Over-the-counter home test for COVID-19 gets U.S. green light French theater, cinema workers protest against virus closure Pandemic backlash jeopardizes public health powers, leaders Sweden’s prime minister says health officials misjudged new infection wave U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 300,000 just as vaccinations begin
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WASHINGTON Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is urging elected officials to “step up” and encourage wary Americans to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Republican leader said that as a childhood polio survivor, he’s a “huge supporter” of being vaccinated.
“Whenever my turn comes, I’m going to be anxious to take the vaccine and do my part to reassure those who are doubtful about this,” McConnell said at a press conference in Washington, D.C.
9 & 10 News
December 15, 2020
MINNEAPOLIS A nurse on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center was the first in Minnesota to receive a COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday.
Thera Witte, who works in a coronavirus unit at the hospital, said she feels honored to be the first and did not hesitate to volunteer.
“I’m feeling hopeful that this is the beginning of the end” of the pandemic, Witte said after receiving the first of two Pfizer doses. She will be vaccinated again in three weeks.
The state anticipates 46,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be delivered this week to Minnesota hospitals and clinics, which will start administering them next week to health care workers at greatest risk of infection.
French theater, cinema workers protest against virus closure Pandemic backlash jeopardizes public health powers, leaders Pandemic scales back Christmas tradition of helicopter gift delivery in Alaska Sweden’s prime minister says health officials misjudged new infection wave U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 300,000 just as vaccinations begin
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TORONTO Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is now contracted to receive up to 168,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine before the end of December, pending approval by Canada’s health regulator.
Trudeau says deliveries could begin within 48 hours of regulatory approval. Officials say they expect to approve use of the second vaccine soon.
Pandemic backlash jeopardizes public health powers, leaders Pandemic scales back Christmas tradition of helicopter gift delivery in Alaska Sweden’s prime minister says health officials misjudged new infection wave EXPLAINER: Why is the EU taking so long to OK vaccine? U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 300,000 just as vaccinations begin
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OMAHA, Neb. The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Nebraska has been steadily declining over the past several weeks, but it remains at a high level that worries health experts.
Nebraska said 693 people were hospitalized with the virus on Monday. That number has been generally decreasing since the state set a record of 987 on Nov. 20, but it is still three times higher than it was on Oct. 1.
9 & 10 News
December 15, 2020
PHOENIX Arizona on Tuesday reported more than 60 additional known deaths as the current COVID-19 surge saw hospitalizations set another record and rolling seven-day averages of cases and deaths more than double over the past two weeks.
The state Department of Health Services on Tuesday reported 4,134 additional known cases and 64 deaths, increasing the state’s totals to more than 424,000 cases and 7,422 deaths.
The rolling average of daily new cases rose from almost 3,500 on Nov. 30 to over 7,700 on Monday.
Meanwhile, the rolling average of the daily positivity rate from COVID-19 testing nearly doubled during the same period, jumping from more than 10% to 19.5%.