The darkest day of the year could be a little brighter in 2020. PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center spokesperson Kate Govaars confirmed Thursday that the hospital expects the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines around Dec. 21 — the winter solstice. The prospect of the days getting longer is a theme touched on last month by Alaska’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink. “I kind of think of it like the sun. Alaskans are used to a dark winter. And we’re also used to the fact that Dec. 22 doesn’t feel much lighter than the 21st. And I think the vaccine’s going to feel the same way,” she said in a Nov. 23 briefing.