50 ★ States

ALABAMA Montgomery: Alabama National Guard troops will begin work later this month administering COVID-19 vaccines in at least 24 rural counties, the state said Tuesday. ALASKA Juneau: Alaska has become the first state to drop eligibility requirements for COVID-19 vaccines and allow anyone 16 or older who lives or works in the state to get a vaccine, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Tuesday.

ARIZONA Phoenix: Gov. Doug Ducey and his top health official said Tuesday they are sorry people have struggled to make a vaccine appointment and they are working to make it as easy as possible for people to get inoculated.

ARKANSAS Little Rock: Gov. Asa Hutchinson credited the state’s ongoing commitment to COVID-19 vaccinations, masking and other mitigation efforts for a continued decline in active cases and hospitalizations. COLORADO La Junta: Otero Junior College will virtually hold the 26th Annual International Food Night at 6:30 p.m. April 8. International Food Night serves as the primary source of funding for scholarships that are awarded to international students each semester.

CONNECTICUT Hartford: Chris Tillett said he is still coping with health problems a year after become the first Connecticut resident to be diagnosed with COVID-19, but the experience has brought a new optimism to life. The former Wilton resident tested positive for the coronavirus on March 8, 2020, and spent three weeks at Danbury Hospital, including 10 days in a coma and on a ventilator. “This has been a tough year,” Tillett, who now lives in Virginia with his family, told WVIT-TV. “I’m enjoying little aspects of life. Even when things go bad, I just choose to laugh at it now instead of letting it get me angry and upset.” Tillett told Connecticut Public Radio he continues to experience muscle pain, stiffness and swelling in his legs.

DELAWARE Dover: The state has hit its lowest total of coronavirus-related hospitalizations in more than five months.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: A new parent-led petition advocates for the safe return to the classroom for more children in D.C. Public Schools, with only 9,000 students out of 52,000 back to in-person learning so far, WUSA-TV reported. FLORIDA Miami: Hundreds of cars streamed bumper-to-bumper into a federally supported vaccination site that appeared to be offering shots to anyone who showed up, breaking from the eligibility requirements set by Gov. Ron DeSantis intended to put seniors at the head of the line. People waited hours to get the vaccine. By 10 a.m., officials at the vaccination site announced they had depleted their supply of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and only the Pfizer vaccine was available.

GEORGIA Atlanta: The state government said it’s developing plans to give out $522 million in federal rental assistance in coming months in 144 of the state’s 159 counties.

HAWAII Honolulu: The state has detected a new coronavirus variant on the islands, one that first emerged in South Africa. The state Department of Health said Monday the virus, named B.1.351, was found in an Oahu resident with no travel history. IDAHO Boise: State public health officials are grappling with how to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations for residents who are hesitant to get the shots, and they’re letting new groups get in line in the meantime. ILLINOIS Springfield: New COVID-19 safety guidelines released Tuesday by the State Board of Education suggested in-person learning should be prioritized over extracurricular activities.

INDIANA Indianapolis: COVID-19 vaccine shots were given to more than 16,000 people during Indiana’s first mass vaccination clinic and all appointments have been filled for two similar upcoming clinics, state health officials said Tuesday.

IOWA Mason City: Even though he voted against the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said there were items in it he found favorable for residents of northern Iowa.

KANSAS Kansas City: Kansas could finish immunizing seniors, meatpacking employees and other essential workers and move on to the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations by next month, top officials said. KENTUCKY Louisville: The city is allocating 1,500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to its homeless population. LOUISIANA Shreveport: Caddo Parish Commission President Lyndon B. Johnson said he would like the parish to lead the way in terms of erecting a monument memorializing those who died from the coronavirus.

MAINE Augusta: Independent Maine Sen. Angus King wants the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide more information about how it is monitoring variants of COVID-19.

MARYLAND Annapolis: The state will ease restrictions on restaurants and other businesses later this week, Gov. Larry Hogan said, citing improving COVID-19 health metrics and increasing vaccinations. Starting at 5 p.m. Friday, capacity limits will be lifted on outdoor and indoor dining at restaurants and bars, though customers will still need to be seated and distanced. MASSACHUSETTS Boston: All public elementary schools in Massachusetts will be required to open for full-time, in-person learning by April 5, and middle schools will be required to do so on April 28, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said. MICHIGAN Lansing: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed at least $2.4 billion in COVID-19 relief spending Tuesday while vetoing roughly $650 million after Republican lawmakers did not negotiate with her and tied other aid to legislation that would have curbed her administration’s authority to order pandemic restrictions. MINNESOTA Crookston: The Department of Health sent out its situation update with new COVID-19 case information Tuesday and reported 140 new deaths, which was a significant jump over the singleand double-digit deaths reported over the last couple of months. MISSISSIPPI Hattiesburg: Thursday will mark a grim milestone for Hattiesburg, the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 for the city, Forrest County and Mississippi.

MISSOURI Jefferson City: A state House committee debated a proposal from Republican Rep. Suzie Pollock of Lebanon that would make immunization requirements apply only to public school students. MONTANA Kalispell: Public access to Glacier National Park’s east entrances has been prohibited since March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with tribal, state, local, and federal officials reaching a consensus to maintain the closure even after other areas of the park reopened in order to safeguard vulnerable members of the Blackfeet Nation.

NEBRASKA Omaha: The state said Monday that five cases of the variant first identified in the United Kingdom and 14 cases of a variant first identified in California have now been confirmed in Nebraska. NEVADA Reno: The University of Nevada, Reno has announced it will offer primarily in-person classes and student services when the fall semester starts in August.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: Dartmouth College has eased some coronavirus-related restrictions on campus now that the number of students testing positive has declined and there have been no major guideline violations, school officials said.

NEW JERSEY Trenton: The coronavirus pandemic didn't impede special interests from spending a record $105 million last year to influence policy and public opinion in New Jersey.

NEW MEXICO Santa Fe: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday signed legislation that will allow the state to waive annual liquor license fees as businesses struggle to rebound amid the pandemic.

NEW YORK New York City: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to use $65 million in federal COVID-19 funds to help taxi drivers who were hurting but are in even worse shape after the pandemic. De Blasio said the program would offer zero-interest loans of up to $20,000 for medallion owners to use as a down payment to restructure their debt, creating “a pathway to solvency.” But the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a union for drivers, denounced the plan. “Mayor de Blasio’s response to our debt crisis does absolutely nothing for drivers,” Bhairavi Desai, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “It’s a cash bailout for lenders while drivers are left to drown in debt, foreclosure and bankruptcy.” NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican legislative leaders announced compromise legislation Wednesday that will mean more K-12 students in North Carolina will return to daily in-person instruction, some almost immediately.

NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: Gov. Doug Burgum received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. He and his wife, first lady Kathryn, drove through the BismarckBurleigh Public Health vaccination clinic with dozens of others to get their first doses of the Moderna vaccine, the Bismarck Tribune reported.

OHIO Columbus: Gov. Mike DeWine dropped the minimum age eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations, this time to include those 50 years or older. With the state continuing to show progress in fighting the virus, DeWine said the minimum age will be lowered from 60 years-plus as of Thursday. That is one week since the state’s last age reduction in eligibility. Ohio has seen declining rates of infections and hospitalizations.

OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: Longterm care home residents now will be allowed visits by loved ones who have completed state-certified essential care training aimed at stopping the coronavirus, state leaders announced Tuesday.

OREGON Portland: Beginning Friday, only two of Oregon’s 36 counties – Coos and Douglas – will remain in the “extreme risk” level category because of COVID-19 spread in the area. In addition, Multnomah County – the state’s most populous and home of Portland – will improve to the “moderate risk” tier, which allows for increased capacity in restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and stores. PENNSYLVANIA Albion: A COVID-19 outbreak at the State Correctional Institution at Albion has infected at least 242 inmates and eight employees. Two inmates have died from COVID-19 complications since the pandemic started.

RHODE ISLAND Providence: The Department of Health has reinstated the medical license of a doctor who investigators concluded had deliberately exposed his patients and staff to COVID-19.

SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia: The University of South Carolina said it intends to hold in-person commencement ceremonies in the spring. On Wednesday, the school announced graduation ceremonies would be held for spring 2021 bachelor’s, master’s and professional degree candidates between May 7-8 at Williams Brice Stadium. In addition, an in-person recognition ceremony for May and December 2020 graduates will take place on May 15 at the stadium, WCIV-TV reported.

SOUTH DAKOTA Pierre: The Department of Health said the state is expanding the list of people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The remainder of individuals in the priority group D who are now eligible include teachers, child-care workers, college staff, college students and funeral workers. TENNESSEE Nashville: Bridgestone said Wednesday it will offer its 33,000 U.S. employees $100 payments to get vaccinated against COVID-19, joining a group of large companies offering incentives for the shots. The tire company is also exploring the possibility of similar programs for employees in Canada and Latin America.

TEXAS Austin: Williamson County could receive $114.53 million from the federal government to help with recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, County Treasurer Scott Heselmeyer said Tuesday.

UTAH Salt Lake City: All people in Utah age 18 and over will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine on April 1, the governor’s office said Wednesday.

VERMONT Newport: The Department of Corrections said an outbreak of the coronavirus at the Newport prison appears to be slowing. The department reported six new cases of COVID-19 in inmates and two new staff cases at Northern State Correctional Facility on Monday.

VIRGINIA Richmond: Condolences poured from lawmakers and other elected officials after Virginia Capitol Police announced one of the agency’s most visible employees had died while undergoing treatment for COVID-19. Master Officer Woodrow W. “Buddy” Dowdy III, a 33-year veteran of the force, died Tuesday, the agency said in a news release. He was 60. WASHINGTON Seattle: The King County Council has approved $4-anhour pay raises for grocery workers in unincorporated areas of the county while the coronavirus pandemic continues.

WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice said an estimated 168 coronavirus deaths went unreported, throwing into question the data that officials used to justify lifting pandemic restrictions.

WISCONSIN Madison: As of Tuesday, Wisconsin has administered 1,739,995 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, at an average rate of 20,471 doses per day. WYOMING Cheyenne: Nine more COVID-19-related deaths among Wyoming residents who tested positive for the coronavirus have been confirmed, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.