who have received at least one dose, up from about 17% in early February.

Missouri

St. Louis: A year after the state confirmed its first COVID-19 infection, local governments on Monday continued to relax coronavirus restrictions as the number of cases in the state declines and vaccinations efforts expand. Gov. Mike Parson and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page announced the state’s first case March 7, 2020 – a woman from the county who had recently returned after studying in Italy. “Since COVID-19 struck Missouri one year ago, we have worked nonstop to take a balanced approach, fight the virus, and keep Missourians as safe as possible,” Parson said in a statement Monday. “A tremendous amount of work has been accomplished over the past 12 months, and I could not be more proud of Missourians for their efforts.” Page announced Monday that several health orders prompted by COVID-19 will be eased, effective immediately. Those include increasing public gathering limits from 10 to 20 people and allowing businesses to stay open until midnight. Also Monday, the Cape Girardeau County Commission voted unanimously to rescind the county’s mask mandate, effective immediately, and replace it with a statement saying wearing masks is “highly recommended” to help control the spread of COVID-19.

Montana

Kalispell: The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill approved by the U.S. Senate over the weekend includes funding for Amtrak’s Empire Builder route, which runs through northern Montana. Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester proposed the legislation to provide up to $166 million to reinstate furloughed Amtrak employees and restore daily service on the carrier’s routes, the Daily Inter Lake reports. The bill now moves to the House, where it is expected to be approved before heading to the desk of President Joe Biden to sign. The Empire Builder and other long-distance routes were cut because of a massive decline in passengers as a result of the pandemic. The company furloughed about 1,250 employees nationwide. The Empire Builder route was reduced to operating three days a week between Chicago and Seattle and Portland, Oregon. It services a dozen communities in Montana, including Whitefish, where more than 55,000 passengers board or disembark annually. “Folks on the Hi-Line depend on Amtrak to stay connected, and its full return will boost the economy and create good-paying jobs across the region,” Tester said.

Nebraska

Omaha: Officials may start using mobile sites to help expand the number of places where residents can get a COVID-19 vaccine as available doses increase, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday. His comments came as the number of new vaccinations administered continues to trend upward, with dips on weekends. “Certainly, that may be one thing we do,” Ricketts said at a coronavirus news conference. Health officials inoculated a new one-day high of 20,949 people Thursday. Statewide, 12% of Nebraska residents who are at least 16 years old have been fully vaccinated, according to the state’s online tracking portal. Nebraska hospitals that are working through the state’s vaccination program have received 502,470 doses so far. The state has also received 109,735 through the federal government’s retail pharmacy program, which distributes vaccines to local pharmacies. Ricketts said the state has seen success with mass vaccination sites, such as the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department’s location at Pinnacle Bank Arena in downtown Lincoln. Nebraska officials are still giving top priority for vaccinations to residents who are at least 65 years old, a group that accounts for a large majority of the state’s coronavirus deaths.

Nevada

Las Vegas: Health officials reported Monday that about 1 in 6 people statewide has received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine since shots became available in mid-December. “I do think progress is starting to finally click and continue to increase,” said James English, COVID-19 response operations chief in Washoe County, where state statistics show 16.8% of residents have received their first shot, and 9.8% have been fully vaccinated. In Clark County, home to Las Vegas, the first-dose figure was about 16.2%, with the Las Vegas area nearing 200,000 people fully vaccinated – almost 8.5% of the area population, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Statewide, the number of first doses was nearly 16.5%, and full vaccinations reached almost 9%. English said he expected vaccinations to “ramp up” during the next couple of weeks. Washoe County health officials said they have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and plan to begin administering it for the first time this week. Some area pharmacies and other providers in Reno and Sparks received the single-shot vaccine last week. A first shipment of about 15,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses also arrived in Las Vegas last week.

New Hampshire

Concord: Looking beyond the pending coronavirus relief package, some town managers in the state worry about the future of small businesses, infrastructure projects and caring for older adults. “Businesses are trying to reopen, they’re trying to have some normalcy, but if they don’t survive, we’re going to have a lot of empty storefronts” and concern about a property tax base loss, said Steve Fournier, Newmarket town manager, during a call hosted Monday by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Shaheen said there is some funding in the pending $1.9 trillion package for small businesses. Some managers are hoping for money for infrastructure projects. A fund in the package is included to help state and local governments with them. Butch Burbank, town manager in Lincoln, said the town is planning for the expansion of water storage facilities for fire protection. He also expressed concern about retaining workers in service industries, and Shaheen said the relief package contains funding for job retraining and the restaurant industry. In Sunapee, Town Manager Donna Nashawaty said more broadband expansion funds would be welcome and expressed concern that some seniors are still isolated. Shaheen there is funding in the bill for services for seniors, including mental health programs.

New Jersey

Middletown: With the state’s commercial fishing industry about to receive a second round of federal coronavirus aid, boat owners and those who run fishing-related businesses say the extra money is helping to keep them afloat amid a sea of red ink. New Jersey’s fishing industry received $11 million last March under congressional pandemic relief. And it should get roughly the same amount under a second bill passed by Congress in December, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. said Monday. Pallone, D-N.J., held a news conference at the Belford Seafood Cooperative in Middletown with boat owners and those who run related businesses. Many said the extra money could make the difference between working and not working this spring and summer. “In the fishing industry, we’re no strangers to uncertainty. We have overcome many challenges, but nothing prepared us for 2020,” said Jung Kim, owner of a bait and tackle shop in South Amboy. He estimated his store lost up to 65% of its business over the past year, including a sharp dip in wholesale supply distribution. The charter fishing industry also sustained deep losses last year as normally packed boats were subjected to capacity limitations in the name of slowing the coronavirus’ spread. Many customers simply stayed away.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: The state House of Representatives endorsed a tax increase Monday that would boost subsidies for insurance coverage on the state health insurance exchange. The bill, which moves to the Senate for consideration, has the support of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. A similar proposal to broadly increase the surtax on insurance premiums won House approval and stalled in the Senate last year, as the federal government repealed its health care provider fee that helped support state insurance markets established under the Affordable Care Act. About 45,000 residents of New Mexico rely on the insurance exchange for health care. At the same time, separate enrollment has swelled during the coronavirus pandemic in Medicaid insurance for people living in poverty or on the cusp as the federal government pours extra money into the program. As the economy recovers and Medicaid enrollment unwinds, state insurance regulators hope to lower costs for many consumers of marketplace insurance policies and broaden the enrollment pool to make the exchange more useful and sustainable. House Republicans stood in unified opposition to the surtax increase. GOP House minority caucus chair Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences described the bill as an affront to small business amid the economic fallout from the pandemic.

New York

Syracuse: The state will lower COVID-19 vaccine eligibility from age 65 to 60 this week and will soon loosen restrictions on vaccination sites that local officials have criticized, under a plan Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday. Cuomo said anyone who qualifies will be able to be vaccinated starting Wednesday. Eligibility is also open to people with certain health conditions and to certain essential workers including teachers, health care providers and police officers. The Democratic governor said promises of more vaccine shipments have made him comfortable with increasing eligibility, even with overall supplies still too low to vaccinate everyone eligible in New York. His office had previously estimated 7 million New Yorkers were eligible before the list grew to include millions more with underlying medical conditions. “But the supply is increasing,” said Cuomo, who spoke at a vaccination site in Syracuse. Cuomo said New York will allow additional essential workers to receive the vaccine starting March 17: public and certain nonprofit employees who interact with the public, public works employees, child service case workers, sanitation workers and building service workers. “These are the people who are the everyday heroes,” Cuomo said.

North Carolina

Nags Head: Officials with the Cape Hatteras National Seashore say its beaches on North Carolina’s Outer Banks recently saw a record-breaking surge in visitors. The Virginian-Pilot reports the national seashore recorded nearly 87,000 visitors in January. The park said in a news release that the number breaks the record for January 2020 by 5,000. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore has 67 miles of shoreline from Oregon Inlet to Ocracoke. People visit in the winter months for walks on the beach, shell collecting and reeling in fish. Dave Hallac, superintendent of the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said the desire for escape from coronavirus-related isolation helped fuel the increase in visitors. “More people are seeing the beauty of the seashore during the winter,” he said Friday. “You can pretty much drive from anywhere on the East Coast to the Outer Banks in a day.” The park saw 2.6 million visitors during 2020 despite the fact that Dare and Hyde counties had blocked access to the beaches from March to May because of the pandemic. The number was the still highest in 17 years.

North Dakota

Bismarck: The Republican-led Legislature has relaxed a requirement for lawmakers to wear masks in House and Senate chambers. The Senate on Monday endorsed the rule change with the needed two-thirds vote. The House met the two-thirds threshold Friday, before sending the change over to the other chamber. Most Democrats opposed the change, along with only a handful of GOP lawmakers. Only a couple of lawmakers have announced publicly that they have been infected with the coronavirus since the session began Jan. 5. Democratic House Minority Leader Josh Boschee said the mask mandate in the chambers should “absolutely not” go away. “It’s worked,” he said. Lawmakers decided ahead of the session that convened in January to require masks at the state Capitol to help protect lawmakers and the public, despite opposition by ultraconservative members of the Republican-controlled Legislature. No one has been sanctioned under the rule, despite a relatively lax attitude toward wearing face coverings by many members. The amended rule only allows lawmakers to be maskless on chamber floors. The public and media still must wear a face covering.

Ohio

Cincinnati: Dancing is again allowed at weddings, proms and banquet hall events, state health officials clarified this week. A March 2 health order lifted the 300-person capacity limit for banquet halls and catering facilities. The order didn’t explicitly mention dancing, but an Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman confirmed the order replaced a November health order temporarily banning socializing in congregate areas and dancing. Gov. Mike DeWine put that ban in place as cases and hospitalizations were rising statewide. The new order applies to “wedding receptions, funeral repasts, proms and other events, whether or not food is served, at banquet facilities.” Facilities must adhere to the business safety guidelines issued in orders Sept. 23 and July 23. That includes face coverings for everyone except when eating or drinking, which must be done while seated. “In short, dancing is permitted by both the Sept. 23 order, and for those specific types of events mentioned in the recently amended mass gathering order,” Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Alicia Shoults wrote in an email.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: State health officials plan to start offering COVID-19 vaccines Tuesday to workers in a wide range of essential industries, a move that will immediately make a vast majority of Oklahomans eligible. Also on the list for the vaccine beginning Tuesday will be child care workers and students and employees at colleges, universities and vocational schools. “This is a big step,” Oklahoma Deputy Health Commissioner Keith Reed said. “By the time we roll this group in, we’ve practically covered everyone in the state.” Reed said the latest expansion should include all but about 500,000 Oklahomans. Oklahoma’s list of essential industries includes a wide range of jobs, including manufacturing, construction, communications, energy, finance, state and federal government, transportation and retail. Oklahoma currently ranks tenth in the nation with 20.9% of its population having received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That compares to a national average of 18.1%. Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s seven-day rolling averages of coronavirus test positivity rate, daily new cases and daily deaths have all declined over the past two weeks, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Oregon

Portland: The state’s housing problem was further exacerbated in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires. Lawmakers are considering options that include building more shelters, extending the grace period by which tenants must pay back their rent, increasing homeownership access to low-income individuals, and an effort to reduce housing disparities for communities of color. The housing bills being considered in Salem were outlined by House Speaker Tina Kotek alongside housing committee chairs Sen. Kayse Jama, D-Portland, and Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene. “Oregon had a housing crisis before the pandemic dramatically worsened income inequality and wildfires devastated the housing supply in vulnerable communities,” Kotek said Monday. “The Legislature has worked hard in recent sessions to turn the tide, and this moment demands that we keep pushing forward.” The 17 bills lawmakers presented include $535 million in new state investments for increasing affordable housing, addressing homelessness and supporting homeownership. Lawmakers say they are also “expecting significant federal support” from the federal government.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: State, county and city governments in Pennsylvania will receive about $13 billion from the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue package making its way through Congress – a huge sum of money at a time when the state is projecting a multibillion-dollar deficit. The state’s share of that will be about $7.3 billion, while the other $5.7 billion will go to local governments, officials with the Independent Fiscal Office told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. Governments can use the money to pay for costs associated with responding to the pandemic or to backfill revenue losses inflicted by the pandemic’s effects, they said. It cannot finance tax cuts, they said. The Independent Fiscal Office has projected a roughly $2.5 billion deficit for state government next year, with much of the rising costs being driven by long-term nursing care for a growing number of elderly residents. Pennsylvania’s tax collections this year through February, the eighth month of the fiscal year, were slightly behind last year’s collections when adjusting for $1.8 billion that the Department of Revenue said was collected in this fiscal year because of delayed tax-filing deadlines last year.

Rhode Island

Providence: The state plans to get all K-12 teachers, school support staffers and workers at state licensed child care facilities their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of March, Gov. Daniel McKee said Tuesday. The shots will be administered starting as early as this week at the 30 local vaccination clinics already established around the state, the Democrat said during a news conference at a Pawtucket vaccination site. Staffers at public, private and parochial schools will be eligible. Support staff including paraprofessionals, clerical staff, custodial staff, bus drivers and others are included in the plan, he said. “Getting our teachers, school staff and child care workers vaccinated is one of the best things we can do right now to support students, families, schools and our economy,” McKee said Tuesday. The only exception will be in Providence, where a clinic exclusively for school and day care workers will be set up to administer the shots, state Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said. To reach the state’s goals, about 18,500 teachers, school staffers and child care workers need to be vaccinated, said Tom McCarthy, director of the state Department of Health’s COVID-19 unit. People will be vaccinated based on where they work, not where they live, he said.

South Carolina

Greenville: Sales of lottery tickets have soared during the coronavirus pandemic. Experts attribute the trend to a lack of other entertainment options, federal stimulus payments that left players flush with cash and two big jackpots earlier this year. Slightly more than $2 billion was spent on lottery tickets in South Carolina between mid-April 2020 and the end of last month, an increase of more than $300 million, or almost 19%, compared to the same period in the prior year. “This has been a very unusual and in many ways unprecedented year,” South Carolina Education Lottery spokesperson Holli Armstrong said in an email. The increase in sales of lottery tickets has led to a corresponding boost in the amount of scholarship money that the state has for students attending its technical colleges and universities. Projections of lottery revenues available for funding scholarships have increased by nearly 20% in recent months. The proposed state budget prepared last week by a state House committee includes $575 million in lottery revenues, nearly $52 million more than Gov. Henry McMaster put in his spending plan in January. On the flip side, another likely result of the increase in lottery ticket sales is that some players spent more than they could afford without winning.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls: The state Department of Corrections won’t say how many of its staff or those in their care are receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Almost a third of the state’s adults have been vaccinated. And though staff and those incarcerated have been offered shots, officials with the department have refused on multiple occasions to say how many have opted to receive one. The corrections department started releasing daily updates on inmate and staff COVID-19 case numbers in late April 2020 after news outlets reported the department wouldn’t publicly share case numbers, as routinely done in other states. But there’s been no sign the department would make a similar move when it came to vaccines. About 2,300 people in the state’s prison population have contracted the coronavirus, according to the department, giving the state prison system the third-highest infection rate in the nation based on a state-by-state prison COVID-19 tracker from the Marshall Project and the Associated Press. Seven incarcerated men have died with COVID-19. As of Tuesday, one person in prison had COVID-19. A few cases have popped up in the past few weeks after the department reported in late January that all inmates had recovered from the disease.

Tennessee

Nashville: The city intends to vaccinate 10,000 residents in one day at a drive-thru event at Nissan Stadium on March 20 – the largest mass vaccination drive announced in Tennessee so far. The event will exclusively use the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, so participants won’t be required to seek a second dose elsewhere, according to the Nashville Metro Public Health Department. The event will last from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in stadium parking lots A through D, according to a news release. Registration begins 10 a.m. Wednesday at covid19.nashville.gov. Eligibility is limited to people age 65 or above in or vaccination phases 1A, 1B or 1C, according to a news release announcing the event. There is no sign-up process available by phone. To keep lines as short as possible, those who sign up for the Nissan Stadium event are encouraged to come to the event with multiple registrants in a single car but not more people than the number of doors on the vehicle. Nashville officials expect the stadium event to be the first of several “large-scale drive-thru events” in the coming weeks, and state health officials have considered similar events at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge and Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon.

Texas

Austin: Despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide mask mandate ending Wednesday, the Austin area’s top public health official said he wanted to hold off on relaxing pandemic rules because of an uptick in hospitalizations over the weekend. Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority, told members of the City Council and the County Commissioners Court that he recommended keeping the area in Stage 4 of Austin Public Health’s risk-based guidelines until at least the end of the week. Austin and Travis County businesses must still require customers to wear masks as part of a local ordinance passed in July, city and county officials said Tuesday. Those rules are set expire next month, but Austin and Travis County leaders said they will stay in place until then. Under the city and county rules, people can face criminal charges if they walk into a business without a mask and refuse to leave if asked by the business. It’s still unclear whether Abbott will challenge the local decision on masks. Past pandemic policies have been superseded by the governor’s pandemic-related executive orders. However, the rules in July were set in place by Escott as the area’s health authority, not Mayor Steve Adler or Travis County Judge Andy Brown.

Utah

St. George: The popular outdoor sculpture gallery Art Around the Corner makes its return this month, with a full collection of pieces set for installation ahead of the scheduled St. George Art Festival, which starts April 2. The popular open-air gallery was most recently updated in 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic delaying any 2020 updates, but residents can expect to start seeing new pieces of work move into place along the city’s downtown streets in the coming weeks. The new collection is expected to draw works from artists across the U.S., in addition to sculptures from well-known local artists like Matt Clark, Marcia Robinson-Rouse and Cheryl Collins. Other familiar names include northern Utah sculptors Deveren Farley, Dana Kuglin, Gary Lee Price and Dan Toone. “Art Around the Corner’s 2021-2022 Outdoor Sculpture Gallery will be the perfect celebration of a community reconnecting after a very challenging year,” said Marianne Hamilton, the chair of the board that organizes the event. “The new show includes a very diverse range of styles and materials, from traditional bronze sculptures to pieces crafted from recycled and reclaimed metal components, and will feature everything from a winged angel to a revered historical figure to a heavy-metal rocker.”

Vermont

Montpelier: The number of new coronavirus cases in the state is increasing, but cases among older Vermonters and deaths continue to decline, officials said Tuesday. Statistics also show the vaccination campaign that focused on older Vermonters first is producing results, with fewer cases in long-term care facilities, fewer hospitalizations, fewer patients in intensive care and fewer deaths. Despite the recent increase in cases, officials expect the number positive tests reported in the state to hold steady over the next several weeks and then decline as the vaccination program continues. The state is estimating there will be seven to 15 deaths in March, down from 71 in December, 34 in January and 25 in February. “We are concerned, but it seems to be at least steady and level, and we do feel that our strategy as we continue to vaccinate those by age-band after we get through this high-risk category will be beneficial to the state,” Gov. Phil Scott said Tuesday during the twice-weekly virus briefing. The statistics were released as state officials said they were moving to Thursday when people ages 16-54 with high-risk medical conditions will be able to register for vaccinations. The plan had been for that group to begin registering March 15, but fewer people in the 55-64 category were registering than expected.

Virginia

Richmond: Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday that he hopes the state has reached the final stage of the coronavirus pandemic as the vaccination rate grows and the number of new COVID-19 cases goes down. The Democratic governor said Virginia has already reached a goal of administering an average of 50,000 vaccine shots a day. And he said 1.5 million residents – or 18% of Virginians – have received at least one dose. The state also reported more than 1,500 new coronavirus cases Monday. That number is far below the nearly 10,000 new cases that were reported in mid-January as cases surged following the holidays. But Northam, who is a physician, cautioned that a return to normal won’t happen until the state has reached “herd immunity.” That is when the virus can longer find the human hosts it needs to survive and mutate. “The vaccines are a light at the end of a long tunnel, and that light gets brighter every day,” Northam said at a news conference. “For now, we need to keep doing the things that we know work. Wash your hands. Wear your mask. Keep your distance. But there is every reason to be hopeful that things are getting better for all.” Northam urged people to answer their phones to make sure they receive calls from health officials who are scheduling vaccine appointments.

Washington

Seattle: Local officials say the start of in-person classes for some special education students and preschoolers has been pushed back to March 29. Seattle Public Schools had hoped to resume classroom learning for some students this week. The new target date was announced Tuesday by the district and the teachers union. The Seattle Times reports the announcement comes after intense opposition from the union to the district’s move to summon 700 educators back to buildings this week to teach students ahead of an agreement on expanding in-person instruction. Those educators were supposed to report to their buildings Monday to ready their classrooms for learning, but a campaign by the Seattle Education Association asked them to stay remote. A safety check of some district buildings by union and district officials, an independent HVAC system contractor and the state Labor & Industries department found no major issues. The two parties are still working on an agreement to offer in-person services to about 10,000 students, including kindergartners and first graders. The timeline is the first jointly released by management and labor for any type of in-person instruction since the pandemic began. Seattle Public Schools is the state’s largest district, with about 50,000 students.

West Virginia

Charleston: West Virginia University will get a $307,000 grant to study best practices for online tutoring in science, technology, engineering and math fields for undergraduate students in response to learning loss during the pandemic. U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin announced the funding for the West Virginia University Research Corporation through the National Science Foundation. “The COVID-19 pandemic created major challenges for all of our educational institutions, forcing students to adapt to new methods of learning,” Capito said in a news release. Manchin praised the National Science Foundation for continuing to be a “great partner for West Virginia and our universities.” “I look forward to seeing the benefits of this research for students in West Virginia and across the nation,” Manchin said.

Wisconsin

Madison: About 2 million more residents, including those with certain preexisting conditions, will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in the next round to be announced later this week, the state’s deputy health secretary said Monday. That would be the single largest expansion of vaccine-eligible people in Wisconsin since the first doses began trickling into the state in mid-December. Those were targeted to front-line health care workers, then expanded to those over age 65, and this month a group of 700,000 people, including all teachers, was made eligible. Health officials have been under pressure to broaden those eligible to people with underlying health conditions that could put them more at risk of serious illness should they get COVID-19. State health officials have been working to determine which conditions will qualify and are expected to announce the next group Thursday, said Julie Willems Van Dijk, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It didn’t make sense to allow such a large group of people to become eligible earlier when vaccine supply was limit to only 70,000 doses a week, Willems Van Dijk said. Expanding too fast and creating a hope that vaccine is available even though supply already can’t meet demand remains a concern, she said.

Wyoming

Casper: Teton County health officials have detected the coronavirus variant that originated in South Africa. The Teton County Health Department said Monday that a sample from a resident who tested positive for the virus in January revealed the variant, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. Health officials said the person did not travel prior to becoming infected. The state Department of Health has not announced any other cases of the variant. County Health Officer Dr. Travis Riddell has encouraged residents to get tested for the coronavirus if they have symptoms or come in contact with someone who tested positive. “Testing is still our best mechanism to identify people who test positive for COVID-19 and to quickly work to determine their close contracts so that we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Riddell said. Health officials have advised that residents should continue to follow safety guidelines such as mask-wearing and social distancing.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Restaurant win, skiing changes: News from around our 50 states

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Montgomery: Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday extended a mask order until Jan. 22 as the state experiences a record-setting surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Ivey and State Health Officer Scott Harris announced the extension during a news conference at the Alabama Capitol. The order, which requires face coverings to be worn in public when interacting within 6 feet of people outside one’s household, had been scheduled to expire Friday. The Republican governor cited the rising case numbers as she announced the extension. Ivey said she has not seriously considered another lockdown. Alabama this week hit a record for the number of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 with more than 2,000 people hospitalized. The state also saw a record number of daily cases with more than 3,000 new infections being reported daily. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Alabama has risen over the past two weeks from 2,288 new cases a day Nov. 24 to 3,395 new cases a day Tuesday.

Alaska

Juneau: The traditional holiday open house at the governor’s mansion won’t be held this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesperson for Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Tuesday. Jeff Turner, by email, said the pandemic “has fundamentally changed how Alaskans will observe the holidays. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the community of Juneau, the decision has been made to cancel this year’s holiday open house.” The mansion in years past has opened to the public for the event, with the governor and often the lieutenant governor and their spouses greeting people as they file through the decorated house en route to a room filled with cookies and other treats. The holiday-season tradition began in 1913 and was held every year except for two years during World War II, the governor’s office has said. Dunleavy last month asked Alaskans to “consider celebrating differently” during the holidays. The state has reported more than 36,700 resident cases of COVID-19 and 145 related deaths.

Arizona

Phoenix: The state’s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 7,000 on Wednesday as it reported more than 100 additional fatalities from the virus. Arizona reported 4,444 additional COVID-19 cases and 108 deaths, increasing the state’s known totals to 382,601 cases and 7,081 deaths. Department of Health Services spokeswoman Holly Poynter said 80 of the 108 deaths were newly attributed to COVID-19 based on reviews of past death certificates. The results of such periodic reviews of death certificates produce larger-than-normal daily reports of deaths. According to the state’s coronavirus dashboard, COVID-19-related hospitalizations as of Tuesday reached 3,287, up 130 from Monday and including 766 patients in intensive care unit beds. The dashboard indicated that 10% of both hospital beds and ICU beds in hospitals statewide were vacant, with COVID-19 patients occupying 44% of the ICU beds. Hospital officials and public health experts have warned that the current surge could exceed the health system’s capacity.

Arkansas

Little Rock: The state’s positivity rate for coronavirus tests and its number of new cases put Arkansas in the “red zone,” and more limitations should be placed on bars and indoor dining until those rates drop, a new White House report said. The White House Coronavirus Task Force, in a report released Tuesday, said more than half of all Arkansas counties are experiencing high levels of community transmission of the virus, which has killed 2,752 people in the state since the start of the pandemic. “Pandemic spread is unyielding in Arkansas,” the report said. “Virus levels continue to increase and are extremely high; activities that were safe in the summer are not safe now.” Gov. Asa Hutchinson has resisted calls for more restrictions and said Tuesday that he’s still considering whether to impose stricter rules on large indoor gatherings. Under the state’s current coronavirus restrictions, indoor events with more than 100 people expected must have a plan approved beforehand by the state.

California

Los Angeles: Los Angeles County’s health director acted “arbitrarily” and didn’t prove the danger to the public when she banned outdoor dining at restaurants as coronavirus cases surged last month, a judge ruled Tuesday in a case other businesses may use to try to overturn closures and restrictions. The county failed to show that health benefits outweighed negative economic effects before issuing the ban, Superior Court Judge James Chalfant wrote. He also said the county did not offer evidence that outdoor dining presented a greater risk of spreading the virus. “By failing to weigh the benefits of an outdoor dining restriction against its costs, the county acted arbitrarily and its decision lacks a rational relationship to a legitimate end,″ the judge wrote. Chalfant limited the outdoor dining ban to three weeks and said once it expires Dec. 16, the Department of Public Health must conduct a risk-benefit analysis before trying to extend it. It was the first victory for California restaurants challenging health orders that have crippled their industry. But there was no immediate relief for LA county restaurant owners because a more sweeping shutdown ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom now is in effect.

Colorado

Denver: The state has lifted its coronavirus-related capacity restrictions on religious gatherings after the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily barred New York from imposing limits on such events. The amended state order went into effect Monday. State public health officials still recommend people limit religious gatherings as much as possible. “Worship and ceremonies such as weddings and funerals are classified as essential,” the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a statement. “This means that they must do their best to follow public health recommendations but may exceed recommended capacity caps if they cannot conduct their essential activity within those restrictions. They still must require masks indoors and other prevention measures like 6-foot spacing between members of different households and appropriate sanitation. Outdoor activities are still strongly preferred.” The state had allowed religious gatherings to occur at 50% of their capacity or up to 500 people in counties with the least amount of virus spread. No counties currently fit that criteria, the Colorado Sun reports.

Connecticut

Hartford: The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to front-line health care workers could begin as early as this weekend, state health officials said Wednesday. Eric Arlia, the director of pharmacy systems for Hartford HealthCare, said officials there expect to receive the vaccine within 24 hours of its emergency approval by the Food and Drug Administration and are prepared to quickly begin administering it to workers “that treat COVID patients or work on units that treat COVID patients.” “We’ll be prepared and ready to receive the vaccine as early as Friday,” he said. Arlia said he expects it will take two to three weeks to get the vaccine to all the front-line workers who wish to receive it. Yale New Haven Health has said assuming the FDA grants emergency approval, it plans to begin vaccinating its staff next week. Dr. Thomas Balcezak, chief clinical officer for the system, said officials hope to have 29,000 workers there vaccinated within three weeks. “That 29,000 is our estimate of how many individuals we have that come in contact with patients,” Balcezak said. “It’s a massive undertaking.”

Delaware

Dover: The Delaware Restaurant Association says new coronavirus restrictions in the state could force up to 40% of restaurants to shutter within a year without a financial lifeline. The Delaware State News reports the most recent COVID-19 rules restrict capacity in restaurants to 30%. The regulations were issued as Delaware experiences its highest rate of new daily cases and hospitalizations. The Delaware Restaurant Association said restaurants are being unfairly scapegoated for the surge. “Although we continue to support action to protect the health of all Delawareans, we believe there is an unfounded impression that restaurants are part of the problem,” DRA President and CEO Carrie Leishman said. “As a result, restaurants will severely suffer from these inconsistent and restrictive mandates not applied to other industries.” But Gov. John Carney has said that contact tracing data points to restaurants as places where people who have tested positive have been. “Places where you gather and you’re drinking alcohol and you might let your guard down,” Carney said. “That’s problematic only when we have a pandemic.”

District of Columbia

Washington: For the first time, D.C. is releasing data on the activities that may be leading to new cases of the coronavirus in the city, WUSA-TV reports. Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of the District of Columbia Department of Health, said Monday that her agency would begin publishing weekly data about exposure activities on the city’s coronavirus portal. The data reflects the percentage of people who’ve contracted COVID-19 who said they participated in certain activities deemed “high-risk” in the two weeks prior to developing symptoms. The first batch of data, posted Monday, shows that a shockingly high number of people are still participating in social events – nearly a quarter of all contact tracing respondents said they’d attended one in the two weeks before they got sick. Work, dining out and travel also ranked high among likely exposure activities.

Florida

Tallahassee: Giving to the Salvation Army’s famous Red Kettle campaign is down sharply in the city, with some shoppers keeping their distance from bell-ringers because of the coronavirus. With only two weeks left to give, the Salvation Army of Tallahassee has raised only $49,764, less than a quarter of the nonprofit’s $215,000 goal. Donations are off 20% from this time last year, when the campaign had $62,215 on hand. “From the reports we’re hearing, it’s the worst season in close memory,” said Margo Armistead, director of Community Relations. Armistead said fewer stores are participating this year because of COVID-19 concerns, and fewer civic clubs and individuals are volunteering. Fewer people are shopping in person, too. “Many people are calling in and having their groceries delivered and aren’t even going into the stores,” she said. “So we’ve lost an awful lot of foot traffic.” Armistead said the Salvation Army has taken steps to make giving as safe as possible, with personal protective equipment and frequent sanitization of surfaces.

Georgia

Savannah: The state should start distributing thousands of doses of coronavirus vaccine by the end of next week, though most people will have to wait several months before they can get a shot, Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday. The Republican governor praised the vaccines as “a miracle of modern science that will save countless lives” in a state where COVID-19 has killed more than 9,000 people. Kemp also warned that infections and hospitalizations are soaring in Georgia and that the virus will remain a serious threat well into 2021. The first doses, expected within the next 10 days, will be used to vaccinate Georgia health care workers and nursing home residents and employees. “The general public will be not able to be vaccinated for months,” Kemp said in a news conference streamed online from the state Capitol in Atlanta. “We must all continue to still wear our masks. We must still wash our hands. We must continue more than ever to watch our distance.”

Hawaii

Honolulu: The Hawaii National Guard has received approval for an extension of federal funds to continue assisting the state’s coronavirus response through March. The funding for National Guard units in Hawaii and 47 other states was scheduled to expire at the end of the month but was extended Thursday, Hawaii Public Radio reports. “The Hawaii situation is not unique,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Case said. “But it’s especially acute here in Hawaii because of all of the roles that we’re asking the Guard to play.” About 800 Hawaii National Guard members work daily throughout the state on tasks related to virus mitigation, including contact tracing, testing and the state’s incoming traveler program. The Guard’s activities cost about $8.5 million monthly, with the federal government providing 75% of the funds. Hawaii pays about $2 million per month. The Guard soon may take on the additional role of assisting with vaccine distribution, Case said. “The Guard is critical to the district distribution here in Hawaii, not just the receipt of it but the distribution across Hawaii itself,” Case said.

Idaho

Boise: Transportation officials have reported that highway and interstate traffic volumes on Thanksgiving Day were down in most of the state except eastern Idaho. Data from the state Department of Transportation shows about 20% fewer cars in northern Idaho and about 8% fewer cars near the Oregon state line compared to 2019, Boise State Public Radio reports. However, traffic headed south to Utah increased by 23% on Interstate 84 near the border and about 5% on Interstate 15, officials said. Vehicle counts on state highways were also up in eastern Idaho compared to last year. Department spokesman Jake Melder said that overall Thanksgiving traffic volumes – lower overall in southwest, south-central and northern Idaho, and higher in eastern Idaho – mirror current non-holiday traffic trends. Many hospitals across the state were overwhelmed before the holiday because of COVID-19, health officials said.

Illinois

Rockford: A coroner’s office has purchased a refrigerated trailer in the event deaths related to COVID-19 overwhelm his office’s capacity to store bodies. The purchase of the $30,000 trailer was made as space in the county’s morgue neared capacity, Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz said. “The way our numbers were rising at an alarming level, and I do say alarming, I did not want to be caught without any spaces left,” he said. Hintz told the Rockford Register-Star that there was ample room through early fall to accept bodies from each of the city’s hospitals as their smaller individual morgues began to fill up. The county morgue began to fill in November. Hintz said its 64-body capacity doesn’t accurately reflect the number of bodies that can be stored, and it is not unusual for a body to be kept at the morgue for 30 days or longer, adding that moving bodies to a funeral home in a timely fashion is not easy. “When we reach out to the next of kin and ask them what funeral home they would like to use, some of the answers we get are, ‘I don’t have a job. I lost my job due to COVID. It’s going to take me a little bit to find money so I can take care of my loved one,’ ” Hintz said.

Indiana

Indianapolis: The spread of the coronavirus continues to worsen, a weekly update of the state health department’s map shows. For the first time, zero counties are placed in the categories that show minimal or moderate community spread. The past few weeks, one county had been in the yellow category for moderate community spread. That means all 92 Indiana counties are now seeing moderate to high community spread, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. The number of counties the health department has categorized as red, for high community spread, more than doubled over the past week, from 16 to 36. All of the state’s other 56 counties are categorized as orange, for moderate to high spread. This means every county will face restrictions put in place by Gov. Eric Holcomb last month to combat spread. Indiana reported 5,853 new cases of coronavirus Wednesday and an additional 98 deaths. The state’s positivity rate continues to climb as fewer tests are performed in the wake of the Thanksgiving holiday, although it is not clear why testing has dropped off. All but nine counties in the state are at a 10% or higher positivity rate.

Iowa

Johnston: The state added another 123 coronavirus-related deaths Wednesday, boosting Iowa’s pandemic death toll to 3,021, according to state public health records. The count continues to grow as hospitalization rates, although significantly lower than a week ago, remain high with 900 people hospitalized and 111 COVID-19 patients admitted in the previous 24 hours. The Iowa Department of Public Health is transitioning to a new method of counting deaths that has the potential to add several hundred more cases to the state’s total in the coming weeks. Public health data indicates the virus’s spread may be slowing from its highest point in mid-November as the daily number of positive cases has decreased since Nov. 17. Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday that she will extend the state’s mask requirements and limitations on some indoor and outdoor gatherings for another week. She said Iowa needs to see its downward trend continue. “We’ve made good progress over the last few weeks, but our ultimate goal is to get virus activity to a level that we can manage over the next few months,” she said at a news conference.

Kansas

Topeka: The state school board is recommending that elementary schools continue in-person classes even if the spread of the coronavirus in their communities is so great that schools otherwise would close. The State Board of Education on Tuesday updated its pandemic guidance, which many districts are following closely. The change comes after a surge in coronavirus cases across the state over the past month prompted some districts to return to online classes for many or all of their students. Education Commissioner Randy Watson cited research showing younger students do not get as ill when infected. The state Department of Health and Environment reported that as of Monday, only 3.3% of the state’s 174,000 confirmed or probable cases and none of its more than 1,800 deaths for the pandemic were in children 9 years old or younger. “The chance for the virus impacting elementary schools, both from a teacher and student standpoint, is so low that the risk of not being in school is higher than being in school,” Watson said.

Kentucky

Louisville: As the state continues to wrestle with a pandemic that has killed more than 2,000 residents, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday that hospitals in many parts of state are nearing full capacity and warned that it could make it more difficult for people to receive proper treatment. “Hospital capacity in many ways doesn’t care about ‘why’ you’re there,” he said. “We need an ICU bed open for any individual that might need one.” The Democratic governor announced that hospital capacity for inpatient beds, intensive care unit beds or ventilators is at or above 80% in four parts of the state. ICU capacity in two zones, one along the Tennessee border and one in eastern Kentucky, is over 90%. Hospitalizations are up roughly 17% since the beginning of November, and Kentucky has averaged about 3,300 new cases per day in the past week alone, according to data released by the governor’s office. A University of Kentucky hospital has closed five of its operating rooms to increase capacity for COVID-19 patients, while another in northeastern Kentucky has resorted to using its lobby as an overflow area for the emergency room.

Louisiana

Baton Rouge: The state will wait until mid-January to update its income projections to account for the latest effects of the coronavirus outbreak, delaying a traditional pre-holiday forecasting meeting amid continued economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Whatever numbers are set by the Revenue Estimating Conference, a four-member panel that draws up Louisiana’s state government income projections, will form the basis for the 2021-22 budget proposal that Gov. John Bel Edwards must submit to lawmakers by Feb. 26. Setting those projections has gotten even trickier than usual, with a national economic recession caused by the coronavirus, business restrictions enacted in response to the outbreak, increased jobless rates, and an oil and gas industry slowdown. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, Edwards’ chief financial adviser, said he’s hopeful Louisiana will avoid a midyear deficit in the current budget that ends June 30. But he’s warning the numbers could be grim for the 2021-22 financial year that begins July 1.

Maine

Portland: Seafood is a big part of Maine’s culture and history, and the state wants home cooks to use more of it during the pandemic. That’s the focus of a branding and promotion initiative the Maine Department of Marine Resources is launching. The effort will use $1 million in federal coronavirus aid to help consumers discover and use more Maine seafood, said Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher. Retail seafood sales are up 35% compared to this time last year, the marine resources department said. However, the seafood industry is also heavily reliant on restaurant sales, which have cratered since the pandemic started. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 Maine fishermen are expected to receive federal coronavirus aid before the end of the year, Keliher said Tuesday. The $19 million in aid was made available for commercial fishermen, aquaculturists, fishing charter operators, and seafood dealers and processors who suffered losses due to the pandemic, he said. The pandemic has disrupted the seafood industry, one of the most important sectors of the economy in the state that’s America’s largest producer of lobsters.

Maryland

Baltimore: The city will shut down indoor and outdoor dining this week to fight the spread of COVID-19, as part of new restrictions announced Wednesday by the freshly inaugurated mayor. The restrictions in Maryland’s largest city will go into effect at 5 p.m. Friday. Mayor Brandon Scott also announced that capacity at religious facilities, retail establishments and malls will be limited to 25% maximum capacity. Fitness centers, casinos and museums also will be limited to 25% maximum capacity. “Baltimore, we face some difficult days ahead, and we must all do more to reduce the spread and transmission of COVID-19 in our city,” said Scott, a Democrat who was sworn into office a day earlier. “These restrictions today, while they may seem harsh, are being implemented to save lives and to reduce the stress on our medical system.” The revised guidelines limit restaurants to carry-out, delivery and drive-thri service. Indoor gatherings at public and private facilities will be limited to no more than 10 people. Outdoor gatherings at public and private facilities will be limited to no more than 25 people.

Massachusetts

Boston: The area’s public transportation system won’t see major service cuts, at least for the moment. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s board deferred a vote this week on service cuts proposed in the wake of plummeting ridership amid the pandemic. MBTA General Manager Steven Poftak requested the board revisit the proposed cuts next week in light of recent developments, including development of COVID-19 vaccines and another possible round of federal stimulus to help shore up the agency’s budget. He said the agency should continue to work with labor unions and other groups to find ways to reduce costs while preserving essential services. The proposed cuts would eliminate weekend commuter rail services, 25 bus routes, all ferry service and subway service after midnight over the course of 2021 because of the drop in ridership and revenue. Mayor Marty Walsh had joined city councilors and public transportation advocates in calling on the MBTA not to move forward with the proposal. But spending money for buses and trains with few riders makes no sense, Gov. Charlie Baker said.

Michigan

Detroit: City officials on Tuesday announced an extension of water shutoff protections through 2022 and said they want to develop a plan to permanently stop shutoffs in the future. Detroit’s COVID-19 Water Restart Plan, launched in March for people who are unable to make payments during the pandemic, was set to expire at the end of this month. Through state, federal, private and local funds, that moratorium will now run through at least 2022. “The shutoff moratorium issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ends in 23 days, but not here in Detroit,” Gary Brown, director of the city’s water and sewerage department, said during a news conference Tuesday. “We are continuing the moratorium through 2022, while we work on a permanent water affordability solution at the state and federal level.” Detroit water activists have long advocated for a comprehensive water affordability plan that would stop water shutoffs. “The devil will be in the details, in terms of a real commitment to a timeline and a budget line,” said Monica Lewis-Patrick, of We the People Detroit.

Minnesota

Minneapolis: The first of 183,000 Minnesotans who will get the new coronavirus vaccine in the initial wave could get their shots as early as Christmas week, Gov. Tim Walz and state health officials announced Tuesday. “So perhaps an early Christmas present,” said the state’s infectious disease director, Kris Ehresmann. Minnesota is poised to receive 46,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week, followed by 136,000 of the Moderna vaccine in the two weeks after that, for a total of 183,400 doses within the first month. But state officials cautioned that the information they’re getting from the federal government keeps changing, and schedules for future deliveries are uncertain. Ehresmann said the top priorities are health care personnel who have the most direct contact with COVID-19 patients, as well as residents of skilled nursing facilities. State health officials reported 4,539 new coronavirus cases Wednesday and 82 new deaths, the state’s third-highest one-day total of the pandemic. But hospitalizations are continuing a slow decline. Minnesota had 1,545 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday, with 358 in intensive care.

Mississippi

Jackson: The number of people who have died of coronavirus complications in the state surpassed 4,000 on Tuesday, and health officials warned that there will be more fatalities and hospitalizations if residents continue gathering. “We are seeing ongoing heavy case burdens – many, many cases, rising deaths and increasing strain on our health care system,” said the state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs. He said rising cases are attributable to social gatherings – funerals, parties, sporting events – where people are not following safety guidelines. “It’s not a joke – if we would just wear a mask in public and avoid nonessential social gatherings, the universe would be an entirely different place,” he said. The number of coronavirus hospitalizations has peaked in recent days as numbers of new cases have surged. However, the number of intensive care unit patients has not yet reached the record highs of the summer, although most units are full, Dobb said. That’s something he expects will change soon. As it is, Dobbs said hospitals are unable to find health care facilities where they can transfer patients because everywhere is full.

Missouri

Jefferson City: The coronavirus has claimed almost 200 more lives in the state, based on numbers from the past two days. The state health department cited 28 additional deaths Wednesday, a day after the toll rose sharply by 161, based in part on death certificate analyses. Hospital capacity continues to be a concern. The state said intensive care unit bed space is at 19% statewide. ICU space is at 6% in southwestern Missouri, 14% in northeast Missouri and 18% in St. Louis. The statewide positivity rate of 19.1% is down slightly from last week but still nearly four times higher than the 5% benchmark set by the World Health Organization. “The stark and sobering reality is that we are losing people in our community daily to this virus. We must all act with responsible empathy and be willing to make small sacrifices now so that our community can finish strong. We need to do everything we can to prevent the spread of this illness, especially for those most vulnerable,” Greene County’s health director, Clay Goddard, said in a news release.

Montana

Great Falls: The state reported 747 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday and eight additional deaths related to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Showdown Montana announced it spent $100,000 “revamping” the ski area to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The ski hill has installed takeout windows and kiosks to minimize contact when ordering food. Outdoor bathrooms and outdoor seating have been installed, among other changes. Great Falls Public Schools reported 59 active cases across the district, with Great Falls High School reporting the highest number of 11 active cases, as of Tuesday. C.M. Russell High School had nine active cases, according to the same report. Gov. Steve Bullock earlier this week issued a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan that would prioritize major hospitals in Montana, including Benefis Health System and Great Falls Clinic. There are 490 active hospitalizations statewide due to COVID-19 and 2,963 total hospitalizations.

Nebraska

Omaha: Officials released further details on how the state’s coronavirus vaccination plan will work, including that meatpacking plant workers, prison staffers and teachers will be among the first to receive doses after health care workers and people who work in long-term care facilities. Nebraska is expected to receive its first shipment of 15,600 doses next week from the drugmaker Pfizer, assuming that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the vaccine as expected Thursday. Once the needs of hospitals and care facilities are met, the state will expand who is eligible, said Angie Ling, incident commander for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Under the distribution plan that was updated Monday, first responders and people who work in education, the food and agricultural industries, correctional facilities, and utilities and transportation will be next in line to be eligible to get vaccinated. After them, the virus will go to people who are 65 years and older or who are otherwise considered vulnerable, as well as to those living in shared living facilities.

Nevada

Reno: A three-member U.S. appeals court panel appeared sympathetic Tuesday to arguments by lawyers for two churches that say state COVID-19 restrictions treating churches differently from casinos and other secular businesses violate their First Amendment rights. The 9th Circuit panel in San Francisco heard arguments via video from lawyers for Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley east of Reno and Cavalry Chapel Lone Mountain in Las Vegas who want the appellate court to reverse earlier district court rulings upholding hard attendance caps Gov. Steve Sisolak has set on the size of indoor worship services. They say churches should be held to the same standards that allow casinos, bars, restaurants and others to operate based on a percentage of their capacity – currently 25% – not a hard cap. All three justices cited recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that handed victories to churches waging similar battles over religious freedom in New York and California. Each expressed skepticism about various arguments lawyers for Nevada made to justify disparate treatment of churches and secular businesses.

New Hampshire

Concord: Ski and snowmobile businesses are optimistic about the season as they see increased interest in getting outdoors, but they note there will be changes because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Your car is sort of your base lodge this year,” Ben Wilcox, general manager of the Cranmore Mountain Resort, said during an online meeting Wednesday hosted by U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas. People should try to store their equipment in their car, as no bags are being allowed in buildings, he said. There will be social distancing in lift lines. Face coverings will be required at all times except when skiing and eating in a restaurant, Wilcox said. Peter Gagne of Northern Extremes Snowmobiling, a rental service in Bartlett, said a lot of new customers are interested in snowmobiling this winter. He said there have even been record sales for used equipment. Gagne said he’s advising people to book four to six weeks out for weekends because there’s been record demand. He said he’s also seen a big increase in midweek reservations. Ellen Chandler of Jackson Cross Country Ski Center said she’s also seen increased interest in season passes and in programs for children during the week.

New Jersey

Englewood: Englewood Health has been named the “Pandemic Hero of the Year” by an independent national watchdog organization for its actions during the initial surge of the pandemic. The Leapfrog Group named two recipients for the pandemic hero of the year Tuesday, and the Englewood hospital was recognized in the “teams” category for the award – the only hospital in the nation to receive the title from the organization. Leah Binder, CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said the organization was most impressed by the hospital’s staff, who “came together in so many ways” and showed courage and compassion during the COVID-19 crisis. The Leapfrog Group cited the hospital’s many initiatives launched earlier this year as the basis for its decision, including a physician liaison team that connected with patients’ families, the introduction of telemedicine, and a team that helped patients stay connected to loved ones through daily phone calls and other technology. The hospital’s employee assistance program, which helped provide mental health support to 5,000 employees and other affiliates, was also highlighted.

New Mexico

Albuquerque: Top health officials say the state has a solid plan in place to stretch hospital and health care resources as far as possible before having to ration care, but they also warned Tuesday that the state could face that prospect if the pandemic worsens. Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase said hospitals around New Mexico are facing extremely high demands, and state health officials are expected to formally declare soon that providers are at a stage where rationing care becomes necessary, despite a slowdown in the rate of spread and a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported daily in the state. Under a crisis standards of care declaration, an established framework and guidelines would be used for making ethical decisions about triaging care. Local triage boards are up and running at hospitals around the state, and a centralized call center has been helping to identify which hospitals have room and which ones need help. Unlike other states, the idea early on was for separate providers in New Mexico to work together to pool their resources since the state already ranked near the bottom nationally for hospital beds per capita.

New York

Albany: The governor said the state could receive its first deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days as the pandemic is landing more patients into hospitals across the state, including on Staten Island. “This is a hospital capacity crisis, and more and more, it’s becoming a greater crisis for hospitals because their capacity is further diminished,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Hospitals across New York reported nearly 5,000 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday. That amount has doubled since Nov. 20 and is the highest since May 20. And there’s no sign the pandemic is slowing. The state has averaged 50 daily new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days. That figure has also doubled since Nov. 20. Hospitals and nursing homes reported 495 deaths of COVID-19 patients in the past seven days – double from two weeks ago. Cuomo described the vaccine as “the weapon that will win the war.” He said the state hopes to use the initial delivery of 170,000 doses to cover nursing home residents and then staffers. The state has opted into a federal program that will involve CVS and Walgreen’s administering vaccines by Dec. 21.

North Carolina

Raleigh: Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled a modified stay-at-home order Tuesday that requires residents to remain off the streets between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The executive order set to take effect Friday orders bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and personal care businesses closed by 10 p.m., though grocery chains and some retailers that sell groceries will be allowed to operate within the seven-hour window. On-site alcohol sales at bars must end by 9 p.m. Travel to and from work during curfew hours is still permitted, as is travel to get food, gas, medical care or social services. Cooper hinted at further restrictions if spread does not slow. The state’s hospitals face increased risk of being overrun. For the sixth day in a row and 11 of the past 12 days, North Carolina hit new highs in current COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Data posted Tuesday from the state Department of Health and Human Services shows nearly 2,400 people are hospitalized due to coronavirus. This represents a doubling of hospitalizations over the past month. Cases, the percentage of tests coming coming back positive and deaths are also sharply rising.

North Dakota

Fargo: State health officials on Tuesday confirmed 30 new deaths and 24 new hospitalizations due to the coronavirus, a reality check from the past two weeks when the positivity rate of tests had steadily fallen. The state Department of Health also announced that its daily update of virus cases will include people who take rapid antigen tests, not just the nasal swab tests that have been employed since early in the pandemic. A dozen people who took the rapid tests eventually died, but the health department does not consider them part of the daily report because they were spread out among the past two months. The change in reporting comes on advice from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Hospitalizations increased to 328 in a state that is already running low on health care space and workers. And the daily positivity rate jumped above 11% after several days in single digits. Antigen tests are not included in positivity figures because not every facility is reporting them, health officials said.

Ohio

Columbus: By any measure, the rise of COVID-19 in the state remains unchecked and out of control, and federal officials warn the arrival of vaccines will not begin to reverse the course of the pandemic until at least late spring. State health officials reported an above-average 10,094 confirmed and probable daily virus infections and 84 additional deaths Wednesday. The 304,415 infections recorded in roughly six weeks since Nov. 1 account for 59% of the more than 520,000 cases recorded during the pandemic, which hit the nine-month mark in Ohio on Wednesday. After November began with 3,303 cases, Ohio since has recorded an average of 7,806 new daily infections, with case counts topping 10,000 on six days. A one-day record of 11,728 confirmed cases was recorded Tuesday. COVID-19 deaths also are spiking to a potential record, with December fatalities totaling 758 – an average of 84 each day. If that deadly pace continues, Ohio will mark slightly more than 2,600 deaths in December, more than double the 1,180 reported in May, the state’s deadliest month. Ohio now has recorded a total of 7,187 virus deaths.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: Gov. Kevin Stitt has rescinded his appointment to the State Board of Education of an Enid woman who led an anti-mask crusade in the northwest Oklahoma city. Stitt said in a statement Monday that he rescinded the appointment of Melissa Crabtree at her request. “I was extremely disappointed to see how many were so quick to judge her without taking the time to personally speak to her,” Stitt said. “Ms. Crabtree is a loving mother and wife, and her public school teaching experience and work with special needs children would have been valuable assets to our state. However, it’s become clear that Democrats and unions only value the voices of teachers when they are willing to fall in line with their political agendas.” Crabtree had faced fierce criticism from Democrats in the Legislature and some public education groups for social media posts in which she shared misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines. The posts were first reported by the nonprofit journalism website Oklahoma Watch and were later hidden from public view on her Facebook page.

Oregon

Salem: The state reported 1,341 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and a record 36 deaths. Meanwhile, Salem Hospital has begun postponing some elective surgeries, as the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 there is rising. “Our goal is to find the right balance between potential capacity needs and providing patients access to other types of care,” Salem Health spokesman Michael Gay said in a statement Tuesday. Salem Hospital had 73 COVID-19 patients Tuesday. Statewide, 553 patients were hospitalized Tuesday, with 127 in intensive care. Salem Hospital has consistently had more COVID-19 patients than other hospitals statewide. Some Portland-area hospitals began postponing some elective surgeries about a month ago. Last week, St. Charles Health System in Bend announced it also would postpone some elective surgeries.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is isolating at home while working remotely. “I have no symptoms and am feeling well,” the second-term Democrat said in a statement. “I am following CDC and Department of Health guidelines.” Wolf’s public schedule for the past week had just one event, a virtual news conference about the pandemic Monday at which he appeared along with his health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, and one of her deputies. All wore masks as they took turns at the podium. Nearly a month ago, the Wolf administration strengthened its mask mandate and required out-of-state travelers to test negative for the virus before arrival. But infections, hospitalizations and deaths have continued to increase sharply in the state, prompting Wolf to reveal Monday that he is considering new mitigation measures. Pennsylvania is averaging about 10,000 new confirmed cases per day, up more than 50% in two weeks, according to an AP analysis of data from the COVID Tracking Project. Hospitalizations have risen tenfold this fall. The state is averaging 140 deaths per day, up 64% since Nov. 24.

Rhode Island

Providence: COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to reach new heights, according to state Department of Health numbers released Wednesday. There were 461 patients in the state’s hospitals with the disease as of Monday, the latest day for which the information was available, a single-day record. The previous record was 455 on Sunday. The department also reported more than 1,200 new confirmed cases out of nearly 16,200 tests, a daily positivity rate of about 7.6%. The latest seven-day average positivity rate in Rhode Island is 9.04%, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Meanwhile, the state Department of Health is warning of an email scam in which someone purporting to be a department doctor asks recipients to click on a link to preregister for a COVID-19 vaccine. The department warned in a social media post Tuesday that it is a phishing scam and that anyone who receives the email from a Dr. Kimberly Turner should not open or share it but instead should delete it. The department does not employ a Dr. Kimberly Turner, and there are no licensed physicians with that name in Rhode Island.

South Carolina

Columbia: The state’s highest court again rejected Gov. Henry McMaster’s plan to use $32 million in federal coronavirus relief to provide tuition grants for private schools, ruling Wednesday that spending public money that way is unconstitutional. The unanimous decision by the state Supreme Court says the governor’s decision to use federal aid in such a way “constitutes the use of public funds for the direct benefit of private educational institutions within the meaning of, and prohibited by” the South Carolina Constitution. McMaster unveiled his plan for Safe Access to Flexible Education in July, effectively creating a one-time voucher program for parents who couldn’t otherwise afford the expense of private school. The plan was immediately challenged in court. Saying he wanted to give more families the option to send their children to private schools – especially if their own schools would not reopen for in-person instruction because of the pandemic – McMaster said the program would cover about 5,000 SAFE grants of up to $6,500 each. The governor had called on all the state’s schools to reopen classrooms five days a week, but many instead opted for virtual instruction or a combination of face-to-face and remote learning.

South Dakota

Pierre: Gov. Kristi Noem defended her coronavirus response Tuesday in a budget address to lawmakers, laying out proposals to spend millions in excess funds after federal aid bolstered the state’s budget. The Republican compared both the state’s virus situation and its financial outlook to states such as Illinois, New Jersey and New York. While South Dakota is currently suffering through one of the worst virus outbreaks in the nation, its economy and budget forecast are rosier. Noem opened her speech with a moment of silence for the 1,111 people who have died from COVID-19, which she described as a “horrible virus.” But Noem, who has eschewed government-enforced lockdowns and mask mandates, claimed that the virus does not seem to be any worse in states that have taken aggressive measures to prevent infections from spreading, pointing to places like California and New Jersey that have recent spikes in COVID-19 hospitalizations. However, some of the statistics the governor used for her comparison have been called into question.

Tennessee

Nashville: Camping at state parks is reaching historic highs amid the pandemic. State parks saw more than 62,000 camping nights sold in October, a one-month record for camping stays in the parks system, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said in a news release. That number eclipses the mark of more than 57,000 camping nights set in June of this year, the department said. November had more than 36,000 camping nights sold, the highest total ever for the month, the department said. Four of the top 10 camping months ever have occurred this year, “driven by visitors seeking the outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic,” the news release said. “The appeal of louder, busier and crowded entertainment venues has given way to the space, freedom and connection the outdoors provide,” said Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner of the department. Tennessee State Parks operate more than 3,000 campsites.

Texas

Dallas: The state on Tuesday reported more than 15,000 newly confirmed daily cases of the coronavirus amid spikes in cases and hospitalization as winter approaches. The Texas Department of State Health Services also said 9,028 people were hospitalized across the state. Last week marked the first time Texas surpassed a daily count of 9,000 hospitalizations since a deadly summer outbreak. During the summer outbreak, the state saw the numbers of new daily cases go just past 10,000 for the first time. Since late November, the new daily cases have soared past 10,000 on several days, with 15,103 new cases reported Tuesday, according to state health officials. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say Texas has had more than 23,000 COVID-19 related deaths so far, the second most in the U.S. Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by 17%, according to Johns Hopkins. The university says 1 in every 309 people in Texas tested positive in the past week.

Utah

Ivins: The historic decision to move Gov.-elect Spencer Cox’s January inauguration from its historical location at the Capitol to the Tuacahn Center for the Arts was made because Cox wanted to show his commitment to all of Utah, not just Salt Lake City, his office said Monday. The amphitheater’s outdoor location also offers a safer environment in light of the pandemic. “Gov.-elect Cox campaigned on a promise to represent all of Utah, so he felt it was important to demonstrate that commitment by launching his administration off the Wasatch Front,” Jennifer Napier-Pierce, Cox’s communications director, wrote in an email. The Jan. 4 event will mark the first time a new Utah governor will be inaugurated away from the Capitol. Stephen Wade, co-chair of the Utah Inaugural Commission, said concerns about COVID-19 quickly ruled out the usual inaugural venue inside the State Capitol Building. “We felt this needed to be held outside,” Wade said. The Tuacahn Center for the Arts is a 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater nestled at the mouth of Snow Canyon State Park just north of Ivins. Attendance on inauguration day will be limited to 25% or less of the amphitheater’s capacity, and guests will be physically distanced.

Vermont

Montpelier: The Vermont Health Department will begin sending text messages to people who may have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, an official said. Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said Tuesday that the system is intended to ensure the word gets to people who may have been exposed to the virus as quickly as possible. The person infected with the virus will provide the cellphone numbers of the people who may have been exposed. After receiving the texts, people will also receive calls from Health Department contact tracers. “Our contact tracing team will help determine who gets these texts based on the exact situation,” Levine said during the state’s virus briefing. The person will receive two short texts from the number 86911. The texts will be sent between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. “If you do get a text, please know it is a legitimate and important message from the department of health,” Levine said.

Virginia

Richmond: A GOP state senator is suing over plans by Democratic leaders to limit public access to lawmakers’ offices during next year’s legislative session. Virginia Beach Sen. Bill DeSteph announced his lawsuit Tuesday, saying plans to keep a state office building open only to credentialed staff and lawmakers during the legislative session constitute a violation of the First Amendment. DeSteph said the Pocahontas Building, which sits just next to the state Capitol, should be open for in-person meetings. House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn announced last month that the House would conduct its work remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic when it convenes in January. House and Senate Republican leaders responded by saying they would use a procedural move to limit the 2021 session to 30 days, rather than the typical 45 days.

Washington

Yakima: An appellate judge has ruled that the state Department of Labor and Industries did not show sufficient evidence to fine a gym owner for alleged violations of coronavirus regulations. One of Anytime Fitness’ owners, Bradshaw Development Inc., was fined more than $9,000 in July and $29,000 in August after the department said the gym exposed its employees to COVID-19, The Yakima Herald-Republic reports. Department officials claimed gym locations in Yakima, Selah and Union Gap operated in violation of the state’s reopening plan when the county was in Phase 1 of the plan and gyms were not allowed to reopen. Judge William R. Strange ruled in favor of the gym after it appealed the fines. Anytime Fitness attorney Scott Brumback said the ruling was a victory for owner Wes Bradshaw. “They fined him nearly $40,000,” Brumback said. “They were trying to make an example of him, and he stood up to them.” Department of Labor spokesperson Tim Church said the agency disagrees with the decision. The department has less than 20 days to request a written review from the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.

West Virginia

Charleston: The state has reported 63 deaths linked to COVID-19 since the beginning of this week, already more than half as many deaths as were reported in the previous week’s record high virus numbers. The state reported 890 confirmed cases Wednesday. West Virginia has set records for confirmed virus cases in seven of the past nine weeks. Gov. Jim Justice said Wednesday that the state expects to receive its first doses of the Pfizer vaccine within 24 hours after it gains emergency use authorization from the federal government. Justice has refused to further close public life and shut down businesses. He said short of closing the entire state down, partial restrictions, such as on restaurants and other establishments, ”probably won’t make any significant effect.” He asked: “Why in the world am I going to blow my foot off if I have no idea if it’s going to help at all?”

Wisconsin

Madison: Flu vaccinations are up so far this year, and state health officials hope a new education and awareness campaign launched Wednesday will boost participation among minorities who historically have been more reticent to get vaccinated. Getting the flu shot is recommended every year, but never more so than now, as hospitals and health care systems are already under stress from the coronavirus pandemic. Adding an influx of flu patients would completely overwhelm a health care system already stretched to the limit, said Dr. Tom Haupt, influenza surveillance coordinator for the state Department of Health Services. The good news for now, Haupt said, is there have been very few confirmed cases of the flu so far this season, and more people are getting vaccinated compared to last year. The number of people who got the flu this year started dropping in March and “fell off the table” in the summer with very little activity, Haupt said. The precautions people have taken to avoid getting COVID-19 – frequently washing hands, avoiding crowds, staying home – certainly also help to avoid the flu, but that must be complemented with the vaccine, he said. On Wednesday, the state added 3,619 new COVID-19 cases and 81 deaths.

Wyoming

Cheyenne: A Wyoming Department of Health official who falsely described the coronavirus and development of vaccines against it as a communist plot has resigned, a department spokeswoman said Wednesday. Igor Shepherd, who was the agency’s readiness and countermeasures manager, submitted his resignation Tuesday, and it was accepted the same day, department spokeswoman Kim Deti said, declining further comment. The baseless claims he made about the “so-called pandemic” at a Colorado event last month went against the department’s aggressive public education efforts to promote social distancing, mask-wearing and other measures to counter COVID-19. Shepherd was involved in Wyoming’s response to the coronavirus but not in a leadership role and had worked for the health department since 2013, according to state health officials. Toward the end of his talk in Loveland, Shepherd expressed doubt he would continue working for his state’s health department. “If you ask me how deeply I’m enjoying the job, well, I don’t anymore,” he said. “Who knows how long I’ll be around.”

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Minaret vaccination, Rushmore fight: News from around our 50 states

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Alabama

Mobile: With demand for COVID-19 shots flagging at an immunization clinic set up at the Alabama Cruise Terminal, an official said the site could shut down soon as the cruise industry prepares to restart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines recently that would allow companies that meet certain benchmarks to resume operating around mid-July, and officials are hopeful Carnival Cruise Lines can resume its trips to the western Caribbean from Mobile. The city’s cruise terminal near downtown is being used as a mass vaccination site by the Mobile County Health Department, but Health Officer Dr. Bert Eichold told WALA-TV he expects the operation to wrap up in the next couple of weeks. More than 22% of Mobile County residents are fully vaccinated, according to CDC statistics. But the county also has one of the higher levels of community disease transmission in Alabama, according to the state. And Alabama is last in the nation in the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations. The area tourism agency said cruises account for 35,000 hotel nights and $150 million annually, and the more than yearlong shutdown of the industry has taken a chunk out of the local economy. “It’s been a big blow,” said David Clark, chief executive of Visit Mobile. “Tourism’s never, ever seen what they’ve seen in terms of disaster in the economy, from travel, or the lack of travel.”

Alaska

Juneau: The Alaska Court System temporarily disconnected most of its operations from the internet after a cybersecurity threat Saturday, including its website and removing the ability to look up court records. The threat blocked electronic court filings, disrupted online payments and prevented hearings from taking place by videoconference for several days, officials said. “I think for a few days, there may may be some inconveniences, there may be some hearings that are canceled, or some judges who decide to shift from videoconference to teleconference proceedings or the like. We don’t have all of that figured out yet,” Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger told the Anchorage Daily News. The court system said in a statement that it was working to remove malware from its servers. “At this time, the court system does not believe any confidential court documents or employee information has been compromised, but will promptly notify any affected individuals if that occurs,” the statement said. “No customer credit card information was compromised.” On Sunday, the court system posted on its Facebook and Twitter that all in-custody arraignments would proceed as scheduled. “Local courts have reached out to justice partners to let them know of any changes,” the posts said.

Arizona

Phoenix: More than 38,500 children disappeared from both virtual and physical classrooms this school year as the coronavirus spread through the state. The loss – a 3.3% drop year over year, according to Arizona Department of Education data – has school officials scrambling to figure out where these children went, if they will return in the fall and how they will fashion curricula for students who may have had significant learning loss. Their conclusions also will shape budget decisions, as schools are funded based on the number of children who show up in the fall. The steepest enrollment declines came at the youngest ages: About 42% of the loss is due to preschoolers and kindergartners not showing up on public school rolls, according to state data. Eighth graders and high school seniors were the only classes to show an increase, though the gains were minimal. Teachers, counselors and school administrators say many kids just stayed home, moved to private schools or began homeschooling. Then there are the questions left hanging when school officials visit family homes only to find no one there and no evidence of where the children went. “That’s the burning question,” said Kayla Fulmer, director of marketing and community relations at the J.O. Combs Unified School District. “We wonder and worry about that.”

Arkansas

Mountain Home: More than 84,000 state residents have missed their second COVID-19 vaccine dose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the second dose should be given within three to four weeks of the first, depending on the product. However, if an individual misses that time frame, they can still receive a second dose within six weeks of the first. As of April 30, 84,191 people in Arkansas were noted as being outside that 42-day window. Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the state epidemiologist and medical director for immunizations and outbreak response for the Arkansas Department of Health, said that number may not be entirely representative of those who actually missed the second shot, but officials are working on correcting that. “What we noticed when the people in our call centers started calling was some people reported they had received the second dose,” she said. The ADH is now allowing for more time before compiling numbers to allow for delayed reporting from vaccine providers. The department uses call center employees to make contact with people who are close to missing or have missed the window for the second shot.

California

Palm Springs: Enrollment drops at the Desert Sands and Palm Springs Unified school districts are outpacing the already steep statewide decline reported across California public schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, Coachella Valley private schools are reporting a surge in enrollment, as some parents say distance-learning models simply haven’t worked for their kids and families. Desert Sands Unified reports a 3.4% decline in enrollment and Palm Springs Unified a 3.2% decline from the 2019-20 academic year, the two districts reported. Those are greater than the 2.6% decline reported statewide for the same time frame, according to California Department of Public Education data that was released April 22. The statewide loss equates to a decrease of 160,000 enrolled students for a total of 6,002,523 students currently enrolled at K-12 schools. The statewide drop in enrollment – the largest decline in at least 20 years, according to California Department of Education data – came after Gov. Gavin Newsom closed public schools in March 2020, and the state’s school districts kept students in distance-learning models for much of the 2020-21 school year.

Colorado

Denver: Gov. Jared Polis extended a statewide mask mandate for another 30 days Sunday but loosened face covering requirements for groups of people who are vaccinated against COVID-19. Under the new executive order, people gathering inside in groups of 10 or more are no longer required to wear masks if at least 80% of the group is vaccinated. The order says people must show proof of vaccination, but it does not elaborate on what proof is considered acceptable. In April, Polis lifted mask requirements in most indoor settings in counties where the threat of COVID-19 was the lowest – the counties that fall under “Level Green” on the state’s scale. In counties with higher rates of COVID-19, masks must be worn in all public indoor spaces when 10 or more unvaccinated individuals or individuals of unknown vaccination status are present. Residents statewide are still required to wear masks at schools, child care centers, indoor children’s camps, public-facing state government facilities, correctional facilities and health care settings. About 1.9 million people in Colorado are fully vaccinated, and 2.6 million have received at least one dose, according to state data.

Connecticut

Hartford: Residents were breathing a sigh of relief over the weekend as some statewide restrictions that were put in place a year ago were eased. As of Saturday, bars that don’t serve food can open on an outdoor-only basis, and an eight-person limit per table for outdoor seating has been lifted. The limit remains in effect for indoor dining. Face masks are still required indoors, though NBC Connecticut reports Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to announce whether that will shift to a recommendation when there’s a wider easing of restrictions later this month. The rollback, scheduled to go into effect May 19, is contingent on low rates of infection and increasing vaccination rates.

Delaware

Dover: A conservative group pushing back against pandemic-related restrictions is making a push into school board elections, endorsing candidates up and down the state with platforms dedicated to hot-button issues like fully reopening schools and keeping concepts like social justice and lessons about race out of classrooms. Since the start of the pandemic, the grassroots group Stand Up Delaware has held rally after rally calling Gov. John Carney’s COVID-19 orders an infringement on individual liberties. Stand Up Delaware has since merged with the newly formed Patriots for Delaware, which has grown to include 11,000 members in its private Facebook group and turned its sights toward school board seats. Patriots for Delaware calls itself nonpartisan, but its members are largely right-wing conservatives, supporting former President Donald Trump, resisting COVID-19 restrictions and decrying mask mandates. “Within three years, we can change things completely,” Lisa McCulley, a lead organizer of Stand Up Delaware, told a crowd at a March rally outside Legislative Hall. “But we have to stop being complacent.” She pointed to Appoquinimink School District as an example of where the group sees an opening: a school board with “one awesome conservative” overruled by “three women who control the whole board.”

District of Columbia

Washington: After 2020 threw wrenches in the wedding plans of so many couples, some are now facing yet another hurdle. Mayor Muriel Bowser has banned dancing at indoor and outdoor weddings, leaving many lovebirds scrambling to find venues outside the district, WUSA-TV reports. One wedding planner complained that the city is starting to feel a little like the mythical town of Bomont in the classic movie “Footloose” – the town that banned dancing. Stephanie Sadowski of SRS Events said she was “completely shell-shocked” upon hearing the news. The district is loosening some pandemic restrictions, but Bowser sneaked in a bombshell at her news conference last Monday, Sadowski said. The latest order allows indoor weddings at 25% capacity, or 250 people, but “standing and dancing at receptions are not allowed.” For some couples, that’s a deal breaker, and they’re rushing to relocate their celebrations to Maryland or Virginia venues where restrictions are looser. Sadowski said she had four weddings planned in D.C. next month, at the height of wedding season, and she’s scrambling to move all of them. “I cannot even believe we’re in 2021 right now, and we are saying no dancing,” she said. “Why can’t we just have masks?”

Florida

Tallahassee: Gov. Ron DeSantis moved to suspend all remaining COVID-19 restrictions imposed by communities across his state Monday, signing into law freshly passed legislation giving him sweeping powers to invalidate local emergency measures put in place during the pandemic – including mask mandates, limitations on business operations and the shuttering of schools. “We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future,” DeSantis said, “but I think this creates a structure that’s going to be a little bit more respectful, I think, of people’s businesses, jobs, schools and personal freedom.” The Republican governor has been touting his record on the coronavirus as he readies to launch his reelection campaign and considers a run for president in 2024. Even as DeSantis has urged Floridians to get vaccinated, he has become among the most nationally prominent Republicans to push back on mask mandates and other precautions that federal health officials have recommended in the continuing battle against the pandemic. Some mayors, particularly those aligned with the Democratic Party, decried Republican-led preemptions as a power grab against local government’s ability to control a potential resurgence of the coronavirus but also restrict their ability to respond to future public health emergencies.

Georgia

Atlanta: It’s one shot and no appointment needed at all eight state-run mass vaccination sites. Starting Monday, the sites are offering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and are no longer accepting appointments. Instead, people who haven’t received a first dose are asked to drive up. The sites are still accepting appointments for people who need a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Those appointments can be made at myvaccinegeorgia.com. The sites are in Clarkesville, Columbus, Emerson, Hapeville, Macon, Sandersville, Savannah and Waycross. Most operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week, either Monday through Friday or Tuesday through Saturday. The state-run mass vaccination sites are scheduled to close May 21 amid what state officials described as slackening demand for vaccination. More than 6.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given in Georgia, but the state ranks 44th in doses administered per capita to people 18 and older, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hawaii

Honolulu: Health officials reported 113 newly confirmed coronavirus cases across the state Sunday, increasing the statewide total to more than 32,500 infections since the pandemic began early last year. The Hawaii Department of Health said there were no virus-related deaths, keeping the statewide toll at 483, including 374 fatalities on Oahu. The report includes cases reported to the department Friday, officials said. There were 80 reported cases in Honolulu County, 16 in Maui County, nine in Kauai County and three in Hawaii County, as well as five residents diagnosed outside the state, health officials said. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports one previous case appears to have been removed from the state’s tally. There have been more than 1,100 new infections in the state in the past two weeks. As of Sunday, the state has administered about 1.4 million vaccine doses through state and federal programs. More than 53% of the state’s population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some 35% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Idaho

Boise: A state Senate panel on Monday rejected legislation intended to give lawmakers veto power over decisions by the federal government and courts, with senators citing its potential violation of the Idaho and U.S. constitutions. The Senate State Affairs Committee voted 7-2 to kill the legislation brought forward by Republican Rep. Sage Dixon, who after the meeting said he would bring forward revamped legislation next year to try again. His bill would have allowed any member of the Republican-dominated state House or Senate to make a complaint about a federal action, potentially leading to a polling of members of the Committee on Federalism, which Dixon co-chairs. If the committee found merit in the complaint, the federal action would be immediately “paused” until the full Legislature acted to potentially declare it null and void. Federal actions involving abortion, gun laws, taxes and other issues could have been challenged under the proposed measure. The range of those issues made lawmakers uncomfortable. Lawmakers opposed to the bill said it violated the state and federal constitutions, with some citing their oaths of office and noting that at the start of each full Senate session they recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Illinois

Springfield: The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is offering free admission to people vaccinated against COVID-19. Officials at the museum in Springfield announced last week that the offer is good throughout May and June. Anyone who has received at least one shot is eligible to get a free ticket at the museum’s website. “Vaccination is key to beating this disease, keeping everyone healthy and returning to normal in America,” said Melissa Coultas, acting executive director of the museum. “If we can help by offering a little extra incentive, then we’re happy to do so.” People claiming a free ticket will have to show a vaccination card at the museum. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors or students, and $10 for military personnel. There is no charge for kids younger than 5 and a $6 fee for children between the ages of 5 and 15. Visitors to the museum must wear a mask. The facility also limits the number of people inside.

Indiana

Indianapolis: The state on Monday reported 812 new coronavirus cases and a single death. More than 1.9 million residents 16 and older, or more than 35% of the eligible population, are now fully vaccinated. Black and Latino Hoosiers remain less likely to be vaccinated than those who identify as white. While Black residents make up 9.4% of the population, they represent just under 6% of people who have gotten a shot, according to the state’s vaccine dashboard. Latino residents comprise 6.2% of the population and 3.5% of those vaccinated. However, the statistics shift when only the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is considered. Black people received 7.6% of those vaccines and Latino people 5.9%. White people made up just under 78% of those receiving this vaccine and comprise 86% of the state’s population.

Iowa

Granger: A vaccination event at the Islamic and Cultural Center Bosniak on Sunday morning aimed to deliver COVID-19 protection to 300 people. Ankeny vaccine distribution startup VaxiTaxi.com hosted the event, where Elvedin Sivac, president of the Es-Selam Mosque, was among those receiving their first shot. Alma Michelson, a pharmacist for Walgreens, helped set up Sunday’s clinic and said many of her fellow Bosnians distrust vaccines. “It’s a community that’s not quite on board with vaccines because they were influenced by the media so much,” she said. Other Bosnians in town are considered “essential workers” and were already given vaccines through their employers, Michelson said. Casey Villhauer started VaxiTaxi in July as a way to bring all types of vaccines into people’s homes or directly to them. She gave a flu shot to a person on a tractor once but said the shot she gave contractor Safet Tabakovic inside the minaret he’s building atop the mosque was unique. Michelson, Sivac and Villhauer hiked up 111 steps to give him his injection 80 feet off the ground. “We reached a lot of people that otherwise wouldn’t have gotten a shot,” Villhauer said.

Kansas

Wichita: COVID-19 vaccinations slowed last month, even as more contagious variants of the coronavirus surged and as hospitalizations from the disease rose in the state, according to health officials. Kansas Department of Health and Environment numbers show about 91,000 fewer people received first doses of the available vaccines in April than in March, the Wichita Eagle reports. There were 520 new hospitalizations and 157 new intensive care unit admissions in April, compared with 438 new hospitalizations and 150 new ICU admissions in March, officials said. “Almost exclusively, the answer is those needing hospitalized are unvaccinated,” Dr. David Wild with the University of Kansas Health System said Friday. Statewide, children account for a growing share of the new cases. Of the more than 6,750 new cases in April, more than 1 in 5 were in patients younger than 18, according to health department numbers. Children accounted for about 12% of all cases in March. Meanwhile, confirmed variant cases nearly tripled over the last three weeks of April, officials said. Officials did see a decrease in deaths from COVID-19 in April, at 69, compared with 170 deaths in March.

Kentucky

Louisville: Berea College appears to be the first institution of higher learning in the state to require students to be vaccinated when they return to campus in the fall. The college announced Thursday that COVID-19 vaccines will be mandatory except for limited exemptions for medical or religious reasons. So far, none of Kentucky’s public universities have announced mandatory vaccines for students, but they’ve said they are strongly encouraging them, including the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Western Kentucky University. At Berea, students who decline the vaccine will be offered online classes, according to a news release. First-year students who aren’t vaccinated may defer their admission, and current students may request a leave of absence if they don’t choose online courses. The small, private college in Eastern Kentucky was among the first colleges in the country to stop in-person learning when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the state in March 2020. The vaccine policy was developed after surveying students, faculty and staff, the news release said. Founded in 1869 by abolitionists, Berea was the first integrated and co-educational college in the South. Aided by a $1 billion endowment, Berea charges no tuition to its 1,600 students, who are required to work on campus.

Louisiana

New Orleans: The state has paid roughly $6.2 million in improper unemployment benefits to nearly 1,200 people locked up in jails or prisons, the state Legislative Auditor’s Office said in a report released Monday. The state labor department didn’t dispute the findings and said it was working to correct the problems. It said criminal enterprises have targeted the state’s unemployment insurance program to take advantage of increased payouts during the coronavirus pandemic. The report noted two possible factors contributing to the improper payments, which amount to a tiny fraction of more than $8 billion in unemployment benefits paid during the pandemic. The report noted that the labor department failed to correctly match its data on unemployment benefits with information a vendor provides on inmates. Also, the report said more than 80% of the incarcerated recipients got the money through a program for contractors and gig workers that was created as part of a 2020 coronavirus relief bill. That complicates the job of the labor department, known as the Louisiana Workforce Commission, because it doesn’t have electronic wage data on gig and contract workers.

Maine

Portland: L.L. Bean’s flagship store returned to 24-hour operations, and Amtrak’s Downeaster resumed its full schedule Monday, marking moves toward normalcy amid the pandemic. Amtrak’s expanded schedule includes a new southbound train that will depart Brunswick mid-morning and a new northbound train that will depart Boston mid-afternoon. In Freeport, workers removed the locks Monday as L.L. Bean’s flagship store resumed around-the-clock sales. The store had been operating on limited hours after Bean briefly closed all stores last year during the pandemic. Returning to 24-hour operations marks an important milestone for the company, restoring a tradition that dates to 1951, said Shawn Gorman, company chairman. Meanwhile, the Maine International Film Festival is returning this summer with a mix of in-person and virtual events. Movies that are normally screened at Railroad Square Cinema and the Waterville Opera House were moved to the nearby Skowhegan Drive-In Theater and online last summer. This summer, movies will be screened at all three of those locations, as well as online, from July 9 to July 18, the Morning Sentinel reports. To protect attendees’ safety, indoor movie showings will have capacity limits and require social distancing and protective masks.

Maryland

Ocean City: Despite growing optimism that larger crowds could return for the 2021 tourism season, many business owners in the town worry a worsening labor shortage could spoil what might be a strong summer. The labor shortage that plagued businesses in 2020 has grown into a crisis in 2021. Seasonal business owners say it’s become more difficult to hire people, and it’s unlikely the J-1 visa program that brings foreign student workers will return this year. Altogether, many businesses might be short-staffed at critical levels as the demands of the tourist season take hold in a few weeks. “There’s a sign on every street in Ocean City that says ‘now hiring,’ ” said Anna Dolle Bushnell, owner of Dolle’s Candyland. This summer could be a financial challenge if Dolle’s doesn’t hire enough employees, Bushnell said, as it will have to cut its hours if it can’t hire enough staff. “This summer is going to hurt unless we get the help like we did last year from the government for being closed and for the reduced profits,” Bushnell said. Each summer approximately 12,000 seasonal jobs open up in Ocean City, said Susan Jones, executive director of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel Restaurant Association. Last year, nearly 4,000 weren’t filled because then-President Donald Trump placed a temporary ban on the J-1 cultural exchange visa program.

Massachusetts

Boston: The state plans on closing four of its seven mass vaccination sites by the end of June in favor of a more targeted approach to reach the roughly 30% of its eligible population that has not yet received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday. The state will instead send more doses to 22 smaller regional sites, expand mobile vaccination efforts, and bring vaccine clinics to senior centers, YMCAs, houses of worship and other community sites, the Republican governor said at a news conference. While there has been some hesitancy among people who have not yet been vaccinated, more often that not it’s a matter of convenience, Baker said, and he wants to make it as easy as possible to get a shot. The state can change its focus because it is on target to reach its goal of getting more than 4 million people vaccinated by the end of May. “Now that we believe we are going to hit the 4.1 million goal we started with over the course of the next few weeks, it’s time to adapt or vaccination effort to get make sure we get to some of the harder-to-reach populations,” he said. Mass vaccination sites at Gillette Stadium, the Doubletree hotel in Danvers, the Natick Mall and the Hynes Convention Center in Boston will close at the end of June. But Baker stressed that there are still plenty of appointments available.

Michigan

Traverse City: The Traverse City Film Festival is being canceled for the second consecutive year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael Moore said Friday. “This is truly upsetting for us and for everyone here who loves the movies and sees this festival as a cultural cornerstone of the community,” said Moore, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker who co-founded the event in 2005. The festival board concluded it would be irresponsible to invite thousands of visitors to the Lake Michigan resort town as the coronavirus continues to ravage the state, said Moore, the board’s president. As of Friday, Michigan had the nation’s highest seven-day infection rate, although numbers have been improving. Of the 30 counties across the U.S. with the most new cases per capita in the past 14 days, 17 are in Michigan, according to Johns Hopkins University. “We have simply run out of time waiting for this virus to be contained,” board secretary David Poinsett said, adding that it takes six months to plan and produce the event. A shortened version of the festival could take place late this year or in early 2022 if the virus situation improves, Moore said.

Minnesota

St. Cloud: Child care providers were hit hard by the pandemic, and helping them may be crucial to economic recovery. Closures of family child care centers have caused a shortage of child care spots across the state, and COVID-19 accelerated that because many parents kept their children home. Now the shortage is dire. There is a need for 39,000 child care spots in Minnesota, including more than 1,400 in St. Cloud, according to the Greater Minnesota Partnership. “If we’re going to entice (women) back into the workforce, they’re going to need child care. Or maybe they’d like to consider going into child care,” said Don Hickman, vice president for Community and Workforce Development at the Initiative Foundation. “But without child care, we’re going to have a much slower economic recovery.” In recent months, a new solution has emerged to help address that need. Pine Technical and Community College launched a new training program for child care providers in March, with St. Cloud Technical and Community College set to follow suit. Participants will pay next to nothing to take classes and earn a certificate because outside funders are so eager to bolster the child care workforce.

Mississippi

Jackson: Despite the state’s declining COVID-19 vaccination rate, a statewide survey shows residents are actually more likely to get vaccinated than what has been indicated in national polls, according to state health officials. Survey results published last month by the Morning Consult, a national data intelligence company, had claimed Mississippians are the most unwilling in the U.S. when it comes to getting a COVID-19 shot. It showed 30% of more than 2,000 survey-takers in Mississippi were unwilling to get a vaccine to armor against the coronavirus. Another 18% were undecided. A recent trust survey conducted by the state health department and the Community Engagement Alliance from December to March told a different story. Of over 11,000 Mississippians surveyed, Director of Preventive Health and Health Equity Victor Sutton said 73% were willing to get vaccinated. The survey also showed there was not much variation based on political affiliation. That strays from the Pew Research Center’s national data revealing Republicans are less likely to get a shot than Democrats. The conflicting results stem from how questions were asked, Sutton said. The variation isn’t unusual. “We did a really rich, grassroots outreach,” he said. “It’s very Mississippi-centric.”

Missouri

Carthage: A gathering that traditionally has drawn tens of thousands of Vietnamese Catholics from across the U.S. to southwest Missouri has been canceled for a second straight year because of the pandemic. The Joplin Globe reports the city of Carthage and the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer have decided that the risk of COVID-19 transmission is still too great to hold the Marian Days celebration. Before 2020, the event had taken place in the city every year since 1978, reuniting families and friends separated after the fall of Saigon. The Rev. John Paul Tai Tran, provincial minister of the congregation, said the decision not to hold the celebration during the first week of August was again difficult. “Our people come from all over, and there are a lot of states in the U.S. where the cases of infection are still booming,” he said. Carthage police Chief Greg Dagnan said the leaders of the congregation met with city officials last Tuesday about the event but had pretty much decided beforehand that it would still be too dangerous. “We’re not at the level where we can have 50,000 or 60,000 people stand shoulder-to-shoulder and camp together for a week,” Dagnan said.

Montana

Kalispell: About 96% of residents who have received their first COVID-19 vaccine have been returning to get their second dose, state health officials said. Jim Murphy, administrator of the health department’s Communicable Disease Control and Prevention Bureau, told Montana Public Radio he’s pleased that nearly everyone who got a first dose is following up with a second. Nationally, 8% of people who were due to get their second dose by April 9 didn’t return for their second shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Out of almost 400,000 Montanans who have received a first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, about 14,600 are at least two weeks overdue for their second shot, Murphy said. It’s possible some have received a second dose in another state or decided to get a second dose at a pharmacy rather than returning to a mass vaccination clinic, he said, while others could wrongly believe they are protected after one dose. Others may be wary after their initial experience or reports of side effects by others. Dr. Douglas Kuntzweiler with Mountain-Pacific Quality Health told a nervous woman last week during a virtual AARP Montana town hall that a bad case of COVID-19 would cause a person to feel a lot worse than the brief potential side effects of being vaccinated.

Nebraska

Lincoln: The state government will collect an extra $90 million in tax revenue in the current fiscal year that ends June 30 but will face a less rosy outlook over the following two years, based on new state estimates. The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board on Friday lowered its revenue projections by $5 million over the following two budget years, starting July 1. The new predictions will give lawmakers about $38 million more than expected in the current legislative session, after adjusting for requirements of state law. The projections will also trigger an automatic boost to a new state property tax credit program. Gov. Pete Ricketts urged lawmakers to “stay the course” with his plan to ease the local property tax burden for Nebraska residents. “Nebraska’s economy continues to show significant signs of strength as we emerge from the pandemic,” Ricketts said.

Nevada

Carson City: Gov. Steve Sisolak said Friday that the panel he appointed to oversee the state’s coronavirus pandemic response won’t meet regularly after June 1, the date he has set for lifting coronavirus mitigation restrictions except mask mandates. Caleb Cage also will step down as COVID-19 response director and return to the Nevada System of Higher Education with a promotion to vice chancellor of workforce development and chief innovation officer, the governor and the university system announced. Sisolak praised Cage for “a year of selfless public service” and called Cage’s emergency management leadership and expertise invaluable to the state. “While the pandemic is not yet over, our state response efforts will naturally transition as the situation evolves and we focus on mass vaccination of Nevadans,” the governor said. The task force began regular meetings last August. Sisolak said it will continue to meet through May, while the state’s 17 counties assume full local control of COVID-19 restrictions. Weekly COVID-19 Task Force calls with the media will end in June, the Democratic governor said.

New Hampshire

Concord: An annual contest that rewards high school journalists in the state has been adjusted this year to take into account the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, those competing for the Brodsky Prize were required to submit examples of published work. But given the challenges the pandemic posed to school papers, this year’s contest asks students to submit essays of up to 800 words about how the pandemic has challenged their communities or schools and how it could lead to positive changes. The $5,000 prize, established by a former editor of the school paper at Central High School in Manchester, is open to all New Hampshire high school seniors. The deadline for submissions is May 14.

New Jersey

Trenton: The state will lift all COVID-19 outdoor gathering limits and remove a 50% capacity limit on indoor restaurants and bars beginning May 19 as long as social distancing can be maintained, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. Murphy said the state’s positive coronavirus trends have enabled the change. “This means that the events that we all associate with summer, from fireworks displays to parades to the state fair, can all go forward, as long as attendees keep 6 feet of distance,” he said. Murphy also announced that relaxed restrictions slated to take effect May 10 will now apply Friday, three days earlier. Those changes include increasing the outdoor gathering limits to 500 people and raising indoor capacities to 50% up to 250 individuals for political gatherings, weddings, funerals, memorial services and performances. Privately catered events will also be permitted to have dancing. Murphy, a Democrat seeking reelection this year, will also remove a prohibition on tables of eight diners or more. Tables can be spaced closer than 6 feet if partitions are used. Also done away with is a 50% capacity limit for religious services, retail, gyms, saloons and amusement businesses. Instead, Murphy said, the state will require a minimum of 6 feet of distance between people.

New Mexico

Santa Fe: State legislators bristled Friday at vetoes by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that block legislative authority over new federal pandemic aid, and they said they may seek a court ruling to defend the Legislature’s authority over that spending. Pandemic relief legislation signed this year by President Joe Biden assigns $1.6 billion in aid directly to New Mexico’s government. Legislators in March assigned $1.1 billion to backfill the state’s unemployment insurance trust, underwrite roadway projects, provide several years of tuition-free college to in-state students and shore up finances at state museums. Lujan Grisham vetoed those provisions, and several leading legislators say the governor went too far in asserting her authority over the money. Lawmakers also say several line-item vetoes to a budget bill went beyond simple spending deletions to alter or expand state spending. During a meeting Friday of a year-round legislative committee on budgeting and accountability, state Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, urged colleagues to seek an opinion from the state Supreme Court. “I just think that the Legislature has to determine under their purview if they’re going to be the funding body, or are we going to let the governor dictate,” he said. “This is not a personal battle.”

New York

New York: The city’s subway will begin rolling all night again, and capacity restrictions for most types of businesses will end statewide in mid-May, as COVID-19 infection rates continue to decline, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. City subway service will return to 24-hour operation May 17 after being closed for cleaning during overnight hours since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic last year, the Democratic governor said. Capacity restrictions on businesses – including restaurants, offices, beauty salons and gyms – will be lifted in New York and its neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut on May 19, Cuomo said. Businesses in New York will still be required to operate in a way that guarantees that unvaccinated people can keep 6 feet of social distancing space, even after the occupancy limits go away, the governor said. New York City’s subways, famous for all-night operation, were shut down between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. starting April 30, 2020, so that trains and stations could be disinfected. The change was also intended to make it easier to remove homeless people from trains where many had been spending the night. The overnight closure was scaled back to 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. in February.

North Carolina

Asheville: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s strain on students through virtual, hybrid and distanced in-person instruction, local school districts anticipate an uptick in summer school attendance this year. Buncombe County Schools spokesperson Stacia Harris said the district predicts more students will attend school this summer than last year, when 1,600 students participated in the county’s summer program, which was available virtually and in person for students going into first through fifth grades. Before the pandemic, the district’s only summer programs were reading support for first through third grades and credit recovery for high schoolers who failed classes and needed to retake them. Asheville City Schools spokesperson Ashley-Michelle Thublin said the district is still finalizing the number of students who need summer school. Daniel Winthrow, a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators and teacher for the academically and intellectually gifted at Isaac Dickson Elementary School, said he could see many students opting for summer instruction for Asheville City Schools. “As a teacher, I’m seeing a lot of students just academically are not in the same place that you would expect them to be at this point in the year, which makes sense having a global pandemic,” he said.

North Dakota

Bismarck: Gov. Doug Burgum has signed into law a bill that directs the state’s Department of Health and its Department of Human Services to unite into the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, effective Sept. 1, 2022. “North Dakota’s Department of Health and Department of Human Services have a long history of working together to serve the citizens of our state, as evidenced by their lifesaving work during the current pandemic,” Burgum said in a statement. “By bringing these two agencies together, we will build on each agency’s strengths, enhance collaboration, provide expanded career opportunities for team members and, most importantly, deliver programs and services more efficiently and effectively to the citizens of North Dakota.” The governor’s office will lead an integration team with representation from the two agencies. “Team members from both agencies have distinguished themselves with their dedication, commitment and sacrifice throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” Burgum said. “Improving health, providing quality human services and supporting our team members will continue to be our top priorities as we build a streamlined service delivery system for North Dakota citizens.”

Ohio

Cincinnati: Fully vaccinated employees at nursing homes and assisted living facilities don’t need to be tested for the coronavirus, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday. Staff who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 must still be tested twice a week. “When staff is not vaccinated, that does increase the odds of the virus getting into the nursing home,” DeWine said. Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after his or her final shot. The state reported fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases between Sunday and Monday. “We are moving in the right direction in regard to cases,” DeWine said. Ohio reported 89 new COVID-19 hospitalizations and 17 patients admitted to intensive care units during that time, according to Ohio Department of Health data. Ohio is at 147.9 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks. If the state dips below 50 new cases per 100,000 residents, DeWine said he would lift all health orders, including the mask requirement.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City: More than 110,000 people who got a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the state are overdue for a second one, according to state health department data. Of those who have received a first dose through state allocations, 9.4% are at least two weeks late on their second. That doesn’t include those who have received vaccines in Oklahoma through federal allocations, such as those given through tribal governments. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are a two-dose regimen, given three and four weeks apart, respectively. The first dose can offer some protection, but to get the 90%-plus efficacy shown in the vaccines’ clinical trials, both shots are necessary, experts say. Health Department Deputy Commissioner Keith Reed said vaccine providers try to set second-dose appointments at the time someone gets their first dose and send reminders to return to complete the series. “We also realize that things do come up, life gets in the way sometimes, and people need to reschedule, so hopefully they’ll respond to our reminders and step up and get vaccinated,” he said. “Because while we’re pleased to get one dose into people, because that does afford some significant protection, we want them to be fully vaccinated and receive the full benefits of vaccination.”

Oregon

Salem: Last week was unusually slow for Oregon National Guard members distributing COVID-19 vaccinations at the Oregon State Fairgrounds. For the past four months, the site has seen a steady stream of Oregonians receiving their first and second doses. “But this past week, it’s like we fell off a cliff,” said Col. Ron Smith, of Sherwood, who oversees the vaccine administration at the fairgrounds. Smith and his fellow supervisors are unsure why. Smith, 59, said the site has the resources to vaccinate 5,000 people per day, though Guard members vaccinated about half that number of people Wednesday. “We have the doses, we have the staffing and everything ready to go, and we’re kind of just sitting here begging for people right now,” Smith said. Guard supervisors are still scratching their heads about the drop-off in vaccine recipients. “Maybe we’ve got all the people who want to get shots, and now we’re down to the people who for whatever reason are hesitant. Who knows what it is, but it is,” Smith said. The State Fairgrounds is not the only site experiencing a drop in demand. Statewide, vaccinations peaked at about 52,000 per day April 8. They were down to 26,000 on April 28.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg: The state should immediately terminate the no-bid state contract of a company that performed coronavirus contact tracing and exposed the private medical information of tens of thousands of residents, Republican lawmakers said Monday. GOP leaders also called for state and federal probes into the Atlanta-based contractor’s mishandling of the data and what they said was the slow response by the Wolf administration. Employees of Insight Global used unauthorized Google accounts – readily viewable online – to store names, phone numbers, email addresses, COVID-19 exposure status, sexual orientations and other information about residents who had been reached for contact tracing. The company’s contract with the state required it safeguard people’s data. The Department of Health said last week that at least 72,000 people were affected. The state plans to drop Insight Global once its contract expires at the end of the July. But GOP lawmakers said at a news conference at the Capitol on Monday that the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf needs to find a new vendor immediately. “The public trust in Insight Global is gone,” said state Rep. Jason Ortitay, R-Allegheny. “And as as long as the company continues to do contact tracing for our state, who is going to give them any information?”

Rhode Island

Providence: High schools across the state have scheduled vaccination clinics this week for their students 16 and up, starting Monday at Cranston East. Another clinic is scheduled for Wednesday at Cranston West, Barrington is scheduled to host a clinic Thursday, and Johnston and North Kingstown are set to vaccinate students starting Friday. Cranston Mayor Kenneth Hopkins told WPRI-TV that vaccinations will help students feel safe during prom and graduation season and give them a chance to get a shot before college, as many schools are requiring students to be vaccinated for the fall semester. The city is providing the Pfizer vaccine, which is authorized for use in those over the age of 16. Students can get a shot without parental authorization, the state Department of Health said. Second doses for Cranston students are scheduled to be administered May 24 and 26. Gov. Daniel McKee said last week that his administration will work with any high school that wants to host a vaccination clinic for students.

South Carolina

Greenville: Greenville County got nearly twice as much federal pandemic aid as all other South Carolina counties combined, and more than a third of that money was kept for county government’s own use. Because of its population, the county qualified for a direct allocation of $91.3 million from the $2 trillion stimulus package enacted last spring. Greenville County Administrator Joe Kernell dispersed about $58.5 million in community health grants, financial assistance to businesses, and funding for other government agencies and nonprofits. He decided to keep the remaining 35% of the money for county government’s own uses. Nearly $33 million was spent to pay emergency medical personnel and buy equipment ranging from medical mannequins to take-home computers as well as cover other expenses such as face masks, advertising costs and cellphone bills. Because they had fewer than 500,000 residents, South Carolina’s 45 other counties had to submit requests to state officials in Columbia for funding from the federal package. Those counties ended up getting a total of about $46 million. Kernell didn’t face such oversight. After approving a budget outline in June, Greenville County Council members allowed the administrator to make spending decisions.

South Dakota

Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday told the state’s tourism industry to gear up for a busy summer, as she expects an influx of visitors itching to travel after more than a year of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. During an event at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where she is suing to hold another fireworks display this summer, the Republican governor said there are many signs that tourism – the state’s second-largest industry – will make a big rebound. Tourism spending dropped by 18% in 2020, but Noem said the state still welcomed ample visitors. She drew widespread attention and criticism for forgoing virus restrictions and hosting a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore that featured former President Donald Trump. She also welcomed people to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, where hundreds contracted COVID-19 and brought it back to 30 states. “The tourism industry is so important to our entire state,” Noem said, pointing to the tax revenue it brings in and jobs it sustains. The governor has initiated a legal battle with President Joe Biden’s administration over holding fireworks at the monument to celebrate Independence Day again this year. The National Park Service denied the state’s application to hold the event this summer due to safety concerns and objections from local Native American tribes.

Tennessee

Nashville: The city’s financial leaders have presented what credit-rating agencies deemed a stable $2.6billion budget package despite devastating natural disasters, the pandemic and social unrest that dragged at city coffers. Finances are so steady that $267 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic recovery funds can be set aside for more services and economic growth, officials said Friday. A controversial 34% property tax increase will set the city up for years of fiscal health while maintaining relatively low rates, they said. “The property tax increase stabilized our revenue base,” Finance Director Kevin Crumbo said Friday. “The American Rescue Plan will move us from a stable position to one that is sustainable for generations to come.” The full line-item budget will be released this week. But Crumbo outlined key takeaways, and Mayor John Cooper released his priorities for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Cooper will invest in a hefty pay raise for teachers, improved roads and expanded bus routes, and more affordable housing development. “Last year’s budget was a crisis budget. This year’s budget is an investment budget,” Cooper said. “We’ve weathered the storm. And we have a new opportunity to rise, together.”

Texas

Austin: Serving up a to-go margarita with Maudie’s Tex Mex fare “has been a lifesaver” for the restaurant chain over the past year, said Ryan Leugers, director of operations for the Austin-based company. He said the to-go alcohol option, temporarily afforded to Texas restaurants as the pandemic ravaged sales, has boosted mixed-beverage sales 10% to 20% across the restaurant’s six Austin-area locations. Now, a bill headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk would make alcohol to-go sales at restaurants a permanent option. Abbott last year expressed support for making such sales permanent. Under the bill, establishments could sell beer, wine and mixed drinks as part of pickup and delivery food orders. House Bill 1024 was filed by Republican state Rep. Charlie Geren, who owns a barbecue restaurant in Fort Worth. The House approved the bill in March, and the Senate gave final approval Wednesday. If Abbott signs the bill, it will go into effect immediately. If he doesn’t sign it and allows it to become law, it will take effect Sept. 1. The Texas Restaurant Association applauded the legislation to make alcohol to-go sales permanent. “This ability has saved thousands of restaurant jobs during the pandemic, and it will remain a critical tool as the industry rebuilds,” the association said in a statement.

Utah

St. George: State health officials have announced more options for free rapid coronavirus testing. The test sites, which are determined by health officials based on an area’s positivity rates, testing rates, wastewater sampling and other surveillance data, offer free tests to anyone 3 or older, with test results typically expected in less than an hour. Some of the locations are drive-thru, while others are held indoors. Those held inside ask people to wear masks and maintain social distancing while waiting in line. Anyone with symptoms associated with COVID-19, even if they are minor, is encouraged to get tested. Those who have been in contact with someone who has had COVID-19 while they could have been infectious are also encouraged to get tested. The Utah Department of Health asks that anyone seeking a test register online first. Registration can be done on site, but it could take longer to receive a test. Identification may also be required. Rapid antigen tests are less sensitive than the also-common polymerase chain reaction tests, according to the department. This means PCR tests are better than antigen tests at detecting the virus, especially when a person has small amounts of virus in their body.

Vermont

St. Johnsbury: The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is considering whether to reopen a number of regional offices across the state that were closed during the early days of the pandemic. DMV Commissioner Wanda Minoli said officials are in the process of evaluating the future of offices in St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, Middlebury, Dummerston and White River Junction. Offices in Bennington, Rutland, Newport, South Burlington and Springfield are open by appointment only. The pandemic spurred significant improvements to online services, such as license renewals and some vehicle registration services, that has reduced demand for in-person services. Minoli has said the reopening of satellite locations is dependent on how things go in the locations that are open. “Accessibility and user-friendliness are at an all-time high, with additional online systems and services that were developed throughout the pandemic to enable customers to do their business right at their own computer,” Minoli said in an email to the Caledonian Record. Among the services now available online are online vehicle registration and standard learner’s permit tests. Commercial learner’s permits tests must still be taken in person, as must driving tests.

Virginia

Richmond: Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can forgo a face mask outdoors, Gov. Ralph Northam says, as long as they are alone or with others who have also completed a vaccine regimen. The Democratic governor amended his mask order Thursday to align with federal guidelines released last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anyone who is considered “fully vaccinated” – meaning they are two weeks removed from their last or only dose of a vaccine – is safe to be outside without a mask as long as they are alone or in a small group with others also fully vaccinated. Masks still would be required in crowded outdoor settings such as concerts and sporting events. “The CDC’s recommendations underscore what we have said all along – vaccinations are the way we will put this pandemic behind us and get back to normal life,” Northam said in a statement. “Our increasing vaccination rate and decreasing number of new COVID-19 cases has made it possible to ease mitigation measures in a thoughtful and measured manner.” Northam also changed the effective date of new guidelines for outdoor sporting events from May 15 to immediately accommodate this past weekend’s slate of state high school football championship games.

Washington

Bremerton: With coronavirus cases rising dramatically in Kitsap in recent weeks, the county faces the possibility of tighter restrictions and being sent back a phase in the state’s reopening plan. Counties must either keep new case rates below 200 cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week period or new hospitalizations below five per 100,000 over a one-week period to stay in Phase 3. Kitsap Public Health District Administrator Keith Grellner said Friday that Kitsap’s case rate is now well above 200. “There is a strong possibility that the state will move Kitsap County back to Phase 2 ... because COVID-19 disease activity and hospitalizations appear to be exceeding the state’s thresholds,” he said. “This a wake-up call for our community. We need to get as many residents as possible vaccinated so we can curb the spread of COVID-19 and get our recovery back on track.” The tightened restrictions in Phase 2 limit gatherings to 25% capacity in settings like indoor eating and drinking establishments, entertainment venues, worship services, retail stores and fitness facilities, among other limitations. A phase rollback would be announced Tuesday, and the new restrictions would be implemented Friday. The next reevaluation would happen in three weeks. All but three counties statewide are currently in Phase 3.

West Virginia

Keyser: WVU Potomac State College will hold its spring commencement ceremony Saturday, but it will look different from in years past as the college implements safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the location has changed to the Keyser High School Alumni Stadium to meet the physical distancing requirements mandated by state regulations for graduation ceremonies. The event will be held rain or shine. Additionally, the college is issuing guest tickets this year, allowing four per graduate. Tickets are required to enter the stadium. Children 2 and younger will be allowed to sit on parents’ laps without the need for a ticket. Masks will be required at all times. The college will also welcome back May, August and December 2020 graduates who registered to participate with the May 2021 graduates. Giving the keynote address will be campus President Jennifer Orlikoff. The ceremony will be livestreamed for family and friends who are unable to attend in person.

Wisconsin

Baraboo: Observation towers and playgrounds at Wisconsin state parks have reopened, as more restrictions in place during the coronavirus pandemic are loosening. The state Department of Natural Resources has also increased capacity to 100 at open-air shelters, amphitheaters and outdoor group campgrounds, WMTV reports. “Over the course of the past year, we have been closely monitoring the health activities going on and making adjustments to our operations when it’s safe to do so,” said Brian Hefty, Wisconsin State Parks deputy director. “We’ll continue to do that with public safety being the No. 1 priority for us.” Attendance at state parks has increased 25% so far this year compared to 2020, the DNR said. Hefty said state park staff will continue to monitor public areas and keep an eye on park capacity limits. If the crowds grow too large, staff may enact a temporary capacity closure.

Wyoming

Jackson: Bicyclists will no longer be allowed to ride into Yellowstone National Park through the south gate before the road opens for motorized vehicles each spring. After spring plowing, Yellowstone keeps some of its interior roads closed to motorized vehicles for several weeks while opening them to human-powered recreation. The park recently announced a permanent ban on bikes between the South Entrance and Grant Village during the spring shoulder season, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports. “Usually there are high snowbanks, no place to get out of the road and no restrooms in that section,” Yellowstone spokeswoman Linda Veress said. “It wasn’t the safest place to ride a bike.” Fewer bicyclists ride in southern Yellowstone in spring compared to the more accessible main road through nearby Grand Teton National Park. Snow and ice prevented Yellowstone’s South Entrance from opening to bicyclists in 2018 and 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic closed the road through much of the spring of 2020. Yellowstone officials plan to open the south gate to all traffic May 14.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports