‘Diddy’ delivers, chicken coops, New Year’s Eve restrictions: News from around our 50 states From USA TODAY Network and wire reports, USA TODAY
Alabama
Gadsden: The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Alabama topped 2,800 this week, as recent days have shown a steady climb and new record high inpatient counts – 2,804 on Tuesday – as the surge in cases continues. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, the University of Alabama’s Division of Infectious Diseases director, said Alabama now is third in the nation in COVID-19 hospitalizations per capita, behind Nevada and Arizona. She said Alabama is sixth in the nation in the number of COVID-19 cases per capita, after falling out of the top 10. On Christmas Eve, the number hospitalized was 2,458 across the state; on Christmas Day and on Saturday, it was 2,516, according to statistics published by BamaTracker. On Sunday, the number rose to 2,631; and it jumped significantly by Monday, to 2,802 people hospitalized.
Wisconsin Democrats threaten to skip Assembly inauguration over masks
December 30, 2020 1:38 PM Associated Press
Updated:
MADISON, Wis., (AP) Wisconsin Assembly Democrats are considering skipping next week’s inauguration ceremony because Republicans who control the chamber aren’t mandating lawmakers and staffers wear masks and they believe an in-person ceremony is too risky as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.
Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said during a phone interview Thursday that he’s afraid the lack of masks and packing people into an enclosed space during Monday’s ceremony could spread the COVID-19 virus. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers swore in the Assembly’s 38 Democratic members virtually this week so they don’t need to attend next week’s ceremony to start their terms, Hintz said.