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Virus cases trigger rollback of restrictions in Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers and Liberty counties

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Virus cases trigger rollback of restrictions in Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers and Liberty counties

Southeast Texas leaders received news Monday night that the state would mandate a rollback of relaxed COVID-19 restrictions after state data showed the region had more than 15% of its available hospital resources in use for patients infected by the virus for the seventh day in a row.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has been tracking numbers for each of the Trauma Service Areas (TSA) — groupings of counties that share health care resources or rely on each other during events like the pandemic — and has designated regions that meet the sustained 15% threshold as “high hospitalization areas.”

The TSA region — which includes Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers, Liberty, Jefferson, Orange, Hardin, Jasper, and Newton — has been hovering above the 15% threshold for 12 days now, but the count reset on Dec. 14 after state data showed resources dipped to 14.39%.

But, with active cases exponentially growing and Jefferson County breaking a record for its deadliest month before the end of December, the region hit a high of 39% of its resources in use on Thursday and recorded 21.5% in use on Sunday.

“Under the criteria laid out in GA-32, your area, TSAR, meets the definition of a high hospitalization area and so may not conduct elective surgeries or reopen to the higher levels allowable under GA-32,” the letter from DSHS said.

Starting at 8 a.m. today, businesses are expected to roll back to 50% occupancy inside buildings, and bars will close to indoor service.

The counties in high hospitalization areas will have increased restrictions until COVID hospitalizations drop below 15% for seven consecutive days, which could take some time based on incoming active cases and growing death counts.

Beaumont reported three more deaths on Monday to add to the already record-breaking month of 45 deaths in Jefferson County so far in December.

Since Friday, 130 new cases have been reported in Jefferson County; 53 came from Beaumont’s Monday report alone.

Individual counties can ask the state for an exemption to the rollback if there haven’t been more than 30 cases within a two-week period.

Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel said he would ask the state to consider an exemption for his county, but he had doubts about the success of the request since the county’s infection rates disqualified it for the provision.

“I just hate to see the businesses and people that have been through so much this year be hit again,” he said.

“If it was shown that COVID was being spread through our businesses, I would be 100% in support, but I don’t think we have the evidence of that.”

Instead of the rate of new cases, McDaniel will ask that the state consider its contact tracing investigations as evidence that the county is capable of reopening.

While local public health agencies and their contact tracers do have some of the most accurate information about what is happening in communities, issues with the ability to track infections have increased.

Mike White, Jefferson County Emergency Management Coordinator, said signs indicate restrictions have become less effective as the pandemic stretches on.

“We’ve been doing this almost a year now, and I think people are getting COVID fatigue,” he said.

“It is showing because we see people being less and less stringent on what they are doing.”

Beaumont Public Health Director Sherry Ulmer told the Enterprise on Dec. 14 that lack of compliance with surveys and fact-finding after a case was detected had made it difficult to say whether there had been an increase in infections contracted from public places.

What has become clear, especially after the Thanksgiving holiday, is the number of cases driven by large private gatherings in homes and other enclosed spaces.

As Christmas approaches, McDaniel is concerned about gatherings that could lead to another spike and prolonged restrictions for the region.

“If anything at all, maybe this will help some people see it is a bad idea to have a large group of people together for Christmas,” he said.

“Christmas is just the time of year when families gather. I’m not going to say they shouldn’t, because I don’t think I have the authority.”

Congress approves long-awaited $900 billion Covid rescue package

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Congress approves long-awaited $900 billion Covid rescue package

Congress voted Monday evening to approve a far-reaching $900 billion Covid relief package that promises to accelerate vaccine distribution and deliver much-needed aid to small businesses hit hard by the pandemic, Americans who have lost their jobs during the economic upheaval, and health care workers on the front lines of the crisis.

The White House has said that President Donald Trump will sign the legislation once it reaches his desk.
The final passage of the aid package came after Hill leaders announced Sunday evening they had finally reached a deal after months of bitter partisan stalemate and days of contentious negotiations that created uncertainty over whether an agreement could be reached at all or if talks would collapse.
The rescue package, which was negotiated on a bipartisan basis, was combined with a massive $1.4 trillion government spending bill to fund federal agencies for the new fiscal year in a 5,593-page bill.
It will include direct payments of up to $600 per adult, enhanced jobless benefits of $300 per week, roughly $284 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans, $25 billion in rental assistance, an extension of the eviction moratorium, and $82 billion for schools and colleges.
“We can finally report what our nation has needed to hear for a very long time: More help is on the way,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday night announcing the deal.
A deal was reached only after both parties relinquished some of their key demands along the way to make it happen.
Faced with Republican opposition, Democrats were forced to abandon a push for roughly $160 billion in aid to cash-strapped states and cities, while Republicans dropped a demand for liability protections after Democrats signaled that was a red line.
Democrats are already signaling that they want to see more relief passed in the next session of Congress after President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
“I consider this the first step and again, more needs to be done,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a news conference Sunday evening.
“That will be happening under the Biden-Harris administration,” she said.

Rank-and-file senators frustrated

Lawmakers were asked to vote on one of the largest rescue packages in American history with virtually no time to read and digest the details. Legislative text for the package was posted online just before 2 p.m. ET Monday, only hours ahead of final votes in both the House and Senate.
Senators in both parties expressed frustration with the process in which the top four congressional leaders cut a deal and let staff from relevant congressional committees iron out the legislative language with leadership aides.
“It’s terrible,” said Sen. Mike Braun, a Republican of Indiana. “You wouldn’t have that kind of format in anything. It means we are putting all of that responsibility in a few.”
There will be no ability to amend the legislation, and lawmakers will be left with a take-it-or-leave-it proposition with the government on the brink of another shutdown at midnight Monday.
“None of that is any good,” Braun said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, told CNN: “It’s a mockery of legislation.”
Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, was frustrated at how the negotiators agreed to jobless benefits of $300 per week for just 11 weeks — when he and other senators from both parties agreed to a proposal that included 16 weeks of the enhanced benefits. He will have no ability to amend the legislation once the Senate considers it.
“It’s awful,” Manchin said. Asked who he blamed, Manchin said: “I blame all of us for allowing all of this to happen.”

What’s in the relief package

Here are key provisions that will be included as part of the agreement, according to summaries of the legislation released by Democratic and GOP leadership:
  • Direct payment checks of up to $600 per adult and child
  • Aid for struggling small businesses, including more than $284 billion for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans and $15 billion “in dedicated funding for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions”
  • $300 per week for enhanced unemployment insurance benefits
  • $20 billion to buy vaccines and make “the vaccine available at no charge for anyone who needs it” and $8 billion for vaccine distribution
  • $20 billion for coronavirus testing efforts
  • $25 billion for rental assistance and an eviction moratorium extension
  • $82 billion for education providers like schools and colleges, including aid to help reopen classrooms safely, and $10 billion for child care assistance
  • The deal will rescind “$429 billion in unused funds provided by the CARES Act for the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending facilities”
  • $13 billion in increased Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and child nutrition benefits
  • $7 billion to bolster broadband access to help Americans connect remotely during the pandemic
  • $45 billion to support transportation services, including $2 billion for airports, $1 billion for Amtrak, and $16 billion for “another round of airline employee and contractor payroll support”
  • A tax credit “to support employers offering paid sick leave”

Congress drops $500 million for states to bolster election security from the final spending package

Congressional negotiators dropped $500 million for states to bolster their election security after opposition from Republicans during closed-door talks over the massive 2021 spending package steaming through Congress, according to Democrats involved in the matter.
Democrats tried to include $500 million in election assistance grants to states to improve their election infrastructure. But Senate Republicans objected to including the money — and the provision was ultimately excluded. The funding was included in a House-passed appropriations bill but not the Senate’s version of the measure.
Republicans in the past have argued such money is duplicative, but Democrats contend that it is critical to safeguard future elections — and also note that it’s Trump himself who has questioned the reliability of the election systems.
Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley, a Democrat who chairs a key House Appropriations subcommittee and has championed the money, raised concerns that the funding did not make it into the $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package.
“It’s an amazing disconnect,” Quigley told. “We want it because of foreign interference and to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the system.”
Quigley added: “Their President is complaining about all this, but his party killed any chance … to protect these systems going forward in the future as the equipment gets older and older.”
Aides to McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy did not respond to requests for comment.

Second stimulus bill

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Second stimulus bill

What we know about the second coronavirus economic relief bill of 2020.

After months of impasse, Congress has finally brokered a deal on a more than $900 billion coronavirus economic relief bill, expected to be passed by the House and Senate on Monday. President Trump is expected to sign it.

The final deal includes $600 stimulus checks for individuals who make $75,000 a year or less, a $300 boost to weekly unemployment insurance, the second round of forgivable loans for small businesses, $25 billion in rental assistance, and targeted aid for schools and struggling public transit systems. Democrats had been hoping to get broader aid for states and local governments that have been struggling with lost revenue, and Republicans had hoped to get liability protection for businesses, but neither measure made it into the final bill.

Economic relief is badly needed; the Labor Department estimates 19 million people are currently on unemployment insurance, and coronavirus cases and deaths in the US are reaching record highs. Emergency use of two different coronavirus vaccines has been authorized by the federal government, but experts say it will be a painful few months until enough Americans are vaccinated to make a measurable difference in daily life.

Joe Biden to receive COVID vaccine on Monday

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Joe Biden to receive COVID vaccine on Monday

 

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on live television as part of a growing effort to convince the American public the inoculations are safe.

The president-elect took a dose of Pfizer vaccine at a hospital not far from his Delaware home, hours after his wife, Jill Biden, did the same. The injections came the same day that a second vaccine, produced by Moderna, will start arriving in the states. It joins Pfizer’s in the nation’s arsenal against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now killed more than 317,000 people in the United States and upended life around the globe.

“I’m ready,” said Biden, who was administered the dose at a hospital in Newark, Delaware, and declined the option to count to three before the needle was inserted into his left arm. “I’m doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it’s available to take the vaccine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

The president-elect praised the health care workers and said President Donald Trump’s administration “deserves some credit getting this off the ground.” And Biden urged Americans to wear masks during the upcoming Christmas holiday and not travel unless necessary.

Other top government officials last week joined the first wave of Americans to be inoculated against COVID-19 as part of the largest vaccination campaign in the nation’s history.

Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other lawmakers were given doses Friday. They chose to publicize their injections as part of a campaign to convince Americans that the vaccines are safe and effective amid skepticism, especially among Republicans.

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband are expected to receive their first shots next week.

But missing from the action has been President Donald Trump, who has spent the last week largely out of sight as he continues to stew about his election loss and floats increasingly outlandish schemes to try to remain in power. It’s an approach that has bewildered some top aides who see his silence as a missed opportunity for the president, who leaves office on Jan. 20, to claim credit for helping oversee the speedy development of the vaccine and to burnish his legacy.

Trump, who in the past has spread misinformation about vaccine risks, has not said when he intends to get the shot. He tweeted earlier this month that he was “not scheduled” to take it, but said he looked “forward to doing so at the appropriate time.”

The White House has said he is still discussing timing with his doctors.

Trump was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October and given an experimental monoclonal antibody treatment that he credited for his swift recovery. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory board has said people who received that treatment should wait at least 90 days to be vaccinated to avoid any potential interference.

“When the time is right, I’m sure he will remain willing to take it,” White House spokesperson Brian Morgenstern echoed Friday. “It’s just something we’re working through.”

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, however, offered a different explanation for the delay. She told reporters last week that Trump was holding off, in part, “to show Americans that our priority is the most vulnerable.”

“The President wants to send a parallel message, which is, you know, our long-term care facility residents and our frontline workers are paramount in importance, and he wants to set an example in that regard,” she said.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was the first to receive authorization, “is safe and likely efficacious” for people who have been infected with COVID-19 and “should be offered regardless of history of prior symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

While there is no recommended minimum wait time between infection and vaccination, because reinfection is uncommon in the three months after a person is infected, the committee said people who tested positive in the preceding 90 days “may delay vaccination until near the end of this period, if desired.”

The panel also recommends that those who received Trump’s treatment put off vaccination for at least 90 days.

“Currently, there are no data on the safety and efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination in persons who received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma as part of COVID-19 treatment,” they wrote, recommending that vaccination “be deferred for at least 90 days, as a precautionary measure until additional information becomes available, to avoid interference of the antibody treatment with vaccine-induced immune responses.”

“From a scientific point of view, I will remind people that the president has had COVID within the last 90 days. He received the monoclonal antibodies. And that is actually one scenario where we tell people maybe you should hold off on getting the vaccine, talk to your health provider to find out the right time,” Adams said.

But others, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, have recommended that Trump be vaccinated without delay.

“Even though the president himself was infected, and he has, likely, antibodies that likely would be protective, we’re not sure how long that protection lasts. So, to be doubly sure, I would recommend that he get vaccinated,” he told.

Texas to prioritize 65 and older for next round of vaccines

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Texas to prioritize 65 and older for next round of vaccines

The State of Texas announced that the next phase of vaccinations will go to those who are older than 65, and those who are 16 and older and have a serious health condition or are pregnant.

“The state of Texas will prioritize people who are at the greatest risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19 for the next phase of vaccination. More than 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Texas have occurred in people 65 and older, and scientific evidence shows that adults of any age with certain medical conditions have an increased risk of hospitalization and death if they get sick with COVID-19,” said the Texas Department of State Health Services, in a statement.

The state is currently in Phase 1A of vaccine distribution, which includes residents of long-term care facilities and front-line health care workers. With an estimated 1.9 million Texans in those groups, it will likely be at least a few weeks before a transition to Phase 1B occurs. The timing will depend on the amount of vaccine provided to Texas and the uptake of the vaccine among the priority populations.

Phase 1B priorities are below:

People 65 years of age and older.

People 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19, such as but not limited to:
Cancer
Chronic kidney disease
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
Solid-organ transplantation
Obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher)
Pregnancy
Sickle cell disease
Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Gov. Abbott to Get COVID-19 Vaccine Tuesday As Texas Hospitalizations Climb

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Gov. Abbott to Get COVID-19 Vaccine Tuesday As Texas Hospitalizations Climb

Gov. Greg Abbott is getting the COVID-19 vaccine as the number of patients hospitalized with the virus in Texas has again climbed past the troubling mark of 10,000 for the first time since this summer’s deadly peak.

Abbott’s aides say he will receive the shot on live television Tuesday at Austin hospital to help reassure the public that inoculations are safe. The announcement comes on the same day that President-elect Joe Biden took a dose of Pfizer vaccine at a hospital not far from his Delaware home, which was also broadcast on live television.

“Increasingly, Texas residents and even some medical personnel have expressed apprehension about taking the vaccine, and the Governor will receive it on live TV to instill confidence in it,” Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said. “The Governor would not ask any Texan to do something he would not do himself.”

Eze said federal and state health officials had pressed Abbott to take the vaccine, including Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other governors have said they will wait to get the vaccine, although Abbott will not be the first. Last week, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice was among the first top elected officials in the nation to receive the vaccine.

Abbott has emphasized that hundreds of thousands of doses are coming to Texas at a time when newly confirmed cases and hospitalizations continue soaring. Texas has not had this many hospitalized COVID-19 patients since July when there were more than 10,800 patients across the state.

Last Thursday smashed a single-day record for new cases with more than 16,000, which state officials partly attributed to holiday gatherings.

But Abbott has said he will not order a new round of lockdown measures, and on Monday, even announced a new reopening: the Texas Capitol will, which has been closed since March.

The Capitol will reopen on Jan. 4, which is roughly a week before the Texas Legislature reconvenes for the first time since 2019.

Around the Capitol, health officials say the spread of the virus is worsening. On Monday, public health officials in Austin said that new cases were up 86% since the beginning of December. Officials recommended that Austin residents avoid travel and avoid gatherings, and also warned that a curfew could be installed if hospitalizations continue to rise.

“The best gift we can give this Christmas is masking and distancing and staying home if we can,” said Dr. Mark Escott, the city’s interim health authority.

Abbott said health and safety protocols will be put in place for the Capitol’s reopening. More than 26,000 frontline and other essential workers in Texas as of Monday had received the first vaccinations that began arriving this month, according to state health officials. Abbott has said more than 1 million doses of the vaccine will have been distributed in Texas by the end of the month.

53 new COVID-19 cases, 41 Brazos County residents hospitalized

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53 new COVID-19 cases, 41 Brazos County residents hospitalized

The Brazos County Health District has reported 53 additional positive cases of COVID-19 in Brazos County. Currently, there are 1,362 active cases.

No new deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours. There have been 130 total deaths in Brazos County related to COVID-19.

9,772 patients are classified as recovered, which means they have been fever-free for 72 hours without fever-reducing medications, and it has been 10 days after onset of symptoms.

47 percent of the new confirmed cases are from the 18-24-year-old age group.

There have been 2,096 probable cases in Brazos County since June 18, 2020. A probable COVID-19 case is determined by a positive antigen test. Confirmed COVID-19 cases are determined by a positive PCR test. The health district conducts case investigations on all confirmed and probable cases.

There are currently 251 active probable cases and there have been 1,845 probable recovered cases.

The total number of confirmed positive cases in the county since testing began is 11,264. There have been 119,831 tests performed.

Brazos County’s total hospital bed occupancy is at 87 percent, and total ICU bed occupancy is at 83 percent.

Currently, there are 41 Brazos County residents hospitalized for COVID-19.

BRAZOS VALLEY COVID-19 CASES BY COUNTY

County Active Cases Total Cases Recovered Cases Fatalities
Austin 99 880 767 14
Brazos 1,362 11,264 9,772 41
Burleson 115 886 758 13
Grimes 202 1,715 1,472 41
Houston 88 1,009 899 22
Lee 170 808 615 23
Leon 119 697 557 21
Madison 90 1,062 956 16
Milam 131 1,221 729 10
Montgomery 6,035 22,578 12,752 185
Robertson 166 810 632 12
San Jacinto 21 416 377 18
Trinity 24 319 286 9
Walker 253 5,548 5,127 78
Waller 237 1,745 1,486 22
Washington 194 1,329 1,078 57

Most of the Brazos Valley falls under state trauma service area N (Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson, and Washington counties). Trauma Service Area N currently reports 619 staffed hospital beds with 108 beds available. According to the state’s latest data, the region has 2 available ICU beds and 61 available ventilators. The state’s last update listed 94 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients currently in the hospital.

The Texas State COVID-19 Dashboard has undergone some updates and has changed how they define numbers. Total cases are now the combination of confirmed cases and probable cases.

Holiday activities, what’s save, what’s not.

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Holiday activities, what’s save, what’s not.

As we enter the December holiday season, people are urged to follow the public health guidance that we know will help keep people safe. This year people are asked to:

  • Limit in-person celebrations to household members only
  • Postpone or cancel travel this holiday season. If you do choose to travel, be aware of the travel order requirements.
  • Follow the current state gathering size limits and sector-specific workplace safety standards.

Lower-Risk Celebrations and Activities

  • Limit in-person holiday gatherings to only the people you live with.
  • Host a virtual holiday dinner with extended family or friends.
  • Prepare foods for family and neighbors and deliver them in a no-contact way.
  • Virtually attend your traditional holiday activities, such as a visit with Santa.
  • Consider virtual caroling or reciting. Provide a link to your virtual caroling to the people you want to sing to.
  • View holiday lights from your car with those you live with.

Higher-Risk Celebrations and Activities

  • Any time you gather with others outside of your household, you increase the risk of contracting or spreading illness. All residents are discouraged from gathering.  Gatherings are subject to gathering size limits.
  • You are risking your health and others health if you host or participate in any in-person festivities if you or anyone in your household:
    • has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has not completed the isolation period;
    • has symptoms of COVID-19;
    • is waiting for COVID-19 viral test results;
    • may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days; or
    • is at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, such as older adults or those with certain medical conditions.
  • If in-person caroling or reciting, stay more than 25 feet from the people you are reciting or singing for and wear a mask. Remain outdoors while caroling.
  • If you visit Santa Claus in person, wear a mask, stay 6 feet from Santa and others while in line, and make a reservation for your visit where available.
  • If viewing holiday lights outdoors, take a one-way walk with those you live with and maintain distance from others.

Other Recommendations and Guidance

  • Always wear your mask and watch your distance. (Remove your mask only for eating and drinking.)
  • For 10 days before and after holiday gatherings, monitor yourself closely for fever and other symptoms of COVID-19, minimize contact with other people, and leave home only for essential services like going to work, buying groceries, and appointments with doctors; OR,
  • Obtain a negative result from a COVID-19 test, on a sample obtained within 72 hours of the celebration. Even with a negative test, you must be vigilant about masking and distancing when you are around individuals you do not live with.
    • Testing only indicates whether a person may have COVID-19 at the moment of the test. You can still become sick with COVID-19 after your test and before your celebration.
  • Do not share food, drink, or any utensils, including serving utensils.
  • Seat people with plenty of space (at least six feet) from one another while dining.
  • Consider seating people at smaller tables in multiple rooms instead of around a large family table.
  • Improve ventilation by opening windows and doors.
  • If setting up outdoor seating under a tent, ensure guests are still seated with physical distancing in mind. Enclosed 4-wall tents will have less air circulation than open-air tents and should be considered indoor spaces (check also fire codes for heating tents).
    • If outdoor temperature or weather forces you to put down the tent sidewalls, consider leaving one or more sides open or rolling up the bottom 12 inches of each sidewall to enhance ventilation while still providing a windbreak.

Provide supplies to help everyone stay healthy. These include extra masks (do not share or swap with others), hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, and tissues. Stock bathrooms with enough hand soap and single-use towels.

Holiday Shopping

In addition to observing store capacity limits, wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, and following directions and place markings at stores, consider the following when holiday shopping:

Higher Risk:  High-risk activities include in-person promotions or holiday activities that encourage large crowds. When shopping with a non-household member, make sure to wear a mask, including while driving together.

Medium Risk: If you choose to shop in-person, wear your mask and maintain 6 feet of distance from others. Try to shop at off-peak times when there are fewer shoppers.

Lower Risk: Shop online. Many retailers have options for online shopping and in-person, contactless curbside or drive-up pick-up. If using in-person pick-up, you and the retail personnel should wear masks.

Important reminders:

  • Wear a mask (when not eating or drinking).
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
  • Stay at least six feet away from other people.
  • If you may be around others at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, such as older adults or those medical conditions, take extra precautions to keep them safe.
  • Get the flu vaccine.
  • For additional information, please refer to the holiday guidance provided by the CDC.

UPS, FedEx, USPS shipping deadlines: Will your Christmas gifts arrive on time or face delays amid COVID vaccine?

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UPS, FedEx, USPS shipping deadlines: Will your Christmas gifts arrive on time or face delays amid COVID vaccine?

Time is running out to ship holiday gifts in time for Christmas.

Dec. 15 was the deadline for ground shipping at the nation’s three largest carriers, FedEx, UPS, and the U.S. Postal Service, almost identical to 2019 deadlines.

But consumers should brace themselves for late packages and possible disappointment even if they meet the cutoffs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Target and the U.S. Postal Service have already warned consumers of potential delays and other retailers moved up their deadlines. Walmart announced its deadlines for online orders Tuesday. Amazon announced its deadlines Wednesday.

Between delays for shipping the new COVID vaccine and potential storms, experts suggest acting fast.

“There will be packages that don’t make it and there can be more if we end up with a bad snowstorm on the final days before Christmas,” Satish Jindel, the president and founder of ShipMatrix, told USA TODAY. “But no one can predict that far out.”

Adobe Analytics recommended buying gifts before Dec. 11, saying it predicts shipping costs will begin to rise after that date, “erasing some of the value consumers are getting from holiday deals.”

FedEx and UPS have expanded weekend deliveries and hired more workers. They’ve also enforced limits on how many packages companies can send out a day and introduced steep holiday surcharges.

Christmas shipping deadlines 2020

The best bet is to ship as soon as possible this holiday season, experts say. Here are key deadlines to keep in mind if you want your packages to arrive by Christmas.

UPS deadlines for Christmas delivery

  • Ground: Dec. 15
  • 3-Day Select: Dec. 21
  • 2nd Day Air: Dec. 22
  • Next Day Air: Dec. 23

U.S. Postal Service deadlines

Here are the deadlines for packages to arrive before Christmas in the 48 contiguous states:

  • Retail Ground: Dec. 15
  • First-Class Mail: Dec. 18
  • Priority Mail: Dec. 19
  • Priority Mail Express: Dec. 23

FedEx shipping deadlines

The following deadlines are within the U.S.:

  • FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Ground: Dec. 15
  • FedEx Express Saver, FedEx 3Day Freight: Dec. 21
  • FedEx 2Day: Dec. 22
  • FedEx 1Day Freight, FedEx Extra Hours, FedEx Overnight: Dec. 23
  • FedEx SameDay: Dec. 25

Congress proposes $10 billion in relief for the child-care industry, but advocates say it’s only a ‘down payment’

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Congress proposes $10 billion in relief for the child-care industry, but advocates say it’s only a ‘down payment’

Although the vast majority of child-care programs opened back up after the spring stay-at-home orders lifted, many daycare centers and preschool owners are taking on huge financial losses — both personal and professional.

To help, lawmakers reached a deal Sunday on a $900 billion Covid-19 pandemic relief package that provides $10 billion in funding for the industry. However, advocates say that amount isn’t enough to keep child-care providers in business for long.

About 56% of child-care providers report losing money by staying open, according to the latest survey from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Moreover, 42% of the December survey respondents say they have taken on debt using personal credit cards to pay for supplies and other items.

That’s because many centers are still operating at lower capacities, even as costs rise. The survey found that 91% are paying extra for cleaning supplies, 73% have taken on extra expenses for personal protective equipment and 60% are paying additional staff wages.

“Child-care providers have been hit hard by the Covid-19 economic crisis,” says Sarah Rittling, executive director of the First Five Years Fund, an early childhood education advocacy organization.

The $10 billion in relief allocated to child care in Sunday’s package is a “symbolic” recognition of the critical role child-care providers play, Rittling says. But more assistance is needed in order to support this hard-hit industry.

“The new Congress and incoming Biden administration have an opportunity to pick up where this down payment leaves off to ensure providers have the resources to prevent them from shuttering their doors permanently through what is sure to be a tumultuous and unpredictable few months, as well as to address the nation’s child-care challenges by fortifying an early learning and care system that works for all families,” Rittling says.

Others agree. Zero to Three Chief Policy Officer Myra Jones-Taylor called the latest pandemic rescue deal a “stopgap,” saying that the child-care industry needs at least $57 billion in funding to provide grants and assistance to operators for long-term increased costs and lower enrollment.

“This package does not include nearly enough funding to support our child-care centers, who are struggling to remain afloat with less capacity, nor does it include the paid leave all workers so desperately need,” Jones-Taylor says.

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