Coronavirus Vaccine Updates: NJ Devils postpone games through Feb. 6 due to COVID

COVID-19 Live Updates, News and Information

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Monday, February 1, 2021

The novel coronavirus was just starting to show its teeth in New York and New Jersey as Winter turned to Spring. People were dying already, but we were only starting to feel the wave of death, anguish, and need that was heading our way.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The NHL announced that as a result of four additional Devils players being added to the COVID Protocol Absence list, the team's games have been postponed through at least Saturday, Feb. 6.

As a precaution, the Devils facilities are closed to all players on the active roster, effective immediately, and it will remain that way until further notice.

The league is reviewing and revising the team's regular-season schedule.

The Devils COVID Protocol list now includes Mackenzie Blackwood, Connor Carrick, Aaron Dell, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Pavel Zacha, and Travis Zajac.

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Here are more of today's headlines:

Winter nor'easter halts COVID-19 vaccine distribution

The nor'easter blanketing the New York area with a foot of snow or more is putting the brakes on efforts to administer coronavirus vaccinations. And in this winter of COVID, the last thing anyone wanted was something else to delay what's needed the most.

Connecticut to 'slightly relax' some restrictions

Gov. Ned Lamont is lifting the 100-person cap on houses of worship but keeping the 50% capacity limit.

And businesses -- like restaurants, bowling alleys, etc. -- can now stay open until 11 p.m., extending the previous 10 p.m. curfew by an hour. But their capacity limit also remains 50%.

Connecticut remains 3rd in the nation for vaccination, although Monday's storm could put them a bit behind.

Ellume ramps up at-home COVID-19 test production with $231.8M federal contract

The Biden administration announced on Monday that the US Department of Defense and US Department of Health and Human Services are working with Australian company Ellume to provide more of its fully at-home COVID-19 tests to the United States.

"Ellume has been ramping up manufacturing and will ship 100,000 test kits per month to the US from February through July," Andy Slavitt, the White House COVID-19 senior adviser, said during a White House briefing on Monday. "That's good but it's obviously not where we'll need to be."

Born before the 1918 flu pandemic, 103-year-old happily gets COVID-19 vaccine

A 103-year-old Oregon woman is fearlessly taking on her second pandemic. Bernice Homan recently received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. She lived through the 1918 flu pandemic, having been born in 1917.

Chick-fil-A manager saves drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic after traffic backup

When a South Carolina drive-thru coronavirus vaccine clinic got backed up, leaving people waiting for hours, the town mayor decided to call in a professional for help: a Chick-fil-A manager.

Local hospitals in Mount Pleasant opened the clinic on January 22 for residents eligible to receive the first shots of Covid-19 vaccine. But shortly after the drive-thru opened, the computer system handling registrations went down, causing hundreds of people to wait in heavy traffic.

Tips to pay off credit cards and other debt during COVID-19 pandemic

A singular crisis has led to extraordinary relief options for borrowers. Interest and payments have been paused on federal student loans. Homeowners can request nearly a year of mortgage forbearance. Credit card issuers and other lenders dramatically expanded hardship programs.

Still, many Americans say they took on more debt last year because of the pandemic, according to NerdWallet's household debt survey.

Beloved school security guard in Westchester County loses battle with COVID

A community in Westchester County is mourning the loss of a beloved school security guard who had been battling the coronavirus.

In the close-knit community at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry -- when one person is struggling, they rally around that person. Unfortunately, Panton Adams died of the disease.

1st vaccine doses arrive in South Africa amid variant concerns

The first shipments of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in South Africa on Monday amidst concerns that new coronavirus variants and "vaccine nationalism" are hindering efforts to control the pandemic.

One million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford and manufactured at the Serum Institute of India, were expected to be delivered. To date, South Africa has been the hardest hit nation on the African continent, with 1,453,761 cases and 44,164 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Biden to meet Republicans proposing $618 billion COVID-19 aid package

President Joe Biden is to meet late Monday with a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed $618 billion in coronavirus aid, about a third of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking as congressional Democrats vow to push ahead with or without GOP support.

The Republican group's proposal focuses on the pandemic's health effects, tapping into bipartisan urgency to shore up the nation's vaccine distribution and vastly expanding virus testing with $160 billion in aid. While that's the same as Biden's proposal, their slimmed down $1,000 direct payments would go to fewer households than the $1,400 Biden has proposed, and they offer a fraction of what he wants to re-open schools.

Top 7 COVID vaccine questions answered

You had questions about COVID-19 vaccines and 7 On Your Side is getting you answers from doctors on the front line of the pandemic.