NEW YORK — Health officials say by March, a new and more infectious strain of coronavirus — first found in the United Kingdom — will likely become the dominant strain in the United States.

The UK variant currently is in 12 states but has been diagnosed in only 76 of the 23 million U.S. cases reported to date. However, it’s likely that version of the virus is more widespread in this country than is currently reported, according to scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While it’s considered more infectious than the virus that’s been causing the bulk of U.S. cases so far, there’s no evidence that it causes more severe illness or is transmitted differently. Therefore, mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing and other prevention strategies can still work, the CDC says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608566572342.png" alt="image courtesy GISAID" />
 <figcaption>image courtesy GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK — Health officials say by March, a new and more infectious strain of coronavirus — first found in the United Kingdom — will likely become the dominant strain in the United States.The UK variant currently is in 12 states but has been diagnosed in only 76 of the 23 million U.S. cases reported to date. However, it’s likely that version of the virus is more widespread in this country than is currently reported, according to scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.While it’s considered more infectious than the virus that’s been causing the bulk of U.S. cases so far, there’s no evidence that it causes more severe illness or is transmitted differently. Therefore, mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing and other prevention strategies can still work, the CDC says.

CDC concerned virus variant may dominate in US

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a murder arrested 40-year-old Moses Joel Guerrero on Friday, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.

On Wednesday, police asked the public for help to locate Guerrero.&nbsp;

Just after 3:00 a.m. Jan. 11, police were dispatched to the area of 200 N. 9th Street in Garden City to assist Finney County EMS with an unresponsive man suffering from a head injury, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.

Upon arrival, officers found the man identified as Jose Adelaydo Gonzalez, 39, was not breathing and in addition to the head injury had been shot.&nbsp;

EMS transported Gonzalez to St. Catherine Hospital where he died, according to Urteaga.

The preliminary investigation determined Gonzalez had a small gathering at his residence. During the gathering, he was involved in a physical altercation and was shot. The alleged assailant later identified as Guerrero fled before officers arrived.&nbsp;

Guerrero has previous convictions for aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a murder and are asking the public for help to locate 40-year-old Moses Joel Guerrero.

Just after 3:00 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the area of 200 N. 9th Street in Garden City to assist Finney County EMS with an unresponsive man suffering from a head injury, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.

Guerrero is described as white, 5-foot-9 inches tall, weights 220 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He has a scars on the back of his head, on his chest, both arms and his forehead.

His last known address was in the 1800 Block of West Mary in Garden City. Police have a warrant for his arrest for first-degree murder.&nbsp; He is considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp;

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death in southwest Kansas.

EMS transported Gonzalez&nbsp; to St. Catherine Hospital where he died, according to Urteaga.

The preliminary investigation determined Gonzalez had a small gathering at his residence. During the gathering, he was involved in a physical altercation and was shot. The unknown assailant fled before officers arrived.&nbsp;

Police are requesting assistance from the community to locate a suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610661801557.png" alt="Guerrero-photo Garden City Police" />
 <figcaption>Guerrero-photo Garden City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a murder arrested 40-year-old Moses Joel Guerrero on Friday, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.On Wednesday, police asked the public for help to locate Guerrero.&nbsp;Just after 3:00 a.m. Jan. 11, police were dispatched to the area of 200 N. 9th Street in Garden City to assist Finney County EMS with an unresponsive man suffering from a head injury, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.Upon arrival, officers found the man identified as Jose Adelaydo Gonzalez, 39, was not breathing and in addition to the head injury had been shot.&nbsp;EMS transported Gonzalez to St. Catherine Hospital where he died, according to Urteaga.The preliminary investigation determined Gonzalez had a small gathering at his residence. During the gathering, he was involved in a physical altercation and was shot. The alleged assailant later identified as Guerrero fled before officers arrived.&nbsp;Guerrero has previous convictions for aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.-------FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a murder and are asking the public for help to locate 40-year-old Moses Joel Guerrero.Just after 3:00 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the area of 200 N. 9th Street in Garden City to assist Finney County EMS with an unresponsive man suffering from a head injury, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.Upon arrival, officers found the man identified as Jose Adelaydo Gonzalez, 39, was not breathing and in addition to the head injury had been shot.&nbsp;EMS transported Gonzalez to St. Catherine Hospital where he died, according to Urteaga.The preliminary investigation determined Gonzalez had a small gathering at his residence. During the gathering, he was involved in a physical altercation and was shot. The alleged assailant later identified as Guerrero fled before officers arrived.&nbsp;Guerrero is described as white, 5-foot-9 inches tall, weights 220 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He has a scars on the back of his head, on his chest, both arms and his forehead.His last known address was in the 1800 Block of West Mary in Garden City. Police have a warrant for his arrest for first-degree murder.&nbsp; He is considered armed and dangerous.&nbsp;Guerrero has previous convictions for aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.---------FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's death in southwest Kansas.Just after 3:00 a.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the area of 200 N. 9th Street in Garden City to assist Finney County EMS with an unresponsive man suffering from a head injury, according to Sgt. Lana Urteaga.Upon arrival, officers found the man identified as Jose Adelaydo Gonzalez, 39, was not breathing and in addition to the head injury had been shot.&nbsp;EMS transported Gonzalez&nbsp; to St. Catherine Hospital where he died, according to Urteaga.The preliminary investigation determined Gonzalez had a small gathering at his residence. During the gathering, he was involved in a physical altercation and was shot. The unknown assailant fled before officers arrived.&nbsp;Police are requesting assistance from the community to locate a suspect.

Police arrest suspect in fatal SW Kan. party murder

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/15/bills-would-raise-legislators-salaries-increase-school-employees-contributions-to-kpers/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — State Rep. Ron 
Highland, R-Wamego, has seen several younger legislators leave Kansas 
for better-paying pastures since he was elected to the Legislature.

Highland
 said a lack of competitive pay is sapping the state of talented 
lawmakers who simply cannot afford to serve in the Legislature. To 
compensate for the salaries, lawmakers are offered a pension plan in the
 Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.

While
 that might work for those legislators already retired with banked funds
 to rely on, this is not a realistic option for younger legislators 
trying to get ahead in life, Highland said.

His solution? A bill that ends legislator participation in KPERS and establishes an annual salary structure for them.

“I
 looked into it, and I thought, what if we changed it and took 
legislators clear out of KPERS,” Highland said. “I also felt it was a 
bit of conflict of interest whenever a bill came before us to vote on 
because we are in KPERS.”

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hb2043_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2043</a>
 isn’t the only KPERS related bill Highland is championing. He has also 
filed a bill increasing the KPERS contribution rate for school district 
workers, one of the least funded parts of the state’s retirement system.

The issue of legislator pay in Kansas is not a new one. According to a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslpa.org/audit-report-library/special-study-salary-compensation-and-allowance-comparison/">report from the Legislature’s post-audit division</a>, a typical Kansas legislator only makes about $21,900 during the legislative session.

That is considerably less than Oklahoma and Missouri, where legislators earn $35,000 a year, plus living expenses. Highland’s bill suggests a salary of $35,000 per year.

“If
 you want to invest your money that’s on you. If you’re going to use 
that money to live on that’s your business,” Highland said.&nbsp;

The legislator participation bill&nbsp;was referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

Highland
 said he received positive feedback from legislators on both sides of 
the aisle, but some legislators are concerned about public perception.

“We
 don’t get into public service for the money. You have to work other 
hours to pay the bills when you’re not in session,” said Rep. Ken 
Rahjes, an Agra Republican. “It’s definitely worth a conversation, but 
it’s very difficult in public service to vote yourself a raise.”&nbsp;

If
 passed, the legislation would have little effect on the total funded 
rate of the retirement fund system, said Alan Conroy, executive director
 of KPERS.

In
 1993, lawmakers put in place a 40-year payment plan to pay off decades 
of debt to KPERS. As of 2019, the unfunded actuarial liability sits at 
about $9 billion. That equates to a 70% funded ratio, still below the 
goal of 80%.

In a <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/02/lawmakers-signal-preemptive-strike-against-refinancing-of-kansas-pension-system/">December hearing</a>,
 Conroy said they would reach the 80% benchmark in 2026 and a 100% 
funded ratio in 2035 if all assumed contributions and return on 
investment predictions remain steady. Highland’s first KPERS bill would 
not change that.

“It
 really wouldn’t move the actuarial needle to any large extent,” Conroy 
said. “As a group, legislators are 0.08% of active KPERS members, and 
retired legislators are 0.16% of retired members, so very small groups.”

Highland’s second piece of KPERS legislation, House Bill 2044, likely would have a more notable impact on the funded rate. <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2044/">The bill</a> would increase the contributions school district employees pay into KPERS from the current 6% to 7.15%. In tandem, it would make
 an appropriation of roughly $40 million to the state Department of 
Education for a 1.15% raise public school employees in the retirement 
system.

In
 the early 1970s, the old school retirement system merged with KPERS. 
Since then, the funded rate has been the lowest KPERS group. The 2019 
valuation puts the school rate at 65%.

Conroy said this bill would aid in moving the total funded rate in the right direction.

“Any
 revenue coming in — whether on the investment side, the employer side 
or the employee side to the trust fund — is a positive thing,” Conroy 
said. “More money would be going in from the employee contribution, so 
that would ultimately provide for higher retirement benefits certainly 
for KPERS3 members.”

KPERS3 benefits are for those hired after 2015.

Highland had more confidence HB 2044 would pass.

Rep. Rui Xu, a Westwood Democrat, for one, liked the sound of the measure, but said he hadn’t examined it deeply.

“I support the concept,” Xu said. “Our teachers have, for a long time, beared the brunt of anything going on, and the pandemic.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610732802896.png" alt="Rep. Ron Highland, R-Wamego, hopes ending legislator participation in KPERS and setting an annual salary scale will help make the Kansas Legislature a more attractive career path. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Ron Highland, R-Wamego, hopes ending legislator participation in KPERS and setting an annual salary scale will help make the Kansas Legislature a more attractive career path. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/15/bills-would-raise-legislators-salaries-increase-school-employees-contributions-to-kpers/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — State Rep. Ron 
Highland, R-Wamego, has seen several younger legislators leave Kansas 
for better-paying pastures since he was elected to the Legislature.Highland
 said a lack of competitive pay is sapping the state of talented 
lawmakers who simply cannot afford to serve in the Legislature. To 
compensate for the salaries, lawmakers are offered a pension plan in the
 Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.While
 that might work for those legislators already retired with banked funds
 to rely on, this is not a realistic option for younger legislators 
trying to get ahead in life, Highland said.His solution? A bill that ends legislator participation in KPERS and establishes an annual salary structure for them.“I
 looked into it, and I thought, what if we changed it and took 
legislators clear out of KPERS,” Highland said. “I also felt it was a 
bit of conflict of interest whenever a bill came before us to vote on 
because we are in KPERS.”<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hb2043_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2043</a>
 isn’t the only KPERS related bill Highland is championing. He has also 
filed a bill increasing the KPERS contribution rate for school district 
workers, one of the least funded parts of the state’s retirement system.The issue of legislator pay in Kansas is not a new one. According to a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslpa.org/audit-report-library/special-study-salary-compensation-and-allowance-comparison/">report from the Legislature’s post-audit division</a>, a typical Kansas legislator only makes about $21,900 during the legislative session.That is considerably less than Oklahoma and Missouri, where legislators earn $35,000 a year, plus living expenses. Highland’s bill suggests a salary of $35,000 per year.“If
 you want to invest your money that’s on you. If you’re going to use 
that money to live on that’s your business,” Highland said.&nbsp;The legislator participation bill&nbsp;was referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.Highland
 said he received positive feedback from legislators on both sides of 
the aisle, but some legislators are concerned about public perception.“We
 don’t get into public service for the money. You have to work other 
hours to pay the bills when you’re not in session,” said Rep. Ken 
Rahjes, an Agra Republican. “It’s definitely worth a conversation, but 
it’s very difficult in public service to vote yourself a raise.”&nbsp;If
 passed, the legislation would have little effect on the total funded 
rate of the retirement fund system, said Alan Conroy, executive director
 of KPERS.In
 1993, lawmakers put in place a 40-year payment plan to pay off decades 
of debt to KPERS. As of 2019, the unfunded actuarial liability sits at 
about $9 billion. That equates to a 70% funded ratio, still below the 
goal of 80%.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610732857234.png" alt="KPERS executive director Alan Conroy said neither bill introduced by Rep. Ron Highland would solve the state’s debt to the KPERS system, but increasing employee contributions for school employees as one of the bills would do, would move the needle. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>KPERS executive director Alan Conroy said neither bill introduced by Rep. Ron Highland would solve the state’s debt to the KPERS system, but increasing employee contributions for school employees as one of the bills would do, would move the needle. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>In a <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/02/lawmakers-signal-preemptive-strike-against-refinancing-of-kansas-pension-system/">December hearing</a>,
 Conroy said they would reach the 80% benchmark in 2026 and a 100% 
funded ratio in 2035 if all assumed contributions and return on 
investment predictions remain steady. Highland’s first KPERS bill would 
not change that.“It
 really wouldn’t move the actuarial needle to any large extent,” Conroy 
said. “As a group, legislators are 0.08% of active KPERS members, and 
retired legislators are 0.16% of retired members, so very small groups.”Highland’s second piece of KPERS legislation, House Bill 2044, likely would have a more notable impact on the funded rate. <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2044/">The bill</a> would increase the contributions school district employees pay into KPERS from the current 6% to 7.15%. In tandem, it would make
 an appropriation of roughly $40 million to the state Department of 
Education for a 1.15% raise public school employees in the retirement 
system.In
 the early 1970s, the old school retirement system merged with KPERS. 
Since then, the funded rate has been the lowest KPERS group. The 2019 
valuation puts the school rate at 65%.Conroy said this bill would aid in moving the total funded rate in the right direction.“Any
 revenue coming in — whether on the investment side, the employer side 
or the employee side to the trust fund — is a positive thing,” Conroy 
said. “More money would be going in from the employee contribution, so 
that would ultimately provide for higher retirement benefits certainly 
for KPERS3 members.”KPERS3 benefits are for those hired after 2015.Highland had more confidence HB 2044 would pass.Rep. Rui Xu, a Westwood Democrat, for one, liked the sound of the measure, but said he hadn’t examined it deeply.“I support the concept,” Xu said. “Our teachers have, for a long time, beared the brunt of anything going on, and the pandemic.”

Kan. legislative pay raises, KPERS contribution changes on the table

HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man is in jail for the alleged physical abuse of a child under the age of 18.

On Thursday, police arrested&nbsp; 29, year-old Dillon Dixon of Hutchinson in connection with beating a child in September of 2020.&nbsp;A warrant was issued for his arrest following an investigation by law enforcement.&nbsp;

He is also being held on requested charges of suspicion of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, trafficking in contraband, and a violation of his parole from the state of Missouri after a burglary conviction, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The possible drug counts came during his arrest, according to police. Dixon's bond has been set at $28,500.

His next court appearance is tentatively set for Feb. 22.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610747909188.jpeg" alt="Dixon photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Dixon photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man is in jail for the alleged physical abuse of a child under the age of 18.On Thursday, police arrested&nbsp; 29, year-old Dillon Dixon of Hutchinson in connection with beating a child in September of 2020.&nbsp;A warrant was issued for his arrest following an investigation by law enforcement.&nbsp;He is also being held on requested charges of suspicion of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, trafficking in contraband, and a violation of his parole from the state of Missouri after a burglary conviction, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections.The possible drug counts came during his arrest, according to police. Dixon's bond has been set at $28,500.His next court appearance is tentatively set for Feb. 22.

Kan. man on parole jailed for alleged child abuse

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Public health officials sounded the alarm for months, complaining that they did not have enough support or money to get COVID-19 vaccines quickly into arms. Now the slower-than-expected start to the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history is proving them right.

As they work to ramp up the shots, state and local public health departments across the U.S. cite a variety of obstacles, most notably a lack of leadership from the federal government. Many officials worry that they are losing precious time at the height of the pandemic, and the delays could cost lives.

States lament a lack of clarity on how many doses they will receive and when. They say more resources should have been devoted to education campaigns to ease concerns among people leery of getting the shots. And although the federal government recently approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-immunizations-coronavirus-pandemic-local-governments-09af97c9ab6a2a3db3f1983b3e467722">$8.7 billion for the vaccine effort</a>, it will take time to reach places that could have used the money months ago to prepare to deliver shots more efficiently.

Such complaints have become a common refrain in a nation where public health officials have been left largely on their own to solve complex problems.

“The recurring theme is the lack of a national strategy and the attempt to pass the buck down the line, lower and lower, until the poor people at the receiving end have nobody else that they can send the buck to,” said Gianfranco Pezzino, who was the public health officer in Shawnee County, Kansas, until retiring last month.

Operation Warp Speed, the federal vaccine program, had promised to distribute enough doses to immunize 20 million people in the U.S. in December. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-anthony-fauci-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-3db1583f627efcd7f06a1762209e6f36">missed that target</a>, and as of Friday, about 6.6 million people had received their first shot, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank">tracker</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 22 million doses have been delivered to states.

The American Hospital Association has estimated that 1.8 million people need to be vaccinated daily from Jan. 1 to May 31 to reach widespread immunity by the summer. The current pace is more than 1 million people per day below that.

President-elect Joe Biden on Friday called the rollout a “travesty,” noting the lack of a national plan to get doses into arms and reiterating his commitment to administer 100 million shots in his first 100 days. He has not shared details and was expected to discuss the effort this week. His office announced a plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ap-top-news-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-f7bb372f73a4f204ec540d39a4409e18">release most doses right away</a>, rather than holding second doses in reserve, the more conservative approach taken by the Trump administration.

The Trump administration defined its primary role as developing coronavirus vaccines and delivering them to states, which would then take over and ensure that vaccine doses traveled “the last mile” into arms. Each state had to develop its own plan, including issuing guidelines for who gets vaccinated first. Several health experts complained about that approach, saying it led to confusion and a patchwork response.

“Let’s just say that I was disappointed how they handled testing, and the vaccine deployment has reminded me of how disappointed I was when they handled testing,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner in Columbus, Ohio.

Several public health officials and experts say they believe some of the early glitches are smoothing out. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the slow start should not be surprising given the immense scale of the task.

“It was not going to be seamless,” he said.

Still, Plescia said the federal government could have done more ahead of the rollout — such as releasing billions of dollars earlier to help with staffing, technology and other operational needs.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-tx-state-wire-minnesota-politics-underfunded-and-under-threat-33228796a8a66a50546c9e3ddacfef1b">ongoing investigation</a>&nbsp;by The Associated Press and Kaiser Health News detailed how state and local health departments have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-general-news-michael-pence-us-news-e28724a125a127f650a9b6f48f7bb938">underfunded for decades</a>. Public health officials have warned since the spring that they lacked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ms-state-wire-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-az-state-wire-0a6a5ad94e6bfe8e57b01737347b8040">staff, money and tools</a>&nbsp;they needed to deploy a vaccine. The money was not approved until the end of December.

Vaccine distribution involves a long, complex chain of events. Every dose must be tracked. Providers need to know how much staffing they will need. Eligible people must be notified to schedule their shots, given the vaccine’s handling requirements and the need to observe people for 15 minutes after the shot — all while social distancing is observed.

It’s difficult to plan too far ahead because the number of doses the state receives can fluctuate. Hospitals cannot give all their workers shots on the same day because of possible side effects and staffing issues, so they must be spaced out.

Rhode Island health officials said it can take up to seven days to get doses out to people once they are received. Officials in several states, including Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New Jersey, said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-rhode-island-gina-raimondo-coronavirus-pandemic-beb86dd1c3838148868ce1470bf9f371">lack of supply</a>&nbsp;is one of the biggest obstacles to getting more people vaccinated.

Some communities have seen large numbers of medical workers put off getting the shot, even though they are first in line. Columbus, Ohio, has had lower-than-expected demand among top priority groups, including emergency medical workers.

A public education campaign could have helped address the hesitancy among health care workers that has slowed the rollout of the first shots, said James Garrow, a spokesman for the Philadelphia health department. Instead, officials for months talked about the speed at which they were developing the vaccines — which did not help alleviate concerns that it might not be safe.

“There just hasn’t been good messaging about the safety and the purposefulness of the safety protocols,” Garrow said.

The federal government has done little to provide information resources that local officials can tailor to their own communities, to address concerns of people such as pregnant women or Black men living in rural areas, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, who is a member of Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board.

“You don’t need 50 different states trying to do this kind of work. What you want to have is a smorgasbord of information sources that address different populations that any one state can use,” Osterholm said. “That’s what we don’t have right now.”

Some states are getting creative. Oregon held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-salem-coronavirus-pandemic-oregon-patrick-allen-e190ac97cba9169c6be9907da01c7a48">mass vaccination event</a>&nbsp;at the state fairgrounds with the help of the National Guard. The governor said it aimed to vaccinate 250 people per hour. New Jersey planned to open&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-new-jersey-a5141ff14a59faec5b2223b87817ef92">six vaccine “megasites”</a>&nbsp;where officials hope more than 2,000 people per day can eventually get their shots.

But without a federal plan, such efforts can amount to “throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks,” said Chrissie Juliano of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents metropolitan health departments.

What’s needed is a national, wartime-type effort to get vaccines out to as many people as possible, multiple experts said. Medical emergencies can be covered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Pezzino, who is also a senior fellow at the Kansas Health Institute. Why not make vaccinations available on that schedule?

“It is possible. It is feasible,” he said. “I don’t see the level of urgency, the feeling of urgency in anybody around here. And that’s really, honestly, that’s the only thing that could make a difference.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Public health officials sounded the alarm for months, complaining that they did not have enough support or money to get COVID-19 vaccines quickly into arms. Now the slower-than-expected start to the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history is proving them right.As they work to ramp up the shots, state and local public health departments across the U.S. cite a variety of obstacles, most notably a lack of leadership from the federal government. Many officials worry that they are losing precious time at the height of the pandemic, and the delays could cost lives.States lament a lack of clarity on how many doses they will receive and when. They say more resources should have been devoted to education campaigns to ease concerns among people leery of getting the shots. And although the federal government recently approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-immunizations-coronavirus-pandemic-local-governments-09af97c9ab6a2a3db3f1983b3e467722">$8.7 billion for the vaccine effort</a>, it will take time to reach places that could have used the money months ago to prepare to deliver shots more efficiently.Such complaints have become a common refrain in a nation where public health officials have been left largely on their own to solve complex problems.“The recurring theme is the lack of a national strategy and the attempt to pass the buck down the line, lower and lower, until the poor people at the receiving end have nobody else that they can send the buck to,” said Gianfranco Pezzino, who was the public health officer in Shawnee County, Kansas, until retiring last month.Operation Warp Speed, the federal vaccine program, had promised to distribute enough doses to immunize 20 million people in the U.S. in December. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-anthony-fauci-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-3db1583f627efcd7f06a1762209e6f36">missed that target</a>, and as of Friday, about 6.6 million people had received their first shot, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank">tracker</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 22 million doses have been delivered to states.The American Hospital Association has estimated that 1.8 million people need to be vaccinated daily from Jan. 1 to May 31 to reach widespread immunity by the summer. The current pace is more than 1 million people per day below that.President-elect Joe Biden on Friday called the rollout a “travesty,” noting the lack of a national plan to get doses into arms and reiterating his commitment to administer 100 million shots in his first 100 days. He has not shared details and was expected to discuss the effort this week. His office announced a plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ap-top-news-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-f7bb372f73a4f204ec540d39a4409e18">release most doses right away</a>, rather than holding second doses in reserve, the more conservative approach taken by the Trump administration.The Trump administration defined its primary role as developing coronavirus vaccines and delivering them to states, which would then take over and ensure that vaccine doses traveled “the last mile” into arms. Each state had to develop its own plan, including issuing guidelines for who gets vaccinated first. Several health experts complained about that approach, saying it led to confusion and a patchwork response.“Let’s just say that I was disappointed how they handled testing, and the vaccine deployment has reminded me of how disappointed I was when they handled testing,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner in Columbus, Ohio.Several public health officials and experts say they believe some of the early glitches are smoothing out. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the slow start should not be surprising given the immense scale of the task.“It was not going to be seamless,” he said.Still, Plescia said the federal government could have done more ahead of the rollout — such as releasing billions of dollars earlier to help with staffing, technology and other operational needs.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-tx-state-wire-minnesota-politics-underfunded-and-under-threat-33228796a8a66a50546c9e3ddacfef1b">ongoing investigation</a>&nbsp;by The Associated Press and Kaiser Health News detailed how state and local health departments have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-general-news-michael-pence-us-news-e28724a125a127f650a9b6f48f7bb938">underfunded for decades</a>. Public health officials have warned since the spring that they lacked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ms-state-wire-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-az-state-wire-0a6a5ad94e6bfe8e57b01737347b8040">staff, money and tools</a>&nbsp;they needed to deploy a vaccine. The money was not approved until the end of December.Vaccine distribution involves a long, complex chain of events. Every dose must be tracked. Providers need to know how much staffing they will need. Eligible people must be notified to schedule their shots, given the vaccine’s handling requirements and the need to observe people for 15 minutes after the shot — all while social distancing is observed.It’s difficult to plan too far ahead because the number of doses the state receives can fluctuate. Hospitals cannot give all their workers shots on the same day because of possible side effects and staffing issues, so they must be spaced out.Rhode Island health officials said it can take up to seven days to get doses out to people once they are received. Officials in several states, including Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New Jersey, said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-rhode-island-gina-raimondo-coronavirus-pandemic-beb86dd1c3838148868ce1470bf9f371">lack of supply</a>&nbsp;is one of the biggest obstacles to getting more people vaccinated.Some communities have seen large numbers of medical workers put off getting the shot, even though they are first in line. Columbus, Ohio, has had lower-than-expected demand among top priority groups, including emergency medical workers.A public education campaign could have helped address the hesitancy among health care workers that has slowed the rollout of the first shots, said James Garrow, a spokesman for the Philadelphia health department. Instead, officials for months talked about the speed at which they were developing the vaccines — which did not help alleviate concerns that it might not be safe.“There just hasn’t been good messaging about the safety and the purposefulness of the safety protocols,” Garrow said.The federal government has done little to provide information resources that local officials can tailor to their own communities, to address concerns of people such as pregnant women or Black men living in rural areas, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, who is a member of Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board.“You don’t need 50 different states trying to do this kind of work. What you want to have is a smorgasbord of information sources that address different populations that any one state can use,” Osterholm said. “That’s what we don’t have right now.”Some states are getting creative. Oregon held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-salem-coronavirus-pandemic-oregon-patrick-allen-e190ac97cba9169c6be9907da01c7a48">mass vaccination event</a>&nbsp;at the state fairgrounds with the help of the National Guard. The governor said it aimed to vaccinate 250 people per hour. New Jersey planned to open&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-new-jersey-a5141ff14a59faec5b2223b87817ef92">six vaccine “megasites”</a>&nbsp;where officials hope more than 2,000 people per day can eventually get their shots.But without a federal plan, such efforts can amount to “throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks,” said Chrissie Juliano of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents metropolitan health departments.What’s needed is a national, wartime-type effort to get vaccines out to as many people as possible, multiple experts said. Medical emergencies can be covered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Pezzino, who is also a senior fellow at the Kansas Health Institute. Why not make vaccinations available on that schedule?“It is possible. It is feasible,” he said. “I don’t see the level of urgency, the feeling of urgency in anybody around here. And that’s really, honestly, that’s the only thing that could make a difference.”

Vaccine rollout confirms public health officials' warnings

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as 42-year-old Oscar Acosta of Wichita.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to report of a shooting&nbsp; on South Hydraulic in Wichita, according to Captain Jason Stephens.

When they arrived, officers found a victim later identified as Acosta with a gunshot wound. He later died of his injuries, according to Stephens.

Investigators have learned that the suspect identified as 26-year-old Adrian Nicholas Zongker of Wichita entered the&nbsp; Berrieria Tito restaurant and was rummaging through a trash can "looking for a personal item," according to Stephens. 

He was asked to continue the activity outside. Zongker did that and then dumped the trash can out and became involved in a verbal altercation with one of the restaurant employees, according to Stephens.

Acosta came out of the business and during the argument, Zongker shot him and fled on foot.&nbsp;

Officers quickly located Zongker thanks to witnesses who provided them with a description of the suspect and pointed them in the right direction, according to Stephens. As they were taking him into custody, officers found he was in possession of a firearm.

Zongker is being held on a requested charge of first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm, according to Stephens. He was on parole through the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has five previous convictions that include&nbsp; assault and weapons violations.&nbsp;

Due to the investigation, Stephens did not detail exactly what Zongker was looking for in the trash. He also didn't know if Zongker had also been a patron of the business.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610726706910.png" alt="Zongker-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Zongker-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified the victim as 42-year-old Oscar Acosta of Wichita.Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to report of a shooting&nbsp; on South Hydraulic in Wichita, according to Captain Jason Stephens.When they arrived, officers found a victim later identified as Acosta with a gunshot wound. He later died of his injuries, according to Stephens.Investigators have learned that the suspect identified as 26-year-old Adrian Nicholas Zongker of Wichita entered the&nbsp; Berrieria Tito restaurant and was rummaging through a trash can "looking for a personal item," according to Stephens. He was asked to continue the activity outside. Zongker did that and then dumped the trash can out and became involved in a verbal altercation with one of the restaurant employees, according to Stephens.Acosta came out of the business and during the argument, Zongker shot him and fled on foot.&nbsp;Officers quickly located Zongker thanks to witnesses who provided them with a description of the suspect and pointed them in the right direction, according to Stephens. As they were taking him into custody, officers found he was in possession of a firearm.Zongker is being held on a requested charge of first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm, according to Stephens. He was on parole through the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has five previous convictions that include&nbsp; assault and weapons violations.&nbsp;Due to the investigation, Stephens did not detail exactly what Zongker was looking for in the trash. He also didn't know if Zongker had also been a patron of the business.

Police ID victim, make arrest in Kan. restaurant shooting

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The National Rifle Association announced Friday it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will seek to incorporate the nation’s most politically influential gun-rights group in Texas instead of New York.

The announcement made on the NRA’s website comes months after New York’s attorney general&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-new-york-lawsuits-election-2020-u-s-news-056b7845ad1a35a68a4bf837329d9f6f">sued the organization</a>&nbsp;over claims that top executives illegally diverted tens of millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures.

The coronavirus pandemic has also upended the NRA,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aac4b1a0fbe31665721393176b484d15">which last year laid off dozens of employees</a>, canceled its national convention and scuttled fundraising. The NRA’s bankruptcy filing listed between $100 million and $500 million in assets and between $100 million and $500 million in liabilities. Still, the NRA claimed in announcing the move that the organization was “in its strongest financial condition in years.”

The NRA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court in Dallas and said it planned to incorporate in Texas, where records show it formed a limited liability corporation, Sea Girt LLC, in November 2020. Sea Girt LLC made a separate bankruptcy filing Friday, listing fewer than $100,000 in liabilities.

“The move will enable long-term, sustainable growth and ensure the NRA’s continued success as the nation’s leading advocate for constitutional freedom – free from the toxic political environment of New York,” the NRA said in a statement.

A message seeking comment was left with a Dallas lawyer who made the bankruptcy filings on behalf of the NRA and Sea Girt LLC.

Shortly after the announcement, New York Attorney General Letitia James said she would not allow the NRA to “evade accountability” or oversight. Her office’s lawsuit last year highlighted misspending and self-dealing claims that have roiled the NRA and its longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, in recent years — from hair and makeup for his wife to a $17 million post-employment contract for himself.

“The NRA’s claimed financial status has finally met its moral status: bankrupt,” James said.

The gun-rights group boasts about 5 million members. Though headquartered in Virginia, the NRA was chartered as a nonprofit in New York in 1871 and is incorporated in the state. Going forward, the NRA said a committee will study opportunities to relocate segments of its operations to Texas and elsewhere.

The NRA’s largest creditor, owed $1.2 million, is Ackerman McQueen, which is the group’s former advertising agency that was behind the now-shuttered NRA TV service. The NRA sued the Oklahoma-based company in 2019, alleging it was being overbilled and said in Friday’s bankruptcy filing that the debt it is owed is disputed. The lawsuit is pending. A message seeking comment was left with Ackerman McQueen.

In the New York lawsuit, Ackerman McQueen was accused of aiding lavish spending by LaPierre and other NRA executives by picking up the tab and then sending a lump sum bill to the organization for “out-of-pocket expenses.”

Court records also show more than $960,000 owed to Membership Marketing Partners LLC, a firm that lists its headquarters at the same address as the NRA. Another $200,000 is owed to Speedway Motorsports, the North Carolina-based company that owns and operates NASCAR tracks, according to the records.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quickly welcomed the news, tweeting: “Welcome to Texas — a state that safeguards the 2nd Amendment.” The NRA said it has more than 400,000 members in Texas and plans to hold its annual convention in Houston later this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610753925909.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The National Rifle Association announced Friday it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will seek to incorporate the nation’s most politically influential gun-rights group in Texas instead of New York.The announcement made on the NRA’s website comes months after New York’s attorney general&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-new-york-lawsuits-election-2020-u-s-news-056b7845ad1a35a68a4bf837329d9f6f">sued the organization</a>&nbsp;over claims that top executives illegally diverted tens of millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures.The coronavirus pandemic has also upended the NRA,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aac4b1a0fbe31665721393176b484d15">which last year laid off dozens of employees</a>, canceled its national convention and scuttled fundraising. The NRA’s bankruptcy filing listed between $100 million and $500 million in assets and between $100 million and $500 million in liabilities. Still, the NRA claimed in announcing the move that the organization was “in its strongest financial condition in years.”The NRA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court in Dallas and said it planned to incorporate in Texas, where records show it formed a limited liability corporation, Sea Girt LLC, in November 2020. Sea Girt LLC made a separate bankruptcy filing Friday, listing fewer than $100,000 in liabilities.“The move will enable long-term, sustainable growth and ensure the NRA’s continued success as the nation’s leading advocate for constitutional freedom – free from the toxic political environment of New York,” the NRA said in a statement.A message seeking comment was left with a Dallas lawyer who made the bankruptcy filings on behalf of the NRA and Sea Girt LLC.Shortly after the announcement, New York Attorney General Letitia James said she would not allow the NRA to “evade accountability” or oversight. Her office’s lawsuit last year highlighted misspending and self-dealing claims that have roiled the NRA and its longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, in recent years — from hair and makeup for his wife to a $17 million post-employment contract for himself.“The NRA’s claimed financial status has finally met its moral status: bankrupt,” James said.The gun-rights group boasts about 5 million members. Though headquartered in Virginia, the NRA was chartered as a nonprofit in New York in 1871 and is incorporated in the state. Going forward, the NRA said a committee will study opportunities to relocate segments of its operations to Texas and elsewhere.The NRA’s largest creditor, owed $1.2 million, is Ackerman McQueen, which is the group’s former advertising agency that was behind the now-shuttered NRA TV service. The NRA sued the Oklahoma-based company in 2019, alleging it was being overbilled and said in Friday’s bankruptcy filing that the debt it is owed is disputed. The lawsuit is pending. A message seeking comment was left with Ackerman McQueen.In the New York lawsuit, Ackerman McQueen was accused of aiding lavish spending by LaPierre and other NRA executives by picking up the tab and then sending a lump sum bill to the organization for “out-of-pocket expenses.”Court records also show more than $960,000 owed to Membership Marketing Partners LLC, a firm that lists its headquarters at the same address as the NRA. Another $200,000 is owed to Speedway Motorsports, the North Carolina-based company that owns and operates NASCAR tracks, according to the records.Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quickly welcomed the news, tweeting: “Welcome to Texas — a state that safeguards the 2nd Amendment.” The NRA said it has more than 400,000 members in Texas and plans to hold its annual convention in Houston later this year.___

NRA bankrupt, plans to incorporate in Texas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators moved quickly Thursday to try a different approach in seeking to limit city and county taxes after Gov. Laura Kelly and a key group signaled that they’re not as opposed to the concept as they once were.

The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210114175913_194395/" target="_blank">34-1</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb13_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a proposed transparency law</a>&nbsp;that would require local officials to notify their constituents and hold a public hearing if they intend to spend extra dollars raised with property taxes. The bill would repeal what many lawmakers see as an ineffective lid on city and county property taxes that took effect in 2017.

The existing lid requires local voters’ approval when city and county commissions want to spend an increase in property tax revenues greater than the rate of inflation. But legislators said the law still allows increases in spending — and exempts some kinds of spending from the lid.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a similar transparency bill last year, but Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed it, and the League of Kansas Municipalities opposed it. The league this year was neutral, and Kelly appeared to soften her position during a Wednesday news conference.

That cleared the way for Thursday’s bipartisan vote for the bill, which sent the measure to the House. Republican leaders in both chambers see the measure as a top priority and believe that if it becomes law, pressure from constituents will keep local officials from raising taxes.

“This is just a way to give our constituents the transparency they need to weigh in,” said Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican.

In vetoing last year’s bill, Kelly said in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020/b2019_20/measures/documents/hb2702_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a message to lawmakers</a>&nbsp;that it could have deprived local governments of “essential funding” during the COVID-19 pandemic “when it is needed the most.” She also said it would have created “significant administrative burdens” for local officials when they should have been focused on the pandemic.”

But she said Wednesday that she favors transparency and that her issue with last year’s bill was “the amount of administrative hoops or work” for local officials.

“There was a lot in there that I really liked,” Kelly said. “I hope when it comes back this year that those issues have been taken into consideration.”

Sen. Tom Holland of Baldwin City, the ranking Democrat on the Senate tax committee, said the bill is less onerous in its requirements for sending notices to taxpayers about local governments’ activities.

Erik Sartorious, the League of Kansas Municipalities’ executive director, said local officials still are concerned that annual deadlines in the bill for counties to determine how much revenue can be spent without triggering the requirement are too early in the year. But he said that issue can be worked out.

The only vote Thursday against the bill came from Republican Sen. John Doll of Garden City, who predicted the proposed law “will not age well,” like other past attempts to control local taxes.

“Maybe it’s because county and local governments know what they’re doing,” Doll said.

Legislators have struggled for decades to limit local property taxes. They argue that property taxes are the least popular way for raising government revenue because the amount a business or home owner pays can rise based on a change in property values, even if tax rates don’t go up. They say people are often mystified as to why local appraisers increased their homes’ values.

“And you say, ‘I can’t even sell my house for that,’” said House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators moved quickly Thursday to try a different approach in seeking to limit city and county taxes after Gov. Laura Kelly and a key group signaled that they’re not as opposed to the concept as they once were.The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210114175913_194395/" target="_blank">34-1</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb13_01_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a proposed transparency law</a>&nbsp;that would require local officials to notify their constituents and hold a public hearing if they intend to spend extra dollars raised with property taxes. The bill would repeal what many lawmakers see as an ineffective lid on city and county property taxes that took effect in 2017.The existing lid requires local voters’ approval when city and county commissions want to spend an increase in property tax revenues greater than the rate of inflation. But legislators said the law still allows increases in spending — and exempts some kinds of spending from the lid.The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a similar transparency bill last year, but Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed it, and the League of Kansas Municipalities opposed it. The league this year was neutral, and Kelly appeared to soften her position during a Wednesday news conference.That cleared the way for Thursday’s bipartisan vote for the bill, which sent the measure to the House. Republican leaders in both chambers see the measure as a top priority and believe that if it becomes law, pressure from constituents will keep local officials from raising taxes.“This is just a way to give our constituents the transparency they need to weigh in,” said Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican.In vetoing last year’s bill, Kelly said in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020/b2019_20/measures/documents/hb2702_enrolled.pdf" target="_blank">a message to lawmakers</a>&nbsp;that it could have deprived local governments of “essential funding” during the COVID-19 pandemic “when it is needed the most.” She also said it would have created “significant administrative burdens” for local officials when they should have been focused on the pandemic.”But she said Wednesday that she favors transparency and that her issue with last year’s bill was “the amount of administrative hoops or work” for local officials.“There was a lot in there that I really liked,” Kelly said. “I hope when it comes back this year that those issues have been taken into consideration.”Sen. Tom Holland of Baldwin City, the ranking Democrat on the Senate tax committee, said the bill is less onerous in its requirements for sending notices to taxpayers about local governments’ activities.Erik Sartorious, the League of Kansas Municipalities’ executive director, said local officials still are concerned that annual deadlines in the bill for counties to determine how much revenue can be spent without triggering the requirement are too early in the year. But he said that issue can be worked out.The only vote Thursday against the bill came from Republican Sen. John Doll of Garden City, who predicted the proposed law “will not age well,” like other past attempts to control local taxes.“Maybe it’s because county and local governments know what they’re doing,” Doll said.Legislators have struggled for decades to limit local property taxes. They argue that property taxes are the least popular way for raising government revenue because the amount a business or home owner pays can rise based on a change in property values, even if tax rates don’t go up. They say people are often mystified as to why local appraisers increased their homes’ values.“And you say, ‘I can’t even sell my house for that,’” said House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican.

Kansas lawmakers move quickly on local tax 'transparency'

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 2 million Friday, crossing the threshold amid a vaccine rollout so immense but so uneven that in some countries there is real hope of vanquishing the outbreak, while in other, less-developed parts of the world, it seems a far-off dream.

The numbing figure was reached just over a year after the coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The number of dead, compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the population of Brussels, Mecca, Minsk or Vienna. It is roughly equivalent to the Cleveland metropolitan area or the entire state of Nebraska.

“There’s been a terrible amount of death,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, a pandemic expert and dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. At the same time, he said, “our scientific community has also done extraordinary work.”

In wealthy countries including the United States, Britain, Israel, Canada and Germany, millions of citizens have already been given some measure of protection with at least one dose of vaccine developed with revolutionary speed and quickly authorized for use.

But elsewhere, immunization drives have barely gotten off the ground. Many experts are predicting another year of loss and hardship in places like Iran, India, Mexico and Brazil, which together account for about a quarter of the world’s deaths.

“As a country, as a society, as citizens we haven’t understood,” lamented Israel Gomez, a Mexico City paramedic who spent months shuttling COVID-19 patients around by ambulance, desperately looking for vacant hospital beds. “We have not understood that this is not a game, that this really exists.”

Mexico, a country of 130 million people, has received just 500,000 doses of vaccine and has put barely half of those into the arms of health care workers.

That’s in sharp contrast to the situation for its wealthier northern neighbor. Despite early delays, hundreds of thousands of people are rolling up their sleeves every day in the United States, where the virus has killed about 390,000, by far the highest toll of any country.

All told, over 35 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, according to the University of Oxford.

While vaccination drives in rich countries have been hamstrung by long lines, inadequate budgets and a patchwork of state and local approaches, the obstacles are far greater in poorer nations, which can have weak health systems, crumbling transportation networks, entrenched corruption and a lack of reliable electricity to keep vaccines cold enough.

Also, the majority of the world’s COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been snapped up by wealthy countries. COVAX, a U.N.-backed project to supply shots to developing parts of the world, has found itself short of vaccine, money and logistical help.

As a result, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist warned it is highly unlikely that herd immunity — which would require at least 70% of the globe to be vaccinated — will be achieved this year. As the disaster has demonstrated, it is not enough to snuff out the virus in a few places.

“Even if it happens in a couple of pockets, in a few countries, it’s not going to protect people across the world,” Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said this week.

Health experts fear, too, that if shots are not distributed widely and fast enough, it could give the virus time to mutate and defeat the vaccine — “my nightmare scenario,” as Jha put it.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the 2 million milestone “has been made worse by the absence of a global coordinated effort.” He added: “Science has succeeded, but solidarity has failed.”

Meanwhile, in Wuhan, where the scourge was discovered in late 2019, a global team of researchers led by WHO arrived Thursday on a politically sensitive mission to investigate the origins of the virus, which is believed to have spread to humans from wild animals.

The Chinese city of 11 million people is bustling again, with few signs it was once the epicenter of the catastrophe, locked down for 76 days, with over 3,800 dead.

“We are not fearful or worried as we were in the past,” said Qin Qiong, a noodle shop owner. “We now live a normal life. I take the subway every day to come to work in the shop. ... Except for our customers, who have to wear masks, everything else is the same.”

It took eight months to hit 1 million dead but less than four months after that to reach the next million.

While the death toll is based on figures supplied by government agencies around the world, the real number of lives lost to is believed to be significantly higher, in part because of inadequate testing and the many fatalities inaccurately attributed to other causes, especially early in the outbreak.

“What was never on the horizon is that so many of the deaths would be in the richest countries in the world,” said Dr. Bharat Pankhania, an infectious diseases expert at Britain’s University of Exeter. “That the world’s richest countries would mismanage so badly is just shocking.”

In rich and poor countries alike, the crisis has devastated economies, thrown multitudes out of work and plunged many into poverty.

In Europe, where more than a quarter of the world’s deaths have taken place, strict lockdowns and curfews have been reimposed to beat back a resurgence of the virus, and a new variant that is believed to be more contagious is circulating in Britain and other countries, as well as the U.S.

Even in some of the wealthiest countries, the vaccination drives have been slower than expected. France, with the second-largest economy in Europe and more than 69,000 known virus deaths, will need years, not months, to vaccinate its 53 million adults unless it sharply speeds up its rollout, hampered by shortages, red tape and considerable suspicion of the vaccines.

Still, in places like Poissy, a blue-collar town west of Paris, the first shots of the Pfizer formula were met with relief and a sense that there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/Coronaviruspandemic">Coronavirus pandemic</a>

“We have been living inside for nearly a year. It’s not a life,” said Maurice Lachkar, a retired 78-year-old acupuncturist who was put on the priority list for vaccination because of his diabetes and his age. “If I catch the virus I am done.”

Maurice and his wife, Nicole, who also got vaccinated, said they might even allow themselves hugs with their two children and four grandchildren, whom they have seen from a socially safe distance only once or twice since the pandemic hit.

“It is going to be liberating,” he said.

Throughout the developing world, the images are strikingly similar: rows and rows of graves being dug, hospitals pushed to the limit and medical workers dying for lack of protective gear.

In Peru, which has the highest COVID-19 fatality rate in Latin America, hundreds of health care workers went on strike this week to demand better pay and working conditions in a country where 230 doctors have died of the disease. In Brazil, authorities in the Amazon rainforest’s biggest city planned to transfer hundreds of patients out because of a dwindling supply of oxygen tanks that has resulted in some people dying at home.

In Honduras, anesthesiologist Dr. Cesar Umaña is treating 25 patients in their homes by phone because hospitals lack the capacity and equipment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610740926666.png" alt="John Hopkins University map Friday January 15, 2021" />
 <figcaption>John Hopkins University map Friday January 15, 2021</figcaption>
 </figure>MEXICO CITY (AP) — The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 2 million Friday, crossing the threshold amid a vaccine rollout so immense but so uneven that in some countries there is real hope of vanquishing the outbreak, while in other, less-developed parts of the world, it seems a far-off dream.The numbing figure was reached just over a year after the coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The number of dead, compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the population of Brussels, Mecca, Minsk or Vienna. It is roughly equivalent to the Cleveland metropolitan area or the entire state of Nebraska.“There’s been a terrible amount of death,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, a pandemic expert and dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. At the same time, he said, “our scientific community has also done extraordinary work.”In wealthy countries including the United States, Britain, Israel, Canada and Germany, millions of citizens have already been given some measure of protection with at least one dose of vaccine developed with revolutionary speed and quickly authorized for use.But elsewhere, immunization drives have barely gotten off the ground. Many experts are predicting another year of loss and hardship in places like Iran, India, Mexico and Brazil, which together account for about a quarter of the world’s deaths.“As a country, as a society, as citizens we haven’t understood,” lamented Israel Gomez, a Mexico City paramedic who spent months shuttling COVID-19 patients around by ambulance, desperately looking for vacant hospital beds. “We have not understood that this is not a game, that this really exists.”Mexico, a country of 130 million people, has received just 500,000 doses of vaccine and has put barely half of those into the arms of health care workers.MORE COVID-19 NEWS:<ul>
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 </ul>That’s in sharp contrast to the situation for its wealthier northern neighbor. Despite early delays, hundreds of thousands of people are rolling up their sleeves every day in the United States, where the virus has killed about 390,000, by far the highest toll of any country.All told, over 35 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, according to the University of Oxford.While vaccination drives in rich countries have been hamstrung by long lines, inadequate budgets and a patchwork of state and local approaches, the obstacles are far greater in poorer nations, which can have weak health systems, crumbling transportation networks, entrenched corruption and a lack of reliable electricity to keep vaccines cold enough.Also, the majority of the world’s COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been snapped up by wealthy countries. COVAX, a U.N.-backed project to supply shots to developing parts of the world, has found itself short of vaccine, money and logistical help.As a result, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist warned it is highly unlikely that herd immunity — which would require at least 70% of the globe to be vaccinated — will be achieved this year. As the disaster has demonstrated, it is not enough to snuff out the virus in a few places.“Even if it happens in a couple of pockets, in a few countries, it’s not going to protect people across the world,” Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said this week.Health experts fear, too, that if shots are not distributed widely and fast enough, it could give the virus time to mutate and defeat the vaccine — “my nightmare scenario,” as Jha put it.U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the 2 million milestone “has been made worse by the absence of a global coordinated effort.” He added: “Science has succeeded, but solidarity has failed.”Meanwhile, in Wuhan, where the scourge was discovered in late 2019, a global team of researchers led by WHO arrived Thursday on a politically sensitive mission to investigate the origins of the virus, which is believed to have spread to humans from wild animals.The Chinese city of 11 million people is bustling again, with few signs it was once the epicenter of the catastrophe, locked down for 76 days, with over 3,800 dead.“We are not fearful or worried as we were in the past,” said Qin Qiong, a noodle shop owner. “We now live a normal life. I take the subway every day to come to work in the shop. ... Except for our customers, who have to wear masks, everything else is the same.”It took eight months to hit 1 million dead but less than four months after that to reach the next million.While the death toll is based on figures supplied by government agencies around the world, the real number of lives lost to is believed to be significantly higher, in part because of inadequate testing and the many fatalities inaccurately attributed to other causes, especially early in the outbreak.“What was never on the horizon is that so many of the deaths would be in the richest countries in the world,” said Dr. Bharat Pankhania, an infectious diseases expert at Britain’s University of Exeter. “That the world’s richest countries would mismanage so badly is just shocking.”In rich and poor countries alike, the crisis has devastated economies, thrown multitudes out of work and plunged many into poverty.In Europe, where more than a quarter of the world’s deaths have taken place, strict lockdowns and curfews have been reimposed to beat back a resurgence of the virus, and a new variant that is believed to be more contagious is circulating in Britain and other countries, as well as the U.S.Even in some of the wealthiest countries, the vaccination drives have been slower than expected. France, with the second-largest economy in Europe and more than 69,000 known virus deaths, will need years, not months, to vaccinate its 53 million adults unless it sharply speeds up its rollout, hampered by shortages, red tape and considerable suspicion of the vaccines.Still, in places like Poissy, a blue-collar town west of Paris, the first shots of the Pfizer formula were met with relief and a sense that there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/Coronaviruspandemic">Coronavirus pandemic</a>“We have been living inside for nearly a year. It’s not a life,” said Maurice Lachkar, a retired 78-year-old acupuncturist who was put on the priority list for vaccination because of his diabetes and his age. “If I catch the virus I am done.”Maurice and his wife, Nicole, who also got vaccinated, said they might even allow themselves hugs with their two children and four grandchildren, whom they have seen from a socially safe distance only once or twice since the pandemic hit.“It is going to be liberating,” he said.Throughout the developing world, the images are strikingly similar: rows and rows of graves being dug, hospitals pushed to the limit and medical workers dying for lack of protective gear.In Peru, which has the highest COVID-19 fatality rate in Latin America, hundreds of health care workers went on strike this week to demand better pay and working conditions in a country where 230 doctors have died of the disease. In Brazil, authorities in the Amazon rainforest’s biggest city planned to transfer hundreds of patients out because of a dwindling supply of oxygen tanks that has resulted in some people dying at home.In Honduras, anesthesiologist Dr. Cesar Umaña is treating 25 patients in their homes by phone because hospitals lack the capacity and equipment.“This is complete chaos,” he said.

 Global death toll for COVID-19 surpasses 2 million

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ordered this week that women must visit a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic in person to obtain an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic, though similar rules for other drugs have been suspended during the public health emergency.

Days before President Donald Trump leaves office, the justices granted a Trump administration appeal to be able to enforce a longstanding rule on getting the abortion pill, mifepristone. The pill need not be taken in the presence of medical professionals.

The court split 6-3, with the liberal justices in dissent. The new administration could put the in-person requirement on hold after Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20.

A federal judge had suspended the rule since July because of the coronavirus, in response to a lawsuit from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang affirmed the suspension of the rule in December, saying public health risks for patients had increased as COVID-19 cases soared.

The Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone to be used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy or manage a miscarriage.

The administration has suspended similar in-person visits for other drugs, including opioids in some cases, but refused to relax the rules for getting the abortion pill.

In October, the Supreme Court allowed women to continue getting the abortion pill by mail but deferred any substantive ruling. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have granted the administration’s request then.

At the time, there were only eight justices on the court, as Justice Amy Coney Barrett had been nominated, but not yet confirmed. Barrett took the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ordered this week that women must visit a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic in person to obtain an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic, though similar rules for other drugs have been suspended during the public health emergency.Days before President Donald Trump leaves office, the justices granted a Trump administration appeal to be able to enforce a longstanding rule on getting the abortion pill, mifepristone. The pill need not be taken in the presence of medical professionals.The court split 6-3, with the liberal justices in dissent. The new administration could put the in-person requirement on hold after Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20.A federal judge had suspended the rule since July because of the coronavirus, in response to a lawsuit from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups.U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang affirmed the suspension of the rule in December, saying public health risks for patients had increased as COVID-19 cases soared.The Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone to be used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy or manage a miscarriage.The administration has suspended similar in-person visits for other drugs, including opioids in some cases, but refused to relax the rules for getting the abortion pill.In October, the Supreme Court allowed women to continue getting the abortion pill by mail but deferred any substantive ruling. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have granted the administration’s request then.At the time, there were only eight justices on the court, as Justice Amy Coney Barrett had been nominated, but not yet confirmed. Barrett took the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September.

Justices: Women must obtain abortion pill in person

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 4093 to a total of 256, 134, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3502 an increase of 147

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 4093 to a total of 256, 134, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3502 an increase of 147<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610734196374.png" alt="Friday Jan. 15, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday Jan. 15, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

&nbsp;HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man was bound over for trial&nbsp; Thursday on charges of drug smuggling while an employee at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility.

Zachary Wood, 22, Newton, also saw two additional charges filed against him in an amended complaint. Wood faces single counts of possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of codeine with intent to sell along with the original charges of conspiracy, using a communication device to distribute drugs, drug distribution and trafficking contraband into a correctional facility.

Wood is accused of using three women to help smuggle K2 into the prison over a period of two months.

The three women arrested in the case, Ester Davis, Denisha Starns and Stephanie Thindiu all waived their right to a preliminary hearing and were bound over for trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600357864536.jpeg" alt="Wood photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Wood photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man was bound over for trial&nbsp; Thursday on charges of drug smuggling while an employee at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility.Zachary Wood, 22, Newton, also saw two additional charges filed against him in an amended complaint. Wood faces single counts of possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of codeine with intent to sell along with the original charges of conspiracy, using a communication device to distribute drugs, drug distribution and trafficking contraband into a correctional facility.Wood is accused of using three women to help smuggle K2 into the prison over a period of two months.The three women arrested in the case, Ester Davis, Denisha Starns and Stephanie Thindiu all waived their right to a preliminary hearing and were bound over for trial.

Man will stand trial for smuggling K2 into Kan. prison

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is on track to pay out an extra $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit as part of a coronavirus rescue aid package enacted late last month, a top Department of Labor official said.

Ryan Wright, who stepped down as acting secretary of the agency in December but remains a top staffer, said the department was in the process of testing the requisite system. Roughly two dozen states have begun paying out the extra benefit, but Wright noted that neighboring states also weren’t up and running yet, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2021/01/14/kansas-on-target-resume-expanded-unemployment-payments/4161319001/" target="_blank">reports</a>.

He didn’t commit to a firm time frame but said “we are talking days and weeks, not months” and insisted that the state is “not behind.”

Originally authorized under the CARES Act, the program was continued under the recently approved federal stimulus package, with claimants able to receive the expanded benefits for an additional 11 weeks.

KDOL has come under fire from lawmakers and frustrated Kansans alike after a historic surge in unemployment amid the COVID-19 pandemic taxed the state’s aging system, leading to widespread crashes and outages.

When Wright took over as acting secretary in July, there was a backlog of over 25,000 claimants awaiting benefits. Residents complained of an inability to get through to talk to a call center employee about their situation and some still say they haven’t been able to access their benefits.

But Wright claimed victory in tackling the backlog of regular unemployment claims, which was down to a mere 188 applicants who would be taken care of soon.

“We are approaching the point where if you have a valid claim, you will be paid,” he said.

A separate backlog of claimants in a different program targeted at those who are self-employed or freelancers had been halved in the last six months, Wright said.

The issue was that large parts of the system haven’t been upgraded since the 1970s and a refresh in the 2000s is now out of date.

Kelly included $37.5 million in her budget proposal, announced Wednesday, for some IT upgrades, although a more comprehensive effort would cost far more. The hope was to break the effort into phases, but significant work was needed, Wright said.

“It will be a complete overhaul of the system at this point,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shawnee County commissioners voted Thursday to extend a health order that limited gatherings to 10 people or fewer after the county saw surging COVID-19 numbers. Interim health officer Dennis Cooley recommended the health order be extended for a few weeks to allow the health department to review COVID-19 numbers. He said the county is in the midst of a post-holiday spike.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610733397386.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is on track to pay out an extra $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit as part of a coronavirus rescue aid package enacted late last month, a top Department of Labor official said.Ryan Wright, who stepped down as acting secretary of the agency in December but remains a top staffer, said the department was in the process of testing the requisite system. Roughly two dozen states have begun paying out the extra benefit, but Wright noted that neighboring states also weren’t up and running yet, The Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2021/01/14/kansas-on-target-resume-expanded-unemployment-payments/4161319001/" target="_blank">reports</a>.He didn’t commit to a firm time frame but said “we are talking days and weeks, not months” and insisted that the state is “not behind.”Originally authorized under the CARES Act, the program was continued under the recently approved federal stimulus package, with claimants able to receive the expanded benefits for an additional 11 weeks.KDOL has come under fire from lawmakers and frustrated Kansans alike after a historic surge in unemployment amid the COVID-19 pandemic taxed the state’s aging system, leading to widespread crashes and outages.When Wright took over as acting secretary in July, there was a backlog of over 25,000 claimants awaiting benefits. Residents complained of an inability to get through to talk to a call center employee about their situation and some still say they haven’t been able to access their benefits.But Wright claimed victory in tackling the backlog of regular unemployment claims, which was down to a mere 188 applicants who would be taken care of soon.“We are approaching the point where if you have a valid claim, you will be paid,” he said.A separate backlog of claimants in a different program targeted at those who are self-employed or freelancers had been halved in the last six months, Wright said.The issue was that large parts of the system haven’t been upgraded since the 1970s and a refresh in the 2000s is now out of date.Kelly included $37.5 million in her budget proposal, announced Wednesday, for some IT upgrades, although a more comprehensive effort would cost far more. The hope was to break the effort into phases, but significant work was needed, Wright said.“It will be a complete overhaul of the system at this point,” he said.Meanwhile, Shawnee County commissioners voted Thursday to extend a health order that limited gatherings to 10 people or fewer after the county saw surging COVID-19 numbers. Interim health officer Dennis Cooley recommended the health order be extended for a few weeks to allow the health department to review COVID-19 numbers. He said the county is in the midst of a post-holiday spike.

Kansas on track to pay out extra unemployment benefit

KANSAS CITY (AP) —As vaccinations continue across the U.S., some companies are offering financial incentives to encourage their workers to get the shots.

Instacart Inc., the grocery delivery service, announced Thursday that it would provide a $25 stipend for workers who get the COVID-19 vaccine. It joins others, including Trader Joe’s and Dollar General, which plan to pay workers extra if they get vaccinated.

“Our goal with the introduction of our new vaccine support stipend is to ensure that, when the time comes, Instacart shoppers don’t have to choose between earning income as an essential service provider or getting vaccinated,” Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602590971875.png" alt="Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —As vaccinations continue across the U.S., some companies are offering financial incentives to encourage their workers to get the shots.Instacart Inc., the grocery delivery service, announced Thursday that it would provide a $25 stipend for workers who get the COVID-19 vaccine. It joins others, including Trader Joe’s and Dollar General, which plan to pay workers extra if they get vaccinated.“Our goal with the introduction of our new vaccine support stipend is to ensure that, when the time comes, Instacart shoppers don’t have to choose between earning income as an essential service provider or getting vaccinated,” Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta said in a statement.San Francisco-based Instacart has nearly doubled its mostly gig workforce to about 500,000 to meet a surge in demand for online grocery shopping since the pandemic erupted in the U.S. last spring.Grocery chain Trader Joe’s, which has more than 50,000 employees, said Thursday it will give employees two hours of pay per dose for getting the vaccine. The Monrovia, California-based company said it will also shift around schedules to make sure employees have time to get vaccinated.Dollar General said Wednesday it will give employees the equivalent of four hours of pay if they get the vaccine. The Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based retailer said it employs 157,000 people.A vaccine advisory panel at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control voted late last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-over75-essential-145d1bae81aaa05df26cfed0d24f0e10">recommendations for vaccine distribution</a>. The panel said grocery workers — which would include Instacart and Dollar General’s employees — should be in the second group to receive shots after health care workers and nursing home residents.It is up to each state to decide how and when to adopt the CDC’s recommendations. Some states have already opened eligibility to the second group, which also includes firefighters, police, teachers, corrections workers, postal employees and people 75 and older. There are around 50 million people in that group.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/can-employers-covid-19-vaccine-mandatory-ba22c99f01f24ea3be7631ff751f0d82">Companies can mandate</a>&nbsp;that workers get COVID-19 vaccines as a requirement for employment, although they must make accommodations for medical or religious reasons, according to guidance from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.However, most companies are reluctant to impose such mandates, said Sharon Perley Masling, a partner at the law firm Morgan Lewis who has been advising clients on workplace issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency nature of the vaccine’s FDA approval makes it impractical for many companies to require it, given that the shots are not available to most of the population, she said.Still, Masling said the companies she works with are taking various steps to strongly encourage their workers to get vaccinated, including internal public relations campaigns showing top executives who are eligible getting the shots. Other incentives include free child care, paid time off and freebies like pizza delivery and other gifts, she said.“It’s good for employees, it’s good for their communities and its good for ensuring the continuation of business operations,” Masling said.The push to vaccinate comes amid signs that some people —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-health-workers-676e03a99badfd5ce3a6cfafe383f6af">even health care workers</a>&nbsp;— are reluctant to get the shots, contributing to a slower than hoped-for rollout of the mass vacation effort in the U.S. Masling said many of companies are still trying to figure out how their employees feel about the taking the shots, with some sending out internal surveys.In a survey last month by the Society for Human Resource Management, nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers said they were likely to get the vaccine when it becomes available. Still, 36% said they were not likely to get vaccinated, citing as their main reason concern about side effects. SHRM surveyed workers from 529 U.S. households using the AmeriSpeak Omnibus survey, a probability-based panel developed by NORC at the University of Chicago.Scientists say the vaccines have been rigorously tested on tens of thousands and vetted by independent experts, and there have been no signs of widespread severe side effects from the shots.Not every company is offering incentives. Delivery app DoorDash, another big platform for gig workers, said it has asked the CDC and governors to prioritize delivery workers in vaccine distribution. But it doesn’t plan perks for workers who get vaccinated.Target Corp. also plans no incentives, but said it will make the vaccine free and accessible to its 350,000 employees. Target said 1,700 of its stores have a CVS pharmacy on site that will offer the vaccine to staff when it’s available.Albertsons, a grocery chain with 2,250 U.S. stores and 300,000 employees, also isn’t doling out financial incentives. Like DoorDash, it’s asking state and local authorities to make sure its workers get priority for the vaccine.A separate SHRM survey last month found that while about two-thirds of U.S. employers planned to encourage employees to get vaccinated, only 3% have decided to require it for at least some workers. That could change, since 55% of employers said they were unsure if they would eventually require it, according to survey of 955 members of SHRM, an organization of about 300,000 human resource professionals.Many large companies have faced criticism over how they have treated their employees throughout the pandemic, from shoddy sick leave policies to poor working conditions. Companies from meatpacking plants to Amazon have grappled with worker absences and outbreaks that have forced temporary shutdowns of their factories and warehouses. There is also a looming debate in Congress over whether employers should be exempt from legal liabilities related to coronavirus exposure as more recall their employees to offices and other work sites.Those challenges provide a strong incentive for companies to get their workers vaccinated, said Laura Boudreau, an economics professor at Columbia Business School who specializes in labor rights.“A lot of them have had to defend their reputations in terms of how they are treating their employees throughout the pandemic,” Boudreau said.Instacart is among several companies that have lobbied for their workers to be prioritized for vaccines. The company has faced criticism and some worker unrest over allegations that it not done enough to protect its gig workers, who don’t get health insurance through the company or guaranteed paid sick leave.The company says it has distributed 620,000 free safety kits to its workers, including face masks and hand sanitizers. It introduced a new policy in March to provide 14 days of paid leave for gig workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been ordered to quarantine because of potential exposure.