COVID-19 Update, December 10, 2020: The Deadliest Day

Winter is here: The US hits a new high in daily COVID-19 deaths; let's hope this headline doesn't go out of date. The stress is being felt everywhere, in devastated communities, soaring unemployment, stressed-out healthcare workers, and food insecurity. And the vaccine rollout is gathering steam; by tomorrow we'll probably have good news about the Pfizer vaccine in the US. So why do half of Americans express deep reservations about getting inoculated?

The latest:

The US records 3,000 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, the highest number since the pandemic began. It's also more people than died on 9/11: tinyurl.com/yy9nscye. And yet a worrying new poll shows that only 50% want to take a vaccine: tinyurl.com/yyyvy23h.

Jobless claims for the week come in at 853,000-much worse than expected: tinyurl.com/yy8l7jxx.

Latin America's COVID-19 crisis goes from bad to worse: tinyurl.com/y2nj926r.

The European Central Bank extends its bond-buying program by $605 billion to keep the continent's economy going through the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y3mt8zbt.

The Biden transition team is planning to disinfect the White House, which has become a petri dish of COVID-19 infections, before moving in: tinyurl.com/y4bodwpb.

Shoplifting grows and benefits run out and food insecurity grows: tinyurl.com/yyarcavt.

Inside the pandemic's devastating effect on the Navajo Nation: tinyurl.com/y4tf82r3.

Rudy Giuliani leaves the hospital, having been treated with the same drug cocktail used on the president: tinyurl.com/yybq697s.

Around the country:

In California:

The state's daily average of new COVID-19 cases has more than double in the last two weeks: tinyurl.com/yym2rbdc. Los Angeles County's health director fights off tears while delivering the latest statistics: tinyurl.com/y4zblwzg. The state's vaccine rollout could start within days: tinyurl.com/y2ndt9xc.

Lake Tahoe is temporarily closing to tourists: tinyurl.com/y2xxkdf6.

Ellen DeGeneres tests positive for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/yxvn96tm.

In Connecticut:

The offices of the Hartford Courant, largely empty since the pandemic began, will close, following the Allentown Morning Call, The Capital (Annapolis), Orlando Sentinel, and New York Daily News. Going forward, The Courant will "reconsider our needs for physical offices:" tinyurl.com/y3jshqj8.

In Florida:

The state reports 9,592 new COVID-19 cases: tinyurl.com/yywv5aav.

South Florida organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry are running out of money: tinyurl.com/y22y52gs.

Miami hospital workers are surprisingly lukewarm about taking a COVID-19 vaccine: tinyurl.com/y2w769gg.

Orlando Airport will begin giving COVID-19 tests this month: tinyurl.com/y386hwmw.

The appalling story of the customer at a Vero Beach Best Buy who refused to wear a mask, then proceeded to cough, sneeze, and spit all over the staff: tinyurl.com/y4taoeqd.

In Illinois:

Chicago rolls out a plan to vaccinate all of the city's adults in 2021: tinyurl.com/yxkraprb.

In Maryland:

The state reports 3,202 new cases, the second highest daily total of the pandemic: tinyurl.com/yxhya8aa.

In Massachusetts:

The governor announces his plan for the initial vaccine rollout, which will prioritize frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents: tinyurl.com/y4ygdfep.

The state's highest court, rejecting a challenge by business owners, upholds the governor's use of emergency powers to combat the pandemic: tinyurl.com/yxc4tswf.

In Nevada:

The Licensing Expo, scheduled for May at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, has been postponed to August: tinyurl.com/y2m2ecco.

In New York:

The first 72,000 doses of vaccine are set to arrive this weekend: tinyurl.com/y5rf2y7v.

The Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds issues a statement of support for stagehands who have been shut out of the Metropolitan Opera: tinyurl.com/y666hnwu.

In South Dakota:

The strange fate of a mask mandate in a town where death runs wild: tinyurl.com/y3hdjc4k.

Around the world:

In Canada:

The government approves the Pfizer vaccine: tinyurl.com/y3xv8y94.

In Germany:

Berlin seeks to close stores (not supermarkets) and extend the school holidays to slow the pandemic: tinyurl.com/y4cph5qv.

You won't find Sally Bowles at Berlin's KitKat Club, but you can get a COVID-19 test for 25 euros: tinyurl.com/y58a8kar.

In Israel:

The government will start vaccinations beginning December 27: tinyurl.com/y3u5modn.

In the UK:

The tumultuous story of Six, the West End and Broadway musical that has had its fortunes upended by the pandemic: tinyurl.com/yxt6ok36.

Entertainment:

On December 11 at 7:30pm ET, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presents a Dancing for Social Justice program with performance excerpts from Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's ballet Shelter, a passionate statement about the physical and emotional deprivation of homeless people, and Kyle Abraham's Untitled America, a work that shines a light on the impact of the prison system on African-Americans. A discussion centered around the arts and social justice will be moderated by artistic director Robert Battle with Kyle Abraham, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and activist and Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson: www.alvinailey.org.

Spotlight on Plays presents Robert O'Hara's wildly twisty satire Barbecue at 8:00pm EST. The company includes Carrie Coon, Colman Domingo, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Annie McNamara, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tony award winner Laurie Metcalf, David Morse, Kristine Nielsen, Tamberla Perry, and Heather Simms. Tickets: tinyurl.com/y4foem36.

Keen Company artistic director Jonathan Silverstein announced the guests for Keen's Holiday Variety Hour, written and directed by Billy Recce, and starring Kate Baldwin and Graham Rowat, Whitney Bashor and Jared Zirilli, Nick Blaemire, Kathleen Chalfant, Jasminn Johnson, Ted Koch and Leenya Rideout, Marsha Mason, and Brenda Pressley, with special appearances by Heidi Armbruster, Marc delaCruz, Chris Dwan, Kevin Kilner, Jodie Markell, Jay Mazyck, Lauren Molina, Paul Niebanck, Pamela Sabaugh, George Salazar, and Sheldon Woodley. The Keen Holiday Variety Hour will premiere Tuesday December 15th at 6:30pm ET with a recording of the livestream available until December 22: www.keencompany.org/benefitbroadcasts.

Shure has partnered with AWAL, which represents some of the hottest and most exciting independent artists from around the world, to help bring additional musical joy this holiday season with a series of free weekly virtual, live streaming concerts. For six weeks, these artists will each perform a 15-minute set for NextSound Sessions at www.shure.com/en-US/performance-production/nextsoundsessions. The second session will air December 12, 2020 at 1:00pm CT and will be streamed globally. Fans can listen to performances from the first session at www.mixcloud.com/shure/nextsoundsessions-session-1/on MixCloud. All live-streamed concerts will be hosted via Gramrphone www.gramrphone.com/ a free-to-use live streaming platform that offers a high-quality audio listening experience for artists and fans. With no ticket required, listeners simply click on the link to listen and interact with artists and other fans.

For your pleasure:

Kristin Chenoweth and Matthew Morrison combine the Burt Bacharach - Hal David classics "One Less Bell to Answer" and "A House is Not a Home:" www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nGzkG05iOE.

That's all for today. Stay safe. -- DB

To receive your LSA copies at home (no charge), please email LSA@plasa.org or go to www.ezsubscription.com/lsa/mysubscription.

Previous LSA COVID-19 Updates: plasa.me/lsacovid19resources.