States Rolling Out Covid Vaccines Faster, But Some Places Struggle

WBEZ Chicago: More Than Half Of Chicago’s Vaccines Shipped To 10 ZIP Codes
In early February, the first shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines arrived at a small clinic run by Sinai Medical Group inside a strip mall at Ashland Avenue and 63rd Street. The 100 doses allocated to the small storefront were the first to show up in West Englewood since the vaccine roll out began about two months earlier. Another 200 doses were ordered the following week. That was all that West Englewood got. (Vevea and Schorsch, 3/31)

The Hill: Los Angeles County Could Vaccinate 80 Percent Of Residents By June, Officials Say
Eighty percent of Los Angeles County residents could be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of June if an expected increase in doses occurs, health officials said. "Reaching such a milestone is possible with increased allocations, and it would dramatically change the trajectory of the pandemic here in Los Angeles County," Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. Such a high vaccination rate, combined with people who already have antibodies from being infected, could help the county achieve herd immunity. (Weixel, 4/1)

AP: 100,000 Appointments Likely On 1st Day Of Open Vaccinations
About 100,000 appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations were expected to be made on Thursday, the first day that anyone 16 years and older was allowed in Connecticut to sign up to get a shot. The move to allow all adults in the state to make appointments comes as Connecticut ranked during the past week among the top 10 states for new cases per capita, Gov. Ned Lamont noted. But he stressed that Connecticut, which has a high testing rate compared to other states, was not among the top 10 for COVID-associated deaths per capita during the past week. (Haigh, 4/2)

The New York Times: As Nation Speeds To Vaccinate All, Maryland’s Path Shows Challenges Ahead
Maryland offers a microcosm of the issues states face as they rush to open enough vaccination sites to meet President Biden’s goal of making every adult eligible for Covid-19 shots by May 1. It has encountered nearly all the geographic, demographic and human behavioral challenges that come with a public health task of this scale. It has poor urban neighborhoods where many people lack access to regular care; wealthy Washington suburbs whose residents have proved adept at vacuuming up shots meant for other ZIP codes; isolated rural areas; and a sign-up system that has so vexed the citizenry that vaccine hunting has become for many a part-time job. (Steinhauer and Goodnough, 4/1)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland To Preregister Those 16 And Up For COVID Vaccine, Plans To Accelerate Schedule Of Who’s Eligible When 
With cases of the coronavirus spiking in several East Coast states, Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday that Maryland would aim to accelerate its COVID-19 vaccine prioritization schedule and authorize everyone 16 and older to preregister for appointments at mass vaccination sites. The governor said while rising infection and positivity rates raises alarm, the trends don’t correlate to states’ lifting capacity limits at bars, restaurants, gyms and other indoor spaces. Maryland’s mask mandate remains intact, he added, which has helped businesses stay open while keeping people safe. (Miller and Mann, 4/1)

The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore’s Coronavirus Vaccine Registry To Take Sign-Ups From All City Adults, Contact Them As Appointments Open 
Baltimore has created a system to register residents 16 and older for coronavirus vaccination, and people on the list will be called as appointments become available for them, city officials announced Thursday. The registry, which went live Thursday at covax.baltimorecity.gov, is a one-stop shop to get residents signed up for shots at city and partner locations such as hospitals, Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa said at a news conference. She encouraged people to sign up by submitting their names and eligibility information. (Opilo, 4/1)

The New York Times: Maine Will Open Covid-19 Vaccination To Anyone 16 Or Older On Wednesday. Virginia Will Do So On April 19
Maine announced on Thursday that adults 16 years and older will be eligible for a vaccine on Wednesday, more than a week sooner than the April 19 deadline the state previously set. Virginia also announced it would allow residents 16 or older to begin getting vaccinated against Covid-19 on April 19, joining more than 40 states that have sped up efforts to open the process to all adults as federal health officials warn about a possible fourth surge of the coronavirus. “The Covid-19 vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement. “And that light is getting brighter every day, as more and more Virginians get vaccinated.” (Martínez and Sullivan, 4/1)

The Oregonian: A Flash Mob For COVID-19 Vaccine? Hundreds Line Up, Sans Dancing, To Nab Soon-To-Expire Doses 
Consider it a vaccine flash mob. Minus the dancing. Hundreds of people descended on the Lake Oswego Fire Department Wednesday night seeking soon-to-spoil COVID-19 vaccine, creating a line stretching several city blocks. The unusual scene, prompted by at least one social media post, underscores the steady demand for vaccine access in the Portland area – particularly among those who won’t otherwise be eligible until April 5 or May 1 based on state criteria. (Schmidt, 4/1)

In other covid news from the states —

NH Times Union: Federal Inspection On COVID-19 Found Flaws At Vets Home
A federal inspection of the New Hampshire Veterans Home last December found inadequate infectious disease control practices that officials said may have contributed to continuing spread at the Tilton home where 37 residents died from the virus. Gov. Chris Sununu released a report last month on the outbreak at the home that made reference to this federal inspection but did not include any of its findings. (Landrigan, 4/1)

CNN: Florida Covid-19: Extreme Policies, Average Statistics Raise Questions Around The State's Coronavirus Data 
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, policy decisions in Florida have been among the most extreme -- often among the first, the only or the few. Florida was one of the first states to roll back capacity restrictions on restaurants and bars and require schools to offer in-person learning. It is one of a few states that never implemented a mask mandate, blocking local jurisdictions from enforcing mask-related rules. However, various Covid-19 data points peg the state right in the middle of the pack. According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, Florida has had the 27th most Covid-19 cases and deaths per capita out of the 50 states overall. (McPhillips, 4/1)

The Hill: Michigan Identifies First Case Of Brazilian COVID-19 Variant As Virus Surges Statewide
Michigan has identified its first case of the P.1 coronavirus variant first discovered in Brazil, health officials announced Thursday. The confirmation of yet another variant in the state underscores the urgency to vaccinate as many Michiganders as quickly as possible, as the state is in the middle of the country's biggest surge of new infections. The variant was found in a woman in Bay County. The case was diagnosed in early March and she has recovered, state officials said. (Weixel, 4/1)

KHN: Battle Brews Over Neutral Zone Where Border-Crossing Parties Rendezvous, Risking Detection And Infection
In the shadows of covid travel restrictions, a 42-acre park on the far western edge of the U.S.-Canadian dividing line has become a popular opening in an otherwise closed border, a place where Americans and Canadians can gather without needing permission to go through an official border crossing. What is known as Peace Arch Park has lush green lawns, gardens and a 67-foot-tall white concrete arch erected in 1921 that spans the border. It’s an often muddy, sometimes idyllic place. But the pandemic has transformed this patch of historically neutral ground into a playing field for some fundamental public health questions. (Silberner, 4/2)

Axios: Mets-Nationals Opening Day Game Postponed Due To COVID-19 
The Washington Nationals-New York Mets Opening Day game, which was set to kick off in the nation's capital on Thursday night, will reportedly be postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, per ESPN's Buster Olney. More than one year after the first professional sports game was canceled due to COVID-19, it's a reminder that the pandemic is still disrupting everyday life — especially as fourth wave of infections driven by new variants looms over the country. (Rummier, 4/1)