Category: Corona Virus

Posted: Feb 11, 2021 / 08:14 PM CST / Updated: Feb 11, 2021 / 08:14 PM CST

Floridas total cases: 1,806,805, 8,525 case increaseFlorida Residents: 1,774,013, 8,354 case increaseResident Hospitalizations: 75,454, 292 case increaseFlorida Resident Deaths: 28,382, 174 case increaseNon-Resident Deaths: 489, 6 case increase

Total confirmed cases globally: 107,749,090, 569,750 case increaseTotal deaths globally: 2,366,158, 17,281 case increaseTotal recovered globally: 60,257,869

Total confirmed cases in the U.S.: 27,389,196, 139,610 case increaseTotal deaths in the U.S.: 475,221, 5,021 case increase

To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, please visit the Department of Healths dedicatedCOVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please visit theCDC COVID-19 website.

For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Departments dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling1-866-779-6121.The Call Center is available 24 hours per day.Inquiries may also beemailed toCOVID-19@flhealth.gov.

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Coronavirus by the numbers for Thursday, February 11 - WMBB - mypanhandle.com

A person receives a COVID-19 shot in Federal Way, Wash., at a vaccination clinic for the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington held on Feb. 4. David Ryder/Getty Images hide caption

A person receives a COVID-19 shot in Federal Way, Wash., at a vaccination clinic for the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington held on Feb. 4.

Mutations in the new coronavirus could reduce the effectiveness of vaccines against it. But vaccines themselves can also drive viral mutations, depending on exactly how the shots are deployed and how effective they are.

So far, vaccines still appear to work against the new strains though scientists are warily watching a variant that first appeared in South Africa since it seems to reduce vaccine effectiveness. And evolution isn't standing still, so scientists realize they may need to update vaccines to keep them working reliably.

What's going on here is somewhat similar to a larger, and more concerning problem in medicine: Many bacteria have gradually evolved the ability to survive even when walloped by a large dose of antibiotics. That problem has created new strains of deadly, drug-resistant germs.

Viruses also evolve, but the process is different and the result is usually much less severe when it comes to vaccines. When a virus such as the coronavirus infects someone, that person's immune system mounts a response. Viruses produce slight variations when they multiply, and if any of these variants can evade a person's immune response, those variants are more likely to survive and possibly to spread to other people.

So far, the concerning coronavirus strains have appeared in individuals who have not been vaccinated. But this evolution can happen in vaccinated people, as well.

Paul Bieniasz, a Howard Hughes investigator at the Rockefeller University, is particularly concerned this could happen between the time of an initial vaccination and a second shot to maximize the immune response.

"They might serve as a sort of a breeding ground for the virus to acquire new mutations," he says.

This issue is part of a debate over the best timing of vaccine doses. Some scientists have argued that it would be better to use the scarce vaccines to give first doses to as many people as possible, so the maximum number of people have at least partial immunity. That could help slow the spread of the virus.

Bieniasz worries that would also hasten the evolution of new strains of virus.

Scientists simply don't know how this will play out. For one thing, it's unclear whether the first shot of a vaccine is strong enough to prevent the virus from multiplying inside someone and being abundant enough to spread to somebody else. If the virus can't spread, how it has evolved in an individual becomes irrelevant.

It's clear that the vaccines reduce the risk of illness and death, but it's not known to what extent they prevent the virus from infecting an individual, or spreading from one person to another. Does this happen after the first dose? The second?

"There are really too many unknowns to really be definitive and positive about what the best way forward is, what the most effective way to use the available vaccine doses is," Bieniasz says.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease specialist, says the vaccines used in the United States are 95% effective when used as intended, and there simply are no data supporting any other approach.

Fauci also says that a fully vaccinated person is apparently better able to fend off virus variants, so it makes sense to get people the maximum protection as quickly as possible.

The flip side, though, is that the virus including mutant strains can spread through the population faster if fewer people are vaccinated.

Extending the time between the first and second dose of a vaccine "does run the risk of promoting evolution," says Andrew Read, an evolutionary microbiologist at Penn State University. But he adds, "I must say, at the moment, that seems like a second-order issue compared to just reducing the transmission through the population as a whole."

When it comes to new vaccine-induced variants, "I know everybody's worried about it," he says, but history shows that viruses that have mutated generally don't render a vaccine useless. "It's often got strong anti-disease properties, so you get less sick," he says.

And even a fully vaccinated person can still play host to an evolving virus, in situations where the vaccine prevents illness but still allows a virus to replicate. That appears to happen even with the most effective COVID-19 vaccines. So, viral evolution doesn't just occur in the time between shots.

"I think there are a lot of options here for dealing with evolution, should it occur," Read says. For example, it helps that there are already more than half a dozen COVID-19 vaccines in use globally, and many others in development.

"One of the great things about having a lot of vaccine options is we might end up with a population which is heterogeneously vaccinated," Read says. Different people will have different vaccines, each stimulating a different immune response. "That will really help hinder the spread of mutants that are good at [diminishing] any one of those."

Also, a virus that has picked up a trait to evade one person's immune system will encounter a different set of defenses in the next individual. "If you and I have a different response, that really helps," Read says, "because anything that gets out of me might be killed by you."

Drugmakers are also keeping a close eye on mutants, and are already formulating new vaccines that would be more effective, if it turns out the original vaccines lose too much potency with the new variants.

So, this isn't a crisis.

"We're not going to fall off a cliff tomorrow in terms of vaccine efficacy," says Bieniasz at Rockefeller. "What we're likely to see is a slow, steady erosion of efficacy over perhaps quite a long period of time."

To slow this evolutionary process as much as possible, he says, the best strategy is to slow the spread of the virus right now, using masks and social distancing, so people who get vaccinated are at lower risk for getting infected in the first place.

You can contact NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris@npr.org.

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COVID-19 Vaccines And Coronavirus Mutations : Shots - Health News - NPR

San Bernardino County using 89.5% of coronavirus vaccines within 4 days  San Bernardino County Sun

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San Bernardino County using 89.5% of coronavirus vaccines within 4 days - San Bernardino County Sun

According to CNN Business, spikes in 2020 online alcohol sales benefitted the beleaguered sector overall, and Heineken in particular saw its direct-to-consumer platforms including Beerwulf, Six2Go and Drinkies triple orders amid the pandemic. Online sales of the companys home-draught systems also increased modestly into the mid-double-digits.

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Coronavirus: Heineken to cut 8,000 jobs, move beyond beer to offset COVID-19 losses - KIRO Seattle

Younger neighbors, spouses and friends who accompany people 75 and older to coronavirus vaccine appointments at any of the states mass vaccination sites will be able to get shots too starting Thursday even if they dont currently meet eligibility requirements, the governors office announced.

We hope this change will encourage more 75 and older residents to get their vaccine at mass vaccination sites, which have the most availability, Baker said following a tour of the vaccination site at the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers.

Health Secretary Marylou Sudders told reporters it helps mass vaccination sites become that much more age-friendly and for older adults during a Wednesday morning briefing.

Joan Hatem-Roy, chief executive officer of Elder Services of Merrimack Valley Inc. called the move a game-changer for people who might be intimidated by the size and scope of the large vaccination centers, but others raised questions over equity.

Life expectancy in some of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19 is actually less than 75, Rep. Mike Connolly, D-Cambridge said, pointing to alarming inequities in the number of Black and Latino residents vaccinated so far compared to their white counterparts.

The state has been under pressure to expand access following the bungled vaccine roll out for people over 75 where many had issues booking appointments and navigating the states online scheduling interface. Fewer than half the 437,000 Massachusetts residents over 75 have been vaccinated so far, according to state health data.

The announcement comes as the state revealed the locations of two more mass vaccination sites, but notably left Cape Cod out of the mix. An additional 30 pharmacies across the state are also slated to start giving shots.

A Natick Mall location, run by LabCorp, will begin vaccinations on Feb. 22 and ramp up to 3,000 shots per day

Another site at an abandoned Circuit City in Dartmouth opens Feb. 24 and will eventually vaccinate 2,000 people per day.

Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, decried a lack of access for his constituents.

Cape Cod has the oldest population of any county in Massachusetts, but inexplicably Governor Baker has not authorized a state mass vaccination site anywhere closer than 50 miles from the canal bridges, Cyr said.

Longmeadow Democrat Sen. Eric Lesser said Western Massachusetts is also suffering from a lack of access.

Frankly, Western Mass is at higher risk and before COVID, faced deeper health inequities than any other area of the state, he said.

Lesser also blasted the administration for contracting with Curative to run the Dartmouth site, which is under fire for operations at Springfields Eastfield Mall.

Dozens of seniors were caught standing in lines out in the cold and the mayor had to call in police details to assist with traffic earlier in the week, he said.

Baker on Wednesday said improvements were being made.

It feels like the state is playing whack-a-mole and dealing with problems as they arise rather than being proactive, Lesser said.

The state will also announced an additional 103,000 more appointments would be made available this week including 53,000 at mass vaccination sites.

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Massachusetts coronavirus vaccine buddy system will expand eligibility to people accompanying adults over 75 - Boston Herald

DETROIT The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 570,895 as of Wednesday, including 14,977 deaths, state officials report.

Wednesdays update includes 915 new cases and 12 additional deaths. On Tuesday,the state reported a total of 569,980 cases and 14,965 deaths.

New COVID-19 cases have plateaued and deaths are starting to slow. Testing has been steady with more than 40,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate down below 4.0% as of Wednesday.Hospitalizationscontinue to decline over the last several weeks.

Michigans7-day moving average for daily caseswas 1,000 on Wednesday -- the lowest since October. The 7-day death average was 38 on Wednesday. The states fatality rate is 2.6%. The statealso reports active cases,which were listed at 57,400 on Wednesday -- near the lowest its been since October.

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New: 7 takeaways from Whitmers COVID briefing: Could Michigan variant spread lead to another lockdown?

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than27.2 million cases have been reported in the U.S., with more than469,400 deathsreported from the virus.

Worldwide, more than107.1 million people have been confirmed infectedand more than2.34 million have died. More than59 million have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are certainly much higher, because of limited testing, different ways nations count the dead and deliberate under-reporting by some governments.

Michigan COVID-19 vaccinations: How to find appointments, info on phases

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Coronavirus headlines:

VIEW: Tracking Michigan COVID-19 vaccine doses

VIEW: Tracking coronavirus cases, outbreaks in Michigan schools

Meijer is launching a series of COVID-19 vaccination clinics at stores across Michigan this week, with plans to administer up to 25,000 doses in its first week.

Meijer says the vaccines will be administered to Michiganders 65 years and older who have pre-registered through the companys vaccine registration process.

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During the last few weeks, Meijer says it has conducted vaccine clinics in numerous counties throughout the state, administering up to 1,200 vaccines in a single day at some stores. Since its first clinic on Jan. 15, the retailer has administered more than 20,000 doses in Michigan and more than 30,000 doses overall, primarily to seniors 65 and older.

Health officials say a confirmed case of a highly contagious COVID-19 variant, known as B117, was reported in Kent County on Sunday, Feb. 7.

As of Feb. 5, a total of 28 known cases of the variant have been identified in Michigan over the last month, but the cases have only been reported in Washtenaw and Wayne counties.

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The new case reported on the opposite side of the state Sunday appears to confirm health officials belief that more cases of the virus variant likely exist in Michigan, they just have not been identified yet.

Read the full report here.

Health official say Michigans most important COVID-19 numbers are once again trending in the right direction.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the states chief medical executive, said Michigans case rate is down to 159 cases per million population. That number has been declining steadily over the past 24 days.

The Detroit, Traverse City and Upper Peninsula regions all have case rates below 150 cases per million people, according to Khaldun.

Learn more here.

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Michigan youth contact sports will be allowed to resume practices and games starting on Monday (Feb. 8), with certain COVID-19 safety rules in place, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.

Today, MDHHS is issuing an epidemic order to allow in-person practice and competitions for sports leagues, starting on Monday, Feb. 8, Whitmer said. I know these past months have been tough on all of us, and I know theyve been really hard on student-athletes whove been missing a sense of connection and belonging, as well as many other attributes that playing sports provides.

Under the previous Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order, basketball, hockey, wrestling, competitive cheer and youth leagues were shut down at least through Feb. 21.

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Read more here.

Restaurants have been the most hotly debated topic of Michigans shutdowns throughout the COVID pandemic.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have twice shut down indoor dining, with the most recent ban ending Monday (Feb. 1).

Heres a look at how restaurants have been handled throughout the pandemic.

Michigan restaurants will officially be allowed to resume indoor dining Feb. 1 with a curfew and other COVID-19 safety restrictions in place.

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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released its next COVID-19 order Friday. The revised restrictions go into effect Feb. 1 and last three weeks, until Feb. 21.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the order will allow indoor dining at restaurants, concessions at entertainment venues such as casinos, movie theaters and stadiums, personal services requiring mask removal and non-residential gatherings of up to 10 people from two households.

The pause has worked, Whitmer said. The efforts we have made together to protect our families, frontline workers and hospitals have dramatically reduced cases and we have saved lives. Now, we are confident that starting Feb. 1, restaurants can resume indoor dining with safety measures in place.

We are pleased to see the improvements in case rates, hospitalizations and percent positivity that have allowed us to reopen more activities, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. However, we must remain vigilant, especially since we now have a new more easily transmitted variant of this virus present in our state.

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Michigan has released a preliminary timeline to show a projection of when other phases can expect to begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Michigan recently moved into the 1B phase, which includes essential workers like teachers and opens up appointments for residents over the age of 65. Some counties have started vaccinating at this level, while some are still waiting to increase vaccine supply.

The preliminary timeline is fluid. It states very clearly, Dates are estimated and expected to change based on vaccine availability. And vaccine availability is limited right now -- but it should be improving in the near future.

See the timeline here.

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Michigan is moving on to a new phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, including teachers, first responders, childcare providers and residents 65 years of age and older.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday that the new phase of vaccinations will begin Monday, Jan. 11.

We are pleased to move the state forward in the next stage of vaccinations, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive for MDHHS. These vaccines are safe and effective, and we especially want our first responders, teachers and older adults to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The strategy we are announcing today is efficient, effective, and equitable, focusing on making vaccine available to those who have the highest level of risk, whether it is because of where they work or because of their age.

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See the full story here.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is strongly encouraging Michigan public schools to reopen for in-person learning by the beginning of March.

Public schools in Michigan were shut down during the fall due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Their buildings have been closed for about two months -- since the state reported thousands of COVID-19 cases per day in November.

The value of in-person learning for our kids is immeasurable, and we must do everything we can to help them get a great education safely, Whitmer said. Over the last 10 months, medical experts and epidemiologists have closely followed the data and have learned that schools can establish a low risk of transmission by ensuring that everyone wears a mask and adopting careful infection prevention protocols.

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I strongly encourage districts to provide as much face-to-face learning as possible, and my administration will work closely with them to get it done.

Read more here.

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported cases since Jan. 15:

Jan. 15 -- 2,598 new cases

Jan. 16 -- 1,932 new cases

Jan. 17 -- 1,421 new cases

Jan. 18 -- 1,422 new cases

Jan. 19 -- 1,738 new cases

Jan. 20 -- 2,031 new cases

Jan. 21 -- 2,165 new cases

Jan. 22 -- 2,157 new cases

Jan. 23 -- 1,601 new cases

Jan. 25 -- 3,011 new cases (case count for two days)

Jan. 26 -- 1,476 new cases

Jan. 27 -- 1,681 new cases

Jan. 28 -- 1,872 new cases

Jan. 29 -- 1,774 new cases

Jan. 30 -- 1,358 new cases

Jan. 31 -- 1,033 new cases

Feb. 1 -- 1,033 new cases

Feb. 2 -- 1,203 new cases

Feb. 3 -- 1,383 new cases

Feb. 4 -- 1,358 new cases

Feb. 5 -- 1,379 new cases

Feb. 6 -- 1,018 new cases

Feb. 7 -- 884 new cases

Feb. 8 -- 885 new cases

Feb. 9 -- 563 new cases

Michigan COVID-19 daily reported deaths since Jan. 1:

Jan. 15 -- 29 new deaths

Jan. 16 -- 103 (90 from vital records)

Jan. 17 -- 10 new deaths

Jan. 18 -- 10 new deaths

Jan. 19 -- 41 new deaths

Jan. 20 -- 40 new deaths

Jan. 21 -- 148 new deaths (128 from vital records)

Jan. 22 -- 17 new deaths

Jan. 23 -- 221 new deaths (205 from vital records)

Jan. 25 -- 35 new deaths (count for two days)

Jan. 26 -- 79 new deaths

Jan. 27 -- 6 new deaths

Jan. 28 -- 80 new deaths (67 from vital records)

Jan. 29 -- 6 new deaths

Jan. 30 -- 104 new deaths

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Coronavirus in Michigan: Heres what to know Feb. 10, 2021 - WDIV ClickOnDetroit

(Feb. 10 2021) No new coronavirus cases were reported on Nantucket Wednesay, as none of Tuesday's test results were returned to the island.

Fourteen negative results from prior days' testing, however, were reported. Since the start of the pandemic, 1,159 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed on Nantucket.

No coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized on the island Wednesday, but two were transferred off-island last week for a higher level of care, and one is at Nantucket Cottage Hospital "under investigation for COVID-19." Nineteen patients have been transferred to mainland hospitals since the start of the pandemic.

There have been 29 COVID-19 cases reported in the past week, a 4.2 percent positivity rate, including nine Sunday and seven Tuesday.

The positivity rate among asymptomatic tests is 1.5 percent (84 out of 5,462), town health director Roberto Santamaria told the Select Board recently.

Our Island Home nursing-home residents and staff have received their two doses of coronavirus vaccine, and first-responders received their first dose late last month, as the state rolled out its three-phase plan that also prioritized the staff and residents of congregate and group living facilities.

As of Monday, 1,054 first doses of the vaccine had been administered on the island, along with 199 second doses, hospital officials announced.

Registration for the second phase is now open (Click herefor story). Phase-two vaccinations, which prioritize those 75 and older, followed by those whose health conditions pose a greater risk for COVID-19 and front-line workers like supermarket employees and educators, began Feb. 3 at the VFW on New South Road (Click herefor story).

Click hereto read the hospital's latest vaccine update.

Free asymptomatic testing under the state's "Stop the Spread" program is administered indoors at the VFW from 8-10 a.m. Monday-Saturday, but is limited to 75 tests per day. Symptomatic testing is provided at the hospital's drive-through portico on Prospect Street from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Hospital staff have collected 25,110 nasal swabs for testing since the start of the pandemic. In addition to the 1,159 positive tests 4.63 percent of the total number returned, 23,856 have come back negative and 95 are awaiting results.

One-thousand-eighty-eight of those who have tested positive since the start of the pandemic have recovered, hospital officials said. Sixty-seven patients are in isolation at home and there have been four deaths, the most recent Dec. 22, a man in his mid-80s.

The post-holiday surge in cases associated with Christmas and New Year's gatherings and travel, similar to the one that occurred around Thanksgiving, appears to be over, health officials said, but urged islanders to continue following COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions.

The Board of Health on Dec. 11 established a COVID-19 task force to better enforce and raise awareness of coronavirus regulations (Click herefor story).

Gov Charlie Baker late last month lifted the 9:30 p.m. restaurant closing time, and on Feb. 8 increased capcacity limits for restaurants, theaters, museums and other indoor locations from 25 percent to 40 percent (Click herefor story).

Part-time in-class learning for Nantucket public-school students resumed Jan. 14. The Nantucket Boys & Girls Club building was closed for nearly three months, but has reopened with limited capacity.

"I ask everyone on Nantucket to take personal responsibility and do all you can to reduce the potential for transmission in our community. That means wearing masks, staying physically distant, washing your hands, and not hosting or attending gatherings with people outside your immediate households," hospital president and CEO Gary Shaw said recently.

"Most of all, we want our community to stay healthy, we want our economy to remain open, we want our public schools to be able to return to in-person learning. To that end, we must work together and apply the simple preventive measures that will keep this situation from spiraling out of control."

There have been 1,086 coronavirus cases confirmed on Nantucket in the past five months, beginning Sept. 9 with a spike linked to workers in the trades, followed by a second surge in late September tied to a church function in which a communal meal was shared. A third spike in early November was again tied to workers in the trades.

Prior to Sept. 9, Nantucket had one of the lowest COVID-19 rates in the state per 100,000 population, and the fewest confirmed cases of any county in Massachusetts.

The state's current travel order requires all those entering Massachusetts from out of state, excluding Hawaii, to quarantine for two weeks or produce a negative COVID-19 test from the most recent 72 hours upon arrival. Failure to comply could result in a daily $500 fine.

The Board of Health on Oct. 6 voted to require all people on publicly-accessible property across the island to wear a mask, not just downtown and in Sconset, as was previously mandated, and limited public gatherings to 10 people or less indoors and outside.

It decided in mid-November against tightening restrictions to limit the total number of workers on a job site to six in an attempt to stop the spread (Click herefor story).

"People need to step up to stop the spread and avoid an economic shutdown," Santamaria said, urging everyone on the island to wear a mask when in public and at work. "If people don't act responsibly, there is not much we can do as a health department short of shutting things down. We would like to avoid a shutdown."

Nantucket Cottage Hospital does not have an intensive-care unit and only five ventilators. Shaw has said patients in need of acute respiratory care would be transferred to mainland hospitals if at all possible.

The criteria for symptomatic drive-up testing at the hospital includes at least one of the following signs or symptoms consistent with a viral respiratory syndrome: subjective/documented fever, new sore throat, new cough, new runny nose/nasal congestion, new shortness of breath, new muscle aches or anosmia (new loss of sense of smell). Close contacts of COVID-19 positive patients and pre-procedure patients can also be tested.

For more information about symptomatic and asymptomatic testing,click here.

Click hereto sign up for Above the Fold, The Inquirer and Mirrors twice-weekly newsletter, bringing you both the news and a slice of island life, curated with content created by Nantuckets only team of professionally-trained journalists.

For up-to-the-minute information on Nantuckets breaking news, boat and plane cancellations, weather alerts, sports and entertainment news, deals and promotions at island businesses and more, Sign up for Inquirer and Mirror text alerts.Click Here

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No new coronavirus cases reported on Nantucket Wednesday - The Inquirer and Mirror

Posted: Feb 10, 2021 / 07:44 AM PST / Updated: Feb 10, 2021 / 07:45 AM PST

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Dr. Nimisha Amin, a local pediatrician, joined 17 News at Sunrise.

Dr. Amin discussed a recent study suggesting annual vaccines, such as the flu vaccine, could possibly provide some protection against severe coronavirus symptoms in children. She also discussed a possible timeline for when different groups of children could get the COVID-19 vaccine and addressed concerns about obesity and mental health issues rising due to the pandemic.

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Kids and COVID-19: Possible flu vaccine protection against coronavirus symptoms, when children could get the vaccine, other health issues arising due...

Id been on hold a while, but probably no longer than 15 minutes, before a woman from the Cook County Public Health vaccination scheduling helpline answered the phone.

It had required dozens of calls and trips to the website to get through this far, but Id made it to the same stage two previous times in the past week, so my expectations were low.

The two previous occasions Id been politely told they didnt have any more vaccine appointments at this time and was advised to try back later.

So, when the woman answered the phone Monday, and I asked if she had any openings, Im sure my tone of voice sounded more defeatist than hopeful.

But then she said: Could you do 1:30 p.m. tomorrow in Tinley Park?

I almost jumped out of my chair.

Of course, I could do 1:30 p.m. in Tinley Park. I could do 1:30 a.m. if they wanted, not that I offered.

For minutes afterward, I was stunned. What was this strange feeling I was experiencing? Relief? Happiness? Yes, happiness. It had been a while.

Sure, another part of me felt guilty, knowing there are so many 70- and 80-year-olds in worse health still looking for the vaccine, but nobody consulted me when they set up the system and opened Phase 1B to anyone age 65 and older. Ill be 66 in a few weeks.

A short while after the call, an email arrived with a bar code confirming the appointment. The bar code really made it feel official.

I woke up Tuesday as excited as a kid on Christmas Day. Id never thought a person could be so excited about driving to Tinley Park.

Then I realized it really was like a kid on Christmas because it was only 3:30 a.m., so I answered the call of nature that calls more often when you get to be my age and headed back to bed.

I fretted all morning that something would still go wrong, that Id somehow made a mistake, but I neednt have worried.

The vaccination site was the Tinley Park Convention Center at 183rd and Harlem.

Dont tell Dr. Rick from the Progressive Insurance we cant keep you from becoming your parents commercials, but I printed out my confirmation email.

This proved handy when it came time to prove to a Tinley Park police officer that I had an appointment before I could enter the parking lot.

The lot was full, but not too full. I double-masked and headed inside with a steady flow of other gray hairs.

The email advised me to arrive 15 minutes early for check-in, so naturally I got there 30 minutes early because thats what old people do. Otherwise, they cancel our AARP membership and revoke our price discount at the movie theater.

I was greeted at the front door by a uniformed member of the Illinois National Guard, which reminded me they were assigned to staff the facility.

What I hadnt realized is that the Guard is basically running the whole show, from handling registrations to giving the shots and everything in between.

Allow me to attest they did an excellent job of it. Everything went smoothly.

After a few preliminaries that included taking my temperature, I was led to a young Guardsman from downstate Mount Vernon at one of the check-in desks.

He told me hes been working at the vaccine site three weeks now, 12 hours a day, six days a week. He didnt complain, but I could tell it was getting to him.

He checked my drivers license and insurance card, then led me to another desk where a female member of the Guard administered the vaccine.

I asked if I could take a selfie, but she explained photos are not allowed inside the room. She said Id feel a pinch, but I barely noticed.

Then she sent me to the waiting area where youre supposed to stay 15 minutes to make sure youre OK.

During that time, they schedule your follow-up appointment for the second dose. Im due back in a month.

As another nice woman explained, you really dont want to leave before you get that second appointment, otherwise its back to the phones and the websites.

I feel bad for everyone still caught in that particular hell, with millions of people chasing open appointments that only number in the thousands as vaccine slowly becomes available.

All I can say is dont give up hope. Some people are getting appointments, and eventually something should open up. The rest is easy.

Editors note: The county vaccine helpline phone number is (833) 308-1988

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Getting coronavirus vaccine a real shot in the arm to the COVID-19 blues - Chicago Sun-Times

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Active cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota are at 2,308, according to data reported by theSouth Dakota Department of Health.

According to the latest update, 54 new total coronavirus cases were announced bringing the states total case count to 109,283, up from Sunday (109,229). Total recovered cases are now at 105,116, up from Sunday (105,104).

The South Dakota Department of Health reported no new deaths due to COVID-19 in Mondays update. The death toll remains at 1,809.

Current hospitalizations are at 112, down from Sunday (113). Total hospitalizations are at 6,377.

Total persons negative is now at 298,513, up from Sunday (298,234).

There were 333 new persons tested reported on Monday. Mondays new person tested positivity rate is 16.2%.

The latest seven-day all test positivity rate reported by the DOH is 6.8%. The DOH calculates that based on the results of the PCR test results but doesnt release total numbers for how many PCR tests are done daily. The latest one-day PCR test positivity rate is 7.0%.

Vaccine tracking is now being reported by the state. As of Monday, 59,049 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 66,272 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been administered to 86,304 total persons.

According to the South Dakota Department of Health, 20,463 people have received the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, while 18,554 people have completed the Pfizer vaccine series.

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COVID-19 in South Dakota: 54 total new cases; Death toll remains at 1,809; Active cases at 2,308 - KELOLAND.com