Lunar New Year, ‘breakthrough cases,’ prisoner lawsuits: News from around our 50 states From USA TODAY Network and wire reports, USA TODAY
Alabama
Montgomery: New statistics indicate a disproportionately small number of Black people are getting vaccinations against the coronavirus, a trend the state’s top health official said Friday shows the need to increase immunization efforts in the minority community. While demographic data compiled by the state has big gaps, with the race of tens of thousands of vaccine recipients not reported, Dr. Scott Harris said the numbers that are available show about 55% of vaccines have gone to white people so far compared to about 11% for Blacks. By comparison, Alabama’s population is about 27% Black, census figures show. Factors including hesitancy to accept the vaccine and the demographic makeup of groups that were allowed to receive vaccines during the earliest rounds could help account for the difference, Harris said. �
After battle with cancer & COVID-19, Zoneton fire Chief Robert Orkies dies Share Updated: 11:17 PM EST Dec 11, 2020 Share Updated: 11:17 PM EST Dec 11, 2020
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Show Transcript COVID-19. HERE S HOW HE S BEING REMEMBERED. HOLDING HANDS AND COMFORTING ONE ANOTHER IN PRAYER THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE OUTSIDE LAURENS HOSPITAL IN ST. MATTHEWS ON FRIDAY AS LOVED ONES AND THOSE IN THE ZONETON FIRE DEPARTMENT LEARNED THAT THE CHIEF DIED AFTER BATTLING CANCER AND COVID-19. THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT S DARKEST HOURS. WE VE NEVER LOST A MEMBER BEFORE. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER BACK IN SEPTEMBER, BUT DURING HIS CHEMO TREATMENT HE TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS. HE WAS HOOKED UP TO A VENTILATOR FOR MOR THAN A MONTH. MAYBE HE S AROUND THE CORNER BUT THEN THE NEXT DAY THE NUMBERS WOULD GO DOWN REAL BAD. DESPITE HOURS AFTER HIS DEATH A PROCESSION SOON FOLLOWED AFTER HIS BODY WAS TRANSPORTED TO T