Coronavirus updates: King County reaches 4,300, deployment of field hospital at CenturyLink Field
By SeattlePI Staff
|Updated
According to CNN, “Shipping companies FedEx and UPS started transport on Sunday [Dec. 13] and completed all first-day vaccine deliveries” of COVID-19 vaccines.
“US Surgeon General Jerome Adams called the rollout of the vaccine ‘tremendous,’” CNN reported. "This is just tremendous and I'm smiling bigger than I've smiled in a long time because it has been a hard year for so many people out there, including me personally," Adams told CNN. "Today we really did get a shot of hope."
Eva Hambach/AFP via Getty Images
“Soon after its appearance [coronavirus], researchers identified the viral cause of COVID-19, mapped its genome, and tracked its spread,” reported Harvard Health Publishing. “For a virus that was unknown less than a year ago, all of these things happened quickly because of the dedication and cooperation of scientists and public health officials around the world. Imagine how things would be right now if we still did not know the cause of this terrible disease, and had no idea where it was spreading.”
Erik Trautmann/Hearst Connecticut Media
Despite a remarkably challenging 2020, the world has taken significant strides in improving measures of testing and contact tracing.
“Recognizing that there are formidable challenges and barriers to widespread implementation of these measures, we’ve seen better containment in places where testing and contact tracing are routine (such as New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore),” Harvard Health Publishing stated. “And it seems likely that at some point we’ll have new and better tests with improved accuracy, more widespread availability (including home testing), and faster turnaround times.”
Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer
In a recent virtual event with the Duke Science and Society, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that thanks to science "we will crush" the COVID-19 outbreak.
"Biomedical research and science have given us something that just a decade ago would have seemed unimaginable,” Fauci stated. “To be able to have a new virus that we had never had experience with before ... being thrust upon us and throw us into one of the most extraordinary destructive pandemics in over 100 years. Just over the past few days, science has allowed us to have a vaccine that when we distribute it to people throughout the country, and hopefully throughout the world, we will crush this outbreak that has really terrorized us for the last 11 months, not only here in the United States, but worldwide ... it's damaged severely, the economy and lead to people suffering things, not necessarily directly related to being ill themselves, but all the secondary consequences that go with the effects of a global pandemic such as this."
Graeme Jennings/Associated Press
“The number of students applying to medical school for the upcoming 2021 academic year is up by 18%,” CNN reported. “A huge spike compared to the previous year. It's also a record considering that the Association of American Medical Colleges usually sees an increase about 1 to 3 percent year over year.”
"Just as the military saw a spike in enlistment after the 9/11 attacks,” CNN followed, “the motivating factor in this pandemic era could be the high regard Americans hold for health care professionals.
“In the face of the pandemic, the World Food Programme has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee noted.
Perhaps many Americans can calm down on the panic buying, as according to the Associated Press, distilleries across the country have used high-proof alcohol to make hand sanitizer, and are still divvying it out for free, or by donation to combat the novel coronavirus.
The Washington Distillers Guild partnered with a number of local distilleries to produce thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer to those working on the front lines treating those who have contracted the novel coronavirus.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Analysts from the Washington Post noted a drastic decrease in major greenhouses gases over Europe earlier this year as individuals self-quarantined and cars stayed parked at home. While it's little comfort to a country ravaged by the novel coronavirus, it highlights the impact humans can make on the environment. "I expect pollution to drop even further as the particles in the atmosphere get either dispersed or absorbed," Emanuele Massetti, an expert on the economics of climate change at Georgia Tech University who has studied Italy's climate policies, told the Washington Post. "In a few days, they will enjoy the cleanest air ever in northern Italy."
Additionally, NASA recently revealed pandemic restrictions have reduced global nitrogen dioxide concentrations by nearly 20%.
A multiplicity of Seattle-area restaurants and beyond have stepped up to help those who may have lost their jobs or been impacted by the community effects of the novel coronavirus, which has shuttered many small businesses across the Emerald City. The owner of Piroshky Piroshky developed a free online delivery site for local businesses; Salare completely shifted into a relief center for restaurant workers to pick up free meals and supplies; the Intentionalist developed a gift card marketplace for restaurants to source income for the time being; and independent GoFundMe’s have raised over $250,000 to support the Seattle hospitality industry.
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In a bold move, Vulcan Real Estate announced it would not collect rent from small businesses and nonprofits in April. Additionally, Amazon and catering boxed lunch service Gourmondo partnered up alongside King County Housing Authority and Seattle Housing Authority to support more than 73,000 meals to those in need, including those elderly and medically-vulnerable residents. A new Seattle-based company, Weekdays, also connected parents in need with urgent childcare services as the COVID-19 outbreak closed schools and business.
Seattle Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund has donated more than $10 million in emergency grants to vulnerable workers and families, and a local initiative by the name of All-In Seattle — comprised of Seattle area residents — launched with more than $27 million in pledged donations from individuals and entities, to local organizations that are directly working with people and businesses affected by the novel coronavirus.
Seattle restaurants have also dipped their toes into the community relief scene, as Musang converted its kitchen into a community service operation to feed food insecure families, and the Central District’s Soulful Dishes teamed up with pop-up chef Tarik Abdullah to serve meals to those in need.
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While Starbucks provided free coffee to those on the front lines, Safeway and Albertsons stores throughout Washington launched a checkstand fundraiser to help get food to those in need. Through the fundraiser, the company supported Northwest Harvest, which helps seniors who are more vulnerable to the spread of the virus, to safely get access to food and provide assistance to people who have lost their jobs and incomes. The fundraiser increased delivery of "emergency food boxes" to those in need and helped get more households vouchers and gift cards to buy groceries and other items. The funds were also used to help more families enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
In an effort to increase accessibility to COVID-19 testing in Seattle, Amazon used its internal medical branch, Amazon Care, and delivery network to distribute and pick up at-home testing kits in the city. For this public health initiative, Amazon Care's services were available to the public as part of a research effort backed by the Gates Foundation, of which planned to donate $3.7 million to support various response efforts to the novel coronavirus pandemic in the greater Seattle area.
Health workers react as people applaud from their houses in support of the medical staff that are working on the COVID-19 virus outbreak at the main gate of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, March 26, 2020.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
A doctor gathers information from a driver arriving to get tested for COVID-19 at private laboratory Biomedica de Referencia, in the Lomas Virreyes neighborhood in Mexico City, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
French soldiers and a doctor stand in an intensive care unit at the military field hospital in Mulhouse, eastern France, Tuesday March 24, 2020.
Mathieu Cugnot/AP
People applaud outside St. Thomas' Hospital in support of British National Health Service workers who are treating coronavirus victims, as part of a nationwide salute to the doctors, nurses and staff of the NHS in London, Thursday, March 26, 2020.
Alberto Pezzali/AP
This undated photo provided by Marya Sherron shows Kious Kelly. Kelly, an Emergency Room nurse at the Mount Sinai West Hospital in New York, died Tuesday, March 24, 2020, after a bout with the new coronavirus.
Marya Sherron/AP
A group of nurses wearing protective mask and gear pose for a group photo prior to their night shift on March 13, 2020 at the Cremona hospital, southeast of Milan, Lombardy, during the country's lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 (new coronavirus) pandemic.
PAOLO MIRANDA/AFP via Getty Images
Health services staff members protesting outside the Txagorritxu hospital demanding more protection equipment, after a Spanish nurse died Thursday from coronavirus COVID-19 in a hospital, in Vitoria, northern Spain, Friday March 20, 2020.
Alvaro Barrientos/Associated Press
Medical staffers wearing protective gear, part of a special unit performing house calls, work in Bergamo, northern Italy, one of the areas worse-affected by coronavirus, Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
Claudio Furlan/AP
Biologist doctor Caroline Gutsmuth gives a phone call in medical biology laboratory who opened a coronavirus drive-thru testing site, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, Monday, March 23, 2020.
Christophe Ena/AP
Nurse Hannah Sutherland, dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) awaits new patients at a drive-thru coronavirus testing station at Cummings Park on March 23, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut.
John Moore/Getty Images
Italian nurse Paolo Miranda takes a self portrait in an elevator's mirror as he goes to start his shift on March 11, 2020 at the Cremona hospital, southeast of Milan, Lombardy, during the country's lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 (new coronavirus) pandemic.
PAOLO MIRANDA/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Sylvie de Souza, left, consults with a colleague in a walk-up testing tent outside the emergency room, where patients suspected of having the novel coronavirus are screened, at Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York on Monday, March 23, 2020.
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Nurses wearing protective mask and gear embrace on March 15, 2020 at the Cremona hospital, southeast of Milan, Lombardy, during the country's lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 (new coronavirus) pandemic.
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Nurses put on their work gear at the start of their shift on March 12, 2020 at the Cremona hospital, southeast of Milan, Lombardy, during the country's lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 (new coronavirus) pandemic.
PAOLO MIRANDA/AFP via Getty Images
A nurse wearing protective mask and gear comforts another as they change shifts on March 13, 2020 at the Cremona hospital, southeast of Milan, Lombardy, during the country's lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 (new coronavirus) pandemic.
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Nurse LaTasha Mayon describes the procedure for testing that will take place at the drive-thru testing unit for COVID-19 at Jack Brooks Regional Airport Monday, which will open Tuesday morning.
Kim Brent/The Enterprise
In this photo taken on Thursday, March 19, 2020, Doctor Matteo Flippini holds a tablet for patient Alessandro Mattinzoli to talk to his relatives via video conference, in the ICU room of the Spedali Civili hospital in Brescia, northern Italy.3
Sergio Cattaneo/AP
Susan Stroud screens a customer at a Witham Health Services drive-thru Community Viral Screening center, Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Whitestown, Ind. Indianaâs governor has ordered all public and private schools across the state remain closed to students until at least May 1 among steps aimed at slowing the coronavirus spread. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Darron Cummings/AP
Hospital workers in Personal Protective Equipment collect samples for coronavirus testing at a drive-up faciltiy in the parking lot at Norwalk Hospital Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Norwalk, Conn.
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media
This combination of pictures created on February 7, 2020 shows undated photos obtained on February 7, 2020 of Chinese coronavirus whistleblowing doctor Li Wenliang whose death was confirmed on February 7 at the Wuhan Central Hospital, China.
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Hospital staff pray before joining their shift, outside a hospital setup for coronavirus infected patients in Quetta, Pakistan, Thursday, March 26, 2020. The virus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
Arshad Butt/AP
A victim of the COVID-19 coronavirus is evacuated by stretcher from the Mulhouse civil hospital in eastern France, Monday March 23, 2020. The Grand Est region has become the epicenter of the outbreak in the country. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Jean-Francois Badias/AP
In this photograph taken from behind a window, doctors work on Covid-19 patients in the intensive care unit of San Matteo Hospital, in Pavia, northern Italy, Thursday, March 26, 2020.
Claudio Furlan/AP
Medical staff of the Intensive Care Unit of the Casalpalocco COVID-19 Clinic in the outskirts of Rome tend to patients, Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
Domenico Stinellis/AP
Medical personnel help each other at a federal COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in the parking lot of Walmart in North Lake, Ill., Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
A worker with Clinical Pathology Laboratories waits for patients at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Las Vegas.
John Locher/AP
A patient, center, is transferred to a medicalised hotel during the COVID-19 outbreak in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
Bernat Armangue/AP
Dr. Elissa Palmer stands on a ladder to test a patient in a truck for the coronavirus at a drive thru testing site Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Las Vegas.
John Locher/AP
Polish border guards use a thermal scanner to check the temperature of driver at the Polish side of the Kalvarija-Budzisko check point in Poland, Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
Mindaugas Kulbis/AP
Medical personnel at work in the intensive care unit of the hospital of Brescia, Italy, Thursday, March 19, 2020.
Claudio Furlan/AP
A nurse works in the room of Chuck Sedlacek, who has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, Friday, March 13, 2020, as seen through the window of his room at Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., near Seattle.
Ted S. Warren/AP
A nurse at a drive up COVID-19 coronavirus testing station set up by the University of Washington Medical Center exits a tent while holding a bag containing a swab used to take a sample from the nose of a person in their car, Friday, March 13, 2020, in Seattle.
Ted S. Warren/AP
A patient in a biocontainment unit is carried on a stretcher at the Columbus Covid 2 Hospital in Rome, Monday, March 16, 2020.
Alessandra Tarantino/AP
Nurses make a sign of heart with their fingers, in a ward dedicated for people infected with the new coronavirus, at a hospital in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 8, 2020.
Mohammad Ghadamali/AP
Nurses wearing scrubs stand in a small medical center that specializes in respiratory illnesses as they wait to attend patients amid the spread of the new coronavirus in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
Martin Mejia/AP
Health workers react as people applaud from their houses in support of the medical staff that are working on the COVID-19 virus outbreak at the main gate of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, March 26, 2020.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
An ill crew member from the Costa Cruise ship Favolosa, left, is screened by medical personnel during the coronavirus outbreak after being brought ashore in a lifeboat to the U. S. Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Alameda Health System nurses, doctors and workers practice social distancing during a protest in front of Highland Hospital on March 26, 2020 in Oakland, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
TOPSHOT - A group of nurses wearing protective mask and gear pose for a group photo prior to their night shift on March 13, 2020 at the Cremona hospital, southeast of Milan, Lombardy, during the country's lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 (new coronavirus) pandemic. - After weeks of struggle, they're being hailed as heroes. But the Italian healthcare workers are exhausted from their war against the new coronavirus. (Photo by Paolo MIRANDA / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / PAOLO MIRANDA" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by PAOLO MIRANDA/AFP via Getty Images)
As more and more tests were made available and completed, the number of cases of COVID-19 in Washington steadily grew. By Saturday, the number of confirmed cases statewide jumped up to 4,300, including 189 deaths, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
There were 2,077 reported cases in King County alone, with 136 deaths.
The outbreak had reached 34 of Washington's counties by Friday, the majority of which were still in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Okanogan, Ferry and Skamania counties were the latest to report their first cases.
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To read the latest updates about the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington state and the U.S. at large, scroll down.
March 28
Seattle Seahawks field to host military hospital amid virus
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A military field hospital for people with medical issues that are not related to the coronavirus outbreak is under construction at CenturyLink Field Event Center, which is home to the Seattle Seahawks football team.
Three hundred soldiers from the 627th Army Hospital at Fort Carson, Colorado, have deployed to Seattle to staff the hospital, which is expected to create at least 150 hospital beds for non-COVID-19 cases. The facility, described as a life-saving Army medical hospital, will be ready to start seeing patients in just a few days, officials said.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine, along with FEMA Region 10 Administrator Mike O’Hare and Brigadier General Doug Cherry and others discussed the plans Saturday afternoon at a news conference.
“We know that this Army field hospital will be critical and will reduce the burden on hospitals here," Durkan said. ”The military is here to help, not take over. They are here to help because they know Seattle needs it."
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Also on Saturday, Inslee released a letter to tribes that confirms his emergency proclamations do not pertain to their sovereign nations and additionally issued refined guidelines for funerals and real estate transactions.
Funeral homes had largely stopped holding services but Inslee said Saturday that licensed funeral homes and cemeteries may conduct funeral services in a funeral home or graveside as long as they are only attended by immediate family members and maintain social distancing measures.
Real estate transactions and mortgage lending, which were deemed essential activities under the governor's statewide stay-at-home order, can continue with in-person meetings only as necessary for a customer to view a property or to sign documents, Inslee said.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced on March 25 that all recreational fishing in the state will be closed under Governor Jay Inslee's orders that all residents stay at home to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
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“This is not a decision we take lightly, but it’s the right thing to do for the health and well-being of Washington’s families,” said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. “Monday’s extraordinary order for the residents of our state to stay home requires all of us to work together to ensure these measures have the intended effect.”
To read the full story from reporter Callie Craighead, click here.
About two weeks after schools across Washington state closed amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Seattle Public Schools officials say the district is continuing to move forward with remote learning plans for its students.
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But many questions still remain about what remote learning will include and what exactly is expected of teachers and students, including graduating seniors.
SPS Superintendent Denise Juneau said earlier this week the district's goal is for "educators to deliver educational services to our students to the greatest degree reasonably possible." The state's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction said this week that "education must continue."
To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.
After developing a new free site for small businesses by the name of Catch22Delivery, the website has been growing by the minute with sign-ups and users, and with requests from around the country to develop this platform for other small businesses to connect with their customers.
To ready the full story from reporter Christina Ausley, click here.
Seattle-based Vulcan Real Estate announced its small business and nonprofit tenants would not have to pay rent in April as they continue to feel the impacts of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The move will help 40 tenants in the region, including restaurants, hair salons and nonprofits, Vulcan Real Estate said.
“As a long-standing Seattle-based developer, we are part of the community that is navigating this extraordinarily difficult time,” said Ada M. Healey, chief real estate officer of Vulcan Inc. “We hope this action will help these small businesses weather the next phase of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.”
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To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.
A total of $10 million in grants will be provided to independent dental practices in Washington that have been impacted by the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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Delta Dental of Washington announced the availability of the grants, in addition to advance payments for its in-network dentists, to help them stay afloat amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Dentists are a critical part of our healthcare system and many are independent small business owners, employing thousands of hygienists, dental assistants and office staff statewide,” Delta Dental of Washington CEO Mark Mitchke said in a statement.
To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.
Once just a humble Northeast Portland food cart, and now an ice cream metropolis down the West Coast and Miami, small-batch ice creamery, Salt and Straw, has temporarily closed its doors like many other small businesses across the nation in wake of the novel coronavirus.
"This is not goodbye," Founder and CEO Kim Malek stated in a press release this week. "The company we've built and communities we love have not gone away. We will reopen and hope to bring our team and customers back together as soon as possible. We hope you will stay strong, healthy, and help one another stay positive."
To read the full story from reporter Christina Ausley, click here.
The Seattle Sounders announced this week that the club is launching a relief effort to help the local community amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The ‘Seattle Sounders FC Relief Fund’ will target the individuals, nonprofits and small businesses in the neighborhoods surrounding CenturyLink Field -- the club’s home arena -- that have been “adversely impacted” by the postponement of the 2020 MLS season.
That umbrella includes SoDo, Pioneer Square and the Chinatown International District.
To read the full story from reporter Ben Arthur, click here.
UW Medicine is beginning to put into place its surge plans as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to put a strain on hospitals across the country.
The plan, which is expected to be in place by April 1, involves separating "low acuity ambulatory patients with respiratory illness symptoms" from other patients. When patients exhibiting those symptoms get to UW Medicine hospitals’ emergency departments, they will be directed to a tent outside of the emergency department.
In the expanded area, these patients will receive an evaluation and will then be treated, discharged or sent to either another site or a place in the hospital. Each hospital is also "developing architectural plans to modify interior spaces in the emergency departments to provide safe care for patients with respiratory illnesses," UW Medicine said in a news release.
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"We are confident that our surge plans will enable us to scale up our capacity to treat increasing numbers of patients with COVID-19 symptoms while also preserving our resources to care for patients with other critical injuries or illnesses in our emergency departments."
To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.
Companies including Fred Meyer and CVS have announced plans to give bonuses to employees continuing to work amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has forced many businesses to shut down and employees who can have been asked to work from home, but grocery stores and pharmacies are essential businesses that will remain open.
CVS Health announced this week it would give bonuses of between $150 to $500 to pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, store associates, managers and other employees who need to be on site at the stores.
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“Our colleagues have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to providing essential goods and services at a time when they’re needed most,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health, in a statement. “As they continue to be there for the individuals and families we serve, we’re taking extra steps to provide some peace of mind and help them navigate these uncertain times.”
To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.
A local initiative has raised more than $27 million to help people and businesses in the Seattle area impacted by the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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The initiative, All In Seattle, was formed last week by a group of Seattle area residents who were concerned about the toll the spread of the virus was taking on local businesses and people in the region. Earlier this week, All In Seattle launched with more than $27 million in pledged donations "from individuals and entities to local organizations that are directly working with people affected by the COVID-19 crisis."
“The most notable and inspiring result of this grassroots effort is both the number of people and organizations who have stepped forward to help their local community, and the generosity of their contributions. To raise $27 million in just 72 hours is staggering,” said Rajeev Singh, CEO of healthcare company Accolade, in a statement.
To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.
Checkout lane Plexiglas, at-risk shopping hours, taped floors for social distancing, and same-day pharmaceutical delivery, to name just a few.
“As we all continue to navigate through this public health crisis together, Safeway and Albertsons is continuing to do everything we can to prioritize the health and safety of our customers, our communities, and our associates, and to ensure our customers have access to the food, medications, and other essential goods they need during the 'Stay at Home' time frame,” the grocery chain stated in a press release.
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To read the full story from reporter Christina Ausley, click here.
As communities across the globe are rallying together to support one another during the COVID-19 pandemic, Starbucks is ensuring that the people working on the front lines to keep communities safe and informed remain caffeinated and in high spirits. The Seattle-based global coffee chain announced that it will be offering free drip coffee to all front-line responders through May 3.
Since the start of the pandemic, the company has had to make significant changes in its business model, including the recent move to only operate drive-thru locations temporarily. However, stores located near hospitals and other health care facilities remained open to serve workers.
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To read the full story from reporter Callie Craighead, click here.
State and local Seattle officials have been urging people to stay home as much as possible to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. But have people really been following the social distancing guidelines?
A new report takes a look at just how much people are actually staying inside.
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The report analyzes location data from tens of millions of phones to see whether people are reducing their movement by looking at the change in average distance traveled. The report then gives each state and county a grade, determined by the percentage they have reduced their distance traveled.
To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.
This story will be updated regularly as more information and news becomes available about the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington. To read more coverage, click here.
![According to CNN, “Shipping companies FedEx and UPS started transport on Sunday [Dec. 13] and completed all first-day vaccine deliveries” of COVID-19 vaccines. “US Surgeon General Jerome Adams called the rollout of the vaccine ‘tremendous,’” CNN reported. "This is just tremendous and I'm smiling bigger than I've smiled in a long time because it has been a hard year for so many people out there, including me personally," Adams told CNN. "Today we really did get a shot of hope."](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/10/24/43/18958536/4/ratio3x2_1920.webp "According to CNN, “Shipping companies FedEx and UPS started transport on Sunday [Dec. 13] and completed all first-day vaccine deliveries” of COVID-19 vaccines. “US Surgeon General Jerome Adams called the rollout of the vaccine ‘tremendous,’” CNN reported. \"This is just tremendous and I'm smiling bigger than I've smiled in a long time because it has been a hard year for so many people out there, including me personally,\" Adams told CNN. \"Today we really did get a shot of hope.\"")
![“Soon after its appearance [coronavirus], researchers identified the viral cause of COVID-19, mapped its genome, and tracked its spread,” reported Harvard Health Publishing. “For a virus that was unknown less than a year ago, all of these things happened quickly because of the dedication and cooperation of scientists and public health officials around the world. Imagine how things would be right now if we still did not know the cause of this terrible disease, and had no idea where it was spreading.”](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/15/65/56/20405122/4/ratio3x2_1920.webp "“Soon after its appearance [coronavirus], researchers identified the viral cause of COVID-19, mapped its genome, and tracked its spread,” reported Harvard Health Publishing. “For a virus that was unknown less than a year ago, all of these things happened quickly because of the dedication and cooperation of scientists and public health officials around the world. Imagine how things would be right now if we still did not know the cause of this terrible disease, and had no idea where it was spreading.”")
