USA TODAY is watching the news surrounding COVID-19 as some vaccines join the US fight against a virus that has killed more than 360,000 Americans since the first fatal death in February. Keep updating this page for the latest coronavirus updates, including who gets the vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna, as well as other top news from across the US TODAY Network. Subscribe to our Coronavirus Watch Newsletter for updates directly in your inbox, join our Facebook group or browse through our in-depth answers to reader questions for everything you need to know about the coronavirus.
In the headings:
► Gavin Newsom, governor of California, on Wednesday proposed extending a moratorium on evictions and $ 600 state stimulus checks for millions of low-income residents, including undocumented immigrants who file taxes with the state, under a budget proposal. “Californians affected by this pandemic will be helped to care for their families and keep a roof over their heads,” Newsom said in a statement. According to state data, the Golden State has reported more than 2.4 million confirmed cases and 27,400 deaths.
► New Orleans is tightening current coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings as coronavirus infections increase. Special events inside will be limited to 75 people and outdoor events up to 150. Businesses are limited to 25% capacity. The new restrictions come into effect on Friday at 06:00
► Both CVS and Walgreens have said they will complete the first round of COVID-19 vaccine doses at nursing homes by 25 January according to schedule. As of Tuesday, CVS has administered 351,231 vaccines in nursing homes, including nearly 30,000 in large states. such as California and Florida.
► Mexico reported 13,345 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, a record for the daily increase in cases. As Mexico experiences an increase in cases, an increasing number of Americans flock to Mexico City, the current center of the country’s pandemic, to “escape” strict coronavirus restrictions in the US, reports the New York Times.
► Tommy John, the former baseball pitcher, was admitted to hospital with COVID-19 near his home in Indio, California. John did not have oxygen, he said, but he did get oxygen when he had pneumonia. He denied reports that he was a COVID-19 denier, saying, ‘I’m not a denier. I had it, baby. ‘
► Pedro Pierluisi, governor of Puerto Rico, said he would eliminate a lockout on Sunday, shortening an evening bell that has existed since the pandemic began, and reopening beaches, marinas and pools. The new evening clock runs from 23:00 to 05:00 and is valid for 30 days from Thursday.
📈 Today’s numbers: According to Johns Hopkins University data, there are more than 21.2 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and 361,000 deaths. The world total: more than 87.1 million cases and 1.88 million deaths.
Death of Florida doctor after receiving COVID vaccine under investigation
A Florida doctor has died a few weeks after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, though it is not yet clear if his death Monday is related to the shot he received on Dec. 18. Dr. Gregory Michael (56), an OB-GYN on Mount Sinai. Miami Beach Medical Center died after bleeding, apparently due to a lack of platelets.
According to CNN, medical investigators in Miami are investigating his death. In a Facebook post, his wife, Heidi Neckelmann, said he sought emergency care three days after the shot because he had spots on his skin that indicated internal bleeding.
Pfizer, which along with its partner BioNTech made the vaccine the man received, said in a statement he was aware of the death. “We are actively investigating this matter, but at the moment we do not believe there is a direct link with the vaccine,” the statement said.
– Karen Weintraub
IRS: Some stimulus payments do not arrive before tax time
The anger that has grown among some taxpayers who want to know when they will receive their second incentive payment, the Internal Revenue Service released more information late Tuesday. The bottom line: some taxpayers will soon not see their second round of stimulus payments, and they may have to wait to resolve the issue when submitting their tax returns for 2020.
The IRS has been hit hard this year in dealing with the implementation of stimulus payments. After a long mystery, President Donald Trump signed the second stimulus package that addressed the COVID-19 crisis on December 27th.
The IRS began sending checks on December 30, and money arrived in some bank accounts from January 4. But many taxpayers started complaining online and wondered why they did not get their money. Here are some answers for frustrated taxpayers, according to the IRS.
– Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press
Carnival Cruise Line cancels US cruises until May
Princess Cruises has announced that it will cancel all voyages from US ports until May 14 – more than a year after the industry came to a standstill in mid-March last year. Princess herself was affected by the pandemic early on: two of his ships, the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, were among the first vessels to quarantine passengers due to coronavirus infections.
Previously, Princess Cruises canceled all itineraries until March 31st. The additional cancellations come because the cruise line is working on redeployments that will comply with the “Framework for Conditional Sailing” announced in October by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The further suspension also applies to European cruises planned before May 15, Princess Cruises spokeswoman Negin Kamali told the USA today.
– Morgan Hines
Contributing Contributions: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared in the US TODAY: COVID Update: California Stimulus Checks; Vaccines from CVS, Walgreens