Page 21 - HOH

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 4 december 2020

States plan for vaccines as daily U.S. virus deaths top 3,100

Democratic Assemblyman
Patrick O'Donnell. "This is
too important to overlook
or sweep aside."
Texas is putting hospital
staff, nursing home workers
and paramedics at the top
of the list, followed by out-
patient medical employ-
ees, pharmacists, funeral
home workers and school
nurses. Nursing home pa-
tients did not make the cut
for the very first phase.
Advocates strongly ex-
pressed frustration over
the way some states are
putting medical workers
ahead of nursing home
residents.
"It would be unconscion-
able not to give top priority
to protect the population
that is more susceptible
or vulnerable to the virus,"
said John Sauer, head of
LeadingAge in Wisconsin,
a group representing non-
profit long-term care fa-
cilities. He added: "I can't
think of a more raw form
In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo, marks are seen on the face of registered nurse Shelly Girardin as she removes a protective mask
after performing rounds in a COVID-19 unit at Scotland County Hospital in Memphis, Mo. of ageism than that. The
Associated Press population that is most vul-
nerable to succumbing to
Contyinued from Front in the hospital with the fore and after Thanksgiving, As authorities draw up their this virus is not going to be
coronavirus likewise hit an as they often do around priority lists for the vaccine, given priority? I mean, that
Plans for the vaccine are all-time high Wednesday at holidays and weekends. firefighter groups asked just says we don't value the
being rolled out as the surg- more than 100,000, accord- Because of reporting de- the Minnesota governor to lives of people in long-term
ing pandemic swamps U.S. ing to the COVID Track- lays, the figures often drop, placed in the first group. care."
hospitals and leaves nurses ing Project. The figure has then rise sharply days later The Illinois plan gives high- Iowa, which expects to
and other medical workers more than doubled over as state and local health est priority to health care get 172,000 doses over the
shorthanded and burned the past month. And new agencies catch up with the workers but also calls for next month, will make them
out. Nationwide the coro- cases per day have begun backlog. Still, deaths, hospi- first responders to be in the available first to health
navirus is blamed for over topping 200,000, by Johns talizations and cases in the first batch to get the shot. care workers and nursing
275,000 deaths and 14 mil- Hopkins' count. The three U.S. have been on a fairly Other states are struggling home residents and staff,
lion confirmed infections. main benchmarks showed steady rise for weeks, some- with where to put prisoners while an advisory coun-
The U.S. recorded a record a country slipping deeper times breaking records for in the pecking order. cil will recommend who
3,157 deaths on Wednes- into crisis, with perhaps the days on end. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey comes next to "minimize
day alone, according to worst yet to come — in part Keeping health care work- said he wants teachers to health inequities based on
the tally kept by Johns because of the delayed ers on their feet is consid- get priority so that schools poverty, geography" and
Hopkins University. That's effects from Thanksgiving, ered vital to dealing with can stay open. Two Cali- other factors, state Human
more than the number of when millions of Americans the crisis. And nursing home fornia lawmakers asked for Services Director Kelly Gar-
people killed on 9/11, and disregarded warnings to patients have proven high- that, too, saying distance cia said.
shattered the old mark of stay home and celebrate ly vulnerable to the virus. learning is harming stu- For example, prison inmates
2,603, set on April 15, when only with members of their Patients and staff members dents' education. and residents of state in-
the New York metropolitan household. at nursing homes and other "Our state's children can- stitutions for the disabled
area was the epicenter of Health authorities had long-term care centers ac- not afford to wait," wrote aren't in the first round but
the U.S. outbreak. warned that the numbers count for 39% of the na- Republican Assemblyman will be put ahead of others,
The number of Americans could fluctuate strongly be- tion's COVID-19 deaths. Jordan Cunningham and she said.q

Giving Tuesday donations up 25% from last year

By JOSEPH PISANI day, according to esti- giving, when people are al- later created to organize 341% from last year's haul of
AP Retail Writer mates by GivingTuesday, ready opening their wallets and promote it. $521,000.
NEW YORK (AP) — Dona- the nonprofit behind the for the kickoff of the holi- Charities and businesses In May, GivingTuesday held
tions on Giving Tuesday, campaign. That's up from day shopping season. use the hashtag #Giv- another an online cam-
an 8-year-old campaign to last year's total of about $2 The 92nd Street Y, a com- ingTuesday on social me- paign to get people to
get people to give money billion. munity center in New York, dia to spread awareness donate to charities amid
to charities, rose 25% from Giving Tuesday was is credited with coming up and seek donations. the pandemic, bringing in
last year, organizers said. launched in 2012 as a way with the idea. No Kid Hungry, for exam- about more than $500 mil-
Nearly $2.5 billion was do- to get people to donate on A separate organization, ple, said it raised $2.3 mil- lion in online donations.q
nated in the U.S. on Tues- the Tuesday after Thanks- called GivingTuesday, was lion on Giving Tuesday, up