Tide fan frenzy, valentine volunteers, ventilator theft: News from around our 50 states From USA TODAY Network and wire reports, USA TODAY
Alabama
Tuscaloosa: Thousands of excited football fans partied in streets around the University of Alabama after the Crimson Tide defeated Ohio State for the national championship, ignoring pleas for common sense and safety at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Students and others poured out of jam-packed bars near campus as time expired in Miami late Monday, gathering on University Boulevard in an area called “The Strip,” traffic cameras and images posted on social media show. Many of the fans screaming and cheering as they pressed against each other in the street didn’t wear face masks. The scene was exactly what officials feared before the game as they urged people to watch at home and celebrate privately. More than 5,300 people have died in Alabama from the illness caused by the coronavirus, and about 404,000 hav
January 10, 2021 GMT
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) A state prison inmate has sued the Utah Department of Corrections to stop the movement of inmates among buildings, an alleged lack of mask and glove use by prison officials and other measures he claims spread the coronavirus.
Damon Christ, who is serving time for theft, alleges the practices contributed to COVID-19 outbreaks at the Draper facility, The Deseret News reports. Since October, more than 1,200 inmates have been infected and 12 have died.
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Christ says he tested positive for the coronavirus in November.
“I’m not asking for money damages. I’m not asking to be released,” Crist said of his 3rd District Court lawsuit. “I’m just saying, ’Look, the department is moving people recklessly. It’s causing mass outbreaks and it’s infecting and killing people.”